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WHITE PAPER Private Cloud SAP HANA* Appliance Efficient operation in a private cloud environment SAP applications can often comprise the core of IT operations in large enterprises. Companies that outsource their SAP landscape and basic operation to a private cloud can manage their resources flexibly in a way that meets demand and saves costs. Dynamic Services for SAP Solu- tions* and Application Operations for SAP Solutions* form a private cloud solution from T- Systems which comprises both the technical infrastructure and the operation of SAP applications. To provide its customers with even more attractive offers in the future, T-Systems is constantly in the process of optimizing the overall costs incurred for SAP HANA* in the private cloud environment. A component of this private cloud is a SAP HANA scale-out appliance based on the Dell PowerEdge R920* platform with Intel® Xeon® processor E7 v2 family. Around 200 customers are currently using more than 5,000 standardized and industrialized SAP compo- nents via this environment 1 . It was the objective to optimize the overall costs for SAP HANA* in the private cloud environ- ment. T-Systems made the decision to go with a SAP HANA scale-out appliance based on the Dell PowerEdge R920* platform with Intel® Xeon® processor E7 v2 family. T-Systems is the Key Accounts Division of Deutsche Telekom. Drawing on a global infra- structure of data centers and networks, the group operates information and communication technology (ICT) systems for multinational cor- porations and public sector institutions. With around 50,000 employees, T-Systems gener- ated approximately EUR 9.5 billion in revenue during the 2013 fiscal year 2 . Being a global ICT service provider, the company is also one of the world's first certified "SAP Application Management Services Providers" and one of the few that is certified by SAP as a "Global Hosting Partner". The Dell appliance is fully integrated into the infrastructure of T-Systems' Dynamic Service, including network and storage, and is incorpo- rated into the operation, process and automa- tion platform. This deep integration of Dell's SAP HANA appliance means that the customer experiences all the benefits of the efficient SAP HANA in-memory technology. Thanks to the highly efficient design of its private cloud operating processes, T-Systems is able to offer its customers attractive conditions while preserving the advantages of an advanced, SAP-certified appliance. SAP Systems from the Private Cloud SAP applications often comprise the core of IT operations. More and more companies are now outsourcing their technical infrastructure and SAP applications to a private cloud. The most common motives for this being cost re- duction, a focus on the company's core com- petence, plus the desire to manage resources flexibly and dynamically. As a result, companies are able to react quickly to the changing require- ments applied to SAP applications which can arise through peak loads, growth and restruc- turing or company acquisitions. SAP operation in the private cloud means more than simply providing infrastructure. Additional services such as monitoring, IT security and support are required to ensure stable opera- tion and a transparent service. T-Systems fa- cilitates the needs-oriented integration of SAP applications into companies using its Applica- tion Operations for SAP Solutions* (AOfSAP). AOfSAP integrates Dynamic Services for SAP solutions, a globally available, virtualized and extremely efficient solution for the operation of SAP systems and components with the ef- ficiency of in-memory technology. This is made widely available by SAP HANA. Around 200 customers currently use more than 5,000 SAP components that are standardized and industrialized via the Dynamic Services platform provided by T-Systems. Customers only pay for the resources they have actually used (pay per use). System performance, num- ber of users, function range and service con- stantly adapt to suit the company's needs. Consequently, peak loads can be easily managed and usually without any delay. T-Systems' pri- vate cloud is subject to strict German data pro- tection law and complies with all compliance requirements. Companies access hosted SAP applications exclusively via VPN/MPLS (virtual private networks/multiprotocol label switch- ing) which guarantees data protection.

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Page 1: SAP HANA* Appliance - Intel · PDF fileWHITE PAPER Private Cloud SAP HANA* Appliance Efficient operation in a private cloud environment SAP applications can often comprise the core

WHITE PAPERPrivate Cloud

SAP HANA* Appliance Efficient operation in a private cloud environment

SAP applications can often comprise the core of IT operations in large enterprises. Companiesthat outsource their SAP landscape and basic operation to a private cloud can manage theirresources flexibly in a way that meets demand and saves costs. Dynamic Services for SAP Solu-tions* and Application Operations for SAP Solutions* form a private cloud solution from T-Systems which comprises both the technical infrastructure and the operation of SAP applications. To provide its customers with even more attractive offers in the future, T-Systems is constantlyin the process of optimizing the overall costs incurred for SAP HANA* in the private cloudenvironment. A component of this private cloud is a SAP HANA scale-out appliance based onthe Dell PowerEdge R920* platform with Intel® Xeon® processor E7 v2 family. Around 200customers are currently using more than 5,000 standardized and industrialized SAP compo-nents via this environment1.

It was the objective to optimizethe overall costs for SAP HANA*in the private cloud environ-ment. T-Systems made the

decision to go with a SAP HANAscale-out appliance based onthe Dell PowerEdge R920*platform with Intel® Xeon®processor E7 v2 family.

T-Systems is the Key Accounts Division ofDeutsche Telekom. Drawing on a global infra-structure of data centers and networks, thegroup operates information and communicationtechnology (ICT) systems for multinational cor-porations and public sector institutions. Witharound 50,000 employees, T-Systems gener-ated approximately EUR 9.5 billion in revenueduring the 2013 fiscal year2. Being a globalICT service provider, the company is also oneof the world's first certified "SAP ApplicationManagement Services Providers" and one ofthe few that is certified by SAP as a "GlobalHosting Partner".

The Dell appliance is fully integrated into theinfrastructure of T-Systems' Dynamic Service,including network and storage, and is incorpo-rated into the operation, process and automa-tion platform. This deep integration of Dell'sSAP HANA appliance means that the customerexperiences all the benefits of the efficientSAP HANA in-memory technology. Thanks tothe highly efficient design of its private cloudoperating processes, T-Systems is able tooffer its customers attractive conditions whilepreserving the advantages of an advanced,SAP-certified appliance.

SAP Systems from the Private CloudSAP applications often comprise the core ofIT operations. More and more companies arenow outsourcing their technical infrastructureand SAP applications to a private cloud. Themost common motives for this being cost re-duction, a focus on the company's core com-

petence, plus the desire to manage resourcesflexibly and dynamically. As a result, companiesare able to react quickly to the changing require-ments applied to SAP applications which canarise through peak loads, growth and restruc-turing or company acquisitions.

SAP operation in the private cloud means morethan simply providing infrastructure. Additionalservices such as monitoring, IT security andsupport are required to ensure stable opera-tion and a transparent service. T-Systems fa-cilitates the needs-oriented integration of SAPapplications into companies using its Applica-tion Operations for SAP Solutions* (AOfSAP).AOfSAP integrates Dynamic Services for SAPsolutions, a globally available, virtualized andextremely efficient solution for the operationof SAP systems and components with the ef-ficiency of in-memory technology. This is madewidely available by SAP HANA.

Around 200 customers currently use more than5,000 SAP components that are standardizedand industrialized via the Dynamic Servicesplatform provided by T-Systems. Customersonly pay for the resources they have actuallyused (pay per use). System performance, num-ber of users, function range and service con-stantly adapt to suit the company's needs.Consequently, peak loads can be easily managedand usually without any delay. T-Systems' pri-vate cloud is subject to strict German data pro-tection law and complies with all compliancerequirements. Companies access hosted SAPapplications exclusively via VPN/MPLS (virtualprivate networks/multiprotocol label switch-ing) which guarantees data protection.

Page 2: SAP HANA* Appliance - Intel · PDF fileWHITE PAPER Private Cloud SAP HANA* Appliance Efficient operation in a private cloud environment SAP applications can often comprise the core

Technical basis: SAP HANA T-Systems' Dynamic Services customers ben-efit from SAP HANA platform performance aspart of Application Operations for SAP Solutions.The core of SAP HANA is the SAP in-memorycomputing engine which stores the data directlyto the RAM of the server and not to externalhard drives or flash memory. Data is thereforeaccessed more quickly since it does not haveto be reloaded or rewritten. In addition, a com-puter's RAM has a considerably faster accesstime than the hard drives in classic databaseswhich allows in-memory solutions to workconsiderably faster.

When starting up the database, SAP HANAloads the entire data pool from the hard driveinto the memory (not only in cache) so thatno more data has to be uploaded once thesystem is up and running. This simplifies theaccess algorithms and increases the applica-tion's performance. To guarantee that datastored to volatile RAMs is unaffected evenwhen malfunctions or disruptions occur, thesolution makes use of technology such assnapshots, transaction logs and replicationswhich regularly store the data to conventionalhard drive systems. Moreover, SAP HANA re-duces memory consumption by implementingspecific compression algorithms and datastructures.

The second cornerstone to SAP HANA, besidesin-memory computing, is the type of data stor-age used. SAP uses a hybrid model in HANAwhich allows data to be stored in rows andcolumns. Classic relational data bases are row-oriented where the information for customerrecords is entered consecutively: Name, place,country. This is then followed by the next cus-tomer record. Column-oriented data basesfollow different principle. They first enter allof the names consecutively before enteringother items of information such as place andcountry.

HANA thus combines the best of both worlds.Row-oriented data storage enables faster writingaccess. However, it takes longer for the data tobe read since the system has to spring throughdata entries when searching for a particularname. As a result, this type of data base is suitedprimarily to OLTP systems (online transactionalprocessing) such as ERP from which a highvolume of information is continually fed intothe data base.

Column-oriented data bases are more advan-tageous for read access. When searching for aname, the data base simply selects the relevantcolumn in sequence without jumping betweenentries. The process is extremely fast. This iswhy column-oriented data bases are mostlyintegrated into OLAP systems (online analyti-cal processing), such as data warehouses andother systems that have been specialized toconduct assessments and analyses.

Up to now, T-Systems has relied on two manu-facturers – both of whom are SAP-certified –to produce its AOfSAP and SAP HANA appli-ances. The company's aim in cooperating withDell on this project, however, was to optimizethe overall costs for SAP HANA in the privatecloud environment and so to provide its cus-tomers with an even more attractive offering.Increased standardization, faster allocationand a more efficient operation all needed tofeature in this offer. To do this the appliancemust be integrated deeply into T-Systems'Dynamic Services infrastructure.

The solution: Dell appliance withIntel Xeon processors E7 v2As a result, T-Systems launched a marketanalysis in August 2013 and conversed withvarious providers. After three months the de-cision was made to go with an SAP HANA scale-out appliance based on the Dell PowerEdgeR920 platform with Intel Xeon processors E7v2. Next, T-Systems simulated test scenariosfor its Dynamic Services on a reference archi-tecture as part of a proof-of-concept (PoC)phase. The Dell appliance is now available inT-Systems' SAP HANA shopping basket. Forexample, the company’s private cloud environ-ment currently hosts 15 SAP BW systems viaSAP HANA appliances for a major client with atotal of around 55 TB SAPA HANA memories.

In practice, T-Systems integrates Dell appliancesin a scale-out configuration using four IntelXeon processors E7 v2 4880/90 and 1 TB RAMper server. The solution is scalable for memo-ries of at least 2 and up to 16 TB. Compellentarray is also used to store a copy of data onthe server memory. All of these componentsare installed for servers that have been devel-oped specifically for HANA which in turn arebased on fast Intel Xeon processors E7 v2. TheIntel Xeon E7 v2 is the only certified CPU plat-form for live operation with SAP HANA at pres-ent (January 2015).

Optimize operating costs through standardizationand increased efficiency

Page 3: SAP HANA* Appliance - Intel · PDF fileWHITE PAPER Private Cloud SAP HANA* Appliance Efficient operation in a private cloud environment SAP applications can often comprise the core

Components and the integration process 1. Concept integration

2. Deployment and technical integrationinto T-Systems' Dynamic Services in-frastructure.

3. Integration into cloud operation proce-dures (control panel – start/stop, backuprestore, monitoring and event & incidentmanagement, life cycle management)

4. Platform operation

5. SAP HANA* application operation(standalone data base, BWoH)

6. Integration service concepts

In-memory technology guarantees to makefull use of CPU power since developers at Intelhave been working closely together with SAPfor some years to optimize the SAP HANA codefor the Xeon processor E7 v2 family. Anotherresult of this long-standing partnership betweenSAP and Intel is the high degree of reliabilitythrough the use of RAS features in SAP HANA.

The memory capacity of Intel Xeon E7 v2 proces-sors, which are fitted with up to 15 cores, is upto 1.5 TB per socket. This means that manycompanies are able to load their entire cus-tomer data base into the memory. The resultis a very fast and exhaustive data analysis. Intel®Integrated I/O and Intel® Data Direct I/O supplyhigh bandwidths for data transfer. AdditionalPCIe* 3.0 interfaces allows for more capacityto be added for both memory and networkconnections. Intel Xeon E7 v2 processors alsointegrate Intel RAS functions for increasedreliability, availability and serviceability.

At the same time, the energy-saving function,Intel® Intelligent Power technology, reducesenergy consumption when the chip is in idlemode. In practice this means that energy con-sumption is determined dynamically by theworkload. SAP HANA is thus able to use energyextremely efficiently. Intel® Streaming SIMDExtensions (instruction set extensions) for theXeon processors (Intel® SSE, Intel® SSE2, Intel®SSE3, Intel® SSSE3, Intel® SSE4.1 and Intel®SSE4.2) also contribute towards increasedSAP HANA performance because they accel-erate decompression and the search throughdata records by increasing parallelization.

Deep IntegrationGiven that SAP validates and certifies SAPHANA appliances and thus sets defined (per-formance) requirements for its componentsand for configuration, the scope available fortailoring them to customers' requirements islimited. The challenge facing Dell was there-fore to integrate its SAP HANA applianceseamlessly into the private cloud SAP operat-ing platform. This deep integration into the ITinfrastructure and IT processes is necessaryto enable T-Systems to offer its customersattractive conditions for operating AOfSAP inthe private cloud. Consequently, Dell had to

open the SAP HANA appliance to T-System'sspecific requirements while ensuring the ap-pliance's continued compliance with SAP cer-tification provisions after customization. Thisensures that SAP provides comprehensivesupport for the complete solution.

The T-Systems network infrastructure includesseveral networks that are physically separatedfrom one another: customer network, adminnetwork, backup network, SAP HANA. Thesenetworks entail various different authorizationstructures and login processes and have to bedesigned redundantly. This raised a numberof key questions: How can the Dell appliancebe integrated into this special network infra-structure? How can SAP HANA be monitoredin the admin network? How is the customergranted access to SAP HANA without impairingperformance? How do you create quick accessto storage backup and restore processes?

Dell came up with corresponding answers inpartnership with T-Systems. For example, bothcompanies replaced active network components(switches) for the uplink ports that protrudefrom the appliance with direct network con-nections; the network infrastructure for HANAinternal communication remained unaltered.In this way, the appliance can now be used inthe Dynamic Service infrastructure as an ex-tremely large node with SAP HANA function-ality. T-Systems is thus able to fully incorporatethe technical components on the outer edgeof the HANA appliance in its automation, pro-vision and configuration concepts. VLAN, nameand address space designs can be connecteddirectly to HANA interfaces.

The appliance also had to be integrated intoITIL management processes for monitoring,event and incident management. An importantfeature here is that an alert is generated assoon as problems arise with the software orhardware (e.g. SAP events or operating system).The monitoring system is based on OpenMan-age Essentials* – system administration soft-ware – from Dell which proactively identifiespotential hardware malfunctions in T-System'sIT environment. This allows the support divi-sion to replace components before they ceaseto function. The customer is not at all awareof the malfunction. Moreover, participatingcompanies have implemented an automated

application management methodology. SinceSAP HANA is initially activated here, the appli-ance is already available as a data base serverbefore running the application stack.

Through careful planning and integration,T-Systems has created seamless processes andis able to design its private cloud operatingprocesses extremely efficiently around SAPHANA and SAP applications. This means thatthe company leverages all the advantages ofa sophisticated, SAP-certified appliance. Con-versely, there is no end to the way in which cus-tomers benefit from high-performance SAPHANA in-memory technology and the attractiveconditions available through outsourcing SAPapplications.

Page 4: SAP HANA* Appliance - Intel · PDF fileWHITE PAPER Private Cloud SAP HANA* Appliance Efficient operation in a private cloud environment SAP applications can often comprise the core

Copyright © 2014, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. Intel, the Intel logo, Intel Inside, and Xeon are trademarks of Intel Corporate in the U.S. and/or other countries.

1 Source: Dell, Inc.

2 Figures: T-Systems, www.t-systems.com

Software and workloads used in performance tests may have been optimized for performance only on Intel microprocessors. Performance tests, such as SYSmark* and MobileMark*, are measuredusing specific computer systems, components, software, operations, and functions. Any change to any of those factors may cause the results to vary. You should consult other information and per-formance tests to assist you in fully evaluating your contemplated purchases, including the performance of that product when combined with other products. For more information go tohttp://www.intel.com/performance.

*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. 1114/JNW/RLC/XX/PDF 331841-001EN

T-Systems is the Key Accounts Division ofDeutsche Telekom. Drawing on a global infra-structure of data centers and networks, T-Systemsoperates information and communication tech-nology (ICT) systems for multinational corpora-tions and public sector institutions. With around50,000 employees, T-Systems generatedapproximately EUR 9.5 billion in revenueduring the 2013 fiscal year.

T-Systems provides the infrastructure andconcept for cloud platform technology andconducts extensive tests when integratingthe Dell appliance.

More information at www.t-systems.com.

Dell listens to its customers and offers innova-tive, reliable IT solutions and services that arebased on industry standards. They are fully cus-tomized to suit the user's individual requirementsand enable companies to be more successful.More information available at www.dell.de andwww.dell.de/d2dblog. You can also contactDell directly at www.dell.com/conversations.

Dell provides the SAP HANA scale-out appli-ance which is based on the Dell PowerEdgeR920 platform and was responsible for implan-ting and integrating the appliance into the in-frastructure of T-Systems' Dynamic Services.Proactive support services also come underDell's area of responsibility.

Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is a world leader in com-puting innovation. The company designs andbuilds the essential technologies that serve asthe foundation for the world’s computing de-vices. As a leader in corporate responsibilityand sustainability, Intel also manufactures theworld’s first commercially available “conflict-free” microprocessors. Additional informationabout Intel is available at newsroom.intel.comand blogs.intel.com, and about Intel’s conflict-free efforts at conflictfree.intel.com.

With its Intel Xeon processor E7 v2 family andvarious network cards, Intel delivers importanthardware components for the SAP HANA ap-pliance from Dell. The Intel Xeon E7 v2 is theonly certified CPU platform for productive modeusing SAP HANA at present (January 2015) andis the fruit of a longstanding partnership betweenIntel and SAP.

Services offered by participating companies