SAP on IBM i: Still Going Strong
The IBM i OS consists of a unique architecture that has enabled it to remain relevant for over three decades.
Thanks to Kolby Hoelzle, SAP on IBM i Practice Leader, IBM Systems Lab Services, for writing this blog post.
The IBM i OS consists of a unique architecture that not only has enabled it to remain relevant for three decades, but also enabled IBM i development to continue to provide state of the art technology for the users of the operating system. One feature of the IBM i platform often promoted is how the architecture enables companies to preserve their application development investment. The OS has proven to be a great platform for developing all types of applications, and for hosting applications developed by independent software vendors (ISVs). This focus on applications, whether developing your own or hosting ISV applications has been a mainstay of the IBM i since its inception. This heritage was even integrated into the platform name when the it was rolled out more than 30 years ago as the Application System/400 or more commonly known as the AS/400. The IBM i is a server designed for business applications.
IBM i and SAP Have a Long Relationship
One ISV that might not be immediately associated with IBM i is SAP—the market leader in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software with customers throughout the world and in nearly every industry. SAP software has the capability of running and managing nearly every aspect of a business. SAP has supported their applications running on the IBM i operating system and the integrated Db2 for i database for over 20 years. Though the SAP applications might not have been originally written with the IBM i in mind, the IBM i and integrated Db2 for i database have proven to be a very reliable and stable platform for all SAP applications. The characteristics that make the IBM i a great platform for other applications also apply to SAP applications.
Many IBM i clients continue to run their SAP workloads on IBM i and Db2 for i. Even as SAP shifts strategic direction with their flagship applications, including the introduction of a new database, these customers run their mission critical SAP applications on IBM i and will continue for the foreseeable future. SAP and IBM i development have a tight relationship and both organizations continue to add new features and enhance existing technologies that improve the integration and capabilities of running SAP workloads on the IBM i platform. Many of these enhancements are integrated into the SAP kernel and companies will receive the benefits of these enhancements simply by staying current with SAP kernels and with the operating system TRs and PTFs. Other features may require some configuration and enablement to leverage them.
SAP on IBM i Summit
For the last five years, IBM has hosted the SAP on IBM i Summit. This customer event is free to attend and is organized specifically for customers running SAP workloads on IBM i. The 2018 SAP on IBM i Summit will be held on October 24 and 25 in Rochester, Minnesota. The agenda is packed with a variety of topics that include the IBM i and Power Systems roadmap and strategy, SAP on IBM i direction and updates, development news, and practical application and demos of different technologies.
SAP on IBM i Performance Workshop
New for this year’s SAP on IBM i Summit is a pre-Summit workshop. This optional workshop will be held the day prior to the Summit (October 23) and will be an all-day, hands-on event. The focus of the workshop will be SAP on IBM i performance. The workshop will explore different facets of SAP on IBM i performance and optimization from the operation system to the database to the SAP application server. The workshop is open to anyone and you can attend the workshop, the Summit, or both.
Note, that there is a small fee associated with the workshop (the Summit itself is still free of charge). More details of the workshop can be found here.
If you’re one of the many IBM i clients that run SAP workloads on IBM i, you support or host companies that run SAP workloads on IBM i, or you want to see what SAP on IBM i is all about then register now for the SAP on IBM i Summit.