SAP

ARCHITECTURE

FAGBUYI TEMITOPE EMMANUEL

 - Neil Armstrong

SECTION I

• What is SAP
• Why do
organizations use
SAP?
• History of SAP
architecture
 WHAT IS SAP
SAP( System, Application, and Products) is an ERP (Enterprise
Resource Planning) system that offers a centralized system for
businesses to manage their everyday processes.
The software was designed by 5 ex-IBM employees
WHY DO ORGANIZATIONS USE SAP
Business processes are complex,
intrinsically interwoven, and time-
consuming.

The traditional decentralized system

makes:
Service delivery slow,

 Interdepartmental exchange of
information tardy
 Repetition of data across departments.
WHY DO ORGANIZATIONS USE SAP(cont.)
With the SAP software, organizations have a
centralized system. This allows employees within
all departments easy access to a central
information repository.

This helps to:

 Accelerate service delivery

 Improve work process.

 Avoid data repetition

Furthermore, since employees can access

information across departments, they can spend
more time on critical tasks
HISTORY OF SAP ARCHITECTURE
SAP R1
The first product was released in 1973
and was based on the one-tier system.
All processing tasks are performed on
a single server.
However, an increase in computations
made the R1 system slow.
HISTORY OF SAP ARCHITECTURE
SAP R2
SAP R2 has the presentation layer in one
tier and the database layer in the other.
 The presentation servers are responsible
solely for formatting the graphical user
interface

Just like its predecessor, increased

computation made the R2
 HISTORY OF SAP SYSTEM
ARCHITECTURE
The SAP R3 has a distinct tier for
the Database, Application, and
Presentation layers.
Each layer has it’s own software
component
With data from the database,
different application servers can
operate at the same time.
HISTORY OF SAP ARCHITECTURE
SECTION
II

SAP R/3
ARCHITECTUR
E
Relationship between Sap R/3 and ECC
 In 1992, The R/3 was released to support various
operating systems and databases.
In 2004, SAP renamed it to SAP ECC (SAP ERP Central
Component).
SAP ERP and ECC are now used interchangeably.
 PRESENTATION LAYER
 This is the view you see when you login SAP from your computer
 This layer ensures that the SAP system user interface displays
information for users
 This layer pass the user’s action to the application layer for further
processing
 The presentation layer components are installed across various PCs.
 APPLICATION LAYER
 This layer is where all the processing gets done.
An organization can have more than one application layer, depending on the
processing needs.
The Application layer is also known as the Kernel and Basic Layer.
It serves as a communicator between the Presentation and Database layers.
The application layer components are installed across one or more high-end
servers.
 APPLICATION LAYER (contd)

The application server carries out a range of services called work processes.

 It is where the dispatcher distributes the workload to each work process

 Work processes are components that are able to execute an application.

 Each Work process is registered as a user in the database system for the entire runtime of the
SAP system.
DATABASE LAYER
 This layer contain specialized systems with fast and large hard drives.

 The Database layer stores and retrieve data via queries generated by ABAP and Java applications

 The Database and Application layers can exist in the same or different physical locations
UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENT SAP LAYERS
COMPONENTS OF THE SAP R/3 ARCHITECTURE
 The concepts of the SAP R/3
architecture.
1. Message Server: It handles communication between distributed
Dispatchers in ABAP system.
2. Dispatcher Queue: Various work process types are stored in this queue.
3. Dispatcher: It distributes requests to the work processes.
4. Gateway: It enables communication between SAP system and between
SAP system and external systems.
5. ABAP-Work processes: – It separately executes dialog steps in R/3
applications.
The concepts of the SAP R/3
architecture.(contd..)
6. Memory-pipes: It enables communication between ICM and ABAP work
processes.

7. Message Server: It handles java dispatchers and server processes. It

enables communication within java runtime environment.

8. Enqueue Server: It handles logical locks that are set by the executed Java
application program in a server process.

9. Central Services: Java cluster requires a special instance of the central

services for managing locks and transmitting messages and data. Java
cluster is a set of processes that work together to build the reliable system.
Instance is group of resources such as memory, work processes and so on.
10. Java Dispatcher: It receives the client requests and forwards to the server process

11. SDM: Software Deployment Manager is used to install J2EE components.

12. Java Server Processes: It can processes a large number of requests simultaneously.

13. Threading: Multiple Processes executes separately in the background, this concept is called
threading.

14. ICM: The Internet Communication Manager enables communication between SAP system and
HTTP, HTTPS, SMTP protocol. It means by entering system URL in the browser you can access
SAP from browser also.
SECTION III

SOME SAP
MODULES
 SRM
The SUPPLIER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT is an SAP product that
enhances the procurement of goods via a web-based platform.
Its key benefits include:
Catalog management, Procure to Pay Optimization, Self-Service
Procurement, Contract Management, SAP NetWeaver BI, and Easy
transactions.
However, the future of SAP SRM is SAP ARIBA and 4/HANA
 SAP ARIBA
ARIBA was founded in 1992 but acquired by SAP in 2015.
SAP ARIBA is a procurement software that helps organizations collaborate more
effectively on contract management, financial supply chain management, etc.

The key differentiation is that SAP SRM is an on-premise solution that can integrate well
with other SAP products such as MDM (for Catalogs), ECC (follow-on documents), and
HCM (for the Org. Structure).
On the other hand, SAP Ariba is an On-demand solution that has an excellent Supplier
Network base
ARIBA, 4/HANA, SRM, MM comparison
 SOLMAN, BW

SAP Solution Manager is an ALM (Application Lifecycle, Management)

platform used to implement, maintain and integrate SAP systems;
troubleshoot issues, and keep things running securely, smoothly, and cleanly.

SAP Business Warehouse integrates data from different sources, transforms

and consolidates the data, does data cleansing, and storing of data as well. It
also includes data modeling, administration, and staging areas.
 BPC

The SAP Business Planning and Consolidation application

that delivers planning, budgeting, forecasting, and financial
consolidation capabilities.
It is used to support all operational and financial activities in an
organization.
In simple terms, it helps you to easily adjust plans and
forecasts, and speed up budgets, and closing cycles.
 GRC and HCM

SAP Governance, Risk, and Compliance is a set of solutions and products that can help
you manage enterprise resources in a way that minimizes risk, build trust, and lowers
compliance cost.

SAP Human Capital Management is the successor to SAP HR. It’s functions include
personnel administration, payroll, applicant management and personnel development.

However, HCM is an on-premise solution, SuccessFactors is the cloud based solution.

S/4 HANA
 Differences between S/4HANA
and ERP
S/4HANA ERP

Only runs on HANA, an in-house database.  SAP ECC can run on many databases

Has wider deployment options including on-  On-premise

premise, public, and private cloud or hybrid.
 Uses the SAP GUI
Uses the modern SAP Fiori UX
 ECC does not have this capability
Designed to leverage advanced technologies
like AI, robotics, machine learning, etc.
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