F5 for SAP – Reference Architecture for SAP

HTTP and SAP GUI Landscapes

SAPPartnership@f5.com

July, 2013

2

SAP GUI and Web Clients

SAP Core Deployment Applications

SAP EIS and

ECC Servers

In a basic SAP Landscape, clients make direct connections from

SAP GUI or a web browser to SAP instances.

Business

Warehouse

SAP Enterprise

Portal

SAP Composite

J2EE, WebDynPro

3

DMZ

SAP with Web Dispatcher

SAP GUI and Web Clients

Business

Warehouse SAP Enterprise

Portal

SAP Composite

J2EE, WebDynPro

SAP EIS and

ECC Servers

SAP

Message Server

SAP clients connect directly with Web Dispatcher and then are load balanced to the back-

end Portal Servers based on availability reported by Message Server.

SAP Router

Web Dispatcher

4

DMZ

Web Dispatcher When Portals Fail

SAP GUI and Web Clients

SAP Enterprise

Portal

SAP Composite

J2EE, WebDynPro

User Send Traffic

SAP EIS and

ECC Servers

Web Dispatcher

SAP

Message Server

Since the updated information of the SAP landscape is achieved by pulling/pushing a multi-tier

landscape, large delays in updating the Web Dispatcher with Portal status may occur.

SAP Router

SAP Web Dispatcher

will continue to send

traffic to all Portal

Servers until SAP

Message Server

updates Web

Dispatcher.

Some client connections

will fail till SAP Message

Server updates Web

Dispatcher.

Business

Warehouse

5

DMZ

Web Dispatcher Manual HA

SAP GUI and Web Clients

SAP Enterprise

Portal

SAP Composite

J2EE, WebDynPro

SAP EIS and

ECC Servers

Web Dispatcher

SAP

Message Server

Web Dispatcher has no redundancy or inherent restart capabilities.

SAP Router

Clients will be unable

to connect to Portal

Servers till Web

Dispatcher is re-

enabled manually or

via third party service.

Business

Warehouse

6

DMZ

SAP Portal with F5 Traffic Management

SAP GUI and Web Clients

SAP Enterprise

Portal

SAP Composite

J2EE, WebDynPro

SAP EIS and

ECC Servers

SAP Router Web Dispatcher SAP

Message Server

Session Mirror

Shared Virtual IP

1. Advanced application and hardware health monitoring

2. JSession or cookie persistence 3. SSL offload 4. WAN and LAN optimization 5. Active/Standby redundancy 6. Traffic flow modification 7. Server connection multiplexing

BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager checks

health of each Portal server directly,

and all failed servers will be

removed immediately.

Business

Warehouse

7

F5 LTM or SAP Web Dispatcher?

F5 LTM SAP Web Dispatcher

Hardware or Software Solution Software Only

SSL Offload ASIC Support Available SSL Offload on CPU

Client and Server Transport Protocol Optimization Available

No Transport Protocol Optimization

Server Connection Multiplexing No Server Connection Multiplexing

Built-In Advanced Health Monitoring including Application and Hardware Resource Availability and Performance

Reliant on Infrequent Message Server Polling – Software Availability Only

In-Line Decision Engine (iRules) None

Full Hardware and Software Redundancy and Failover

Component Restart via Third Party

Many Software Add-On Modules Available

No Modules

8

High Availability Considerations

SAP - Comparison of LB (Hardware/Software)

Source: SAP

9

SAP Resources

• Best Practices for Network Services

• Network Certifications

– Availability and Reliability

– Network Security

http://ecohub.sap.com/api/resource/4dbffaa8d2a8cbf8cec8526e

10

f5.com Solutions

• Deployment Guides

• Solution Docs

• Case Studies

• Web Media

• New Articles

11

Developer Community for SAP

Community

• SAP on DevCentral

• F5 on SAP SDN and Ecohub

• SAP User Groups and ASUG Associate Member

iRules

• White Listing User(s) Domains

• Redirects to HTTPS protocol

• URIs Mapping

• Port Mapping

• Intelligent Persistence