A Presentation on SAP

Vikram Singh Sankhala

Background

• SAP stands for Systems Applications and Products in Data Processing

• SAP was founded in 1972 as Systemanalyse und Programmentwicklung by five former IBM engineers in Mannheim, Germany

• The acronym was later changed to stand for Systeme, Anwendungen und Produkte in der Datenverarbeitung("Systems, Applications and Products in Data Processing").

About SAP

• SAP is the largest software company in Europe and the fourth largest in the world

• It ranks after Microsoft, Google, Apple and IBM in terms of market capitalization.

• SAP is also the largest business application and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution vendor and one of the biggest software providers in terms of revenue in the world.

ERP

• Enterprise Resource Planning systems (ERPs) integrate (or attempt to integrate) all data and processes of an organization into a unified system.

• Prior to the concept of ERP systems, departments within an organization would have their own computer systems.

• For example, the Human Resources (HR) department, the Payroll (PR) department, and the Financials department.

• The HR computer system (Often called HRMS or HRIS) would typically contain information on the department, reporting structure, and personal details of employees.

• The PR department would typically calculate and store paycheck information.

• The Financials department would typically store financial transactions for the organization.

• Each system would have to rely on a set of common data to communicate with each other.

• For the HRIS to send salary information to the PR system, an employee number would need to be assigned and remain static between the two systems to accurately identify an employee.

• The Financials system was not interested in the employee level data, but only the payouts made by the PR systems, such as the Tax payments to various authorities, payments for employee benefits to providers, and so on.

• ERP software, among other things, combined the data of formerly disparate applications.

• This made the worry of keeping employee numbers in synchronization across multiple systems disappear.

• ERP systems typically attempt to cover all basic functions of an organization, regardless of the organization's business or charter.

• To be considered an ERP system, a software package generally would only need to provide functionality in a single package that would normally be covered by two or more systems.

• Technically, a software package that provides both payroll and accounting functions (such as QuickBooks) would be considered an ERP software package.

• The introduction of an ERP system to replace two or more independent applications eliminates the need for external interfaces previously required between systems.

• It provides additional benefits that range from standardization and lower maintenance (one system instead of two or more) to easier and/or greater reporting capabilities (as all data is typically kept in one database).

• ERPs are often incorrectly called back office systemsindicating that customers and the general public are not directly involved.

• This is contrasted with front office systems like customer relationship management (CRM) systems that deal directly with the customers, or the eBusiness systems such as eCommerce, eGovernment, eTelecom, and eFinance, or supplier relationship management (SRM) systems.

• ERPs are cross-functional and enterprise wide.• All functional departments that are involved in operations

or production are integrated in one system. • In addition to manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, and

Information Technology, this would include accounting, human resources, marketing, and strategic management.

• ERP applications are normally designed in the form of application modules catering to separate functions, which are integrated at the system level.

• Examples of modules in an ERP which formerly would have been stand-alone applications include: Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Financials, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Human Resources, and Warehouse Management.

• Ideally, ERP delivers a single database that contains all data for the software modules.

• Best Practices were also a benefit of implementing an ERP system.

• When implementing an ERP system, organizations essentially had to choose between customizing the software or modifying their business processes to the "Best Practice" functionality.

• Because of their wide scope of application within a business, ERP software systems are typically complex and usually impose significant changes on staff work practices.

• Implementing ERP software is typically not an "in-house" skill, so even smaller projects are more cost effective if specialist ERP implementation consultants are employed.

• The length of time to implement an ERP system depends on the size of the business, the scope of the change and willingness of the customer to take ownership for the project.

• A small project (e.g., a company of less than 100 staff) may be planned and delivered within 3 months

• a large, multi-site or multi-country implementation may take years.

• The most important aspect of any ERP implementation is that the company who has purchased the ERP product takes ownership of the project.

• To implement ERP systems, companies often seek the help of an ERP vendor or of third-party consulting companies.

• These firms typically provide three areas of professional services: Consulting, Customization and Support.

• The Consulting team is typically responsible for your initial ERP implementation and subsequent delivery of work to tailor the system beyond "go live".

• The consulting team is also responsible for planning and jointly testing the implementation.

• Consulting for a large ERP project involves three levels: systems architecture, business process consulting (primarily re-engineering) and technical consulting (primarily programming and tool configuration activity).

• A business consultant studies an organization's current business processes and matches them to the corresponding processes in the ERP system, thus 'configuring' the ERP system to the organization's needs.

• Technical consulting often involves programming.

• Most ERP vendors allow modification of their software to suit the business needs of their customer.

• For most mid-sized companies, the cost of the implementation will range from around the list price of the ERP user licenses to up to twice this amount (depending on the level of customization required).

• Large companies, and especially those with multiple sites or countries, will often spend considerably more on the implementation than the cost of the user licenses --three to five times as more is not uncommon for a multi-site implementation.

• Customization is the process of extending or changing how the system works by writing new user interfaces and underlying application code.

• Such customizations typically reflect local work practices that are not currently in the core routines of the ERP system software.

• The Professional Services team is also involved during ERP upgrades to ensure that customizations are compatible with the new release.

• In some cases the functionality delivered via a previous customization may have been subsequently incorporated into the core routines of the ERP software, allowing customers to revert back to standard product and retire the customization completely.

• Customizing an ERP package can be very expensive and complicated, because many ERP packages are not designed to support customization.

• so most businesses implement the best practices embedded in the acquired ERP system.

• Some ERP packages are very generic in their reports and inquiries, such that customization is expected in every implementation.

• It is important to recognize that for these packages it often makes sense to buy third party plug-ins that interface well with your ERP software

• One often neglected aspect of customization is the associated documentation.

• Without the description on how to use the customization, the effort is largely wasted as it becomes difficult to train new staff in the work practice that the customization delivers.

• Once your system has been implemented, the consulting company will typically enter into a Support Agreement to assist your staff keep the ERP software running in an optimal way.

• A Maintenance Agreement typically provides you rights to all current version patches, and both minor and major releases, and will most likely allow your staff to raise support calls.

Advantages of ERP Systems

1. Integration of functions at the system level

2. Better Control and management of information

Disadvantages of ERP Systems

• Many problems organizations have with ERP systems are due to inadequate investment in ongoing training.

Personnel turnover Customization of the ERP software is limited. Some

customization may involve changing of the ERP software structure which is usually not allowed.

ERP systems can be very expensive to install.

SAP Solutions

• SAP's products focus on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), which it helped to pioneer.

• The company's main product is mySAP ERP. • Its predecessor is SAP R/3• There are different versions of the product.• "R" in SAP R/3 stands for real-time data processing and

the number 3 relates to a 3-tier architecture: database, application server and client (SAPgui).

• R/2, which ran on a Mainframe architecture, was the first SAP version.

Other major product offerings

• Advanced Planner and Optimizer (APO)• Business Information Warehouse (BW)• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)• Supply Chain Management (SCM)• Supplier Relationship Management (SRM)• Human Resource Management Systems (HRMS)• Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)• Exchange Infrastructure (XI)• Enterprise Portal (EP) and • SAP Knowledge Warehouse (KW).

• The company also offers a new technology platform, named SAP NetWeaver which replaces SAP Business Connector for Integration/middleware capabilities and offers a systematic approach to Enterprise SOA solutions with a collection of products.

• SAP officials say there are over 100,600 SAP installations serving more than 38,000 companies in more than 120 countries, which are used by more than 12 million people in more than 120 countries

SAP R/2

• SAP R/2 was a mainframe based business application software suite that was very successful in the 1980s and early 1990s.

• It was particularly popular with large multinational European companies who required soft-real-time business applications, with multi-currency and multi-language capabilities built in.

SAP R/3

• SAP R/3 was officially launched on 6 July 1992.• SAP came to dominate the large business applications

market over the next 10 years.• SAP R/3 is a client-server version of the software

• SAP R/3 was manageable on multiple platforms and operating systems, such as Windows or UNIX since 1999.

• SAP R/3 is arranged into distinct functional modules, covering the typical functions in place in an organization

• The most widely used modules are Financials and Controlling (FICO), Human Resources (HR), Materials Management (MM), Sales & Distribution (SD), and Production Planning (PP).

• Each module handles specific business tasks on its own, but is linked to the others where applicable.

• For instance, an invoice from the Billing transaction of Sales & Distribution will pass through to accounting, where it will appear in accounts receivable and cost of goods sold.

• SAP has typically focused on best practice methodologies for driving its software processes.

• SAP has more recently expanded into vertical markets.• In these situations, SAP produces specialized modules

(referred to as IS or Industry Specific) geared toward a particular market segment, such as utilities or retail

Technology

• SAP R/3 is a client/server based application, utilizing a 3-tiered model.

• A presentation layer, or client, interfaces with the user. • The application layer houses all the business-specific

logic • The database layer records and stores all the

information about the system, including transactional and configuration data.

ABAP

• SAP R/3 functionality is structured using its own proprietary language called ABAP (Advanced Business Application Programming).

• ABAP, or ABAP/4 is a fourth generation language (4GL), geared towards the creation of simple, yet powerful programs.

• R/3 also offers a complete development environment where developers can either modify existing SAP code to modify existing functionality or develop their own functions, whether reports or complete transactional systems within the SAP framework.

• ABAP's main interaction with the database system is via Open SQL statements.

• These statements allow a developer to query, update, or delete information from the database.

• Advanced topics include GUI development and advanced integration with other systems.

• With the introduction of ABAP Objects , ABAP provides the opportunity to develop applications with object-oriented programming.

SAP R/3 implementation

• The most difficult part of SAP R/3 is its implementation. • SAP R/3 is never used the same way in any two places. • For instance, Atlas Copco can have a different

implementation of SAP R/3 from Procter & Gamble and so forth.

There are two primary issues are the root of the complexity.

These are

1. Customization configuration

2. Extensions, Bolt-Ons

Customization configuration

• Customization configuration - Within R/3, there are tens of thousands of database tables that may be used to control how the application behaves. For instance, each company will have its own accounting "Chart of Accounts" which reflects how its transactions flow together to represent its activity.

• In general, the behavior (and appearance) of virtually every screen and transaction is controlled by configuration tables.

• This gives the implementer great power to make the application behave differently for different environments.

With that power comes considerable complexity.

Extensions, Bolt-Ons

• In any company, there will be a need to develop interface programs to communicate with other corporate information systems.

This generally involves developing ABAP/4 code, and considerable "systems integration" effort to either determine what data is to be drawn out of R/3 or to interface into R/3 to load data into the system.

• Due to the complexity of implementation, these companies recruit highly skilled SAP consultants to do the job.

• The implementation must consider the company's needs and resources.

• Some companies implement only a few modules of SAP while others may want numerous modules.

Application Modules

• SAP has several layers. • The Basis System (BC) includes the ABAP

programming language, and is the heart (i.e. the base) of operations and should not be visible to higher level or managerial users.

• From a manager's viewpoint, the heart of the system are the application modules.

These modules may not all be implemented in a typical company but they are all related and are listed below:

• EH&S Environmental Health & Safety • FI Financial Accounting • FI-GL - General Ledger Accounting • FI-LC - Consolidation • FI-AP - Accounts Payable

• FI-AR - Accounts Receivable

• FI-BL - Bank Accounting

• FI-AA - Asset Accounting

• FI-SL - Special Purpose Ledger

• FI-FM - Funds Management

CO Controlling

• Represents the company's flow of cost and revenue. It is a management instrument for organizational decisions. It is automatically updated as events occur.

The CO module has following sub modules

• CO-OM - Overhead Costing (Cost Centers, Activity Based Costing, Internal Order Costing)

• CO-PA - Profitability Analysis • CO-PC - Product Cost Controlling

AM Asset Management

• Designed to manage and supervise individual aspects of fixed assets including purchase and sale of assets, depreciation and investment management.

PS Project System

• Designed to support the planning, control and monitoring of long-term, highly complex projects with defined goals.

FS Insurance

• An integral part of mySAP ERP, SAP for Insurance enables insurance companies to handle customer and market requirements and simultaneously control profitability and economic viability.

In Release 6.00, SAP for Insurance includes the following components:

• FS-CD - Collections and disbursements • FS-CM - Claims management • FS-CS - Commissions management • FS-PM - Policy management • FS-RI - Reinsurance management

IS Industry Solutions

• Combines the SAP application modules and additional industry-specific functionality. Special techniques have been developed for industries such as banking, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, etc.

• As of Feb 2006, following Industry Specific Solutions are supported by SAP:

• IS-A - Automotive • IS-ADEC - Aerospace and Defense • IS-AFS - Apparel and Footwear • IS-B - Banking • IS-BEV - Beverage • IS-CWM - Catch Weight Management (Variable Weight

Items such as Meats and Cheeses)

• IS-DFS - Defense and Security • IS-H - Hospital • IS-HER - Higher Education • IS-HSS - Hospitality Management • IS-HT - High tech • IS-M - Media • IS-MIN - Mining • IS-MP -Milling (or IS-MILL) • IS-OIL - Oil • IS-PS - Public Sector

• IS-R - Retail • IS-REA - Recycling Admin • IS-SP - Service Provider • IS-T - Telecommunications • IS-U - Utilities

HR Human Resources

• Complete integrated system for supporting the planning and control of personnel activities and HR module is sometimes equivalently referred as HCM (Human Capital Management).

• HR-PA - Personnel Administration • HR-PD - Personnel Development • HR-RC - Recruitment

Manufacturing

• PM Plant Maintenance - Equipment servicing and rebuilding. These tasks affect the production plans.

• MM Materials Management - Supports the procurement and inventory functions occurring in day-to-day business operations such as purchasing, inventory management, reorder point processing, etc.

• QM Quality Management - A quality control and information system supporting quality planning, inspection, and control for manufacturing and procurement.

• PP Production Planning - Used to plan and control the manufacturing activities of a company. This module includes; bills of material, routings, work centers, sales and operations planning, master production scheduling, material requirements planning, shop floor control, production orders, product costing, etc.

SD Sales and Distribution

• Helps to optimize all the tasks and activities carried out in sales, delivery and billing. Key elements are: pre-sales support, inquiry processing, quotation processing, sales order processing, delivery processing, billing and sales information system.

• SCM - Supply Chain Management • SEM - Strategic Enterprise Management • HUM Handling Unit Management - Used as a unique ID

for each pallet of stock held in the warehouse.

WM Warehouse Management

• Subdivides the "Storage Location", which is used in the MM Module to define inventory values by location, into "Storage Types" and then into "Storage Bins". Control of stock to a physical level down to a warehouse bin. Placement and removal rules can be configured, stock counts can be done.

Individual Solutions for Functions

MySAP ERP includes four individual solutions that support key functional areas:

• mySAP ERP Financials • mySAP ERP Human Capital Management • mySAP ERP Operations • mySAP ERP Corporate Services

SAP System Architecture

• SAP uses a Three tier model, for the system architecture.

• A Three-tier is a client-server architecture in which the user interface, functional process logic ("business rules"), data storage and data access are developed and maintained as independent modules, most often on separate platforms.

• Apart from the usual advantages of modular software with well defined interfaces, the three-tier architecture is intended to allow any of the three tiers to be upgraded or replaced independently as requirements or technology change.

• For example, a change of operating system from Microsoft Windows to Unix would only affect the user interface code.

The 3-Tier architecture has the following 3-tiers.

• Presentation Tier - Typically, the user interface runs on a desktop PC or workstation and uses a standard graphical user interface

• Application Tier/Logic Tier/Business Logic Tier

Functional process logic may consist of one or more separate modules running on a workstation or application server

This middle tier may be multi-tiered itself (in which case the overall architecture is called an "n-tier architecture").

Data Tier

• An RDBMS on a database server or mainframe which contains the data storage logic.

SAP Basis

• SAP Basis is the runtime environment for SAP R/3.• Since SAP R/3 has a 3 Tier Client structure and

applications organized in a modular architecture, there needs to be Server to control the core processes.

SAP R/3 Servers

SAP R/3 would at the primary level have the following four categories of Servers:

• At least one Presentation Server.• At least one Application Server.• Exactly one Database Server.• A Central Server that controls the core processes that in

R/3 are handled by Basis.

• Besides this, for Web integration a Central Server may be Plugged into Basis.

• If the interaction with external interfaces in not at a very great level complexity and number, the interaction can be handled by the Basis Processes through a gateway.

• However for more complex interactions, Basis would hand over the function to the Web Application Server.

• The Web Application Server would connect through a router to a Home portal hosted on a Web space provided by a commercial Server.

Core Processes

• Dialog• Update• Enqueue• Spool• Background or Batch processes

Communication Sequence

• A request generated by the Presentation layer (SAP GUI) first goes to the Dispatcher in the Basis Kernel.

• The Dispatcher queues the request and sends it to the Task handler in the Application Layer.

• Basis (The SAP R/3 Runtime) is in ANSI C, while the applications are in ABAP.

• ABAP is an interpreted language.

• The Communication between the Dispatcher and the Task Handler is carried out by means of an interface called ABAP 4 Processor or Dynpro.

• The read process makes use of an extended memory as a Buffer space, while the write process makes use of a table on the Database Server called the VBLOG as a Buffer space.

• The task handler sends the output to the Dispatcher, which in turn, sends it to the user.

Instance

• A group of related work processes is called an instance.

• Instances could be of two types. • These are Central instance and Peripheral instance. • A Central Instance would involve core processes and

would include a message process.

SAP Gateway

• Communication may also have to take place outside the system

• This is done through an interface called SAP Gateway. • The processes for this interface could either be handled

by Basis directly or using another Server like the Web Application Server.

Interface Communication

If the processes relating to communication through the SAP gateway are handled by Basis, the Program to Program communication could take place through the following programming interfaces:

• The common programming interface• Remote Function Calls

SAP R/3 Enterprise 4.7

• The SAP R/3 4.7 version is the functional and technical advancement over classical Enterprise Resource Planning solution.

• The functional advantage is on account of its Web integration capability by facilitating connection to marketplaces, portals and other collaborative applications.

• The first release of SAP R/3 Enterprise Core (4.7) contains some functional enhancements, but it is primarily a technical change.

Technical Changes in SAP R/3 Enterprise 4.7

• SAP Enterprise Core is the heart of SAP R/3 4.7 as opposed to Basis in SAP 4.6 and previous versions.

• The other change is that includes a SAP Web Application Server (SAP Web AS) which integrates seamlessly with the enterprise portals and exchange infrastructure.

SAP Enterprise Core Architecture

• SAP Enterprise Core is based on a Service oriented architecture (SOA) which is not the case with Basis.

Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)

• Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is an architectural approach (or style) for constructing complex software-intensive systems from a set of universally interconnected and interdependent building blocks, called services.

• SOA can also be regarded as a style of information systems architecture that enables the creation of applications that are built by combining loosely coupled and interoperable services.

• These services inter-operate based on a formal definition (or contract, e.g., WSDL) that is independent of the underlying platform and programming language.

• SOA-based systems can therefore be independent of development technologies and platforms (such as Java, .NET etc).

• Services written in C# running on .NET platforms and services written in Java running on Java EE platforms, for example, can both be consumed by a common composite application (or client).

• Applications running on either platform can also consume services running on the other as Web services, which facilitates reuse.

• Services are intrinsically unassociated units of functionality, which have no calls to each other embedded in them.

• They typically implement functionalities most humans would recognize as a service, such as filling out an online application for an account, viewing an online bank statement, or placing an online booking or airline ticket order.

• Instead of services embedding calls to each other in their source code, protocols are defined which describe how one or more services can talk to each other.

• This architecture then relies on a business process expert to link and sequence services, in a process known as orchestration, to meet a new or existing business system requirement.

Orchestration

• Earlier attempts to promote software reuse were via modularity of functions, or by use of predefined groups of functions known as classes.

• SOA's atomic-level objects are often 100 to 1,000 times larger, and are associated by an application designer or engineer using orchestration.

• In the process of orchestration, relatively large chunks of software functionality (services) are associated in a non-hierarchical arrangement (in contrast to a class hierarchy) by a software engineer, or process engineer, using a special software tool which contains an exhaustive list of all of the services, their characteristics, and a means to record the designer's choices which the designer can manage and the software system can consume and use at run-time.

SAP Implementation

• SAP Implementation is the whole of processes that defines a complete method to implement SAP software in an organization.

• The implementation of SAP software, such as SAP R/3 is almost always a massive operation that brings a lot of changes in the organization.

• The whole process can take up to several years. • Virtually every person in the organization is involved,

whether they are part of the SAP technical support organization (TSO) or the actual end-users of the SAP software.

• Designing IT architecture is very critical in SAP implementation practices.

The SAP implementation process is made up out of four main phases

• the project preparation where a vision of the future-state of the SAP solution is being created

• a sizing and blueprinting phase where the solution stack is created and training is being performed

• A functional development phase• Finally a final preparation phase, when the last tests are

being performed before the actual go live.

Basic model of SAP R/3 Enterprise Release 4.7

The basic model of SAP R/3 Enterprise Release 4.7 consists of three parts:

• Web Application Server • Enterprise Core • Enterprise Extensions

Enterprise Core

• Enterprise Core (SAP Release 4.7) includes all R/3 4.6 functionality with limited functional enhancements and developments.

Enterprise Extensions

• Extensions use a technology called ‘package builder.’ • Extensions may be activated selectively and

independently of each other or remain inactive • For example, Extension Set 1.10, available with R/3

Enterprise, will consist of extensions in FIN (FI/CO), HR, PLM, TRVL, and SCM (WM, PP, MM).

• To take advantage of any Extension, the Extension would need to be activated in a similar manner and with the level of effort required to customize new functionality.

• This Extension philosophy decouples all development from the R/3 technical platform, allowing the SAP community more flexibility in taking advantage of enhanced functionality.

• The Enterprise Extensions are the center of functional developments.

• These functionalities are selectively deployable and each functionality has its own release cycle.

New Architecture Model of SAP R/3 Enterprise versus SAP 4.6C

Difference between the SAP 4.6 and SAP 4.7 versions

SAP in its Web AS has additional enhancements in the form of package concept, global parameterization with business configuration sets, Unicode compliance and accessibility that are not present in 4.6C.

• SAP 4.7 Core supports the above-mentioned enhancements that SAP 4.6C does not.

SAP 4.7 unlike 4.6C has Enterprise Extensions that can be separately deployed and have their own releases.

Upgrading from Release 4.6C to Release 4.7

• SAP 4.6C needs to be transformed into SAP Enterprise core.

• New additions need to be made in the form of SAP Enterprise Extensions.

• These enterprise extensions are independent of the Enterprise Core as they are grouped on the basis of the area that it deals with such as Financials, SCM, HR, Travel Management and PLM.

• This feature of Extensions being independent of enterprise core makes it possible for the users to independently upgrade the functionalities of SAP4.6C.

•

• Next step would be Integrating with SAP Web Application Server (WAS)

• SAP WAS is the advanced form of SAP Basis. The technology involves the addition of a few system administration processes, especially with regard to Web enabling.

• The upgrade of SAP 4.6C devises a new upgrade procedure known as System Switch Upgrade, which is the standard procedure for all software components that run on SAP WAS 6.10 and higher.

• This upgrade procedure gives its customers the option of selecting between two different upgrade strategies, depending on whether they want to keep their downtime or system resources to a minimum

• The feature of SAP Enterprise being available for 64-bit operating system might require the upgrade their operating system platforms.

My SAP ERP

• The traditional SAP R/3 ERP system offers transaction and reporting functionality in the areas of financial, logistics, and human resource applications, enabling the exchange of data between a company’s various business units or divisions.

• SAP’s Application Link Enabling and Web integration capability allows it to introduce added functionality like managing supplier relationships with supply chain management (SCM) solutions, managing the distributors, resellers, and customers with customer relationship management (CRM)solutions, and managing the knowledge-assets with business intelligence (BI) solutions

• Application Link Enabling (ALE) provides the ability to synchronize the databases of distributed SAP systems. ALE is the technological basis for the coupling of mySAP.com business applications.

SAP 6.0

• The essential difference between SAP R/3 Platform and a SAP 6.0 Platform is that the SAP R/3 system is based on R/3 Core platform whereas SAP 6.0 is based on the SAP Net Weaver core Platform.

• In SAP 6.0 is the Central Sever is a SAP ECC 6 Server which is based on an SOA Architecture.

• SAP ECC 6 Server, which is designed for integration with SAP Net weaver. Hence plugins do not need to be separately installed.

SAP Net weaver

• SAP NetWeaver is SAP's integrated technology platform and is the technical foundation for all SAP applications since the SAP Business Suite

• SAP NetWeaver provides the development and runtime environment for SAP applications and can be used for custom development and integration with other applications and systems.

• SAP NetWeaver is built using open standards and industry de facto standards and can be extended with, and interoperate with, technologies such as Microsoft .NET, Sun Java EE, and IBM WebSphere.

NetWeaver is essentially the integrated stack of SAP technology products.The core products that make up SAP NetWeaver include:

• SAP NetWeaver Application Server • SAP NetWeaver Process Integration (PI) • SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal (EP) • SAP NetWeaver Master Data Management (MDM) • SAP NetWeaver Mobile • SAP NetWeaver Business Intelligence

• Net Weaver in simple words is an application and Integration platform in which Web Services play a major role and which is open for Non-SAP applications and platform.

• Netweaver was built to operates in a SOA (service Oriented Architecture) framework of self-contained services that communicate with each other and are not dependent on the context (or state) held by other services. Loose coupling makes services adaptive and flexible

Netweaver versions

• Netweaver 2003 (Interface/J2EE Engine version 6.20) • Netweaver 2004 (Interface/J2EE Engine version 6.40) introduced a

unified Web Application Server (WAS), web services, enterprise services, XI, BI, and MDM.

• Netweaver 2004s (Interface/J2EE Engine version 7.0) is about composite apps (xApps) [Release Notes] the foundation for

• SAP NetWeaver Portal 7.0. • SAP NetWeaver 7.1 (Interface/J2EE Engine version 7.1) enables

mobile devices and business process modeling (BPM) platform:

SAP NetWeaver user interfaces include:

• Web Dynpro (following a Model-View-Controller (MVC) paradigm like Java Struts) is used for building UIs based on models and reusable Developments Components (DC) built into the framework

• HTML Business for Java (HTMLB), • ABAP Dynpro and • ABAP Business Server Pages (BSP).

NetWeaver technologies and components

• A portal framework, • Business intelligence and reporting, • Business Process Management (BPM), • Integration, • Master Data Management (MDM), • A common run-time application server, and • The SAP application development and management

platform

What NetWeaver is Not

• NetWeaver is not a product that companies can buy or even upgrade to on its own

• It is not a general development platform• It will not displace technology that companies already

use to develop custom applications unrelated to SAP or to perform integration between non-SAP applications

• SAP will not rewrite its proprietary development language, ABAP, in J2EE

• While developers will still have to know ABAP, NetWeaver will act to wrap the code to interoperate with J2EE and .NET environments

And Finally

Computers are like Humans – they do everything but think

• John Von Neumann