A new version of SUSE Enterprise Linux now supports all SAP workloads, Novell said this week.
Novell said SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications is based on the latest SUSE 11 release. The previous SUSE Linux version supported SAP but not 100% of the SAP workloads, a Novell spokeswoman said.
That support means customers can now consolidate their SAP-related workloads –including All-in-One, SAP Business Suite and Business ByDesign--on Linux platform validated by SAP. SAP’s BusinessOne, is the exception. It still runs only on Windows.
Novell has also sped up installation time.
Customers can also get round-the-clock integrated SAP-Novell support from Novell or hardware partners.
For many customers, running mission-critical ERP is an expensive proposition. Those trying to cut costs may find using Linux rather than Windows or Unix attractive. That is one reason Oracle embraced Linux several years ago as a preferred platform for its database and ERP applications. That cut the cost of the entire ERP stack except for that of the Oracle database and applications.
Some observers said the OS, however, is a minor part of the overall cost in ERP.
“If SUSE offers lower cost and equal reliability [compared to other OSes] then it’s something that SAP can do for customers to help reduce TCO but given the stack needed
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to run an in-house
system like this, I wonder how much saving there really is,” said Denis Pombriant, president of Beagle Research.
“This doesn’t change any fundamental reliance on relational database technology and I would think there is more to be saved if the same could be done with the database part of the stack.”
In addition, many enterprises already run several flavors of Linux beyond Red Hat, so a Novell-and-SAP validated version of SUSE might be attractive, observers said
“Linux is not a homogeneous world. Organizations around the world have selected different Linux distributions such as Red Hat Enteprise Linux, Ubuntu, SUSE Linux and the like. SAP clearly understands that the market is demanding support for these different platforms and has moved to support the most popular distributions,” said Dan Kusnetzky, president of the Kusnetzky Group LLC.
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