NW System & Architecture

In the past days, BASIS was the platform which is set of middleware tools and programs from SAP. But the later versions from SAP with some additional features BASIS name got changed to SAP Web AS and then SAP NetWeaver Application server.

SAP NetWeaver incorporates many different functionalities within one platform. SAP NetWeaver is an application building platform that supports various applications (ERP, CRM etc.) provides usage types for databases, analytics, open integrating business processes (BW, PI, Portal etc.) from number of sources can operate independently.

SAP NetWeaver is an integrated technology application building platform. SAP NetWeaver used for various purposes such as ABAP or J2EE services, monitoring, basis services and platform for specific add-ons.

SAP NetWeaver is not a product. NetWeaver runs on both JAVA and ABAP independently or on both ABAP and Java together.

In the past, SAP systems administrators used to be called as SAP BASIS Consultants and now a days they are called as NetWeaver consultants. ABAP programs are normally run on SAP NetWeaver application servers which are publicly available to the external world.

Components of SAP NetWeaver –

• SAP Business Information Warehouse (BIW)
• SAP Enterprise Portal
• SAP Business Intelligence
• SAP XI Exchanging Infrastructure
• SAP Knowledge Warehouse (KW)
• SAP Master Data Management (MDM)

Advantages of SAP NetWeaver –

• Enhanced Adaptability
• Lower Total Cost of Ownership
• Better Return on Investment

SAP NW Architecture –

The SAP NetWeaver Application Server is the central element for the entire SAP software stack and provides a platform for other NW components along with for ABAP and Java applications.

The SAP NetWeaver Application Server(NAS) is the further development of the SAP Web Application Server(WAS). The NetWeaver Application Server contains both the Application Server ABAP (AS ABAP) and the Application Server Java (AS JAVA).

The AS ABAP provides the complete technology and infrastructure to run ABAP applications. The AS Java provides a Java2 Enterprise environment for developing and running Java EE programs.

The below diagram shows the components of the SAP NetWeaver Application Server.

Technical Components –

SAP system consists of several application server instances along with one or more actual databases. Multiple dialog instances choose to execute and a central instance that contains the message server and the enqueue server.

A dialog instance with AS ABAP and AS Java consists the following components:

• The Internet Communication Manager (ICM): sets up the connection to the Internet and process both server and client Web requests.
• Central services (message server and enqueue server): used for lock administration, message exchange and load balancing in the SAP system.
• AS ABAP components –
  • The dispatcher – distributes the requests to the work processes.
  • The work processes – executes ABAP or Java programs.
  • The SAP Gateway – provides the RFC interface between the SAP instances.
• AS Java components –
  • The Server Processes – execute Java requests.
  • The instance controller – controls and monitors the life cycle of the AS Java instance.

Installation Options –

SAP NetWeaver AS provides the below installation options:

• ABAP System – Comes with integrated VM Container. ABAP programs and selected SAP Java applications can run with this installation.
• Java System – Java EE applications run with this installation. But not any ABAP programs.
• ABAP + Java system – These are all the components in the above diagram.