Optimizing Packaged Applications

Understanding SAP Versions

Niel Robertson - CTO, Co-Founder

Newmerix Corporation
1100 S. McCaslin Blvd, Suite 160
Superior, CO 80027
303-350-3900
www.newmerix.com or nielr@newmerix.com

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Keys to Understanding Versions

…SAP versioning is a bit tricky – bear

with it a bit until you learn it
…It depends on which part of the stack
you are asking about (application stack
or technology stack)
…It has evolved as SAP has changed its
overall architecture from 2 tier to 3 tier
…Many names are just marketing bundles
of technology components

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Overview

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Main Concepts You Will Encounter

…R/3, R/3 Enterprise, mySAP

…ABAP
…BASIS
…WebAS
…ECC
…NetWeaver

…Read on for explanations..

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Application Editions

… R/2
  Terminal server architecture
  “Greenscreen” UI
… R/3
  Introduced client server architecture
  Uses BASIS for technology stack
  Desktop client UI
… R/3 Enterprise
  Replaced BASIS with WebAS (Web Application
Server)
  Web Based UI
… mySAP
  Web based UI
  Changed “WebAS” to just “AS”

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ABAP

…Proprietary programming language

…All of SAP was written in ABAP
until about 3 years ago
…ABAP doesn’t really have versions,
it depends on the BASIS version
being run

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BASIS

… R/3
  BASIS is the complete technology stack and application stack
  Runs ABAP programs (all application logic is contained in the
BASIS server)
  BASIS acts as the application server using proprietary protocols to
communicate to the desktop client
  All changes to SAP application made in BASIS
… For R/3 Enterprise
  BASIS was split into BASIS and WebAS (WebAS uses standard
internet protocols to communicate with web browsers)
  BASIS version numbers aligned with WebAS versions
  BASIS conceptually used only for administration (migrations,
performance monitoring)
… For mySAP
  BASIS conceptually equal to WebAS

… Note: since the introduction of WebAS, BASIS versions are

referred to either as both X.YZ and XYZ (e.g. 6.10 or 610, 7.0
or 700) where X.YZ is the WebAS version number

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WebAS

…Application server that replaced BASIS

…Uses standard internet protocols so it
can communicate with web browsers
…Hosts ABAP engine (runs ABAP
applications)
…Version 6.20 had the first J2EE engine
so you could write Java applications as
well as ABAP

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ECC (ERP Core Components)

… Separates application logic from

technology stack
… All the modules you would buy
(e.g. Payroll) are thought of now
as in ECC (before they were
thought of as in BASIS)

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NetWeaver

…This is just a bundling of standard

technology stack components that
are released together
 WebAS
 Enterprise Portal
 Business Intelligence
 Exchange Integraton
…WebAS renamed AS going forward

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Try This View With What You Now Know

In the beginning BASIS

was both the server
AND the application

BASIS sort of “sits in the

middle” to help administer
applications now

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 Release Matrix

Year UI Type Application Edition Major Minor BASIS WebAS ECC NetWeaver SolMan

Terminal R/2 - -

1992 Desktop R/3 1.0 - 1.0

Desktop R/3 2.0, 2.1 - 2.0, 2.1

1997 Desktop R/3 3.0, 3.1 3.1I 3.1I

1998 Desktop R/3 4.0 4.0B 4.0B

2000 Desktop R/3 4.5 4.5B 4.5B

2001 Desktop R/3 4.6 4.6B. 4.6C 4.6B, 4.6C

2001 Desktop R/3 4.6D* 4.6D 4.6D, 610 6.10

2003 Web R/3 Enterprise 1.10 (a.k.a. 620 6.20 NetWeaver 2.1
4.7x110 (2003)

Web R/3 Enterprise 2.00 (a.k.a. 630 6.30 NetWeaver 2.2, 3.1,
4.7x200) (2003) 3.2

2005 Web mySAP 2004 - 640 6.40 ECC NetWeaver 4.0

5.0 04

2006 Web mySAP 2005 - 700 7.0 (now ECC NetWeaver 4.0
(June) called AS) 6.0 04S

* SAP appears to support 4.6D on BASIS server and WebAS

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Solution Manager

Solution Manager appears to have been introduced with R/3 Enterprise Edition

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Some Screenshots of Different Versions

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R/2 Screenshot

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R/3 1.0 Screenshot

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R/3 2.0, 2.1 Screenshot

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R/3 3.0, 3.1 Screenshot

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R/3 4.0, 4.5 Screenshot

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R/3 Enterprise, mySAP Screenshot

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