Roadmap: SAP NetWeaver Discontinues Dual-Stack

As of Release 7.4, SAP NetWeaver discontinues dual-stack implementations.

1. Disclaimer This document outlines SAPs general product direction and should not be relied on in making a purchase decision. This document is not subject to your license agreement or any other agreement with SAP. SAP has no obligation to pursue any course of business outlined in this document or to develop or release any functionality mentioned in this document. This document and SAP's strategy and possible future developments are subject to change and may be changed by SAP at any time for any reason without notice. This document is provided without a warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. SAP assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in this document, except if such damages were caused by SAP intentionally or grossly negligent. 2. Introduction This section provides some basic definitions and considerations that are relevant for dual-stack deployments. 2.1 Definition of Dual-Stack systems An SAP system is dual-stack, if it contains both SAP NetWeaver Application Server ABAP and Java with one common SAP system ID (SAPSID), one common startup framework, and one common database. Support for dual-stack implementations for SAP NetWeaver was originally introduced with the intention to reduce the TCO and to offer more options for the layout of SAP systems to customers deploying and running SAP NetWeaver-based products and solutions such as the SAP Business Suite. Initially, dual-stack allowed customers to save database and application server hardware and software deployments, by combining the ABAP and Java stack on the same physical machine, sharing database and operating system resources. Software lifecycle management processes in turn treated ABAP and Java stack as a unit when applying support packages, installing enhancement packages, or upgrading the system. 2.2 Dual-stack implications and disadvantages While the benefits and advantages of dual-stack implementations offered value and helped to reduce and manage the operational costs for certain use cases and aspects, many of the offered benefits were only onetime benefits (such as reduced efforts for implementation) and could also be achieved with single stack systems by other means, such as running both the ABAP and the Java schema of two single stack systems in the same database with Multiple Components in One Database (MCOD). Also, new technologies such as virtualization have been introduced in recent years that offer similar capabilities on a more appropriate level of abstraction. In addition, the tight coupling between the ABAP and Java stacks became more and more an innovation hurdle, since the stacks evolved at different speeds and served different use cases moving forward. The ABAP stack continued to serve as a foundation platform for SAPs solutions, such as the SAP Business Suite, while the Java stack was optimized to serve integration and collaboration capabilities. Since the downtime of one stack in a dual-stack system affected the whole system and since dual-stack systems could not be scaled independently, single-stack systems overall offered more advantages and improved flexibility.

2.2 Landscape recommendations to avoid dual-stack deployments As a consequence, SAP NetWeaver recommended that customers avoid optional dual-stack deployments where possible (see the presentation How to Deploy SAP NetWeaver Dual Stack vs. Separated Stacks in SAP Community Network from 2008 also for more information about the reasons for this recommendation). SAP also aimed to support the planning of SAP landscapes with clear guidance on how to set up SAP systems. Subsequently, many customers sought ways to replace their dual-stack implementation with singlestack deployments that could evolve at the desired innovation speed chosen by the customer. Therefore, SAP offered software logistics tools, such as the dual-stack split tool to separate the ABAP and the Java parts in a dual-stack deployment. Put simply, the dual-stack split tool creates a system copy of the Java stack from an existing dual-stack implementation. It creates a fresh new Java instance based on the system copy and, upon successful completion, removes the Java parts from the dual-stack system without touching the ABAP instance. The split procedure therefore resembles the proven and well-established system copy procedure. This document shows at a high level how customers can migrate their dual-stack implementations into single-stack deployments. The physical migration is described in detail in the corresponding documentation of the lifecycle management tools such as the dual-stack split tool (part of the Software Logistics Toolset http://service.sap.com/sltoolset). 3. SAP NetWeaver in a Nutshell SAP NetWeaver today is a brand for a variety of offerings on top of SAPs technology stack. These offerings can typically be deployed as functional hubs within customers landscapes and are usually based on an SAP NetWeaver Application Server ABAP (AS ABAP) or Java (AS Java). They share common capabilities and tools with regard to development infrastructure, landscape virtualization management, and lifecycle management. 4. Dual-Stack Split Procedure The dual-stack split procedure comprises the following phases: 1. Separation of Java stack Separation of Java stack of dual-stack source system into new SAP system with the dual-stack split tool (mainly using Java system copy functionality) for this, SAP offers two options: Keep DB option (using Multiple Components in One Database MCOD): here, a new Java stack gets installed without additional database the former Java schema stays in the already existing database, but only gets renamed. Move DB option (non-MCOD): here, a new Java system is installed with an additional database. The former Java schema gets copied into the new database. 2. Post-split activities Usage-type- and software-unit-specific follow-up activities have to be performed as described in the dual-stack split documentation: such as adapting the configuration (for example, of technical connectivity between SAP NetWeaver ABAP and Java systems); cleaning up landscape data in landscape repositories of SAP Solution Manager; and installing a new license for the new Java system. SAP recommends that you perform the dual-stack split on a test system to identify possible further application-specific post-split activities for your scenario. Re-configuration is automated for certain use cases (such as for SAP NetWeaver BW). The new setup should be thoroughly tested (regression testing) before finally removing the Java stack in the source system. 3. Removal of Java stack in source system Removal of Java-related SAP system information (and Java database persistency in case of move DB option) within source system with the dual-stack split tool. For more information, see SAP Community Network at: http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-25162.

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5. SAP NetWeaver-based solution support for Dual-Stack and Dual-Stack split 5.1 Last dual-stack upgrade support with Business Suite i2011 As already communicated to customers, SAP Business Suite 7 i2011 is the last SAP Business Suite release that supports a dual-stack upgrade from a previous release to i2011. This does not mean that customers should postpone their projects to split dual-stack implementations until they have upgraded to i2011. It simply states that dual-stack upgrades will not be offered to SAP Business Suite releases after i2011. Of course, customers may stay with their existing dual-stack implementations until mainstream maintenance ends in 2020. However, if customers wish to bring innovations into their solution landscapes, they should consider dual-stack split projects sooner rather than later. In short, SAP Business Suite products that are installed as dual-stack systems need to be split before updating/upgrading to any SAP Business Suite release higher than SAP Business Suite 7 i2011.

5.2 Support for Dual-Stack discontinued in SAP NetWeaver 7.4 in general with exceptions SAP NetWeaver 7.4 is positioned as the follow-up on-premise release for SAP NetWeaver 7.31. SAP NetWeaver is among other things optimized for SAP HANA as the foundation for the SAP Business Suite on SAP HANA project. This means that dual-stack deployments and implementations are not supported any longer. The only exception to this rule is SAP NetWeaver Process Integration on a traditional database system, which still requires a dual-stack implementation. However, note that a single-stack SAP NetWeaver Process Integration Java exists that offers 95% of the features of classical dual-stack implementations. Therefore, customers should investigate whether an existing SAP NetWeaver PI implementation can be replaced by a Java-only implementation of SAP NetWeaver PI.

5.3 Dual-Stack Split Support SAP NetWeaver-based products that are subject to dual-stack implementations are SAP NetWeaver Portal, SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse, and SAP NetWeaver Process Integration, SAP NetWeaver Mobile Infrastructure, SAP Business Suite, and SAP Solution Manager. In addition, there may be other dual-stack SAP NetWeaver implementations. SAP NetWeaver Portal SAP NetWeaver Portal is based on the Java stack only, but may be co-deployed in a dual-stack environment. The dual-stack split tool allows customers to separate SAP NetWeaver Portal 7.0 from an SAP ERP or other backend solutions.

SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse The dual-stack split tool supports the separation of SAP NetWeaver BW 7.0 dual-stack deployment. For certain scenarios of SAP NetWeaver BW 7.3 deployments, a manual split procedure, comprising the manual de-installation and a re-implementation of the Java stack, is described in the presentation SAP NetWeaver Deinstalling Java Add-In in SAP Community Network at http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC7856. It is also planned to provide dual-stack split tool support for SAP NetWeaver BW systems based on SAP NetWeaver 7.3x. SAP NetWeaver Process Integration In general, SAP NetWeaver PI dual-stack will be supported in SAP NetWeaver 7.4. However, customers are recommended to migrate SAP NetWeaver PI content into SAP NetWeaver PI Java single stack (Advanced Adapter Engine Extended). Since the feature set of the Advanced Adapter Engine Extended covers 95% of a classical SAP NetWeaver PI dual-stack environment, this approach should be feasible for most use cases. Due to the harmonized process orchestration stack (SAP NetWeaver PI and SAP NetWeaver BPM running on the same Java instance), many of the ccBPM features in SAP NetWeaver PI can be expressed using SAP NetWeaver BPM capabilities instead.

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SAP NetWeaver Business Process Management SAP NetWeaver BPM is used in single stack environments only. In conjunction with SAP NetWeaver PI, SAP NetWeaver BPM capabilities can help to move SAP NetWeaver PI from a dual-stack to a single stack (Java) implementation in many cases. SAP NetWeaver Mobile Infrastructure SAP NetWeaver Mobile Infrastructure is not part of SAP NetWeaver 7.31 or SAP NetWeaver 7.4. Therefore dual-stack deployments of SAP NetWeaver MI if any cannot be upgraded. SAP Business Suite The dual-stack split tool supports the split of SAP Business Suite systems based on SAP NetWeaver 7.0. SAP Solution Manager SAP Solution Manager 7.0 and 7.1 systems are dual-stack. New installation, update and upgrade of SAP Solution Manager systems to these releases is still supported.

Other Dual-Stack SAP NetWeaver Systems The dual-stack split tool is available for optional dual-stack SAP NetWeaver 7.0 systems that run only stackisolated applications without direct dependencies to applications running on the other stack.

5.4 Summary Single stack deployments offer more flexibility than dual-stack deployments. SAP encourages its customers to apply the dual-stack split tool whenever possible. SAP NetWeaver 7.4 does not support dual-stack deployments (general rule with only few exceptions, that can be replaced by single stack alternatives in most cases). The following table provides a brief summary for the various SAP NetWeaver hubs.

Solution or Hub SAP NetWeaver Portal

Status Dual-stack split tool available (for SAP ERP/Portal dual-stack use cases) As an exception to the overall rule SAP NetWeaver PI dual-stack will be supported in SAP NetWeaver 7.4. Recommendation to migrate SAP NetWeaver PI content into SAP NetWeaver PI Java single stack (Advanced Adapter Engine Extended) whenever featurewise possible Dual-stack split tool available for SAP NetWeaver BW 7.0x, manual procedure available for certain use cases of SAP NetWeaver BW 7.3x Java-only deployment. Can be used to facilitate SAP NetWeaver PI single-stack deployments as part of Process Orchestration Dual-stack split tool available for optional dual-stack SAP NetWeaver 7.0 systems that run only stackisolated applications without direct dependencies to applications running on the other stack

SAP NetWeaver PI

SAP NetWeaver BW

SAP NetWeaver BPM

Other solutions using SAP NetWeaver

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