The challenge

The announcement by SAP that it will only support its own database from 2025 onwards means that enterpri-ses with databases from other manufacturers will need to migrate their data. This will give rise to a further chal-lenge: in addition to a new infrastructure a new concept ensuring the high availability of critical EPR infrastructure will have to be put in place. If for example a major trade chain is no longer able to issue delivery notes and is there-fore unable to load its lorries, the financial losses within a short space of time will be considerable.

Necessary migration to a SAP database

Currently, the ERP solution SAP HANA is the critical plat-form for any business since it handles all relevant proces-ses such as merchandise management, CRM or accoun-ting.

SAP has announced that from 2025 onwards it will only support its own database S/4HANA. Support for all other solutions will be terminated. This means that SAP custo-mers with databases such as Oracle or MS/SQL should begin thinking about migration as soon as possible – at the same time they will have to devise a new approach to data security.

… requires a new concept for high availability

S/4HANA is a Linux-based database. The automatic HANA system replication of data at a second site requires a Linux Cluster. But Linux cluster services have certain drawbacks: laborious setup, complex management resulting in high-er error rates, opaque functions. In order to ensure high availability with automatic switchover a third site is also required – which is the reason for the following excursus.

Excursus: Challenge posed by power failures and split brain syndrome

Despite cluster technology there are scenarios in which business-critical IT services no longer function.

The cause is technological: in the event of a power outage the Linux Cluster is unable to determine whether only the interconnects between the sites have been inter-rupted or whether a total outage has taken place affec-ting the cluster partner. In order to exclude inconsistency, no services are taken over from any other sites.

A split-brain syndrome must be avoided at all costs. In order to ensure that transactions are not processed more than once for different volumes which can no longer be

Highlights

✓ The solution ClusterLion for HANA imple-ments the automatic switchover using a Quo-rum Cloud, hence dispensing with the need for a third location. This reduces the TCO.

✓ From 2025 onwards SAP will only support its own database S/4HANA. This means that many businesses have already begun migrating their data and setting up a new infrastructure.

✓ Migration to the new Linux environment will also require a new security concept with automatic switchover, so as to ensure that business-critical applications can run at any time with a high degree of availability.

✓ Permanent data consistency is ensured and a split brain scenario is excluded.

✓ The architecture relies on Linux Single Sys-tems, which greatly reduces complexity when setting up and operating the infrastructure.

✓ During operations ClusterLion for HANA can be easily implemented in the space of an hour.

✓ The user-friendly interface ensures data se-curity in emergencies and during recurring or cyclical SAP software updates thus ensuring comfortable switchover between computer centres.

ClusterLionAutomatic Switchover

for SAP HANA

consolidated later one and resulting in data losses, no automatic cluster takeover takes place when there is a power outage. The result: your business-critical SAP ap-plications cease to work.

In a SAP Linux environment the existence of a third site monitoring the other two sites and implementing an au-tomatic switchover would provide relief and perform an automatic switchover in case of emergency. This could be done either with the open-source RedHat Pacemaker pa-ckage or with the solution Service Guard from HPEnterpri-se available for a charge. But in both these variants a third site is complex and expensive.

The solution: ClusterLion for HANA en-sures high availability in Linux environ-ments with just two sites ClusterLion for HANA was developed to implement an automatic switchover, hence ensuring the highest degree of availability for SAP HANA environments. This solution only requires Linux Single Systems to set up the system replication by SAP, i.e. customers do not have to get to grips with complex cluster technology.

ClusterLion for HANA is the only solution in the market offering the very highest degree of availability and ensu-ring data consistency in the cluster even in a split-brain scenario. This means that customers do not have to worry about a third computing centre or about the lines leading to a third site – this is taken care of by the Cloud Quo-rum service, which is part of the solution ClusterLion for HANA.

With ClusterLion for HANA all storage services remain online, even if a site is affected by a total outage. This solution works with an absolute degree of reliability and features advanced security functions.

Advantages✓ High availability for all business-critical SAP HANA applications without a third site. The Cloud Quorum solution reduces costs and com- plexity.

✓ No complex Linux cluster is required. This simplifies management and maintenance thus reducing errors.

✓ Simple monitoring on the status page, inclu- ding Notification Manager with push war- nings.

✓ Transparent event logs with incorporation into its own superordinate system monitoring tool via a standard API.

✓ ClusterLion for HANA provides support in emergencies for always-on availability through automatic switching. ClusterLion for HANA also provides the same degree of sup- port during scheduled software upgrades: the controlled manual switching between computing centres renders regular updates simple and secure.

✓ In larger HANA environments the solution can also be used for multi-client enabled user management.

Complex(Linux(Cluster(Setup Simple(ProLion(Setup

Disadvantages:• Complex(cluster(setup!• High(risk(of(failures!• Complex to maintain!• Bad(traceability!

Advantages:• No(more(Linux(clustering!• Easy(setup and(testing!• Simple(Patch(management!• Easy(to(maintain!• Lowest(TCO!((no(3rd datacentre)(• Simple(monitoring!• Independent(HA(solution!

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Architecture

ClusterLion for HANA is a software-only solution which can be implemented during operations at any time. The solution is up and running within an hour. It is started up simply and with a minimum of effort. A graphical interface guides users step by step through the configuration pro-cess; the SAP HANA environment is automatically recog-nised and displayed in the portal.