SAP always have their internal certify program which certify from software to hardware level to ensure their users are compliance with the application requirement for the SAP deployment. You will see a big range of choice you can choose from the certify list from Unix, Linux to Windows as an example. On my case, we choose Novell SUSE Linux as we have a good relation with Novell which require minimum amount of software subscription to run our environment. At the same time, the latest version of SAP are recommended to run on SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 64 bits with MaxDB 7.5. SUSE Linux 10 is perform as you need on VMware. The support from Novell and VMware both are committed to the VM which run the SUSE Linux. This had been the important point of why I am choosing SuSE linux over the rest of the operating system available.

Now we talk about the VM with SAP, I started with the environment in DR for our SAP. Our DR today are fully virtualized with the ESX machines we have and commission with the EMC SAN storage for our DR purpose. If I would have to stick with physical servers, I may require to purchase 10 units of physical server and the operating cost VS single ESX server we have today is too high. We run the DR SAP with RDM (Raw Device Mapping) to ensure in disaster cases, we will have the performance require to handle the production. Although we lose the features, but it is fine as DR doesn’t active most of the time. To run SAP on DR with VM, my experience can tell is absolutely workable.

Now we go to production, to fully virtualize the entire SAP, it only able to happen if the environment is very small. We currently virtualize the Apps server on SAP to our VM. VMware provide HA/DRS which is the features we need for our production. Beside that, we can also easily increase the amount of apps server to support the business requirement during the quater or month end closing. Front end on VM is just absolutely right choice for us to reduce the amount of server we require. We are currently looking at the DB servers to further analyze the possibilities for virtualize. 8 Vcpu per VM is on the way, and that will be another opportunitties for us to virtualize more DB servers. 6 cores processors is out, and it provide the processing power require by the virtualization, and I am strongly believe VM is a must for every DC today, and virtualize mission critical DB no longer a dream.

If we analyze what happen to the IT spending on the financial and banking environment, you will not surprise to see that the amount of storage, servers, solution and unnecessary equipment been under utilized for every bank around the world. The IT department for financial sector had been comfort live for many years and is time now for them to review and revise their IT spending to ensure higher return from their investment.

Open source or reliable LINUX had not been really high utilize in financial sector are really due to the comfort living of their IT department. Personal point of view, why we have to run something else on the expensive IBM AIX, mainframe, HP UX, Microsoft, Oracle VS the reliable LINUX from x86 or x64 platform to perform the same result? The simple answer is really the mindset from the person.

If we compare the super computing for research and development, you will find that the top 5 fastest computing in the world are build from the x86 or x64 platform whihc you can common found from the market. If you are telling me that the x86 platform is under power, I will say is depend how you manage and deploy it. Looking at SAP, which is the biggest ERP solution around the world, and they even suggest to run on SUSE or Redhat Linux with the MaxDB and etc. My experience on that, it really perform as require and even outperform when we compare to the AIX machine that we previously have. We know the MAXDB are still far behind the Oracle, but at least from the operating system point of view, the LINUX always provide more reliable compare to Windows or proprited UNIX platform from HP and IBM.

Beside these, you may consider the operation maintenance cost, the open standard will provide more flexible and cost effective. Intel and AMD competition have also promise to increase from 6 cores to 12 cores in 2 years time. The processing power are always increasing from time to time.
I will not believe the x86 will not able to handle the load that require to run for any system in the world today, is really depend how we plan it and manage it. Some of the bank I know, they even run their critical machine on LINUX today, and I do not see the reason of others bank can’t. At the same time, Virtualization will provide the better utilization for every single dollar been invested by the business.

Moving forward to the current economy environment, to survive and sustain for IT department is challenge. Instead of sticking with old and expensive solution, it may end up the CEO will just fire the entire IT department and look for outsource vendor. I believe the IT department have to be more open and follow up with the open technology which are much more cost effective compare with those expensive solution. The more dollars for IT to save, that increase the percentage for the job security as well as business effective. Do not forget, IT is to assist the business to generate revenue higher and faster, you may not want to make IT as a cost and is not profitable when it show up in the entire financial summary to the boards. If that does happen, human will stop using IT and prefer to work on paper and pen again as traditional.