Database Reference
In-Depth Information
therefore, looked at first as being responsible for any major queues, which could cause
delays in system response time and performance bottlenecks. A combination of theoretical
models and performance load tests are used to understand the bottlenecks of the system.
Sizing Definition
SAP sizing is defined as a process of converting the business requirements into hardware re-
quirements. SAP provides tools and benchmark standards for estimating the hardware re-
quirements that would be needed for the business.
SAPS (SAP Application Performance Standard)
SAP, working closely with its hardware partners, has developed a hardware (platform)-inde-
pendent benchmark referred to as SAP Application Performance Standard (SAPS) to help
size SAP applications.
100 SAPS = 2,000 fully processed order line items per hour
(OR)
6,000 dialog steps (screen changes) with 2,000 postings
(OR)
2,400 SAP transactions
SAP Quick Sizer Tool
SAP provides a web-based online tool to customers for performing a sizing project. The
SAP Quick Sizer tool has an online questionnaire that takes the user and throughput num-
bers provided by the customer's business and calculates the SAPS value. The SAPS value
will help the hardware vendor to size and landscape the system for the customer.
Hardware Vendor Role in Sizing
Hardware vendor plays a critical role in taking the customer's SAPS value generated from
the SAP sizing project and providing proposals (with different options) for the needed serv-
er hardware and the way the solution should be landscaped in the customer data center. Be-
cause of the importance of this activity, many hardware vendors such as IBM and HP have
dedicated experts in sizing activities and help their customers in providing a suitable solu-
tion. Many customers will run a Quick Sizer sizing project and then share the information
with multiple hardware vendors. The hardware vendors then will provide customized scal-
able solutions to their customers, and the customer will evaluate different proposals and will
decide on a hardware vendor based on several criteria, such as business requirements, cost,
and support services.
Benchmarking
SAP works closely with the hardware vendors to perform different benchmarks by running a
simulated load in a theoretical machine and publishing the results. Usually SD (Sales and
