Often in Product Support, we receive support incidents asking how to remote connect to a SQL Server database.
SAP NetWeaver (and all Business Suite systems based on NetWeaver, including SolMan) can connect to a database through 2 different options: DBCON/Multiconnect (ABAP Stack) and UDConnect (JAVA Stack). This is explained in SAP KBA 1601608 - How to access an external SQL Server database.
UDConnect
UDConnect can be used for BW/BI purposes, it uses a JDBC (Java Database Conectivity) driver to connect to a SQL Server instance. It can be used on Windows, Linux and Unix operating systems.
UDConnect cannot be used for DBACockpit. DBAcockpit requires the usage of DBCON and an ABAP Stack.
DBCON/Multiconnect
DBCON/Multiconnect uses the DBSL and the SQL Server Native Client (SNAC or more recent ODBC Driver for xx for SQL Server native) to connect to the database. This is only available to SAP NetWeaver (and all Business Suite systems based on NetWeaver, including SolMan) with an ABAP Stack. If your system is JAVA only, you cannot use DBCON.
The restriction with DBCON/Multiconnect and SQL Server is the database client. Microsoft provides client software only for Windows and Linux. Operating systems line AIX, HP-UX, Solaris and other Unix-based does not have a native client, and so there is no dbmssslib.dll or dbmssslib.so for those operating systems.
SAP Note 1644499 - Database connectivity from Linux to SQL Server
SAP Note 1774329 - Preparing your SAP instance to connect to remote SQL server
An alternative for AIX, HP-UX, Solaris and others
Customers can have their SAP NetWeaver/Business Suite/SolMan ABAP Stack running on AIX, HP-UX, Solaris and other operating systems and still manage to have a connection to an external SQL Server.
It is possible to install a Dialog Instance with Windows or Linux operating systems and then create the DBCON to SQL Server. For DBACockpit for example, you just have to redirect all jobs to this application server.
SAP KBA 2221305 - Workaround to connect remote SQLServer from AIX, HP-UX or Solaris machine
Best regards,
Luis Darui
SAP Product Support
