joerg.hoffmeister

    15 Posts

    Twin launch - we have provided an update on our SAP MaxDB community edition software in the SCN download area. These packages may be used for free for your own or 3rd-party applications according to our community license. They must not be used along with SAP applications.

    SAP MaxDB Version 7.6.06.03 is the next support package in the 7.6 lifecycle and aligns latest fixes, feature and performance enhancements.

    SAP MaxDB Version 7.7.06.09 is the new version of the database that will come along with new SAP application development. We now provide it for non-SAP use as well.

    Upgrade from recent versions (e.g. 7.6.05) to each of the new versions is smooth and fast if done with the SDBSETUP (GUI) or SDBUPD (cmdline) tool. They are - as always -part of the software packages.

    Both SAP MaxDB versions are available for the platform set known, as there are Windows 32- and 64-bit, Linux 32- and 64-bit, AIX-PPC 64-bit, Solaris Sparc and x86, both 64-bit.

    The packages are accompanied by the 7.7.06.09 version of our Database Studio,  also with extended functionality. Database Studio download package is provided for Linux and Windows, both 32-bit versions.

    Download and join the SAP MaxDB community.

    Your SAP MaxDB team.

    The SAP-Infotag on SAP MaxDB 2008 took place on September 18th and it was a full success. We had 150 participants in the Audimax in St. Leon-Rot, thus again 25% more than in 2007. The audience composed of SAP MaxDB users as well as prospects and consulting and outsourcing partners. Along with customer and SAP presentations, like in the past years, we could state the well known good atmosphere and vivid exchange of experience between each other. Exhibitor booths from HP, Libelle, Novell, TDS and our SAP MaxDB staff at the post in the Audimax forum accompanied the event. All exhibitors returned good feedback and reported good talks and questions.

    Karl-Heinz Hess, SVP Business ByDesign and one of the long term patrons of SAP MaxDB gave the introduction talk. Afterwards, beside database related talk we showed the commitment of SAP towards SAP MaxDB, e.g. as part of the fast-start program for SAP Business All-In-One. The fast-start program offers prospects a simplified, end-to-end process to explore, demo, evaluate, and implement solutions tailored to their business needs. Based on a cooperation of hardware provider and SAP partner,  fast-start offers a stack of proven low TCO components together with SAP Best Practices tailored for the customer's profile. It comes preconfigured and tested. SAP MaxDB and SuSE Linux are primary parts of this stack.

    As customer talks we heard of Enercon, a German 'renewable energies' company that started rather small with SAP MaxDB and now has crossed the 1 TB border; we had GIA Informatik AG, and outsourcer from Switzerland who operates 42 SAP MaxDB systems of all sizes, and we had S'IT Solutions from Austria talking about their experiences and their next challenging project, requiring SAP MaxDB to operate a very large database in the banking sector.

    In the SAP talks we put the spotlight on the locations, where the forces working with SAP MaxDB within SAP grow. Looking to development and research, we could proudly show our worldwide appearance, having R & D resources in Seoul, Palo Alto, Zurich, Shanghai in addition to Walldorf and Berlin. We do not only work on standard database topics but explore new technology streams together with our international colleagues. Additionally we showed the strong position of SAP MaxDB within SAP: SAP Hosting and SAP IT are operating nearly 3000 SAP MaxDB systems of all types, from business system to development system.

    As a summary,  the open and lively atmosphere, the discussions with and between participants as well as their comments showed the high level of acceptance for our event and the wish to continue in that yearly interval. And that's what we are striving to do.

    As the event was held in German language, the presentations are kept mainly in German, too. But nonetheless and to get a glimpse you may have a look here.

    Last software push dates back quite a while - now we have provided an update on our SAP MaxDB community edition in the SCN download area. These packages may be used for free for your own or 3rd-party applications according to our community license. They must not be used along with SAP applications.

    SAP MaxDB Version 7.6.05.09 contains fixes for the latest security flaws reported, as well as performance enhancements and bug fixes . Additionally a new version 7.7.04.26 of our Database Studio joins the track, also with extended functionality.

    The new SAP MaxDB version is available for the platform set known, as there are Windows 32- and 64-bit, Linux 32- and 64-bit, AIX-PPC 64-bit, Solaris Sparc and 86, both 64-bit. New Database Studio is available for Linux and Windows, both 32-bit.

    Download and join the community.

    Your SAP MaxDB team.

    Looks like it can become an institution; the third SAP-Infoday on SAP MaxDB will take place on September 18th in the Audimax in St. Leon-Rot. The target group of this event is IT management and administration, for partner and end customer business. The focus is on TCO, database landscapes and development. Embedded in a set of presentations there will be a small exhibition in the forum where allies and SAP MaxDB experts will be available for talks and questions.

    SAP MaxDB more and more becomes part of 'thinking SAP': as integral technology of SAP solutions or as part of initiatives like the fast-start program in the context of SAP Business All-In-One, for example. The presentations will give insight to direction of development and involvements of SAP MaxDB as well of how the database is embedded and operated in customer landscapes.

    The event is run in German language. Registration is free.

    Was MaxDB ever away from under the SAP roof?

    No, it never was. The cooperation between SAP and MySQL mainly ended up in cross-licensing and cross-selling. All development activities on MaxDB have always remained at SAP.

    Effectively August/September 2007 SAP AG and MySQL AB have jointly agreed to terminate their reselling agreement with respect to MaxDB.  

    SAP focuses on MaxDB, MySQL focuses  on the MySQL Server. MySQL has stopped all reselling activities for MaxDB and all MaxDB prospects are referred to SAP for a follow-up. The MaxDB product page on the mysql.com website has been shut down and the mailing list will follow. MySQL will fulfill their support contracts on MaxDB and SAP will take care of these customers after the contracts have expired. Customers having bought the database license for their SAP solutions from MySQL are already integrated in the SAP service scenario and do not have anything to change. 

    MaxDB is the one-stop-shop choice as database for SAP solutions and available for almost all SAP solutions. SAP customers get MaxDB together with SAP Solutions or SAP Technology as part of the SAP distribution media or the SAP service marketplace respectively. 

    To foster the usage of MaxDB beyond SAP solutions, SAP provides MaxDB downloads for Linux and Windows in the SAP Community Network  These downloads are tied to a MaxDB community license with no extra cost. Patches will be supplied as they arrive. (In the SDN 'Downloads' section 'Evaluation Software': 'MaxDB - Community Edition')

    For getting help the community can use the SAP MaxDB, where users help each other and the MaxDB development team monitors and moderate the threads on a voluntary basis. The MaxDB forum will take the role of the mailing list. Further commercial support concepts to cover mission critical use requirements outside of SAP scenarios are currently subject to discussion. 

    The MaxDB Wiki provides a lot of MaxDB product knowledge and further information.

    Join MaxDB and be welcome with further questions around this topic.

    On September 13th, 2007, the 2nd SAP Infoday 'MaxDB' took place in St. Leon-Rot and worked out fine. More than 120 attendees being already MaxDB user or prospect  listened to a collection of customer presentations framed by status and roadmap information from SAP. Karl-Heinz Hess, Head of Product Support at SAP, emphasises in his welcome talk the strong role of MaxDB in the SAP infrastructure. The customers showed their computing scenarios with MaxDB and openly talked about their experiences,  the benefits of the database as well as potentials for further improvement. Beside the talks there was a lot of space for agile discussion and all people from the MaxDB staff were permanently involved in relaxed conversation with attendees. This positive atmosphere was characteristic for the whole day.

    As the event was held in German, the presentations are available in German language only. But nonetheless, as the are many graphic interpretations within, there will be interesting information available for non-Germans, too.

    Jörg Hoffmeister
    Development Manager
    MaxDB & liveCache
    SAP AG

    In June 2006 we had the first SAP Infoday on MaxDB ever.  Despite the World Soccer Championships there were about 120 participants listening to the presentations and having a lot of fruitful discussions besides.

    Thus encouraged, we have now scheduled the second SAP Infoday on MaxDB under the patronage of Gerhard Oswald.  It will take place in the Audimax in St. Leon-Rot, Germany, on September 13, 2007. At last year's event, participants showed strong interest in the talks and exchanges. In addition to customer stories and information from SAP there will be much time left for discussion. The customer talks will deal with their landscapes and experiences around MaxDB technology and the SAP talks will frame this with status and roadmap information. We will have several architects of MaxDB in place to answer your questions.

    The event will be held in the German language and participation is free of charge. Registration is required.

    For further information please follow the link to the SAP event calendar, where you also can find the agenda.

    Hoping to see many of you on that day.

    Jörg Hoffmeister
    Development Manager
    MaxDB & liveCache
    SAP AG

    Joerg Hoffmeister

    MaxDB@SDN

    Posted by Joerg Hoffmeister Dec 7, 2006
    MaxDB, the database from SAP, has arrived in SDN. This system you're just working with runs on MaxDB. It is one of the biggest SAP portal installations worldwide.

    Where can you gather information on MaxDB in SDN ?

    Beside the MaxDB section in the 'Technologies' area (Related, you can follow URL above) and the forum on 'MaxDB/liveCache' we now have started working on Wikis around MaxDB. Currently there are three FAQs ongoing: MaxDB in general, a MaxDB Support Guide and a tuning FAQ. There's not much FAQ content yet. We'd like to encourage you to post questions to our forum or into the FAQs . We'll integrate them in the best possible way .

    There are also new downloads available in the 'Technologies' download section: 'MaxDB 7.6.00' try-out versions (unlimited) for Linux and Windows.

    Just explore and let's work together.
    Jörg

    The first SAP-Infoday exclusively focussing on MaxDB took place on June, 13th in the SAP University St.Leon-Rot. About 120 participants listened to a set of 8 presentations embedded in a lot of fruitful discussion.

    The supporting program was made of 3 SAP presentations that covered MaxDB's position in the SAP portfolio, services around database operation and migration and MaxDB's technology today and in the future. The focus of the event were 5 customer presentations from users of MaxDB. They have been using MaxDB either on the long term or have migrated to MaxDB recently. The presentations showed their landscapes, how they are maintained, how MaxDB is integrated, how - if it was the case - they migrated to MaxDB and what benefits they stated. The customers run at least a landscape with multiple MaxDB installations within up to system providing/outsourcing with more than 100 MaxDB systems.

    The event had a very positve mood and plaudit for the cooperation between the customer, SAP and the MaxDB support staff, but beside this, the speakers and participants also placed their criticism to certain topics - in presentations as well as in discussion. This feedback will help ourMaxDB team to take care of these issues with the accurate priority.

    If you are interested in looking to the presentations you can access them in the German SAP community in the 'Rückblick & Präsentationen' section (see URL). As this first MaxDB Infoday had Germany, Austria and Switzerland as target, it was held in German Language.

    MaxDB Migration Safeguarding

    SAP SI has started to offer a new service to keep you on track with your new system. And even if the service is mainly bound to migration, the approach can also be used to extend standard performance analysis on MaxDB systems. It has been created as an increasing number of customers is using MaxDB either for their new installations or migrate their SAP database towards MaxDB.

    You will receive a service tailored to your needs with additional value compared to the standard migration services, e.g. quick response to system problems by the migration consultant, systematic problem analysis and knowledge transfer to your database administrators. With a well-planned monitoring strategy you may find potential bottlenecks before they endanger your business process. Your employees will be enabled to deal with system problems adequately and thus you will gain a better system acceptance by your users by avoiding performance problems of the new configuration.

    The package contains the following services (3 days):
    - Performance support for the database migration for one week from productive start
    - Analysis of DB problems, e.g. in DB parameters, SQL performance and hardware bottlenecks
    - Setup of a database monitoring strategy according to your needs
    - Workshop „Database Monitoring“ according to your requirements
    - Service report for the DB Performance after one week
    - Contact to the SAP/MaxDB Back office in case of problems

    Additional Services (optional):
    - Additional Remote Monitoring after one week
    - Daily reporting to the Management during the service (if required)
    - System Monitoring Setup in RZ20 / Solution manager

     

    For more information please contact

    Mr. Henry Flack
    Phone: + 49 351 / 4811 3010
    mailto: henry.flack@sap.com or managed.services@sap.com

     

    Additional MaxDB Education:
    ADM515 MaxDB Administration Training
    UMEW60 MaxDB Empowering Workshop
    WB550 MaxDB Internals
    TEWA60 liveCache Monitoring

    MaxDB has a long history, not only in development but also in the support of 64-bit platforms.

    Contrary to some recent internet articles that suggested MaxDB is starting with 64-bit with MaxDB 7.6, the database structures were first adopted to 64-bit requirements in early 1996 to support the DEC OSF/1 platform. This was ADABAS D Version 6.1.15, at that time still owned by Software AG but already working with SAP R/3.

    Subsequently, MaxDB development began to support the major upcoming 64-bit architectures along with their market perception. Since 1997/1998 IBM AIX, HP UX, Sun Solaris, and FSC Reliant were supported, starting with SAP DB 6.2.10...

    With SAP DB 7.4.02 the next platform joined the club: Windows (NT) on the IA64 Itanium architecture. This was in 2001. Together with the impressive spread of Linux, Linux on IA64 was supported in 2002 with SAP DB 7.4.03. Within the same release, the first efforts were made for porting to HP-UX/IA64 and the first pilot just rececently received his liveCache for this platform...

    MaxDB 7.5, now renamed as part of the MySQL/SAP cooperation, has the most actual ports: Linux on PowerPC (IBM) and Linux on AMD Opteron, both 64-bit. At the end of the current list are MaxDB on Windows/Opteron (AMD) and Windows/Nocona (Intel), which will become available with MaxDB 7.6 scheduled for late 2004.

    The hybrid companion of MaxDB, liveCache, in its early stages was bound to Windows 32-bit I386 architectures. But the market demands for performance in supply chain management soon led to the fact that only 64-bit architectures were capable of that load. Thus on Unix, liveCache supports only 64-bit architectures; along with version 7.4.02, Windows (NT) IA64 was shipped too...

    Next to come in the liveCache arena will be HP-UX/IA 64 with version 7.4.03 as the base for SCM 4.0, and version 7.5 as the base for SCM 4.1. Linux on 64-bit IBM PowerPC is expected later in version 7.5 for SCM 4.1.

    Summing up, this just shows that MaxDB development has always been aware of the 64-bit landscape and has been experienced with the challenges of these architectures for nearly 10 years.

    MaxDB/SAP DB and liveCache over the years have become integrated parts of the SAP solution landscape. So even if your main database unfortunately might not be SAP DB the database might be working as helper in the back e.g. in the SAP Solution Manager. With the sneak preview rollout of WebAS last month, that was based on SAP DB, we faced the situation that issues came up during installation or else and that the forum contributions could be found widespread across many forums

    To help you and us to proceed more effective with our answers we launched this new forum SAP MaxDB where you now have the chance to put in your questions and discussion topics directly - always when you think it's bound to SAP DB, MaxDB or liveCache. Be invited !

    Even if the MaxDB/liveCache SDN site deals more with the newer versions of MaxDB (the rebranded SAP DB) and liveCache we want to point to education offerings that are available for former SAP DB versions 7.3 and 7.4. These are really important as they are the basis for many of the current productive SAP installations.

    From May 10-14 we will offer the 'SAP DB Internals Workshop' WB550 in Walldorf. This class deals with the internal structures and processes inside SAP DB and investigates topics like detailed architecture, logging, locking, parameters, error diagnosis and much more. The target group is IT administrators of SAP solution landscapes with SAP DB. SAP DB experience is required. Language is German.

    For the first time, a new empowering Workshop, UMEW60, will be offered in the new SAP Office in Berlin. The dates planned are July 12-14th and October 18-20th. This workshop focuses on SAP DB 7.3 as the base for SAP 4.6C solutions excluding Business Warehouse topics. During this course the attendees will work on their own 'home' systems, will get hints and can apply their new knowledge immediately. Language is German, course materials are English. Database knowledge is required.

    Working on customer site systems also is offered within the liveCache workshop TEWA60 that has been held several times. It deals with performance monitoring and tuning of liveCache within SCM APO.

    The final SAP offering is a basis administration course for SAP DB in SAP enviroments - ADM515. You can look at all these course contents and schedule via http://service.sap.com/education. Use the course ID for the search in the online training catalog.

    Besides all this stuff for SAP DB as a part of SAP solutions, MySQL AB announces MaxDB courses on their Webpages:
    http://www.mysql.com/training/courses/maxdb_administration.html
    http://www.mysql.com/training/courses/using_and_developing_maxdb.html
    These courses deal with the standalone usage of MaxDB 7.5 beyond SAP landscapes and, like the SAP courses, cover the maintenance and use of the database.

    You're invited!

    Hot Standby for MaxDB/SAP liveCache is a high availability scenario, that offers a very fast automatic switch to a standby database instance in case of severe (hardware) errors on the master instance. There will be no loss of data and the switch to an online standby instance will take much less time than traditional cluster approaches. Just some days ago a test on a two 12 CPU node configuration ran successfully for a whole weekend. With full workload the configuration did more than 520 switches between the nodes.

    Hot Standby configurations consist of two or more servers bundled in a hardware cluster. The cluster has to provide the mechanism to change roles between master and standby component (IP switching etc.) and furthermore continiously has to monitor the components. Additionally the storage system must be configurable as follows: Master and standby instance(s) must access a shared log area, whereas the master has read/write privilege and the standby has only read privilege. The data volumes of the instances are not shared and must be seperate for each instance. The storage system must provide fast binary copy services (e.g. BCV or Snapshot) and to avoid any blocking the master component should be able to continue writing to the data volumes during copy.   With such copy algorithm the data volumes of the standby instance(s) are set up to the current state of the master instance. All standby components in a hot standby system are synchronised continiously by redoing all log information that is written by the master instance. The standby instance always gets the information from the master instance up to which position the log has to be redone. According to the individual purpose of your hot standby system a delay value can be set to define the time gap between master and standby instances. This for instance can be some hours for development systems to reset user errors or close to zero for production systems to restart within second in case of hardware failure.

    In case the master instance fails, the cluster software assigns a standby instance to be the new master. This new master takes over the write privilege for the log volume redoes the remaining log entries and restarts to online mode. Master and standby instances use exactly the same parameter settings. Changes of parameters will always apply to the master instance and will be propagated to the standby instances.

    But hot standby is no insurance against user or application errors or inconsistencies. Thus log and data backups are of the same importance as in a standard configuration.

    Hot Standby will be offered in 2004 in course of the MaxDB and SAP liveCache version 7.5. SAP liveCache 7.5 will address SCM 4.1 and MaxDB 7.5 will first become visible with Netweaver '04 (6.40).

    Currently EMC Symetrix, IBM Shark and IBM ESS support this technology.

    Recently the Security Advisor from@stake reported that the SAP DB (now mySQL MaxDB) software package offers some opportunities for misuse especially through its Web server. This blog adresses this report and points to the database versions that solve the problem. 

    We have addressed and solved all the known issues and have shipped them already or will ship them soon with the versions specified below.

    Be aware that with sensible handling these vulnerabilites can be considered non-critical for systems operated in a SAP-integrated system. Typically SAP Systems are insulated against outside access with firewalls. NI access can only occur point-to-point if the transmitted identifier is known. The NI connection must be explicitly enabled over the SAP Service System (OSS) by the customer and is disabled after the service contact. SAP Support must have installed additional software to enable the connection to be used. Clients other than SAP Support should all be inside the firewall.

    You can start the x_server without the niserver (x_server -Y). However, since SAP DB Service connections are then impossible to make in cases where you require support, the x_server would have to be stopped to allow SAP Support to access it and would then have to be restarted with no option. You should consider this point.

    The following versions will solve this problem:

           
    • 7.3.00.46
      •        
    • 7.4.02.24 (not yet available)
      •      
    • 7.4.03.30
      •      
    • 7.5.00.08 (available Dec '03)

    The gaps in the Web server are cleaned up as of 7.4.03.30 and all 7.5. You do not need a running SAP DB Web server to operate SAP Systems. However, if you still want to use the Web server to operate Web tools, for example, there will be no problem if it runs on any computer except the database server.

    As an alternative to the in-house Web server, you can also temporarily use Apache, which is secure at this point.

    The following versions fill the other gaps:      

    • 7.3.00.30
      •      
    • 7.4.02.16
      •      
    • 7.4.03.10
      •      
    • 7.5 (all versions)

    Filter Blog

    By date: