SAP on the Mainframe

Having worked on a number of SAP projects in my time, I had become accustomed to the various issues in sizing a SAP infrastructure.  The mythical SAPS rating and how this translates to CPU and Core sizing, is from bitter experience a black art, where very few people I have come across can manipulate the various inputs and drive a definitive sizing.  You then have to factor in the non-functional requirements such as networking, development environments etc...

Then you need to factor in the whole data management back-end.  How do you plan to back up the data? How do you ensure HA and DR?  How do you size the IOPS requirement for the storage. Then as the SAP modules grow with changing business requirements how does the  underlying infrastructure keep pace...

In recent days I have come across another approach, namely zEnterprise, or more specifically a Mainframe (either a z196 or a z114) with an attached zBX chassis with a compliment of blades.  Whilst the the issues around SAP sizing remain, a significant number of the non-functional issues are massively simplified.

Take a look at Bathwick Group's independent assessment of the benefits of moving towards a consolidated hybrid platform for SAP, namely the mainframe...

http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/apilite?infotype=SA&infosubt=WH&lastdays=1825&hitlimit=200&ctvwcode=US&pubno=ZSW0*USEN,ZSL0*USEN&appname=STG_ZS_USEN_WH&additional=summary&contents=keeponlit