How to Ensure a Successful SAP B1 9.0 HANA Install; the Technical Bits

Blue Ocean Systems June 14, 2013

Update: Please refer to this post on a successful installation for SAP Business One version 9.2 for HANA!

PS: This post has been updated with relevant new content on 12 April 2014. The original post was published on 14 June 2013.

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We have published several posts recently about the business benefits of SAP HANA; in this post we take a deep dive into some of the technical requirements to ensure your organization can benefit from this business-changing system. Definitely one for the techies amongst you!

We’ll break down each of the areas you need to consider including host machine pre-requisites and recommendations, an installation checklist, Crystal Reports considerations and server tools.

 

Pre-requisites for a Successful Business One HANA installation PL9 to PL10

To perform a correct and complete installation, we recommend the following steps:

1. If you want to design your own Crystal Reports layouts and reports, install SAP Crystal Reports, version for the SAP Business One application.

2. Install the SAP Business One, version for SAP HANA server tools on the SAP HANA server.

3. Install the SAP Business One, version for SAP HANA server.

4. Install the SBO DI Server and Workflow on a Windows computer.

5. Install SAP Business One analytics powered by SAP HANA.

6. Install the SAP Business One, version for SAP HANA client application on workstations.

7. Install optional client components (SDK, DTW, add-ons).

8. Install the integration components for SAP Business One, version for SAP HANA

 

User Privileges; important points

  • Server Installation is done on Linux where User Privilege needs to be set as Root
  • Installation of DI Server and Workflow, Client Installation and Workflow are done on Windows where Administrator user privilege is required

 

Crystal Reports on Windows

  • If you already have SAP Crystal Reports 2011 installed on your computer, first uninstall the software and then follow the installation procedures.
  • Make sure you have not already installed the SAP Crystal Reports viewer (for example, this may be installed automatically when you install the SAP Business One 9.0, version for SAP HANA client)

 

Required Components and Libraries on Linux Server

The following Components and Libraries are to be ensured in installing for Linux Server

  • 32-bit and 64-bit versions of SAP HANA database client for Linux
  • samba 3.6.3-0.18.3 or higher
  • 32-bit OpenSSL library libopenssl 0.9.8j-0.26.1 or higher
  • Application function libraries (AFLs) : (The AFLs must be the same version as the SAP HANA server.)
  • 32-bit GNU Crypto Library libgcrypt11 1.5.0-0.13.14 or higher
  • 32-bit libgpg-error0 1.10-0.7.29 or higher
  • 32-bit glibc 2.11.3-17.31.1 or higher
  • 32-bit libidn 1.10-3.18 or higher
  • 32-bit GNU Compiler Collection libgcc46 4.6.1_20110701-0.13.9 or higher
  • 32-bit libldap 2.4.26-0.12.1 or higher
  • 32-bit standard C++ shared library libstdc++46 4.6.1_20110701-0.13.9 or higher
  • 32-bit URL transfer library libcurl4 7.19.7-1.18.1 or higher
  • 32-bit Kerboros krb5 1.6.3-133.48.48.1 or higher
  • 32-bit libcom_err2 1.41.9-2.7.1 or higher
  • 32-bit keyutils-libs 1.2-107.22 or higher
  • 32-bit zlib 1.2.3-106.34 or higher
  • 32-bit cyrus-sasl 2.1.22-182.20.1 or higher
  • 32-bit AIO library libaio 0.3.109-0.1.46 or higher
  • 32-bit xorg-x11-libXext 7.4-1.18.1 or higher
  • 32-bit xorg-x11-libXrender 7.4-1.16.1 or higher
  • 32-bit xorg-x11-libs 7.4-8.26.36.1 or higher
  • 32-bit PAM 1.1.5-0.10.17 or higher

Note: You can install the AFLs only after installing the SAP HANA server. However, if you need to upgrade the SAP HANA server later, you must upgrade the AFLs first.

To check the above library:

  • Start YaST.
  • Go to software management. Select the checkbox and choose Accept to install the library.

 

HDB SAP HANA database

  • When installing a newly certified HANA appliance with a recommended HANA revision, the installation might not succeed due to failed hardware checks or because it was not yet included in the corresponding release date.

  • You may need to replace the file ‘HanaHwCheck.py’ in the ‘server\linuxx86_64\SAP_HANA_DATABASE\server’ with the SAP SMP download with the correct version.

  • The default port is 30015, where 00 represents the SAP HANA database instance.

Note: By default the SAP HANA database is not configured to start automatically when SAP HANA host is rebooted.

You may follow the below steps to auto configure it.

  • Log on to SAP HANA host as a user with root authorization.
  • Change directory to system profile directory is /usr/sap/<SAPSID>/SYS/profile
  • Edit <SAPSID>_HDB<InstanceNo>_<host_name>profile
  • Change the parameter setting Autostart=0 to Autostart =1
  • Save the <SAPSID>_HDB<Instance_No>_<host_name> profile

 

Host Machine Prerequisites

  • For security reasons, SAP recommends that you change the SYSTEM logon password right after installing the SAP HANA database server.
  • Alternatively, as a safer option, create another database user account as a substitute for the SYSTEM user
  • Do not run Tomcat web applications on the host machine

 

Server Components on the SAP HANA Server Machine on Linux


Server Tools:

  • If a firewall is active on the Server Tools server, ensure that the firewall is not blocking the port number you use for the services.
  • In addition, if you are using port X, make sure that you open both port X and port (X+1) in the firewall. For example, if you are using port 10000, make sure to also open port 10001.
  • After installation, restart the Server Tools.
  • If you want to use the single sign-on function for SAP Business One, version for SAP HANA, you must specify a domain user and password in this installation step.
  • The installation requires a graphical environment. (download Xming X Server for Windows for graphical environment)
  • You can install SAP Business One server tools together with SAP Business One. However, if you want to install them separately, you must install the server tools first. The System Landscape Directory is a precondition for all other server and client components.

SAP Business One, version for SAP HANA server tools, includes the following components or services installed on the HANA database server machine:

License Service:

  • Works with the server tools to maintain user sessions and purchased licenses.
  • Web access to the license service enables you to:
  • Find and copy the hardware key to run your SAP Business One, version for SAP HANA application and apply for SAP licenses.
  • Import the license file
  • View the basic license information


System landscape directory (SLD) service:

  • Allows you to manage the entire SAP Business One landscape.
  • You must install the SLD on the same machine on which the license server is installed.

 

installation-14-june-edited

SLD System Landscape Directory (SLD)


Installing the SAP Business One Server:

  • Ensure that you have installed the license manager and the System Landscape Directory (SLD)
  • This server includes the database server with the SBO-COMMON database and company databases, as well as a server shared folder.

Note : After successful installation of server tools verify autostart of sapb1servertools.

  • Confirm that sapb1servertools service is inside /etc/rc.d
  • Check the url : https://hostname:40000/sld/sld.svc

If sapb1servertools is started successfully, the following xml file should be created:

<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”utf-8″ ?>

– <service xmlns=”http://www.w3.org/2007/app” xml:base=”https://hostname:40000/sld/sld.svc/” xmlns:atom=”http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom” xmlns:app=”http://www.w3.org/2007/app“>

>– <workspace>

<atom:title>Default</atom:title>

– <collection href=”Tasks“>

<atom:title>Tasks</atom:title>

</collection>

– <collection href=”Users“>

<atom:title>Users</atom:title>

</collection>

:

:

:

– <collection href=”AnalyticsServices“>

<atom:title>AnalyticsServices</atom:title>

</collection>

– <collection href=”XAppServices“>

<atom:title>XAppServices</atom:title>

</collection>

– <collection href=”ServiceUnits“>

<atom:title>ServiceUnits</atom:title>

</collection>

</workspace>

</service>

Note: If the xml file is not created, take the following steps:

  • Login to host using <SIDadm> privilege
  • Change directory to /etc/init.d
  • Run ./sapb1servertools restart


Installing SAP Business One analytics powered by SAP HANA

  • You must install SAP Business One analytics powered by SAP HANA on the same machine where SAP HANA was installed
  • Ensure that you do not move or delete the JRE directory after installing SAP Business One analytics powered by SAP HANA


Database Client

  • To use extreme apps, you must also install the 64-bit version of the SAP HANA database client.
  • For more information, review the documents, SAP HANA Database – Client Installation and Update and the SAP Update Guide.

 

Performing Client Installations

HANA client agent:

  • As part of the client installation, SAP Business One version for SAP HANA client agent is installed by default.
  • SAP HANA Clients are provided for various operating systems, delivering the required database clients to connect to SAP HANA via JDBC, ODBC, ODBO.
  • The installation path must be the default path …/usr/sap


HANA Studio

  • A client tool, which can be used to access local or remote SAP HANA databases
  • Ensure Java JRE 1.6 or 1.7 is installed to run the SAP HANA studio


Software Development Kit (SDK)

Ensure that the following are installed:

  • SAP HANA database client
  • Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0. (if not installed yet, it needs to be done during the client installation)
  • For Excel interactive analysis, ensure that you have installed Microsoft Office Excel 2007 or later
  • Crystal Reports is installed allowing you to use the SAP Business One, version for SAP HANA data source on the client computer


Integration Framework

  • Make sure you have installed the corresponding 32-bit version of SAP Business One DI API.
  • Even if you have installed a 64-bit SAP Business One, version for SAP HANA client, you must install the 32-bit SAP Business One DI API separately to enable the integration framework.
  • Ensure you have not yet configured a default Tomcat installation on your machine; otherwise, you cannot proceed with the installation.


The integration framework consists of the following components:

  • SAP Business One integration framework server
  • SAP Business One integration Event Sender
  • SAP Business One integration DI-Proxy


Installing the DI Server and Workflow on a Windows Machine

If you want to use the DI Server or Workflow function, you must install the server tools (Windows) on a Windows server. Installation of the Windows version of the server tools includes the following components:

  • DI Server
  • Workflow

Make sure you have installed the server tools (Linux) on the SAP HANA server.


SAP Add-Ons:

  • Registers the SAP add-ons on the server computer
  • Extreme Apps; after installation is complete the XS engine switches to embedded mode. We highly recommend that you keep the XS engine in embedded mode to enhance the overall performance of Extreme Apps.
  • In addition, you should reserve port 80xx for Extreme Apps (where xx represents the SAP HANA instance number).
  • For example, if you installed the server tools on SAP HANA instance 01, you should ensure port 4301 is not being used by other applications.

 

Performing Upgrade Activities

 

b1h-upgrade B1H Upgrade

Upgrade Path to SAP Business One 9.0, version for SAP HANA PL09

Upgrade Steps:

  • Upgrade your databases to any patch level of SAP Business One 9.0 (SQL) that can be migrated to the required patch level of SAP Business One 9.0, version for SAP HANA.
  • Migrate the databases from the Microsoft SQL Server database to the SAP HANA database.

  • You have upgraded your SAP Business One company databases to 9.0 PL08.
  • You have done the following on the Windows machine on which you want to run the migration tool:
  • Installed Java 7 (64-bit)
  • Configured the environment variable JAVA_HOME, pointing to the location of the JVM (Java Virtual Machine)
  • Appended the directory $JAVA_HOME/bin to the system variable PATH
  • The memory of the machine on which you want to run the migration tool is no less than 2 GB.

  • Uninstall all the old server and client components.
  • Install the following components of SAP Business One 9.0, version for SAP HANA (PL04): 4.

  • (Linux) Server tools and SAP Business One server
  • (Windows) SAP Business One clients
  • Other components

  • Upgrade server tools to PL09.
  • Upgrade your SAP Business One server and databases using the SAP Business One upgrade wizard, version 6.for SAP HANA to PL09.
  • Install SAP Business One analytics powered by SAP HANA.
  • After the installation, you must initialise your company databases in the Administration Console to be able to use the analytical features.
  • Install the SAP Business One client, version for SAP HANA on each workstation.

You can obtain the client installation program from the shared folder B1_SHF on the Linux server

The Blue Ocean Systems team of SAP Business One and HANA experts work with clients to ensure your installation of SAP and HANA is smooth and efficient and enables a quick transition for you and your team. Contact us today for a demo using your own (non SAP) data to see the incredible technological advances possible with HANA!

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