SAP HANA on Azure Virtual Machine Deployment and Configuration

If you're looking to deploy SAP HANA on Azure Virtual Machine, you'll want to start by creating a new virtual machine. This can be done through the Azure portal by selecting the "Virtual Machines" option from the menu.

To ensure the virtual machine meets the minimum requirements for SAP HANA, it's essential to select a VM size with at least 8 vCPUs and 32 GB of RAM. This will provide the necessary resources for the database to run smoothly.

The next step is to configure the storage for the virtual machine. SAP HANA requires a minimum of 1024 GB of storage, which can be achieved by selecting a disk size of at least 1024 GB during VM creation.

To set up SAP HANA on Azure, consider the basic setup considerations described in the SAP documentation.

You'll need to configure a connection to your SAP HANA account from the Connections tab. This involves clicking Add Connection, selecting SAP HANA as the source, and configuring the connection properties such as Server, Database, and Port.

The connection properties are crucial in specifying the address of your SAP HANA database to interact with. You'll also need to set the User and Password properties to authenticate to the server.

Here's a step-by-step guide to configuring the connection:

Remember to save your changes after configuring the connection.

Deploying SAP HANA systems on Azure VMs requires careful consideration of several basic setup factors.

First and foremost, you need to understand that SAP HANA systems on Azure VMs are a complex setup that demands attention to detail. The following sections describe basic setup considerations for deploying SAP HANA systems on Azure VMs.

You should consider the operations involved in deploying SAP HANA on Azure VMs, as they can be time-consuming and require expertise.

Here are some key operations to keep in mind:

By understanding these basic setup considerations, you can ensure a smooth deployment of SAP HANA systems on Azure VMs.

Before you start deploying your SAP HANA system, you need to prepare your virtual machine. This involves checking the supported scenarios, selecting the right Azure VM, and installing necessary extensions.

To ensure compatibility, you should check the SAP workload on Azure virtual machine supported scenarios. If your scenario isn't listed, it's not supported.

You'll need to find a suitable Azure VM that's certified for SAP HANA. Not all certified VMs are suitable, so make sure to check the SAP HANA hardware directory. Units starting with S are HANA Large Instances, not Azure VMs.

Different Azure VM types have different minimum operating system releases. Check the SAP HANA hardware directory for detailed data on each unit, including supported OS releases.

You should also consider the minimum kernel releases required for your operating system. These are documented in SAP support notes.

Here's a summary of the steps to follow:

Once you've completed these steps, you'll be ready to proceed with the installation of your SAP HANA system.

To configure a connection to SAP HANA, start by navigating to the Connections tab. From there, click Add Connection to begin the setup process.

You'll need to select SAP HANA as the source, and then configure the connection properties. This includes setting the Server, Database, and Port properties to specify the address of your SAP HANA database.

To authenticate to the server, set the User and Password properties. These credentials are essential for establishing a secure connection.

Once you've entered the required information, click Connect to ensure that the connection is configured properly. If everything is correct, you should see a successful connection.

Finally, click Save Changes to save your new connection. This will allow you to access your SAP HANA database in the future.

Choosing the right VM type for your SAP HANA deployment on Azure is crucial for optimal performance and cost-effectiveness.

SAP lists specific Azure VM types that are certified for production scenarios, which can be found in the SAP published Certified IaaS Platforms list.

For non-production scenarios, a wider variety of native Azure VM types is available, as listed in SAP note #1928533.

To use M208xx_v2 VMs, you need to be careful selecting your Linux image, and for more information, see Memory optimized virtual machine sizes.

In order to use M208xx_v2 VMs, you need to be careful selecting your Linux image, and for more information, see Memory optimized virtual machine sizes.

The recommended configurations for SAP HANA and DT 2.0 VM types are as follows:

These combinations of SAP HANA-certified M-series VMs with supported DT 2.0 VMs (M64-32ms and E32sv3) are possible.

Managing virtual machines is a crucial aspect of running SAP HANA on Azure. You're charged only for your computing minutes, so shutting down a VM that's running SAP HANA only incurs storage costs.

To ensure official support on Azure, you'll need to follow a set of mandatory requirements, which are outlined in the documentation for SAP HANA Dynamic Tiering 2.0. This includes installing an Azure VM extension that delivers monitoring data for the SAP Host Agent.

Some of the operations related to deploying SAP HANA systems on Azure VMs include backing up and restoring your deployment. You can find more information on how to do this in the SAP HANA backup overview, SAP HANA file-level backup, and SAP HANA storage snapshot benchmark documents.

Here are some key Azure-specific preparations for deploying SAP HANA:

Deploying SAP HANA systems on Azure VMs requires careful planning and execution.

You can back up your SAP HANA deployment using SAP HANA backup overview, which provides a comprehensive guide to the process.

For file-level backups, you can use SAP HANA file-level backup, which allows you to backup specific files and directories.

Storage snapshot benchmark is also available, which helps you evaluate the performance of your storage snapshot.

Here are some key operations related to deploying SAP HANA systems on Azure VMs:

By following these operations, you can ensure a smooth deployment and minimize downtime.

Accessing your virtual machines is a crucial part of virtual machine management.

There are two basic methods for connecting into Azure VMs: connecting through the internet and public endpoints on a Jump VM or on the VM that is running SAP HANA, or connecting through a VPN or Azure ExpressRoute.

Connecting through a VPN or ExpressRoute is necessary for production scenarios, as well as non-production scenarios that feed into production scenarios where SAP software is being used.

You can deploy a complete installed SAP HANA platform on the Azure VM services through the SAP Cloud platform, which is described in the article.

To ensure secure access, it's recommended to use a VPN or ExpressRoute for site-to-site connectivity.

Here are the two methods for connecting into Azure VMs:

VM Management is an essential aspect of Virtual Machine Management. You're charged only for your computing minutes, which means you're billed only for the storage costs when your VM is shut down.

This is a significant cost-saving feature, especially for large-scale deployments like SAP HANA. For example, when you shut down a VM that is running SAP HANA, you're billed only for the storage costs during that time.

If you need to restart a VM that has SAP HANA, the VM will restart with its prior IP addresses, thanks to the feature of specifying static IP addresses in your initial deployment.

To monitor your SAP Host Agent, you'll need to install an Azure VM extension. This extension delivers monitoring data for the SAP Host Agent, and you can find the details about the installation in SAP Note 2191498.

Some of the key metrics for monitoring SAP on Microsoft Azure are discussed in SAP Note 2178632. This information is crucial for ensuring the smooth operation of your SAP HANA systems on Azure VMs.

The following documents are essential for backing up and restoring your SAP HANA deployment:

Remote support for your virtual machines can be a lifesaver when you need help troubleshooting or resolving issues. You'll want to ensure that your SAProuter is properly configured for remote support.

If you have a site-to-site connection between your on-premises locations and Azure, and you're running SAP components, you're likely already running SAProuter. You'll need to maintain the private and static IP address of the VM that hosts SAP HANA in the SAProuter configuration.

To allow traffic through TCP/IP port 3299, you'll need to configure the NSG of the subnet that hosts the HANA VM. This will enable remote support connections.

If you're connecting to Azure through the internet and don't have an SAP router for the VM with SAP HANA, you'll need to install the SAProuter component. Install it in a separate VM in the Management subnet.

Here are the key steps to configure SAProuter for remote support:

Remember to use the IP address from SAP to configure your SAProuter instance, and make sure to allow traffic through TCP/IP port 3299.