SAP on Linux Suse -vs- Oracle Linux -vs- Linux Red Hat

[Former Member]

Hello there,

We are planning on replatforming our ECC and BW SAP environments based on some version of Linux.  We are running Oracle on the backend.

I am curious if anyone out there would know why we might use Linux Suse over Oracle Linux and vice-versa.  Is there a technical argument to be made for using Linux Red Hat above all else?

Are the technical advantages for one over the other?  Are more SAP shops using one more than the other?

Any help here would be greatly appreciated

[Former Member]

Dear Michael,

I would suggest you to consider SLES. due to ,

Since 14 years, SUSE architects and engineers collaborate and co-innovate with SAP Linux Lab for customers.

1999	First Linux certified for SAP software
2006	First operating system certified for SAP Adaptive Computing Controller (ACC) Selected operating system for use with SAP BWA SAP's Linux/UNIX software development platform
2007	First virtualization (Xen) validated for SAP First joint seamless and integrated Linux support through SAP Solution Manager
2008	Co-development of SUSE Installation Wizard for faster deployment of SAP and SUSE software Selected operating system for use with SAP Business ByDesign SAP Pinnacle Award 2008 Winner
2009	Selected operating system for use with SAP HANA SAP Pinnacle Award 2009 Finalist
2010	Four validated high availability best practices for SAP environment First Linux supported on Amazon Web Services
2011	Availability of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications, the most optimized operating system for SAP workload with built-in high availability, faster deployment, page cache management, enterprise support services.
2012	Distribution of  ClamSAP (anti-virus connector to ClamAV) with SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications First Linux distributor to certify High Availability solution for integration with SAP NetWeaver
2013	SUSE ads new channel program for SAP Business One HANA

In summary, SUSE Linux Enterprise is:

• The leading platform for SAP solutions on Linux
• Selected by thousands of SAP customers
• The only Enterprise Linux optimized for SAP solutions
• SAP's development platform for UNIX and Linux
• The recommended and supported OS for SAP HANA

Kind rgds,

Ashwin Mane

[joe_ledesma]

Another aspect to consider is that Suse for example has the special SLES for SAP Applications distribution, designed to aid deployment.

Newer HANA appliances also uses SLES for SAP rather than just SLES.

[joe_ledesma]

One potential issue is official hardware interoperability if you are planning to use FC storage such as for the database servers (rather than dNFS for example).

In these, Red Hat will typically have the most support followed by Suse and Oracle Linux.

I’m referring to the aspect of FC where the storage array vendor will have a simple list of supported attached operating systems--this will probably include at least Red Hat and Suse nowadays--and then a more detailed matrix listing operating system, attached server vendor, model and FC adapter model, etc. and then the server hardware vendor will also have a list of supported storage arrays and then a more detailed matrix for the same things OS, server, HBA. Getting your combination to appear in both the storage and server vendors matrix may be most likely with Red Hat, followed by Suse and Oracle Linux.

[joe_ledesma]

Also interested in this topic, also with Oracle database.

(You may want to edit the subject line of the thread after the fact if possible to add “with Oracle database” or similar since I see someone replied who uses DB6 for which there are only two Linux choices.)

[Former Member]

If you will check PAM supported versions for Linux are only SuSe and RHEL.

Regards

Amit Padmawar

[Former Member]

Oracle Linux is also supported.  Any other ideas?

Thanks

[Former Member]

i think it depends on how one looks at it. we have db6 as a database so oracle linux is not an option. I am sure you can find benchmarks specific to each o.s

Check out this sap note which has information regarding all the linux distributions supported by SAP.

Note 171356 - SAP software on Linux: Essential information

Regards

Amit Padmawar

[Former Member]

Checkout this document too http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-8760 

It has a good collection of SAP notes.

Regards

Amit Padmawar

[martin_E]

1) That note isn't strictly accurate; for example, it doesn't mention that SUSE Linux is the only supported OS for running SAP on Amazon instances

2) There is little practical difference between Novell SUSE and OpenSUSE (and RedHat and CentOS have similar relationship to each other), except that Novell and RedHat will provide vendor support for the OS if you pay for it.  If you are going Linux so you don't have to pay for vendor support, it's worth looking at OpenSUSE (fully open source / GPL compliant version of Novell SUSE) or CentOS (a fully open source / GPL compliant RedHat)

3) SUSE may be good to standardize on, for when your company goes HANA ?

hth

[joe_ledesma]

Good point regarding HANA.

I read the materials from a HANA hands-on class from a previous TechEd on administering the HANA appliance and the task to update the HANA database software version involved being in the shell and running commands so you would be administering SAP on Linux in addition to administering the SLES itself. (The 'appliance' label given to HANA applies apparently more to the pre-configuration aspect not as much to the ongoing operation.)