AWS Launch Wizard for SAP: A Step by Step Illustration

[HongzhuQiao]

AWS Launch Wizard is a service from AWS that helps accelerate the SAP implementation cycle by easy & quick deployment of SAP applications and databases on AWS, in standard, distributed and high availability configuration with best practices built in.

In this blog we are going to walk you through, step by step on how to use AWS Launch Wizard for SAP for deployment in high availability setup.

Step 1 Go to AWS Console

Search and click Launch Wizard screen

Click SAP on Deployment Type

Then select Create Deployment on the right

AWS Launch Wizard Kick Off Screen

 

Step 2 Next on Review Permissions

On create deployment page, under permission, if the role already exists, Launch Wizard attempts to discover the IAM role in your account. If the role does not exist, Launch Wizard attempts to create the role with the same name, AmazonEC2RoleForLaunchWizard.

This IAM role required for the Amazon EC2 instances created by Launch Wizard to access other AWS services on your behalf.

 

Review Permissions

 

Step 3 Define infrastructure related info

In this step Launch Wizard is going to ask you to provide inputs for the underlying AWS resources, such as, VPC, subnets, security groups, availability zones etc... Which is required to deploy SAP system in AWS.

If these resources are created earlier, you may select those, otherwise Launch Wizard can create it as well.

If you are creating this configuration for the first time, select “create new configuration”. Launch Wizard can save this configuration.  You can apply the same configuration later for similar installation without entering all the details, for this select option “Apply saved configuration”

 

Define Infrastructure (Part 1)

Define Infrastructure (Part 2)

 

Step 4 Configure application settings

Next, you need to select the application type (whether SAP Netweaver : with application or SAP HANA:  database only) & define settings for the same, such as, Instance name, number & storage types.

Refer to– Storage types for SAP systems for more details.

Configure Application

 

Step 5 Configure deployment model

In this step, you will be selecting the deployment model for your SAP system. Launch Wizard supports three types of deployment models. Standard (or Single Instance), Distributed & High Availability.

Depending on the deployment model, Launch Wizard options will vary.

Carefully, go through options presented for ASCS, ERS, HANA database and PAS instances. Here, you will make selections for EC2 machines depending on the SAPS requirements.

For Operating systems, you can either bring your own image or you can select an OS image from AWS market place.

When specifying a custom IP address, verify that it is within the range of the subnet of the instance that you are deploying.

After going through all the selections, towards the end of this step, you will find an estimated cost for the EC2 machines & volumes (storage) selected for the deployment.

It allows you to modify your resources and instantly view the updated cost.

Configure Deploy Model : ASCS

 

Configure Deploy Model : ERS and DB

 

Configure Deploy Model : PAS

 

 

Configure Deploy Model : Instance Size

 

Step 6 Configure SAP application software

In this step you will be selecting which SAP application and version you are deploying.

Also, as a preparation to this step you will need to download SAP software and upload it to S3 bucket in the same region where the SAP system will be deployed.

Refer to section – Make SAP software available for Launch Wizard for more details.

To allow Launch Wizard to install AWS Backint agent for SAP HANA, select the option provided on the wizard.

AWS Backint agent runs on an SAP HANA database server, where backups and catalogs are transferred from the SAP HANA database to AWS Backint agent. Based on the configurations in your agent file, AWS Backint agent stores your files in Amazon S3 or AWS Backup.

Configure SAP Software

 

Configure Virtual IP (Overlay)

 

Step 7 Review

We can take a final scan of all configurations before deployment. It is possible to edit any section then review and deploy.

Review before Kickoff (Part 1)

 

Review Before Kickoff (Part 2)

Step 8  Deployment status checks

Now deployment starts.  We can check deployment status at Launch Wizard and a few other places.

You can view the deployment events for this application by selecting Deployments from the navigation pane. A failed event shows a status of Failed along with a failure message.

 

Check Deployment Status

 

Check Cloud Formation

You can navigate to CloudFormation template  by selecting the application that you are deploying – View/Manage resources – view CloudFormation template. Here you can see the  deployment status with high level information under “stack info” and under “Events” you will get more detailed information.

Check CloudFormation

 

Check CloudFormation Events

 

Check CloudFormation Resources

 

Step 9 High level post installation checks

It takes less than two hours to finish all SAP installations, HANA System Replication and two pacemaker HA clusters.

Launch Wizard Completion

 

Pacemaker HA Cluster for ASCS and ERS

 

Pacemaker HA Cluster for HANA DB

 

SAP Applications Versions Installed

 

Conclusions:

The SAP project implementation timelines are becoming shorter & shorter with the need of faster deployment of multiple SAP systems in customer landscape for projects, testing, training, system copies etc... AWS Launch Wizard for SAP in many ways automates the deployment of SAP systems-based on HANA database with minimal inputs. You can further automate the repeatable deployments using deployment artifacts created with Launch Wizard. The artifacts include AWS Service Catalog products and AWS CloudFormation templates. Refer to - Repeat SAP application deployments 

We went through step by step with screenshots of deploying and highly available SAP S/4HANA system on AWS using AWS Launch Wizard for SAP.

This blog was co-authored by Sachin Bhatt, Sr. Partner Solutions Architect, AWS.

 

Appendix: 

 

Troubleshooting Tips

If the deployment got stalled, or took longer than 2 hours, be sure to check /root/install/scripts/log/install.log for all instances.

It also helps to check /var/log/messages and CloudFormation events/resources for detailed error messages and traces.

Also refer to Troubleshooting section of Launch Wizard for SAP documentation.

 

Additional resources

How to deploy SAP S/4HANA with High Availability using AWS Launch Wizard |

Repeatable and Consistent SAP deployments using AWS Launch Wizard |

AWS Launch Wizard for SAP | 

How to scale, clone, and customize SAP deployments with AWS Launch Wizard | 

AWS Launch Wizard User Guide