Optimizing Packaged Applications

Understanding SAP Versions

Niel Robertson - CTO, Co-Founder Newmerix Corporation 1100 S. McCaslin Blvd, Suite 160 Superior, CO 80027 303-350-3900 www.newmerix.com or nielr@newmerix.com
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Keys to Understanding Versions

SAP versioning is a bit tricky bear with it a bit until you learn it It depends on which part of the stack you are asking about (application stack or technology stack) It has evolved as SAP has changed its overall architecture from 2 tier to 3 tier Many names are just marketing bundles of technology components

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Overview

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Main Concepts You Will Encounter R/3, R/3 Enterprise, mySAP ABAP BASIS WebAS ECC NetWeaver Read on for explanations..

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Application Editions
R/2 R/3
Terminal server architecture Greenscreen UI Introduced client server architecture Uses BASIS for technology stack Desktop client UI Replaced BASIS with WebAS (Web Application Server) Web Based UI Web based UI Changed WebAS to just AS

R/3 Enterprise

mySAP

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ABAP Proprietary programming language All of SAP was written in ABAP until about 3 years ago ABAP doesnt really have versions, it depends on the BASIS version being run

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BASIS
R/3
BASIS is the complete technology stack and application stack Runs ABAP programs (all application logic is contained in the BASIS server) BASIS acts as the application server using proprietary protocols to communicate to the desktop client All changes to SAP application made in BASIS BASIS was split into BASIS and WebAS (WebAS uses standard internet protocols to communicate with web browsers) BASIS version numbers aligned with WebAS versions BASIS conceptually used only for administration (migrations, performance monitoring) BASIS conceptually equal to WebAS

For R/3 Enterprise

For mySAP

Note: since the introduction of WebAS, BASIS versions are referred to either as both X.YZ and XYZ (e.g. 6.10 or 610, 7.0 or 700) where X.YZ is the WebAS version number

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WebAS
Application server that replaced BASIS Uses standard internet protocols so it can communicate with web browsers Hosts ABAP engine (runs ABAP applications) Version 6.20 had the first J2EE engine so you could write Java applications as well as ABAP

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ECC (ERP Core Components) Separates application logic from technology stack All the modules you would buy (e.g. Payroll) are thought of now as in ECC (before they were thought of as in BASIS)

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NetWeaver This is just a bundling of standard technology stack components that are released together
WebAS Enterprise Portal Business Intelligence Exchange Integraton

WebAS renamed AS going forward

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Try This View With What You Now Know

In the beginning BASIS was both the server AND the application

BASIS sort of sits in the middle to help administer applications now

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Release Matrix
Year UI Type
Terminal 1992 Desktop Desktop 1997 1998 2000 2001 2001 2003 Desktop Desktop Desktop Desktop Desktop Web Web 2005 Web

Application Edition
R/2 R/3 R/3 R/3 R/3 R/3 R/3 R/3 R/3 Enterprise R/3 Enterprise mySAP

Major
1.0 2.0, 2.1 3.0, 3.1 4.0 4.5 4.6 4.6D* 1.10 2.00 2004

Minor
3.1I 4.0B 4.5B 4.6B. 4.6C 4.6D (a.k.a. 4.7x110 (a.k.a. 4.7x200) -

BASIS

WebAS

ECC

NetWeaver

SolMan

1.0 2.0, 2.1 3.1I 4.0B 4.5B 4.6B, 4.6C 4.6D, 610 620 630 640 6.10 6.20 6.30 6.40 ECC 5.0 ECC 6.0 NetWeaver (2003) NetWeaver (2003) NetWeaver 04 NetWeaver 04S 2.1 2.2, 3.1, 3.2 4.0

2006 (June)

Web

mySAP

2005

700

7.0 (now called AS)

4.0

* SAP appears to support 4.6D on BASIS server and WebAS

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Solution Manager

Solution Manager appears to have been introduced with R/3 Enterprise Edition

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Some Screenshots of Different Versions

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R/2 Screenshot

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R/3 1.0 Screenshot

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R/3 2.0, 2.1 Screenshot

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R/3 3.0, 3.1 Screenshot

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R/3 4.0, 4.5 Screenshot

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R/3 Enterprise, mySAP Screenshot

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