3.2    Installation

Now, we’re ready to start the installation. This process will take approximately four to six hours to complete, depending on how much processing power is available. Before starting the installation, be sure to perform a database backup of SAP HANA. To begin, follow these steps:

  1. Launch SWPM and change the directory to the SWPM directory.
  2. Execute sapinst to launch the installation (see Figure 3.2).
    SWPM Launch

    Figure 3.2    SWPM Launch

  3. Once SWPM is open, navigate to SAP BW/4HANA • SAP BW/4HANA Server • SAP HANA Database • Preparations and double-click Prerequisites Check (see Figure 3.3).
    Prerequisites Check

    Figure 3.3    Prerequisites Check

  4. Verify that the installation package includes all of the required media to complete the installation.
  5. Once the check is completed successfully, close SWPM, then relaunch it. Follow the same path as before, select SAP Systems • Application Server ABAP • Standard System, and double-click Standard System.
  6. On the next screen, select your Parameter Mode. There are two choices: Typical and Custom. Typical mode will only require responses to a limited number of prompts; all other options are set to their defaults. On the Parameter Summary screen, you can review and change any defaults that have been applied in the background. Custom mode will require input for all parameters, though they can also be changed again on the Parameter Summary screen. In order to fully explain each parameter, we’ll use the custom mode for our example.
  7. Enter your SAP System ID (SAPSID) and either accept the default SAP Mount Directory or define another location. Choose the SAPSID carefully; the renaming process is complicated and requires reinstallation of the system. When choosing an SAPSID, remember that no two systems can have the same SAPSID. We’ve found that the best practice for choosing an SAPSID is to make it reflect what the system is used for in a logical manner. For example, for your SAP BW systems, the first letter should be B; for production, quality assurance, and development, use BxP, BxQ, and BxD, respectively. This adds a layer of meaning to prevent users from mistakenly working in production when they should be in development.
    In the next box, accept the default location or change it to a location of your choosing. We recommended you keep the default location; it should only be changed if recommended by an SAP Note or by SAP directly (see     Figure 3.4).
    SAPSID Creation

    Figure 3.4    SAPSID Creation

  8. Now that you’ve chosen an SAPSID, you need to set up your system domain name. SWPM will ask if you want to set a Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN); check the box to do so, or leave it unchecked if you don’t want to set an FQDN. If you decide to set an FQDN, you must enter your network’s domain name. We recommend setting an FQDN; doing so will allow administrators to change internet protocol (IP) addresses. Also, if you want to use HTTP-based frameworks such as Web Dynpro applications, you’ll need to set an FQDN.
  9. Once you’ve set up your FQDN, you’re asked to set a master password for your system. Doing so will set the password for all users that are created during the installation, such as <sid>adm and database users. If such a user already exists in the system, you’ll be prompted to confirm the password for the user. You’ll have the opportunity to set individual passwords on the Parameter Summary screen, but remember that if you decide to do so, the master password doesn’t overwrite the individual settings.
  10. The next screen gives the options for the SAP system administrator, <sid>adm. This screen doesn’t appear in typical mode. Here, you have the option of entering a password other than the master password. By default, the master password is already entered. If the user already exists in the system, enter the existing password. You may also set the user ID, group ID, login shell, and the location of the home directory. If you don’t want to change the password from the master password or change any of the other settings, you can leave them as is and accept the default settings (see Figure 3.5).
    SAP System Administrator Setup

    Figure 3.5    SAP System Administrator Setup

  11. After verifying the SAP system administrator, you’ll enter the information for the SAP HANA database. This will allow SWPM to create a schema for SAP BW/4HANA and to create the necessary users. Here, you must input the SAPSID of the database, the host, the instance number, and the password of the system administrator. If you want to install the system with a new database instance, you’ll need to enter the database SID for the instance to be created. As before, be careful when choosing the new database SID; it can’t be changed easily. If you’re using a multitenant database container, you must use the database parameters and password for that tenant database and not for the system database.
  12. On the next screen, you’ll select either the media CD location, the directory downloaded from the maintenance planner, or the individual package locations within the manually downloaded kernel. For the CD, click Add and then browse to the location. Repeat for each CD. For the directory downloaded from maintenance planner, under Download Basket click the Browse button and navigate to the location of the directory. This will automatically populate the individual package locations. To choose the individual package locations from the kernel directory manually, select SAPEXE.SAR, SAPHOSTAGENT.SAR, IGSEXE.SAR, and IGSHELPER.SAR from the DBINDEP directory within the kernel, and select SAPEXEDB.SAR from the HDB directory within the kernel (see Figure 3.6).
    Media Selection

    Figure 3.6    Media Selection

  13. On the next screen, choose the client path strategy between the local client directory and central client directory. This will be based on your individual implementation; make the decision based upon the needs and availability of your infrastructure.
  14. On the next screen, identify the location of the SAP HANA database client. Click Browse and select the client that matches the operating system and hardware you’re installing on.
  15. Now, you’ll be prompted to review the DBACOCKPIT schema creation information. You can choose to keep the master password or set a unique one.
  16. On the next screen, review the user for SAP BW/4HANA. Here, you can change the name of the schema. We recommend that you change it to a logical name; otherwise each ABAP system you install on the same database will be as follows: SAPABAP1, SAPABAP2, and so on. If you’re reinstalling, you can choose to delete the existing schema and use the same name.
  17. As shown in Figure 3.7, the next screen lets you select which import parameters should be kept after the import has finished. Select the Keep after Import checkbox for each parameter to be kept after the import has finished. You can change the parameters to optimize the import, but the exact parameters to set depend on your individual situation. Therefore, it’s best to leave the default settings for most scenarios.
    SAP HANA Import Parameters

    Figure 3.7    SAP HANA Import Parameters

  18. On the next screen, choose to enable or disable decluster/depool ABAP tables. Make the decision that works best for your situation. See SAP Note 189235 for more information.
  19. Next, indicate how many parallel jobs for exporting and importing data you’d like to run at the same time. SAP recommends using a maximum of two to three parallel jobs per CPU core. The higher the number you can use, the faster the installation process will be.
  20. Now, enter the primary application server (PAS) instance number and host, as well as the ABAP central services (ASCS) instance and host. You can choose any two-digit number for either the PAS or ASCS. You mustn’t use the same instance number more than once for any system on the installation host. If you’re completing a high-availability system installation, use a virtual host name for the ASCS instance.
  21. On the next screen, verify or change the ABAP message server ports. In most cases, you’ll only verify the port; the default is 3600 plus the instance number. The only time this would change is if the port is already in use by another application.
  22. After you’ve reviewed or changed the message server ports, the next screen will allow you to set a password for the internet communication manager (ICM) user management. The webadm user will be created to use the web administration interface for the ICM and web dispatcher. If you don’t want to change the password from the master password, continue on to the next screen.
  23. You’re now prompted to either register the new system with the system landscape directory (SLD) or choose not to do so. We recommend registering the system; it will save time later on. Once completed, the data supplier is enabled to send OS information to the SLD.
  24. Next, you can create a message server access control list (ACL), which defines the hosts that the message server will accept requests from. This should only be done if you won’t be installing any additional instances on the host. When created, ACL will overwrite previous settings and inhibit any other instances to be created. This decision can be reversed later if there’s a need for additional instances; simply delete the file manually and recreate it during the installation of the new instance.
  25. Now, choose whether to encrypt confidential data by selecting an individual key or to use obfuscation by selecting a default key. The key is used to encrypt the secure storage in the database. SAP recommends that all production systems use encryption via an individual key. If you decide to use an individual key, when you click Next, a screen will open to show the key information (see Figure 3.8). As per the Caution note shown, imperative that a copy of this information be kept in a secure location in the event of a disaster. The information will be needed for recovery if such an event occurs.
    Individual Key Information

    Figure 3.8    Individual Key Information

  26. The next selection screen allows you to accept the automatic unpacking of the system archives.
  27. You’ve now completed the initial configuration of the installation. The next screen shows the Parameter Summary. It’s very important that you go through each parameter to verify that it’s correct. Once you start the installation process, the only way to change any of the parameters is to start all over again. As you can see in Figure 3.9, to make a revision, click the checkbox next to each parameter that you need to change, then click Revise. SWPM will then take you back to the selection screen for each parameter you want to change.
    Parameter Summary Screen

    Figure 3.9    Parameter Summary Screen

  28. Once you click Next, the installation will begin immediately. The slowest part of the installation will be the import ABAP phase, in which information is created and sent to the database. Figure 3.10 shows the complete list of all twenty-five phases of the installation.

If an error should arise, it’s best to go to the location where the log file exists and read it directly, rather than use the SWPM log reader. Once you’ve corrected the error, click Retry and the process will pick up where it left off. If for any reason the host crashes or any other event happens, restart SWPM and follow the same steps as before. When it asks if you would like to continue with a new option or continue with the previous setup, select New Option. We’ve had mixed results when choosing Continue.

Installation Screen

Figure 3.10    Installation Screen

Now that your installation is complete, SAP BW/4HANA will be started and ready for the postinstallation steps.