Re: SAP on AS400? -- MIDRANGE-L

It definitely runs on the iSeries. I decommissioned an 830 that hadSAP running on it prior to being migrated to a pSeries/db2 combo.Another bunch of guys here run it in an AIX partition alongside sometraditional iSeries apps.

I believe there is an SAP application express iSeries on offer for atthe moment, or at least that's what I understood from one of thepresentation I saw from IBM today (although that might not be theofficial name)

IBM also were telling me about an iSeries SAP implementation that hasjust been completed for 7-11 in Melbourne, Australia which theyseemed to think was significant. In my case, this was of greatinterest to me as there is an account that I am close to (which isnot mine) that is currently evaluating the platform that they want torun SAP on (migrating from BPCS). From what I can gather the iSeriesguys (IBM) have gone hard out to try and get this done on iSerieseven though it is up against a pSeries/db2 offering which I confesskind of shocked me although it remains to be seen how it plays out.

Maybe they've finally learned that if it gets implemented on pSeriesit's a short step to Solaris, or Windows, or whatever, whereas theiSeries might be easier for IBM to defend over the longer haul(presuming they haven't already been completely outflanked). I guesswe will see if it is too little too late, but I have to say (again)that the iSeries guys I spoke to were much more determined to win aniSeries sale rather than just an IBM sale ("we can do any of theplatforms you want...") which is quite a change from what I have seenthe last few years.

For my money, if your people want to go SAP, I say you should embracethe change wholeheartedly and try to get it implemented on theiSeries if at all possible. More chance of that if you get involvedthan if you oppose the whole idea. Obviously you will need to decidefor yourself how far along the decision is and make your choiceappropriately but if you can keep the doors open...


Hope this helps and good luck with whatever it all brinsg your way.

Regards
Evan Harris

At 01:29 p.m. 11/10/2005, you wrote:

The best description I've ever heard of a SAP installation processis line from Animal House "Cost millions of Dollars andthousands of lives..." :) Granted, it's a figure of speech, but, ifit's done right, as I understand it, an SAP installation will be a
slow and expensive process.
I'm told it does run on AS/400(iseries, i5....), but I would putmoney that you'll be using a unix (probably AIXL or HPUX) toimplement it, if you're not lucky enough to stay on i5/os...
Don in DC