SAP R/3 System: Client Server Overview (Buck-Emden & Galimow, 1998) Dr. K. Palaniappan

SAP R/3 System: SAP R/3 System: Client Server OverviewClient Server Overview

(Buck-Emden & Galimow, 1998)(Buck-Emden & Galimow, 1998)

Dr. K. PalaniappanDr. K. Palaniappan

Sep. 16, 1999 Dr. K. Palaniappan 2

Business Data ProcessingBusiness Data Processing

Radical changesRadical changes Information ManagementInformation Management

The deciding competitive factorThe deciding competitive factor Short innovation cycles, global competition, high Short innovation cycles, global competition, high

costscosts Enterprise-wide information/resource managementEnterprise-wide information/resource management



Corporate CompetitivenessCorporate Competitiveness Business re-engineering: optimization of all business Business re-engineering: optimization of all business

processes along with the entire net-value added processes along with the entire net-value added chain chain

Technology re-engineering: use latest data Technology re-engineering: use latest data processing (DP) technology for optimization of ERM, processing (DP) technology for optimization of ERM, ERPERP

Past: Function OrientationPast: Function Orientation Business data processing: administrative support for Business data processing: administrative support for

functions like accounting, materials management, functions like accounting, materials management, etc. etc.



vs Present: Customer Orientationvs Present: Customer Orientation Optimization of entire business process Optimization of entire business process DP support for business process: reduce inventory, DP support for business process: reduce inventory,

improve delivery, flexibility, improve quality, improve delivery, flexibility, improve quality, minimize cost, etc.minimize cost, etc.


Requirements for EIMRequirements for EIM

FunctionalFunctional Online integration of all business applications and Online integration of all business applications and

data in the company vs (obsolete centralized with data in the company vs (obsolete centralized with alphanumeric screen-based) batch processing alphanumeric screen-based) batch processing

Timely provision of operational business informationTimely provision of operational business information Universal support of customer/firm/vendor business Universal support of customer/firm/vendor business

processesprocesses Customization and adaptation to changing business Customization and adaptation to changing business

conditionsconditions Data and program integration with desktop toolsData and program integration with desktop tools Intuitive, consistent user interfacesIntuitive, consistent user interfaces



Technical and AdministrativeTechnical and Administrative Cost of DP infrastructure Cost of DP infrastructure Portability of business application softwarePortability of business application software Lifespan of ten or more years vs hardware, software, Lifespan of ten or more years vs hardware, software,

communication technology changescommunication technology changes Scalability to varying load profilesScalability to varying load profiles Short predictable online response timeShort predictable online response time High throughput of background jobsHigh throughput of background jobs 24-hour availability24-hour availability Easy systems administrationEasy systems administration Short downtime during release changesShort downtime during release changes



Re-orientation of in-house software Re-orientation of in-house software developmentdevelopment Too expensive Too expensive Continual business requirement changesContinual business requirement changes Rapid infrastructure changesRapid infrastructure changes Unpredictable software innovationsUnpredictable software innovations


Component Software as a New Component Software as a New SolutionSolution

Not possible to produce integrated software Not possible to produce integrated software with all of the functions and modules with all of the functions and modules described by the customerdescribed by the customer

Software component reuseSoftware component reuse Integration of application modulesIntegration of application modules

Microsoft OLE (object Linking and Embedding) Microsoft OLE (object Linking and Embedding) OMG CORBA (Object Management Group Common OMG CORBA (Object Management Group Common

Object Request Broker Architecture)Object Request Broker Architecture) Interoperability between different vendor softwareInteroperability between different vendor software Object oriented (Smalltalk, C++, Java,…) vs Object oriented (Smalltalk, C++, Java,…) vs

Procedural languages (COBOL, C, ABAP/4,…)Procedural languages (COBOL, C, ABAP/4,…)


New Technologies for New Technologies for Business DPBusiness DP

Client-server computing, GUI, multimedia, Client-server computing, GUI, multimedia, broadband networksbroadband networks

Wireless networks, thin clients, speech Wireless networks, thin clients, speech processing, Internet/Web, XMLprocessing, Internet/Web, XML

MiddlewareMiddleware Software that sits between business applications and Software that sits between business applications and

hardware operating system hardware operating system Critical for client-server applications development Critical for client-server applications development

(key enabling technology)(key enabling technology)


Essential Tools of MiddlewareEssential Tools of Middleware

Isolate applications from specific hardware and Isolate applications from specific hardware and system software interfaces (i.e. printing, system software interfaces (i.e. printing, window management, network, POS, ATM, window management, network, POS, ATM, DBMS, etc.)DBMS, etc.)

Provide open communication interfaces for Provide open communication interfaces for distributed applicationdistributed application

Control and monitor distributed transactionsControl and monitor distributed transactions Access different distributed data sourcesAccess different distributed data sources Provide object management functionsProvide object management functions


Classes of Middleware Classes of Middleware (Gartner Group)(Gartner Group)

Middleware for data managementMiddleware for data management Remote file systems (i.e. UNIX NFS)Remote file systems (i.e. UNIX NFS) Database tools and interfacesDatabase tools and interfaces

Middleware for support of distributed functionsMiddleware for support of distributed functions Communications (sockets, etc.)Communications (sockets, etc.) Remote procedure callsRemote procedure calls Database expansions (replication, mirroring, etc.)Database expansions (replication, mirroring, etc.) Transaction monitorsTransaction monitors 4 GL runtime environments4 GL runtime environments Object managementObject management


Client-Server ComputingClient-Server Computing

Hardware view vs software viewHardware view vs software view Computer networks + programs that operate Computer networks + programs that operate

on different computers and asynchronous callson different computers and asynchronous calls Calling program: client or masterCalling program: client or master Called program: server or slaveCalled program: server or slave


Client-Server ConfigurationsClient-Server Configurations

Centralized systemCentralized system Distributed presentationDistributed presentation Database access across computer boundariesDatabase access across computer boundaries Three layer client/server system with Three layer client/server system with

distributed presentation, distributed distributed presentation, distributed application logic, and database access across application logic, and database access across computer boundariescomputer boundaries

Multilayer client/server systems with Multilayer client/server systems with cooperative processingcooperative processing


Technical Foundation for Technical Foundation for Client/Server SystemsClient/Server Systems

Hardware systems: CPUs and memoryHardware systems: CPUs and memory High performance local and wide area High performance local and wide area

networksnetworks System softwareSystem software
















Documents

SAP R/3 System: Client Server Overview (Buck-Emden & Galimow, 1998) Dr. K. Palaniappan