Deploying SAP HANA stand-alone virtual server instance on IBM Cloud® VPC

Prerequisites

A deployment server (bastion server) deployed using the automation solution Automate SAP bastion server – SAP media storage repository, should exist in the same VPC, same region, and have the same subnet and security group configured as for the SAP system VSIs.

Virtual server instance configuration

The following operating systems and OS images are supported:

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 for SAP HANA (amd64) - images: ibm-redhat-8-6-amd64-sap-hana-<x>
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 for SAP HANA (amd64) - images: ibm-redhat-8-4-amd64-sap-hana-<x>
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP 4 for SAP Applications (amd64) - images: ibm-sles-15-4-amd64-sap-hana-<x>
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP 3 for SAP Applications (amd64) - images: ibm-sles-15-3-amd64-sap-hana-<x>

The provided SSH keys are used to access the VSI via SSH, as a root user. The storage volumes are configured based on the Intel Virtual Server certified profiles on VPC infrastructure for SAP HANA.

Schematics deployment

When you run the scripts with the Schematics interface, you:

• Enter workspace information.
• Enter the GitHub path.
• Modify the parameters in the Schematics interface. These are the same parameters as the input.auto.tfvars file that you use with the CLI.

Procedure

1. Log in to the Deployment Server by using ssh.

2. Clone the GitHub repository from https://github.com/IBM-Cloud/sap-hana-single-vsi and go to the sap-hana-single-vsi folder.

   $ git clone https://github.com/IBM-Cloud/sap-hana-single-vsi.git
   	
   $ cd sap-hana-single-vsi
   

3. Customize the VPC variables according to your existing VPC data. Modify the input.auto.tfvars file to specify your zone, VPC component names, profile, and image. The file is preset with the minimal recommended disk sizes. You need a 40-digit SSH key ID for this file. Additional SSH keys are optional. For more options for profile, see Intel Virtual Server certified profiles on VPC infrastructure for SAP HANA. For more options about images, see Images.

   The following variable values should be modified:

   • REGION - Region for the VSI. See the Readme file.
   • ZONE - Zone for the VSI. See the Readme file.
   • VPC - The name of an existing VPC in the specified region.
   • SECURITY_GROUP - The name of an existing Security group in the same VPC
   • RESOURCE_GROUP - The name of an existing Resource group, previously created by the user.
   • SUBNET - The name of an existing Subnet in the same region and zone as the VSI
   • SSH_KEYS - A list of SSH keys UUIDs allowed to connect via SSH to the VSIs
   • ID_RSA_FILE_PATH - existing id_rsa private key file path in OpenSSH format with 0600 permissions
   • HOSTNAME - The hostname of the database VSI, up to 13 characters. For more information, see the Readme file.

   General VPC variables:
   
   REGION = ""
   Region for the VSI. Supported regions: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/containers?topic=containers-regions-and-zones#zones-vpc
   Example: REGION = "eu-de"
   
   ZONE = ""
   # Availability zone for VSI. Supported zones: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/containers?topic=containers-regions-and-zones#zones-vpc
   # Example: ZONE = "eu-de-2"
   
   VPC = ""
   # EXISTING VPC, previously created by the user in the same region as the VSI. The list of available VPCs: https://cloud.ibm.com/vpc-ext/network/vpcs
   # Example: VPC = "ic4sap"
   
   SECURITY_GROUP = ""
   # EXISTING Security group, previously created by the user in the same VPC. The list of available Security Groups: https://cloud.ibm.com/vpc-ext/network/securityGroups
   # Example: SECURITY_GROUP = "ic4sap-securitygroup"
   
   RESOURCE_GROUP = ""
   # EXISTING Resource group, previously created by the user. The list of available Resource Groups: https://cloud.ibm.com/account/resource-groups
   # Example: RESOURCE_GROUP = "wes-automation"
   
   SUBNET = ""
   # EXISTING Subnet in the same region and zone as the VSI, previously created by the user. The list of available Subnets: https://cloud.ibm.com/vpc-ext/network/subnets
   # Example: SUBNET = "ic4sap-subnet"
   
   SSH_KEYS = [""]
   # List of SSH Keys UUIDs that are allowed to SSH as root to the VSI. The SSH Keys should be created for the same region as the VSI. The list of available SSH Keys UUIDs: https://cloud.ibm.com/vpc-ext/compute/sshKeys
   # Example: SSH_KEYS = ["r010-8f72b994-c17f-4500-af8f-d05680374t3c", "r011-8f72v884-c17f-4500-af8f-d05900374t3c"]
   
   ID_RSA_FILE_PATH = "ansible/id_rsa"
   # Input your existing id_rsa private key file path in OpenSSH format with 0600 permissions.
   # This private key it is used only during the terraform provisioning and it is recommended to be changed after the SAP deployment.
   # It must contain the relative or absoute path from your Bastion.
   # Examples: "ansible/id_rsa_hana_single_vsi" , "~/.ssh/id_rsa_hana_single_vsi" , "/root/.ssh/id_rsa".
   

   # DB VSI variables:
   
   HOSTNAME = ""
   # The Hostname for the DB VSI. The hostname should be up to 13 characters, as required by SAP
   # Example: HOSTNAME = "saphanadb"
   
   PROFILE = "mx2-16x128"
   # The DB VSI profile. The list of certified profiles for HANA VSIs: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/sap?topic=sap-hana-iaas-offerings-profiles-intel-vs-vpc . 
   # Details about all x86 instance profiles: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-profiles&interface=ui
   
   IMAGE = "ibm-redhat-8-6-amd64-sap-hana-2"
   # OS image for DB VSI.
   # The list of available VPC Operating Systems supported by SAP: SAP note '2927211 - SAP Applications on IBM Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) Infrastructure environment' https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2927211; The list of all available OS images: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vpc?topic=vpc-about-images
   # Example: IMAGE = "ibm-redhat-8-6-amd64-sap-hana-2"
   

   The hostname should be up to 13 characters as required by SAP. For more information about the rules that apply to hostnames for SAP systems, see SAP Note 611361 - Hostnames of SAP ABAP Platform servers

4. Customize your SAP system configuration. Modify the input.auto.tfvars file to specify SAP HANA system configuration and enter the location of the downloaded SAP Kits.

   # SAP HANA configuration
   
   HANA_SID = "HDB"
   # SAP HANA system ID. Should follow the SAP rules for SID naming.
   # Example: HANA_SID = "HDB"
   
   HANA_SYSNO = "00"
   # SAP HANA instance number. Should follow the SAP rules for instance number naming.
   # Example: HANA_SYSNO = "01"
   
   HANA_SYSTEM_USAGE = "custom"
   # System usage. Default: custom. Suported values: production, test, development, custom
   # Example: HANA_SYSTEM_USAGE = "custom"
   
   HANA_COMPONENTS = "server"
   # SAP HANA Components. Default: server. Supported values: all, client, es, ets, lcapps, server, smartda, streaming, rdsync, xs, studio, afl, sca, sop, eml, rme, rtl, trp
   # Example: HANA_COMPONENTS = "server"
   
   KIT_SAPHANA_FILE = "/storage/HANADB/51055299.ZIP"
   # SAP HANA Installation kit path
   # Supported SAP HANA versions on Red Hat 8 and Suse 15: HANA 2.0 SP 5 Rev 57, kit file: 51055299.ZIP
   # Example for Red Hat 8 or Suse 15: KIT_SAPHANA_FILE = "/storage/HANADB/51055299.ZIP"
   

5. Initialize the Terraform CLI.

   terraform init

6. Create a Terraform execution plan. The Terraform execution plan summarizes all the actions that are done to create the virtual private cloud instance in your account.

   terraform plan --out plan1

   You will be asked to enter the IBM Cloud API key and the SAP HANA main password.

   The SAP HANA main password should contain at least one digit (0-9), one lowercase letter (a-z), and one uppercase letter (A-Z). It can only contain the following characters: a-z, A-Z, 0-9, !, @, #, $, _. It must not start with a digit or an underscore ( _ ).

7. Verify that the plan shows all of the resources that you want to create and that the names and values are correct. If the plan needs to be adjusted, edit the input.auto.tfvars file to correct resources and run terraform plan --out plan1 again.

8. Deploy the SAP solution:

   terraform apply "plan1"

Deploying SAP HANA DB single VSI by using the Schematics user interface

Use these steps to configure the SAP HANA DB single VSI on your existing VPC by using the Schematics user interface. The scripts can take 1 - 2 hours to complete.

1. From the IBM Cloud menu, select Schematics.

2. Click Create workspace.

3. On the Specify template page:

   • Enter the GitHub URL for the code you plan to deploy.
   • Select the Terraform version that is listed in the Readme file.
   • Click Next.

4. On the Workspace details page:

   • Enter a name for the workspace.
   • Select a Resource group.
   • Select a Location for your workspace. The workspace location does not have to match the resource location.
   • Click Next.

5. Select Create to create your workspace.

6. On the workspace Settings page, in the Input variables section, review the default input variables and provide values that match your solution:

   • Your API key
   • Your private SSH key from your local machine
   • (Optional) You can change the ID_RSA_FILE_PATH for your SSH key that will be autogenerated on Schematics and bastion server
   • The ID for the SSH key that you created and uploaded to IBM Cloud. Enter the SSH key ID in square brackets and quotation marks, for example [ "ibmcloud_ssh_key_UUID1","ibmcloud_ssh_key_UUID2",... ].
   • The region for your resources
   • The zone for your resources
   • Whether to use an existing VPC or create one
   • Whether to use an existing subnet
   • Whether to create new port only when a new subnet is created
   • TCP port range, minimum, and maximum
   • VPC name
   • Subnet name
   • Security group name
   • Hostname
   • Profile
   • Image
   • Minimal recommended disk sizes
   • SAP main password - must be at least 10 characters, upper and lowercase letters, a number, and a special character, not an exclamation point.
   • Click Save changes.

   For a more detailed description of each of the parameters, check the GitHub repo Readme file, chapter “Input parameter file”. Also, make sure to mark as “sensitive” the parameters that contain sensitive information like passwords, API, and SSH private keys (they are marked as “sensitive” in the Readme file in the “Input parameter file”).

7. On the workspace Settings page, click Generate plan. Wait for the plan to complete.

8. Click View log to review the log files of your Terraform execution plan

9. Apply your Terraform template by clicking Apply plan.

10. Review the log file to ensure that no errors occurred during the provisioning, modification, or deletion process.