SAP application server certified instances on virtual server instances in VPC Infrastructure
Profile naming convention
SAP application server profile names follow a contextual and sequential naming convention. The following table illustrates an example of an SAP application certified profile:
The first letter of the profile name indicates the profile family that is mentioned the profile list, where the ratio depends on the Intel generation, Sapphire Rapids (SPR) or Cascade Lake (CL):
| First letter | Characteristics of the related profile family |
|---|---|
| c | Compute Optimized family profiles provide more compute power, and they have more cores with less memory ratio SPR 1:2.5, CL 1:2 |
| b | Balanced family profiles provide a good mix of performance and scalability for more common workloads, higher vCPU to memory ratio SPR 1:4 and 1:5, GR and CL 1:4 |
| m | Memory Optimized family, higher vCPU to memory ratio SPR 1:8 and 1:10 , GR and CL 1:8 |
| v | Very High Memory Optimized family profiles cater to memory intensive workloads, such as demanding database applications and in-memory analytics workloads, and are especially designed for SAP HANA workloads, very high vCPU to memory ratio SPR 1:16, CL 1:14 |
| u | Ultra High Memory Optimized family profiles cater to memory intensive workloads, such as demanding database applications and in-memory analytics workloads, and are especially designed for SAP HANA workloads, ultra high vCPU to memory SPR ratio n/a, CL 1:28 |
SAP application server profile names follow a contextual and sequential naming convention. The following table illustrates an example of an SAP application server certified instance profile:
| Profile name | Naming convention component | Description |
|---|---|---|
| mx2-16x128 | m | Memory Optimized family |
| x | separator | |
| ? 2 3 4 f |
The Intel generation for the underlying hardware Cascade Lake Sapphire Rapids Granite Rapids "flexible profile" - deployed on gen2 or gen3 hardware |
|
| d | the optional 'd' in the name indicates that the server is equipped with one or more internal SSD storage devices (*) | |
| — | separator | |
| 16 | 16 vCPU | |
| x | separator | |
| 128 | 128 GiB RAM |
For virtual server instances (VSI) using temporary local SSD or NVMe storage: you must not place any SAP workload related data on such instance storage, because data loss may occur in certain situations - see more information here: About instance storage.
For more information, see SAP Note 2927211 - SAP Applications on IBM Cloud Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) Infrastructure environment.
The following tables provide an overview of the SAP-certified profiles for Virtual Servers for VPC:
Profiles hosted on Intel Granite Rapids CPUs
bx4 profiles
| Profile name | Virtual CPUs | Memory (GiB) | aSAPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| bx4-2x8 bx4d-2x8 |
2 | 8 | 600 |
| bx4-4x16 bx4d-4x16 |
4 | 16 | 1,300 |
| bx4-8x32 bx4d-8x32 |
8 | 32 | 2,700 |
| bx4-16x64 bx4d-16x64 |
16 | 64 | 5,500 |
| bx4-32x128 bx4d-32x128 |
32 | 128 | 11,000 |
| bx4-48x192 bx4d-48x192 |
48 | 192 | 16,500 |
| bx4-64x256 bx4d-64x256 |
64 | 256 | 22,000 |
| bx4-96x384 bx4d-96x384 |
96 | 384 | 33,100 |
| bx4-128x512 bx4d-128x512 |
128 | 512 | 44,100 |
| bx4-176x704 bx4d-176x704 |
176 | 704 | 60,700 |
mx4 profiles
| Profile name | Virtual CPUs | Memory (GiB) | aSAPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| mx4-2x16 mx4d-2x16 |
2 | 16 | 600 |
| mx4-4x32 mx4d-4x32 |
4 | 32 | 1,300 |
| mx4-8x64 mx4d-8x64 |
8 | 64 | 2,700 |
| mx4-16x128 mx4d-16x128 |
16 | 128 | 5,500 |
| mx4-32x256 mx4d-32x256 |
32 | 256 | 11,100 |
| mx4-48x384 mx4d-48x384 |
48 | 384 | 16,700 |
| mx4-64x512 mx4d-64x512 |
64 | 512 | 22,200 |
| mx4-96x768 mx4d-96x768 |
96 | 768 | 33,400 |
| mx4-128x1024 mx4d-128x1024 |
128 | 1,024 | 44,500 |
| mx4-176x1408 mx4d-176x1408 |
176 | 1,408 | 61,300 |
Profiles hosted on Intel Sapphire Rapids CPUs
cx3 profiles
| Profile name | Virtual CPUs | Memory (GiB) | SAPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| cx3d-2x5 | 2 | 5 | 2,661 |
| cx3d-4x10 | 4 | 10 | 5,321 |
| cx3d-8x20 | 8 | 20 | 10,642 |
| cx3d-16x40 | 16 | 40 | 21,284 |
| cx3d-24x60 | 24 | 60 | 31,926 |
| cx3d-32x80 | 32 | 80 | 42,568 |
| cx3d-48x120 | 48 | 120 | 63,851 |
| cx3d-64x160 | 64 | 160 | 85,135 |
| cx3d-96x240 | 96 | 240 | 127,702 |
| cx3d-128x320 | 128 | 320 | 170,270 |
| cx3d-176x440 | 176 | 440 | 234,120 |
bx3 profiles with ratio 1:4
| Profile name | Virtual CPUs | Memory (GiB) | aSAPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| bx3-2x8 | 2 | 8 | 500 |
| bx3-4x16 | 4 | 16 | 1,100 |
| bx3-8x32 | 8 | 32 | 2,300 |
| bx3-16x64 | 16 | 64 | 4,600 |
| bx3-32x128 | 32 | 128 | 9,200 |
| bx3-48x192 | 48 | 192 | 13,800 |
| bx3-64x256 | 64 | 256 | 18,400 |
| bx3-96x384 | 96 | 384 | 27,600 |
| bx3-128x512 | 128 | 512 | 36,800 |
bx3 profiles with ratio 1:5
| Profile name | Virtual CPUs | Memory (GiB) | SAPS | aSAPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bx3d-2x10 | 2 | 10 | 2,616 | 500 |
| bx3d-4x20 | 4 | 20 | 5,232 | 1,000 |
| bx3d-8x40 | 8 | 40 | 10,463 | 2,000 |
| bx3d-16x80 | 16 | 80 | 20,925 | 4,000 |
| bx3d-24x120 | 24 | 120 | 31,387 | 6,000 |
| bx3d-32x160 | 32 | 160 | 41,850 | 8,100 |
| bx3d-48x240 | 48 | 240 | 62,774 | 12,100 |
| bx3d-64x320 | 64 | 320 | 83,699 | 16,200 |
| bx3d-96x480 | 96 | 480 | 125,548 | 24,300 |
| bx3d-128x640 | 128 | 640 | 167,397 | 32,400 |
| bx3d-176x880 | 176 | 880 | 230,170 | 44,600 |
mx3 profiles with ratio 1:8
| Profile name | Virtual CPUs | Memory (GiB) | aSAPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| mx3-2x16 | 2 | 16 | 500 |
| mx3-4x32 | 4 | 32 | 1,100 |
| mx3-8x64 | 8 | 64 | 2,200 |
| mx3-16x128 | 16 | 128 | 4,500 |
| mx3-32x256 | 32 | 256 | 9,100 |
| mx3-48x384 | 48 | 384 | 13,700 |
| mx3-64x512 | 64 | 512 | 18,300 |
| mx3-96x768 | 96 | 768 | 27,400 |
| mx3-128x1024 | 128 | 1,024 | 36,600 |
mx3 profiles with ratio 1:10
| Profile name | Virtual CPUs | Memory (GiB) | SAPS | aSAPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mx3d-2x20 | 2 | 20 | 2,590 | 500 |
| mx3d-4x40 | 4 | 40 | 5,180 | 1,000 |
| mx3d-8x80 | 8 | 80 | 10,359 | 2,000 |
| mx3d-16x160 | 16 | 160 | 20,717 | 4,100 |
| mx3d-24x240 | 24 | 240 | 31,075 | 6,100 |
| mx3d-32x320 | 32 | 320 | 41,433 | 8,200 |
| mx3d-48x480 | 48 | 480 | 62,150 | 12,300 |
| mx3d-64x640 | 64 | 640 | 82,866 | 16,400 |
| mx3d-96x960 | 96 | 960 | 124,299 | 24,700 |
| mx3d-128x1280 | 128 | 1,280 | 165,731 | 32,900 |
| mx3d-176x1760 | 176 | 1,760 | 227,880 | 45,300 |
vx3 profiles
| Profile name | Virtual CPUs | Memory (GiB) | SAPS | aSAPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| vx3d-2x32 | 2 | 32 | 2,513 | 485 |
| vx3d-4x64 | 4 | 64 | 5,026 | 969 |
| vx3d-8x128 | 8 | 128 | 10,051 | 1,937 |
| vx3d-16x256 | 16 | 256 | 20,102 | 3,873 |
| vx3d-24x384 | 24 | 384 | 30,153 | 5,810 |
| vx3d-32x512 | 32 | 512 | 40,204 | 7,746 |
| vx3d-48x768 | 48 | 768 | 60,306 | 11,619 |
| vx3d-64x1024 | 64 | 1,024 | 80,408 | 15,491 |
| vx3d-88x1408 | 88 | 1,408 | 110,560 | 21,300 |
| vx3d-96x1536 | 96 | 1,536 | 120,611 | 23,237 |
| vx3d-128x2048 | 128 | 2,048 | 160,815 | 30,982 |
| vx3d-176x2816 | 176 | 2,816 | 221,120 | 42,600 |
Profiles hosted on Intel Cascade Lake CPUs
cx2 profiles
| Profile name | Virtual CPUs | Memory (GiB) | SAPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| cx2-2x4 cx2d-2x4 |
2 | 4 | 2,238 |
| cx2-4x8 cx2d-4x8 |
4 | 8 | 4,475 |
| cx2-8x16 cx2d-8x16 |
8 | 16 | 8,950 |
| cx2-16x32 cx2d-16x32 |
16 | 32 | 17,900 |
| cx2-32x64 cx2d-32x64 |
32 | 64 | 35,800 |
| cx2-48x96 cx2d-48x96 |
48 | 96 | 53,700 |
| cx2-64x128 cx2d-64x128 |
64 | 128 | 71,600 |
| cx2-96x192 cx2d-96x192 |
96 | 192 | 107,400 |
| cx2-128x256 cx2d-128x256 |
128 | 256 | 143,200 |
bx2 profiles
| Profile name | Virtual CPUs | Memory (GiB) | SAPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| bx2-2x8 bx2d-2x8 |
2 | 8 | 2,306 |
| bx2-4x16 bx2d-4x16 |
4 | 16 | 4,613 |
| bx2-8x32 bx2d-8x32 |
8 | 32 | 9,225 |
| bx2-16x64 bx2d-16x64 |
16 | 64 | 18,450 |
| bx2-32x128 bx2d-32x128 |
32 | 128 | 36,900 |
| bx2-48x192 bx2d-48x192 |
48 | 192 | 55,350 |
| bx2-64x256 bx2d-64x256 |
64 | 256 | 81,685 |
| bx2-96x384 bx2d-96x384 |
96 | 384 | 122,528 |
| bx2-128x512 bx2d-128x512 |
128 | 512 | 163,370 |
mx2 profiles
| Profile name | Virtual CPUs | Memory (GiB) | SAPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| mx2-2x16 mx2d-2x16 |
2 | 16 | 2,571 |
| mx2-4x32 mx2d-4x32 |
4 | 32 | 5,141 |
| mx2-8x64 mx2d-8x64 |
8 | 64 | 10,283 |
| mx2-16x128 mx2d-16x128 |
16 | 128 | 20,565 |
| mx2-32x256 mx2d-32x256 |
32 | 256 | 41,130 |
| mx2-48x384 mx2d-48x384 |
48 | 384 | 56,970 |
| mx2-64x512 mx2d-64x512 |
64 | 512 | 81,015 |
| mx2-96x768 mx2d-96x768 |
96 | 768 | 121,523 |
| mx2-128x1024 mx2d-128x1024 |
128 | 1,024 | 162,030 |
vx2 profiles
| Profile name | Virtual CPUs | Memory (GiB) | SAPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| vx2d-2x28 | 2 | 28 | 2,131 |
| vx2d-4x56 | 4 | 56 | 4,262 |
| vx2d-8x112 | 8 | 112 | 8,523 |
| vx2d-16x224 | 16 | 224 | 17,046 |
| vx2d-44x616 | 44 | 616 | 46,875 |
| vx2d-88x1232 | 88 | 1,232 | 93,750 |
| vx2d-144x2016 | 144 | 2,016 | 153,410 |
| vx2d-176x2464 | 176 | 2,464 | 187,500 |
ux2 profiles
| Profile name | Virtual CPUs | Memory (GiB) | SAPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| ux2d-2x56 | 2 | 56 | 2,156 |
| ux2d-4x112 | 4 | 112 | 4,312 |
| ux2d-8x224 | 8 | 224 | 8,623 |
| ux2d-16x448 | 16 | 448 | 17,246 |
| ux2d-36x1008 | 36 | 1,008 | 38,803 |
| ux2d-48x1344 | 48 | 1,344 | 51,737 |
| ux2d-72x2016 | 72 | 2,016 | 77,606 |
| ux2d-100x2800 | 100 | 2,800 | 107,785 |
| ux2d-200x5600 | 200 | 5,600 | 215,570 |
Flexible profiles
Flexible profiles will be provisioned as a generation 2 or 3 profile with mentioned number of vCPUs depending on the availability of the respective hosting server in the datacenter. Minimum SAPS of the related gen2 profile are guaranteed.
| Gen2 Profile | Profile name | Gen3 Profile |
|---|---|---|
| bx2-2x8 | bxf-2x8 | bx3-2x10 |
| bx2-4x16 | bxf-4x16 | bx3-4x20 |
| bx2-8x32 | bxf-8x32 | bx3-8x40 |
| bx2-16x64 | bxf-16x64 | bx3-16x80 |
| bx2-32x128 | bxf-32x128 | bx3-32x160 |
| bx2-48x192 | bxf-48x192 | bx3-48x240 |
| bx2-64x256 | bxf-64x256 | bx3-64x320 |
| bx2-96x384 | bxf-96x384 | bx3-96x480 |
| bx2-128x512 | bxf-128x512 | bx3-128x640 |
| mx2-2x16 | mxf-2x16 | mx3-2x20 |
| mx2-4x32 | mxf-4x32 | mx3-4x40 |
| mx2-8x64 | mxf-8x64 | mx3-8x80 |
| mx2-16x128 | mxf-16x128 | mx3-16x160 |
| mx2-32x256 | mxf-32x256 | mx3-32x320 |
| mx2-48x384 | mxf-48x384 | mx3-48x480 |
| mx2-64x512 | mxf-64x512 | mx3-64x640 |
| mx2-96x768 | mxf-96x768 | mx3-96x960 |
| mx2-128x1024 | mxf-128x1024 | mx3-128x1280 |
Storage specifications
When the virtual server profiles for SAP application server are initially provisioned, the servers all have one pre-configured volume (vda) attached with the following basic layout:
| File system | Partition | Storage type | size (GB) | Nr. of IOPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
/ |
vda1 |
Pre-configured boot volume | 100 | 3,000 |
/boot |
vda2 |
Pre-configured boot volume | 0.25 | 3,000 |
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To fulfill the size and I/O requirements for SAP application server or SAP AnyDB, more IBM® Cloud Block Storage for Virtual Private Cloud volumes need to be added as data volumes to the virtual server configuration.
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Block Storage Volumes for Virtual Servers can be created based on different volume profiles that provide different levels of IOPS per gigabyte (IOPS/GB). For more information, see IOPS tiers for details.
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You must consider the total IOPS required for your installation and the performance characteristics of your database. One option is to colocate multiple directories into a single large volume with high IOPS, versus isolating directories into individual small volumes with an insufficient number of IOPS for the workload characteristics.
-
For an overview of all available storage profiles, see VPC Block Storage Profiles.
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For SAP application server and SAP AnyDB, a minimum of 5 IOPS/GB is recommended.
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Samples of storage configurations that use Intel Virtual Server (Gen2) profiles are available under Storage design considerations.
Profiles available on hourly consumption billing
All IBM Cloud Virtual Servers for VPC are available with Hourly Consumption Billing, which includes Suspend Discounts and Sustained Usage Discounts. With Suspend Discounts, storage charges occur only if the server is in Shutdown state. With Sustained Usage Discount, the more a server is used, the less the cost per hour.