SAP R/3 System Architecture
page 1 of 6
Published: 27 Feb 2007
Abstract
This article examines the architecture behind the working of SAP R/3 System.
by Arindam Ghosh
Feedback
Average Rating: 
Views (Total / Last 10 Days): 36412/ 50

Introduction

The SAP system is software which is composed of different software and a server as a whole and has the ability to perform standard business functions for corporations. The system has become so popular because it can serve a wide range of functionality from manufacturing to finishing products. There is one simple reason behind the popularity of this system; it can be tuned to any level for any industry. It has the concepts of enterprise resource planning (ERP) and business process reengineering (BPR) which is integrated in the system.

“Sap stands for System, Andwendungen, and Produkte in Der Datanverarbeitung, which when translated to English means System, Application, Products in Data Processing.” The name of the parent Company is SAP AG. The company SAP is based on Walldorf in Germany and is the world’s largest enterprise software company. Its foundation is built upon the concept of integration.

Originally, dating back to the 1970s, it took the then controversial approach of combining various business functions into one application and database. Dietmar Hopp, Hans-Werner Hector, Hasso Planttner, Klaus Tschira, and Claus Wellenreuther, former IBM employees, launched SAP in order to turn the real business processing vision into reality.

After a year, the first financial accounting software formed the basis for the continuous development of other software components which later came to be known as the "R/1 system;" "R" stands for real time data processing.

By the end of the decade, intensive examination of SAP’s IBM database and dialog control system led to the birth of SAP R/2, designed to handle different languages and currencies. The SAP R/2 system attained high level of stability of the previous generation of programs. With this and other innovations in SAP R/2, SAP saw a very rapid growth.

By the 1990's, when SAP R/3 was unleashed into the market, the client-server concept, uniform appearance of graphical interfaces, consistent use of relational databases and the ability to run on computers from different vendors met with an overwhelming approval. The client-server architecture moved to a more flexible and scalable architecture. Going by this technology, the processing of an application could be split between the server and workstations – the server handling the centralized functionality, while the client workstation maximized for users. The data management was separate from the server.

SAP ushered in a new generation of enterprise software – from mainframe computing to the three-tier architecture consisting of the Database layer, Application (business logic) layer, and user interface layer. Today is the day for client-server architecture, where one can make changes or scale on layer without having to retool the whole system.

The term SAP R/3 stands for runtime system three and the client-server environment provides a set of business application for the system. The R/3 architecture allows distribution of the workload to multiple PC's connecting in a network. The SAP runtime system is designed in such a way that it distributes the presentation, application logic and the data management to different computers.

         


View Entire Article

User Comments

Title: Mr.   
Name: Pradip
Date: 2013-01-11 5:02:03 AM
Comment:
Nice
Title: SAP Architecture   
Name: Pradnya
Date: 2012-05-12 4:11:26 AM
Comment:
I think this is Excellent information to Beginners.....
But still I want more info.about it
Title: MR   
Name: Natraj
Date: 2012-03-07 5:00:56 AM
Comment:
Excellent Overview. Thank you :) :)
Title: Great, just what I needed   
Name: Caleb Smith
Date: 2011-02-23 6:08:20 PM
Comment:
I realy did need to know this because I got an A on my test. THANK YOU.
Title: Very good article   
Name: V V R K SARMA
Date: 2011-01-13 4:55:21 AM
Comment:
Very good and very nice description of SAP R/3 architecture. It is very excellent info for beginners
Title: from the star till the end   
Name: chanakya
Date: 2010-12-22 7:06:35 AM
Comment:
good info. thanks for this...!!!!
Title: sap introduction architecture   
Name: mini
Date: 2010-12-10 1:24:05 AM
Comment:
really good description of sap architecture
Title: SAP R/3 architecture   
Name: RRB
Date: 2010-10-13 5:42:47 AM
Comment:
Nice Explanation
Title: SAP does manufacture its own database   
Name: Tarik
Date: 2010-05-05 3:57:55 AM
Comment:
"SAP does not manufacture its own database."
False: See http://maxdb.sap.com/
Title: I still don't understand....help me....!!!   
Name: ivan a
Date: 2010-03-16 9:52:19 PM
Comment:
Hi i'm ivan.....i'd like to learn SAP System
is there somebody can help me?!?!
i still don't get it
thanks before

Regards
Title: This is a Good Article Very Nice   
Name: INDER KUSHWAHA
Date: 2009-10-26 12:57:11 AM
Comment:
Hi Am inder Kushwaha i have Exprince 6 Month SAP BUSINESS ONE SOFTWEARE PROFASANL TRANING SO help me
Title: SAP R/3 System Architecture   
Name: Venkatesh Subramanium
Date: 2009-09-11 1:28:17 AM
Comment:
It is a good article.The begginner can understand in a better manner.
Title: SAP R/3 architecture   
Name: Saravana
Date: 2009-08-07 1:26:24 AM
Comment:
Good article..
But can be still more elaborate or explanatory!!!!
Title: Thanks Madan   
Name: rjr
Date: 2009-05-16 9:08:43 PM
Comment:
Thanks Madan, the original article has diagrams.
Title: really need some diagrams   
Name: sap beginner
Date: 2009-04-16 1:41:42 AM
Comment:
as everyone mentioned some diagrams on architecture would have very usefull
Title: Really need some diagrams!!   
Name: SAP beginner
Date: 2009-04-06 1:52:06 AM
Comment:
Friend,

As everyone mentioned below, some diagrams on architecture would have made it very useful!
Title: Not Original Work!   
Name: Madan
Date: 2009-02-26 1:57:58 AM
Comment:
Hey Guys,
There is nothing great about this article. This has just been copied from SAP Standard material 'SAP BC - ABAP Programming'. Google for 'SAP BC - ABAP Programming' and you will get a pdf file. You can find all these and more in that. Mr Ghosh be original!!! D'ont be a plagiarist!
Title: SAP R/3 System Architecture   
Name: Sardion Maranatha
Date: 2008-12-23 3:42:49 AM
Comment:
excellent article!
Title: Balanced and informative   
Name: Gangadhar Bandyopadhyay
Date: 2008-07-08 9:45:15 AM
Comment:
Dear Arindam,
In a new project,for selecting a business software, when we are finding a write up on SAP for management presentation, your article is the best way of describing SAP.
Thanks
Gangadhar B
Title: SAP R/3 System Architecture   
Name: Sudheer
Date: 2008-07-08 2:28:07 AM
Comment:
Very decent article. Some kind of visual representation could have added more flavor to this.
Title: Tutorial On SAP R/3 Architecture   
Name: Sri Krishna
Date: 2008-05-29 10:55:42 AM
Comment:
Hi Arindam Gosh,

Tutorial on SAP R/3 Architecture is very good. But I would have rated this article "Excellent" if it was explained through some diagrams.

Thanks a lot for detail explanation on SAP R/3 architecture.

Regards,
Sri Krishna.
Title: Mr   
Name: Naveen
Date: 2008-05-22 7:58:52 AM
Comment:
Hello there mate,

Its an good thesis on the SAP R/3 business machine ,How it established and the core components that run teh sap System its good for the starters>keep it up mate good work.
Title: Sap R/3 Architecture   
Name: Somnath Das
Date: 2008-05-20 3:14:19 AM
Comment:
Good one,but need to have some pictorial representation....
Title: wonderful article   
Name: yuva
Date: 2008-05-01 3:52:43 PM
Comment:
A wonderful article which gives a clear picture about SAP
Title: R/3 Architecture   
Name: Satish
Date: 2008-03-24 5:07:13 AM
Comment:
Good one , but should have included Graphical / diagrams about the flow... how R/3 works etc
Title: r/3 three type architechture in sap   
Name: vijay
Date: 2008-01-29 4:31:33 AM
Comment:
good articla
Title: Very Informative   
Name: Mini
Date: 2008-01-10 7:22:06 AM
Comment:
Short and very informative article. Really excellent and helpful for those starts learning SAP. Thanx for the information.
Title: Manager IT   
Name: S K Nag
Date: 2007-12-29 7:55:46 AM
Comment:
The publication is superb, simple for a common man to understand.
Title: Good Historical Peace   
Name: Anon
Date: 2007-12-12 11:25:56 AM
Comment:
Very good article covering the early history of SAP system and overall architecutre. Would have been nice, if some of the development history were included too, like how the ABAP compiler came to picture.
Title: Easy 2 Understand   
Name: Nilesh'z
Date: 2007-09-21 11:33:28 AM
Comment:
A really easy to understand article.This is actually,what I am
looking for.Really rocking article...Thanks
Title: simply superb   
Name: shadowfax
Date: 2007-08-31 9:08:31 AM
Comment:
really excellent..and very helpful.
Title: Simply ossum!!!   
Name: Vivek Lakra
Date: 2007-08-30 6:40:51 AM
Comment:
Thorough, crisp and interesting to its core.
Title: Excellent   
Name: Vivek
Date: 2007-08-21 6:05:28 AM
Comment:
Very Good Article for Starter to understand working of R/3
system.

A great Work.
Title: Great!!   
Name: Anmol Sahu
Date: 2007-08-20 10:09:48 AM
Comment:
Very gd article, comprhensive explantation in a very succinct way - Great, Keep it up!!
Title: Quite Informative   
Name: Subhrajyoti Bhattacharjee
Date: 2007-08-03 3:07:16 AM
Comment:
I found the article quite informative and would say that it has methodically touched upon all the essential elements that a SAP professional is supposed to know...good work!!
Title: Very Helpful   
Name: Mukul Sharma
Date: 2007-07-26 6:03:46 AM
Comment:
Very good description of Architecture
Title: wonderful   
Name: martin opeoluwa
Date: 2007-07-23 10:20:50 PM
Comment:
A great work,SAP introduction encapsuled.
Title: Well Structure and all at once knowing   
Name: Syed Tabraiz Irfan
Date: 2007-05-13 6:30:40 AM
Comment:
Good Approach to evaluate the SAP architectural layers within the help of this article.. good work
Title: well enough   
Name: subramanya
Date: 2007-04-21 11:42:47 PM
Comment:
Best article to know about Sap. very informative article.
Title: Great article !   
Name: Ashish Kognolkar
Date: 2007-03-21 8:02:15 AM
Comment:
Excellent work. A great reading for anyone who is not into SAP and wants to know about R/3 architecture.

The article has a nice easy going flow which answers all queries popping in your mindinstantly.

Thanks !
Title: excellent!!!!   
Name: Nihar Ranjan
Date: 2007-03-12 11:42:13 PM
Comment:
Again Arindam has done a gr8 job.Very well explained and point to point.thanx

Product Spotlight
Product Spotlight 





Community Advice: ASP | SQL | XML | Regular Expressions | Windows


©Copyright 1998-2024 ASPAlliance.com  |  Page Processed at 2024-03-18 10:05:22 PM  AspAlliance Recent Articles RSS Feed
About ASPAlliance | Newsgroups | Advertise | Authors | Email Lists | Feedback | Link To Us | Privacy | Search