Sizing Methods & Tools

An Introduction
Performance & Scalability, SAP
November, 2023

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Agenda

Introduction to Sizing

Sizing Tools

Factors that influence Sizing

Conclusion

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Sizing Introduction and Basics
Sizing questions may come in different flavors

”
Can SAP software payroll 5+ million
”
When I check www.sap.com/sizing, there
employees and pensioners is no sizing guideline for
in less than two hours? FIN-FSCM-TRN. How can I do a sizing?

We are running on SAP ECC 6.0

” ”
We are running on anyDB and we
and we want to upgrade want to upgrade our ECC system
to SAP ECC 6.0 EhP8 to SAP S/4HANA

Translate business requirements into hardware requirements

– in an iterative process

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Sizing Introduction and Basics
Sizing-Relevant KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)

 Processing times of business transactions or tasks

CPU
 Cost factor: Number and processing power of servers

 Allocated to a user or background process

Memory  Garbage collection, acceleration, planning capabilities, buffers, caches
 Cost factor: Physical memory slots

 Data that resides on the database

Disk size  File read and write activity to storage
Disk I/O
 Cost factors: Backup/recovery depends on size of database

 Transferred amount of data

Front-end
 Network time and roundtrips
Network Load
 Cost factor: Leasing bandwidth

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Sizing Introduction and Basics
What are SAPS?

SAP Application Performance Standard (SAPS) is a hardware-independent measurement

unit that describes the throughput of hardware in an SAP environment.

Laptop
 1 processor Definition of SAPS:
 8 cores
 Approx. 15,000 SAPS  Derived from Sales & Distribution (SD) Standard Application
Benchmark
Commodity server
 4 processors
 112 cores  100 SAPS = 2,000 fully-processed order line items per hour
 Approx. 250,000 SAPS

High-end server
 32 processors For more information on SAPS, see www.sap.com/benchmark →
 896 cores Measuring in SAPS
 Approx. 1,000,000 SAPS

SAPS are provided as output of SAP’s customer sizing tools and SAPS are used to quantify the
CPU power of a system

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Sizing Introduction and Basics
Sizing Goals in different phases of a customer project
Go
Live
Project Business Realization Final Going Live
Preparation Blueprint Preparation & Support

1. Very early to plan hardware expenditures

2. A few months before live start to verify assumptions
▪ Determine the overall performance requirements

Upgrade Migration Functional Business

Changes Units

3. During production stages to ensure operations and verify/adjust estimations made earlier. ”Trigger events” include:
▪ Upgrade database, operating system, SAP application
▪ Reconfigure system landscape
▪ Change business process
▪ Rollouts: more users or other load
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Sizing Introduction and Basics
Finding the correct sizing approach

www.sap.com/sizing

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Sizing Introduction and Basics
Finding the correct sizing approach

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Sizing Introduction and Basics
Different Types of Sizing
Greenfield Sizing Brownfield Sizing Bluefield Sizing
Sizing of new applications from scratch Extension / migration of an SAP system Re-implementation of an
existing system
Hardware Budget Sizing Re-Sizing Selective Data
Smaller companies ▪ Tools: SAP system monitors Transition*
▪ Tools: Sizing Guidelines, Quick Sizer (user) ▪ Goal: Extend an existing system by load ▪ Tools: S/4HANA & BW/4HANA
▪ Very simple algorithms − e.g.,100 additional users who'll do the same as the current productive Sizing Reports
▪ Assumptions, likelihoods ▪ Re-Implementation with
Selective Transactional Data
Upgrade Sizing
Medium to large companies
▪ Tools: SAP system monitors
▪ Tools: Sizing Guidelines, Quick Sizer (throughput)
▪ SAP Notes
▪ Usage of standard tools
▪ Goal: Upgrade SAP software
▪ Focus on core business processes

Migration Sizing * Special case

▪ Tools: S/4HANA and BW/4HANA Sizing Reports Shell copy: Re-implementation
▪ Goal: Migrate ECC or BW system to S/4HANA or BW/4HANA without transactional data, but with
old customizing and master data

Delta Sizing
▪ Tools: ▪ Goal: Extend an existing system by new functions
− SAP system monitors − e.g., you are live with SAP S/4HANA and want to add SAP EWM or Not applicable
SAP S/4HANA embedded analytics
− Sizing Guidelines, Quick Sizer for additional load

Expert Sizing
▪ Additional guidelines ▪ Analysis of custom coding
Large or complex projects
▪ Custom calculations ▪ Custom sizing guidelines
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Sizing Introduction and Basics
Finding the correct sizing approach

Sizing Decision Tree Sizing Blog

HANA Sizing Decision Tree

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Sizing Introduction and Basics
Universally applicable statements on sizing

“
20% of the transactions and scenarios
create 80% of the load

Reliable sizing can only be done with

“ ▪ Scalable application software

▪ Scalable hardware
▪ Meaningful and nearly complete volume throughput or active
user information

“
Landscaping and configuration
are related, but are separate tasks

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Sizing Introduction and Basics
Ensuring scalability with performance tests – Approaches

Single user • Quality and implications of accesses to

test persistence layer
• Linear resource consumption
• Small test system • Parallel processing mechanisms, load
• (QA, development), one user Analyze & measure balancing
scalable behavior • Memory usage and memory leaks
• Disk requirements
• Front-end network load

Performance predictions
for high volume environment
Multi user
test (Volume)

• Equivalent to multi-user test, stress test, Verify assumptions

load test, benchmark
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Sizing Introduction and Basics
Benchmark Runs vs. Production Scenarios

Be aware
High-water SD benchmarks load the system to the limit
▪ CPU utilization ~ 100%
▪ Memory in server often exceeds the required memory
Production systems should run at a medium load
▪ CPU utilization 30-65%

Sizing recommendations refer to a SAPS value measured with an SD benchmark at a CPU utilization
of ~100% and <1 second response time

Note
You can directly use the SAPS value from sizing to search in the benchmark results list for a
hardware fulfilling the recommendation
Using the recommended hardware would result in a CPU utilization of 65% for your
production system

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Sizing Introduction and Basics
Risks in a sizing project

▪ Challenge to obtain sufficient usage information as sizing input

INCOMPLETE INPUT ▪ Often caused by communication issues
Risks in a Sizing Project

DATA
▪ Insufficient sizing input is compensated by assumptions, which
should be documented

ASSUMPTIONS ARE ▪ While it is perfectly ok to work with assumptions you must

NOT VERIFIED ensure that a verification process is included in the project plan

CUSTOM CODING &

▪ Are very hard to predict: Make sure there is a verification process
SPECIAL DATA
CONSTELLATIONS ▪ Make sizing measurements, if required

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Agenda

Introduction to Sizing Methods

Sizing Tools

Factors that influence Sizing

Conclusion

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Finding the correct sizing tools
Standard sizing tools

Initial calculation method Questionnaire without

Educated guess formulas
For structured questions

T-Shirt sizing
Simple algorithms with many
assumptions Quick sizer
Supports user-based and
throughput-based sizing
Formulas
Simple or more complex

Sizing reports Monitoring tools

For migration sizings For post go-live sizings

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Finding the correct sizing tools
Initial Calculation Method

Initial Calculation Method

Educated guess

Advantages Disadvantages
▪ Quick & easy ▪ Must include many assumptions
▪ Delivers ballpark estimate ▪ ”Educated” guess

EXAMPLE Challenge: Need to process 5000 advertisements per week

 Make assumptions
− 5 work days per week, 8 hour work day → 5000/(5*8) = 125 ads per hour (250 ads during peak times)
− 5 dialog steps to process 1 advertisement
− Max. server processing time per dialog step: 1 sec.
− Calcination: 250 ads * 5 DS * 1 sec processing time = 1250 sec.
− CPU capacity (1h): 3600 sec

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Finding the correct sizing tools
T-Shirt Sizing

T-Shirt Sizing
Predefined tables with sizing output

Advantages Disadvantages
 Quick & easy to understand  Must include many assumptions
 Functional & architectural information  Usually doesn’t reflect customer reality

EXAMPLE Excerpt from CPM Sizing

Guide

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Finding the correct sizing tools
Formula
Formula
Simple or more complex, manual
calculation

Advantages Disadvantages
 Is closer to customer reality  Suggests an accuracy that sizing
 Allows for more variables cannot deliver
 Relatively transparent approach  Can easily be misunderstood

EXAMPLE Excerpt from Front-end Network

Requirements

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Finding the correct sizing tools
Offline Questionnaire

Offline Questionnaire
Structured questions

Advantages
Disadvantages
▪ Detailed customer information
▪ SAP must be contacted for a result
for a proper sizing
▪ Versioning
▪ Relatively transparent approach

EXAMPLE Excerpt from Core

Banking Questionnaire

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Finding the correct sizing tools
Quick Sizer, SAP’s online sizing tool

Characteristics
• Structured sizing questionnaires
• Input for
– Greenfield sizing & Delta Sizing
– GoingLive Check
• Hardware vendor contact list

Facts and Figures

▪ Available online since 1996
▪ Three Quick Sizer versions available: HANA-based, HANA-based Cloud, Non-
HANA-based
▪ Free of charge
▪ As of 2021: avg. 20,000 new projects per year

Scope
▪ SAP Key applications
– SAP S/4HANA
– SAP HANA Platform
– SAP BW/4HANA
– etc.
▪ Sizing by users and/or by throughput
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Sizing and Configuration

1 Create a Quick Sizer project and provide input on

the business usage/requirements of the customer
into the Quick Sizer project.
SIZING

2 The Quick Sizer tool calculates the sizing result

(memory, disk space and disk I/O, and CPU)
based on the input

Check the list of certified AnyDB or SAP HANA

3
hardware to see which hardware providers offer
hardware configurations that match the sizing result.
CONFIGURATION
Provide the sizing result (or the Quick Sizer project
4 number) to the hardware vendor and get proposal
for appropriate hardware configuration and prices.
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Production Sizings
General procedure

Prerequisites
• The system is live
• The hardware and software are scalable
• Different goals
– Re-Sizing: only add volume, no modified processes
– Delta Sizing: add different functions
– Upgrade sizing: only upgrade SAP software

Procedure
• Monitor CPU utilization, table growth, and memory use
– Relate it to a meaningful business entity, such as the number of concurrent users or the number of active projects
• Different procedures according to goals
– Re-sizing: Add the load coming in through the additional users and projects causing the same load structure
– Delta sizing: Treat like a new sizing and add calculated load
– Upgrade sizing: Determine additional requirements and add calculated load
• Judge whether your current hardware is sufficient, or whether you may need to buy new hardware

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Agenda

Introduction to Sizing Methods

Sizing Tools

Factors that influence Sizing

Conclusion

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Common Factors that Influence Sizing
LEGEND: Responsibility of: Technology Partner | SAP | Customer

Customer Coding,
HW Platform System Settings Customizing 3rd Party
▪ Processor ▪ Parameterization ▪ Business process design ▪ Performance impact
technology ▪ Interfaces ▪ Set up of business ▪ Scalability
▪ Disk technology ▪ Security settings processes ▪ Business process design
▪ Network technology ▪ Unicode ▪ Organizational structures
▪ System infrastructure

SAP Software Document Volume Business & Data Growth User Behavior
▪ Release ▪ Time for volume ▪ Avoiding data ▪ Concurrency
▪ OLTP or OLAP processing ▪ Archiving strategies ▪ LAN/WAN
▪ Industry solutions ▪ Background processing, ▪ Information Lifecycle ▪ Internet/intranet
parallel jobs Management ▪ Activity, e.g.
▪ Reporting ▪ New functionality − *-Search
▪ Load from external − Efficient navigation
▪ Mergers and acquisitions
systems ▪ Reporting

Customer Profile
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Four-party collaboration model
Service Provider
Contributions
▪ Support customer in
setting up landscapes
▪ Helps to translate
Sizing is the joint responsibility of
business into hardware customer (LoB), SAP, HW Vendor
requirements
and Service Provider.
Hardware vendors Customer They have to make sure that SAP
Contributions Sizing Expectations software runs smoothly at
▪ Certified benchmarks ▪ Optimal performance
→ scalable hardware
Recommendation
▪ Suggestion for HW
customer site and that
▪ CPU (SAPS)
▪ Different configurations ▪ Memory (GB)
config. customers don’t run into
together with partners
▪ Database space (GB) Contributions performance or TCO issues due
▪ Service level
agreements ▪ Disk I/O op. per sec ▪ Response time and to under-sized or over-sized HW.
▪ Final responsibility for ▪ Frontend bandwidth throughput
sizing at customer site if requirements Examples:
conducted by them ▪ Provides business
input ▪ Custom coding
▪ Different businesses require
SAP different sizings
Contributions ▪ Different applications need
▪ Development and
provision of benchmark different amounts of CPUs
toolkits ▪ Additional needs might come
▪ Regression testing for
new releases from additional not sized usages
▪ Standard sizing
guidelines
▪ Sizing verification
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Agenda

Introduction to Sizing Methods

Sizing Tools

Factors that influence Sizing

Conclusion

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Conclusion
Summary and key takeaways

Sizing … Sizing, Scalability and Benchmarks

• …means translating business • Scalable software is a pre-requisite for sizing
requirements into hardware • Definition of SAPS is derived from the Sales &
requirements Distribution (SD) Benchmark
• …is an iterative process • Expert sizing is recommended for custom
• …is not configuration development

Customer
• The success of the sizing exercise
almost entirely depends on the quality
of the customer input data
• Sizing involves very different people
and teams within an organization

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Sizing information and tools
Sources of published sizing documentation

www.sap.com/sizing
• Access to Quick Sizer
• Access to sizing guidelines, for example, SAP HANA accelerators

SAP Support Portal

• SAP Note 1872170 – SAP S/4HANA memory sizing
• SAP Note 1793345 – Sizing for Suite on HANA
• SAP Note 2296290 - New Sizing Report for BW/4HANA
• SAP Note 1969700 - SQL Statement Collection for SAP HANA
• SAP Note 1698281 - Assess the memory consumption of a SAP HANA System
• SAP Note 1514966 – SAP HANA: Sizing SAP In-Memory Database
• SAP Note 2779240 - Workload-based sizing for virtualized environments
• SAP Note 2815376 - Greenfield sizing for SAP S/4HANA embedded analytics
• SAP Note 2813738 - Brownfield sizing for SAP S/4HANA embedded analytics
• SAP Note 1380654 - SAP support in IaaS environments
• SAP Note 2786237 - Sizing SAP HANA with Persistent Memory

SAP HANA Quick Sizer (for greenfield sizing)

YouTube Video

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Sources of Information

http://www.sap.com/sizing
– Sizing methodology
– Access Quick Sizer
– Access Sizing Guidelines

http://www.sap.com/benchmark
– Certified benchmark results
– Descriptions of the available benchmarks

http://www.sap.com/performance
– Tips for performance improvements

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Thank you.
Contact information:
Sebastian Schmitt
sebastian.schmitt@sap.com

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