It is evident that businesses are looking for modernizing legacy systems, and the same is valid for SAP applications. Enterprises have been using SAP applications for ages to run business-critical applications, and it is time to modernize them to leverage the latest innovations seamlessly. But then arises the question of how to modernize SAP applications, and the answer comes “with AWS.”
Why modernize SAP applications with AWS?
To put it straight, SAP itself started using AWS for developing their products, what better reason there can be. AWS is the first cloud ever to run an SAP workload and has continued to innovate since then. However, if you want to dig deep and find out the core benefits that SAP on AWS provides, here they are:
Resilient infrastructure
AWS provides a global infrastructure to run SAP applications specifically. Whether you are looking for lifting and shifting your entire SAP application to modernize it on AWS or only a part of it, AWS has the template solution available for you. It also eliminates Single Point of Failures (SPOFs)
Cost efficiency
AWS provides a pay-per-usage payment option allowing you to optimize cost efficiency. According to an IDC study, over 85% of customers states that running SAP on AWS saves cost1. Moving your SAP workloads to AWS can easily save around 20% to 40% on TCO.
Low Latency and data compliance
AWS’s global infrastructure is connected across multiple regions, which reduces the latency for offering enhanced speed. The secure AWS Outposts can also store and manage data in compliance with all data regulation laws, including GDPR.
Top-notch security
Cyberattacks are on the rise. Around 88% of organizations across the world encountered phishing attempts2 in 2019. The whopping numbers hint at the need for improving security. Since your SAP applications run several business-critical applications, having top-notch security while modernizing them is essential. AWS model provides comprehensive protection throughout the entire stack up to the OS level.
Reduced management requirement
AWS infrastructure provides numerous wizards that can help SAP application modernization without a need for ongoing management. With AWS, you can quickly automate the deployment and testing of SAP applications. It also gives you an option for auto-managing end-to-end SAP application modernization.
High flexibility
Coping up with changing customer demands and technical advancements need a highly flexible infrastructure. With a very low software maintenance burden, AWS provides you with an option to scale seamlessly.
How to modernize SAP applications with AWS?
Getting your foundation right is the key to a successful SAP Application modernization with AWS. Hence, it is vital to know and understand all the available options and create a roadmap before initiating the migration and modernization. You need to evaluate various things, such as connectivity, security, development, migration strategy, technical tools availability, and optimization.
It will also help if you consider reviewing your current SAP architecture to determine the most crucial aspects and features of the overall application. Analyzing all the pre-mentioned factors and creating a roadmap will help keep you on the right track.
What is the best roadmap for SAP application modernization with AWS?
The roadmap for SAP application modernization with AWS initiates by reviewing your current architecture and determining the initial steps to migrate. The best roadmap for SAP application modernization with AWS consists of five critical points: choosing the migration strategy and tools, connectivity, security, development, and post-migration optimization.
Choosing the migration strategy and tools
There are numerous migration strategies available at your disposal. You can choose the one that best suits you and your migration plan. You can take help from AWS’s 6 Rs strategy options3. The 6 Rs strategies are:
- Rehosting: Completely lift the code and shift it as-is on AWS.
- Replatforming: Lift the code, make some required alterations, and then shift it to AWS.
- Repurchasing: Moving to a completely different product.
- Refactoring: Redevelop the architecture based on current needs.
- Retire: Get rid of the obsolete part of the code and shift the rest to AWS.
- Retain: Retain the part of the application that is working well on-premise and shift the rest to AWS.
Those are the six strategies from AWS, but you can always choose something else that caters to your needs. Once you have selected the right approach, pick up the best migration tools that you need or rope in migration experts from certified managed services players. There are various aiding tools available that can help you quickly migrate to the cloud and help with SAP application modernization. A couple of these tools are:
- AWS Quick Starts4: AWS Quick Starts gives you a primary environment for the quick migration of SAP applications. It includes an application tier, a secure network & protocols, and a database tier.
- SAP Rapid Migration Test5: This test consists of a set of tools and processes to get you started with SAP migration. Some of the tools include instance types, AWS Launch Wizard, and preconfigured solutions.
Ensuring connectivity
Once you are done with the selection, you need to build connectivity with AWS. Again, there are multiple connectivity options available. For instance, you can opt for dedicated connections, hosting connections, or hosted virtual connections. You can also use the AWS VPN to allow your employees and customers to access SAP resources and applications on AWS securely.
Enhancing connectivity
AWS offers several security options to choose from. All you need to do is follow the architecture guidelines given by AWS for leveraging world-class security. Some of the advanced security controls available with AWS are:
- Amazon GuardDuty: A combination of Machine Learning (ML), Threat intelligence, and anomaly detection to identify threats.
- Amazon Macie: Uses ML to identify and protect sensitive and business-critical data.
- Amazon Inspector: It outputs a list of potential loopholes in the security system.
Agile development
Traditional software development methods such as the waterfall method make your application less flexible and agile. You must adopt new development methods and programming languages for agile development. Agile development right from the beginning will help your modernized SAP application a lot more scalable.
Post-migration optimization
High-level automation and API integration availability in AWS allows you to adopt and implement rich innovations. Hence, it is crucial to deploy various innovations to optimize your SAP application on AWS. Since you will be making changes to AWS’s frameworks and not the core SAP application itself, you can innovate and upgrade applications seamlessly.
Summing it up
A modern SAP application will combine the latest techniques and technologies to help your business grow exponentially. By modernizing your SAP application with AWS, you will be getting the best of cloud services for your enterprise applications. It will allow you to increase value delivery to your customer while reducing downtime and failure. Well, it’s time to go and modernize your SAP application with AWS.
