maxdb upgrade 7.6 to 7.7 and BW feature pack

[Former Member]

Hi,

I am running a SAP landscape with lots of NetWeaver 7.0 based components and MaxDB 7.6. I want to upgrade all the databases to MaxDB 7.7 but after doing some research a saw the following points:

- PAM states MaxDB 7.7 should only be used with NetWeaver 7 EHP1

- on SDN i found a technical article which states: Date: 01/2009 it is not recommended to upgrade an BI-System to MaxDB Version 7.7 < 04 Build 32 because of missing Star-Join-Optimization of the BW-featurepack.

- Note 1006496 - Feature list for liveCache/MaxDB 7.7: Support Package 7 patch 07 (7.7.07. 07)(JUL/22/2009)(1 feature, 28 patches) Optimizer: "Star Join" algorithm is corrected (PTS1177413)

We are using BW 7.0 with the maxdb feature pack and cube compression so i am a little cautious in installing Maxdb 7.7 on this instance. Also in the past we had some performance problems on BW. At the moment MAXDB 7.7.07.09 Server Package is available for download on the SAP marketplace.

Anyone have some experience in upgrading to maxdb 7.7 already?

regards,

Bas

[lbreddemann]

> I am running a SAP landscape with lots of NetWeaver 7.0 based components and MaxDB 7.6. I want to upgrade all the databases to MaxDB 7.7 but after doing some research a saw the following points:

Why do you want to upgrade?

MaxDB 7.7 is stable and can be used, but as long as there is no specific reason for you to go to 7.7 I don't see the benefit of it.

It's surely not like: "the new version is twice as fast".

Many of the changes in 7.7 are not that much related to front-end functionality, but were of a rather Internal kind.

regards,

Lars

[Former Member]

Lars,

We want to upgrade because we plan to install several SAP products which require MaxDB 7.7. Products like PI 7.1 and SCM 7.0 require MaxDB 7.7. To minimize administration effort, we plan to have one MaxDB version in the SAP landscape.

regards,

Bas

[lbreddemann]

> We want to upgrade because we plan to install several SAP products which require MaxDB 7.7. Products like PI 7.1 and SCM 7.0 require MaxDB 7.7. To minimize administration effort, we plan to have one MaxDB version in the SAP landscape.

Ok, I got the idea - but have to tell you: it's wrong.

You don't save anything by using just 7.7 instead of 7.6 and 7.7.

There is zero additional effort in having both versions.

You can even use the exact same version of the parameter check file for all instances.

But if you really think it will be worthwhile, then use the latest 7.7.07 patch by all means.

regards,

Lars

[markus_doehr2]

> Ok, I got the idea - but have to tell you: it's wrong.

> You don't save anything by using just 7.7 instead of 7.6 and 7.7.

> There is zero additional effort in having both versions.

Sorry - but I have to totally disagree.

7.6 and 7.7 have different parameter names, some parameters are also semantically changed so it is definitely an additional effort to maintain parameters on those two different version.

On top comes the knldiag vs. Knlmsg/XML thing.

We use 7.7 on several systems for quite some time now and I'm still not able to match parameter names from old to new without looking them up. Don't underestimate that.

Markus

[lbreddemann]

>

> > Ok, I got the idea - but have to tell you: it's wrong.

> > You don't save anything by using just 7.7 instead of 7.6 and 7.7.

> > There is zero additional effort in having both versions.

>

> Sorry - but I have to totally disagree.

>

> 7.6 and 7.7 have different parameter names, some parameters are also semantically changed so it is definitely an additional effort to maintain parameters on those two different version.

>

> On top comes the knldiag vs. Knlmsg/XML thing.

>

> We use 7.7 on several systems for quite some time now and I'm still not able to match parameter names from old to new without looking them up. Don't underestimate that.

Hi Markus,

I know you'll want to stone me to death for that, but:

- most customers do all DBA activities for MaxDB/liveCache via the GUI tools - thus no difference concerning the logfiles

- most customers don't think about what a specific parameter is called or supposed to be good for. They set it to the recommended values (or not - ok most installations just run with the default values...)

- most customers don't do any regular manual maintenance at all (or to describe it in a positive way: they follow the install and forget approach).

Thefore I still consider it correct for the vast majority of all MaxDB users to say: it really doesn't matter if you've got multiple versions or not.

Especially not if you compare that to having multiple versions of Oracle databases on one server.

cheers,

Lars

[markus_doehr2]

> - most customers do all DBA activities for MaxDB/liveCache via the GUI tools - thus no difference concerning the logfiles

Well - even support often asks for "knldiag" although 7.7 is used - so it's not that clear

> - most customers don't think about what a specific parameter is called or supposed to be good for. They set it to the recommended values (or not - ok most installations just run with the default values...)

You have two notes to consider then - one for 7.6 and one for 7.7.

> - most customers don't do any regular manual maintenance at all (or to describe it in a positive way: they follow the install and forget approach).

That may be true.

Markus

[Former Member]

Lars,

You are talking in very general terms, i am meant my question a little more specific. I think SAP is moving forward with MaxDB 7.7. NetWeaver EHP2 will require MaxDB 7.7. Also a simple NetWeaver installation will run just fine with default parameters, but for a BW instance a lot more effort is needed to maximize performance and stability. I dont think there is a BW system running on default MaxDB settings.

regards,

Bas

[lbreddemann]

> You are talking in very general terms, i am meant my question a little more specific. I think SAP is moving forward with MaxDB 7.7. NetWeaver EHP2 will require MaxDB 7.7.

Well, "require" in that case is rather a strategic decision than a functional one.

But be careful, I wrote: If you don't need any of the features, then stick with 7.6 as the upgrade won't provide any benefit.

Of course if you're going to install a new system, use 7.7 - no question about that.

> Also a simple NetWeaver installation will run just fine with default parameters, but for a BW instance a lot more effort is needed to maximize performance and stability.

>I dont think there is a BW system running on default MaxDB settings.

A lot more effort? What effort do you mean, besides installing the latest patch (20 min) and setting the parameters as recommended (again 20 min, depending on how used one is with the GUI).

And yes, there are BW systems running with default values. Not fast, but they are running fast enought (otherwise these customers would have changed the parameters earlier would they?)

So - if you really want to: go for the 7.7 version. Sure.

You definitively won't be the beta tester there as it's in use now for quite a while.

regards,

Lars