General Question: What is "SAP Application" and What is "SAP Component"?

[Former Member]

I'm having a hard time understanding the context of SAP Application and SAP Component. When we say SAP ERP6 it is clearly that it is an application since we can install it as a "server". But when we say SAP SCM it can be a component or SAP ERP6 and we can install a server of SAP SCM. In this case it can be both?

SAP Netweaver Application is a application but SAP Netweaver Portal is an component? This confuses me.

How to differentiate between an "SAP Application" and "SAP Component"? Can you give me a couple of examples. Thanks in advance. Please correct me if I'm wrong

regards,

MJ

[Former Member]

Dear MJ,

Basically, sometimes these terms are being used interchangably and hence you have this confusion.

All SAP systems are applications, whether it is ECC or SCM or BI or EP or whatever.

A component is basically something that is a part of a larger picture. For instance, you may call ECC a component when you are looking at a bigger landscape where you have ECC along with other systems.

Technically speaking, components put together form an application and thus it is only a matter of your perspective.

Regards,

Shitij