Installation of Dialog Instance (DI)

[joo_migueldimas]

Hello gurus,

My main goal is install an ABAP Dialog Instance (DI) on a diferent host/server than the Central Instance (CI) is installed!

We have an ECC 6.0 ABAP + JAVA (ABAP is non-unicode) on Windows Server 2003 x64 with SQL Server 2008 and we need a dialog instance (application server) to distribute SAP workload! I know that is possible to install a dialog instance on the same physical server with database server where is already installed the central instance... but what we want is simple, is install it not in the same server but on separate machine/server. We already have the other server that will be for the dialog instance, this is a Windows Server 2003 but this is a x32 bits!! (Is there any problem with this? It´s possible install a dialog instance in x32 bits server?!)

Other question... before installation of dialog instance I have to install a database? or a client database which will comunicate with main database on central instance / server ? If so, I don´t know but it is possible to install a database client SQL Server 2008 on Windows Server 2003 that runs X32 bits ?? I guess not... only SQL versions 2000 / 2005 isn´t it?

So, when I read the installation guide of SAP ERP 6.0 SR3 I only find there a short reference to Dialog Instance Installation and that is in fact a very little reference to this process! For instance, in this guide there is a reference to a dialog instance installation such a MSCS landscape...:

"
You have to install at least one dialog instance for MSCS. You have the following options to install the dialog instance:
..."

... but we don´t want install it in MSCS (cluester) because we don´t have a cluster configuration between this two windows servers and besides that we don´t want to have it!!

We only want install a Dialog Instance in an existing Central Instance between two windows servers in same network!

Can you help me to clarify this questions...?

Thanks in advance,

Best regards,

João Dimas - Portugal

[Former Member]

As per Matt Instructions you can start : DB - Client Installation / SAPInst => Additional Application

But I want to put some points on (application server) to distribute SAP workload

For this you really need a 64bit which I hope your hardware too support as you CI / DB will be on 64 isn't it ?. Also it's benificial for the resource too (multithreading/cpu/memmory etc.,) Just observe you 32bit for some time again you realize that it's not worth of handling the load then again you go for the additional DI... and I hope you also seggregated your users (module wise) on DI or upcoming DI's

Regards;

[Former Member]

Hi João,

Application server installation is found under Software Lifecycle Options in sapinst. See, for example, page 102 in the Installation Guide.

Best Regards,

Matt

[joo_migueldimas]

Hi Matt Kangas,

I read that, and I know that option is on SAPInst wizard...

But you didn´t answer some questions that I asked which are not described anywhere even in installation guide!

If you don´t mind to answer... thank you in advance.

Kind regards,

João Dimas - Portugal

[Former Member]

Hi João,

>but what we want is simple, is install it not in the same server but on separate machine/server

Actually, this is the "original" way to install application servers. Installing multiple application servers on the same server is a "newer" feature.

>It´s possible install a dialog instance in x32 bits server?

Yes, but care must be taken to properly distribute the kernel executables.

>Other question... before installation of dialog instance I have to install a database? or a client database which will comunicate with main database on central instance / server ?

Client software is installed on the application server, not a database.

>We only want install a Dialog Instance in an existing Central Instance between two windows servers in same network!

Yes, this is why you need to choose the path under Software Lifecycle Options and not under HA.

Best Regards,

Matt

[joo_migueldimas]

Many thanks Matt Kangas,

Now I can understand with more clarity some things...!!

What I have to do is run the master installation DVD in future server that it will have the dialog instance... as I said that is a X32 server and so I have to run the master installation for X32 (ERP 6.0 SR3), isn´t it?

Other thing Matt... when you warn me for the distribution kernel executables... what do you meant? I've never seen a system with both instances (CI and DI) installed, but this two will share the kernel files?

Regarding database client... I only have install the SQL Server software on dialog instance server/machine!! But I think I will find a problem... this is a X32 machine so I think (correct me if I´m wrong) that is impossible to install SQL Server 2008 in X32 machines, it only supports X64 bits, if so it´s possible with other SQL version, like 2005 (SP3)? As I said, the database in CI machine/server is installed on version SQL Server 2008, so there is some problem in having a diferent client database version installed on DI server/machine (X32)?

Best regards,

João Dimas - Portugal

[Former Member]

Hi João,

My initial answers are about mixed/heterogeneous installations in general (which is what this would be -- different OS's). What I did not check is the Product Availability Matrix. For Windows 2008 32-bit is not supported, so you do not have an option here, you must go with 64-bit application servers.

In an environment with multiple application servers there is a program that runs at startup called sapcpe that will synchronize the binaries between the CI and the DI's. In a heterogeneous environment these exe's are different, so you have to make sure that the do not get synchronized or the app server will not startup.

Best Regards,

Matt

[joo_migueldimas]

Ok Matt Kangas,

Ahh Ok Matt... I didn´t realized that you was refered to a Heterogeneous installation... and in fact, I never knew it was possible to have a Central Instance (CI) in a server A with Windows Server and a Dialog Instance (DI) in a server B with Linux Enterprise (that was an example!)... And it is possible to do that with different Database (for e.g. SQL Server (CI) with Oracle (DI))?

Best regards,

João Dimas - Portugal

[Former Member]

Hi,

> And it is possible to do that with different Database (for e.g. SQL Server (CI) with Oracle (DI))?

Think a little bit more : how an Oracle client could connect to an SQL server database ?

Regards,

Olivier