Basic difference between WAS and Netweaver

[Former Member]

I justwant to a know a basic fundamental question. What is the basic difference between web application server and Netweaver. I am always geting confused in these two terms. Can anybody please explain?

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi,

NetWeaver is:

An application and integration platform that unifies people, information and business processes

New technical foundation for all future SAP applications

A replacement for BASIS framework

A platform that is based on Enterprise Services Architecture (ESA); SAP hopes to release future product offerings in compliance with ESA

NetWeaver is NOT:

A product or a language

A replacement for SAP R/3!

A marketing strategy

The SAP Web Application Server is the technical platform for SAP NetWeaver, providing the complete infrastructure to develop, deploy and run all SAP NetWeaver components, the mySAP Business Suite, customer- developed applications and 3rd-party J2EE 1.3 compliant applications.

SAP Web AS fully supports both the proven ABAP technology and the open source internet-driven technologies—Java and Java 2 Enterprise Edition, also called J2EE.

[Former Member]

I used to work for SAP and I can tell you that the difference between WAS and Netwever are mearly marketing terms used to sell more software. Is there more Java functionality in 7.0? Yes, but the product still runs and is maintained in the same fashion. Please do not get caught up on the new "name of the day"

[Former Member]

Well, I would say Web AS and Netweaver are analogous to Visual Basic and .NET. Or, you can even compare it with NOKIA and GSM (to make it more easy to understand).

Netweaver is a technology whereas, Web AS is one of the SAP components which, provides foundation to most of the other components from SAP that integrates the Netweaver technology to collaborate other components. This make SAP an one stop shop for most of the enterprises in the world.

Web AS (Web Application Server) was previously called 'SAP BASIS'. But, from the point when SAP made a business decision to combine Java and make its product 'web enabled', they changed the name from 'SAP BASIS' to 'SAP Web AS'. The last SAP version on BASIS was R/3 4.7 Extension Set 2.00. Web Application Server emerged from Web AS 6.10 and all the way till Web AS 6.40. For Netweaver 2004s, they changed the Web AS to 'Netweaver Application Server' version 7.00.

Hope this helps.

[Former Member]

SAP NetWeaver is the basis for SAP solutions. mySAP Business Suite is one example of a solution that uses all key capabilities of SAP NetWeaver.

SAP Netweaver includes different components : BI, MDM,EP,XI,WAS,MI..

Web Application Server WAS is a component of SAP Netweaver. It is the runtime platform which executes the abap and java applications. The sap basis component of SAP products is replaced by Web AS. It includes both J2ee engine and Abap engine.

Reward points if useful.

Regards,

Sandeep.