cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

System-i 2-tier or 3-tier administration effort required

Former Member
0 Kudos

We are installing SAP ERP 6.0, SAP NetWeaver BI 7.0, SAP NetWeaver Portal 7.0 and NetWeaver PI 7,1 on iSeries/Systemi. We are having discussions about landscape and we have different views:

a) 2 tier

b) 3 tier with central instance on database server

c) 3 tier with central instance on application server

Anyone got any information they can give on the administration effort involved with the 3 options. Basically pro's and con's for each option.

Regards

Accepted Solutions (0)

Answers (5)

Answers (5)

Former Member
0 Kudos

Add another vote for 2-tier.

The database is integrated into the OS in the iSeries. Therefore having a separate Database server makes little sense.

Former Member
0 Kudos

We at Plastipak have always run 2 tier and it extremely reliable. But I ask could I not put an application instance on a server in a Windows environment and off load a few of the processes to that application server. So this would leave the central instance and the database server as 2 tier and an ancillary server to take some of the load off. Would this not off load some of the work off the 2 tier and to a departmental server as 3 tier?

Former Member
0 Kudos

As a generalisation people like the iSeries for its flexibility and ease of use. Consequently anything that takes away from that is not so good.

So I would be with everyone else on this - 2-tier is a easy and clean way to support SAP. There is normally enough for a IT Dept. to do supporting the different SAP landscapes you might have (Dev, QA, Sandbox, Training.....) without creating a few more systems to patch, upgrade etc. The ability to consolidate is one of the joys of the System i.

I can think of a few reasons why you might consider 3 tier - but they are all pretty specific. For example, on a large SAP installation which for a 2-tier solution would require many processors, if capital costs were tight if you could save i5/OS costs by splitting out the application servers into their own partitions. Then it is possible to use i5/OS Application Server Licenses for these partitions (5722 & 5761-SSB). This is the 'i5/OS without a database' license.

Another example would be if you were going to experience rapid growth and were on a platform that you didn't want to change but had limited expansion capabilities?

Multiple application servers can help with availability.

All these are reasons to consider 3-tier - but they compromise the simplicity and cost of ownership value propositions of the System i. I hope this helps.

Former Member
0 Kudos

Hi Peter,

if you want to have an easy to use and good performing environment, you should strictly focus on 2-tier !!!

Otherwise, it will be possible, but far more complicated ...

Regards

Volker Gueldenpfennig, consolut international ag

http://www.consolut.de - http://www.4soi.de - http://www.easymarketplace.de

teddylv_andersen2
Active Participant
0 Kudos

Hi Peter.

Fully agree with Volker.

We are currently runnning ERP, PI, EP, SLD and SolMan in one partition. We are also planning to move our BI system from a seperate partioion having all systems in only one partision. All systems running 2 tiers.

Best regards,

Teddy

Former Member
0 Kudos

Hi Peter,

2-tier architecture is best for always.But depend on your requirements.

2- tier can mantain easy. But 3-tier is complicated. addtional response you need to take like Opticonnect (IBM licensed).

So best you go 2-tier architecture.

Thanks

Jibin.

Former Member
0 Kudos

Hi,

three is no such pros and cons for using two tier or three tier system landscape. it's all depends on requirements.

you can check SAP Note 484548 - iSeries: 3 tier system installation as reference.

regards,

kaushal