What Does SAP R/3 Involve?
SAP R/3, SAP stands for System Application and Product for data processing. In German language it stands for “Systeme, Anwendungen und Produkte in der Datenverarbeitung“.
SAP R/3 doesnt mean Release 3, but represents 3-tier. R/2 means 2-tiers. Three-tier means system capability to build all three SAP component into different host of servers, the components are database server (any database DB2, Oracle, MSSQL, MaxDB etc), application server (SAP engine), and presentation server (GUI, Frontend, SAP browser).
SAP R/3
Fully Implemented Three Tier Client/Server Architecture
Involves All of the Major Business Cycles: Procurement, Financial Accounting, Sales, Logistics, HR, Production Planning, Asset Mgmt.. Fully Integrated Data Model (Non-redundant Data)
- Application Processing (I.e. Middleware) is Totally Scaleable
- Database Server Primarily Runs on UNIX, However NT Server is a Second Preferred Platform
- Applications Servers Run on UNIX & Windows/NT
- Presentation Servers – Windows, Windows/95, Windows/NT, Apple MAC, UNIX (X-Windows)
- 75,000,000 Lines of Source Code
- Over 7,000 Separate Relations (over 10,000 logical tables, nearly 8000 physical tables)
Why is SAP R/3 so Important?
- Forces a Consolidation of Diverse IS Systems
- Total Change in Doing Business – Redesign Business Process Around the Information System
- Main Vehicle for Re-engineering Business Processes using Best Practices
- ERPs are described by Some as the Second Major Revolution in Computer History
- Adopted by Most Large Corporations (80% of Fortune 500)
- ALL Business processes draw on same database
- Rules are configurable and drive data integrity
- Operates in many languages
- Translates currency “automatically”
- Documents workflow, business processes and the data in one set of models that are highly integrated
- Integrates several views of data: transactions, managerial, decision support or executive
- Fully customizable
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