Should Your Business Run Sap On Linux Or Windows?
SAP can be remarkably helpful with streamlining your business’s day-to-day operations. As with any other piece of software, though, the operating system you choose to run SAP on will affect its performance.
So, should your business run SAP on Linux vs. Windows? Here’s the rundown you need to help you decide.
What is SAP?
SAP, which stands for System Analysis Program, is a company of German origin that focuses on enterprise resource planning or ERP. For those up-and-coming techies, ERP means creating a single digital platform that integrates all aspects of business processing.
SAP stores data from employees and customers across a centralized database. The goal is to improve accessibility to that data within the company while maintaining security. The system also gives insights into enterprise functions as they’re happening.
Using SAP has been shown to improve productivity and efficiency, which means higher profits overall.
Running SAP on Linux
There are a few benefits to running SAP on Linux that might sway your decision.
Firstly, the operating system is designed to be workload intensive. Linux was designed with high-load professions in mind and is maintained for that demographic. The infrastructure is also inherently more flexible and capable of running SAP on-site, in the cloud, or a hybrid environment for peak performance.
On top of that, Linux is exceptionally secure. Being a less common operating system means that its developers have more time and less hassle integrating fixes for common vulnerabilities and exposures, or CVEs.
Linux also won’t require multiple reboots to solve CVEs, which means that it’s easier to keep your work environment within standard regulatory practices and policies while keeping your work moving in real-time.
Finally, Linux offers multivendor support for its SAP environment. IBM, Red Hat, and SAP work together to bring the best possible solutions to their clients. With this in mind, the Linux version of SAP will be the first updated. When support is needed, technical difficulties with SAP on Linux will be easier to resolve, given that this in-memory database is the first out-of-the-gate update-wise.
Running SAP on Windows
As with Linux, Windows offers many benefits when it comes to running SAP.
Using Windows to run SAP for your business can be cheaper in the long run. Microsoft’s Azure has shown a massive reduction in data center costs and delays, which can reduce overall losses. It’s also integrated with scaling and optimized disaster recovery.
It’s also a more popular and accessible operating system, which can mean a wider pool of support resources in the case of CVEs. It’s easier to troubleshoot issues with the platform through Windows’s extensive technical support backlog.
Additionally, Windows’s cloud services constantly evolve with modern technology and now utilize machine learning to improve their security and effectiveness when gathering analytics for your company.
Windows’s Azure system has coverage around the world in 54 regions. Microsoft has repeatedly expressed its dedication to growing a scalable, well-integrated SAP environment for its users.
Should your business run SAP on Linux or Windows?
If your company is looking to manage extremely high peak loads and is located in a region with a low population density, Windows will probably be the best option. Why? For one, you’ll have more and better access to support when you need it.
If your company is in a populous region, Linux is likely to be the right choice. Their prospects with the future of SAP are more promising, given their direct partnership.
Which one you choose will ultimately be based on your business’s individual needs regarding traffic and location. Overall, Linux is a slightly better choice to run SAP for your business than Windows if you’re concerned about maintaining the system over many years, but Windows’s prospects are slowly improving.
Both operating systems can run SAP effectively and show marked improvement in your business’s workflow. The difference is in deciding whether you value security and consistent growth over availability and new integration.
Conclusion
Understanding how to best improve your company’s digital infrastructure and organization between Linux vs. Windows is a big part of managing growth in the modern world. Using SAP is a step in the right direction, but the first step in being an effective manager is choosing the correct operating system.
From there, maintaining proper ERP is essential to fostering a good customer and employee experience, as it prevents time-consuming and costly delays and errors from occurring due to data mismanagement.
With the help of companies like SAP and their partners, your business can manage all of its processes quickly and easily, no matter what operating system you choose.