Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Don't book d-code yet, unless...

If you have ALREADY DECIDED to attend the d-code conference then HURRY UP AND REGISTER before Friday, August 1, 5:00 p.m. PDT if you want to save US$200 per person.

However, if you have NOT decided yet, then WAIT for a week or two because there might be an announcement that will cause you to skip d-code altogether.




Monday, July 28, 2014

SAAP Is Built On SQL Anywhere

SAAP, which stands for SAP Always Available Platform, is a new product being prepared for release in the fourth quarter of 2014. It consists of an SAP UI5 application using a SQL Anywhere database to provide local SAP ERP functionality at a remote site even when a network connection is not available. SAAP then uses MobiLink to synchronize the remote SQL Anywhere database with SAP ERP at headquarters when the network is available.

This is big news for SQL Anywhere... HANA is SAP's flagship database product, not SQL Anywhere, yet SAP is using SQL Anywhere to build a new component for its other flagship product (SAP ERP)... and once it's released SAAP will probably use all five products: SAP UI5, SQL Anywhere, MobiLink, SAP ERP and HANA.

SAP doesn't talk much about SQL Anywhere, but not only is SAP fully supporting SQL Anywhere, SAP is using it to build other products!

So far the only publicly-available documentation of SAAP is a 20-minute video of a presentation by Jay Marqua, CIO of the Vantage Drilling Company, at the Sapphire Now conference on June 3, 2014. In the video Jay talks about the successful proof-of-concept where Vantage and SAP Waterloo got together to build SAAP for use on Vantage's remote drill rigs...



Help Ensure Complete Functionality in Remote Environments

Put innovative software functionality to use anytime, anywhere, even in remote terrain. Rely on an always-available platform from SAP that provides comprehensive functionality even when disconnected. Take advantage of a simplified user interface that is fully extendable for any SAP software transaction.

Vantage Drilling's Story

Jay Marqua, CIO of Vantage Drilling, discusses how he worked closely with SAP to develop an always-available system that can deliver LAN-quality communications to offshore crews, transform corrective maintenance into predictive maintenance, avoid costly downtime, create a responsive inventory system, and deliver functionality wherever it’s needed.

...watch now >>

Here are a few screenshots from the video, with transcripts of the slides...

The Vantage Fleet 
- We have built a fleet of new, premium assets that
  our customers demand now and for the future.
- Cobalt Explorer, a 7th generation dual-
  activity UDW drillship equipped with (2) 
  seven-ram BOP's and 10,000 feet of riser, 
  scheduled for deliver in 2015, will be our 
  most technically advanced drillship.
- Jackup fleet has achieved approximately 99% 
  productive time for the first 60 months of operations.
- High-specification drillships combined with deep in-house operations and technical teams,  
  have been the key to awards to Vantage of high-profile, complex, ultra-deepwater projects.


SAAP Solution Challenges - Offshore drilling, high latency VSAT - Other industries with high latency communications - Remote locations (off shore and on) - Disconnected environments - Poor infrastructure, power outages, network instability, etc. - Any area with lack of redundant carrier networks in place
The SAAP Solution - Co-innovation solution between SAP and Vantage - Key tenets of the solution for Users: 1. LAN-based Speed 2. Complete functionality even when disconnected 3. Simplified user interface - Key Architectural tenets of the solution: - Make SAP functionality always available anytime, anywhere - Fully extendable for any SAP transaction - Applicable and extendable for other verticals - Rapid deployment - Build to be an SAP product
SAAP Solution Description - SQL Anywhere running on the rig as a distributed data store (remote database) - 'In the background' Mobilink Synchronization processes transactions to be executed in ECC - Processing between SAP and the SAAP-tables within SAP are via BAPIs in Exchange tables - The User on the rig uses UI5 (HTML5) to talk to the distributed database
SAAP Architecture Schematic On Rig Always Available App SQL Anywhere Database Server Reports and attachments TCPIP scheduled Periodic MobiLink client Synchronization using Internal Satellite Connection On Shore MobiLink Synchronization Server ODBC using database user SAP ECC on shore Staging Z-Table on the R3 MS SQL Scheduled ABAP SAP/R3 File share for Template deployment Reports and Attachments
Demo... sample screenshot 1 of 2 Demo... sample screenshot 2 of 2
SAAP Results - 100 SAAP facilitated transactions: MM, PM, IM - Developed, Tested, UAT, Deployed in the field - POC: 3 people, 3 rigs, 3 weeks - Rapid deployments. - Overnight on SAP rigs - 3 days when migrating from PM, MM, IM legacy systems
What do the Users think? 1. Fast 2. Easy to use 3. Always Available
SAAP plans going forward? - Some considerations for Development: - Continue to push more functionality offshore: MII, HSE, HCM, etc. - Predictive analytics and condition based maintenance - Business Results: - Save on training, TCO - Facilitates employee performance and business continuity - Accelerates user adoption - Proven foundation for providing more functionality with the goals of performance, systems continuity and cost savings
SAAP - SAAP approved to productized - Productization underway - Maintained by SAP support and maintenance - Product is planned to ship in Q4 - Potential Verticals - Oil and Gas - Aerospace and Defense - Transportation - Retail - Mining - Chemical

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Synchronization with HANA

This article seeks to prove the following bold claim:

It's easy to set up MobiLink to synchronize a SQL Anywhere database with HANA.
Yes, it IS easy, but not easy like walking to the kitchen and back, more like walking to work. In other words, there are a LOT of little steps, each one of them easy, but there's still a lot of them.
[...continued]


Monday, July 7, 2014

Hurry! Book d-code now! (or not)

The Conference-Formerly-Known-As-TechEd is now called d-code and it's scheduled for October 20–24 in Las Vegas... and Berlin in November, Bangalore in December.

For the Early Bird bargain of US $2,495 you get four (4) hours of SQL Anywhere and MobiLink...

DMM106 Introduction to SAP SQL Anywhere
Jason Hinsperger
SAP SQL Anywhere can be used as an effective companion to your current enterprise database to build mobile and embedded applications. This session includes an introduction to SAP SQL Anywhere and provides information on the compatibilities and differences with other SAP data management solutions including SAP HANA, SAP IQ, and SAP ASE.

DMM116 From Raspberry Pi to SAP HANA – SAP SQL Anywhere and the Internet of Things
Tom Slee
SAP HANA provides real-time analytics on data collected from large-scale networks in “Internet of Things” deployments. New single-board computers such as the popular Raspberry Pi provide easy and affordable ways to acquire data. This session explains how SAP SQL Anywhere links SAP HANA with a myriad of devices, with a focus on predictive maintenance.

DMM114 Synchronizing Data in SAP HANA Using SAP SQL Anywhere
Jason Hinsperger
By enabling mobile and remote applications to synchronize data with SAP HANA, companies gain a significant competitive advantage as decisions can be made using real-time available information. Learn how to design and implement a solution that acquires data from a wide range of applications and synchronizes that data to SAP HANA.

EA111 Enabling High Availability for the SAP BusinessObjects CMS Repository
Jose Ramos
High availability (HA) is vital for enterprise applications to ensure users do not experience costly downtime when a system fails. SAP SQL Anywhere is used as the embedded Central Management Server (CMS) database in SAP BusinessObjects. This session introduces you to SAP SQL Anywhere's HA functionality and implementing HA for the CMS repository.



OK, so maybe $2,495 is a bit [cough] steep for half a day with Jason, Tom and Jose...

...but wait!

A little bird told me there's going to be another SQL Anywhere Technical Summit just like there was two years ago.

Friday, July 4, 2014

Latest SQL Anywhere Updates: 16 for Linux, 11/12/16 for Windows

Current builds for the active platforms...

HP-UX     16.0.0.1824 (EBF 22791 SP11)        23 Apr 2014
 Itanium  12.0.1.4086 (EBF 22823 SP71)        24 Apr 2014
          11.0.1.3113 (EBF 22590 SP100)       18 Mar 2014     End of Life 31 May 2014

IBM AIX   16.0.0.1824 (EBF 22867 SP11)        25 Apr 2014   
          12.0.1.4086 (EBF 22955 SP71)        02 May 2014
          11.0.1.3113 (EBF 22660 SP100)       01 Apr 2014     End of Life 31 May 2014

Linux     16.0.0.1911 (EBF 23040 SP13)    *** 22 May 2014 ***
          On Demand 1.0.4613 (SP3)            13 Sep 2013
          12.0.1.4110 (EBF 23039 SP74)     *  21 May 2014  *
          12.0.1 Chinese,                     16 Apr 2013
                 Japanese Docs (Eclipse)      16 Apr 2013
          11.0.1.3113 (EBF 22587 SP100)       18 Mar 2014     End of Life 31 May 2014

Mac OS    16.0.0.1894 (EBF 22965 SP12)        09 May 2014
          12.0.1.4106 (EBF 22966 SP73)        12 May 2014
          11.0.1.2449 Update                  29 Jun 2010     End of Life 31 May 2014

Solaris   16.0.0.1911 (EBF 22980 SP13)     *  16 May 2014  *
 SPARC    12.0.1.4086 (EBF 22824 SP71)        28 Apr 2014
          11.0.1.3113 (EBF 22661 SP100)       01 Apr 2014>    End of Life 31 May 2014

Solaris   16.0.0.1824 (EBF 22792 SP11)        23 Apr 2014
 x64      12.0.1.4086 (EBF 22825 SP71)        28 Apr 2014
          11.0.1.3113 (EBF 22591 SP100)       18 Mar 2014     End of Life 31 May 2014

Windows   16.0.0.1915 (EBF 23041 SP14)    *** 22 May 2014 ***
          On Demand 1.0.4613 (SP3)            13 Sep 2013
          12.0.1.4124 (EBF 23182 SP75)    *** 26 Jun 2014 ***
          12.0.1 French,                      25 Sep 2012
                 English,                     25 Sep 2012
                 German,                      25 Sep 2012
                 Chinese,                     28 Mar 2013
                 Japanese Docs (HTML/PDF)     28 Mar 2013
          11.0.1.3158 (EBF 23111 SP101)   *** 26 Jun 2014 *** End of Life 31 May 2014 

Other Stuff...

 Older Updates

 Free support! Q&A forum
   ...or, call Tech Support

 SQL Anywhere...
   ...Sybase home page 
   ...SAP home page 
   ...SAP Developer Center 

 Buy SQL Anywhere 

 Developer Edition... 
   [16.0] [12.0.1(?)] [11.0.1]

 Download the Educational Edition 

 Supported Platforms...
   SQL Anywhere 
   Linux 
   OnDemand

 ODBC Drivers for MobiLink

The 3 asterisks "***" mark items have appeared on the Sybase website since the previous version of this page.

The single asterisks "*" mark items that first appeared on the previous version of this page.
  • Only the latest fully-supported versions of SQL Anywhere (11.0.1, 12.0.1, 16.0 and On Demand) are shown here.

  • Just because an older version or different platform isn't "fully supported" any more doesn't mean you can't download files (or ask questions, or get help), it just means there won't be any more new Updates released.