3/17/26, 6:30 AM

SAP HANA Server Installation and Update

Guide
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SAP HANA Platform | 2.0 SPS 08

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Tutorials
The following tutorials are a sampling of general use cases, which illustrate the functionality and versatility of the SAP HANA
database lifecycle manager.

Tutorial: Automating Installation

Installation automation is designed for those who are familiar with SAP HANA, and are installing it regularly, in various production
environments. In particular, installation automation refers to installing SAP HANA systems using batch mode and a combination of
a configuration file and call options passed on the command line.

Introduction to Installation Automation

With the SAP HANA database lifecycle manager (HDBLCM), it is now possible to automate installation by using a combination of
the configuration file, command line options, and batch mode, so that an SAP HANA system installation can be executed once
without any follow-up selection.

To illustrate the purpose of installation automation, let us assume there is a hardware partner who offers SAP HANA platforms
(SAP HANA system installed on SAP verified hardware) in three sizes: Small, Large, and Extra Large.

Since the hardware partner prepares the SAP HANA platform on-demand, he needs to be able to react quickly to orders as they
are placed. During slow sales periods, manual installation is feasible, however during busy sales periods, manual installation could
create too much overhead. In this case, installation automation would allow the hardware partner to start as many installation
copies as required, without any further interaction with the installer. It would even be possible for the partner to start the
installation near the end of the business day, leave the installation, and ship out the order the next morning.

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The hardware partner automates the installation of nine SAP HANA systems (1 Extra Large, 5 Large, and 3 Small). Previously, he
has created configuration files for each of the three system types. So, when several orders come in at the same time, he fine tunes
his installation script to include the number of systems and calls the SAP HANA database lifecycle manager using the command-
line interface with the configuration file parameter in batch mode. When the installation script is run, SAP HANA is installed on
both the single-host and multiple-host systems, without any additional input. By reusing the same configuration files, the
installations are reliable, flexible, and efficient.

Step 1: Prepare for automation with the automation checklist.

Automation is ideal for installations that run unattended. Before you start an automated installation, it is recommended to
consider the following.

For All System Types

Do the operating system and additional software components meet Refer to the SAP HANA Hardware and Software Requirements.
the requirements?

Do you know where the data volumes and the log volumes will be For security reasons, the data device and log device should not be
located? the same. Refer to the SAP HANA System Types.

Where will the required file systems be located and is the storage Refer to the Recommended File System Layout.
sufficient?

Have you performed a hardware check? The installer performs a hardware check before installation, for
automated installation it is recommended to perform a manual
hardware check first. Refer to the Hardware and Software
Requirements.

Where will you specify passwords? SYSTEM, <sid>adm, and root passwords must be specified in the
configuration file or in an XML file. Refer to the Specifying

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Passwords information.

For the Multiple-Host System Type Only

How many worker hosts and standby hosts will there be? How will System processes and data are distributed among worker hosts,
they be grouped? including the original host. Standby hosts do not perform tasks.
Refer to the Multiple-Host System Concepts.

How will storage devices be configured? External storage can be configured so that hosts have shared or
non-shared access. Refer to the Multiple-Host System Concepts.

The root user name must be the same for all hosts in a multiple- If not, the root_user parameter must be specified during
host system. Will the root user name for all hosts be "root"? installation. Refer to the root_user parameter information.

Step 2: Review the installation scenario.

In order to provide flexibility, it is possible to install the same SAP HANA system in several ways. The differences between
installation methods are best depicted through a one-to-one comparison of the same system installed with each available method.

In the following example, there is a hardware partner who plans to install several SAP HANA single-host systems. His desired
system has the following specifications:

System name: P01

Instance number: 01

Installation path: /hana/shared

Data path: /hana/data/P01

Log path: /hana/log/P01

User group ID: 110

He has several customers who have pre-ordered the single-host SAP HANA P01 system and he is expecting more P01 orders. His
goal is to iteratively improve his installation method to the point that he can automate his ideally configured system installation on
several hosts at the same time, come back later, and the installed SAP HANA platforms will be finished and ready to ship. To reach
his goal, he installs the same system (P01) three times, using:

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Command line options

Configuration file

Configuration file in batch mode

Step 3: Create a test installation by installing the system using command line
options.

Since the hardware partner is still new to installing SAP HANA, he tries out the installation first from the command line. He reviews
the installation parameters and finds the corresponding parameter key-value pairs for his desired P01 single-host system.

System Detail Specification Command Line Parameter

System name P01 --sid=P01

Instance number 01 --number=01

Installation path /hana/shared --sapmnt=/hana/shared

Data path /hana/data/P01 --datapath=/hana/data/P01

Log path /hana/log/P01 --logpath=/hana/log/P01

User group ID 110 --groupid=110

The hardware partner takes the parameter key-value pairs, and builds the command line input as follows:

./hdblcm --sid=P01 --number=01 --groupid=110 --sapmnt=/hana/shared --datapath=/hana/data/P01 --logp

Upon review of the parameter syntax, he realizes he did not need to specify sapmnt, datapath, or logpath parameters
because he chose the default values. The rest of the parameters could also have been given the short-form syntax. Therefore, the
same P01 system installation could be simplified to the following syntax:

./hdblcm –s P01 –n 01 –G 110

System Detail Specification Simplified Command Line Parameter

System name P01 -s P01

Instance number 01 -n 01

Installation path /hana/shared <default>

Data path /hana/data/P01 <default>

Log path /hana/log/P01 <default>

User group ID 110 -G 110

Step 4: Create a test installation by installing the system using the configuration
file.
Now that the hardware partner successfully installed from the command line, he wants to make use of the configuration file, since
his end goal is to automate the installation.

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He generates a template of the configuration file:

./hdblcm --action=install --dump_configfile_template=/home/root/HANA_install.cfg

He opens the blank configuration file template and fills it in as follows:

HANA_install.cfg# SAP HANA System ID

sid=P01

# Instance Number (Default: 00)

number=01
…
# ID of User Group 'sapsys'
Groupid=110

If you want to run the installation with a configuration file and you do not want be asked interactively for specific parameters, you
can either provide a fixed value in the configuration file or set the value to USE_DEFAULT to use the paramater's default value.
Example addhosts=USE_DEFAULT.

You can specify a new default value for a parameter to be used in interactive mode using the following syntax:
<parameter>::DEFAULT=<new_default_value>.

Since it was already discovered that only the SID, instance number, and group ID differ from the default values, only they are
specified in the configuration file. The hardware partner also realizes that there is automatic substitution of the SID (sid) and
installation path (sapmnt) throughout the configuration file according to default values (for example, datapath default:
/hana/data/${<sid>}), so he does not need to append the SID (in this case, P01) to the paths.

Now, he can start the installer from the command line with the following simple command:

./hdblcm --configfile=/home/root/HANA_install.cfg

Step 5: Automate the system installation using the configuration file in batch mode

Now the hardware partner can take the last step of automation with the SAP HANA lifecycle management tool hdblcm and use
batch mode. It is important to note, up this point the hardware partner has been interactively entering passwords and confirming
other default parameters as part of interactive mode. Batch mode runs the installer without asking for any confirmation or
parameter entry, thereby allowing installation to run to completion from one push of a button.

There are two choices for password entry in batch mode. Either the passwords can be stored in an XML file and passed to the
installer as a stream by standard input, or they can be specified in the configuration file. Since the hardware partner is already
making use of the configuration file, he decides to enter the passwords there. The only mandatory parameters in batch mode are
the SID and passwords, so he checks the other defaults of the mandatory installation values before continuing the installation. In
batch mode, the installer accepts default values for any unspecified parameters.

With the addition of passwords to the configuration file, it now looks like this:

HANA_install.cfg# Root User Password

root_password=Root1234
...
# SAP HANA System ID
sid=P01

# Instance Number (Default: 00)

number=01
...
# ID of User Group 'sapsys'

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Groupid=110
...
# SAP Host Agent (sapadm) Password
sapadm_password=Agent1234
...
# System Administrator Password
password=Adm1234
....
# Database User (SYSTEM) Password
system_user_password=Sys1234

Now, the partner starts the installer, this time with the addition of the batch mode parameter, -b (or --batch):

./hdblcm --configfile=/home/root/HANA_install.cfg -b

Related Information
Getting Started with SAP HANA System Installation
SAP HANA Hardware and Software Requirements
SAP HANA System Types
Recommended File System Layout
Specifying Passwords
root_user
Multiple-Host System Concepts

Tutorial: Using Custom Configuration Files

During system installation, customized SAP HANA configuration (*.ini) files can be placed inside a dedicated directory that is
specified using the custom_cfg parameter.

Context
Custom configuration files can be placed inside a custom configuration folder. These files are used during installation to override
default settings. This reduces the number of restarts during installation and facilitates configuration of the SAP HANA system.

Procedure
1. Create an empty directory that will contain your custom configuration files. The configuration files will be copied to the
following directory before system start and will override the default settings:
<sapmnt>/<SID>/global/hdb/custom/config

2. Create your own configuration files (*.ini) inside the custom configuration files directory. Alternatively, you can copy
existing files from another system to re-use a tested configuration. For more information on configuration files, see
Configuring SAP HANA System Properties (INI Files) in the SAP HANA Administration Guide.

3. Now the installer can be called from the command line.

./hdblcm --action=install --custom_cfg=<path to directory containing custom configuration fil

Related Information
custom_cfg
Configuring SAP HANA System Properties (INI Files)

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Tutorial: Installing a Multiple-Host System Using a Configuration

File in Batch Mode
The following use case installs a multiple-host system, with two hosts (both worker). The installer reads the parameters from a
configuration file. The installation is run in batch mode, so that once the installation is started, both host installations are
configured without any further input required.

Procedure
1. The following are the relevant parameters for the SAP HANA server. They are specified in a combination of command line
options and configuration file:

Parameter Input Location Specified

Passwords Configuration file

# Root User Password
root_password=Root1234
...
# SAP Host Agent (sapadm)
Password sapadm_password=Agent1234
...
# System Administrator
Password password=Adm1234
....
# Database User (SYSTEM) Password
system_user_password=Sys1234

action Call option

--action=install

sid Configuration file

sid=ABC

number Configuration file

number=01

root_user Configuration file

root_user=sysroot

addhosts Configuration file

addhosts=hananode1

configfile Call option

--configfile=/home/sysroot/[Link]

batch Call option

-b

userid Configuration file

userid=55

groupid Configuration file

groupid=110

storage_cfg Configuration file

storage_cfg=/home/sysroot/storage

2. The reusable installation parameter values are saved in the following configuration file:

[Server]
# Additional Hosts
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addhosts=hananode1

# Root User Name (Default: root)

root_user=sysroot

# Root User Password

root_password=Root1234

# SAP HANA System ID

sid=ABC

# Instance Number (Default: <next available number>)

number=01

# SAP Host Agent (sapadm) Password

sapadm_password=Agent1234

# System Administrator Password

password=Adm1234

# System Administrator User ID (Default: <next available number>)

userid=55

# ID of User Group 'sapsys' (Default: 79)

groupid=110

# Directory containing a storage configuration

storage_cfg=/home/sysroot/storage

# Database User (SYSTEM) Password

system_user_password=Sys1234

3. Now the installer can be called from the command line, with the remaining parameters read from the configuration file. The
installation is run in batch mode, so no follow-up confirmation is required.

./hdblcm --action=install --configfile=/home/sysroot/[Link] -b

Tutorial: Overwriting Configuration File Parameters with

Command Line Parameters
The following use case uses the same configuration file as above. However, this time, the desired system deviates slightly from the
one defined the configuration file. By specifying parameters in the command line which are already specified in the configuration
file, the configuration file settings are effectively overwritten. The command line parameters take precedence over the
configuration file parameters.

Procedure
1. The following are the desired parameters for the SAP HANA server. They are specified in a combination of command-line
and configuration file:

Parameter Input Location Specified Used for

Installation

Passwords Configuration file yes

# Root User Password
root_password=Root1234
...
# SAP Host Agent (sapadm)
Password sapadm_password=Agent1234
...
# System Administrator
Password password=Adm1234

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Parameter Input Location Specified Used for

Installation

....
# Database User (SYSTEM) Password
system_user_password=Sys1234

action CLI yes

--action=install

sid Configuration file no

sid=ABC

sid CLI yes

--sid=DB1

number Configuration file no

number=01

number CLI yes

-n 01

root_user Configuration file yes

root_user=sysroot

addhosts Configuration file no

addhosts=hananode1

addhosts CLI yes

--addhosts=hananode1,hananode2:role=standby

configfile CLI yes

--configfile=/home/sysroot/hdblcm_SPS7.cfg

batch CLI yes

-b

userid Configuration file yes

userid=55

groupid Configuration file yes

groupid=110

storage_cfg Configuration file no

storage_cfg=/home/sysroot/storage

storage_cfg CLI yes

--storage_cfg=/home/sysroot/storage_new

2. The reusable installation parameter values are saved in the following configuration file:

[Server]
# Additional Hosts
addhosts=hananode1

# Root User Name (Default: root)

root_user=sysroot

# Root User Password

root_password=Root1234

# SAP HANA System ID

sid=ABC

# Instance Number (Default: <next available number>)

number=01

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# SAP Host Agent (sapadm) Password
sapadm_password=Agent1234

# System Administrator Password

password=Adm1234

# System Administrator User ID (Default: <next available number>)

userid=55

# ID of User Group 'sapsys' (Default: 79)

groupid=110

# Directory containing a storage configuration

storage_cfg=/home/sysroot/storage

# Database User (SYSTEM) Password

system_user_password=Sys1234

If you want to run the installation with a configuration file and you do not want be asked interactively for specific
parameters, you can either provide a fixed value in the configuration file or set the value to USE_DEFAULT to use the
paramater's default value. Example addhosts=USE_DEFAULT.

You can specify a new default value for a parameter to be used in interactive mode using the following syntax:
<parameter>::DEFAULT=<new_default_value>.

 Example
sid::DEFAULT=ABC

3. Now the installer can be called from the command line, with the remaining parameters read from the configuration file. The
installation is run in batch mode, so no follow-up confirmation is required.

./hdblcm --action=install -n 01 --sid=DB1 --addhosts=hananode1,hananode2:role=standby --stora

Tutorial: Installing a Single-Host System with Passwords Read

from XML Standard Input Stream
The following use case installs a single-host system. The installer reads the parameters from the command line, and the passwords
from a standard input stream. The installation is run in batch mode, so that once the installation is started, the host is configured
without any further input required.

Context

This tutorial describes how passwords are supplied to the SAP HANA database lifecycle manager in an XML file in which
passwords are stored as plain text. For security reasons, you may want to consider providing encrypted passwords along with a
tool that decrypts the passwords and passes them to the standard input stream of the SAP HANA database lifecycle manager in
XML format.

Procedure
1. The following are the desired parameters for the SAP HANA server, to be entered in command line in combination with the
call to the installer.

Parameter Input Location Specified

Passwords Call Option

--read_password_from_stdin=xml

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Parameter Input Location Specified

sid Call Option

--sid=P02

number Call Option

--number=01

root_user Call Option

--root_user=sysroot

batch Call Option

--batch

2. The following password file is prepared with the accepted XML syntax:

hdb_passwords.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Passwords>
<password><![CDATA[Adm1234]]></password>
<sapadm_password><![CDATA[Agent1234]]></sapadm_password>
<system_user_password><![CDATA[Sys1234]]></system_user_password>
<root_password><![CDATA[Root1234]]></root_password>
</Passwords>

 Note
Make sure to set the appropriate file permissions.

3. Now the installer can be called from the command line, with the passwords read from a standard input stream. The
installation is run in batch mode, so no follow-up confirmation is required.

cat ~/hdb_passwords.xml | ./hdblcm --sid=P02 --number 01 --root_user=sysroot --read_password_

Related Information
read_password_from_stdin

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