WHAT IS SAP BASIS AN

AND WHAT DO SAP

ADMINISTRATORS DO?
An increasing number of companies across the world are adopting SAP to
run their businesses. Governing all SAP apapplications
plications and systems is SAP
Basis, a common administrative platform for handling all SAP
SAP-based
based
applications. Understanding the basics of Basis, including its roles and
responsibilities, can help young professionals explore a promising career in
the field of SAP. In this Document
Document,, we help you understand the
fundamentals of Basis, the differences between some common SAP
terminologies and the various roles and certifications available under Basis.
WHAT IS SAP BASIS?
SAP Basis is an administrative platform tha
thatt works as an operating system
for SAP and ABAP applications. It is the backbone for the entire SAP
landscape and ensures that all systems in the environment are working at
their optimal capacity. SAP stands for Systems, Applications & Products in
Data Processing
cessing while BASIS stands for Business Application Software
Integrated Solution. Basis administrators are involved in maintenance,
system upgrade, setting up of system jobs, monitoring and analysing
system logs and other administrative activities.
DIFFERENCES
NCES BETWEEN BASIS, SAP HANA, SAP
SECURITY AND SAP ABA
ABAP
HANA stands for High-Performance
Performance Analytic Appliance. SAP HANA is a
database developed by SAP that features an in in-memory
memory architecture. The
in-memory
memory architecture allows for faster extraction of informa
information
tion compared
to traditional hard-drive
drive storage. Newer versions of SAP HANA leverage
technologies, like Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things, for more
advanced capabilities. SAP applications work best with the SAP HANA
database, but they can work on other database systems as well. Basis is
an administrative platform for all SAP environments, from SAP R/3 to the
latest SAP S/4HANA. Basis ensures the smooth running of the entire SAP
landscape.
ABAP stands for Advanced Business Application Progra
Programming.
mming. It is a
programming language that is used by SAP to develop most of its
applications. ABAP programs run on SAP's Netweaver ABAP application
server, which is monitored and administered in Basis. ABAP programmers
and developers customize SAP applications to suit various business
requirements. SAP Security focuses on internal security and access rights
for users. Initially, a subset of Basis, it has evolved into a full-fledged role
considering complex business rules for data access. SAP Security ensures
that access rules are compliant and in line with federal laws and
regulations.
WHAT DO SAP ADMINISTRATORS DO?
SAP administrators do everything to ensure that the SAP environment is
running at its optimal capacity. They monitor and troubleshoot various SAP
components and systems, and ensure that all modules communicate
properly with each other. SAP admins are also involved in configuring the
environment to meet various user needs. A SAP admin may do anything
from the simplest administrative tasks to highly complex ones. Below are
the important tasks and responsibilities carried out by SAP administrators
INSTALLATION OF SAP DATABASE AND
APPLICATIONS
SAP administrators are responsible for the planning, preparation and
installation of SAP applications onto an organisation's servers. They help
monitor and troubleshoot performance and start-up issues, customize
settings or take care of software logistics in the SAP landscape. In short,
they take care of installing, arranging and maintaining all SAP-related
components. SAP admins also work to ensure that the platform is running
at its optimal capacity and that all modules are communicating effectively
with each other as needed.
EXECUTION OF SAP OPERATIONAL TASKS
SAP admins are involved in day-to-day operational tasks occurring in the
SAP environment. This may include tasks like setup and configuration,
error handling, troubleshooting, object transport, problem resolution, load
balancing and performance tuning. Admins perform additional tasks, like
scheduling and overseeing the backup and restoration processes of SAP
systems. They are also involved in creating, testing and planning disaster
recovery with respect to SAP servers.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND ADMINISTRATION
Supporting and troubleshooting SAP systems is an important task for SAP
admins. Apart from taking care of operational tasks, SAP admins configure,
monitor and tune the SAP environment. They take care of scheduling and
running the TMS, examining technical infrastructure components and
aspects related to transport and administration. SAP administrators are
often problem solvers at the workplace and perform a lot of troubleshooting
activities.
PERFORMANCE MONITORING OF SAP SYSTEMS
Performance tuning is an important activity in SAP to ensure reduced
delays and increased productivity. Basis Admin monitor SAP systems so
that they are optimally tuned and running to the best of their capabilities.
Basic tuning tasks include optimizing system parameters, verifying
workload distribution, hardware sizing and I/O balancing. Monitoring also
checks for security breaches and breakdowns to maintain integrity within
the SAP environment. Admins establish various standards, evaluate
enhancements and upgrade and implement performance monitoring
processes across systems.
MANAGEMENT OF ROLES AND PROFILES
SAP administrators are involved in creating, assigning and managing SAP
user roles and profiles. These roles and profiles are used to assign different
levels of authorization and access to end users. End users in the SAP
environment can access various modules and information depending upon
the roles they are assigned. Thus, they are able to access only those
modules and functions that are relevant to the work they perform. This kind
of authorization across the organization enables users to access data and
perform transactions in a secure and legally compliant manner.
WHAT SKILLS DO SAP ADMINISTRATORS NEED?
SAP Basis administrators dabble in a variety of complex technical tasks,
from troubleshooting and maintenance to documentation and programming.
Given the nature of their jobs, they require a wide range of skills to perform
their duties diligently. SAP admins usually handle multiple activities
simultaneously, and they can highly benefit from expertise in relevant skills.
Explore the required education levels, important hard skills and useful soft
skills that SAP administrators need to have
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Administrators are required to be proficient in software troubleshooting
practices to help them diagnose issues and provide appropriate
resolutions. They are also required to be proficient in performing SAP
upgrades, installations and maintenance-related tasks. They are expected
to have an end-user focused approach during the implementation of
various process improvements. Experience with SAP tools like SAP
NetWeaver, SAP Solution Manager 7.2 or above, JAVA system
administration and ABAP programming come highly recommended for SAP
admins. They may also be involved in documentation, and related
experience can also be helpful.
Basis professionals need to be proficient in Operating systems, Databases
and SAP application management and troubleshooting. A moderate level of
infrastructure-related knowledge, such as hardware, data centres, network,
VM, OS, Cloud etc., is essential. Experience with SAP technical
components, SAP cloud platform, NetWeaver, SAP business object and
other SAP technical components is also considered valuable in this
profession. As a SAP administrator, one need not be an expert with every
administrative activity in Basis. Strong expertise with selected skills can
help one make significant progress in a career in SAP.
SOFT SKILLS
SAP administrators spend a major portion of their time communicating with
the higher management, clients, end users and managers. It is important
that they have good communication skills for easy and effective
communication with others. Good listening skills will help Basis
professionals accurately understand and process complex business
requirements. Considering the fact that SAP admins spend a majority of
their time troubleshooting and fixing issues, a keen sense of detail and an
analytical mind are also top skills to have in this profession. In addition,
leadership skills can help a SAP administrator delegate tasks and
responsibilities effectively.
REQUIRED EDUCATION
SAP administrators are generally required to have a bachelor's degree in
computer science or IT, engineering or a related field. Professionals with
extensive software experience may also be considered for this position.
SAP offers several levels of technical certifications in SAP administration.
These certifications can be directly obtained from SAP or from other
vendors. It is not mandatory to be certified in Basis, but having one can
help you further your career and skill set. Since SAP is fast evolving, it is
important that Basis professionals constantly improve their skills and
knowledge through continuous learning, workshops and seminars.