Additional notes for installing

SAP R/3 version 4.0 B and up

on the
Linux Enterprise Server 8 for x86
R/3 on SLES 2 SuSE - The Linux Experts

Contents
1 Support 3

2 Preparation 3
2.1 ServicePacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.2 More memory than 4GB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.3 Required packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.4 SAP required TCP/IP port numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.5 Swap partitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.6 SuSE SAP-init package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

3 Notes for SAP DB 4

4 Notes for IBM DB/2 5

5 Notes for Oracle 5

6 Notes for Informix 6

7 Installation on Raw Devices 6

7.1 Raw-Devices at the mySAP installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

8 Installation of the Java GUI on SuSE Linux Professional x86 7

9 If the installation fails 7

SuSE Linux AG, Deutschherrnstr. 15-19 90429 Nürnberg — http://support.suse.de/

R/3 on SLES 3 SuSE - The Linux Experts

1 Support
You can get software support for running SAP on SuSE Linux:

• by SAP for SAP problems in general:

Open an OSS message in the component BC-OP-LNX or write a mail to SAP Linux Hotline 1 .
• by SuSE for problems with SuSE Linux running SAP:
Open an support request under this URL 2 , you have to provide the Support Regcode. You will get
this code after signing an support agreement. Note please that we presuppose Premium support and
current maintenance.

2 Preparation

2.1 ServicePacks
It is recommended to install available Service-Packs promptly.
NOTE: Not every kernel or glibc available via a SuSE Service-Pack is approved by SAP.
Please check the SuSE website 3 for packages officially approved by SAP. The list includes links to the latest
certified kernel and glibc versions.
After succesful registration on the SuSE maintenance web 4 , you can request to be mailed the password from
our support website5 .

2.2 More memory than 4GB

If you use a 2.4.x-Kernel and use more as 4GB virtual memory (this means: RAM + SWAP), you’ll have to
install an additional library6 . Please copy this to /usr/local/lib/ and enter the following command:
echo ’export LD_PRELOAD=$LD_PRELOAD:/usr/local/lib/sysinfo.so’\
>> /etc/profile.local

2.3 Required packages

• All packages included in the SuSE default selection and additionally:
• Locales, modified by SAP:
The attachment to SAP note 171356: saplocales_SLES8_x86.tgz
• Startup scripts as well as adaptions for SuSE Linux:
suse-sapinit.rpm7

2.4 SAP required TCP/IP port numbers

SAP R/3 requires entries in /etc/services for the used TCP/IP services. The port numbers used by SAP
R/3 by default – 3200 + system number, 3300 + system number, 3600 + system number and 4800 + system
number – may conflict with already existing entries, which you have to remove manually prior to installation.
R3SETUP will inform you about such conflicts.
For system number 00, you would have to comment out the following lines:
1 mailto:linux@sap.com
2 http://support.suse.de/form
3 http://www.sap.com/solutions/technology/linux/platforms/index.asp
4 http://support.suse.de/de/register/
5 http://support.suse.de/psdb/
6 ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/projects/sap/SLES7/ia32/packages/sysinfo.so
7 ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/projects/sap/SLES8/ix86/packages/suse-sapinit.rpm

SuSE Linux AG, Deutschherrnstr. 15-19 90429 Nürnberg — http://support.suse.de/

R/3 on SLES 4 SuSE - The Linux Experts

#tick-port 3200/tcp # Press-sense Tick Port

#tick-port 3200/udp # Press-sense Tick Port
#iims 4800/tcp # Icona Instant Messenging System
#iims 4800/udp # Icona Instant Messenging System

2.5 Swap partitions

Depending on your setup, you may require multiple swap partitions. Keep in mind that the Linux kernel
allows only 8 swap partitions of up to 2GB each. (R3SETUP will inform you about the required size).

2.6 SuSE SAP-init package

The package suse-sapinit contains a runlevel script for starting and stopping R/3 including the database
and sets some system-parameters to recommended values. E.g. by changing the files /etc/sysctl.conf,
/etc/sysconfig/kernel and /etc/sysconfig/sapr3. To start an instance with SAPSID LNX, you
would add the following lines:

#/etc/sysconfig/sapr3
SAPCONFIG="_1"
SAP_SAPSID_1="LNX"

R/3 will be started and stopped manually as root:

rcsapr3 start
rcsapr3 stop

If automatic control of starting R/3 is desired, you have to activate the service by insserv /etc/init.d/sapr3
or the YaST2-runlevel-editor. If you do that the SAP system will be started automatically by starting runlevel
3 or 5.

3 Notes for SAP DB

You can find recent information in our Support Database 8 .

• Version
The database software has to be SAP DB release 7.3.0, at least build 28. You will need to order the
appropriate CD separately. During the installation you should edit the R3SETUP command file, which
you intend to use (usually: DATABASE.R3S). Search for this file in the installation directory and ex-
change the CD label string SAPDB:7205000:RDBMS: with the content of the file LABEL.ASC from
your current SAP DB CD (release 7.3.0, at least build 28).
• installation with SAPINST
The database software has to be SAP DB release 7.3.0, at least build 28. Probably you need to order the
appropriate CD separately. During the installation SAPINST will query for the RDBMS CD; here you
should enter the path to the current SAP DB CD (release 7.3.0, at least build 28).
• SAP Notes
Please also refere to the available SAP notes, e.g. 387075, 171356.
8 http://sdb.suse.de/cgi-bin/sdbsearch_en.cgi?stichwort=sapdb

SuSE Linux AG, Deutschherrnstr. 15-19 90429 Nürnberg — http://support.suse.de/

R/3 on SLES 5 SuSE - The Linux Experts

4 Notes for IBM DB/2

You can find recent information about installation instructions in our Support Database under: 9 .

• Version
For SAP Release <= 4.6 install DB2 Version V7, if you want to use Version V8 then you have to make an
DB-Upgrade from V7 to V8. Since SAP Release 4.7 you can user both V7 or V8.
• SAP Notes
Please refere to the available SAP notes.

5 Notes for Oracle

10
Information from our Oracle website: .

• Version
The following Oracle versions are affected (under SLES 8):
1. Oracle 8.1.7
2. Oracle 9.x
• SAP Note
Please notice the SAP notes 575308 (Oracle 8.1.7), 557255 (Oracle 9.2) and 580772 (Oracle 9.2).

• Oracle Installation
1. Oracle8.1.7
The following are required for a new installation:

Installation 8.1.7

Installation 8.1.7.4 Patch Set

Installation Bug Fix 1467074

Notice: If your Oracle version is older than 8.1.7 then you must first apply BugFix 1467074 prior
to continuing with the installation; with the 8.1.7.4 installation you must reapply this BugFix.

2. Oracle 8.1.7 and Oracle 9.x

SLES 8 Service Pack 1 with ”glibc-2.2.5-165.i586” and Kernel ”2.4.19-196” are prerequisites for the
installation. These scripts should be executed in the following order:
”install_update_rpms.sh”
then
”install_oracle_rpms.sh”
It is necessary to manually update the glibc using the command: ”rpm -Uhv –force i386/update/UnitedLinux/1.0
2.2.5-165.i586.rpm”
You can find these scripts in the SLES8 Service Pack 1 CD in the root directory.
3. Checking the Glibc Version
With the command ”rpm -qi glibc” you can see which version of glibc is installed. After a suc-
cessful installation the last line of output of the above command should be ”Distribution: Unit-
edLinux 1.0 (i586)”.
9 http://sdb.suse.de/cgi-bin/sdbsearch_en.cgi?stichwort=db2
10 http://www.suse.de/en/support/oracle/index.html

SuSE Linux AG, Deutschherrnstr. 15-19 90429 Nürnberg — http://support.suse.de/

R/3 on SLES 6 SuSE - The Linux Experts

4. Checking for the required compiler

For the oracle scripts, the compiler 2.95.3 is needed, which is included in the package ”gcc_old”.
The command ”rpm -q ggc_old” needs to show ”gcc_old-2.95.3-11”. Before starting the Oracle
instalation, it is necessary to adapt the search path:
”export PATH=/opt/gcc295/bin:$PATH”
Now, ”gcc -v” gives the output ”gcc version 2.95.3 20010315 (SuSE)”.

6 Notes for Informix

You can find recent information in our Support Database 11 .

• Version
The database software has to be Informix release 9.30. For installing an SAP release <= 4.6, you need
to order the appropriate CD separately, e.g for SAP R/3 Enterprise. During the installation you should
edit the R3SETUP command file, which you intend to use (mostly: DATABASE.R3S). Search for this file
in the installation directory and exchange the CD label string with the content of the file LABEL.ASC
from your current informix CD.
• SAP Notes
Please also refere to the available SAP notes, e.g. 591280, 171356.

7 Installation on Raw Devices

Use File /etc/raw to edit witch blockdevice should be linked to an raw character device:

-------------------------snip-------------------------
# /../
# sample configuration to bind raw devices
# to block devices
#
# The format of this file is:
# raw<N>:<blockdev>
#
# example:
# ---------
# raw1:hdb1
#
# this means: bind /dev/raw1 to /dev/hdb1
#
# ...
raw1:hdb1
[...]
-------------------------snip-------------------------

Raw1 corresponds to the raw character device /dev/raw/raw1 and will be bound to the /dev/hdb1 block
device.
To ensure that at restart the raw character devices are bound, make runlevel link with ”insserv /etc/init.d/raw”
Commands:
rcraw status - shows the status of the raw character devices
rcraw start - binds the raw character devices using /etc/raw
At least you must set the correct permissions of the raw character devices:
chown sqdlnx:sapsys /dev/raw/raw1
replace sqdlnx with your correct db-admin.
11 http://sdb.suse.de/cgi-bin/sdbsearch_en.cgi?stichwort=informix

SuSE Linux AG, Deutschherrnstr. 15-19 90429 Nürnberg — http://support.suse.de/

R/3 on SLES 7 SuSE - The Linux Experts

7.1 Raw-Devices at the mySAP installation

R3SETUP verifies during the installation the validity of the devices using /usr/bin/raw. However, under
SuSE Linux the file is in /usr/sbin/ in accordance with LSB12 .
Workaround:
ln -s /usr/sbin/raw /usr/bin/raw

8 Installation of the Java GUI on SuSE Linux Professional x86

• Please install the following packages or newer versions:
– PlatinGUI13
– Sun Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment14
Installation is as follows:

java -jar PlatinGUI-Linux-620r8.jar

rpm -Uvh java2-jre-1.4.1.i586.rpm

• Edit the file platin.ini in the user’s home directory:

-------------------platin.ini---------------------
# @INCLUDE = http://sapguiconfig/platin.ini
LNX : conn=/H/sapr3.company.com/S/3200&expert=true
-------------------platin.ini---------------------

Where you will have to modify sapr3.company.com to match your application server’s hostnam e
and set 3200 to your service number.
The GUI is started with:

guilogon

9 If the installation fails

• The filenames on your CDs are all lowercase:
Remember to mount the exported CDs with the option -o map=off.
• R3SETUP cannot be started.
Are all required libraries installed?
ldd R3SETUP
• Is enough memory / swap space available?
free
• R3SETUP cannot establish RFC connections:
Is the package saplocales.rpm installed?
rpm -q saplocales
locales -a
• Is the maximum shared memory segment large enough?
ipcs -l
• Are the permissions of the directories set correctly?
• The GUI fails to display some dialogues correctly.
Have you installed the latest version?

12 Linux Standard Base http://www.linuxbase.org/

13 ftp://ftp.sap.com/pub/sapgui/java/620r8/PlatinGUI-Linux-620r8.jar
14 SuSE CD java2-jre-1.4.1.i586.rpm

SuSE Linux AG, Deutschherrnstr. 15-19 90429 Nürnberg — http://support.suse.de/