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Tom Cenens Print
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Company: CTAC Powerhouse
Posted on Jan. 10, 2011 04:24 AM in ABAP, Enhancement Packages, Idea Place, Share
Improving My Experience, SAP NetWeaver Platform

Hello SCN community

Context

I received feedback from a reader of one my previous blogs which I’m grateful for. He mentioned the topic of the
product naming and the fact that many community members seem to have difficulties understanding the frequent
product name changes.
Being part of a community means helping out fellow community members and getting help from other community
members. The benefit of being part of the community is that everyone can get added value out of it.

Introduction

I was convinced I would find a previous blog or sources with this topic as I also know a lot of persons are having trouble
to understand the naming of the SAP products. While I found some information on specific products and their naming
history I did not find any general overview.
There has already been tumult in the past because of the frequent name changes that occurred. Gartner recently
criticized SAP for the frequent name changes of SAP products.
Just last summer I performed an upgrade from 46D to ECC 6.0 at a customer. They were confused which SAP product
was going to be the target of the upgrade, was it ERP 6.0 or ECC 6.0 or ERP2005? What about SAP Netweaver, do we
need that?
I will be using ERP throughout this blog as an example. I cannot cover every single product as it would be too much,
this information can be used for lots of other SAP products in terms of understanding the naming and versioning. I
added some sources in the blog for other specific products I could find information on.

Idea place

I hope by now you have heard about idea place, a new initiative by SAP which fits into the new way of giving customers
and partners a bigger input into the SAP world. Why isn’t there a central spot in the SAP service marketplace or on SCN
where you get an overview of all the different product versions with the date/time the product was released and
information to get rid of the confusion?
I have no clue, but since the Idea place exists, I created an idea to have such an overview, you can vote the idea up or
down depending on whether you like the idea or not and if there are enough votes up it will be implemented by SAP,
sounds nice right.
Please read to idea text for a better view on what I would like to see and please add comments to the idea so they can
also pick up your feedback on the matter.
You can vote on the idea right here:
Product name overview page (historical, future).
Not all products have to be on one page (nearly impossible) but a dropdown so you can select one and see a historical
view (past and future)of what product offered the same kind of functionality in the past and which product will take
over the task in the future would be a good start point.
Along with information about the technology platform (Netweaver?), the release levels (SR1, SR2 and their respective
SP levels), available EHPs (enhancement packages and their respective SP levels).

The history of SAP product names

The beginning, keep it simple

SAP (Systems, Applications and Products) was founded in 1972 and the first product served the purpose to do financial
accounting and was called “R/1”. The “R” stands for real-time data processing. The “1” stands for the fact that the
product was residing on a mainframe (no separate layer for database, application or presentation) so only one layer.
At the end of the 1970s “R/2” was released. “1” was changed into “2” because now it used two layers, (a
database+application and a presentation layer). Mainframe (database+application) and a terminal (presentation layer)

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to connect to the mainframe.

In 1992 “R/3” was released. “2” was changed into “3” because now it used three layers (a database, an application and
a presentation layer). With this version multiple operation systems and multiple platforms were supported. Now you
could have an Oracle database on a Windows server and SAPgui on a desktop to connect to your SAP system.
After the release of R/3 SAP began to put release information behind the product names to continue the product line. It
still made sense, R/3 3.1I and R/3 4.0B and so on up till R/3 46C and R/3 46D (here and there you can still find R/3
SAP systems at customer side).

The technology platform, lets add more

Now we come to a point where SAP introduced something new, a technology platform in addition to the product name.
The first technology platform to be used in the naming was WebAS (Web Application Server). Perhaps this was already
the start point for frequent name changes, adding technology platform naming to the product line and getting everyone
confused.
Some of you who read my blog on Java garbage collection basics know I fancy cars so let’s take a look at what this
means by an example involving cars (yes here we go again).

Picture 1.1

You can see the Porsche Cayenne on the left and the Audi Q7 on the right in above picture 1.1. Now what both cars
have in common is their platform. Both are build on the same base (the chassis, the wheelbase and even lots of parts
are the same).
The cars don’t look exactly the same; they don’t both have the same option list nor the same price. Each car on its own
(Porsche Cayenne or Audi Q7) is a different product but they are both build on the same platform.
You can very much compare this with how the technology platform for SAP works.
As explained above, SAP build a platform, the first being WebAS to be included in product naming or referenced when
talking/writing about the product. They also gave the WebAS a version (first one to be released was 6.10 if I’m not
mistaken). So you have your R/3 (real-time 3 layer SAP system) 4.x (version of your R/3) on WebAS (base platform)
6.10 (version of your platform).
Translated into SAP components this means you have specific components which represent your platform and other
components which represent your functionality build on that platform.

The confusion started

Once R/3 Enterprise 4.x came out things became even more confusing (we are still miles away from what we have
today).
Now the above wasn’t enough really, the Enterprise part was added to the product name because now they had split up
some components.
You can read the following information on the facts of the split up, to what purpose and so on:
R3 Enterprise.
So now you have your R/3 (real-time 3 layer SAP system) Enterprise (components split and possibility to use
extensions) 4.x (version of your R/3) on WebAS (base platform) 6.20 (version of your platform).

Lets recap

Let’s take a look at where we are so far to try and not get confused:
1. 1972 – SAP R/1 (R for real-time, 1 for one layer)
2. Late 1970s – SAP R/2 (R for real-time, 2 for two layers)

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3. 1992 – SAP R/3 (R for real-time, 3 for three layers)

4. 1992 – 2001 SAP R/3 . (for example 4.6C)
5. 2001 introduction WebAS (technology platform)
6. 2002 – SAP R/3 Enterprise 4.70 (on WebAs 6.20)

Now let’s confuse everyone that can still follow

All the above name changing, additions to the product names wasn’t really enough. SAP started to use years in the
product name, for example mySAP ERP2004 in 2004. This is where it really plummeted down to the ground and people
got more confused than ever.
People started asking questions on internet and writing articles on the products and the confusion that existed, if you
are interested you can read the following white-paper about the confusion whether to go for SAP R/3 Enterprise or
mySAP ERP because they also released a mySAP ERP (2003?) version in 2003.

Let’s bring in Netweaver

A new technology platform was created, SAP Netweaver in 2004. The previous platform WebAS became part of SAP
Netweaver but continued to be referenced. The SAP Netweaver 2004 platform contains the WebAS 6.40 (also referred to
as BASIS 6.40). One of the big changes SAP Netweaver brought is the possibility to have a Java Application Server (no
longer only ABAP was available).

ERP or ECC?

The story continues when the naming was again disrupted by the most important component of ERP. The term ECC 5.0
was used instead of mySAP ERP2004 which caused a lot of confusion in the customer base. The ECC (Enterprise Central
Component) component is the most important SAP component of an ERP SAP system.
At that moment you could have a mySAP ERP2004 (successor of R/3 Enterprise) which is in fact an ECC 5.0 (synonym)
which is build on the SAP Netweaver 2004 (Web AS 6.40) platform.
If that wasn’t yet enough it also mySAP ERP2004, ECC 5.0 was also referenced as being ERP 5.0. I didn’t look up every
single name change of the product because seriously I need to write a book to keep up with every single change and
I’m just writing about one single product here.

It got worse in 2005

Things got even worse in 2005 when mySAP ERP2005 came out, which was referenced as ECC 6.0, resided on SAP
Netweaver 2004s (Web AS 7.00) platform and was also called ERP 6.0. Explaining this mixture of terms, numbers and
years to a customer makes the customer look like a UFO just flew by the window.

A good time to recap again

1. 1972 – SAP R/1 (R for real-time, 1 for one layer)
2. Late 1970s – SAP R/2 (R for real-time, 2 for two layers)
3. 1992 – SAP R/3 (R for real-time, 3 for three layers)
4. 1992 – 2001 SAP R/3 . (for example 4.6C)
5. 2001 introduction WebAS (technology platform)
6. 2002 – SAP R/3 Enterprise 4.70 (on WebAs 6.20)
7. 2003 – MySAP ERP (2003?) (on WebAs 6.30)
8. 2004 – MySAP ERP 2004 ECC 5.0 ERP 5.0 (on WebAs 6.40 - Netweaver 2004)
9. 2005 – MySAP ERP 2005 ECC 6.0 ERP 6.0 (on WebAs 7.00 - Netweaver 2004s)

Enhancement packages

By 2005 SAP had already received lots of comments and feedback on the product names and the confusion. Because
they wanted to avoid that customers had to perform major upgrades frequently, the enhancement packages were
invented.
Enhancement packages serve the purpose not to touch the core components but to provide the customer with
additional functionality. Those additional functionalities become active after activation.
The version of the enhancement package is referenced in the product name, for example ERP 6.0 EHP1 (enhancement
package level 1). The latest enhancement package version has all the enhancements (additional functionality) of the
previous ones.
An overview of enhancement packages released for ERP 6.0 so far:
1. EHP1 for SAP ERP 6.0 in 2006

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2. EHP2 for SAP ERP 6.0 in 2007

3. EHP3 for SAP ERP 6.0 in 2007
4. EHP4 for SAP ERP 6.0 in 2008
5. EHP5 for SAP ERP 6.0 in 2010 (ramp up)

Reflection in component versioning

The platform on which your product resides and the product itself influences the versioning of your SAP system
components. Once you are logged into a SAP system click on system – status in the upper navigation bar.

Picture 1.2

This opens the system status screen; there click on the magnifying glass icon as shown in picture 1.2.

Picture 1.3

You can see in picture 1.3 that components SAP_ABA and SAP_BASIS are part of the Netweaver 7.0 platform (701 first
two digits 7.0). The last digit represents the enhancement package level (701 so Netweaver EHP1).

Picture 1.4

In the same SAP system when you scroll down you can see the component in picture 1.4.
There you see SAP_HRCCH and SAP_HRCCL are part of ECC 6.0 (604 first two digits 6.0). The last digit represent the
enhancement package level (604 so ERP 6.0 EHP4).
So this SAP system is an ERP 6.0 EHP4 on a SAP Netweaver 7.0 EHP1 platform.

Reflection in kernel versioning

The SAP kernel versioning is based on the platform your product resides on. For the above example, ERP 6.0 EHP4 on a
SAP Netweaver 7.0 EHP1 platform the kernel level is 701 (platform version + enhancement package version of the
platform).

Reflection in platform versioning

The newer platforms that come out receive a higher second digit; SAP Netweaver 7.1 without enhancement packages
installed on it would have Netweaver components with version 710 and a kernel with version 710. The changes made
can be checked in the release notes of the platform on help.sap.com.

Available sources on product names / versions

Business Objects
Business Warehouse / Business Intelligence:
Business One
Overview on SAP history and versions
SAP R/3 overview

Conclusion

I hope SAP does some effort to keep the product naming simple and understandable as it changed so many times in
the past it started to get confusing for almost anyone.
A community can be as powerful as its members and their actions. I’m convinced a lot of people would like to see an
overview page to have a better understanding of the confusing product names and I hope the idea gets launched and
implemented. It’s always a serious task explaining customers where the product name came from and clearing out their

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doubts.
Tom Cenens is a SAP Technical Consultant for CTAC (www.ctac.be)

Hopefully I have cleared out some questions of fellow community members regarding SAP product naming with
this blog, you are free to leave comments (good and/or bad) to further improve my future blog writings. If you
have additional info to add to the blog or a correction, please post in the comments.
Comment on this weblog
Showing messages 1 through 30 of 30.

Titles Only Main Topics Oldest First

To add to the confusion
2011-02-15 13:02:21 Manfred Kaufmann Business Card [Reply]

Justo to add.. SAP netweaver 2004 and sap netweaver 2004s....

In the other hand.

Now with ERP 6.0 EHP5 or SAP Business Suite 7 2010i (BS72010i) where 2010i stands for 2010 innovations.

I guess ECC is going to dissapear in the names.

Now the principal component is just named as "Central Applications"

Can someone confirm me this?

To add to the confusion

2011-02-15 21:08:59 Tom Cenens Business Card [Reply]

Hello Manfred

Central Applications is apparently a usage type used for EHP5 which consists out of EA-APPL and SAP-APPL.

The name ECC isn't gone though, it's an ECC Server with usage type "Central Applications" :)

Information is extract from following presentation:

http://www.saptour.ch/landingPagesFr/manager/uploads/7/7E2.pdf

It's a real challenge to keep up with the product names, usage types and so on.

I'm doing a Portal upgrade from 6.40 to 7.02 and the maintenance optimizer in Solution Manager showed me the current usage
types and asked me to check the target usage types. One usage type was already checked although it doesn't exist anymore in
7.02, adding to the confusion.

Kind regards

Tom
To add to the confusion

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2011-02-16 07:10:40 Manfred Kaufmann Business Card [Reply]

Thanks a lot tom for clarification..

I see in installation of EHP5 to ERP an usage type named SAP ECC Server Value Pack successor, i cannot find any information
about this usage type. You know what do this usage type?

In other hand, can you share with me , which usage type of portal do you refer.
To add to the confusion
2011-02-19 01:25:31 Tom Cenens Business Card [Reply]

Hello Manfred

The SAP ECC Server Value Pack (ECC-VPACK) is part of Central Applications now I believe. I don't think you can still choose
it an additional usage type when perform a sp-stack application through maintenance optimizer.

You can find more information by searching on ECC-VPACK.

The Portal usage types also changed over time which can bring confusing situations. The best way to check the usage types
is too use the SAP Solution Manager maintenance optimizer but it isn't bullet proof either, it can give some confusing
situations when you upgrade from SAP Netweaver 6.40 to SAP Netweaver 7.0x or higher.

You have many possibilities for Portal nowadays so it would depends strongly on what you want to do what the portal.

Kind regards

Tom

In the beginning...
2011-02-04 10:30:42 Sean M Business Card [Reply]

You wrote: 1972 – SAP R/1 (R for real-time, 1 for one layer)

It was before my time, but legend has it that R/1 wasn't what you might think of as a mainframe product. It was run as a service
bureau: companies had to connect to the SAP office to access the system, it wasn't a product they could buy and run on their own
mainframe.
In the beginning...
2011-02-15 16:00:35 Gregory Misiorek Business Card [Reply]

...must have been the early days of cloud computing.

In the beginning...
2011-02-04 22:07:24 Tom Cenens Business Card [Reply]

Hello Sean

Thanks for your valuable feedback :) I was born in 1984 so it's before my time as well. I based the content on information sources I

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could find online (which doesn't neccesary make it 100% correct, even if it comes from multiple sources).

http://www.sap.com/about/company/history/index.epx

SAP did convert from DOS to OS according to that source:

converting its RF system from the DOS operating system to OS

Kind regards

Tom

Great Topic and great presentation!

2011-01-18 23:42:57 Raymond Jennings Business Card [Reply]

I have been doing Basis for 14+ years and know most of what you write about. However great way to put facts/dates and very specific
details and history. Great job!
Great Topic and great presentation!
2011-02-02 01:55:26 Tom Cenens Business Card [Reply]

Hello Raymond

Thanks for your feedback. I don't know if all is 100% correct as all those product names are so confusing but it should give a
somewhat better understanding how they got to the current state.

I'm awaiting a reaction on the idea on idea place (it has some votes).

Kind regards

Tom

It's interesting you said you upgraded from 46D!

2011-01-16 16:15:42 Michael Nicholls Business Card [Reply]

I was under the impression that 46D was a Basis only release for R/3 4.6C. It was used by our old friend SAP Workplace (the first SAP
portal?) and had no business functionality as such.
SAP Workplace (the first SAP portal?)
2011-02-04 10:21:42 Sean M Business Card [Reply]

That's right, Workplace 2.0 was first. Why 2.0? Because no one wants to buy a version 1.0 :-)

Do you recall why the first EP version was 5.0? After WP 2.0, SAP was briefly a reseller of Yahoo! Portal 4.x (a now-abandoned
attempt by Yahoo! to enter enterprise markets). That was quickly followed by the acquistion of Top Tier and it's portal at version
3.0. EP replaced an install base of three different portal products, with most recent version numbers 2, 3 and 4. So the new product
obviously had to be 5.0!

It's interesting you said you upgraded from 46D!

2011-01-16 22:00:27 Tom Cenens Business Card [Reply]

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Hello Michael

It was indeed product 46C which I upgraded to ECC 6.0.

The point is that the product naming/versioning/packaging is confusing (the above again proves it) and that there are ways to stop
the confusion (reach out to the community and provide sufficient information to get rid of the confusion).

I think it would be a good improvement by SAP (which would be well received with the partners,customers, consultants and so on).

Pieces of the puzzle are available (like the year a product was released in the SAP service marketplace product availability matrix).
But the complete puzzle to give a simple and good overview with enough information isn't.

Kind regards

Tom

Thanks for the information

2011-01-12 21:46:24 Vinoth Kumar Business Card [Reply]

Really Good and thanks Tom.

One question here, i thought ECC is the only product in ERP which has FI,MM,HCM,PS... Can you please tell me any other product in ERP
other than ECC

Regards
Vinoth
Thanks for the information
2011-02-15 16:04:59 Gregory Misiorek Business Card [Reply]

not only that...the current ECC 6.0 (60405) installation has SEM-BW as well and some cubes, just not the one I was looking for.

Thanks for the information

2011-01-12 22:02:09 Tom Cenens Business Card [Reply]

Hello Vinot

Thanks for your feedback.

Perhaps you can find some product versions which have for example FI or Finance included by checking https://service.sap.com/scl,
choosing start application, then SAP Software Product Versions and Possible Scenarios and entering *FI* as input in field "By
Product Version Instance"

I'm finding new sources each day but many are confusing, not easy to work with and require a certain knowledge level (beyond
keeping it simple).

Even then it would require research work to see what the product offers and if it's usable or feasible.

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Kind regards

Tom

and soon...
2011-01-11 16:02:50 Markus Doehr Business Card [Reply]

...there will be a

Business Suite 7 2010i (BS72010i)

which will be (for ERP) "Enhancement Pack 5 for ERP 6.0"
so the confusion continues...

--
Markus
and soon...
2011-01-12 07:04:27 Tom Cenens Business Card [Reply]

Hello Markus

Thanks for your feedback.

I agree and I do think we have not yet seen the end of confusing product names and packages, that's why I see added value in
having a product overview page (or pages) which makes it easier for customers to understand which product they are using, where
it came from and where it's headed.

Kind regards

Tom

Nice one
2011-01-11 03:04:37 Uwe Fetzer Business Card [Reply]

Hi Tom,

very entertaining blog :-)

BTW: R/2 had release numbers, too (4.1, 4.3, 5.0), which reminds me of the classical joke:
A: "We are on 3.1i" B: "Ha, we are already on 5.0"

The characters after the R/3 releases (ie."i" in 3.1i) are so called "Put level" or short "put".

Regards, Uwe
Nice one
2011-01-11 03:16:36 Tom Cenens Business Card [Reply]

Hello Uwe

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Thank you for your feedback and thanks for the additional information on the versioning.

Kind regards

Tom

Evolution may also be represented with a timeline ..

2011-01-10 23:24:14 Sergio Ferrari Business Card [Reply]

Thanks for sharing.

I agree with you and some time ago I created a timeline to help people understanding the evolution of the SAP products.
Since it's not perfect nor complete your proposal is for sure very important.
Let me know if you have any suggestions about the timeline that is published here http://timerime.com/en/timeline/242039
/unofficial+History+of+SAP/ and explained in the following blog http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/weblogs?blog=/pub/wlg/17678.

Sergio
Evolution may also be represented with a timeline ..
2011-01-11 01:39:21 Tom Cenens Business Card [Reply]

Hello Sergio

Thanks your for the feedback. In my opinion a sort of timeline is a good solution to provide the neccesary information.

I'm trying to put together a sort of demo page to get an idea out there how it could look like.

It has to offer enough information. Not only the product and it's launch year but also the platform it residing on and sufficient
information to understand it all.

In my opinion it should also offer a search option and give you an idea where the product you are working on it situated and which
product is next in line to provide that functionality.

Kind regards

Tom

Thanks Tom
2011-01-10 05:57:39 Jim Link Business Card [Reply]

Great blog helping those of us relatively new to the SAP world understand (and try to make sense of) the history. We implemented at
the height of the name changes--started in 2005--and a lot of folks at our company have been confused ever since.
Thanks Tom
2011-01-10 06:06:37 Tom Cenens Business Card [Reply]

Hello Jim,

Thank you for the comment. I started 4 years ago without any knowledge of SAP what so ever and I too was puzzled when I

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attented the first internal knowledge sessions and heard all the terms and versions flying around.

Kind regards

Tom

BW has also strong - also naming - history

2011-01-10 05:54:17 Guido Brune Business Card [Reply]

Hello,

same counts for BW (if this is the actually name of for datawarhousing component at SAP - not sure about - ;-) ), but a name is still
name.

BW as product is one out of few(?) end-to-end data warhouses on the market.

All the best,

Guido
BW has also strong - also naming - history
2011-01-10 06:01:02 Tom Cenens Business Card [Reply]

Hello Guido

Thanks for comment. Yes indeed, at the moment it's BI again as far as I know but who knows what it will be tomorrow. The link
provided in the blog gives a decent overview on BI versioning.

Kind regards

Tom
BW has also strong - also naming - history
2011-01-10 07:39:47 Paul Richardson Business Card [Reply]

Actually it changed back to BW in June 2006 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAP_NetWeaver_Business_Intelligence).

I think it went:

BIW -> BW -> BI -> BW

It doesn't help that a lot of official SAP documentation still uses old names. For example, a lot of SAP PI documentation is still
referred to as SAP XI, even though PI replaced XI around 5 years ago.

Great blog
2011-01-10 05:16:19 Tammy Powlas Business Card [Reply]

I still wonder what the "Innovations" release was all about too - I think Enhancement Packages, but I am not sure.
Great blog

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2011-01-10 05:25:56 Tom Cenens Business Card [Reply]

Hello Tammy

As far as I can understand it myself, I think it's business suite + additional products? + enhancement packages for those products.

Looks like they are still adding to the confusion.

Kind regards

Tom

SAP Business Suite?

2011-01-10 05:15:04 Suresh Datti Business Card [Reply]

to add to the confusion..

SAP Business Suite?
2011-01-10 05:21:42 Tom Cenens Business Card [Reply]

Hello,

Thanks for taking the time to provide valuable feedback.

SAP Business Suite is a bundle of applications (bundle of SAP products) which means it has SAP ERP, SAP CRM, SAP SRM etc to
provide a full set of tools to support any kind of business.

From a technical consultant perspective it's just a DVD with those products on it and you can install one or more products from the
installation DVD.

Kind regards

Tom

Showing messages 1 through 30 of 30.

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