Evaluate licensing and pricing across SAP tiers

When it comes to planning and administering Azure for SAP Workloads, it is important to understand the licensing and pricing options available for SAP software. Microsoft Azure provides a variety of options to suit different business needs and budgets. In this article, we will evaluate the licensing and pricing across SAP tiers in Azure.

SAP offers different types of licenses based on the specific requirements of your SAP workload. These licenses include:

1. Bring Your Own License (BYOL)

With this option, you can use your existing SAP licenses to deploy SAP workloads in Azure. This allows you to take advantage of the benefits of Azure cloud infrastructure while continuing to use your existing SAP licenses.

2. Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG)

For customers who do not have existing SAP licenses or prefer a subscription-based model, Azure offers the PAYG option. With this model, you pay for the Azure infrastructure and the SAP software licenses on a consumption basis.

Now let’s take a closer look at the different SAP tiers that are available in Azure and the associated licensing and pricing considerations.

1. SAP HANA Developer Edition

This edition is designed for development and testing purposes. It allows you to run non-productive SAP HANA workloads in Azure. Pricing for this edition is based on the size of the virtual machine (VM) instance that you choose.

2. SAP HANA Express Edition (HXE)

This edition is a streamlined version of SAP HANA that is suitable for smaller workloads and non-production environments. HXE is available as a free download and can be deployed in Azure Virtual Machines with appropriate licensing.

3. SAP HANA Platform Edition

This edition is designed for productive SAP HANA workloads. It includes a full range of features and capabilities for running mission-critical SAP applications. Licensing for this edition is based on the size of the VM instance as well as the SAP HANA license cost.

4. SAP S/4HANA

This is the next-generation ERP solution from SAP. Pricing for SAP S/4HANA in Azure is based on the size of the VM instance and the subscription model chosen (BYOL or PAYG).

5. SAP NetWeaver

This is the foundation for many SAP applications and systems. Licensing for SAP NetWeaver is based on the size of the VM instance and the specific components and modules you choose to deploy.

It is important to note that the pricing for SAP software licenses is separate from the pricing for Azure infrastructure. You will need to consider both the Azure VM instance size and the SAP license requirements when evaluating the overall cost of running SAP workloads in Azure.

To estimate the pricing for your specific SAP workload in Azure, you can use the Azure pricing calculator. This tool allows you to select the relevant Azure VM size, storage options, data transfer requirements, and other factors to get an estimated monthly cost.

In addition to the licensing and pricing considerations mentioned above, there may be additional costs related to data storage, network bandwidth, and managed services like Azure Backup, Azure Site Recovery, and Azure Monitor.

In conclusion, evaluating the licensing and pricing across SAP tiers for planning and administering Azure for SAP Workloads is crucial for ensuring a cost-effective and optimized infrastructure. Understanding the different licensing options and pricing models will help you choose the best approach that aligns with your specific business requirements and budget. By leveraging the flexible licensing options and scalability of Azure, you can efficiently run SAP workloads while minimizing costs and maximizing performance.