Installation on Virtual Machine.

[Former Member]

Hi all,

I had a client requirement for standard Installation of SAP Netweaver PI 7.3 on a VM [ Virtual Machine ].

I was given a Virtual IP and a Hostname And I completed my Installation using it.

Later on IP of the VM got changed and now we are using a different IP to access OS Level for SAP.

My query is what excatly is a Virtual Machine?

Does a VM get IP's directly from some IP Pool?

When I'm doing Installation on VM with a particular IP, and later on when VM gets a New IP, how the Installation directories gets moved to this new IP?

Seeking some guidance to understand how this VM scenario actually works.

TIA.

Regards,

Deepa.

[patelyogesh]

I found this info for you...

SAP Notes regarding VMware virtualization

Thanks

Yogesh

[Former Member]

Thank you Ruchit, Yogesh

[Former Member]

Hello,

A virtual machine is a logical partion of a physical machine. Partitioning achived either using hardware or software virualization. I have used partioning for the lack of better word. You should do your own research on virtualization.

Virtual machine is assigned a virtual IP.I don't see what is concern with IP Pool.

Finally when SAP is installed in a virtualized environment it is installed using virtual IP (SAPINST_USE_HOSTNAME). From your question it looks lilke you probably haven't used that.

Well you would connect to either the virtual host/IP using port 32xx/36xx using SAPGui so as long as SAP is running and firewall isn't an issue you should be able to connect.

Regards.

Ruchit

[Former Member]

Thank you Ruchit.

Yeah you are right, I've not used SAPINST_USE_HOSTNAME.

Reason is that either which way I was using sapinst, i.e. either by using above command or directly calling sapinst.exe, it was going to the same wizard, with virtual hostname on top of Installation wizard.

My query was more related to access at OS Level.Like earlier I used a Virtual IP during Installation.Now the IP which we are using to access OS Level is different.

So Basically there are 2 IP's and one hostname.

first IP - Used during Installation, now it is dead.

second IP - Used now for accessing SAP directories at OS Level.

So I wanted to understand, is this IP switch possible due to virtual set up.

And how all the sap directories/ files/folder got copied from one IP to another IP.

Hope I'm making some sense and my question is clear.

Regards,

Deepa.

[Former Member]

Please check network settings on this machine. If you use DHCP change it to static ip address. Where you deployed your virtual machine? What OS you are using?

Regards

Roman

[Former Member]

Hi Roman,

Thank you.

I'm using windows OS.

So can this be achieved in virtual scenario that you have mutiple IP address and Installation done on one IP can be moved to other IPs as well automatically.

Also while I asked for backup, Infrastructure person said that he will take a snapshot of VM.

So that means there is no real physical server involved.

Then how excatly is it working, if you can give me an idea.

Regards,

Deepa.

[Former Member]

Hello Deepa,

Installation isn't done on any IP as such.. Calling service on IP is what matters not installing it. If you IP has changed simply use the new IP in your SAP GUI settings.

Regards.

Ruchit.

[Former Member]

Have you standalone SAP system not connected to another SAP systems? If yes simply change ip address to connect to this system as Ruchit suggests. If not (more likely) you need to assign ip address and hostname permanently to your virtual machine and after migrating to another physical server ip address must be the same. Change of ip address in SAP landscape may affect other SAP systems. Snapshot of VM preserve this settings (ip address and etc.) if you does not use DHCP.

Regards

Roman

[Former Member]

Hi Ruchit,

Yeah as you have suggested, I had changed IP in SAP GUI settings.

My understanding is that IP is bound to a server either some real physical server or a VM.

So If i've done Installation on a particular IP, it should have been done on a server..a m/c.

then How same installation can be accessed from a different IP..

I hope i'm making myself clear.

Regards,

Deepa.

[Former Member]

Hi Roman,

yeah i see your point.

I had done Installation on a VM.

But i've not used the syntax for sapinst use_virtual_host_name because either directly calling sapinst or calling via above command it was going to same hostname sap wizard.so we decided to call sapinst directly.

My understanding is that for a vm, I had to use virtual hostname syntax but my installation completed successfully even on directly calling sapinst.

Can you help me in understanding what settings/any other scenario would have made my installation possible without using virtual hostname syntax.

Regards,

Deepa.

[Former Member]

You must use SAPINST_USE_HOSTNAME environment variable or as sapinst parameter if you install high-availability system. In your case it does not matter.

Regards

Roman

[Former Member]

Hi Roman,

Yeah, but i've not used it as either sapinst parameter or env. variable.

Also it is not a HA system.

Still it worked, so was curious to know how..

Regards,

Deepa.

[Former Member]

You must to use SAPINST_USE_HOSTNAME to install high-availability system only. You do not install high-availability system therefore you does not need to use SAPINST_USE_HOSTNAME.

Regards

Roman

[Former Member]

Hello Deepa,

Let me explain with the help of an example. Suppose there is a house with house#123 on street abc.if have to visit this house in a cab I will ask the cab driver to take me to house#123 on street abc. I will Suppose the local officials come with a new naming strategy for the house or the street. So the steet name becomes xyz. That doesn't mean that the house isn't existing any more. It is still there just that its address has changed. So if a hail a cab now I will ask the cab driver to take me to house #123 on street xyz instead of abc as previously and I would still reach the same house.

This is what you are doing !

Regards.

Ruchit.