Episode #220
Introduction
In episode 220 of our SAP on Azure video podcast we talk about Storage. Azure offers multiple storage options to run SAP systems. Premium SSD v2 offers a cheap, flexible and certified way to run your SAP workload on Azure. Robert Biro joins walks us through the benefits of running SAP on Azure with Premium SSD v2.
Find all the links mentioned here: https://www.saponazurepodcast.de/episode220
Reach out to us for any feedback / questions:
- Robert Boban: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rboban/
- Goran Condric: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gorancondric/
- Holger Bruchelt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holger-bruchelt/
#Microsoft #SAP #Azure #SAPonAzure #Storage
Summary created by AI
- Goran introduced the SAP on Azure YouTube podcast episode 220, mentioning that the discussion would focus on Microsoft and SAP, specifically the premium V2 storage and its implications for SAP.
- Podcast Introduction: Goran welcomed the audience to the SAP on Azure YouTube podcast episode 220, stating that the episode would cover topics related to Microsoft and SAP, with a particular focus on the premium V2 storage and its implications for SAP workloads.
- Participants: Goran introduced the participants, including Holger and Robert, who would be discussing the premium V2 storage in detail.
- Overview of Premium V2 Storage:
- Goran and Robert discussed the premium V2 storage, highlighting its general availability, the conversion from premium V1 to V2, and its benefits for SAP workloads. Robert emphasized the improvements in performance and flexibility.
- General Availability: Robert mentioned that premium V2 storage has been generally available for about two years and is certified for SAP use.
- Conversion Feature: Robert explained the new feature allowing conversion from premium V1 to V2, which simplifies the transition process for existing users.
- Performance Improvements: Robert highlighted the performance improvements of premium V2 over V1, including faster speeds, lower latency, and more flexibility in disk size and performance tuning.
- Flexibility: Robert discussed the flexibility of premium V2 storage, allowing users to adjust disk size, throughput, and IOPS independently, which can lead to cost savings and better performance management.
- Introduction of Robert Biro:
- Robert Biro introduced himself as a member of the Azure engineering team for SAP based in Switzerland. He expressed his enthusiasm for discussing premium V2 SSD for SAP.
- Capabilities and Benefits of Premium V2:
- Robert explained the main characteristics of premium V2 SSD, including adjustable disk sizes, throughput, and IOPS. He highlighted the flexibility and performance improvements over premium V1, such as lower latency and the elimination of the need for write accelerators.
- Adjustable Parameters: Robert detailed the adjustable parameters of premium V2 SSD, including disk size, throughput, and IOPS, which can be tuned independently to meet specific needs.
- Performance Enhancements: Robert emphasized the performance enhancements of premium V2, such as faster speeds and lower latency compared to premium V1.
- Elimination of Write Accelerators: Robert noted that premium V2 eliminates the need for write accelerators due to its sub-millisecond latency, which meets the requirements for SAP HANA and other mission-critical workloads.
- Use Cases: Robert discussed various use cases for premium V2, including its suitability for both HANA and non-HANA databases, and its ability to handle mission-critical workloads efficiently.
- Comparison with Premium V1:
- Goran and Robert compared the benefits of premium V2 over premium V1, noting that premium V2 allows for dynamic adjustment of throughput and IOPS without the need for additional disks, leading to cost savings and improved performance.
- Dynamic Adjustment: Robert explained that premium V2 allows for dynamic adjustment of throughput and IOPS, unlike premium V1, which required adding additional disks to achieve higher performance.
- Cost Savings: Goran and Robert discussed how the ability to adjust performance parameters dynamically can lead to significant cost savings, as users only pay for the performance they need at any given time.
- Improved Performance: Robert highlighted the improved performance of premium V2, including faster speeds and lower latency, which can enhance the overall efficiency of SAP workloads.
- Deployment Considerations:
- Robert outlined the current limitations and considerations for deploying premium V2, such as the need for zonal VMs, regional availability, and quota limits. He also mentioned the ongoing improvements and future updates.
- Zonal VMs: Robert mentioned that premium V2 can only be attached to zonal VMs or VMs that are part of a zonal scale set, which is a current limitation.
- Regional Availability: Robert noted that premium V2 is available in most important regions where SAP deployments are common, but not in all regions yet.
- Quota Limits: Robert explained that there are quota limits for premium V2 disks, similar to vCPU quotas, and users should check their quotas to avoid potential issues.
- Ongoing Improvements: Robert mentioned that ongoing improvements and updates are being made to expand the availability and capabilities of premium V2 storage.
- SAP Certification and Use Cases:
- Robert confirmed that premium V2 is certified for SAP use, including HANA and non-HANA databases. He discussed the benefits for different types of VMs and the importance of right-sizing disks for cost efficiency.
- SAP Certification: Robert confirmed that premium V2 is fully certified for SAP use, including both HANA and non-HANA databases.
- VM Types: Robert discussed the benefits of premium V2 for different types of VMs, including small VMs for application servers and large VMs for HANA databases.
- Right-Sizing Disks: Robert emphasized the importance of right-sizing disks to achieve cost efficiency, as premium V2 allows for granular adjustments in disk size, throughput, and IOPS.
- Performance Benefits: Robert highlighted the performance benefits of premium V2, such as faster speeds and lower latency, which can improve the efficiency of SAP workloads.
- Migration to Premium V2:
- Robert and Goran discussed the process of migrating from premium V1 to premium V2, including options for new deployments, attaching new disks, and using the convert disk feature. They emphasized the importance of right-sizing and the potential cost savings.
- Migration Options: Robert outlined the options for migrating to premium V2, including new deployments, attaching new disks, and using the convert disk feature.
- Right-Sizing: Robert and Goran emphasized the importance of right-sizing disks during migration to achieve cost savings and optimize performance.
- Convert Disk Feature: Robert explained the convert disk feature, which allows users to change existing premium V1 disks to V2, simplifying the migration process.
- Cost Savings: Robert and Goran discussed the potential cost savings from migrating to premium V2, as users can adjust performance parameters dynamically and only pay for what they need.
- Conclusion and Future Updates:
- Goran and Robert concluded the discussion by summarizing the benefits of premium V2 and encouraging the community to ask questions and provide feedback. They mentioned that further updates and blog posts would be available in the future.
- Summary of Benefits: Goran and Robert summarized the benefits of premium V2, including improved performance, flexibility, and cost savings.
- Community Engagement: They encouraged the community to ask questions and provide feedback to help improve the product and address any concerns.
- Future Updates: Goran and Robert mentioned that further updates and blog posts would be available to keep the community informed about new developments and improvements.
- 0:00 Intro
- 1:30 Introducing Robert Biro
- 3:05 Agenda
- 3:40 Basics
- 9:20 Current deployment consideration (1/2)
- 11:40 Current deployment consideration (2/2)
- 15:30 SAP Use cases for Premium SSD v2
- 16:40 SAP and Pv2 - application VMs
- 18:10 SAP and Pv2 - HANA VMs
- 22:20 Pv2 and SAP certification
- 25:00 SAP and Pv2 - non-HANA DB VMs
- 30:30 Stripe or single disk
- 33:45 How to enable Pv2
- 37:05 Way to Pv2 - new disks, copy data
- 37:55 Way to Pv2 - change SKU/snapshot
- 40:20 Summary