GRID SERVICES

Another cost-saving trend in computing is “grid” computing, which harnesses any number of individual computers to accomplish a given processing task. In many cases, companies accomplish this by simply borrowing unused capacity from their employees’ networked PCs. But the potential value of grid systems has been limited by a lack of industry-wide standards. As a result, organizations must create custom programs for grid computing. And in most cases, these programs cannot be used in conjunction with commercial software applications.

Now, SAP has developed Grid Services, a solution that applies the existing industry standard of Web services technology to the new world of grid computing. Grid Services has already been tested in a real-world application using mySAP Customer Relationship Management, where it reduced hardware requirements by 40%.

MULTIPLE COMPONENTS IN ONE DATABASE

Today, more and more organizations are adopting “distributed” computing, in which business processes operate over multiple computers in multiple locations. However, each location has traditionally required its own database, which must be continually maintained and updated to ensure that all systems share the latest data. The costs of managing multiple databases led SAP to develop “multiple components in one database,” which allows various SAP components to share a common, centralized database. This reduces overall complexity and lowers the total cost of hardware and administration.