SAP Performance Monitoring for AWS

Problem Context

Companies running SAP on AWS lost their on-prem monitoring tools during migration but have no replacement. Their current AWS monitoring shows server metrics but nothing about SAP-specific performance issues. When critical processes like month-end close or supply chain reports slow down, they have no visibility into which SAP jobs or transactions are failing.

Pain Points

Users complain about slow performance but the IT team can't identify the root cause. CloudWatch metrics don't show SAP-specific problems like long-running background jobs or dialog response times. The Basis team has to guess which processes are struggling, leading to finger-pointing between finance, supply chain, and IT. Manual troubleshooting takes hours when a simple monitoring tool could pinpoint the issue in minutes.

Impact

Slow month-end close costs finance teams overtime and delays reporting. Supply chain report failures cause production bottlenecks. The lack of visibility leads to reactive fire-fighting instead of proactive problem-solving. Without proper monitoring, companies risk undetected performance degradation that could lead to larger system failures.

Urgency

This is a mission-critical issue because SAP systems power core business operations. When monitoring fails, companies can't trust their systems are running optimally. The problem gets worse during peak periods like month-end close. Without a solution, IT teams will continue wasting time on manual troubleshooting instead of focusing on strategic improvements.

Target Audience

SAP Basis administrators, cloud architects, and IT directors at companies that have migrated SAP to AWS. This affects mid-sized to large enterprises across industries like manufacturing, finance, and retail where SAP is a core system. Companies that recently migrated or are planning to migrate SAP to AWS will face this exact problem.

Solution Approach

A lightweight, agentless monitoring tool specifically designed for SAP on AWS. It connects directly to SAP systems and AWS CloudWatch to provide real-time visibility into SAP-specific performance metrics. The tool focuses on the three most critical SAP pain points: job runtime, dialog response time, and background work processes. It alerts teams when performance degrades before users notice issues.

Key Features

1. AWS-Native Integration: Uses AWS IAM roles for secure access without requiring agent installation.
2. Proactive Alerts: Notifies teams when SAP jobs exceed normal runtime thresholds or when dialog response times degrade.
3. Historical Trends: Tracks performance over time to help identify patterns before they become critical issues.

User Experience

The Basis admin sets up the tool by entering their SAP system IDs and AWS account details. The system then automatically starts monitoring key SAP metrics without any agents. When performance issues occur, the tool sends alerts with specific details about which SAP processes are affected. Teams can drill down into the issues and resolve them before users are impacted, all from a simple dashboard.

Differentiation

Unlike generic cloud monitoring tools, this focuses specifically on SAP metrics that matter to business operations. It doesn't require agent installation, making it easier to deploy in secure AWS environments. The SAP transaction code mapping provides actionable insights that generic tools can't offer. Competitors either monitor too broadly (like CloudWatch) or require complex setup (like on-prem agents).

Scalability

The tool scales with the customer's SAP landscape. Additional SAP systems can be added with a few clicks. As the company grows, they can add more users to the monitoring dashboard. The pricing model adjusts based on the number of SAP systems being monitored, making it cost-effective for both small and large deployments.

Expected Impact

Companies will reduce downtime and performance issues by catching problems before they affect users. Finance teams can complete month-end close on time. Supply chain reports will run without background job failures. IT teams will spend less time troubleshooting and more time optimizing their SAP environments. The tool provides peace of mind that critical business systems are running smoothly.