SAP Server Pre-Installation Checklist
(HW and OS only)

Verify Basic Data Center Infrastructure Installation

___1.    Ensure that all server/disk subsystem racks are physically installed.
___2.    Ensure that all servers/disk shelves are physically installed.
___3.    Verify that all PCI and other controller cards occupy a “standard” PCI or other slot in each server (for example, all public NICs should reside in slot x, and all HBAs for external SAN connections should reside in y and z).
___4.    Ensure that all SAN disks are physically installed.
___5.    Ensure that all SAN cabinets are cabled to SAN Switches, and all SAN Switches are cabled to redundant HBAs in each Database or other SAN-attached server.
___6.    Ensure SAN disks are to be carved into volumes consistent with your SAP Competency Center’s recommendations.
___7.    Ensure that all servers are cabled via 10BaseT CAT5 to redundant network switches (as dictated by the solution sizing or HW requirements).
___8.    Verify that the public and private (and cluster interconnect, if applicable) network connections are clearly labeled and ready.
___9.    Verify that all HOSTNAMES and IP addresses (including management appliance or similar IP addresses) have been determined and documented in advance of actually installing OS’s.

General Power and HA Power Requirements
___1.    All racks should be configured with redundant PDU’s.
___2.    All servers, disk subsystems, and network equipment should be installed  with redundant power supplies.
___3.    Each power supply should be connected to different PDU’s.
___4.    Each PDU should be connected to a separate UPS (preferred) or power source.
___5.    Ensure that all power is laid out as required, L6-30P for servers and L6-20P for SAN/Disk subsystems (verify specifics with your hardware partner).



 
Update HW configuration (as required)

___1.    Perform all firmware (FW) upgrades prior to configuring any drives at a hardware level – upgrade all array controller(s), drives, and system boards to versions/release levels approved by the hardware vendor and your SAP Competency Center.
___2.    Assume 4+ drives are installed in each server – typically, 1 drive is mirrored to another, for two mirror-sets total. Check with your SAP Competency Center or solution sizing for specifics.
___3.    Carve the local disks. Start the Array Configuration Utility or equivalent to verify configuration of local server drives
___4.    Create 2 arrays, 1st drive mirrored to 2nd, 3rd drive mirrored to 4th.
___5.    Ensure that a hot spare is set up, if room is available for another drive.
___6.    Unless specific testing has been performed that indicates another configuration is better, go with all array controller default values. For example, ensure that read/write cache is set to 50/50.
___7.    Create 1 logical drive per array (do not create more than one logical drive per array unless directed to do so per the sizing).
     
Update OS (assumes W2KAS/SPx currently installed)

___1.    Verify that the base W2KAS OS load has been performed, and that the currently supported service packs/patches have been applied)
___2.    Choose a SAP system name consistent with your naming standards. The NAME must NOT exceed 13 characters in most cases (SAP limitations), though this varies. Since other applications are still limited to 8 characters, the best way to go is to choose a name that does not exceed 8 characters but still manages to reflect the role of the server.
___3.    Create the admin/installation user (i.e. r3padm, verify the name with the SAP Basis team) - MUST BE lowercase - and give this user domain admin (or admin) rights – note that ALL SAP installations, updates, and administration activities need to be performed with this user ID.
___4.    Ensure that all LOCAL drives are formatted for NTFS (explorer, select root, file, properties, general tab), 64kb recommended for log and data files, 4kb or 8kb recommended for all others.
___5.    For INTERNAL drives only (to be used for OS and pagefile), depending on the physical drive size, you may wish to create 2, 3, or more drives on each physical array. For example, with 18 GB drives, 3 drives of about 6GB is common. Be consistent across all servers.
___6.    Label all disk drive volumes, i.e. - C: OS, D: UTIL, E: PAGE1, F: PAGE2, G: PAGE3, H: PAGE4, Z: CDROM, or equivalent (as per standards)
___7.    Set the TEMP environment variable (control panel, system) – used by R3setup.bat or other installation processes, which will be executed later by the SAP Basis team.
___8.    Create the C:\TEMP directory if it doesn't exist already.
___9.    Perform Pagefile sizing - 4x physical RAM, 10 GB max OK unless directed otherwise (may wish to round up just to be consistent).
___10.    Configure pagefiles via Control Panel, System) – suggest 4095 MB on drives C:, E:, F: - refer to the standard Pagefile sizing developed for customer’s EA environment.
___11.    Modify the default ‘Server’ service property – change it to ‘Maximize Throughput for Network Applications’ (this changes how memory/cache is allocated, and is set via network & connection places, properties, pick connection, properties, file and print sharing, properties)
___12.    Grant ‘everyone’ permissions to root/all subdirectories of all logical drives
___13.    Ensure your hardware specific driver-overlays are up to date, and approved by the hardware vendor’s SAP Competency Center. For example, it’s common to load special network, array, and management drivers that replace the default W2K drivers.
___14.    Load the SNMP service (W2K) if not loaded already– note that service packs and other updates/patches may need to be reapplied.
___15.    Load any solution stack management agents not already loaded, as directed by the SAP Basis team.
___16.    Check the W2K Event Viewer for issues
___17.    Check the Management Console for issues
___18.    Select a 3-character SID (system ID), consistent with Customer’s EA naming standards.
___19.    Set up an alias for SAPTRANSHOST in the HOSTS file – edit C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC, and add an entry for SAPTRANSHOST to point to the particular system’s central instance.
___20.    Verify that Internet Explorer is at version 5.x.
___21.    OPTIONAL – after the ENTIRE SAP INSTALLATION, go back to Control Panel, System, Performance, and change 'foreground' to 'background'  - this ensures that a locally logged-on user does not rob the logged-in SAP R/3 clients of their otherwise entitled memory/processor cycles. You may also wish to load any array configuration or management utilities locally on the server, too, to facilitate future change control/troubleshooting.

Prepare for the DB and R/3 installation

___1.    Read through the pertinent INSTALLATION guide (InstGuide - print it, make it easy on yourself!) and the standard SAP product guide (may be found on CD with the installation kit)
___2.    Request that the SAP Basis team obtain any pertinent SAP Notes - see the InstGuide for a list of pertinent notes, and read these – they may impact the basic setup of the server/infrastructure.


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