Size Matters
Properly deploying your SAP BusinessObjects BI4.x landscape involves more than punching some numbers into a calculator and installing the right number of servers. Approaching this from a BI systems perspective means understanding how your BI system works and making intelligent decisions to ensure good system performance and stability.
This site contains resources to help you properly size and deploy SAP BusinessObjects BI4 and SAP Lumira in both production and non-production scenarios. It is important to remember that these resources are not replacements for other existing documentation such as the Installation and Administration Guides where they provide additional information based on generally accepted best practices, internal lab tests, and customer feedback.
These resources are not a replacement for a proper sizing exercise performed by an expert BI consulting architect that can glean the nuances of your particular landscape from discussions with your stakeholders and combine that information with the resources here and his or her own personal learnings.
Sizing and Deployment Resources for SAP BusinessObjects BI 4
Every deployment requires a sizing exercise. It is critical to fully read and understand the SAP BI 4 Sizing Guide before using Quick Sizer for Sizing SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Suite applications (SMP Login Required). Refer Quick Sizer Tool documentation available on main page for using Classic version.
- SAP BusinessObjects BI 4 Sizing Guide
- Revised version includes SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.2 SP5 updates on Dec 2017.
- Available on SAP Help Portal SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform 4.2 SP5 under "Additional Information" section.
Sizing and Deployment Resources for SAP Lumira 1.x
- SAP Lumira Sizing Guide
- Updated September 2016!
- Updated September 2016!
Sizing and Deployment Resources for SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio 1.x
- SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio - Sizing Information
- Information is also included in SAP BI 4 Sizing Guide
- Information is also included in SAP BI 4 Sizing Guide
Sizing and Deployment Resources for SAP BusinessObjects Lumira 2.0
- SAP BusinessObjects Lumira Sizing guide with quick sizer integration is now available.
- Available on SAP Help Portal for SAP BusinessObjects Lumira under "Reference" section. You can also download PDF version for Offline usage.
INFO: SAP QuickSizer calculations for Lumira is now available for use under HANA version of Quick Sizer in conjunction with Sizing guide.
Sizing and Deployment Resources for SAP BusinessObjects Explorer
Sizing and Deployment Resources for SAP BusinessObjects Mobile
Generic Performance Optimization Tips
Server Optimizations
- Improve BI 4.0 P&R by using Java's Parallel Garbage Collector (Pre-set in BI 4.2 onwards)
- Tuning Web Intelligence: Query Stripping and Server Settings
- Java Garbage collection improvements for Lumira Server for BI Platform for better stability and reduced / negligible error observation with high load on system. (Pre-set in 2.1 SP1 onwards)
Apache Split
Reduce back-end load and Improve the User Experience by 'splitting' Web content delivery: Team-up Apache and Tomcat, having them each do what they do best. Apache serves up the static content and does compression natively while Tomcat runs the Web apps. Multiple articles:
- Improving the User Experience with Apache (aka the 'Apache Split') Significant performance improvements possible while reducing load on your Web tier. Update for BI 4.1 and Apache 2.4
- Quick Guide to implementing the Apache Split for BI 4.1 and Apache 2.4
Client Optimizations
- Tips for Optimizing the Performance of Web Intelligence Documents
- Tips for Fine Tuning Performance of the Webi Applet Interface (Java Report Panel)
Useful Relevant Links
- Platforms Support Guide For SAP BusinessObjects Products
- BI 4.x Platform & Lumira Platform Availability Matrix (PAM):
- Best Practices for SAP BusinessObjects BI 4 Adaptive Processing Servers
- Splitting the Adaptive Processing Server (video)
- How to split the APS into multiple service instances that are dedicated to specific tasks
- How to split the APS into multiple service instances that are dedicated to specific tasks
- Large-Scale SAP BusinessObjects BI 4 Platform Deployment COIL Whitepaper
- Description of the "MONSTA" project that simulates a large number of BI users on a multi-node deployment
- Description of the "MONSTA" project that simulates a large number of BI users on a multi-node deployment
- Evaluating Selected Java Best Practices for SAP BusinessObjects BI 4 on vSphere
- BI4 Pattern Books - Deploying SAP BusinessObject BI platform in the real world
- Interesting Blog for Lumira 2 Workflows.
6 Comments
Pavel Naumkin
Hello colleagues,
In BI Platform Sizing giude there is following information provided for WebIntelligence memory consumption:
Memory
By default, the Web Intelligence Processing server is set to utilize as much memory as it requires and for the clear majority of cases this setting is suitable. However, if either the available memory on the machine is limited, or the documents are particularly large, in terms of data volume and complexity, when the memory usage can be considerable, it may be required to ‘Enable Memory Analysis’.
In this regard i have a question, how much memory Web Intelligence Processing server can consume if Memory analysis is deactivated. For example we have an instance with 64Gb total and let's say 40 is free after the system start. If we apply excessive load to Webi how much it can consume?
Thank you very much for clarification.
With best regards,
Pavel.
Mandanna Mandechanda Uthappa
Hello Pavel,
Webi Intelligence Processing server(WIPS) is a C++ based application and by default, has the ability to consume the full capacity of the RAM. Where as in a JAVA based application, the memory consumption is limited by the Xms and Xmx parameters ( i.e. managed by Java memory management).
However WIPS provides an option to control its memory consumption, by turning ON the ‘Enable Memory Analysis‘ feature.
Thus in your case, if 40GB is free (out of 64GB) and ‘Enable Memory Analysis‘ turned OFF, then you are making the remaining 40 GB RAM available to be used by "Web Intelligence Processing server". The side effects of this is that, based on the complexity of the Webi reports, there are chances of utilizing the complete available RAM.
However the ‘Memory Analysis’ is just a mechanism that is called on a regular basis (2mins, then down to 30 seconds depending) and then on the result of the analysis, different things happen within webi that should either reduce the memory usage and/or prevent actions that then lead to more memory being used.
So, in one way, even with Memory Analysis enabled, its actually possible for the entire memory to be consumed, but in practice that’s so very unlikely indeed.
Please find the below blog for reference
https://archive.sap.com/discussions/message/14113822#14113822 (Some of this advice needs to be updated)
https://blogs.sap.com/2016/02/01/should-i-enable-memory-analysis-on-a-web-intelligence-processing-server/ i
Regards,
Mandanna
Ajay Gupta
Please update the link to BI Platform SP5 Sizing guide, the link does NOT work anymore.
Ajay
Suchit Mathur
Hi Ajay,
Thanks for letting us know.
Looks like, there was some problem with older link. It's corrected now.
Please check.
Regards,
Suchit.
John Clark
When will this Wiki be updated for BI4.3? Or is that information available in a different location?
Michael Neville
The first version of the BI 4.3 sizing guide is located at these links:
4.3 https://help.sap.com/http.svc/rc/612b4de56cb84dc0b556a32d18123de0/4.3/en-US/Sizing%20Guide_4.3.pdf
4.3 SP1 https://help.sap.com/http.svc/rc/612b4de56cb84dc0b556a32d18123de0/4.3.1/en-US/Sizing%20Guide_4.3.pdf
An updated version is also planned after SP02 is released.