The ability to gain a deep and comprehensive understanding of IT systems is no longer just an operational necessity but a strategic imperative. As enterprises increasingly shift their transactions and processes to the cloud, the complexity of their application landscapes grows exponentially. This necessitates a shift in how businesses approach the monitoring and management of their IT environments.

This blog explores the industry trends shaping the need for enhanced SAP observability. We delve into the specific challenges organizations face in managing their SAP environments and illustrate how Cisco's Full Stack Observability (FSO) solution effectively addresses these challenges.

Industry trends are driving the need for enhanced SAP observability

SAP systems are fundamental to most significant businesses, serving as the backbone for critical business operations. Yet, maintaining optimal performance and maximizing value from these systems presents substantial challenges. This complexity is heightened by varied deployments, including on-premises, cloud and hybrid ERP components and is shaped by several pivotal trends:

1. Digital transformation and cloud migration

   Enterprises increasingly adopting cloud, particularly in SAP deployments, are marking a significant shift. Some statistics suggest that 30% of enterprises adopting SAP have completed this transition. The change brings unique challenges, such as managing the complexity of migration, minimizing business disruption and adapting to new cloud environments. This underscores the necessity of a robust SAP observability solution for efficient planning and risk mitigation during this transformative phase.

2. Growing IT infrastructure complexity

   The amalgamation of on-premises, cloud and hybrid ERP components in modern SAP deployments adds to the complexity of IT infrastructure. The vast amount of telemetry data generated from disparate sources challenges effective data processing and interpretation. This amplifies the need for a solution that quickly and accurately identifies and resolves issues, maintaining efficient IT operations.

3. Enhanced digital experience as a differentiator

   For SAP clients, the digital experience is increasingly becoming a key differentiator. Any disruptions can significantly impact business performance and customer loyalty. FSO solutions address this trend by offering deeper visibility and actionable insights into the digital user experience, enabling organizations to monitor and enhance their digital offerings.

4. Rising expectations for IT to drive business outcomes

   IT departments managing large SAP/non-SAP environments are increasingly expected to contribute directly to business outcomes, placing IT leaders under pressure to enhance performance and productivity, focusing on uptime, efficiency and profitability. FSO solutions are integral in this context, providing the necessary insights and capabilities to visualize and amplify the impact of IT solutions on overall business results.

Challenges faced in the current landscape

In line with the shifting industry landscape, SAP customers are grappling with challenges propelled by technological advancements, evolving business models and heightened customer expectations. Recognizing these challenges is vital for organizations aiming to adopt practical solutions.

1. Internal pressures and migration risks

   The mandate for a shift to the public cloud presents a sizeable task for organizations transitioning from traditional setups to new SAP cloud solutions. This intricate process is laden with risks, including potential downtime, data loss and compatibility issues, making the planning and execution of migration a significant hurdle for SAP customers.

2. Complex tool landscape and insight gaps

   The SAP ecosystem's complexity, with its array of tools for diverse functions, poses a challenge in maintaining and making effective decisions. This complexity leads to gaps in insights across applications, databases and networks, which can hinder decision-making and operational efficiency.

3. Hybrid and non-harmonious landscapes

   Many enterprises operate in mixed environments of SAP and non-SAP systems, both cloud-based and on-premises. This diversity makes it challenging to derive unified insights and manage system performance effectively. The need to optimize performance across these varied environments, each with unique dynamics, adds to the complexity.

4. Business impact and risk management

   Ensuring that SAP systems are operational and optimized for desired business outcomes involves understanding the relationship between system performance and business processes. With the rise of cyber threats and strict compliance requirements, SAP customers must prioritize securing their applications and adhering to regulatory standards to maintain business integrity and customer trust.

Supercharging business operations with Cisco AppDynamics’ SAP Observability solution

Cisco AppDynamics' SAP Observability solution built on Cisco Full-Stack Observability (FSO) stands out as a comprehensive one-stop solution to the multifaceted challenges present in modern SAP deployments. By offering a unified source of truth for SAP operations management, FSO optimizes performance, navigates migration risks and facilitates a seamless transition to cloud-based solutions. Its main features include:

1. De-risking migration to S/4HANA

   The solution aids in mapping the existing landscape of applications, infrastructure and networks, which is essential for planning and executing a migration strategy. Its performance benchmarking capabilities allow organizations to baseline pre-migration performance and compare it during and post-migration, ensuring maintained or improved performance levels throughout the process.

2. Enhanced end-to-end business process and application performance monitoring

   Cisco FSO monitors business processes and application performance by interpreting MELT data and implementing proactive alerting to optimize performance and reduce false alerts. The solution offers integrated visibility across SAP and non-SAP applications, enabling efficient monitoring and management.

3. Core SAP systems and infrastructure monitoring

   Monitoring backend technology operations and infrastructure performance, including critical components like SAP HANA DB and IDocs, is a cornerstone of Cisco FSO. This proactive approach in system management includes infrastructure monitoring for performance optimization and cost-effectiveness, covering servers, hypervisors and Kubernetes clusters.

4. Network performance monitoring

   Network performance monitoring identifies bottlenecks and root causes of performance issues in both on-premises and cloud networks, distinguishing between application and network-related performance issues. This capability is critical in reducing resolution time and ensuring accountability in multi-vendor environments.

5. Application security and risk management

   Cisco FSO features continuous vulnerability detection and business risk scoring for applications, including SAP dependencies. It prioritizes remediation and secures applications against threats, including zero-day attacks, by tracking behavioral changes and containing threats.

Conclusion

With a unified view of diverse IT components, organizations can overcome the hurdles of fragmented insights and complex tooling landscapes across the entire SAP/non-SAP landscape, enabling more effective decision-making and streamlining operations. Cisco AppDynamics SAP Observability solution goes beyond the current challenges with a proactive strategy for future-proofing businesses. It ensures that enterprises keep pace with technological advancements and leverage them for tangible business benefits well into the future.