Virtual Persistent Memory (vPMEM) for IBM Power Virtual Server (PowerVS) and IBM Power on-premises delivers a breakthrough in performance and resilience for SAP HANA environments. The IBM Power Infrastructure team has released a comprehensive demo video showcasing the benefits of vPMEM when running SAP HANA.

What is vPMEM and Why Does It Matter?

vPMEM provides SAP HANA with persistent memory capabilities in a virtualized environment, combining the speed of memory with the durability of storage. This means:

• Faster Restart Times: vPMEM dramatically reduces SAP HANA restart times compared to traditional disk-based storage.
• Cost Efficiency: No need for physical NVDIMM hardware—vPMEM leverages IBM Power’s virtualization capabilities.
• High Availability: Integrated with IBM Power architecture for enterprise-grade reliability.

For SAP HANA workloads, where large in-memory databases are critical, vPMEM ensures that data remains persistent across restarts, minimizing downtime and improving operational efficiency.

Demo Highlights

The video provides an easy-to-follow demonstration comparing:

• Initial SAP HANA startup (cold start)
• SAP HANA restart (warm start)

 using vPMEM.

The results speak for themselves: vPMEM significantly accelerates restart times, which is crucial for businesses running mission-critical SAP workloads.

Why This Matters for RISE with SAP

For customers adopting RISE with SAP on IBM PowerVS, vPMEM adds another layer of performance optimization and resilience. Faster restarts mean less downtime, improved SLAs, and better overall user experience—all while maintaining the flexibility of hybrid cloud deployments.

👉 Watch the full demo video here: IBM MediaCenter

Thank you to Ralf Eberhard and Graham Hardy for creating this video!

Image: FreePik