Introduction

This is Part 2 of the technical guidance series, “watsonx.ai Integration with S/4HANA® on PowerVS.”
This blog provides step-by-step instructions for deploying Deployable Architectures (DAs) in IBM Cloud® to build a secure and ready SAP® environment. This includes provisioning and configuring cloud infrastructure and services, and installing SAP HANA® and S/4HANA® on IBM® Power® Virtual Server (PowerVS) LPARs.

IBM PowerVS, as a SAP-certified IaaS platform, delivers the performance of IBM® Power® with the scalability of the cloud. However, deploying a complete SAP environment requires orchestrating a complex mix of infrastructure components, networking, and configurations. Deployable Architecture (DA) automations streamline this process using Infrastructure-as-Code templates—enabling faster, consistent, and compliant SAP®  deployments.

The DAs used are:

• Power Virtual Server with VPC Landing Zone – sets up the foundational cloud infrastructure by interconnecting PowerVS with VPC networking. It provisions edge VPC, network services (DNS, NTP, proxy), monitoring, and security components—creating an isolated yet connected environment for SAP® workloads.

• Power Virtual Server for SAP HANA – provisions and configures SAP HANA® and S/4HANA® on PowerVS LPARs, along with supporting services and automation.

Deployed in sequence, these Infrastructure-as-Code templates deliver a complete SAP® architecture as shown below on IBM Cloud, aligned with IBM and SAP best practices.

Part 1: Power Virtual Server with VPC Landing Zone Deployment

1.1 Pre-requisite Steps

1.2 Deployment Steps

1. Log in to IBM Cloud and navigate to IBM Cloud Catalog - https://cloud.ibm.com/catalog#highlights and under the Deployable architectures section, search Power Virtual Server with VPC landing zone.

2. On the Deployable Architectures tile, select Create a new architecture. Choose the Standard Landscape variation, confirm you have the latest version, and then click Configure and deploy.
   

   

3. Step 2 leads to a project configuration page. Select the Create new section, name your project, enter a description, specify a configuration name for your deployment and click Create.
   

   

    

4. Under Security tab, provide the API key created in the prerequisite step.

5. Under Inputs tab, provide the required inputs. Click the small information button next to input name for input description. After that click Done and Save.
   

   

    

6. Validate the configuration, approve and deploy. The environment will be deployed automatically. As you can see from the Standard Landscape diagram, it creates Edge VPC and PowerVS workspace. In Edge VPC, it creates Bastion host (jump server) in management security group, and proxy server in network service security group. Other necessary components to connect Power Virtual Server workspace with IBM Cloud resources and secure the environment are also created, for example, Transit Gateway, VPN, VPE, etc.
   

   

7. Once the Standard Landscape DA deployment finishes, you have the Power Virtual Server environment set up. You can find the details of the resources on the Outputs tab of your DA configuration.

8. In the IBM Cloud console, click the Navigation Menu on the top left corner, go to Projects, select your project, open the Configurations tab, click the configuration for your DA deployment, and then on Outputs to see deployment information.

Part 2: Power Virtual Server for SAP HANA Deployment

2.1 Pre-requisite Steps

Before proceeding with the deployment of the Power Virtual Server for SAP HANA Deployable Architecture, ensure the following prerequisites are met:
(Detailed instructions for provisioning/configuring each of these prerequisites are available in the official IBM Cloud documentation - https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/powervs-vpc?topic=powervs-vpc-powervs-automation-prereqs)

1. An existing IBM Power Virtual Server with VPC Landing Zone deployment is required. A successful deployment of the first DA ensures this prerequisite is met.
2. Cloud Object Storage (COS) bucket which will be used to store the SAP HANA installation files.
3. IBM Cloud Object Storage service credentials in JSON format to access the COS bucket.
   (The credential in the below screenshot is an example from the official documentation)
   
   
4. All binaries for SAP HANA Database and SAP S/4HANA Solution must be uploaded to a COS bucket in IBM Cloud.
   The required SAP Software installation media files(list of files) must be placed in the COS bucket with correct folder structure as defined here - folder structure instructions. Providing an example here.
   
   
   

   

2.2 Deployment Steps

1. Log in to IBM Cloud and navigate to IBM Cloud Catalog - https://cloud.ibm.com/catalog#highlights and under the Deployable architectures section, search Power Virtual Server for SAP HANA.

2. On the Deployable Architectures product page, select the SAP S/4HANA or BW/4HANA variation, confirm you have the latest version, and then click Configure and deploy.
   

   

    

3. Step 2 leads to a project configuration page. You can add this deployment to the same project created for the first deployment. Select the respective project under the Add to existing section, name the config, and click Next.
   

   

    

4. In the DA customisation pop up, select the standard variation for prerequisite DA and select deployment config of the first DA from the drop down as shown in the screenshot.
   

   

    

5. Under the Security tab, provide the API key.

6. Under Inputs tab, provide the required inputs. Click the small information button next to input name for input description.

   1. The ibmcloud_cos_service_credentials input value must have the format as shown in the step 2.1.3

   2. Select the COS configuration values correctly. For example, sap_solution S/4HANA 2023, ibmcloud_cos_configuration will be like below screenshot. Check the screenshots under the 2.1.4 and the one below to understand the COS bucket structure and the mapping of the JSON key values. 
      

      

       

   3. Note the SAP HANA and SWPM values are provided through the inputs - sap_hana_vars and sap_solution_vars. This will be information about respective SID, instance number, etc.
      

      
      

      

       

   4. Note the sap_hana_master_password and sap_swpm_master_password. These values will be required at the time of accessing the database and SAP application.

   5. You can view the optional parameters using the toggle button. The default values will suffice in cases where there are no specific requirements. After providing all required inputs, click Done and Save.

7. Validate the configuration, approve, and deploy. The resources will be deployed.
   

   

    

8. Once the SAP S/4HANA or BW/4HANA variation of Power Virtual Server for SAP HANA DA deployment finishes, you have the Power Virtual Server environment set up. You can find the details of the resources on the Outputs tab of your DA configuration. In the IBM Cloud console, click the Navigation Menu on the top left corner, go to Projects, select your project, open the Configurations tab, click the configuration for your DA deployment, and then on Outputs to see deployment information.

Successful deployments of both deployable architectures deliver a secure and working SAP environment with SAP HANA and S/4HANA set up on the PowerVS LPARs.

Connecting to Your SAP HANA System

The steps below explain how to connect to SAP HANA® db and Application Server.

Connecting to SAP HANA db

To access SAP HANA database for command-line operations,

1. Connect to the HANA instance
   Make sure to provide the same SSH private key used in the deployment and execute the ssh login command:

   ssh -A -o ServerAliveInterval=60 -o ServerAliveCountMax=600 -o ProxyCommand="ssh -W %h:%p root@<access_host_or_ip> -i <path_to_private_key>" root@powervs_hana_instance_management_ip> -i <path_to_private_key>

2. Switch to the SAP HANA administrative user

   su - hdbadm

3. Connect to the HANA database
   Use the hdbsql command with your instance number, username, and password:

   hdbsql -i <instance_number> -u SYSTEM -p <hana_master_password>

   Example:

   hdbsql -i 02 -u SYSTEM -p SamplePwd123$

Connecting to the SAP Application Server

Use VPN to connect to SAP GUI for application-level interaction. Instructions to use VPN can be found here - https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/powervs-vpc?topic=powervs-vpc-solution-connect-client-vpn.

If you’re connected via VPN to the new IBM Cloud network segment, you can now access the SAP Application Server (Instance 01).

Example connection string where the power instance ip is 10.53.0.205 : conn=/H/10.53.0.205/S/3201

 

Official documentation links for the above DAs:

These documents walk you through the reference architecture, planning deployment, and other helpful tutorials.

https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/powervs-vpc?topic=powervs-vpc-automation-solution-overview

https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/sap-powervs?topic=sap-powervs-automation-solution-overview

Next Steps

Next blog article in this series:

watsonx.ai integration with S/4HANA® on PowerVS (3/6): OData Demo Scenario Setup