SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications support update

SUSE has announced effective December 1, 2018, two changes to its SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) for SAP Applications product.

SLES for SAP Applications now includes support for a given service pack for 4.5 years with the regular subscription while the basic codestream is general available and itself fully maintained. This change reflects the request from clients to align OS upgrades with hardware life cycles.

To explain this a bit further, this change affects SLES for SAP Applications 12 and 15 code streams. SLES for SAP Applications 11 is at the end of the general availability already, therefore SLES for SAP Applications 11 SP4 is the last service pack. If clients choose to stay on SLES for SAP Applications 11, then they will need to purchase LTSS to ensure ongoing support. This is especially true for clients that run SAP HANA 1 workloads on IBM Power Systems servers in Big Endian mode.

For SLES for SAP Applications 12 and newer systems, clients can now stay on a service pack for a longer time. During this time, the terms and conditions for Enhanced service pack overlap support (ESPOS) and Long term Service Pack Support (LTSS) apply. In general, this means that clients receive full support of a SLES for SAP Application service pack for 18 month plus 36 month of support under the ESPOS/LTSS terms.

SUSE provides a FAQ on LTSS at the following URL: https://www.suse.com/de-de/products/long-term-service-pack-support/frequently-asked-questions/

Please also visit the SUSE Lifecycle pages (https://www.suse.com/lifecycle) for current dates.

Should you have any questions, please reach out to your local SUSE sales representative or reseller partner.