Linux Conversations | Episode 6: 25 Years of SUSE Expertise on SAP Infrastructure Supporting SAP’s Hybrid Cloud Journey with Tobias Kutning

March 27, 2025 | By: Sebastian Martinez

SUSE Linux

Welcome to ‘Linux Conversations’, where SUSE experts discuss all things Linux. Today we are discussing how the 25+ year collaboration between SUSE® and SAP® helps customers adopt new SAP technologies. We will focus on SUSE’s support of the customer’s SAP cloud journey and how this hybrid cloud journey has raised the requirement for new platforms for SAP containerized workloads. These new workloads include Edge Integration Cell, the SAP® Integration Suite local component, and the recently announced SUSE Rancher for SAP applications.

Tobias Kutning, product management lead for SAP solutions at SUSE, joins us to discuss the SUSE and SAP relationship, the importance of SUSE® Linux Enterprise Server for SAP® applications, and how SUSE is supporting customers to implement the new cloud native SAP solutions.

Interview

Rick Spencer: Tobias, thanks for joining us. To start, could you please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background?

Tobias Kutning: Thanks, Rick. I’m Tobias Kutning, and I lead the product management team for SAP solutions here at SUSE. Before this, I spent 21 years with SAP, working in various areas like PM for SAP standard application benchmarks, system operations, and architecture.

Rick Spencer: That’s a wealth of experience! Given your background, can you elaborate on the long-standing relationship between SUSE and SAP?

Tobias Kutning: Absolutely. We’ve had a strong partnership for many years. We have teams on-site at SAP’s locations, and we’ve been at the forefront of solutions for SAP HANA, their critical database. This collaboration continues with their latest cloud-native offerings.

Rick Spencer: Speaking of SAP HANA, it’s central to many SAP deployments. Can you tell us which SUSE products are most valued by SAP customers, and why?

Tobias Kutning: Our SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP applications is key. Customers rely on it for its stability and security, especially for running critical systems like NetWeaver and S/4HANA.

Rick Spencer: SAP HANA is known for its high performance, but, as a custom in-memory database, it can be complex to manage, especially for critical ERP systems. Can you give us some insight into how SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP applications simplifies this for customers, and ensures high availability?

Tobias Kutning: We work very closely with SAP to validate our operating systems, particularly for SAP HANA. We do extensive testing, including virtualization, to minimize performance overhead. Also as a result of this validation we provide best practices on how to optimally operate the SAP system on SUSE Linux. This ensures both ease of management and high availability for our customers.

Rick Spencer: It sounds like you’re involved in these validations from the early stages of development.

Tobias Kutning: Exactly. We collaborate with SAP’s development teams on roadmaps, testing, and quality assurance.

Rick Spencer: Recently, you announced SUSE Rancher for SAP applications. Can you tell us more about this new area of partnership?

Tobias Kutning: Yes, at SUSECON 2025, we introduced SUSE Rancher for SAP applications. SAP approached us about their new containerized hybrid cloud offerings, which together with new SAP Cloud offerings are replacing older systems like PI/PO.

Rick Spencer: To help clarify, what’s the core benefit of this new partnership for SAP customers?

Tobias Kutning: These new SAP products are based on Kubernetes, which can be new to traditional SAP customers. We’re providing a secure and validated, on-premise solution with Rancher, making it easier for them to transition to this cloud-native environment.

Rick Spencer: So, SUSE is simplifying Kubernetes for SAP customers.

Tobias Kutning: Precisely. We provide validated best-practice guides for installing both Rancher and SAP applications.

Rick Spencer: And the first application supported is the Edge Integration Cell ( the SAP Integration Suite local component)?

Tobias Kutning: Yes, that’s correct. It’s the first of many, as we’re also working on validating other applications like digital manufacturing.

Rick Spencer: That’s exciting. Are there any other key considerations for SAP customers moving to these new platforms?

Tobias Kutning: Absolutely. Security is paramount. We ensure that our Kubernetes solutions are secure and certified.

Rick Spencer: So, SUSE offers functionality, certification, ease of use, and security.

Tobias Kutning: Yes, exactly this. And this is just the next chapter in our collaboration with SAP. We are very excited about it.

Conclusion

Tobias’s insights highlight the strong collaboration between SUSE and SAP, particularly in simplifying Kubernetes adoption for SAP customers through SUSE Rancher. With SUSE Rancher for SAP applications, customers can confidently embrace containerized SAP deployments, knowing they have a validated and secure platform. This partnership underscores SUSE’s commitment to providing robust, secure, and easy-to-implement solutions for SAP customers.
For more insights on how SUSE supports your SAP cloud journey, please visit our SUSE Rancher for SAP applications website or contact our sales team. To learn more about the SUSE and SAP relationship, visit our SUSE’s alliance page. You can also explore previous episodes of our “Linux Conversations” series below, where we delve into key challenges and solutions in enterprise Linux.

Linux Conversations | Episode 6: 25 Years of SUSE Expertise on SAP Infrastructure Supporting SAP’s Hybrid Cloud Journey with Tobias Kutning

Interview

Conclusion

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