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Are you a Developer or Basis Administrator? Have you heard about ABAP Platform Tial 1909 yet? If you are interested in the SAP world, you probably have. Although I have the impression that not everyone has already heard about this initiative. So it's worth repeating the information again and writing a few words about the technical details.
ABAP Platform Trial
ABAP Platform is the technical base of the S/4HANA system. It can be said that ABAP Platform is to S/4HANA what Netweaver was to SAP ERP and other ABAP systems. So what is ABAP Platform Trial 1909? It is the foundation of the S/4HANA 1909 system, along with the HANA 2.0 database, perfectly wrapped in a docker image. What's more, the SAP Cloud Connector is also included, in case anyone would like to experiment with the BTP platform.
ABAP Platform Trial 1909 was released in mid-2023. One may wonder why it is not based on a newer version of the system. However, when you consider what you might need the system for, you will quickly come to the conclusion that this version is probably sufficient. Many new features have been introduced in this version, and it is likely that the features you would like to test are implemented there.
Who is it for?
Well, just whom is this product for? The target group is mainly developers. This great environment allows them to test new technologies, learn new techniques, test their ideas completely independent of their employer's environment. Besides, as we know, there are many companies using systems older than S4/HANA 1909, so it can be assumed that some will be able to test technological innovations not yet available on their system.
I think a somewhat underestimated group of recipients are Basis administrators. ABAP Platform Trial gives a really wide range of possibilities to test different configurations. Even when we have a sandbox at work, we can't always use it freely. Besides, a lot of people depend on the changes made on the real system directly. Here we can quickly create a completely clean system, accessible only to one person, and configure it at will. We can change parameters, test different types of connections, introduce restrictive parameters related to encryption. Complete freedom.
Both groups additionally have one thing in common - the need for continuous development. ABAP Platform Trial is a great place to learn. If you are preparing for some technical exam, this is a perfect product for you.
Docker image
Using a Docker image makes installing and running a very simple and quick process. You don't need a Basis engineer to do it. You can easily run the docker container on Windows, Linux or Mac. With a modern configuration you should be able to do it even on your laptop. In my opinion, however, this is not the best possible option. You have to remember that you will be sharing the resources needed to run the container with your computer. With today's configurations, this may not be the biggest problem, but it is worth noting that ABAP Platform Trial has quite a lot of requirements - 4 CPU, 16GB RAM and 130-170GB disk. 32GB of RAM is recommended. In addition, the system will have to be stopped whenever you turn off your laptop.
Mini-PC challenge
In my opinion, a much better option is to install ABAP Platform Trial on a separate computer. A recent favorite of mine is mini-PC based on the Intel N100 processor. Hardware that meets the minimum requirements of ABAP Platform Trial can be purchased for just over $100 (as of December 2023).
If you are interested in the walk-through installation process and whether such a system runs smoothly, I invite you to watch the video.
