SAP instance definition

Question

Could someone explain to me what SAP instance is? Is it also installed on the SAP application server?

Answer 1

The role of a SAP instance is to deliver SAP Processes (DIA, BGD, UPD, ...).

A SAP System (SID) can be made of 1 CI (Central Instance) and 1,n DIALOG instances.

You can get the list of SAP Instances using of your SAP System using SM66 t-code.

CI (Central Instance) hosts Enqueue and Message server.

Answer 2

The term instance is used in SAP when you have a lot of clients. If you see ADM100 pdf manual, they specify an instance as a group of multiple clients(more than 50...).
Don't confuse an instance with developing a program, they are two different things. Call it server,call it client,you can install SAP on a machine.
Machine,Server, Client, they are the same, but are used in different contest.

Also you could have a single machine with a lot of instance virtualized, where in every virtual system is installed sap, then you could say that this machine holds an instance.
Be careful Dirk,On a sap system you can have Abap based sap systems or Abap+Java based sap system, I would be careful to use the word instance.

Answer 3

Sanaz, In addition to the responses of Dirk, Admin2017 and Fedoco, I can advise SM51 t-code.

AS (Application Server) Instances of SAP Server.

You can find in this transaction information about:

• Application Server Instance (or Instances),
• Host (server address)
• Instance Services (List of instance services)
• State (eg:Active)

Answer 4

In SAP environments, an Instance usually means a SAP Netweaver instance. Netweaver is the server software that runs SAP applications like ERP, CRM, PI and others, both Java and ABAP. You can have several instances configured on a single server - they share a few common directories, other directories are instance specific. A Netweaver application server would be one instance running on your server.