Introduction

In an exciting development, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has declared the general availability of its cutting-edge Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) High Memory U7inh instance, a collaborative effort with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). This new instance is specifically engineered to handle large-scale, mission-critical in-memory database workloads, most notably SAP HANA, ensuring enhanced performance and reliability.

Technical Specifications

The U7inh instance is a powerhouse, operating on HPE's 16-socket Compute Scale-up Server 3200 and leveraging the robust AWS Nitro System. This integration offers a seamless and fully managed experience akin to other EC2 instances. What’s more, it is driven by state-of-the-art fourth-generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors (Sapphire Rapids), delivering an astonishing 32 terabytes (TB) of memory and a whopping 1,920 virtual CPUs (vCPUs). This makes it the highest compute performance instance available on the AWS Cloud, designed to tackle the heaviest of workloads.

Performance Advancements

Compared to its predecessor, the U7i instances—which supported only up to 896 vCPUs and 32 TB of memory—the U7inh boasts double the virtual CPUs and a significantly enhanced Elastic Block Store (EBS) bandwidth, reaching up to 160 Gbps. This allows for lightning-fast data hydration, backup, and restore operations. With support for up to 200 Gbps network bandwidth and compatibility with ENA Express, the U7inh is primed for high-performance cloud computing.

SAP Certifications and Use Cases

But that’s not all! The U7inh instance is SAP-certified to operate a range of applications, including Business Suite on HANA, Business Suite S/4HANA, Business Warehouse on HANA (BW), and SAP BW/4HANA, all in production environments. It also facilitates scale-out SAP HANA Online Transaction Processing (OLTP) workloads, permitting the deployment of up to four U7inh instances in a cluster for a total of 128 TB—perfect for organizations with demanding requirements.

Customer Insights

Channy Yun, a Principal Developer Advocate at AWS, remarked on customer expectations, stating, “Businesses are seeking heightened performance combined with additional CPUs, memory, and SAP certification to derive real-time insights as they expand their application environments. Many clients currently operating on-premises with HPE servers have inquired about migrating to AWS to tap into the benefits of cloud computing while still utilizing HPE hardware.”

Operating System Support

The U7inh instance supports several major operating systems, including Amazon Linux, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and SUSE Enterprise Linux Server. For those focused on SAP HANA, compatible OS versions include SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP3 for SAP and higher and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6/9.0 for SAP and higher.

Availability and Pricing

Currently, the U7inh instance is available in AWS regions such as US East (N. Virginia) and US West (Oregon), and customers can take advantage of it through a convenient 3-year Savings Plan.

Conclusion

This launch represents a significant leap forward for enterprises looking to scale their SAP workloads efficiently in the cloud. Don’t miss out on revolutionizing your business applications!