SAP's BW is a data warehouse providing analytical tools against multi-dimensional business data. BWA is an optional in-memory accelerator for BW.

Both BW and BWA can run on a certified subset of Dell's standard range of servers and storage. BWA holds the BW data in memory across a set of blade servers. Dell doesn't sell SAP's BWA software but the hardware along with system integrator's services on the installation. The blades used are PowerEdge M610 in a dedicated M1000e chassis. In order to get a qualified BWA configuration, please contact sap_sizing@dell.com


Having the data in memory greatly accelerates the queries run against it. It’s sized and licensed by the total amount of memory required. The user count of BWA is not a significant sizing factor. Determining the needed memory is a joint activity between the customer, SAP and Dell. Once determined, BWA is licensed for that amount of memory in 4GB increments. Licensing 4GB of physical RAM costs 12,500 USD, but there are limitations. Typical amounts are between 32GB and 256GB of RAM, though can be much higher. The BWA memory is distributed over a number of blades, each blade can have up to half of its physical memory assigned to BWA. In addition to these production blades there would typically be two cold spare blades and some test blades.

Blades Configuration:
Dell PowerEdge M610 with
Processor: 2 Intel Xeon X5670
RAM: 48GB
Harddisk: 2x149GB

Network Interface Cards
Blade count:
Production: Roundup(memory / 48GB); up to 8
Test: 2
Blade Chassis M1000e with PowerConnect switch
Storage Internal
Cluster File System -
Operating System SLES for SAP applications 11


For more information contact sap_sizing@dell.com.


BWA links

BWA technical operations manual

Business Objects Explorer

Business Warehouse Accelerator works well together with SAP BusinessObjects Explorer Accelerated Version. To set up BWA and BOEA, use the following steps:

  1. Set up BWA
    1. Install hardware
    2. Install Operating System
    3. Install Storage
    4. Install OCFS2
    5. Install BWA
    6. fill BWA indexes from BW system (transaction RSDDV)
  2. Set up BusinessObjects Enterprise
To set up BusinessObjects Enterprise follow its master guide. As of 2010-05-12, due to the available service packs, you will need to perform the following steps:
    1. Install BO Enterprise XI 3.1 base
During installation on Linux your license key is not accepted? Then install libstdc++33-32bit.
    1. Install SAP Integration base
    2. Install SP2 for BOXI Enterprise 3.1
    3. Install SP2 for SAP Integration Kit
    4. Install FP 2.4 for BOXI Enterprise 3.1
    5. Install FP 2.4 for SAP Integration Kit
    6. Install Explorer XI 3.2 SP1
Use transaction RSDDTPS on the BW system to create the Explorer indexes in BW