The SAP Sapphire 2024 conference brought a wealth of exciting news for SAP users on the Azure platform. Microsoft, as the main sponsor, presented a series of innovations aimed at increasing performance, security, and the integration of SAP systems with Azure services.
Automated attack blocking with Microsoft Sentinel for SAP
One of the most significant announcements was the introduction of an automated defence capability against attacks on SAP systems using Microsoft Sentinel. Through integration with Microsoft Defender XDR, the new functionality enables a rapid response to threats by isolating devices or deactivating users, which significantly raises the level of security.
Entra ID replaces SAP IDM
Microsoft announced that SAP Identity and Access Management (IDM) will be replaced by Entra ID. This move, combined with MFA support for SAPGUI, will provide better access management and an additional layer of protection for users of SAP interfaces.
Power Platform integration
The new SAP OData connector in Power Automate enables easy and secure connectivity with SAP OData services. Users can now build automated processes and chatbots in Copilot Studio without needing to modify the core of SAP systems, considerably simplifying and speeding up integration.
New Mv3 virtual machines
Azure is introducing the Mv3 series of virtual machines, which offer up to 32 TB of memory and are built on fourth-generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors. These machines deliver higher performance and a better price-to-performance ratio, making them ideally suited to handling SAP HANA workloads.
Azure Center for SAP Solutions expansion
Azure Center for SAP Solutions (ACSS) has been enhanced with new features, including quality checks for Db2 and Oracle databases and integration with Azure Monitor for SAP. These improvements enable more effective management and monitoring of SAP environments, providing greater visibility and control over critical systems.
Monitoring and automation
Azure Monitor for SAP Solutions has been expanded with new features and regions, offering simplified provider creation and centralised alert management. The SAP Deployment Automation Framework (SDAF) now supports HANA Scale-out expansion, increasing the scalability and resilience of SAP systems on Azure.
Backup and data protection
Azure Backup for SAP HANA introduces multi-streaming support, significantly speeding up the backup process. In addition, support for SAP ASE database backups is now available, providing more comprehensive data protection.
SNOK’s role in strengthening SAP security on Azure
SNOK, as an SAP and Microsoft partner, plays a key role in delivering the highest-quality solutions and services related to SAP on Azure. Our specialisation in SAP enables us to make full use of the potential of the latest technologies offered by Microsoft. Through our advanced services, clients can be confident that their SAP systems are not only efficient but, above all, secure and resilient against contemporary threats.
Summary
SAP on Azure continues to evolve, offering new functionalities and improvements aimed at increasing performance, security, and integration with Microsoft tools. The latest announcements from the SAP Sapphire 2024 conference show that Microsoft is working intensively to further enhance its services to meet the requirements of modern enterprises running SAP systems.
Follow our upcoming posts, where we will keep you up to date on the most important developments and best practices in SAP and Azure security.