In the next part of our BTP mini series, we will focus on the administration of this platform.

Since we are not talking about a simple stand-alone service at BTP, but a platform combining a whole range of separate as well as associated services, applications and connections, the administration of this platform is extensive and has several tools and methods for administration.

IT ALL STARTS WITH A NEW ACCOUNT

For us at FPT, administration does not only mean entering a "heated match", and thus taking over the management of existing accounts and services (we can handle this flexibly, of course), but we start with the customer from the very beginning - creating a primary account from the provider (SAP), defining necessary attributes and planning of the whole structure.

This so-called Onboarding of new customers includes:

  • setting a global account,
  • creating and adjusting sub-accounts,
  • securing of accounts,
  • user and member administration,
  • business-oriented needs - quotes.
EVERY ADMIN MUST HAVE HIS OWN TOOL

In BTP we use several of them, but the main tool of the BTP administrator is SAP BTP Cockpit.

We use this tool for our "daily operation". Because it uses a web interface and includes a sophisticated GUI, working with it is simple and really intuitive (saying this after three years of getting used to and a lot of major functionality updates ?).

In Cockpit, we create accounts / sub-accounts / premises, add new users and then assign them permissions, set up verifications, create backend links (whether on-premise systems or databases stored in the cloud), assign services and install instances and applications, update and add certificates.

Another most used tool is CLI – Command Line Interface.

The command line interface can be used to create or update sub-accounts, manage authorization, and work with services. It is an alternative to the SAP BTP Cockpit for all users who like to work in a terminal or want to automate operations using scripts.

For interactive users, there is SSO login, automatic completion of commands, as well as several interactive commands with prompts.

Version for BTP global account:

Version for specific environment within BTP – Cloud Foundry CLI:

Lastly, I will mention the possibility of using the API by means of SAP API Management:

An application programming interface or API is an interface provided by an application to interact with other applications. API interfaces specify how software programs can exchange information with each other, even if designed and operated by different organizations..

EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED

As I mentioned at the beginning, other "sections" are linked to the BTP platform, such as:

  • Cloud Connector,
  • S/4 HANA cloud,
  • on-premise SAP HCM System,
  • SAP Analytics Cloud,
  • Succesfactors,
  • Integration Suite (SAP CPI – PI/PO).

Therefore, we communicate on a daily basis, cooperating with other departments managing components and services that are not directly part of the BTP (that is the administration within one console - cockpit). However, since everything falls under one platform, the sections are connected through different connectors and interfaces, which create coexistence.

Previous article: Introduction to SAP BTP.

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