Firstly, what is SAP Basis?
SAP Basis is not a product but a term used to represent the technical aspects of SAP operations. It includes middleware programs and tools that allow SAP applications to communicate with each other and with other systems and databases.
In other words, an SAP Basis consultant is a technical consultant who operates and manages an organisation’s SAP applications. Basis consultants are also called SAP Technical consultants or SAP system administrators.
What are the responsibilities of an SAP Basis Consultant?
Basis consultants are responsible for all the technical aspects of an SAP system. That includes,
- Installing and configuring SAP applications.
- Installing and administering databases such as HANA, Oracle, SQL Server, DB2, Sybase, etc.
- Managing backup and restore.
- Setting up high-availability and disaster recovery SAP systems.
- Performing SAP system copies and client copies.
- Updating SAP systems with support packs, patches, notes and enhancement packs.
- Creating and managing batch jobs.
- Configuring SAP transport management systems.
- Setting up technical monitoring and other automation.
- Setting up RFC connections between multiple SAP applications.
- Setting up Single Sign On.
- Analyse the logs and troubleshoot issues.
On top of this, a Basis consultant should have a good understanding of operating systems like Windows Server and Linux. And they should also have a good understanding of the computer network concepts like routers, firewalls, DNS servers, VPN technologies, etc.
Are SAP Basis consultants different from SAP ABAP programmers?
Yes, SAP Basis or technical administration is different from being a programmer. As we saw before, a Basis Consultant manages the technical aspects of an SAP system. In contrast, an ABAP programmer will design, develop and test ABAP programs and ensure the written code follows the best practices in performance, reliability and security.
Some skills overlap with each other, though. Usually, ABAP programmers have some basic understanding of the SAP technical administration and Basis administrators possess at least a basic understanding of how ABAP programs work. This will help both consultants to excel in their day-to-day work.
How to learn SAP Basis?
SAP offers a System Administration course called [ADM100](https://training.sap.com/course/adm100-system-administration-i-of-sap-s4hana-and-sap-business-suite-classroom-023-in-en/?). It is one of the most famous and longest-running courses SAP offers in the technical space.
It is a detailed course covering almost all technical administration aspects of an SAP system.
It contains topics such as
- Fundamentals of SAP Technical Architecture
- System configuration
- Database Administration
- RFC communications
- Job processing
- System monitoring, etc.
This can be an expensive course, but please note this is an official course offered by SAP. So you can be assured that you will receive value for your money, and this course is highly reputable among the SAP ecosystem.
Apart from this, plenty of free and paid materials are available online, using which you can learn the technical aspects of SAP system administration.
Start with YouTube videos and cost-effective courses on platforms like Udemy before attending official SAP training and certifications, as that might be expensive.
Before joining any course, please make sure it is a legitimate one.
What does the job prospect of SAP Basis consultants look like?
The simple answer is the future looks bright for SAP Basis Consultants / SAP Technical Consultants. The Bureau of Labour Statistics projects a 10% increase in jobs for SAP basis consultants from 2020 to 2030.
However, knowing the technical aspects of SAP systems alone will not be enough going forward. A lot of organisations are moving towards the cloud model. So, SAP technical consultants are expected to know about the working models of the Infrastructure as Service technology like MS Azure, Amazon AWS and Google Cloud.
Understanding the overall solution architecture, change management methodology and cloud integration concepts would boost your job opportunities.
As a basis consultant, you must collaborate with business users and customers to troubleshoot their issues. So, having good communication skills is essential. Writing good work emails, and technical documents, improving your presentation skills and developing a positive attitude will help you land a significant role in your dream company.
Please like and share this blog with your friends and leave a comment if you have any questions.
A blog about SAP 