SAP R2 versus SAP R3, a simple comparison

R/2 Mainframe Solution
R/2 is SAP AG mainframe software that runs on IBM, Siemens, Amdahl, and compatible equipment. This type of solution cannot claim to be open, although with the help of Application Link Enabled (ALE) technology, R/2 can be linked to R/3 systems and share online data.

Nevertheless, and despite the emergence of new technologies and the significant decrease of hardware prices, some companies some companies preferred the approach of the mainframe solution. This is mainly targeted at enterprises with data?intensive and centralized industries.

R/2 is the antecedent of the client/server R/3 system and also offers comprehensive, fully functional business applications to satisfy the demands of mainframe users. SAP will still continue to support R/2 systems till the year 2004, and so it is advising customers to migrate to R/3.

R/3 Client/Server Solution
SAP R/3 technology is the logical evolution of the SAP R/2 system, and it is the product that has really fueled the expansion of SAP since its introduction in 1992, establishing itself as the leader and de facto standard in the industry. This complex client/server system is the core of this book.

SAP consultants divide themselves into functional or technical categories. Functional SAP consultants are experienced people in some business areas who have learned how to customize those modules to meet their customers' needs. On the other hand, technical consultants get acquainted mainly with the basis system of R/3 installation, operating system management, network and database administration, and so on. Administrators clearly fall into this category.

SAP explains the implicit complexity of R/3 systems by reasoning that the business world is complex, and for a standard system to cover it, it had to include a large number of functions. But SAP not only includes business functionality, it also includes efficient implementation tools, a comprehensive development environment, and a full?featured set of tools to efficiently monitor and manage the system. [SAP R/3 Handbook, Jose Antonio Hernandez, McGrawHill]