SAP S/4HANA 1709 Installation Files: What I Used and How I Got Them

 When I prepared for the installation of SAP S/4HANA 1709, I quickly realized that having the right set of files was half the battle. SAP doesn’t just give you one big installer — it’s a collection of components that need to be downloaded, extracted, and installed in a specific order. Here’s how I tackled it.

📦 Step 1: Planning with Maintenance Planner

Before downloading anything, I used SAP Maintenance Planner to generate a stack XML file. This file outlines the exact components and versions required for your system — including the S/4HANA core, HANA database, kernel, and SAP NetWeaver stack. Without this, you risk downloading mismatched or outdated files.

📥 Step 2: Downloading the Installation Media

From the SAP Software Download Center, I pulled the following essential packages:

• SWPM (Software Provisioning Manager) This is the tool that orchestrates the installation. I used the latest version compatible with NetWeaver 7.5.

• SAP S/4HANA 1709 Installation Export Files These are the core application files, typically split into multiple .RAR or .TGZ parts — around 120GB total. They include:

  • S4CORE (application server)

  • DBDATA, DBEXE, DBLOG (HANA database archives)

  • SAPCAR utility for extraction

• SAP Kernel Files I downloaded the Unicode kernel for Linux x86_64, matching the version specified in the stack XML.

• SAP HANA Database Installation Files If you’re installing a new HANA DB, you’ll need the full HANA 2.0 SPS01 or higher installation media. I used hdblcm to install and configure it.

• SAP Host Agent Required for system monitoring and lifecycle management.

• SAP Fiori Front-End Server (optional) If you’re enabling Fiori apps, you’ll need the UI components and gateway configuration files.

🗂️ Step 3: Organizing the Files

I created a dedicated directory structure:

Code

/sapmedia/S4HANA_1709/
├── SWPM/
├── Kernel/
├── HANA_DB/
├── Export/
├── SAPCAR/

This helped me keep everything clean and easy to reference during installation.

🧪 Step 4: Installation Sequence

Using SWPM, I selected Standard System Installation and pointed it to the extracted export files. The tool guided me through:

• Database setup

• Application server configuration

• Importing ABAP loads

• Post-installation steps like client creation and transport setup