Editorial Note: This blog was updated to include additional validated CPUs.
Broadcom is pleased to announce SAP support for VMware vSphere in VMware Cloud Foundation 9 and VMware vSphere Foundation 9 virtual machines running SAP HANA 2.0 and SAP NetWeaver–based applications on Intel Xeon Processors, including Intel’s latest generation Intel Xeon 6 with P-cores and older processors. See SAP note 3663150 for details.
SAP HANA Support
vSphere support in VCF 9 for SAP HANA 2.0 includes support for:
- Intel Xeon 6 with P-cores processors (Granite Rapids)
- Intel 5th Gen Xeon Processor (Emerald Rapids)
- Intel 4th Gen Xeon Processor (Sapphire Rapids)
- Intel 3rd Gen Xeon Processor (Icelake)
- Intel 2nd Gen Xeon Processor (Cascade and Cooper Lake)
with SAP HANA VM standard configurations up to 2 TiB of memory and up to 172 vCPUs per CPU socket as the current maximum. Note: Please refer to the SAP note for the actual supported memory and vCPU configurations per CPU model.
Supported SAP HANA VM Configurations on Intel Xeon 6 (Granite Rapids-SP, 2-socket host):
| Configuration Type | GNR CPU Example | vCPUs | Memory (vRAM) | Estimated vaSAPS* | Estimated vSAPS* | Notes |
| 2 SAP HANA VMs per CPU socket | 86-core 6787P CPU | up to 86 per VM | up to 1 TiB per VM | 32,000 | 160,000 | Requires SNC-2, up to 4 VMs per host |
| 1 SAP HANA VM per CPU socket | 86-core 6787P CPU | up to 172 | up to 2 TiB | 64,000 | 320,000 | up to 2 VMs per host |
| 2-CPU socket wide SAP HANA VM | 86-core 6787P CPU | up to 344 | up to 4 TiB | 128,000 | 640,000 | Largest 2S VM configuration, 1 VM per host |
*Estimated vaSAPS and vSAPS incorporate a maximal 10% virtualization overhead and are based on benchmark 2025064 and 2052028. Definition of aSAPS and SAPS.
Support for Intel Xeon 6 with P-Cores with vSphere 8 was released at the end of September 2025 (see SAP note 3372365), enabling seamless migration from vSphere 8 environments to vSphere in VMware Cloud and vSphere Foundation 9.
Additional SAP HANA on vSphere 9 Supported Memory and vCPU VM configuration examples based on SAP validation status as of January 2026 and SAP note 3663150:
| CPU Model (top bin CPU) | Supported Hosts | Maximal #vCPUs per CPU socket | Maximal validated RAM per CPU socket* | Estimated vSAPS per CPU (BM result -10%) | Maximal vSAPS and Memory per largest VM* | Estimated vSAPS result as of below benchmarks |
| Intel Xeon 6 (6787P Granite Rapids CPU) | 2-Socket. 4-socket in validation | 86 cores, 172 vCPUs | 2 TiB (up to 4 TiB, yet not validated) | 320,000 vSAPS | 640,000 vSAPS and 4 TiB | 2052028 (2S) |
| Intel 5th Gen Xeon (8592+ Emerald Rapids CPU) | 2-socket | 64 cores, 128 vCPUs | 2/3* TiB | 238,000 vSAPS | 476,000 vSAPS and 4/6* TiB | 2023077 (2S) |
| Intel 4th Gen Xeon (8490H Sapphire Rapids CPU) | 2-, 4-, 6 and 8-socket | 60 cores, 120 vCPUs | 2 TiB | 187,000 – 194,000 vSAPS | 1,494,000 vSAPS and 16 TiB | 2023058 (2S) 2024001 (8S) |
| Intel 3rd Gen Xeon (8380 Icelake CPU) | 2-socket | 40 cores, 80 vCPUs | 2 TiB | 121,000 vSAPS | 242,000 vSAPS and 4 TiB | 2023019 (2S) |
| Intel 2nd Gen Xeon (8380H Cooper Lake CPU) | 4- and 8-socket | 28 cores, 56 vCPUs | 1.5 TiB | 75,500 – 81,000 vSAPS | 605,000 vSAPS and 12 TiB | 2023009 (4S) 2021006 (8S) |
| Intel 2nd Gen Xeon (8280L Cascade Lake CPU) | 2-, 4-, 6 and 8-socket | 28 cores, 56 vCPUs | 1.5 TiB | 75,500 – 81,000 vSAPS | 605,000 vSAPS and 12 TiB | 2021009 (4S) 2022020 (8S) |
Note: The values shown in the table are based on SAP standard appliance configurations using the largest available CPU model or on the maximal memory size validated. Alternative CPU models (e.g. lower core count CPUs) or larger memory configurations per CPU socket are supported in accordance with SAP Note 2779240: Workload-based sizing for virtualized environments. For example: A 2S EMR host can support up to 3 TiB* per CPU (6 TiB per host) using an 8592+ CPU as of SAP note 2779240. A 2S GNR system with 2 TiB per CPU socket can utilize a lower core count CPU, such as a 48-core model if the SAPS requirement is fulfilled with this CPU. A 2S GNR system with 2 TiB per CPU socket can utilize a lower core count CPU (e.g., a 48-core model) if the SAPS requirements are met. While an 86-core CPU is typically required to reach the maximum supported 4 TiB per CPU socket, a lower core count CPU may still be sufficient if verified through workload-based sizing.
Performance Snapshot – Intel Xeon 6 with P-Cores processor
Below figure present the results of internal SAP-reviewed tests conducted by Broadcom on a 4 TiB 2-socket Xeon 6 system running vSphere 9, compared with SAP-certified BWH benchmarks running on 2-socket Intel 3rd Gen Xeon Processor, running vSphere 7 and Intel 4th Gen Xeon Processor, running vSphere 8, on 4 TiB ESX hosts.
Migration Guidance
The Intel Xeon 6 platform, with its support for up to 86 cores per socket and increased memory capacity and VCF 9, is an ideal choice for migrating existing virtualized or bare-metal SAP HANA systems from older SAP appliance hardware using CPU generations, such as Cascade Lake, which typically offered 0.75–1 TB per CPU, without the need for re-sizing or significant effort.
For example, a previous 4-socket server running 2nd Gen Intel Xeon (Cascade or Cooper Lake) 4 TB SAP HANA systems, can get migrated onto a 2-socket 4 TB Intel Xeon 6 system without resizing required.
The benefits of migrating and consolidating existing virtualized or bare-metal SAP HANA systems are clear:
- Reduced energy consumption
- Simplified architecture and operation
- Reduced downtime by leveraging enhanced vSphere features like vMotion or VMware HA
- Optimized total cost of ownership (TCO)
Basic Migration Steps
- Verify the SAP HANA VM sizing and select a Granite Rapids server configuration that avoids oversizing (SAPS and memory capacity). Ensure the Core Turbo Frequency is comparable to the previous CPU to maintain single-thread performance for batch processes
- Add the new Granite Rapids host to your existing vSphere cluster or create a new one.
- Shut down the SAP HANA VM and offline migrate it to the new Granite Rapids host.
- Upgrade the VM hardware version to at least version 21 (vSphere 8) or version 22 (vSphere 9).
- Adjust the VM configuration to align with the new hardware topology for optimal NUMA performance (cores per socket and memory alignment).
- Start the VM and validate performance and stability.
SAP NetWeaver Support
vSphere 9 for SAP NetWeaver includes full support for all SAP-supported CPU platforms running Windows Server, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) operating systems. For details, please refer to:
- SAP Note 1409608 – Virtualization on Windows
- SAP Note 1122387 – Linux: SAP Support in Virtualized Environments
What’s Planned Next
- 4-socket Xeon 6 with P-Cores host validation
- Xeon 6 with P-Cores hosts SAP HANA HCI (vSAN 9) support
- Support for Larger memory configurations for Xeon 6 with P-Cores hosts (>2 TB per CPU socket) upon customer demands
- Higher VM density and improved TCO by supporting more than 2 VMs per CPU socket on Xeon 6 with P-Cores hosts and vSphere in VCF 9
References:
- SAP note 3372365 – SAP HANA on VMware vSphere 8
- SAP note 3663150 – SAP HANA on vSphere in VCF 9
- SAP note 3703816 – SAP HANA on VMware vSphere and vSAN in VCF 9
- SAP Note 2652670 – SAP HANA VM on VMware vSphere
- SAP Note 1409608 – Virtualization on Windows
- SAP Note 1122387 – Linux: SAP Support in virtualized environments
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