What is SAP Buffer?

SAP Buffer?

             

             Each SAP instance (application server) has its own buffers. These buffers are also known as client caches because they are implemented on the client, that is, the application server. SAP buffers occupy memory areas that are local to the work process, and in individual shared memory segments that can be accessed by all work processes. These memory areas are executed for the application server.

      SAP Buffer stores frequently accessed business objects and data.When a new set of data is requested by a work process, it is not only fetched from the database and provided to the work process but also stored in the SAP Buffer so that the next time when the same set of data is requested, it is provided from the buffer itself, reducing database access thus reducing the load on the database server and network traffic, thereby improving overall system performance.If the required information is not available in the buffer, it must be paged into the buffer before it can be used, resulting in slower performance.If the SAP Buffer is too small, it cannot hold all of the required information. This shortage of space results in the information being swapped out of the buffers. If the SAP Buffer is too large, the native operating system will start paging because too much memory is taken away and given to SAP, database, or other applications. 

SAP buffers

1. Program Buffer
2. Generic Buffer
3. Screen Buffer
4. Roll Area

Program Buffer:

      This buffer occupies a whole shared memory segment.This buffer occupies a whole shared memory segment.

Generic Buffer & Screen Buffer:

    These buffers are held in a shared memory pool. All work processes can access this pool.

Roll Area:

   Local work process buffers. Only one work process can access these buffers at a time.