Red Hat Taps Automation and AI to Modernize SAP Operations and Boost ROI

As enterprise leaders intensify efforts to optimize and future-proof their SAP environments, Red Hat is betting on automation at scale. The open source enterprise software leader’s product portfolio includes Ansible Automation Platform, an SAP-integrated platform enhanced with event-driven automation and generative AI. Ansible Automation Platform  streamlines tasks such as configuration management, application deployment, and infrastructure orchestration across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

SAP customers managing sprawling hybrid environments are under pressure to reduce complexity and enhance operational consistency. Red Hat’s solution addresses these challenges with a composable automation platform. A recent International Data Corporation (IDC) study, sponsored by Red Hat, reports that customers using the Ansible Automation Platform achieved a three-year ROI of 668%, a 68% acceleration in compute provisioning, and 46% fewer unplanned outages.

The platform allows organizations to easily scale as their automation matures. IT teams can start with specific tasks and gradually automate entire workflows. This incremental approach helps enterprises modernize step by step while maintaining operational continuity. It also encourages a more consistent, policy-driven SAP environment, which is crucial for regulated industries.

AI and Event-Driven Tools Lower the Barrier to Entry

Red Hat has launched Red Hat Ansible Lightspeed, a generative AI service that reduces the barrier to entry into  automation. Automation developers can generate trusted Ansible content such as Ansible Playbooks, while platform administrators and IT operations teams can onboard and troubleshoot their automation with ease.In settings where speed and security are critical, Red Hat Ansible Lightspeed  can significantly accelerate innovation while helping to maintain governance.

Event-Driven Ansible, another key part of the platform, allows SAP environments to automatically respond to events like system failures or performance issues. Using rulebooks to trigger predefined actions, this feature helps reduce downtime, capture team expertise, and speed up incident resolution. These capabilities are especially useful in hybrid or multicloud SAP environments that require high availability and quick response.

Red Hat’s automation tools are part of a broader SAP-compatible infrastructure ecosystem. Ansible Automation Platform works with Red Hat Enterprise Linux for SAP Solutions and other Red Hat products to maintain consistent operations across physical, virtual, and cloud environments. This helps SAP teams to standardize and expand their automation efforts while minimizing fragmentation and tool sprawl.

What This Means for SAPinsiders

Modernize SAP operations to free up IT teams for innovation. By eliminating repetitive manual tasks and offering AI-augmented automation design, Red Hat’s Ansible Automation Platform allows IT staff to redirect energy toward strategic transformation efforts. Multiple vendors are all investing in automation capabilities, but Ansible Automation Platform’s agentless architecture and event-driven model give it a distinct edge for hybrid SAP workloads, and allows teams to centralize their automation within a single, consistent solution.

Evaluate automation platforms based on their extensibility and AI integration capabilities. For SAPinsiders assessing automation solutions, core evaluation criteria should include the platform’s ability to support SAP-certified content, its compatibility with hybrid IT landscapes, and its support for security and compliance automation. Red Hat’s composable model with policy enforcement and vulnerability remediation provides operational safeguards. Integration with generative AI tools, such as Ansible Lightspeed, also makes it attractive for teams seeking to upskill or broaden access to automation creation and troubleshooting. Competitive solutions may offer similar functionality, but few provide Red Hat’s level of cross-functional integration with SAP systems and co-engineered assurance.

Adopt a phased approach to automation, focusing on business-aligned use cases. The most successful SAP customers typically begin with low-risk automation tasks, such as provisioning, patching, or backups, and then expand to more complex workflows spanning operating systems, application, network devices, and more. Red Hat reports that organizations in regulated industries, such as energy and finance, have seen reduced downtime and improved compliance after adopting Ansible-based automation. Challenges often come from skills gaps or tool sprawl, but Red Hat’s AI-based tools and support ecosystem help reduce these issues. As SAP workloads migrate to the cloud and become increasingly distributed, building a resilient and agile automation strategy is increasingly crucial.