During the installation of an SAP HANA multi-host system, the installer requires the specification of several key file system paths. For a distributed system, it is mandatory to define a shared file system accessible by all hosts. The default location for this is /hana/shared, which contains the installation binaries, configuration, and trace files. Additionally, each host requires its own local storage for data and log volumes. The installer prompts for the base paths for these volumes, with /hana/log/ being the default base directory for the persistence log files. These two locations are fundamental inputs for the installation process.

B. /usr/sap/hostctrl

This is the default installation directory for the SAP Host Agent, which is a prerequisite. Its path is standard and not a primary file system that is specified during the HANA database installation itself.

C. /usr/sap/

This is the standard base directory for SAP system instance data. While the installer creates directories here (e.g., /usr/sap/), the primary and critical paths to specify are for the shared, data, and log volumes.

1. SAP HANA Server Installation and Update Guide (SAP HANA Platform 2.0 SPS 07)

Section 3.2

"File System Layout for SAP HANA": This section details the recommended file system structure. It explicitly lists /hana/shared/ as "Shared by all hosts in a distributed SAP HANA system" and /hana/log/ as "Host-specific" for log volumes. This confirms the distinct and required nature of these paths.

Section 4.3.1

"Installing a New SAP HANA System Using the Command-Line Interface": The documentation lists the parameters for the hdblcm tool. Key parameters include --sapmntpath (defaults to /hana/shared) and --logpath (defaults to /hana/log). This shows these are direct inputs for the installation process.

2. SAP HANA Administration Guide for SAP HANA Platform

Section "File System and Storage" -> "Recommended File System Layout": This guide reiterates the importance of the shared file system (/hana/shared) for multi-host systems and the local file systems for data and log volumes (/hana/data

/hana/log) on each host. It emphasizes that /hana/shared must be mounted on all hosts.