SAP ABAP On HANA [Things to Know]

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SAP ABAP On HANA

Are you aware of SAP ABAP on the HANA platform? In this tutorial, I will explain what is SAP ABAP on Hana, its importance, and how it works.

Why Use SAP?

SAP has its unique features. Below are the main reasons to use SAP.

  • In the organization, each operation has to store a database, if so it is difficult for other department employees to access the data or information.
  • There is a high chance of duplication of errors. There is a high chance of duplication o
  • To overcome this, SAP software provides single-entity true information. It helps companies manage complex data by allowing the employees of the different departments easy access to real-time data.

Read to know more: What is SAP [An Introduction]

What is SAP HANA?

Below are the important points to know what is SAP HANA.

  • High-Performance Analytic Appliance (HANA).
  • In-built memory, column-oriented, follows a relational database management system(RDBMS).
  • A large amount of data can be accessed quickly.
  • It is not the database alone, but also an appliance that connects software and hardware technology.
  • It is not only modifying the perception of development but also running the application.

Relational Database Management System (RDBMS)

  • Database that stores in a proper format or structured/arranged format using rows and columns.
  • It allows users to define, create, maintain, and give control access to the database.

In-Memory Database in SAP HANA

  • RDBMS primarily depends on main memory data storage.
  • It is faster than a perfect database because, in an optimized or perfect database, the data access is slower than memory access. This is the primary reason SAP HANA is faster than any other database.

Column Oriented Database

  • Each data will be stored in the column.
  • Only in a sequential manner, the data will be stored.
  • Storing the data in the column instead of rows is exactly ignoring scanning, and unwanted interruption while accessing the data.
  • The most important function of the database server is to store and retrieve data requested by the application. SAP HANA is much more than a database.

Also Read: What is SAP HANA Cloud Graph [Detailed Guide]

SAP HANA Platform

The SAP HANA platform merges all components that can be used to power any application. This component includes databases, data processing, integrations, and applications. SAP HANA not only provides database service but also supports the below services.

  • Application services
  • Processing services
  • Integration services

Application Services

  • The application allows project managers to quickly check whether all the team members whether completed their timesheets daily. For other examples, staff should check incoming members/ check-in persons in the schools or college in day-to-day life.
  • These applications were developed as web applications. Only a browser and SAP HANA are enough thus no need for an application server.
  • This is practically possible because SAP handles logic in business and database services. Because SAP HANA has its built-in server, it provides a full development circumstance where everything the developer wants at a design time and in run time.

Processing Services

  • SAP can handle many new types of data including text, special, graphics, and many more.
  • SAP provides local in-memory engines that proceed with all these types of data in real time. For example, we have the option of creating an application for producing customer feedback summaries based on a cluster of social media comments.
  • This is possible since SAP HANA can access data from social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
  • It is also capable of accessing big data like Hadoop. SAP HANA can access data from any type of system such as SAP S/4HANA, or SAP BW.
  • It also can access data from sensors on built-in IOT sensors.

Integration Services

  • It has built-in tools that provide transformation and packing or storing capabilities. This means the originality of the data is possible.
  • In SAP HANA, data can be physically loaded in the batch process. The batch process means before the execution or run time every operation or program is to be checked thoroughly.
  • In SAP HANA, data can be filled from the files, database, or occasionally connected sources.

Check out: What are Reports and their Types in SAP ABAP [With Examples]

In-Memory Database in Detail

The main features of SAP HANA are an In-Memory database thus allowing OLTP and OLAP in real-time.

  • In the earlier method, databases were stored on disk. Only data or input requested by applications moved to process.
  • Data in memory is regularly replaced with the new data request, so swapping i.e. exchange will be normal.
  • Typical databases are specifically designed to work well in computer systems with limited random access memory. This shows the disk is the main congestion.
  • With SAP HANA, we can store the whole database in memory. This means disk moment can be removed. Storing data in the main memory is more effective rather than on disk.
  • Performance in SAP HANA is more since it is more costly from a data storage point of view.
  • More frequently access data(hot data)stored in main memory whereas less frequently access data (warm data) stored in data disk. This approach is named “Dynamic tiering”.
  • Although it has a persistent layer, SAP HANA often describe as an In-memory database.
  • Persistent layer – It is disk-based it is not a separate component and it is a must part of SAP HANA.

Why We Required DataBase Memory OLAP

  • To provide an area to unload or reduce the space from the less important data, when the main memory is full or power failure.
  • Any data that can be accessed by any application always come from the main memory. This means if the table is occupied in the persistent layer, the moment is needed the table is automatically loaded to the main memory.
  • SAP HANA allows the conversion of warm data to hot data in a clever way.

OLTP and OLAP

  • OLTP – Online Transaction Processing
  • OLAP – Online Analytical Processing

Traditionally, which means in the older version, systems were either optimized for a transaction or analysis. In most traditional databases, tables are row-based which is identified as an optimal transaction system. But for analytics, column tables are more maximum.

1. OLTP – Transaction system is a kind of information system that collects, stores, modify and retrieve the data transaction of an enterprise. These kinds of applications use database operations like insert, update, modify, and delete.

2. OLAP – Analytic applications are the business type of software that is used to calculate and improve the performance of business operations. Most kinds of applications use read database operations.

SAP HANA database supports both row tables & column tables, both are storage types of tables that decide how two-dimensional tables get stored in the database either row-wise or column-wise. Both storage types are needed in the HANA platform that handles transactional and analytical applications in the same database.

SAP HANA is a platform that simplifies and removes the complexity that was developed for many years. The key object of SAP HANA is to reduce or remove redundancies. It means only one copy of data is needed for any kind of data access in the database.

OperationsOLTPOLAP
Data purposeTo run and control basic business operationsPromote planning, problem-solving, and decision support.
Operations of databaseAdd, modify, delete, update, and readRead
Data sourceOLTPs are the original source of dataData consolidation, OLAP data comes from different OLTP databases.
Example Operation Environment
e.g R/3, ECC		Informative Environment
e.g BW

HTAP in SAP

SAP HANA is able to bring transactional and analytical requirements into one platform called Hybrid transaction and analytic processing (HTAP).

SAP ABAP On HANA

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Conclusion

Hope this tutorial helps you to understand the important concept of SAP ABAP on HANA. Also disclosed inbuilt-memory, SAP HANA platform as well. Go through every sentence and understand the concept. Below are the topics covered in this tutorial.

  • Why Use SAP?
  • SAP HANA
  • Relational Database Management system (RDBMS)
  • In-Memory Database in SAP HANA
  • Column-Oriented Database
  • SAP HANA platform
  • In-memory Database in Detail
  • Why we required Database Memory
  • OLAP and OLTP
  • HTAP in SAP