SAP Architecture
What is SAP Architecture?
SAP Architecture is the technical requirements of your system landscape and the applications that you need for that. SAP’s major step forward in architecture came when it introduced SAP R/3 — the three references a three-layer architecture — in the late 1990s. SAP ERP applications ever since, including SAP S/4HANA, still follow these basic architectural layers:
- The Presentation Layer is the component specialized in interacting with end-users, the user interface. SAP GUI is the traditional SAP interface, but newer SAP applications utilize SAP Fiori design principles.
- The Application Layer is the component that specializes in processing the SAP application — such as SAP S/4HANA. Development at the SAP application layer has been done traditionally with the ABAP coding language. The HTML5-based UI5 is growing in importance as a language for building applications that can run on a variety of devices.
- The Database Layer is the software component that specializes in the management, storage, and retrieval of data. The key difference in SAP S/4HANA vs. previous ERPs at this level is a simplified data model that is specifically designed to run on the SAP HANA in-memory database.
What is SAP Architecture?
SAP Architecture is the technical requirements of your system landscape and the applications that you need for that. SAP’s major step forward in architecture came when it introduced SAP R/3 — the three references a three-layer architecture — in the late 1990s. SAP ERP applications ever since, including SAP S/4HANA, still follow these basic architectural layers:
- The Presentation Layer is the component specialized in interacting with end-users, the user interface. SAP GUI is the traditional SAP interface, but newer SAP applications utilize SAP Fiori design principles.
- The Application Layer is the component that specializes in processing the SAP application — such as SAP S/4HANA. Development at the SAP application layer has been done traditionally with the ABAP coding language. The HTML5-based UI5 is growing in importance as a language for building applications that can run on a variety of devices.
- The Database Layer is the software component that specializes in the management, storage, and retrieval of data. The key difference in SAP S/4HANA vs. previous ERPs at this level is a simplified data model that is specifically designed to run on the SAP HANA in-memory database.
There’s a wide range of vendors that support at least part of the SAP Architecture. Red Hat and SUSE specialize in the Linux operating system, on which the SAP HANA database runs. SAP architecture needs a foundation, and a vendor such as Dell Technologies can provide on-premise hardware such as servers. Microsoft is one of the hyperscalers that can set up cloud environments for SAP applications. Companies like Deloitte offer consulting services to assist companies in building out their SAP Architecture.
Key Considerations for SAPinsiders:
- ABAP coders are still important to SAP Architecture. If your company is looking to adopt SAP S/4HANA and other SAP applications with consumer-grade user experiences, then you will likely need UI5 and SAP Fiori skillsets.
- Legacy SAP ERP systems typically have heavy customization at the application layer and potentially complex data models. Many customers that are adopting SAP S/4HANA are choosing to eschew customization and instead are adapting their processes to the technology to provide cleaner data and easier upgrades.
- SAP HANA’s in-memory capabilities are meant to speed up data retrieval significantly. However, with the rise of low-cost and open-source data storage, many companies are storing their data in “hot” and “cold” locations. Hot, or frequently accessed, data may be stored in-memory, but cold, or sporadically accessed, data may be stored in a Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) or cloud storage.
483 results
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Finance Is Leading the Way to Digital Change with SAP S/4HANA
Expectations for financial software have changed. To make insightful, data-driven planning and budgeting decisions, users need real-time access to data via an intuitive user interface, and to provide this, businesses need to digitize their financial processes. This article provides an overview of how SAP S/4HANA can help digitally transform your finance department into an agile,…
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“Printing Money” with Operational Machine Learning
Companies are turning their data into revenue generators by using machine learning and analytics. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here
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Keeping the Focus on the Customer in the Midst of Digital Transformation
SAPinsider interviews SAP Chief Operating Officer (COO) Christian Klein in this exclusive Q&A. Klein touches on his background, his start with SAP, SAP's own digital transformation journey, and the harmonization of the customer experience as one of the key objectives of the Intelligent Enterprise. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View…
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SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud and the Path to Operational Efficiency
SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud, SAP’s private managed cloud solution, gives customers the opportunity to run SAP workloads on SAP S/4HANA and take advantage of cutting-edge technology. For Canadian General-Tower (CGT) — a world leader in coated fabrics and containment materials — making the switch to the SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud was a no-brainer. With plans for expansion,…
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How a Queensland Government Agency in Australia Leverages SAP Screen Personas for Improving the User Experience of HR Resources
Discover how you can improve the user experience of your on-premise SAP system using SAP Screen Personas. Get an inside look at three real-life HR use cases designed and built for HR professional users at the Department of Transport and Main Roads, part of the Queensland Government – Australia. Membership Required You must be a…
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SAP Data Services: Integrating with SAP Business Suite Sources
Gain an overview of SAP Data Services and how to extract data by leveraging SAP Business Suite extractors. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here
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Comply with Mandatory E-Invoicing with Confidence
Over the years, companies have been replacing paper invoices with electronic versions to improve agility and to gain better insights into their business. In recent years, however, tax authorities and governmental organizations in an increasing number of countries have begun enforcing the use of electronic invoicing (e-invoicing) by law to combat fraud and save costs,…
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SAP Announces Microsoft Azure as Key Cloud Platform for SAP S/4HANA
Today’s SAP Q3 2019 earnings call went way beyond announcing double-digit year over year revenue growth and a 37% boost in cloud revenue, as it also unveiled a new strategic partnership with Microsoft that emphasizes Microsoft Azure as the key cloud platform to support SAP S/4HANA, SAP’s flagship ERP release. Membership Required You must be…
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Delivery Hero Drives Automation and Scale with SAP Software
In the competitive global food-delivery industry, a new business needs to be nimble and fast to establish itself and thrive. Delivery Hero is one such company, which came on the scene in 2011 and grew to process more than three times the orders of all its competitors combined. SAP customers can learn a great deal…
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Lion Improves Levels of Integration and Automation with SAP Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence (SAP MII)
This research brief examines how Lion improved automation and IT/OT integration in its manufacturing plants. In Lion’s case, the company digitized and automated a manufacturing plant in New Zealand, but a best of-breed strategy for all their enterprise solutions had left them with dozens of different IT solutions and a complicated organic IT architecture that…
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