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.
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SAP ECC End of Life 2027: Your Step-by-Step Migration Roadmap to S/4HANA
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SAP Completes Strong Q2, Eyes APJ Expansion with Alibaba Partnership
SAP reported strong Q2 2025 earnings with cloud revenue up 24% to €5.1 billion, bolstered by a strategic partnership with Alibaba to enhance growth in the Asia-Pacific region and the impact of AI on revenue, while completing a major restructuring that involved 10,000 employees.
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Get Started with Cloud Computing and SAP Today
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IC WinClient or IC WebClient? How to Choose a Call Center Interface
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SAP BTP in Action: 7 Real-World Use Cases That Deliver Measurable Business Value
Most organisations know that SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) exists. They see it in every keynote and every roadmap update. Far fewer, however, truly understand what it actually unlocks for their specific business operations—or which use cases justify the initial investment. The challenge for the modern C-suite isn’t a lack of technology; it’s a lack…
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Introduction to Responsive Design in SAPUI5 and SAP Fiori
Ameya Pimpalgaonkar shows how to design responsive SAPUI5 or SAP Fiori applications. SAP Fiori uses the SAPUI5 framework and therefore all responsive design techniques used in SAPUI5 can also be used while developing custom SAP Fiori applications. Key Concept Responsive Design is an approach that enables you to develop Web sites or applications independent of...…
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Quickly Resolve SAP Interactive Form Issues for Seamless Printing Workflow
The SAP Interactive Forms software by Adobe (SAP Interactive Forms) offers an enhanced look and interaction capabilities. However, using SAP Interactive Forms can cause obstacles within the printing workflow. Understanding the issues that may arise helps you set up your printing environment for SAP Interactive Forms. Key Concept The SAP Interactive Forms software by Adobe...…
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SAP Names Manik Saha Managing Director of SAP Labs East Asia
SAP has named Manik Saha managing director of SAP Labs East Asia, a move that highlights continued investment in regional engineering talent and Business AI development.
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Why Shop-Floor Execution Is Still the Blind Spot of SAP® Manufacturing
Despite advancements in data accessibility within SAP for manufacturing, a significant gap persists between planning and execution on the shop floor, where reliance on traditional methods undermines real-time visibility and responsiveness, necessitating a shift to integrating execution data seamlessly to enhance operational efficiency.
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Configure SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation for SAP NetWeaver to Optimize System Performance
Read about the underlying architecture for SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation 7.0, version for SAP NetWeaver. Learn how to set up the connectivity between the different SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation clients and servers, and how to change different ABAP and .NET settings to optimize system performance. Key Concept The term application has several meanings...…
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