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?

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.

- SAP Provisioning
Make Identity Management Sarbanes-Oxley-Compliant by Leveraging Integrated SAP Solutions

Published: 01/July/2009

Reading time: 17 mins

Efficient processes for identity management (IDM) are a challenge to many companies — in particular when access- and authorization-related risks must be managed and taken under consideration prior to provisioning access privileges. SAP BusinessObjects Access Control 5.3 comes with a Web service-based interface intended to provide risk analysis and mitigation features to IDM solutions. See...…
Set Up a Trusted Relationship Between SAP NetWeaver AS Java and ABAP for Secure SSO

Published: 31/August/2010

Reading time: 15 mins

/GRCYou can set up ticket authorization between two SAP systems to enable users to apply single sign-on when they need to access both systems. You can use either an HTTP connection or a Remote Function Call connection for this purpose. Use the provided guidelines to determine which authentication type can fulfill your requirement. See how...…
10 Best Practices for Enforcing Data Security, Control, and Consistency in the Software Logistics Process

Published: 30/March/2010

Reading time: 17 mins

Learn important best practices, tips, and guidelines that are invaluable for ensuring that the process of making changes and transporting changed data in the SAP ABAP system is well secured against possible security threats and risks. Key Concept In an attempt to define, reengineer, and optimize business processes via customization, development, and corrective activities in...…
Upgrades Part 1: Fix Two Common Appraisal Errors with Ease

Published: 15/March/2006

Reading time: 8 mins

Discover two problems you may face in your HR upgrade from R/3 4.6C to mySAP ERP and see how to permanently fix them. Even if you don’t run into these problems, you can benefit from the methodology behind the solution. Key Concept In mySAP ERP, the SAP ERP Central Component (SAP ECC) replaces SAP R/3...…
Use Clusters to Access Infotype Texts

Published: 15/December/2004

Reading time: 18 mins

The infotype texts are not stored in the same manner as other fields of an infotype. Rather, they are stored in the form of clusters. The handling and storage of such fields are entirely different from other infotype fields. Learn about their storage architecture and the basic code that makes them accessible. Key Concept The...…
Get Started with Modeling and Reporting in SAP HANA

Published: 29/January/2013

Reading time: 13 mins

/HANALearn how to begin working with HANA modeling. Discover the differences between the view and its respective features to understand and start using HANA. Key Concept SAP HANA stores a large amount of data in memory. SAP LT Replication, Data Services 4.0, and Sybase Replication Server are used to load data into the HANA server...…
Increase Data Visualization in Mobile Apps Using the Mobile Analytics Kit

Published: 03/December/2012

Reading time: 9 mins

/Project Management/HANA/MobileLearn how to take advantage of data visualization approaches, including performance management dashboards, using the SAP Mobile Platform (formerly known as the Sybase Unwired Platform), SAP Mobile Analytics Kit, and SAP Mobile BusinessObjects. Key Concept The SAP Mobile Analytics Kit (MAKit) is a feature of the SAP Mobile Platform that runs on an analytics...…
Find Data Faster through Stronger Visualization Capabilities from EPM Solutions in Xcelsius

Published: 14/May/2011

Reading time: 8 mins

Extending the visualization capabilities of Xcelsius to display data from BusinessObjects enterprise performance management (EPM) solutions requires an evaluation of data sources and complexity. Learn two approaches to related data integration and discover insights for enabling Xcelsius Enterprise 2008 connectivity to EPM solutions. Key Concept Heterogeneous data sources refers to data that exists in different...…
An Introduction to SAP Business Suite on HANA for ABAP Developers

Published: 03/July/2013

Reading time: 9 mins

/HANANow that a majority of the core SAP Business Suite applications have been enhanced to run on SAP HANA technology, many ABAP developers are left wondering how this transition might affect them in the future. See how SAP HANA technology is integrated and used in systems using the SAP Business Suite. Key Concept Running the...…
Moving Toward Data-Centric Designs with SAP HANA

Published: 02/August/2013

Reading time: 9 mins

/HANANow that most of the core SAP Business Suite applications have been enhanced to run on SAP HANA technology, many ABAP developers are left wondering how this transition might affect them in their day-to-day development tasks. This article shows how the advent of SAP HANA technology marks a return toward data-centric design principles. Key Concept...…