SAP Platform Architecture


What is SAP Platform Architecture?

There are two components to any SAP Platform Architecture. The first is the platform, which is a set of solutions and components that provide the functionality that a business needs. The second is the platform architecture, which brings together the business architecture with the technology landscape in a comprehensive design. An example of a platform architecture includes business processes, or a business value chain, that is supported by different parts of the business, which rely on technology platforms or components that provide the functionality needed for those processes. Note that this is different than a data architecture which focuses exclusively on data.

What is SAP Platform Architecture?

There are two components to any SAP Platform Architecture. The first is the platform, which is a set of solutions and components that provide the functionality that a business needs. The second is the platform architecture, which brings together the business architecture with the technology landscape in a comprehensive design. An example of a platform architecture includes business processes, or a business value chain, that is supported by different parts of the business, which rely on technology platforms or components that provide the functionality needed for those processes. Note that this is different than a data architecture which focuses exclusively on data.

The advantage of taking a platform architecture approach is that clearly defines the key services that can then be used for integration with other parts of the business. It also allows business teams to take ownership of the applications and systems that they use and directly manage their technology investments. An SAP Platform Architecture allows organizations, and the various business teams within those organizations, the ability to evolve and adapt existing services while providing new services. Implementing an SAP Platform Architecture involves aligning architecture, technology, integration, and business skills.

SAP Platform Architecture Key Capabilities:

  • Integrated design architecture. Without a platform architecture you can end up with a series of data and solution silos, with each part of the business running their own solutions in a way that does not interact. SAP Platform Architecture provides an overarching design at the platform, data, and process levels.
  • Global design. Many organizations perform data modeling, or perhaps at a broader level have a data architecture which needs to be global. But SAP Platform Architecture must provide a global interaction between multiple, distributed data structures, data sets, databases, data platforms, and the business systems that utilize them.
  • Flexibility through modular design. The layers of an SAP Platform Architecture provide modularization into the platform, where the components and design remain stable, and a complementary set of services and processes that can be updated to support new and changing business needs and requirements.

SAP solutions such as SAP Business Technology Platform, SAP S/4HANA, and SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud all offer reference architectures for their system, but these must be integrated into a broader SAP Platform Architecture that includes not only the technical architecture but also the way that processes interact with data and the business value chain.

856 results

  1. ABAP Development in the Cloud

    Published: 01/November/2018

    Reading time: 29 mins

    Thank you for registering to read the discussion transcript on taking advantage of the newest ABAP innovations, enterprise-grade SAP Cloud Platform business and application services, and the power of the SAP HANA business data platform to build breakthrough business applications in the cloud. Please find the transcript below. Matthew Shea: Hello, and welcome to our…

  2. Take Your Mobile SAP Systems Further with Sybase Unwired Platform

    Published: 11/October/2010

    Reading time: 26 mins

    Discover Sybase Unwired Platform, a mobile enterprise application platform (MEAP), and how you can use it to mobilize your systems. SAP provides this platform with the co-innovation architecture of SAP NetWeaver Mobile 7.1. This is the first time that SAP has supported the mobilization of all major mobile device types with a single technology. Key...…

  3. How to Select the Right Mobile Solution Architecture for Your Use Case

    Published: 12/October/2012

    Reading time: 24 mins

    Understand the main mobility architecture paradigms currently supported by the Sybase Unwired Platform, and the advantages and drawbacks of each. Get a high-level view of the architecture and basic steps for implementing each. Key Concept A mobile business object is a method of encapsulating business data so that it can be used across multiple kinds...…

  4. Future-Proof Your Integration Strategy with SAP Cloud Platform Integration Suite

    Technical Guide: Transitioning to SAP Cloud Platform Integration Suite

    Published: 22/May/2020

    Reading time: 15 mins

    Seamless integration across applications and systems — whether they are SAP, non-SAP, on-premise, cloud, or hyperscaler systems — enable organizations to digitalize their end-to-end processes and make the enterprise more connected and intelligent. Forward-thinking organizations are taking a holistic and strategic approach to their enterprise integration initiatives as they pursue digital transformation, embracing the agility…

  5. Q&A on SAP BI 4.2: What’s Happening with SAP’s BI Products, and What Does It Mean for You?

    Published: 01/May/2016

    Reading time: 77 mins

    During this live Q&A session, Jayne, Ty Miller, Olivier Duvelleroy, and several other key product leaders from the BI product groups at SAP, including SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence, SAP Lumira, SAP Design Studio, SAP Analysis for Office, and SAP BusinessObjects Crystal Reports, gathered to answer readers’ questions on the road ahead for SAP’s BI products,…

  6. SAP’s Integration Solution Advisory Methodology (ISA-M) for the Intelligent Enterprise

    SAP’s Integration Solution Advisory Methodology (ISA-M) for the Intelligent Enterprise

    Published: 21/November/2019

    Reading time: 17 mins

    by Matthias Allgaier, SAP SE A solid integration strategy is crucial for providing the flexibility and agility organizations require to meet rapidly changing business needs. When building this strategy, enterprise architects must take into account a variety of pervasive integration requirements. For example, leveraging intelligent technologies to advance business outcomes — becoming an Intelligent Enterprise,…

  7. Lessons Learned from an SAP HANA Cloud Platform Implementation

    Published: 06/December/2016

    Reading time: 19 mins

    Key principles and facts are included in this overview of the design and implementation of a cloud application on SAP HANA Cloud Platform. Key Concept Applications consume and expose web service application program interfaces (APIs) that facilitate the re-usability of the capabilities of an application and support the integration into other applications. The following solution...…

  8. How to Design the Architecture and Develop an IoT Application on SAP HANA Cloud Platform

    Published: 01/August/2016

    Reading time: 9 mins

    Learn how to develop an Internet of Things (IoT) application that fetches data from a sensor and saves it on an SAP HANA database on SAP HANA Cloud Platform. Key Concept SAP HANA Cloud Platform is a platform for extending, integrating, and building new applications. It provides design templates and prebuilt applications that have responsive...…

  9. SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation: Get to Know It Before Migrating

    Published: 14/April/2009

    Reading time: 14 mins

    Learn about the architecture of SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation. This helps you understand the migration options available for the different SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation releases. Key Concept Performance management is about the methodologies, processes, and systems that companies use to drive and monitor organizational performance. Organizations have to decide the right strategies to...…

  10. Optimizing BI Administration in SAP Environments: Q&A on How to Properly Maintain and Secure Complex, Shared Landscapes

    Published: 01/May/2016

    Reading time: 42 mins

    Business intelligence (BI) is the lifeblood of data-driven organizations, enabling you to turn the data in your SAP systems into actionable information that drives better decision making, uncovers opportunity, and improves efficiency. The modern BI landscape is an increasingly complex one, however, with trends such as big data, the cloud, and the Internet of Things…