SAP ABAP on HANA differs significantly from traditional SAP ABAP due to the architectural differences between the traditional database systems and the SAP HANA in-memory database. Here are the key differences:

1. Database and Performance

• Traditional SAP ABAP: Traditional SAP systems use relational databases (e.g., Oracle, DB2, SQL Server) where data is stored on disk. This leads to slower performance due to disk I/O and slower query processing.
• SAP ABAP on HANA: With HANA, the database is in-memory, meaning data is stored in RAM rather than on disk. This enables faster data retrieval, processing, and real-time analytics. The HANA engine is optimized for parallel processing and can handle massive volumes of data with much faster response times.

2. Data Access and Processing

• Traditional SAP ABAP: In traditional systems, ABAP programs access data through SQL queries executed on disk-based databases. Complex queries and joins can be slow and resource-intensive, often requiring the use of indexes and optimizations.
• SAP ABAP on HANA: ABAP on HANA takes advantage of HANA’s ability to process large datasets in memory. ABAP programs can directly leverage HANA’s advanced capabilities, such as HANA-specific SQL functions, optimized calculations, and table buffering to reduce the need for complex joins and to process large volumes of data in real-time.

3. Optimized Code for HANA

• Traditional SAP ABAP: ABAP code traditionally was not optimized for any specific database platform. Optimizations for the database were done manually (like indexing, batch processing, etc.) and at the database level.
• SAP ABAP on HANA: SAP introduced ABAP for HANA to allow developers to write optimized code that directly exploits HANA’s performance benefits. The most important concepts here are ABAP Managed Database Procedures (AMDP) and Core Data Services (CDS). These tools help developers push the logic to the database layer, minimizing unnecessary data transfers and making use of HANA’s processing power.

4. Use of ABAP Managed Database Procedures (AMDP) and CDS Views

• Traditional SAP ABAP: The business logic in traditional ABAP is executed on the application server, and SQL queries to the database are usually created dynamically or through standard transaction mechanisms.
• SAP ABAP on HANA: In HANA-based ABAP systems, AMDP and CDS views are used to define database logic and views directly within the HANA database. This offloads much of the heavy lifting to the database, providing optimized performance and enabling real-time data processing.

5. Fiori and UI5 Integration

• Traditional SAP ABAP: SAP’s traditional GUI-based interfaces, such as SAP GUI or Web Dynpro, are commonly used to interact with the application.
• SAP ABAP on HANA: ABAP on HANA enables seamless integration with modern front-end technologies like SAP Fiori and SAP UI5, which are optimized for mobile and web-based interfaces. This is part of the shift towards a more user-friendly, modern, and responsive UI experience, which is built to interact with real-time data processed by HANA.

6. Data Modeling and Analytics

• Traditional SAP ABAP: In traditional SAP systems, analytical capabilities are often limited to standard reports or batch jobs that are executed periodically, which can result in delays in decision-making.
• SAP ABAP on HANA: With HANA, ABAP can now perform real-time analytics. HANA’s in-memory capabilities and real-time processing allow SAP systems to execute complex analytical queries on the fly, without the need for pre-calculated aggregates. Data models such as Core Data Services (CDS) can be created to expose live data for analysis directly from the HANA database.

7. Simplification of Data Models

• Traditional SAP ABAP: ABAP programs often work with complex, multi-layered data models that require heavy data manipulation and transformations on the application side.
• SAP ABAP on HANA: With SAP HANA, the need for complex application-side transformations is minimized. CDS views and HANA-optimized models allow for simpler, more direct data access and processing. This reduces the burden on the application server, improving performance.

8. Data Consistency and Real-time Processing

• Traditional SAP ABAP: Real-time data processing can be slower, and there is often a lag between data retrieval, processing, and presentation in reports.
• SAP ABAP on HANA: HANA’s ability to perform real-time data processing means that the business logic in ABAP can execute much faster, and data is presented in real-time, ensuring up-to-date information at all times.

9. Cloud and Hybrid Environments

• Traditional SAP ABAP: Traditional systems tend to be hosted on-premise with fixed infrastructure.
• SAP ABAP on HANA: SAP ABAP on HANA supports modern hybrid and cloud environments, where businesses can scale their infrastructure dynamically. SAP S/4HANA, for example, is optimized for cloud-based deployment and provides a more flexible architecture for managing SAP applications.

Conclusion

In summary, SAP ABAP on HANA significantly enhances performance, real-time processing, and flexibility compared to traditional SAP ABAP. By leveraging HANA's in-memory processing, new development tools like AMDP and CDS, and integration with modern UIs, it empowers businesses to perform faster and more efficient operations.

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