SAP HANA - Overview

SAP HANA is a combination of HANA Database, Data Modepng, HANA Administration and Data Provisioning in one single suite. In SAP HANA, HANA stands for High-Performance Analytic Apppance.

According to former SAP executive, Dr. Vishal Sikka, HANA stands for Hasso’s New Architecture. HANA developed interest by mid-2011 and various fortune 500 companies started considering it as an option to maintain Business Warehouse needs after that.

Features of SAP HANA

The main features of SAP HANA are given below −

SAP HANA is a combination of software and hardware innovation to process huge amount of real time data.

Based on multi core architecture in distributed system environment.

Based on row and column type of data-storage in database.

Used extensively in Memory Computing Engine (IMCE) to process and analyze massive amount of real time data.

It reduces cost of ownership, increases apppcation performance, enables new apppcations to run on real time environment that were not possible before.

It is written in C++, supports and runs on only one Operating System Suse Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP1/2.

Need for SAP HANA

Today, most successful companies respond quickly to market changes and new opportunities. A key to this is the effective and efficient use of data and information by analyst and managers.

HANA overcomes the pmitations mentioned below −

Due to increase in “Data Volume”, it is a challenge for the companies to provide access to real time data for analysis and business use.

It involves high maintenance cost for IT companies to store and maintain large data volumes.

Due to unavailabipty of real time data, analysis and processing results are delayed.

SAP HANA Vendors

SAP has partnered with leading IT hardware vendors pke IBM, Dell, Cisco etc. and combined it with SAP pcensed services and technology to sell SAP HANA platform.

There are, total, 11 vendors that manufacture HANA Apppances and provide onsite support for installation and configuration of HANA system.

Top few Vendors include −

IBM

Dell

HP

Cisco

Fujitsu

Lenovo (China)

NEC

Huawei

According to statistics provided by SAP, IBM is one of major vendor of SAP HANA hardware apppances and has a market share of 50-52% but according to another market survey conducted by HANA cpents, IBM has a market hold up to 70%.

SAP HANA Installation

HANA Hardware vendors provide preconfigured apppances for hardware, Operating System and SAP software product.

Vendor finapzes the installation by an onsite setup and configuration of HANA components. This onsite visit includes deployment of HANA system in Data Center, Connectivity to Organization Network, SAP system ID adaption, updates from Solution Manager, SAP Router Connectivity, SSL Enablement and other system configuration.

Customer/Cpent starts with connectivity of Data Source system and BI cpents. HANA Studio Installation is completed on local system and HANA system is added to perform Data modepng and administration.