SAP HANA

Definition or Meaning - What is SAP HANA?

Full form or SAP HANA stands for (High-Performance Analytic Appliance) is an In-Memory Database. It is the advanced ERP Solution from SAP, and can be installed cloud or on premises. It is a blend of both hardware and software due to which it incorporates various components such as

• SAP SLT or System Landscape Transformation
• SAP HANA Database
• SAP HANA Direct Extractor connection 
• Replication server 
• Sybase replication technology

SAP HANA Database is classified into two types such as:

• Row Store
• Column Store

SAP HANA edition is classified into three types such as:

• SAP HANA Platform Edition
• SAP HANA Enterprise Edition
• SAP HANA Extended Edition

Why to choose SAP HANA

Speed: One can completely leverage the computing power of his hardware. 

Real-Time: The user can run both the transactional as well as the analytical applications on one single data model, which will fully transform how the business applications are constructed and their expectations while these are being consumed. 

Any Data: The user is capable of asking complex questions on any data utilizing the standard SQL for performing things which were impossible to be done earlier. 

Any Sources: One can have different ways of loading the data from the existing data sources into SAP HANA and can compensate the missing functionality in remote databases with the help of these SAP HANA capabilities.

Open platform: User can use the standard protocols for accessing the SAP HANA and integrating his application with SAP HANA. Apart from this, he can also use programming language for building his application on top of SAP HANA.

Agility: SAP Fiori drives the end user interface of SAP S/4HANA. This provides for a user-friendly rendition of real-time business insights as well as intelligence on any mobile device a commendable business advantage, anytime and at any place. 

Simplification: One is capable of simplifying the application development. Experience depicts that application code can be considerably reduced by as much as 75% with in-memory technologies like SAP HANA. 

Consolidation: User can reduce TCO by consolidating the heterogeneous servers into the SAP HANA servers along with reducing the hardware, maintenance as well as lifecycle management.

Prediction: One can accelerate the predictive analysis and scoring with the in-database algorithms delivered out-of-the-box and can parallelly adapt the models quite frequently.

Reduced Total Cost of Ownership: The adoption of S/4HANA is quite a cost-efficient option especially while considering the fact that one can amalgamate all the analytical and transactional capabilities of various systems into a single source of truth which leads to acute and proactive business making.

SAP HANA - Advanced Capabilities for Real-time Business

SAP HANA is an imaginary platform that combines data processing, datab, se and in-memory processing, provides libraries for planning, text processing, predictive, spatial and business analytics. It is virtually a package of software and hardware that processes real-time data and applies the benefits of in-memory computing.

It showcases advanced capabilities like data virtualization, spatial processing, predictive text analytics, etc.; simplifies the process of application development; and facilitates the tasks of processing across large structures and data sources. This module also boasts of a multiengine query processing platform that is designed to support relational, graphical and text data, in the same system.

SAP HANA accelerates client business processes and goes a long way in conceptualizing new and improvised business models, speeding data transactions and creating solutions for better business performances. With significant processing speed, smarter text mining capabilities, features to deal with huge data sizes and a lot more, SAP HANA is the most appropriate platform for the deployment of real time, next-generation applications/analytics.

Advantages of SAP HANA:

• With the help of Real-Time Data Provisioning and Real-time Reporting, decisions can be taken in no time.
• Due to the presence of In-Memory Technology, SAP HANA delivers high speeds processing on massive data and allows the user to discover and analyze all transactional and analytical data.
• SAP HANA reduces the total cost of ownership (TCO) as it requires fewer testing, hardware, and maintenance and it also reduces Total IT cost of a company.
• By leveraging innovative solutions, SAP HANA makes new business processes and business models.
• Data can be collected from several applications and data sources without disturbing the on-going business transactions.
• It helps in simplification of prevailing models, of modeling and re-modeling.
• SAP HANA can visit several data source as well as the Un-Structured and Structured data from Non-SAP or SAP data source.
• SAP HANA decreases the complication of data management and data manipulation.
• SAP HANA helps in increasing the revenue of an organization as it makes it so easy to identify the profitable sales opportunities through the entire sales related data accurately.

The four components of SAP HANA:

SAP HANA DB- Database Technology
SAP HANA Appliance
SAP HANA Application Cloud-based infrastructure
SAP HANA Studio- A compilation of tools for modelling SAP applications

Supported Operating Systems for SAP HANA

One of the following Enterprise Linux distribution products, in the below-mentioned version, is required for running SAP HANA:

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for SAP Solutions
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for SAP HANA
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server

SAP advise using "RHEL for SAP Solutions" or "SLES for SAP Applications" because of their features and extended support cycles. For more detailed information regarding the Linux product flavors, their feature set and benefits, please reach out to the respective Linux sales representative.

Scope and Opportunity of a Career in SAP HANA

SAP HANA is a rapidly growing field and is expected to create more lucrative career opportunities in the coming years. Reputed organizations are upgrading to the various advantages and features of this module are offering good jobs that require highly trained professionals and freshers with certification in SAP HANA. A large percentage of these professionals have a strong knowledge base of SAP BW and SAP BI or are qualified M.Techs and B.Techs.

• With an average salary of 8 lacs p.a, HANA professionals can look forward to an average growth rate in salary of about 28% each year.
• The average salary of professionals having 0-3years of experience is approximately 3.81 lacs p.a, while those with 3-7 years may expect 6.18 lacs p.a.

The top paying companies in this field are SAP Labs, Voltas, Genpact, etc. with Mumbai, Noida, Chennai and New Delhi being the most coveted locations for SAP HANA professionals.

Demand for SAP HANA Professionals: 

Organizations that use SAP functional tools are plugging in SAP HANA due to which, the demand for HANA jobs are increasing each day. However, the numbers of good SAP HANA resources are much less compared to the demand, as a result of which the salary structure of a SAP HANA proficient is 15-40% more than an average IT expert. Thus, the professionals belonging to this domain get an average pay scale of about $51,994 to $145,093.

Become a Certified SAP HANA Consultant

SAP HANA is an upcoming and innovative trend. Pursuing this course with an aim of getting a certification puts candidates on a bright career path. The overview course of this module is highly beneficial for project members, business executives, IT managers, independent application consultants, BW/data warehouse consultants, IT freshers with basic awareness about SAP ERP system and many others .It can be covered in 2-5 days.

To pursue a course in SAP HANA, an individual must possess:

• Basic Knowledge about the information technology and database domains
• Insights into BI reporting tools and Business Warehouse (BW)
• A fair idea about business processes and applications
• A degree from a recognized university

SAP HANA also serves to be feasible domain for professional and budding data modelers who essentially handle huge databases that support real time applications.

SAP HANA in-memory Business Consultant: He/she should understand how in-memory technology technologies can cause interruption in the businesses and knows how to apply the technology concepts to business scenarios.

SAP HANA Performance Consultant: He/she is responsible to take the models developed by the Business Consultants and then creates architectures, solutions and designs using SAP HANA Modeller tool. 

SAP HANA Operations Consultant: He/she should understand technical architecture, Linux, in what way SAP HANA should be installed or migrate systems, along with a basic understanding of SAP Basis.

SAP HANA BW Consultant: The individual should have specific skills about architecting, re-architecting and modeling BW solutions in SAP HANA.

SAP HANA Application Developer: He/she should understand the existing development platform, and in-memory computing concepts to build ABAP applications using the HANA database, or mobile applications using the HANA XS Application Services layer. 

SAP HANA Security Consultant: This is a niche area which includes security design, access control and security models. The individual should have skills in SAP ABAP, Java, Sap HANA, enterprise portal etc.

SAP HANA Project Manager: He/she should have prior experience with SAP HANA implementation or enhancement projects along with at least 6 years of project management practical experience.