Did you want to know, how does SAP Hana store data ?
Especially, if you are a Developer and wanted to create custom SAP workflow(s), you would most likely want to know about SAP Data Architecture.
In this write-up, you will learn how SAP data model works.
Note: Here is the deal. You can jump over to the subject matter, if you want to skip additional details.
Here is a list of Topics we will be covering in this article. (Click to Jump to specific sections)
- What is SAP ?
- Introduction to SAP Hana
- How does SAP Hana store Data ?
- SAP Hana Data Storage Mechanism (Things to Consider)
Let’s describe the details one by one.
Introduction to SAP
SAP, as a Software Corporation, develops Enterprise software for businesses. Its features includes managing Customer Relationships, Business Transactions, Cost Management, Human Capital Management, and Business Technology Platforms.
You can also choose and use SAP’s products based on Industry, such as Services, Financial, Public, and Consumer industries.
Although SAP provides an array of products, it is best known for its ERP software systems. Once you have signed up for SAP, you can also integrate 3rd party Tools with SAP, allowing you seamlessly extend SAP’s features with no code functionality.
In this case, you can find ideal No Code platforms on the SAP store. You can also find suitable candidates on the Salesforce Official AppExchange website, allowing you perform custom integrations with SAP and Salesforce as well.
What is SAP Hana ?
Like other Database Management Systems (DBMS), SAP Hana is specially developed by SAP. It is a high performance Relational Database Management System native to SAP.
SAP Hana provides custom features for its users, including In-Memory allocation of memory to store its records. It also provides Two kinds of storage algorithms when it comes to storing database records, including Row and Column based structures.
SAP initially released SAP Hana in 2010. It is optimized for Linux OS and is written in C and C++ programming languages.
How does SAP Hana store Data ?
SAP Hana stores data in Memory, instead of storing the data on the disk. It uses Relational Database Management System (RDBMS), which consists of data in a Row-Based Table structure where the data is stored on Memory.
So, where does SAP store data ?
In a SAP Hana DBMS, the data is store on a Hardware, although the RDBMS works in the background. Third Party applications, such as those providing Integration with SAP system, can also access SAP Hana data at a blazing speed.
SAP Hana stores Data (Things to Consider)
While working with a SAP Hana database, you can deal support with two kinds of data storage mechanism.
As SAP Hana also supports multiple data storage mechanism, such as Columns and Rows Tables, you can take advantage of a particular storage mechanism as a Database Administrator.
While a Table stores data in Two dimensional, Rows and Columns format, you will need to deal with technical aspects of the SAP Hana database mechanism while dealing with READ or WRITE functions as a Developer.
As described above, SAP Hana stores data in either a row format, where data is stored in a sequence of records. A single record consists of fields’ values on a row in the Table.
Similarly, in a Column wise data storage mechanism of SAP Hana, the data is stored in a “next or together in a sequence” memory locations.
Well, here is the deal for Developers.
If you are looking to build SAP applications, fast and efficient – you will need to go for Column-Wise data storage in SAP Hana database, as Tables in a SAP Hana database are best known for improved performance when it comes to Read and Write operations, IF the tables are organised in Column-wise storage mechanism.
This is how SAP Hana stores its Data in a RDBMS featured database, with a greater support for data stored in a Column-wise structure.
Further, data compression is also applied on the data stored in SAP Hana database. This helps developers and DB Admins save time, functions, and cost of how they manage data in a SAP Hana Database.
The column-wise storage mechanism also support additional features for SAP Hana Developers and DB Admins, such as support for Partitioning. This feature is only available for admins who prefer data storage in column wise structure.
Moreover, large organizations should go for the column-wise data storage in a SAP Hana Database.
As compared to a Row-wise data storage mechanism in a SAP Hana Database, the column-wise structure is specifically optimized for large large and big tables with bulk updates.
Is SAP a relational database, Is SAP Hana an RDBMS ?
However, the Update and Insert functions for a Database is better performed in a Row-Based data structure. It is of course, a common myth for everyone dealing with a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS).
Final Words
If you are dealing with a SAP Hana Database, you will need to know, how data storage works in a SAP Hana Database.
Knowing the structure and mechanism of SAP Hana Database Data storage is vital for many reasons, such as storing of data is different from how other Database Management Systems (DBMS) store data.
The column-wise data storage is SAP Hana is optimized for performance. If you are also looking for Disk Management, you will need to go for Column-Wise structure in SAP Hana Database.