As businesses continue to demand real-time insights and enhanced data-driven decision-making capabilities, SAP BW/4HANA emerges as a powerful, next-generation data warehousing solution. It is optimized to fully leverage the in-memory capabilities of SAP HANA. One of the most powerful aspects of SAP BW/4HANA is its ability to integrate advanced modeling with SAP HANA native functions, providing data architects and modelers with a robust framework to develop high-performance, scalable, and flexible data models.
This article delves into the advanced modeling techniques within SAP BW/4HANA and how they synergize with SAP HANA native functionalities to maximize analytical capabilities.
SAP BW/4HANA is not just a traditional data warehouse system—it is a modern platform built natively on SAP HANA. This integration enables BW objects (like CompositeProviders, Advanced DSOs, and Open ODS Views) to directly interact with HANA native objects (such as Calculation Views, Table Functions, and Procedures).
CompositeProviders in BW/4HANA can combine InfoProviders and HANA Calculation Views into a single analytical model. This allows combining the flexibility of native HANA modeling with the governance and lifecycle management of BW.
Use Case: Joining an Advanced DSO with a HANA Calculation View that provides complex transformations or calculations.
Open ODS Views enable access to external sources and HANA tables/views without full data acquisition into BW. These are particularly useful for virtualizing non-BW data.
Key Features:
SAP BW/4HANA supports field-based modeling where traditional InfoObjects are not mandatory. This allows for faster data modeling cycles, particularly in agile projects or proof of concepts.
Advantages:
HANA Calculation Views serve as the core component of HANA-native modeling. These views can be consumed in BW/4HANA CompositeProviders or Open ODS Views.
Best Practices:
For advanced transformations, Table Functions (implemented with SQLScript) allow you to create reusable and parameterized data logic modules. These can be used inside Calculation Views or called from BW transformations.
Use Cases:
Stored procedures allow for batch processing or custom logic execution and can be invoked from HANA models or external applications.
When to Use:
This approach combines BW and HANA-native modeling. For instance, data ingestion and governance can be handled in BW/4HANA, while transformations and consumption are executed using HANA Calculation Views.
Advanced modeling supports cold/hot storage strategies with SAP Data Lifecycle Management (DLM) and NSE (Native Storage Extension), balancing performance and cost.
Data models built using BW/4HANA and HANA native views can be consumed directly in SAC, enabling advanced dashboards, predictive analytics, and planning scenarios.
Advanced modeling in SAP BW/4HANA, when combined with the power of SAP HANA native functions, offers an exceptional platform for building high-performance, flexible, and scalable data solutions. Whether dealing with large-scale enterprise reporting or real-time analytics, this hybrid approach empowers organizations to meet modern data challenges with agility and confidence.
As businesses move toward intelligent data platforms, mastering the integration between BW/4HANA and HANA native modeling will be a critical skill for data architects and SAP professionals.