SAP Fiori Elements provides a standardized, metadata-driven framework to build SAP Fiori applications quickly and efficiently. Meanwhile, the SAP Cloud Platform (SCP)—now part of SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP)—offers cloud-native services, extensibility, and integration capabilities that enable enterprises to innovate beyond the core SAP system.
Integrating SAP Fiori Elements applications with SAP Cloud Platform unlocks new possibilities such as seamless extension of on-premise solutions, consumption of cloud services, and delivering scalable, modern user experiences. This article explains the key approaches and benefits of integrating SAP Fiori Elements apps with SAP Cloud Platform.
Enterprises are increasingly adopting hybrid landscapes, combining on-premise SAP systems with cloud services for agility, scalability, and innovation. Integrating SAP Fiori Elements apps with SAP Cloud Platform enables:
- Cloud-based Extensions: Enhance existing SAP Fiori Elements apps with cloud-native logic and services without modifying the core.
- API Management and Integration: Consume cloud or third-party APIs securely.
- User Authentication & Single Sign-On: Leverage SAP Identity Authentication Service (IAS) and SAP Cloud Identity Services.
- Deployment Flexibility: Host Fiori Elements apps on SAP Cloud Platform for global accessibility and ease of maintenance.
- Advanced Services: Incorporate machine learning, IoT, analytics, and workflow services offered by SCP.
SAP Business Application Studio (BAS), the cloud-based IDE on SCP, supports rapid development of SAP Fiori Elements apps with seamless connectivity to backend systems.
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Process:
- Develop the Fiori Elements app in BAS.
- Connect to on-premise or cloud OData services using SAP Cloud Connector.
- Deploy the app to SAP Launchpad service on SCP for centralized access.
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Benefits:
- Cloud-native dev environment.
- Simplified deployment and lifecycle management.
- Utilizes SCP services like HTML5 apps hosting, SAP Launchpad, and Role-based access.
SAP Cloud Platform enables side-by-side extensibility where new features, microservices, or business logic are implemented in SCP and integrated with existing on-premise Fiori Elements apps.
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Example:
- An app consuming a core on-premise OData service extended with additional data from SCP-hosted APIs.
- SCP business logic exposed via OData or REST APIs consumed by Fiori Elements using annotations or custom extensions.
Leverage SCP’s rich services within your Fiori Elements apps:
- Workflow Service: Trigger and monitor business workflows.
- Machine Learning Services: Embed intelligent capabilities.
- API Management: Securely access external APIs.
Use custom UI extensions or annotations to integrate these capabilities with Fiori Elements standard UIs.
¶ Connectivity and Security
- SAP Cloud Connector: Secure tunnel from SCP to on-premise systems.
- Destination Service: Configure remote system destinations and manage credentials.
- Authentication: Support for OAuth, SAML, and SAP Identity Authentication Service (IAS) enabling Single Sign-On (SSO).
¶ Deployment and Runtime
- Fiori Elements apps developed in BAS can be packaged as HTML5 applications.
- Deploy apps to SAP Launchpad service on SCP.
- Launchpad service provides a centralized, role-based launchpad for cloud and hybrid apps.
- SAP Business Application Studio: Modern IDE supporting CDS view consumption, annotations, and Fiori Elements templates.
- SAP Fiori Tools: Extensions for VS Code or BAS to accelerate development.
- Use Side-by-Side Extensibility to minimize core system changes.
- Define clear API contracts between SCP and on-premise.
- Secure all communication channels with encryption and token-based authentication.
- Leverage SAP Cloud SDK for easier integration and API consumption.
- Monitor application performance and usage using SCP monitoring tools.
Integrating SAP Fiori Elements applications with SAP Cloud Platform empowers organizations to innovate rapidly while preserving the integrity of their core SAP systems. By combining metadata-driven UI generation with cloud-native extensibility, integration, and deployment services, enterprises can deliver modern, scalable, and intelligent business applications.
This hybrid approach fosters agility, improves user experiences, and helps future-proof SAP landscapes in a cloud-first world.