Subject: SAP HANA Live | Field: SAP
In the realm of SAP HANA Live, data modeling is one of the core pillars enabling real-time insights and operational reporting. Central to this modeling are various types of HANA Views, each serving a unique purpose in accessing, transforming, and presenting data. Understanding the different types of HANA Views is critical for SAP consultants, developers, and analysts working to build high-performance, scalable analytics solutions.
This article provides a clear overview of the main types of HANA Views and how they fit into the architecture of SAP HANA Live.
SAP HANA Views are virtual data models built directly on top of raw transactional or master data stored in SAP HANA. These views enable data consumption without the need for data duplication or ETL processes.
In SAP HANA Live, views are used to enable real-time operational reporting by providing a virtual data layer over SAP Business Suite or S/4HANA data. These views are optimized for performance and reusability and are critical for analytics, reporting, and data exploration.
SAP HANA supports several types of views within its Modeler or Calculation View environment and through Core Data Services (CDS) in the ABAP layer. Below are the primary types:
Status: Deprecated in S/4HANA and HANA 2.0
Status: Deprecated in HANA 2.0 and S/4HANA
Status: Current standard in SAP HANA Native Modeling
Calculation Views are the foundation of HANA modeling in modern systems and SAP HANA Live.
Types of Calculation Views:
Use Case: Complex logic, aggregations, unions, joins, filters – all handled in a highly performant and flexible way.
In the S/4HANA and SAP HANA Live context, CDS Views represent the next-generation data modeling technique and are now the preferred method.
CDS Views Benefits:
| Feature | Attribute View | Analytic View | Calculation View | CDS View |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Deprecated | Deprecated | Active | Preferred |
| Purpose | Master data | OLAP modeling | Complex modeling | Semantic modeling |
| Flexibility | Low | Medium | High | Very High |
| UI Support | No | Limited | Limited | Strong (via annotations) |
| Performance Optimization | Limited | Good | Excellent | Excellent |
| Integration with ABAP | No | No | No | Yes |
Understanding the different types of HANA Views is vital for any SAP professional working with SAP HANA Live or modern S/4HANA analytics. As SAP continues to innovate around real-time, cloud-first data platforms, embracing Calculation Views and CDS Views ensures long-term scalability, performance, and alignment with SAP's roadmap.
Whether you're migrating from legacy views or building new analytics content, investing in best practices and the right view types will enable a robust foundation for enterprise reporting and decision-making.