Is HANA database or platform (or both)?

[Jelena]

Possibly a stupid question, but I found these days when someone just says 'HANA' it's getting difficult to understand what are they talking about exactly.

If you google 'what is SAP HANA' the top 2 answers will be: "it's a platform" (from SAP) and "it's a database management system" (from Wikipedia). To me "platform" is something that doesn't really do much on its own but serves as, well, platform for many other things (I know it's a very simplistic definition but bear with me). So it'd be something like an operating system or, in SAP world, Netweaver. Platform and DBMS are not the same thing, essentially.

To add to confusion, this website says:

At the core of the SAP HANA real-time platform is the SAP HANA database.

Not to mention there is also apparently HANA Server and HANA One (I'm too scared to look for more HANAs at this point).

Out of curiosity I've checked what's the current definition of MS SQL Server and it still seems to be DBMS but also "foundation for platform" (to be named, I guess).

When this whole HANA thing started I could with some degree of confidence say that "HANA is an in-memory database", but now it seems one would have to clarify "which HANA?". Or did I just sleep through some evolution during which database evolved into a "platform"? Or is it simply some marketing play on words? Or sudden lack of creativity in the product naming by SAP?

Thank you!

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Jelena,

I can say HANA is both a DB and Platform.

DB for example as in BW-on-HANA where we can just replace the DB and BW will see improvement in performance (thou remodeling is still required for optimal performance).

HANA is also platform for applications including an in-memory database with tools and a set of application libraries where it allows for a superior OLTP and OLAP system (especially if they run together in one instant).

So I'll say just consider them as both because they are basically inseparable. Like SAP always trying to say, HANA is not "just" a DB.

Cheers,

Nic

[henrique_pinto · Accepted solution]

That site you quoted has summed it pretty well: HANA DB is the core of the HANA Platform.

This slide below (that you can find in the nearest SAP marketing preso) definitely shows that:

(notice the "Database Services" box within the HANA Platform - that's the HANA DB).

The point is that today, we're not bound to the old DB-App Server-Client application architecture (the so called 3-tier architecture). Modern platforms (HANA included) allow for more flexible approaches, depending on the requirements. HANA can serve as the only piece of software you need to run a full-fletched application (since it contains an application server of its own - the XS Engine), in a so called 2-tier architecture, but it can also serve as the underlying layer to more "classical" app servers (such as ABAP, Java or .NET). But even then, it doesn't need to play the role of a simple DBMS, being able to provide much more powerful, in-database computing capabilities with its embedded libraries such as PAL or specialized engines such as the GeoSpatial, OLAP and the Text Analysis Engines. There are several newer features that aren't even represented in that slide (such as HANA EIM, Graph Engine, APL (the in-database KXEN-based library) etc.), but the point remains the same: HANA Platform allows for more flexible, powerful applications with a single platform where before you'd need several separate ones (one for OLAP/BI, one for predictive analytics, one for map/spatial processing, one for your Rules Engine, and one for the app server).

Hope that helps.

[Jelena · Accepted solution]

Henrique, thanks for a detailed response and picture. It sums it up quite well, so I'm closing the thread with this information.

Thank you, everyone!

[RolandKramer]

Hi,

Let me phrase it: SAP HANA is part of the SAP real time database platform acting as the main database for in-memory optimized applications such as based on SAP NetWeaver or SAP individual applications.

But I'm sure, you will find tonnes of other expressions in our Network ...

Best Regards Roland

[Former Member]

Hi Jelena,

have you ever tried editing anything on wikipedia? my experience has been that it's really hard to have your edits approved by their self-appointed 'moderators'. in any event, i don't have a problem with either definition as HANA's roots are definitely in DBMS.

over time, however, it has grown into much more than that and really has become a platform for both cloud and 'traditional' ERP like S/4. and yes, it has become a brand, too, like in S/4HANA.

at this point, in my mind only, then, it's a large bit of everything.

rgds,

greg

[Jelena]

Thanks for a response, Greg! I'm guessing that insistence on "platform" definition could be due to database being, essentially, absorbed into some kind of database/platform combination creature. Currently there is a platform (Netweaver) that could work with any DB. But the direction SAP is moving seems to be that S/4 would work only with this new DB+platform beast (no other DBs allowed). Basically HANA DB is still there but "not sold separately". Would this be somewhat accurate?

[stephenjohannes]

Did you ever read this article by Former Member?  I'm not sure if it will answer your question, but adds more background on how "HANA" is being used.

Take care,

Stephen

[Jelena]

Thanks, Stephen, for throwing even more confusion into the mix. I guess whenever HANA is mentioned I'll just have to quickly change the subject to weather and look for a nearest exit.

[Former Member]

Jelena,

just checking a recent HANA note i can actually see both database and platform when referring to the product of HANA. i can't possibly speculate on the direction that HANA will take as it also depends how it is accepted by customers. obviously, SAP is very interested in having as much as possible of their software sold just like any other software business. having both platform and DB would help achieve that goal, but i'm stating the obvious here.

all we can do is to read the tea leaves from discussions, MOOCs, conferences, notes, etc.

cheers,

gm