SAP HANA Express Edition
Tutorial
50-Slide Learning Module for First
Year Engineering Students
Prof. (Dr.) Satyajit Chakrabarti
Introduction to SAP HANA
• What is SAP HANA? In-memory, high-
performance, real-time database.
Why HANA Matters
• Used in enterprises, IoT, AI, ML, and business-
critical applications.
What is SAP HANA Express?
• Free, lightweight edition of SAP HANA with
32GB memory limit.
SAP HANA Editions
• Express vs Cloud vs Enterprise full edition.
Benefits of HANA Express
• Fast, free, scalable, works on laptop/cloud,
supports multiple data types.
Supported Platforms
• Linux (SUSE/Ubuntu), Windows via VM, Cloud
deployments.
Download Options
• Binary installer, Docker image, VM image,
Cloud marketplace.
System Requirements
• 8-16GB RAM (minimum), 2+ CPU cores, SSD
storage recommended.
Installation Steps
• 1. Download package
• 2. Install prerequisites
• 3. Run setup.sh
• 4. Configure DB.
Licensing
• Free forever up to 32GB RAM usage.
SAP HANA Architecture Overview
• Main components: Index Server, Name Server,
XS Advanced.
In-Memory Computing
• All data loaded into RAM → lightning fast
queries.
Column vs Row Storage
• Column store optimized for analytics, row
store for transactions.
Persistence Layer
• Ensures durability with logs, savepoints, and
recovery mechanisms.
Multi-Model Capabilities
• SQL, Graph, JSON, Text, Spatial, Series.
Development Tools
• SAP HANA Studio, Eclipse with HANA plugin,
DB Explorer.
Connecting to HANA
• Use JDBC/ODBC, HANA Studio, or command
line.
User Management
• Create users, assign roles, manage
permissions.
Basic SQL Demo
• CREATE SCHEMA, CREATE TABLE, INSERT INTO,
SELECT.
Hands-on: First Query
• Example: SELECT * FROM Students;
Creating Schemas
• Schemas logically group database objects.
Creating Tables
• Tables store structured data with columns &
data types.
Importing CSV Data
• Use DB Explorer or IMPORT FROM commands.
Querying Data
• Perform SELECT, JOIN, GROUP BY queries.
Hands-on Exercise
• Query student records by department and
average marks.
Stored Procedures
• Reusable SQL scripts stored in database.
Functions
• Encapsulate logic to return values.
Views
• Attribute, Analytic, and Calculation Views.
HANA PAL (Predictive Analytics
Library)
• Built-in ML algorithms for regression,
clustering, etc.
Text Analysis
• Tokenization, sentiment analysis, natural
language queries.
HANA & IoT
• Ingest IoT sensor streams, store and analyze in
real time.
HANA + Python/ML
• Use Python client (hdbcli) to connect ML
models to HANA.
Integration with R
• HANA supports R integration for advanced
statistics.
HANA Cloud Connector
• Bridge between on-prem and cloud
applications.
AI & Agentic Use Cases
• Connect HANA with Agentic AI for smart
decision systems.
Mini Project 1
• Student marks database: insert, query, and
generate reports.
Mini Project 2
• IoT temperature data: real-time logging and
threshold alerts.
Mini Project 3
• Sales dataset: build a dashboard for revenue
by region.
Mini Project 4
• Library management system: queries for
overdue books.
Mini Project 5
• Attendance monitoring system using HANA
views.
Common Installation Issues
• Memory errors, port conflicts, missing
dependencies.
Performance Tuning
• Use compression, partitioning, and indexing.
Monitoring Tools
• HANA Cockpit, DB Explorer.
Backup & Recovery
• Perform snapshots, log backups, and recovery
testing.
Security in HANA
• User roles, privileges, encryption of data at
rest & transit.
Career Paths
• HANA Developer, Data Engineer, SAP
Consultant, AI Integration Specialist.
Industry Use Cases
• Finance, Healthcare, Retail, Smart Cities, IoT.
Certifications
• SAP Certified Technology Associate – SAP
HANA.
Resources
• SAP Tutorials, OpenSAP, GitHub repositories.
Closing & Next Steps
• Encourage students to integrate HANA with
their final-year projects.
