SAP BW/4HANA
Why do I need it? Why do I want it?
The next generation of Enterprise Data Warehousing offers simplicity,
openness and higher performance
SAP BW/4HANA builds on a long history of data warehousing at SAP. In 2011,
Organisations now
SAP HANA revolutionised data warehousing, bringing in-memory performance to
require data management
over 3,500 customers who are running BW-on-HANA. SAP BW/4HANA is SAP’s
next generation of SAP Business Warehouse designed to only run on SAP HANA solutions for analytics that
and to leverage key HANA capabilities and performance. It is a logical continuation are capable of managing
of SAP BW Powered by HANA but is not its legal successor. and processing internal
and external data of
SAP BW/4HANA is a new product with a new code base, which is not part of diverse types in diverse
SAP NetWeaver, meaning it is decoupled from the SAP NetWeaver Release Cycle formats, in combination
and not all components are part of BW4/HANA. However, certain NetWeaver with data from traditional
components are still part of the BW/4HANA shipment. For example, Application internal sources.”
Lifecycle Management, such as patching, and Service Packs and Transports of
BW models through the environment landscape, will still be handled in the same
way as currently the NetWeaver infrastructure. Conversely, NetWeaver shipments Source: Gartner Inc, Magic Quadrant for Data Management Solutions
for Analytics, Roxane Edjlali, Adam M. Ronthal et al, 20th February
will not contain BW/4HANA. 2017
The fundamental aspects of SAP BW continue to apply for BW/4HANA:
Integrated Lifecycle Scheduling &
Modelling ETL OLAP
Planning Management Monitoring
Therefore there will be user familiarity with the aspects of how it integrates data, transforms data, and the definition of queries.
Design Principles
SAP approach for positioning SAP BW/4HANA emphasises
that is built on the following 4 design principles: Simplicity, High Modern
Simplicity Openness Performance Interface
Openness, High Performance and Modern Interface.
Simplicity
SAP BW/4HANA aims to reduce the complexity of the development environment and decrease the
end-to-end development time. BW/4HANA has reduced the number of modelling objects from 10 to
4. Two of the objects will allow for persistency of data and 2 objects are for virtualisation that allows
Simplicity for fewer layers. This simplification helps to make the architecture leaner and more flexible, and less
development effort. The reduction in persistence of data cuts down the data foot print. Along with
SAP’s increased capability for Cloud deployment, including HANA Enterprise Cloud, Microsoft Azure
and Amazon Web Services, this all leads to helping bring down the TCO for BW/4HANA.
Openness
There are two aspects to openness:
• Bringing data into BW from different data sources and
• Being able to consume data from BW.
The integration of data and solutions from data sources, including 3rd party applications and data Openness
stores in Hadoop or cloud, whether structured and unstructured, has been made easier. In terms of
utilising data, the BW objects easily allow for exposing of data for SQL consumption by front-end tools.
High Performance
BW/4HANA is designed to push an increased amount of OLAP functionality and computation to
the HANA database as well as for the Planning and Data Management elements. But the higher
performance for BW/4HANA is not just about pushing the workload to the HANA engine. It is also about
High
the greater integration to leverage the HANA platform capabilities within BW, for example, integrating
Performance
data from a HANA model into a BW model. In addition, BW/4HANA provides the capability to leverage
various advanced analytical libraries and algorithms for data mining or predictive analytic scenarios.
Modern Interface
To align to the changes in the BW/4HANA, simpler and more modern interfaces are available for
business users, developers and administrators. For Business users, the BEx interface is no longer
available (although BEx Queries still form part of the solution), and BW/4HANA has tighter integration
with the SAP Business Objects BI toolset, as well as SAP Business Objects Cloud. The developer Modern
interface is via the Modelling tools integrated into SAP HANA Studio and Eclipse, and from an Interface
administrator perspective, UI5 tools such as the UI5-based Process Chain Monitor are available as a
replacement for the ABAP Process Chain Monitor.
SAP BW/4HANA 2
Why do I need SAP BW/4HANA?
SAP BW/4HANA supports only SAP HANA-Optimised objects, It is important to note that some of SAP’s design principles
which will drive higher performance and allows provision for BW/4HANA are readily available in versions 7.4 and 7.5.
via an open SQL interface for managing the data in SAP Most notably the 4 modelling objects that are the cornerstone
applications or other SQL systems. This enables BW/4HANA of solution development in BW/4HANA are supplementary to
to take a wider remit in the enterprise than SAP BW Netweaver the existing codebase in versions 7.4 and 7.5. You can start
could. But it does mean that much of the content in existing migrating your content in BAU before implementing a new
instances will need to be revisited. platform.
All SAP BW customers need a roadmap for adopting and Depending on your starting point, there are several migration
implementing this new platform. For new instances, the choice paths and options for the move, not just from a prior version of
to start out on BW/4HANA is becoming more compelling every BW but also from an EDW to BW/4HANA. This is influenced by
quarter. For established instances, a transition is a significant multiple factors such as your wider SAP roadmap, your cloud
investment but that doesn’t stop you preparing for the change strategy and the functions that your system covers.
now.
SAP BW
SAP BW (<v7.5) Legacy EDW
BW Release ANY DB ANY DB
On SAP HANA
Approach Installation Upgrade
Mechanism
Implement HANA Transport of Objects Object Conversion
Optimised Data Models & Flows
BW/4HANA
Capgemini can help you determine the right strategy and roadmap for your enterprise to minimise the impact of this change on
your business and your budget.
BW4/HANA relies far more on the HANA Studio toolset traditional SAP GUI and BEX Analyser and its Excel add in are no longer
supported by BW/4HANA. As customers make the transition, market skills will reflect the new toolsets released over the next 2-3
years. Even though the lifespan of SAP BW Netweaver stretches into the next decade, the most talented resources will be moving
to BW/4HANA, just as we saw a similar shift to SAP BW 7, from SAP BW 3.5, within 2 years of its release.
3 Copyright© 2017. All rights reserved by Capgemini
Why do I want SAP BW/4HANA?
SAP BW/4HANA is positioned as the next generation of data BW/4HANA, and prior releases of SAP BW powered by HANA
warehousing, which enabling es the Logical Data Warehouse will move into maintenance, receiving little development or
(LDW). The LDW complements the primary functions of a new functionality moving forward. SAP BW/4HANA already
traditional data warehouse, such as data aggregation, has specific HANA-optimised Business Content Packages to
transformation and persistence, with additional functions accelerate development.
that in real- time (or near real- time) fetch and transform data,
instantiating non-persisted data models.
SAP BW/4HANA now comes with more deployment options
SAP BW/4HANA has a best-of-both world’s’ ability to con- including SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud, Amazon Web
struct an EDW either by using the highly- integrated Business Services and Microsoft Azure, providing a more flexible
Warehouse tools and editors, or a freestyle SQL approach landscape management solution.
typical. The simplified and enhanced modelling capability
affords greater business agility whereby users can create their
own views from BW modelling objects to be consumed by any SAP BW/4HANA has native integration for the BusinessOb-
SQL tool, or visualised using a front-end tool. This enables jects suite of tools, providing a wider spectrum of BI and Ana-
agile data warehouse development as well as better real-time lytics capability including reporting, dashboarding, self-service
business insights. discovery, budgeting and planning, and
predictive analytics.
SAP’s position is that all new innovation will take place in SAP
What are the next steps to learn more and maximise your BW/4HANA
investment?
With almost 190,000 people in over 40 countries, including more than 19,000 consultants across our SAP and Insights & Data Global
Practices, Capgemini is one of the world's foremost providers of consulting, technology and outsourcing services.
Come and discuss your needs with our Insights & Data SAP BI team to understand how our expertise can help you make the right
decisions for your organisation. Talk to use about the development of your roadmap and strategy for BW4/HANA and be ready to
exploit the capabilities of SAP’s next generation data warehouse.
For more information on Real-time Embedded Analytics with S/4HANA, please contact:
James Moffat Shin Sawhney Sarb Samra
Head of SAP Analytics, SAPBI, EPM and HANA Data Managing Technical Architect,
Insights & Data, UK Platform Solutions, UK Insights & Data, UK
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
About Capgemini
With more than 190,000 people, Capgemini is present in over 40 countries and celebrates its 50th Anniversary year in
2017. A global leader in consulting, technology and outsourcing services, the Group reported 2016 revenues of EUR
12.5 billion. Together with its clients, Capgemini creates and delivers business, technology and digital solutions that fit
their needs, enabling them to achieve innovation and competitiveness. A deeply multicultural organisation, Capgemini
has developed its own way of working, the Collaborative Business ExperienceTM, and draws on Rightshore® , its
worldwide delivery model.
Learn more about us at
www.uk.capgemini.com
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Copyright © 2017 Capgemini. All rights reserved.
SAP BW/4HANA 4
