SAP HANA is an in-memory column-oriented relational database management system that combines database with application processing along with integration services. Available for both on-premise and cloud deployment, SAP HANA makes big data, real-time analytics and aggregation, powerful data processing, data management and data warehousing possible on a single platform. SAP HANA notably out-performs traditional databases, thanks to its ability to keep vast volumes of information in memory, or physically closer to the CPU, and instantly accessible. So you can monitor and analyze incoming data the second it enters the system.
Since the launch of SAP HANA’s flagship product in late 2010, it’s already proven itself for leading organizations from John Deere to eBay and Burberry. Companies are finding that it delivers on its promise to provide a simpler, faster, and more cost-efficient IT architecture capable of presenting business insight in real-time. So much so that customers are putting their entire business suite on HANA and are conducting complex analytical projects with remarkable ease.
SAP HANA employs modern hardware and database systems to combine online transaction with online analytical processing – offered within one single source. As a result, the platform supplies powerful real-time analytics while also simplifying application and database structures. HANA improves reporting and transactional processes, enabling rapid real-time processing of massive amounts of data required to support today’s most innovative Big Data applications.
HANA further eliminates Disk I/O operations along with the creation and storage of indexes and aggregates. By reducing the complexity of coding, administration, and infrastructure, it allows for simpler design with fewer objects and operations. Organizations using SAP HANA are able to shrink their storage footprint, eliminate the need for multiple layers of software and hardware, and improve performance while reducing their power consumption and total cost of ownership. Put simply, SAP HANA simplifies your technology stack.
Companies considering HANA have two avenues for implementation. The first is a Full/Enterprise Use license, with cost based on database or gigabyte size. This is ideal for companies looking into Big Data, agile datamarting, operational reporting, custom application design, side-car accelerators to the SAP Business Suite, and side-car Operational Reporting using customized or pre-delivered HANA live content. Shifting to the HANA database also provides the ability to access new HANA-based applications and tools including Simple Finance and HANA-Live.
SAP HANA Live, just one application included in the SAP Suite, delivers real-time operational reporting based on customizable virtual data models. This real-time reporting is achievable without negatively affecting performance. Dynamic tiering provides a smart and cost-efficient means for data archival and the management of massive amounts of data from multiple sources. SAP HANA’s powerful Big Data and predictive analytics capabilities also give customers the ability to build analytics solutions that provide unprecedented up-to-the-second operational visibility, forecasting, and analysis.
In addition to Full/Enterprise Use license, SAP HANA may be installed under its Run-Time License, with actual cost based on SAP application value. The Run-Time License has no gigabyte restriction. This option is recommended for companies that don’t require Big Data but, instead, simply want to replace and upgrade their existing database to prepare for future growth and to take advantage of its many benefits and innovations. The Run-Time License is also suitable for organizations interested in side-car accelerators to the SAP Business Suite.