Big Data and SAP HANA

Now we know that SAP HANA (High-Performance Analytic Appliance) is an in-memory, column-oriented, relational database management system aims to achieve synchronous complex querying and high frequent transaction. Moreover, its embedded web server makes it a perfect tool to solve huge volume real-time data-related problem. ^[1]

So today let’s talk a little about how SAP HANA can work with Big Data problems.

First of all, analyzing hundreds of billions of rows of data ^[2] is quite normal for every company, especially in an Ecommerce Environment.  Since business processes will run 10,000 to 100,000 time faster with SAP HANA ^[3], problems relates to Retail sales, Customer Service could be easily solved applying real-time data analysis.

Second, nowadays the format of data is more complex, it includes text, documents^[2], videos, images and social media contents. By using SAP Data Services (DS) ^[4], connecting to SAP HANA Direct Extractor ^[4] or other databases with SAP HANA Smart Data Access ^[5], those data could be best provisioned. Moreover, SAP Replication Server (SRS) ^[4] and SAP LT Replication Server (SLT) ^[4] provides Trigger-based ^[5] replication server in real-time environment, which makes high availability, “zero downtime” disaster recovery, smart decision making based on up-to-the-second data and seamless, light-fast data synchronization in diverse database possible. ^[6]

Third, the capability to use Graphic Modeling Tools ^[7] and SQL Modeling Tools ^[7], the leverage of open source R ^[2] to implement Other Modeling Features, such as Decision Tables and Geospatial Data, give SAP HANA the advantage to deliver predictive insight with in-database data mining as quick as possible ^[2].  It means data visualization for target business professionals to reach sophisticated and quick decisions can be achieved in timely manner.

Last but not the least, SAP HANA can be integrated with Hadoop environment ^[2]. Since Hadoop already become a prevalent tool to big data problem, due its ability to manipulate large files, store unstructured data, tolerate fault data, provide Batch Process and Open Source service, its largest limitation is not able to get information out of its huge data in real-time scenarios ^[8]. Thus, SAP HANA is a perfect match for Hadoop in business environment has high requirements in real-time big data processing. The most common example is in Labor Day Golden Week (May 1^st ~7^th) each year since 2006, Suning Appliance Company Limited, the largest Appliance o2o retailer in China, utilize the advantage of its IS_Retail SAP Retail Industry Solutions system, in which SAP HANA integrate Hadoop ^[9], to handle the peak load of 20,000+ Terminals work concurrently. ^[10]

Reference:

[1] SAP HANA, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAP_HANA, last login time: 16:21:57, Dec 12, 2014

[2] SAP HANA integrates predictive analytics, text and big data in a single package, http://www.sap.com/pc/tech/in-memory-computing-hana/software/analytics/big-data.html, last login time: 17:09:43, Dec 12, 2014

[3] Improve business performance in real time with the industry’s leading Big Data platform, http://www.sap.com/solution/big-data/software/platform.html, last login time: 18:07:02, Dec 12, 2014

[4] SAP HANA – Introduction, https://training.sap.com/shop/course/ha100-sap-hana—introduction-classroom-008-gb-en/, last login time: 17:36:13, Dec 12, 2014

[5] SAP HANA – Data Provisioning, https://training.sap.com/shop/course/ha350-sap-hana—data-provisioning-classroom-008-gb-en/, last login time: 17:58:10, Dec 12, 2014

[6] Get real-time data integration and movement – with SAP 
Replication Server, http://www.sap.com/pc/tech/database/software/sybase-data-replication-software/index.html, last login time: 18:03:25, Dec 12, 2014

[7] SAP HANA – Implementation and Modeling, https://training.sap.com/shop/course/ha300-sap-hana—implementation-and-modeling-classroom-008-gb-en/, last login time: 17:57:15, Dec 12, 2014

[8] Hadoop and HANA Integration, http://scn.sap.com/community/hana-in-memory/blog/2013/10/15/b, last login time: 18:44:38, Dec 12, 2014

[9] 独家专访SAP史维学：打造永不过时的软件, http://soft.zdnet.com.cn/software_zone/2012/1015/2126069.shtml, last login time: 19:21:43, Dec 12, 2014

[10] 苏宁SAP/ERP系统各模块是如何在公司中应用的？以及不足有哪些, http://bbs.erp100.com/thread-246555-1-1.html, last login time: 16: 20: 04, Nov 5, 2014