SAP Road Map: ABAP Platform Webcast Recap #ABAPIsNotDead

Source: SAP Fig 1
Karl Kessler, SAP, presented this webcast the other week

Friendly reminder to join Thomas Jung in 3 hours for this:

Source: SAP 2
Road map is subject to change

February 4 mainstream maintenance for 2027 announced by SAP Board

Time to organize transformation to S/4HANA

Source: SAP 3
The ABAP Stack
ABAP is the foundation of many solutions, runs on a wide variety of database systems, built in lifecycle management capabilities
Aim at zero downtime
Huge ecosystem with customers and partners, broad development community
Leverage HANA platform, integration with SAP Cloud Platform

Source: SAP 4
The ABAP platform today
“new kid on block” SCP

Source: SAP 5
ABAP platform comes in variety of “flavors”
Left is the classical NetWeaver platform; in maintenance, last version in 7.5x stack

On right – innovation code line, one ABAP code line (right of dashed line)
Two stakeholder types – on premise, and cloud stakeholders
Optimizing stack to support stakeholders

In on-premise world, you have full control over your system – you do install, upgrade, implement SP’s, full lifecycle is on your side, influence what happens inside your system
Contrast with cloud versions, SAP runs lifecycle; whitelist against solutions have to be “safe”. Rules are stricter in cloud
In cloud no SPDD, SPAU

The only way to customize the cloud environment with ABAP extensibility options; these are limited, use ABAP platform cloud

Not true that not investing in on-premise
What is implemented in cloud is integrated to on-premise

Innovation line is on HANA only; can fully optimize ABAP platform

Source: SAP 6
Large customer base using custom code in ABAP, should be a natural home for ABAP in cloud space

Source: SAP 7
Shipped ABAP in SCP in September 2018
Rough architecture is shown above
Grey box – SCP, ABAP platform as a service – kernel in the cloud, using HANA database; built on ABAP Restful programming model using core data services
– cloud optimized language, traditional ABAP, subset of existing ABAP language
– Open data set – on premise only, file structures not present in cloud
– Call screen processing – not support SAP Gui in the SCP
Admin uses Cloud Cockpit on the left
-Provision system, add users, communication arrangement, uses Fiori Launchpad
Developer uses ABAP Eclipse (not Gui)
Uses ABAP Git for lifecycle; git developed by SAP Community, use it to bring on premise to cloud

More you use Fiori/OData, more ready you are for cloud

ABAP Test Cockpit – can check for cloud compliance

ABAP platform integrates with cloud services; can talk with SCP platform – analytics, IoT, ML
Need extension points to backend infrastructure

SAC is OData aware and can be used with SCP

Expose existing services in SCP ABAP platform
OData V2/4 are the means of communication

Can connect to on premise world using the cloud connector, in a clear/secure way what has been exposed

Source: SAP 8
Standard scenarios that foresee
Cloud ERP scenario; uses SCP as means to extend S/4HANA cloud which has no in development tools
ABAP Cloud environment is natural way to build extensions

Source: SAP 9

Early adopter program when service went live

Customer on stable back end; ABAP SCP allows you to build extensions; so every quarter can leverage new cloud platform services

Source: SAP 10
Third scenario
Saw first go-live
Hub like usage
Like a NetWeaver in the cloud with features of cloud
Combined back end services from existing landscape potentially connect via cloud connector, open up Web API’s

Transports are written to git repository; then fetched from git repository to subsequent systems
With git, more options such as branching, versioning
Can add continuous integration, deployment tools (not everything there yet)

Source: SAP 11 (from webcast)

See original road map here – logon required

Road map
See on left what was delivered in 2002
Invested in Restful program model
Added documentation capabilities
Full offering of dynamic control
Added to ABAP Development tools
Look at sizing options

Planned for 2005 (version in May):
-Principal propagation – for HTTP / RFC with business user
– RFC support for inbound
– SMTP
– reuse services
– Fiori app for number ranges
– CI/CD for ATC check
– augment AWS data centers offerings in Tokyo/Sydney

Overall direction:
– work on partner model, ease up on boarding for partners, outbound OEM
– more in Restful programming model, authorization
– more for tools
– custom scenarios for ATC hcecks
– git transport
– more data centers, and more hyperscalers

Source: SAP 12

See original road map here – logon required

On premise S/4HANA
Once a year, bundle capabilities into S/4HANA shipment
RESTful program model makes it in September version
Close conjunction with cloud side

Cloud is always first, consolidate to on-premise

Just one innovation code line, on premise and cloud

Recommends going to developers.sap.com for trial service

Q&A
Q: Is SAP’s on-premise technology in maintenance?
A: NetWeaver is in maintenance, S/4HANA on premise has innovation

Q: Do you have productive customers on ABAP Cloud Platform?
A: Have combination partner/customers
Have internal SAP customers productive
Others in works
Development angel – help you on board, find issues, solve challenges

Q: How easy is it to take my on premise ABAP to the cloud?
A: If it is already core data services/Fiori, it is easy
If traditional ABAP with a lot of gui, can take app logic to cloud, but screen processing is not supported; have to rewrite gui with Fiori interface
Use ATC tool to check

What do you think?  Webcasts help me understand things better.