SAP ABAP 7.5 Optimization for HANA (Kasralikar P.) (z-library.sk, 1lib.sk, z-lib.sk)

SAP ABAP 7.5 Optimization for HANA AMDP, CDS and Native SQL for Peak Performance — Pratik Prakash Kasralikar Apress

SAP ABAP 7.5 Optimization for HANA AMDP, CDS and Native SQL for Peak Performance Pratik Prakash Kasralikar Apress®

SAP ABAP 7.5 Optimization for HANA: AMDP, CDS and Native SQL for Peak Performance Pratik Prakash Kasralikar Georgia, GA, USA ISBN-13 (pbk): 979-8-8688-2125-7 ISBN-13 (electronic): 979-8-8688-2126-4 https://doi.org/10.1007/979-8-8688-2126-4 Copyright © 2025 by Pratik Prakash Kasralikar This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. Trademarked names, logos, and images may appear in this book. Rather than use a trademark symbol with every occurrence of a trademarked name, logo, or image we use the names, logos, and images only in an editorial fashion and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. The use in this publication of trade names, trademarks, service marks, and similar terms, even if they are not identified as such, is not to be taken as an expression of opinion as to whether or not they are subject to proprietary rights. While the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication, neither the authors nor the editors nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may be made. The publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein. Managing Director, Apress Media LLC: Welmoed Spahr Acquisitions Editor: Divya Modi Coordinating Editor: Gryffin Winkler Cover designed by eStudioCalamar Cover image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay Distributed to the book trade worldwide by Springer Science+Business Media New York, 1 New York Plaza, New York, NY 10004. Phone 1-800-SPRINGER, fax (201) 348-4505, e-mail orders-ny@springer-sbm.com , or visit www.springeronline.com. Apress Media, LLC is a Delaware LLC and the sole member (owner) is Springer Science + Business Media Finance Inc (SSBM Finance Inc). SSBM Finance Inc is a Delaware corporation. For information on translations, please e-mail booktranslations@springernature.com; for reprint, paperback, or audio rights, please e-mail bookpermissions@springernature.com . Apress titles may be purchased in bulk for academic, corporate, or promotional use. eBook versions and licenses are also available for most titles. For more information, reference our Print and eBook Bulk Sales web page at http://www.apress.com/bulk-sales. Any source code or other supplementary material referenced by the author in this book is available to readers on GitHub (https://github.com/Apress). For more detailed information, please visit https://www.apress.com/gp/services/source-code. If disposing of this product, please recycle the paper

Table of Contents About the Author ..........................................................................xiii About the Technical Reviewer ........................................................xv Acknowledgments .......................................................................xvii Chapter 1: Introduction to ABAP 7.5 and SAP HANA ..........................1 What You’ll Learn 1 SAP HANA (High-Performance Analytic Appliance) ...............................................2 Definition of SAP HANA....................................................................................2 How SAP HANA Works .....................................................................................5 SAP HANA Architecture....................................................................................6 Different Versions of SAP HANA.......................................................................7 HANA Capabilities in ABAP..................................................................................11 ABAP 7.5 ..............................................................................................................13 What Is ABAP 7.5? .........................................................................................13 Why Upgrade? ............................................................................................... 13 Key Features of ABAP 7.5 ..............................................................................14 Shift from Traditional ABAP to HANA-Optimized ABAP 17 Summary..............................................................................................................19 Chapter 2: Core Data Services (CDS) Views.....................................21 What You’ll Learn 21 CDS (Core Data Services)....................................................................................22 Definition of CDS ...........................................................................................22 iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS How to Create CDS View? Step-by-Step Process ...............................................27 Creating Simple and Complex CDS .....................................................................29 Simple CDS View ...........................................................................................30 Composite/Complex CDS View ......................................................................31 CDS Views with Parameters ..........................................................................32 Advanced Features ............................................................................................. 32 Associations .................................................................................................. 33 Annotations ................................................................................................... 36 Expressions ................................................................................................... 42 Extensions ...................................................................................................... 47 Entity Buffer in CDS Views ..................................................................................53 Components of the Syntax ............................................................................53 Key Characteristics........................................................................................54 Test the Entity Buffering ................................................................................54 Advanced Entity Buffering .............................................................................55 Access the CDS View in ABAP.............................................................................56 Use Open SQL to Access CDS Views..............................................................56 Use ABAP Managed Database Procedures (AMDP) .......................................56 Create an AMDP Class ...................................................................................57 Call the AMDP Method in ABAP......................................................................58 References and Articles ......................................................................................58 Summary: A Smarter Way to Handle Data...........................................................61 Chapter 3: ABAP Managed Database Procedures (AMDP)................ 63 What You’ll Learn ................................................................................................ 63 Introduction to AMDP ..........................................................................................65 What Is AMDP? .............................................................................................. 66 Key Features.................................................................................................. 66 iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS How Does AMDP Enable Native Database Procedures in ABAP?.................. 67 Architecture Diagram ....................................................................................68 Why AMDP ......................................................................................................71 When to Use AMDP? ......................................................................................72 How AMDP Enables Running HANA SQL Code from ABAP............................ 72 Direct Execution in the Database ..................................................................73 Use of Native SQL Script................................................................................73 Seamless Integration with ABAP ...................................................................74 Data Transfer Optimization ............................................................................74 CDS vs. AMDP ......................................................................................................74 When to Use CDS vs. AMDP...........................................................................75 Use CDS? ........................................................................................................76 Use AMDP? .................................................................................................... 76 AMDP Error Handling and Debugging .................................................................77 Error Handling in AMDP .................................................................................77 Use TRY...CATCH Blocks 77 Validate Input Data ........................................................................................78 Use ASSERT Statements................................................................................79 Debugging AMDP Methods ............................................................................ 80 Use Debugging Tools in SAP HANA Studio.....................................................81 Best Practices for Error Handling ..................................................................81 The Mindset Shift: Thinking Database First...................................................82 Advanced AMDP Techniques ...............................................................................83 Beyond the Basics ......................................................................................... 83 Table Functions ............................................................................................. 83 Harnessing HANA’s Analytical Power ............................................................85 Dynamic Queries ...........................................................................................85 v

TABLE OF CONTENTS AMDP for Data Transformation and Analysis.......................................................87 What Is AMDP? .............................................................................................. 87 Why Use AMDP for Data Transformation and Analysis?................................ 87 What Can We Do with AMDP?........................................................................87 How Do We Use AMDP? .................................................................................88 Why Is AMDP So Powerful? ...........................................................................89 The AMDP Code ............................................................................................. 90 HANA’s Predictive Libraries Within AMDP ...........................................................90 HANA’s Predictive Toolkit...............................................................................91 What Can We Predict with These Tools?........................................................91 Step-by-Step ................................................................................................. 92 AMDP Code.................................................................................................... 93 References and Articles ......................................................................................93 Official SAP Documentation...........................................................................93 Blogs and Articles..........................................................................................94 Books..............................................................................................................95 SAP Community Q&A .....................................................................................95 Tutorials and Examples..................................................................................96 Advanced Topics............................................................................................96 Case Studies.................................................................................................. 97 Additional Resources.....................................................................................97 Summary: Stop Driving the Race Car with a String ............................................98 Chapter 4: Native SQL in ABAP .....................................................101 What You’ll Learn .............................................................................................. 101 Introduction to Native SQL ................................................................................102 So, What’s Native SQL?................................................................................102 Why Would You Ever Ditch the Instruction Booklet (Open SQL) and Go Freestyle (Native SQL)? ...............................................................................103 vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS But Here’s the Catch....................................................................................104 Writing and Executing Native SQL in ABAP .......................................................104 Example........................................................................................................104 So, How Do You Pull Out This Specialized Tool and Use It Directly from Your Toolbox (ABAP Program)?............................................................105 Here’s a Simplified Breakdown ...................................................................105 Handling Database-Specific Features...............................................................106 So, What Kind of Fancy Stuff Can We Do with Native SQL in Our HANA? .106 Best Practices for Using Native SQL .................................................................107 Performance Considerations .......................................................................109 Error Handling ............................................................................................. 109 Minimizing Database-Specific Dependencies .............................................109 Optimizing Native SQL Queries for HANA..........................................................110 Why Do We Need to Optimize Queries? .......................................................110 How Do We Optimize Queries for HANA?.....................................................110 Business Scenario ............................................................................................112 The Problem: Figuring Out Customer Buying Patterns ............................... 112 How We’d Use Native SQL to Solve This ......................................................113 Why Native SQL Is Needed Here..................................................................114 References and Articles ....................................................................................116 Summary............................................................................................................118 Citation...............................................................................................................120 Chapter 5: Integration of AMDP, CDS, and Native SQL .................. 121 What You’ll Learn .............................................................................................. 121 Introduction........................................................................................................122 CDS Views: The Organized Data Bins...........................................................122 AMDP: The Heavy-Duty Processing Machine...............................................122 vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS Native SQL: The Precision Toolset................................................................122 How Do They All Work Together? .................................................................123 Combining AMDP with CDS Views.....................................................................123 What Are AMDP and CDS Views? (Quick Recap) 123 Why Combine Them?...................................................................................124 How Do We Combine Them?........................................................................125 Combine AMDP with Native SQL .......................................................................127 Why Combine Them?...................................................................................127 Business Scenario/Example ........................................................................128 How Do We Combine Them?........................................................................129 All Three Together ............................................................................................. 130 How Do We Combine Them?........................................................................130 Performance Tuning in Combined Scenarios ....................................................132 Reducing Data Transfer with Pushdown......................................................132 Leveraging AMDP for Complex Calculations................................................132 Optimizing Joins and Indexing in Native SQL ..............................................133 Using Indexes Wisely ................................................................................... 134 Combining the Strengths of Each Approach ................................................ 135 Testing and Monitoring................................................................................135 Monitoring These Powerful Tools.................................................................136 Summary: Choosing the Right Tool for the Job ................................................. 137 Citation...............................................................................................................138 Chapter 6: Testing and Debugging.............................................. 139 What You’ll Learn .............................................................................................. 139 Tools for Testing and Debugging ....................................................................... 140 Using the ABAP Debugger ...........................................................................140 Using HANA Studio ......................................................................................140 viii

TABLE OF CONTENTS How Do We Use These Tools Together? .......................................................141 Why Testing and Debugging Matter.............................................................141 Performance Tracing ......................................................................................... 141 Step 1: Identify the Problem Area ................................................................ 141 Step 2: Use SAP’s Built-In Tools...................................................................142 Step 3: Fix the Bottlenecks..........................................................................143 Step 4: Verify Improvements........................................................................143 Unit Testing ........................................................................................................143 Testing AMDPs (ABAP Managed Database Procedures) 143 Conclusion ................................................................................................... 144 Testing CDS Views .......................................................................................145 Testing Native SQL.......................................................................................146 Best Practices ................................................................................................... 147 Testing Methodologies.................................................................................147 Tools for Testing...........................................................................................148 Summary: Your Toolkit for Building with Confidence ........................................149 Chapter 7: Monitoring and Performance Tuning...........................151 What You’ll Learn .............................................................................................. 151 Performance Bottlenecks..................................................................................152 What Are Performance Bottlenecks?...........................................................152 Common Bottlenecks and Fixes ..................................................................155 Techniques for Optimizing Code .......................................................................155 Code Pushdown: Letting HANA Do the Heavy Lifting...................................156 Ditch the Loops: Go Bulk or Go Home..........................................................156 Optimize Data Retrieval ............................................................................... 156 Minimize Database Calls .............................................................................156 Use HANA-Specific Features .......................................................................157 ix

TABLE OF CONTENTS Right Approach (CDS? AMDP? or Native SQL?) .................................................157 How Do We Choose the Right Tool for the Job?...........................................157 Data Modeling Considerations ..........................................................................159 Columnar Storage: Thinking Vertically.........................................................159 In-Memory Computing: Keeping Everything Close ......................................160 Data Partitioning: Dividing and Conquering.................................................160 Data Compression: Squeezing More In........................................................161 Joins and Associations: Connecting the Dots .............................................. 161 Calculation Views: Building Analytical Models ............................................162 Data Types: Choosing the Right Containers ................................................. 162 Security ........................................................................................................163 Memory Management and Data Buffering........................................................163 Data Buffering: Keeping Frequently Used Data Close................................. 164 Memory Allocation: Giving HANA Enough Room to Work............................ 164 Memory-Intensive Operations: Avoiding Big Memory Hogs........................ 165 Key Memory Areas in HANA.........................................................................165 Monitoring Memory Usage: Keeping an Eye on Things .............................. 166 Data Aging: Moving Old Data Out of the Way...............................................166 Alternate Technique: Open SQL Enhancements for HANA................................ 166 New Open SQL Syntax (ABAP 7.4 SP05 and Above) ....................................166 SQL Expressions - Calculations on the Database....................................... 168 Strict Syntax Check and Why It Matters ......................................................168 Use of Secondary Indexes.................................................................................169 What Are Secondary Indexes?.....................................................................169 Why Use Secondary Indexes? .....................................................................169 When Are Secondary Indexes Appropriate? ................................................169 When Are Secondary Indexes NOT Appropriate? ......................................... 170 x

TABLE OF CONTENTS Types of Secondary Indexes ........................................................................ 171 Things to Consider.......................................................................................171 Summary............................................................................................................171 Chapter 8: Migration Strategies and Considerations.................... 175 What You’ll Learn .............................................................................................. 175 Migrating to HANA: A Step-by-Step Guide ........................................................176 Why Migrate to HANA? ................................................................................176 Impact of HANA on Custom Code......................................................................183 Why Does HANA Change Everything?..........................................................183 Planning and Executing a Successful Migration Project...................................186 Phase 1: Pre-Migration Plan ........................................................................ 186 Phase 2: Migration Strategy ........................................................................187 Phase 3: Execute the Migration ................................................................... 188 Phase 4: Testing and Validation ...................................................................188 Phase 5: Go-Live and Post-Migration ..........................................................189 Conclusion ................................................................................................... 190 Advance Considerations: Clean Core Concept ..................................................190 Enabling Technologies and Methodologies..................................................191 References ......................................................................................................... 202 Official SAP Documentation and Learning Platforms ................................. 203 Key SAP Notes (For More Technical Details)................................................204 Conclusion: The Heart of a Successful Migration..............................................204 Chapter 9: Real-World Use Cases and Scenarios..........................207 Business Scenario 1 .........................................................................................207 The Problem: The “Weekly Sales Report”....................................................207 The Solution................................................................................................. 208 CDS Views for Data Organization.................................................................209 xi

TABLE OF CONTENTS AMDP for Complex Calculations ..................................................................210 The Result: A Lightning-Fast Weekly Sales Report 211 Expanding the Solution: Beyond the Weekly Sales Report ......................... 211 Lessons Learned and Best Practices...........................................................212 Sample Code ............................................................................................... 213 Important Notes........................................................................................... 215 Business Scenario 2 .........................................................................................215 The Problem ................................................................................................ 216 The Solution................................................................................................. 216 The Analysis and Planning Phase: Understanding the Old and the New ....217 The Migration Phase: Translating and Optimizing .......................................218 The Testing and Validation Phase: Ensuring Accuracy and Performance ...218 The Deployment and Post-Migration Phase: Going Live and Optimizing....219 The Results and Benefits.............................................................................219 Sample Code ............................................................................................... 220 Business Scenario 3 ......................................................................................... 221 The Challenge: The “Precision Farming Platform” ......................................222 The Solution................................................................................................. 222 Data Foundation ..........................................................................................223 Data Processing Powerhouse......................................................................224 Application Logic and User Interface...........................................................224 Scalability and Performance Optimization ..................................................225 The Benefits and Outcomes ........................................................................225 Sample Code ............................................................................................... 226 Index...........................................................................................229 xii

About the Author Pratik Prakash Kasralikar is a seasoned SAP professional with approximately 18 years of comprehensive experience in the SAP ecosystem. His expertise spans across traditional ABAP development and modern SAP technologies, making him a versatile and highly skilled consultant. As an SAP ABAP consultant, Pratik has spent nearly two decades crafting and implementing robust SAP solutions for diverse business needs. His deep understanding of ABAP programming, combined with his extensive hands-on experience, enables him to deliver efficient and effective solutions that address complex business challenges. Pratik’s commitment to staying at the forefront of SAP technology is evident in his impressive array of certifications. He is an SAP Certified HANA Developer, demonstrating his mastery of SAP HANA’s in-memory database platform and its application in building high-performance solutions. Furthermore, he holds certifications in SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP), showcasing his proficiency in SAP’s cloud-based platform for application development and integration. His expertise extends to user experience design, as evidenced by his certification as a Certified SAP Fiori Application Developer, enabling him to create intuitive and engaging user interfaces. xiii

ABOUT THE AUTHOR His extensive experience and certifications highlight his ability to bridge the gap between traditional SAP environments and the latest cloud-based and database technologies. Pratik’s understanding of the evolving SAP landscape allows him to provide clients with innovative and future-proof solutions, ensuring they remain competitive in today’s digital world. He combines technical expertise with a practical, results-oriented approach, making him a valuable asset to any SAP project. xiv

About the Technical Reviewer Rajesh Ojha is a Senior Advisory Consultant at IBM and a certified SAP S/4HANA EAM professional. He has over 15 years of SAP consulting experience across a variety of complex projects, roles, and responsibilities in sectors such as oil and gas, construction, manufacturing, transportation, and chemicals and pharmaceuticals. His areas of expertise are in SAP Asset Management Portfolio, Enterprise Digital Transformation, and providing strategy consulting to business leaders on how to best leverage SAP’s potential power in their organization. xv

Acknowledgments Making this book a reality was one of the hardest but most rewarding things I’ve ever done. I couldn’t have finished it without the help of many people, and I want to thank them all. My biggest thank-you goes to my wife, Deepti, whose constant support, patience, and understanding gave me the strength to complete this work. She listened to all my ideas and never stopped believing in me, even when I had doubts. She was incredibly patient during the many nights and weekends I spent writing, and this book exists because of her love and support. And to my dearest daughter, Shrisha, and son, Soham, thank you for being the bright star in my sky. Your laughter and endless curiosity were a constant reminder of the world waiting to be explored outside the pages of this manuscript. You were a source of immense joy and wonderful motivation to finish this journey, so I could return to our adventures together. I’m also very thankful to my parents, Prakash and Pallavi Kasralikar. They taught me to love learning and to always finish what I start. Their support has been a constant source of inspiration for me. Special thanks to the team at Apress. They believed in my project and guided me as a new author. I’m especially grateful to my editors, Divya Modi and Nirmal Selvaraj, for their smart advice that made the book better. To my friends, thank you for being curious about my project and for understanding when I couldn’t join you. Your friendship was a much- needed break from writing. xvii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Finally, thank you, the reader, for picking up this book. I truly hope you find something useful or inspiring in its pages. Any mistakes in the book are my own. Everything good about it is thanks to the people who helped me. Thank you, Pratik Prakash Kasralikar xviii

CHAPTER 1 Introduction to ABAP 7.5 and SAP HANA What You’ll Learn This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of SAP HANA and its integration with ABAP. You’ll learn to Define SAP HANA: Understand what SAP HANA is, how its in­ memory, column-based architecture differs from traditional databases, and the benefits it offers, such as real-time analytics and high-performance data processing. Explore SAP HANA’s Core Capabilities: Dive into the key features that make SAP HANA a powerful tool, including its ability to handle complex calculations, integrate data from multiple sources, and support real-time analytics. Identify Different SAP HANA Versions: Learn about the various editions of SAP HANA, including HANA 1.0, HANA 2.0, HANA Cloud, and HANA Express Edition, and understand their key differences in features, performance, and deployment. Understand the Shift to HANA-Optimized ABAP: Explore the significant transition from traditional ABAP to HANA-optimized ABAP, focusing on how the language has evolved to leverage HANA’s unique capabilities. © Pratik Prakash Kasralikar 2025 1 P. Prakash Kasralikar, SAP ABAP 7.5 Optimization for HANA, https://doi.org/10.1007/979-8-8688-2126-4_1

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TO ABAP 7.5 AND SAP HANA Utilize ABAP 7.5 Features: Get familiar with the modern ABAP features introduced in version 7.5, such as Core Data Services (CDS), ABAP Managed Database Procedures (AMDP), and Open SQL enhancements, which are essential for building efficient applications on HANA. Recognize the Business Impact: Grasp how SAP HANA and its integration with ABAP can transform business operations by providing faster decision-making, simplified data models, and improved system performance. SAP HANA (High-Performance Analytic Appliance) Definition of SAP HANA What Is SAP HANA? Think of SAP HANA as a super-fast computer system that stores and analyzes information. It’s not just a place to keep data; it’s also a place to do really quick calculations and find patterns. It’s like having a library where you can find any book instantly, and also a super-smart research lab that can analyze all the books at lightning speed. SAP HANA is a different kind of library. It’s as if every single book is kept open on a table right in front of you, and you can see all the pages at once. This is because HANA stores data in the computer’s fast main memory (RAM), not on a slow hard drive. This means you can find information instantly without having to wait. But HANA isn’t just a place to find things fast. It’s also a powerful workspace. It’s like having a team of genius researchers right there in the library who can look at all the books at the same time. They can do complex tasks, like • Counting and Sorting: They can count how many books were checked out last month and see which ones were most popular, all in a second. 2