SAP ABAP on HANA — Lesson 1: SAP HANA Architecture for ABAP, Code-to-Data Principles, Open SQL Enhancements, Expressions, and Pushdown

Learning Objectives

• Explain the SAP structures, data, settings, roles, and dependencies governing ABAP-on-HANA architecture and Open SQL.
• Perform and validate code-to-data, expressions, and optimized access using reviewable system evidence.
• Evaluate the condition where a code-pushdown change runs faster but returns different results because client handling, null semantics, aggregation, authorization, and currency logic moved across layers and select proportionate corrective action.

Detailed Topics

• SAP HANA Architecture for ABAP applied to the course scenario, expected SAP behavior, dependencies, and evidence.
• Code-to-Data Principles applied to the course scenario, expected SAP behavior, dependencies, and evidence.
• Open SQL Enhancements applied to the course scenario, expected SAP behavior, dependencies, and evidence.
• Expressions applied to the course scenario, expected SAP behavior, dependencies, and evidence.
• and Pushdown applied to the course scenario, expected SAP behavior, dependencies, and evidence.

Instructor Demonstration

The instructor traces an ABAP modernization team improving custom application performance while preserving functional correctness and maintainability. The walkthrough connects navigation, configuration or process logic, system messages, and evidence captured in the ABAP-on-HANA modernization, performance, and validation dossier. It also tests the exception where a code-pushdown change runs faster but returns different results because client handling, null semantics, aggregation, authorization, and currency logic moved across layers.

Hands-On Exercise

Complete a controlled SAP exercise covering SAP HANA Architecture for ABAP, Code-to-Data Principles, Open SQL Enhancements, Expressions, and Pushdown and preserve the verified result in the ABAP-on-HANA modernization, performance, and validation dossier.

1. Confirm scope, prerequisites, master data, roles, dependencies, and acceptance criteria.
2. Execute the workflow while recording settings, transactions, outputs, and system messages.
3. Test normal behavior, one boundary condition, and the stated exception.
4. Document corrections, evidence, ownership, retest criteria, and handover actions.

Scenario Analysis

• Identify which object, rule, setting, or process step most strongly influences ABAP-on-HANA architecture and Open SQL.
• Compare two defensible responses and explain business, technical, control, and support trade-offs.
• Determine how the ABAP-on-HANA modernization, performance, and validation dossier should be approved, retained, retested, and updated.

Troubleshooting Guidance

Start where expected SAP behavior first differs from the observed result. Check master data, configuration sequence, authorization, integration, status, and transaction evidence separately. Treat “a code-pushdown change runs faster but returns different results because client handling, null semantics, aggregation, authorization, and currency logic moved across layers” as a hypothesis until system settings, logs, documents, and outcomes confirm the cause.

Validation Checklist

• Required SAP structures, master data, roles, settings, and dependencies are present.
• The ABAP-on-HANA modernization, performance, and validation dossier connects each conclusion to objective, reviewable evidence.
• Normal processing, the boundary condition, integration behavior, and exception were tested.
• Corrections, ownership, retest criteria, documentation, and operational handover are complete.

Lesson Outcome

Learners can apply SAP HANA Architecture for ABAP, Code-to-Data Principles, Open SQL Enhancements, Expressions, and Pushdown, explain the resulting SAP behavior, and defend the outcome through the ABAP-on-HANA modernization, performance, and validation dossier.