SAP HANA is an application that uses in-memory database technology to process very large amounts of real-time data from relational databases, both SAP and non-SAP, in a very short time. The in-memory computing engine allows HANA to process data stored in RAM as opposed to reading it from a disk which means that the data can be accessed in real time by the applications using HANA. The product is sold both as an appliance and as a cloud-based software solution.
We have been using Microsoft SQL for our database related tasks until we made a successful & much-needed transition to SAP HANA for good. With the level of complexities SAP HANA can handle & deliver it was our obvious choice.
As SAP HANA is built into memeory, the proformance of the product is hard to beat against it's rivals but that comes with a price. You can get away with using another product but you'll be losing out else where. For example in time/multiple systems and efforts to relplicate …
The customer has most of their investment in Microsoft databases. If SAP HANA was not available, we would have gone to getting data into a SQL server and creating APIs to access them inside SAP. But, with the help of HANA, we could avoid all those unnecessary things and get …
The choice of the SAP HANA solution was mainly determined by the choice of the new company ERP, which having been SAP, naturally led to the choice of its DB solution.
SAP HANA is a more modern database with capabilities which reach far beyond a classical database. We chose SAP HANA as it represents the future direction of SAP which aligns with our strategic direction. With the introduction of S/4 HANA, SAP HANA will remain the only …
SAP HANA uses the sheer power of in memory analytics based on columnar compression of data in the back-end resulting in an overall decreased footprint of the data resulting in a paradigm shift. The traditional RDBMS database would rely heavily on additional indexes to retrieve …
There are many alternatives to SAP HANA if we consider functionality. Most of them, just like HANA, have their own niche place of specialization. But SAP HANA is at the forefront when it comes to performance comparison in its area of expertise which is business intelligence and …
I think if you have a large organization, it's probably the product and the marketplace to go to. We're a large management consulting firm operating in four to seven countries. And generally speaking, I think that's the size and the scope where it scales best. I can't speak to smaller companies, but I can't see smaller companies leveraging the benefits as much as a larger organization can.
Microsoft SQL is ubiquitous, while MySQL runs under the hood all over the place. Microsoft SQL is the platform taught in colleges and certification courses and is the one most likely to be used by businesses because it is backed by Microsoft. Its interface is friendly (well, as pleasant as SQL can be) and has been used by so many for so long that resources are freely available if you encounter any issues.
Real-time reporting and analytics on data: because of its in-memory architecture, it is perfect for businesses that need to make quick decisions based on current information.
Managing workload with complex data: it can handle a vast range of data types, including relational, documental, geospatial, graph, vector, and time series data.
Developing and deploying intelligent data applications: it provides various tools for such applications and can be used for machine learning and artificial intelligence to automate tasks, gain insights from data, and make predictions.
Requires higher processing power, otherwise it won't fly. How ever computing costs are lower. Incase you are migrating to cloud please do not select the highest config available in that series . Upgrading it later against a reserved instance can cost you dearly with a series change
Lack of clarity on licensing is one major challenge
Unless S/4 with additional features are enabled mere migration HANA DB is not a rewarding journey. Power is in S/4
Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise edition has a high cost but is the only edition which supports SQL Always On Availability Groups. It would be nice to include this feature in the Standard version.
Licensing of Microsoft SQL Server is a quite complex matter, it would be good to simplify licensing in the future. For example, per core vs per user CAL licensing, as well as complex licensing scenarios in the Cloud and on Edge locations.
It would be good to include native tools for converting Oracle, DB2, Postgresql and MySQL/MariaDB databases (schema and data) for import into Microsoft SQL Server.
We would rate our likelihood of renewing at 9/10. SAP HANA Cloud has proven to be a highly reliable and scalable data platform that consistently delivers strong performance. Its seamless integration with our overall SAP landscape, combined with improved analytics and real-time data capabilities, makes it a core part of our long-term technology strategy.
We understand that the Microsoft SQL Server will continue to advance, offering the same robust and reliable platform while adding new features that enable us, as a software center, to create a superior product. That provides excellent performance while reducing the hardware requirements and the total cost of ownership of our solution.
It is very useful solution which provides you speedier data processing, real-time analytics. It helps you manage diverse data types. It also offers you excellent disaster management. It has user friendly interface which helps you navigate system and transactions easily and perform task smoothly.
SQL Server mostly 'just works' or generates error messages to help you sort out the trouble. You can usually count on the product to get the job done and keep an eye on your potential mistakes. Interaction with other Microsoft products makes operating as a Windows user pretty straight forward. Digging through the multitude of dialogs and wizards can be a pain, but the answer is usually there somewhere.
I would rate SAP HANA Cloud’s availability as an 8 out of 10. In general, the platform is available when we need it and provides a reliable cloud environment for our data, reporting, and integration use cases.We have not experienced availability as one of the main issues compared with areas like configuration, troubleshooting, or support response quality. However, I would not rate it a 10 because, like any cloud platform, availability can still be affected by occasional service issues, application errors, maintenance windows, or dependencies with connected systems.Overall, SAP HANA Cloud has been reliable for our needs, but continuous monitoring and clear communication around incidents or maintenance are still important.
I would rate SAP HANA Cloud’s performance as an 8 out of 10. In general, performance is strong and reports usually complete in a reasonable time frame, especially when the data models, queries, and calculation views are well designed.The platform handles large data volumes well and supports fast analytics for many enterprise scenarios. It also works effectively with connected systems when the integrations are properly configured.I would not rate it a 10 because performance can depend heavily on architecture, query design, data volume, custom code, and integration complexity. In some cases, complex reports, large datasets, or custom logic require additional tuning and testing to avoid slow response times or delays in connected processes.
However, I am not the right person to answer this as we have another department to handle support and contact the service provider for any support required. Although i will say that they are the quick respondent and knows how to handle querry of the customers and provide quick and better support.
We managed to handle most of our problems by looking into Microsoft's official documentation that has everything explained and almost every function has an example that illustrates in detail how a particular functionality works. Just like PowerShell has the ability to show you an example of how some cmdlet works, that is the case also here, and in my opinion, it is a very good practice and I like it.
I would rate the online training as an 8 out of 10. The training materials are generally useful, well-structured, and helpful for understanding the main capabilities of SAP HANA Cloud, including data modeling, administration, integration, and analytics.The content is especially valuable for building a foundation and learning the standard features of the platform. However, I would not rate it a 10 because some advanced or real-world scenarios, such as complex integrations, troubleshooting, performance tuning, and custom code, could benefit from more practical examples and deeper technical guidance.Overall, the online training is strong, but it could be improved with more hands-on exercises and more examples based on enterprise implementation scenarios.
would rate our satisfaction with the implementation as a 6 out of 10. The implementation was completed and the solution provides value, but the process was more complex and time-consuming than expected.The main challenges were related to technical configuration, integrations, permissions, and troubleshooting. In some cases, getting clear answers or resolving issues required several iterations, which slowed down the implementation.Overall, the final result is useful, but the implementation experience could have been better with clearer documentation, more straightforward configuration steps, and more effective support during the process.
Other than SQL taking quite a bit of time to actually install there are no problems with installation. Even on hardware that has good performance SQL can still take close to an hour to install a typical server with management and reporting services.
I have deep knowledge of other disk based DBMSs. They are venerable technology, but the attempts to extend them to current architectures belie the fact they are built on 40 year old technology. There are some good columnar in-memory databases but they lack the completeness of capability present in the HANA platform.
[Microsoft] SQL Server has a much better community and professional support and is overall just a more reliable system with Microsoft behind it. I've used MySQL in the past and SQL Server has just become more comfortable for me and is my go to RDBMS.
I would rate the contract terms and pricing structure for SAP HANA Cloud as a 7 out of 10. Overall, the pricing model is reasonable for an enterprise cloud platform, especially considering the scalability, integration capabilities, and performance benefits it provides.However, there are some aspects we would improve. The pricing model could be more transparent and easier to predict, especially when usage grows across multiple departments, data volumes increase, or additional capacity is required. It would also be helpful to have clearer guidance on how configuration, storage, compute, and scaling decisions affect overall cost.If we could change anything, we would prefer simpler pricing, more predictable billing, and more flexibility to adjust capacity without creating unexpected cost increases.
I would rate SAP HANA Cloud’s overall scalability as an 8 out of 10. The product provides strong scalability for enterprise scenarios, especially when it needs to support multiple departments, growing data volumes, and more complex analytics or integration requirements.The cloud-based architecture makes it easier to expand capacity compared with traditional on-premise environments, and it gives the organization flexibility as usage increases across different teams or locations.I would not rate it a 10 because scalability still depends heavily on good architecture, correct configuration, performance tuning, and cost control. As the environment grows, it is important to monitor resource consumption, optimize queries and data models, and make sure the solution is designed properly to avoid performance or cost issues.
I would rate the professional services for SAP HANA Cloud as a 6 out of 10. The professional services were helpful in moving the implementation forward and provided useful knowledge around the platform, configuration, and technical setup.However, the experience was not perfect. Some areas, such as complex integrations, custom code, permissions, performance tuning, and troubleshooting, required more effort and follow-up than expected. In some cases, we would have benefited from clearer guidance, more practical recommendations, and faster resolution of technical questions.Overall, the professional services added value, but there is room for improvement in terms of proactivity, hands-on support, and helping customers handle complex real-world implementation scenarios.
Increased accuracy - We went from multiple users having different versions of an Excel spreadsheet to a single source of truth for our reporting.
Increased Efficiency - We can now generate reports at any time from a single source rather than multiple users spending their time collating data and generating reports.
Improved Security - Enterprise level security on a dedicated server rather than financial files on multiple laptop hard drives.
