SAP High-performance Analytic Appliance (HANA), SAP’s latest database technology, introduced only a year ago, has managed to capture the interests of enterprises worldwide. Although, being a product of SAP – a company that has a considerable amount of experience in first-generation in-memory technologies – makes it nearly impossible for anyone to doubt SAP HANA, a next-generation technology; this article discusses, and in doing so aims to abolish any uncertainty people may have had regarding, the inevitable success of this cutting-edge technology we know as SAP HANA.
Let us begin by discussing what sets SAP HANA apart from the rest of the databases. First of all, SAP HANA is capable of aggregating massive amounts of data, as well as executing parallel searches, allowing users to query multiple types of data sources in real-time. Moreover, not only can this revolutionary technology operate in real-time, it has demonstrated the ability to scan up to 500 billion POS records in a matter seconds, breaking records for speed as well.
SAP HANA allows users to run businesses at the speed of thought. Its multi-core architecture has helped in improving IT efficiency and simplifies work by eliminating data aggregation, indexing and mapping. It provides users with real-time insights, giving them the opportunities to make decisions that enhance and accelerate their company performance and give it a competitive edge.
In addition, it is important to understand that the shift from disk-based to in-memory data storage and retrieval is inevitable. Managing Big Data is impossible without the use of disks, and the usage and management of those disks is time-consuming. The use of an in-memory database hence, appears to be an ideal solution. This makes it safe to predict that SAP HANA, an in-memory database technology, will soon replace countless traditional database technologies, considerably increasing the company productivity and leaving those not in line with the latest technology behind in the race to success.
SAP HANA Essentials, a book written by Jeffrey Word, talks about how this technology fits the ‘Faster, better, cheaper’ model of the technology industry as well. Operating on RAM memory instead of disks makes it faster, a combination of simple architecture and ease of use makes it better, and the cost per gigabyte per second of an in-memory database on the right metric makes it cheaper than traditional disk-based database technologies as well.
SAP HANA has dramatically changed the database industry. The insights, flexibility and simplicity this technology offers has transformed the way organizations run their businesses, providing them with greater opportunities and making it possible for them to optimize businesses in ways that were not possible before.
– By Arif Sarwar