Technical Playbook
Architecture patterns, technologies, and implementation frameworks. How S/4HANA is built and extended.
Core Technologies
Technical stack and capabilities
| Technology | Description | Key Capabilities | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABAP | Advanced Business Application Programming |
| Core programming language for S/4HANA customizations and enhancements |
| SAP Fiori | User experience and interface framework |
| Modern UI layer replacing traditional SAP GUI transactions |
| SAP HANA | In-memory database platform |
| Mandatory database for S/4HANA - enables simplified data models |
| SAP BTP | Business Technology Platform |
| PaaS for extending S/4HANA with cloud-native capabilities |
| APIs (REST/OData) | Application programming interfaces |
| Standard interfaces for system-to-system communication |
| Core Data Services | Semantic data modeling |
| HANA-native data modeling replacing traditional database views |
Architecture Patterns
Common implementation approaches
Deployment Models
Infrastructure options and trade-offs
On-Premise
Self-hosted in company data center
Advantages
- Full control
- Custom infrastructure
- Existing investments
Considerations
- High upfront cost
- Maintenance burden
- Slower updates
Best For
Organizations with strict data sovereignty or existing infrastructure
Cloud (Public/Private)
SAP-managed or hyperscaler-hosted
Advantages
- Lower TCO
- Automatic updates
- Scalability
- Faster deployment
Considerations
- Less customization
- Internet dependency
- Data residency concerns
Best For
Greenfield implementations or cloud-first strategies
Hybrid
Mix of on-premise and cloud components
Advantages
- Flexibility
- Gradual migration
- Best of both worlds
Considerations
- Complex integration
- Higher management overhead
- Network dependencies
Best For
Large enterprises with diverse requirements and phased transformations
Plan your migration approach
Migration Paths