SAP HANA Modeling Introduction

SAP HANA Information Modeling which also known as SAP HANA Data Modeling is the heart of HANA application development.

Modeling refers to an activity of refining or slicing data in database tables by creating views to depict a business scenario. The views can be used for reporting and decision making.

You can create modeling views on top of database tables and implement business logic to create a meaningful report.
These modeling views can be consumed via Java or HTML based applications or SAP HANA native applications. You can also use SAP tools like SAP Lumira or Analysis Office to directly connect to HANA and report modeling views. It is also possible to use 3rd party tools like MS-Excel to connect to HANA and create your report.


Information views use various combinations of data to model a business use case. Columns of modeling view can be classified as Attribute or Measure.
  • Attribute: Non-measurable, Descriptive data, such as customer ID, city, and country
  • Measure: Quantifiable data, such as revenue, quantity sold and counters.

In the next session we will learn more about attribute and measure.

The modeling views are classified as:
  • Attribute Views
  • Analytic Views
  • Calculation Views

At run-time these views make implicit use of optimized SAP HANA In-Memory calculation engines and thus enable for best performance.

HANA Data Modeling is only possible for Column Tables i.e. Information Modeler only works with column storage tables.


SAP HANA Studio Model Editor:

SAP HANA Studio provides a graphical model editor for creating modeling views.

The model editor is standardized across different SAP HANA view types.
The model editor is made of different panels such as Scenario, Semantics, Logical Foundation and Data Foundation.

Scenario: It provides the overview of the modeling view.

Semantic: It provides better summary of output structure of the model and editor view of output objects. It also provides general view properties.

Logical Foundation and Data Foundation are specific to Attribute- and Analytic Views.

Calculation-Views are modeled in the scenario panel based on a palette of node-objects like join, union, etc. to compose a custom data flow.

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