SAP BTP Architecture Reference
Platform Overview
SAP BTP provides a three-tier architecture:
- Presentation Layer: SAP Fiori/SAPUI5 frontends
- Logic Layer: CAP (Node.js/Java) or ABAP Cloud
- Persistence Layer: SAP HANA Cloud
Data Protocols:
- OData (transactional data)
- InA (analytical data)
Core Services Catalog
Persistence & Data
| Service |
Purpose |
Details |
| SAP HANA Cloud |
Database-as-a-Service |
Relational, document, geospatial, vector data |
| HANA Data Lake Files |
Object storage |
Large-scale data storage |
| SAP Datasphere |
Cross-application analytics |
Data federation and warehousing |
HANA Cloud Optimization Features:
| Feature |
Description |
Free/Trial |
Paid |
| Native Storage Extension (NSE) |
Store infrequently accessed data on disk |
No |
Yes |
| Elastic Compute Nodes (ECN) |
On-demand scaling for peak workloads |
No |
Yes |
| Table Partitioning |
Enhanced query performance |
Limited |
Yes |
| Native Multi-Tenancy |
Up to 1,000 isolated tenants per instance |
No |
Yes |
| Free Tier |
16GB memory at no cost |
Yes (16GB) |
N/A |
Integration Services
| Service |
Purpose |
Supported Scenarios |
| SAP Event Mesh |
Event distribution |
Cross-application eventing |
| SAP Integration Suite |
API Management, Cloud Integration |
B2B, A2A, API publishing |
| SAP Master Data Integration |
Central data hub |
SAP One Domain Model |
| Cloud Integration Automation |
Guided workflows |
Automated integration setup |
Identity & Security
| Service |
CAP |
ABAP |
| SAP Authentication and Trust Management |
Yes |
Yes |
| Identity Authentication |
Yes (SSO, on-prem) |
Yes (SSO, on-prem) |
| SAP Credential Store |
Yes (secrets via REST) |
Communication Management |
| SAP Audit Log Service |
Yes |
Security audit logging |
| Identity Provisioning |
Yes |
Yes (business user provisioning) |
Workflow & Automation
| Service |
Purpose |
| SAP Task Center |
Unified inbox across applications |
| SAP Build Process Automation |
Workflow, RPA, decision management |
| SAP Job Scheduling Service |
REST APIs, recurring schedules (CAP) |
| Application Jobs |
Integrated scheduling (ABAP) |
Observability
| Service |
Purpose |
| SAP Cloud ALM |
Central monitoring (RUM, health, integration) |
| SAP Cloud Logging |
Logs, metrics, traces (OpenSearch-based) |
| SAP Alert Notification |
Event subscriptions, multi-channel delivery |
| Technical Monitoring Cockpit |
ABAP on-stack analysis |
Extensibility Services
| Service |
Purpose |
| SAP S/4HANA Cloud Extensibility |
Side-by-side extensions |
| SAP SuccessFactors Extensibility |
HR solution extensions |
| SAP Build Work Zone |
Business sites, central entry point |
Client Libraries
CAP (Non-ABAP)
- SAP Cloud SDK: OData/OpenAPI clients, Destination, Connectivity services
- Languages: Java (Spring Boot), JavaScript, TypeScript (Node.js)
- Guaranteed Node.js/Java version compatibility
ABAP
- Service Consumption Model: Generates local APIs for OData, SOAP, RFC
- Communication Management: System integration with credentials
- Native RAP event support
User Interface Options
Web Development
| Approach |
Description |
Use When |
| SAP Fiori Elements |
Predefined templates (List Report, Object Page) |
Standard business apps |
| Flexible Programming Model |
Fiori Elements + custom extensions |
Selective customization |
| Freestyle SAPUI5 |
Full UI control |
Highly custom interfaces |
Mobile Development
| SDK |
Platform |
| SAP Mobile Development Kit |
Cross-platform |
| SAP BTP SDK for Android |
Android native |
| SAP BTP SDK for iOS |
iOS native |
Features: Offline sync, push notifications, mobile security
Central Access Points
| Application Type |
Entry Point |
| CAP Applications |
SAP Build Work Zone, HTML5 Repository |
| ABAP Applications |
SAP Fiori Launchpad for BTP ABAP Environment |
Analytics Capabilities
CAP
- SAP Analytics Cloud (embedded dashboards)
- SAP Datasphere (cross-application analytics)
ABAP
- SAP Analytics Cloud on InA-enabled CDS models
- Dragonfly-based multidimensional reporting
- SAP Datasphere via ABAP SQL Service
System Landscape Management
Unified Customer Landscape
- Auto-discovery of associated systems
- Manual system registration
- Support for S/4HANA, Ariba, SuccessFactors, third-party
ABAP-Specific
- Landscape Portal for system hibernation
- Pre-upgrade nomination for quarterly releases
Low-Code/No-Code Options
SAP Build Suite:
- SAP Build Apps (enterprise applications)
- SAP Build Process Automation (workflow, RPA)
- SAP Build Work Zone (business sites)
- Prebuilt connectors for SAP and third-party
Infrastructure Automation
| Tool |
Purpose |
| Terraform Provider for SAP BTP |
Resource provisioning automation |
| SAP Automation Pilot |
Operational task automation, database lifecycle |
Key Design Principles
- API-First: Follow SAP Business Accelerator Hub guidelines
- Compliance: Accessibility, theming for all UI components
- Observability: Central unified operations experience
- Consistency: Unified solution experience across customer base
- Enterprise Standards: Prefer SAP BTP services over custom solutions
Source Documentation
