Getting started with SAP BTP

[kiranmaiJ]

This end-to-end tutorial helps you set up your SAP BTP Trial and build a full-stack application using:

• SAP CAP (Cloud Application Programming Model)

• SAP HANA Cloud
• SAP Business Application Studio (BAS)
• SAP Fiori Elements
• Cloud Foundry Deployment
• Approuter + XSUAA Authentication

This guide is ideal for students, beginners, and consultants who want to understand how real full-stack applications are built on SAP BTP.

Creating a SAP BTP Trial Account

Access SAP BTP Cockpit

Go to: https://account.hana.ondemand.com/

Click Create Account → This creates:

• A Global Account

• A Default Subaccount
• Access to BTP Cockpit services like BAS, HANA Cloud, etc.

Understanding Global Account, Directories & Subaccounts

Global Account:

This is the root-level account that contains all subaccounts, users, quotas, and entitlements.

Directories

Directories help organize subaccounts logically such as:

• Development

• Testing
• Production

How to create:
Account Explorer → Create → Directory

Subaccount

A Subaccount is where the actual development happens. We can:

• Enable services

• Deploy applications
• Create destinations
• Manage entitlements
• Select region + environment

Steps:
Account Explorer → Create → Subaccount

Entitlements:

Entitlements are your service quotas — they define which services your subaccount can use (e.g., HANA Cloud, XSUAA, Destinations).

You can always allocate or modify entitlements for each subaccount.

Boosters — Automated Guided Configuration

Boosters help you set up complex scenarios with just a few clicks, such as:

• SAP HANA Cloud

• SAP Build Apps
• SAP Build Process Automation
• CAP + Fiori Full-stack setup

Navigate to:
Boosters → Start

Cloud Foundry: Spaces & Instances

Space

A space is a workspace inside Cloud Foundry used for:

• Deploying apps

• Managing services

 Instance

An instance is a running version of a service like:

• Destination

• XSUAA
• HANA Cloud
• HTML5 Apps Repository

Setting Up SAP HANA Cloud

Go to:
Subaccount → Services → Instances & Subscriptions
Select SAP HANA Cloud

If you face a permission error → assign the user:

In the left-hand panel, go to Security > Users

 SAP HANA Cloud Administrator role collection
Subaccount Admin

Mapping HANA Instance to Cloud Foundry

Mapping allows CAP HDI containers to deploy artifacts to HANA Cloud.

Instance → Actions → Manage Configuration
Click Sign in to Cloud Foundry → Add Mapping → Review → Save

Setting Up SAP Business Application Studio (BAS)

Create a Dev Space

Open BAS → Create Dev Space:

Full-Stack Cloud Application

Enable:

• Workflow module
• SAP HANA Tools
• SAP HANA Performance Tools

Open the Dev Space once it turns RUNNING.

Building a CAP Project

Project Steps:

• Open the workspace

• Update mta.yaml file → Change database path ‘gen/db’ to ‘db’
• Update package.json →Replace existing CDS code -

"cds": {
    "build": {
      "tasks": [
        {
          "for": "hana",
          "dest": "../db"
        },
        {
          "for": "node-cf"
        }
      ]
    },
    "requires": {
      "db": {
        "kind": "hana-cloud"
      }
    }

• Install dependencies:

npm install

• To get Additional files in db folder

npm install -g hana-cli
hana-cli createModule

Add CDS files - Right click on db folder - 

• /db/e_learning.cds

namespace app.e_learning;
using { Language, managed } from '@sap/cds/common';

type string50 : String(50);

entity Categories {
    key id          : UUID;
    name            : string50;
    description     : String(100);
    Courses         : Association to many Courses on Courses.category=$self;
}

entity Courses : managed {
    key course_id   : UUID;
    course_name     : string50;
    price           : String(100);
    Language        : Language;
    category        : Association to Categories;
}

• /srv/eLearning_srv.cds 

using app.e_learning from '../db/e_learning';

service eLearning {
  entity Categories as projection on e_learning.Categories;
  entity Courses as projection on e_learning.Courses;
}

Build Project

cds build

Deploying to SAP HANA Cloud

• Go to DB module → Deploy

• Open HDI container → load data

• Import using SAP HANA Database Explorer

Now, right click on table and click on Open Data

Running the App Locally

cds bind -2 e_Learning-db:SharedDevKey
npm install
cds watch --profile hybrid

Deployment to Cloud Foundry

mbt build

Deploy

cf deploy mta_archives/e_Learning_1.0.0.mtar

Adding Approuter + XSUAA for Authentication

Approuter

Provides a single entry point for your application and handles routing & authentication.

Create using BAS:
Right-click → Create MTA Module from Template → Approuter

XSUAA

Authentication is different from authorization

Authentication - Ensures the user is valid and can access the system.

Authorization - Checks the scopes/roles

Adds OAuth2.0-based authentication & authorization.

cds add xsuaa
npm install

This generates:

• xs-security.json
• Required scopes/roles

Generating a Fiori Application:

Using templates:
Right-click → Create MTA Module from Template → SAP Fiori App

Run: 

cds watch