Does CAP replace HANA XSA ?

[former_member295220]

Hi,

Cloud application programming model (CAP) allows you (among other things) to create hana db artifacts using CDS.

So, Does this replace HANA XS Advanced for developing hana native applications in the cloud ?

It seems that CAP is the model that SAP is fostering also for this hana developments in the cloud, So will hana xs advance be deprecated ? I guess HANA XSA is still an option for on-pre.

Can anyone advise, please ? Is there some kind of roadmap depicting the strategy for these developments.

Thank you !

[dvankempen]

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[dvankempen · Accepted solution]

===

UPDATE

This question inspired a blog post. It is a bit of a read but I hope it should make the evolution of models clear.

• https://blogs.sap.com/2020/11/25/a-field-guide-to-sap-hana-development-how-to-get-started-or-keep-on.../

====

Hi Pablo,

Community member since 2004! Impressive; Good to see you are attending SAP TechEd in 2020 this year.

Good question but as I read it, it seems you are mixing two concepts; a programming model with an application platform. The topic can be confusing as XSA is both a programming model and an application platform.

==

To start from bottom to top:

Is there some kind of roadmap depicting the strategy for these developments.

Yes, there is the SAP Road Map Explorer. There is one for products like SAP HANA, platform edition but also for concepts, like Development Efficiency

• https://roadmaps.sap.com/board?range=CURRENT-LAST&BA=901B0ED1A0641EDA9BBB3A75594100EE#Q4%202020

However, these resources do not directly address your question.

TechEd is also a good source information. Check the strategy talks and road map sessions, but also regular sessions and workshops are relevant (recordings will be made available after the event.

• Cloud-Native Development with SAP HANA [DAT160] | https://events.sapteched.com/widget/sap/sapteched2020/Catalog/session/1602555965285001RSkw
• SAP Cloud Application Programming Model Evolution – What’s New [DEV103] | https://events.sapteched.com/widget/sap/sapteched2020/Catalog/session/1602555751912001uqld

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It seems that CAP is the model that SAP is fostering also for this hana developments in the cloud, So will hana xs advance be deprecated ? I guess HANA XSA is still an option for on-pre.

SAP HANA XS Advanced (XSA) is an implementation of Cloud Foundry technology that adds an application platform to the SAP HANA in-memory database. XSA was introduced in 2015 (SPS 11) to replace (in the long run) the initial implementation based on SpiderMonkey, XS classic model or XSC.

XSC was deprecated in 2018 (3 years and 5 releases after the introduction of XSA) and is no longer available with SAP HANA Cloud (2020). However, it is still supported for the platform edition until 2025 (7 years after deprecation notice and 10 years after the introduction of XSA).

XSA and the mirroring Cloud Foundry Runtime of the SAP Cloud Platform are not deprecated. If you want to speculate and fantasise, we could image a future where all applications are hosted on Docker containers orchestrated by Kubernetes (and Gardener), i.e. on the SAP Cloud Platform Kyma runtime, and no longer on the Cloud Foundry platform. However, CF works very well together with Kubernetes, so this is not likely to happen any time soon. Another technology may have evolved by that time (late 2020s).

CAP and the release of the SAP Business Application Studio are related to two new strategic choices: cloud-first and multi-cloud. It is more generic. CAP supports both Kyma, CF, and complements the ABAP RESTful programming model (RAP)

• SAP Cloud Application Programming Model (CAP) | Learning Journey
• https://blogs.sap.com/2020/06/15/abap-platform-part-2-new-programming-models/

===

Cloud application programming model (CAP) allows you (among other things) to create hana db artifacts using CDS. So, Does this replace HANA XS Advanced for developing hana native applications in the cloud ?

As documented, SAP HANA Developer Guide for SAP HANA XS Advanced Model

the XS advanced programming model fully embraces the Cloud Foundry model and leverages its concepts and technologies. In areas where Cloud Foundry as an intentionally generic platform for distributed Web applications does not address relevant topics or offers choice, the XS advanced programming model provides guidance that is in line with the general Cloud programming model.

In other words, the XSA programming model adds technologies like HANA Deployment Infrastructure (HDI), the XSUAA service, the Application Router, SAP-developed buildpacks, XSJS compatibility-layer and other enhancements specific to SAP HANA (and SAP Cloud Platform).

This remains relevant as long as we have SAP HANA XS Advanced for the SAP HANA platform and the Cloud Foundry Runtime for the SAP Cloud Platform

[former_member295220 · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Thank you Denis ! I appreciate your detailed answer.

As I can see in the roadmap you kindly pointed to, there are planned innovations for developing native HANA application with business application studio. I'll watch for them as it was the current limited support for this kind of developments in business application studio, what initially drove me to raise the question.

I still see a tendency in recent SAP documentation, blogs or tutorials to somehow link hana native development with CAP model (even if CAP is more generic). This even seems to be the case for the teched session DAT160 which I'll try to attend:

>During this session, we discuss how to use the latest capabilities of SAP Cloud Application Programming Model and SAP Business Application Studio to perform state-of-the-art development with SAP HANA

I get same impression in this group of tutorials, for hana cloud native development, totally based on CAP;

https://developers.sap.com/group.hana-xsa-cap-get-started.html

So, I still have some doubts on the currently recommended approach, but I'll try to clarify following this sources.

Regards,

[dvankempen · Accepted solution]

Excellent idea, Pablo.

Thanks for bringing this up. The different programming models make for a good blog post. I'll add it to the to-do's!

===

UPDATE

This question inspired a blog post. It is a bit of a read but I hope it should make the evolution of models clear.

• https://blogs.sap.com/2020/11/25/a-field-guide-to-sap-hana-development-how-to-get-started-or-keep-on.../

====

[gregorw · Accepted solution]

Dear Denys,

do you have a pointer to anything official on help.sap.com or a SAP Note pointing out that XSA is deprecated? I can't find it in 2596466 - FAQ: SAP HANA XS advanced.

Best Regards
Gregor

[dvankempen · Accepted solution]

Hi Gregor,

What makes you state that XSA is deprecated?

[gregorw · Accepted solution]

Sorry for the Mixup. You've clearly mentioned XSC - XS Classic which is of course long deprecated.

[dvankempen]

Good question, Andrew

CAP started off as the Application Programming Model for SAP Cloud Platform-Cloud Foundry applications. The focus is on CF apps but is not specific to SAP HANA. Any development tool can be used to work with the model but SAP Business Application Studio provides built-in support. CAP was introduced in 2018, The GA release of BAS was in 2020. After CDS for HANA and CDS for ABAP, you could see this as CDS for SCP CF.

The focus of XS Advanced programming model is SAP HANA platform either with a local runtime (XSA) or cloud-based (SAP Cloud Platform, Cloud Foundry). Any tool can be used to work with the model but SAP Web IDE provides built-in support. XSA and Web IDE were introduced in 2015/16. Implements CDS for HANA.

The MTA concept (2017) is supported by both tools and both programming models.

Unlike previous SAP HANA DBaaS editions, SAP HANA Cloud does not include XS Classic nor the XSA runtime environment. From an architecture point of view this makes sense as the Cloud Platform already provides these runtime environments.

If your objective is to build cloud applications, using CAP is recommended. The model is well documented and there is an abundance of training material.

When you want to develop native applications for the SAP HANA platform (potentially but not necessarily to be deployed on the Cloud Foundry runtime of the SAP Cloud Platform as well), you could continue to work with the older XSA model.

Answers your question?

[andrew_wu]

Hi denys.kempen

Thanks for this explanation about the difference between XSA & CAP. I'm having a follow up question regarding the new SAP HANA Cloud environment, to work with HANA cloud, should you choose to use XSA programming model, or CAP? I just tried to deploy our MTA application to HANA cloud, but it appears HANA cloud doesn't even support XSA db artifacts (hdbcds)?

Regards
Andrew

[dvankempen]

Hi Andrew,

Your question inspired a blog post. It is a bit of a read but I hope it should make this clear.

• https://blogs.sap.com/2020/11/25/a-field-guide-to-sap-hana-development-how-to-get-started-or-keep-on...

====

to work with HANA cloud, should you choose to use XSA programming model, or CAP? 

In brief, both can be used but CAP would be a better candidate today when developing cloud applications in my view. CAP and the Business Application Studio (BAS) are more recent and align with both SAP's cloud-first as multi-cloud foundation strategy.

The XSA programming model extends Cloud Foundry programming to the SAP HANA platform and also supports SAP HANA development for the SAP Cloud Platform, Cloud Foundry environment. This goes back to 2015/16 to provide guidance to developers switching from XS Classic to XS Advanced.

[former_member295220]

Hi Florian,

Thanks for your answer.

If I'm getting you well, CAP is a programming model and you can run it on top of HANA XSA (not necessarily, as I understand you can run CAP in SCP-cloud foundry with any supported DB).

But, my question was more directed towards the programming model than to the technical platform;

HANA XSA has its own programming model and tools (https://help.sap.com/viewer/4505d0bdaf4948449b7f7379d24d0f0d/1.0.12/en-US/df19a03dc07e4ba19db4e0006c1da429.html) while CAP seems to be the current SAP promoted way for HANA development in the cloud, so effectively replacing previous HANA XSA based programming model. Am I wrong ?

In other words, What does SAP recommend today for HANA Cloud native developments ?

Regards,

[dvankempen]

UPDATE

This question inspired a blog post. It is a bit of a read but I hope it should make the evolution of models clear.

• https://blogs.sap.com/2020/11/25/a-field-guide-to-sap-hana-development-how-to-get-started-or-keep-on.../

====

Just provided a more elaborate response, but maybe it helps to see the programming models as they evolved over time.

The XSA programming model adapts the generic Cloud Foundry programming model to the SAP HANA platform. This goes back to 2015. The programming model also applies to the SAP Cloud Platform, Cloud Foundry Runtime as the same technology is used (e.g. App Router, HDI, XSUAA) although the integration with SAP HANA is optional (using SAP ID services as default IdP instead of the SAP HANA database, for example). This programming model remains relevant for both the SAP HANA and the SAP Cloud Platform.

CAP is more recent, conceptually related to the ABAP RESTful Programming Model (RAP) but more flexible regarding frameworks, libraries and tools. It is more generic, you could say, and very much at home in the new multi-cloud environment and not specifically targeted to the SAP HANA platform.

[pfefferf]

No, CAP does not replace HANA XSA, it runs on HANA XSA (e.g. in on-premise installations of HANA).