what is presentation layer in sap

Presentation layer

A software layer of the AS ABAP that functions as the user interface of the system. The presentation layer is usually distributed across several presentation servers . The presentation layer analyzes user actions and transfers these to the application layer .

Discussing the SAP Three-Tier Client Server Architecture

After completing this lesson, you will be able to describe SAP’s three-tiered client/server architecture and supported platforms.

Three-tier Client/Server Architecture

Introduction.

In the previous lesson, you learned about SAP's long history of developing ERP software solutions, culminating with the most current release of its flagship product SAP S/4HANA.

In this lesson, you will explore the system architecture that supports SAP S/4HANA and define an SAP system.

SAP's Three-tiered Architecture

Most SAP applications run in a three-tiered client/server environment. Instead of using a single execution process, the application consists of multiple processes, running across multiple computers (hosts). These processes cooperate across a network to perform the necessary processing for the application.

Each tier has its own function to perform, and typically runs on separate hosts. This architecture provides multiple benefits, including flexibility, high performance, extensibility, and ease of development.

Diagram that provides an outline of Three-tier Client/Server Architecture

When SAP moved from Business Suite, its old ERP solution to SAP S/4HANA, it kept the three-tiered architecture. However, many components of that architecture continue to evolve.

SAP systems support a wide variety of hardware vendors and configurations. The hardware that a specific system will run on depends on the particular customer situation. The customer has a choice of the following:

Cloud or on-premise systems
Numerous hardware vendors
Different machine types and capacities
Various supported operating systems

Components of Three-tiered Architecture for SAP S/4HANA

SAP's three-tiered architecture for SAP S/4HANA consists of the following:

The database (data storage) layer
The application layer
The presentation layer

Watch the following video to learn more about the system architecture for SAP ABAP applications like S/4HANA.

The Database, Application, and Presentation Layers

The following image highlights the database layer in red, showing its place in the three-tier client/server architecture.

The database layer is highlighted in red, showing its place in the three-tier architecture

The Database Layer provides data storage and additional application functionality. Data is stored in a series of tables in a relational database.

When you install an SAP application, the installation program will create all tables, indexes, views, and so on, used by the application. SAP applications use SQL to access the data.

Additionally, the database engine provides additional analytic and application processing capability. This processing is utilized for data-intensive operations.

Historically, SAP supported a variety of relational databases, but currently, all future development is focused on SAP HANA.

For example, SAP Business Suite supported several database management systems, including SAP HANA, SAP ASE, Oracle, MS SQL Server, and IBM DB2. However, to do this, it used ANSI SQL, which limited the ability of SAP ABAP to take advantage of many database-specific features. Thus, Business Suite used the database only for data storage.

SAP S/4HANA runs only on SAP HANA. It uses SQLScript, SAP S/4HANA's proprietary dialect of SQL, to access the database. This enables SAP S/4HANA to use the complete set of HANA features, functions, and engines.

The database layer runs on one or more server hosts. These hosts tend to be larger and have more resources than the application layer hosts. While the application layer and the database layer can run on the same hosts, this is typically only done for smaller customers. For larger systems, it is more effective and lower cost to run the two layers on separate hosts.

The Application Layer

The following image highlights the application layer in red, showing its place in the three-tier client/server architecture.

In SAP S/4HANA, the application layer is delivered by ABAP platform. ABAP platform is SAP's technical platform, which is used for developing and running business applications in the SAP environment. ABAP, short for Advanced Business Application Programming, is a proprietary programming language developed by SAP and used to develop SAP applications.

SAP delivers applications using a component model, grouping related programs and objects together along functional lines. As a result, the application logic on this tier is typically focused on routine functional processing, interaction with the presentation layer, interaction with the database layer, and security. Application components are typically deployed on multiple application server instances, which allow for easy scaling of the application.

We will discuss the SAP instance in more detail in a later lesson.

Over time, the capabilities of the application layer have evolved as technology and functional requirements have evolved. While ABAP has been the primary platform for developing SAP applications, the advent of the Internet necessitated new innovations in programming in order to leverage the World Wide Web. In response to this need, SAP introduced WebDynpro.

SAP WebDynpro is a user interface technology developed by SAP for building business web applications in the ABAP and Java programming languages. It allows developers to create web-based applications with a rich and interactive user interface and integrates seamlessly with SAP systems and data. It is widely used for developing custom web applications within the SAP environment.

Today, mobility is critical for many businesses. With SAP S/4HANA, SAP introduced SAP Fiori and incorporated OData Services for development of new SAP applications. SAP OData (Open Data Protocol) is a standardized protocol for building and consuming certain APIs. SAP applications use OData to enable integration and communication between different systems and services.

OData provides a uniform way to expose and interact with data through HTTP-based services, making it easier to create, consume, and manage data-driven applications. With SAP Fiori, SAP was able to standardize the user experience and make SAP functionality seamless across any device, laptop, tablet, and desktop.

ABAP platform, along with the application components, may be deployed on multiple hosts. Each host provides the requisite hardware resources (CPU, memory, connectivity, and so on) to support one or more instances of the application server logic. The number of hosts that can be supported is practically unlimited, and a large number of hosts can reduce the cost of providing signification amounts of CPU, memory, and other hardware resources. Currently, SAP supports on-premise, cloud, and hybrid deployments of SAP S/4HANA.

The Presentation Layer

The following image highlights the presentation layer in red, showing its place in the three-tier client/server architecture.

The presentation layer provides the user interface (the front-end client) that is accessed by the end-user. The presentation layer is typically represented by a thin-client, in that the client contains no application logic or data storage capability. It simply facilitates accessing the application functionality at the application layer.

SAP supports several user interfaces, including SAP GUI, SAP Business Client, and SAP Fiori. Depending upon the interface, the front-end may run on one or more end-user platforms such as a laptop, desktop, tablet, or mobile phone.

Prior to SAP S/4HANA, the primary front-end client consisted of a desktop application called the SAP GUI. SAP GUI is the universal client for performing application functions, administration, monitoring, and development in an SAP ABAP application. The SAP GUI renders dynpro screens that have been developed for ABAP programs.

There are multiple flavors of the SAP GUI:

Windows - a desktop component designed for the Windows operating system
Java - a desktop component that supports multiple operating systems
HTML - a web browser component that supports any HTML5-compatible web browser

To support SAP applications developed using SAP WebDynpro, such as SAP GRC Access Control, SAP delivers the SAP Business Client. The SAP Business Client is an application capable of rendering browser-based screens using HTML.

Additionally, the Business Client can also render standard SAP GUI dynpro based screens within a web browser through the SAP GUI for HTML. For the first time, end users using the SAP Business Client could have a single point of entry for different SAP business applications.

With the release of SAP S/4HANA, SAP introduced SAP Fiori, a new tile-based user interface utilizing HTML5 and running on a web browser. SAP Fiori is now the primary presentation layer interface designed to provide a role-based, adaptive, and coherent user experience for SAP Applications. Similar to the SAP Business Client, the SAP Fiori Launchpad has the capability to render screens created using different tools.

New applications developed for S/4HANA are created and designed as native SAP Fiori applications and cannot be accessed through the SAP GUI or SAP Business Client. However, standard ABAP application and WebDynpro application screens can be rendered by the Fiori Launchpad, which gives SAP users a single point of entry for all SAP applications.

Each of these user interfaces will be discussed in more detail in a later lesson.

The client typically runs on an individual machine, specific to the end user. This may be anything from a desktop computer to a tablet to a hand-held device. A variety of operating systems are supported, such as Windows, UNIX, or MacOS.

If the presentation layer is running on a supported web browser, then almost any hardware and operating system combination is available.

You are now able to describe SAP's three-tiered client/server architecture.

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Understanding the Key Components of the SAP Architecture

Home > Insights > Understanding the Key Components of the SAP Architecture

SAP has established itself as a leading provider of enterprise software solutions, empowering organizations to streamline processes, enhance productivity, and gain invaluable insights for strategic decision-making.

SAP Architecture offers a robust framework designed to support enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, consisting of multiple layers, including the presentation, application, and database layers. This architecture enables seamless integration, scalability, and real-time data processing, facilitating efficient business operations and decision-making.

This article will discuss all the components and capabilities of SAP system architecture and where our team of SAP consultants can come in to help manage work processes and optimize your overall investment. Read on to learn more!

What is SAP Architecture?

SAP Architecture refers to the set of principles, trends, patterns, and best practices that comprise and outline the internal architecture of a company’s SAP landscape. As a software-as-a-service solution, SAP runs in the cloud, which makes it easier for users to access their company’s database system.

With a well-defined SAP Architecture, companies can build a more reliable foundation for their core server processes and leverage an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) to run and manage more efficient business processes across the entire organization.

Core SAP System Strategy

SAP Business Suite: Includes comprehensive SAP ERP system and CRM, SCM, SRM, and PLM applications, offers a complete functional set of undefined processes, and is deployed on-premise
SAP Business by Design: Includes a functional set of predefined processes and is hosted on defined client-server architecture
SAP All-in-One: Includes the same software as the SAP Business Suite, offers predefined standard processes, and is deployed in on-premise architecture
SAP Business One: Includes different software that offers only the most basic functions, targets small businesses and is deployed in a hosted environment

How Does the SAP Process Work?

The SAP Logon process is the first step of the SAP authorization process, which involves entering the assigned SAP identification number, providing a password, and confirming access through a personalized confirmation message.

Once a user receives a confirmation message, they can access the main menu in their SAP system and navigate through different business-critical activities, like performing transactions or signing contracts.

These activities can be divided into two different categories that determine their level of priority:

Critical work process: High-priority processes that need to be executed immediately and can be assigned to specific users depending on user requests and availability.
Reading work process: A work process that involves “reading” the data or retrieving data from the database to get a response when there is no data in the buffer.
Kill work process: A work process that involves removing existing data in the buffer to increase the performance of the technical architecture.

What is 3 Tier Architecture in SAP?

SAP’s three-tier architecture provides a stronger foundation for data management and communication across teams and a more intuitive space for users to complete tasks. Here are the three layers of the SAP Architecture, each operating on its own with pre-built connections to the other layers.

1) Presentation Layer

The presentation layer is responsible for providing the graphical interface for users and configuring the system to ensure users can access the data they need to complete tasks and promote a stronger user experience. With this layer, users enter data on the screen, and the system will process and show the data to the user, facilitating more efficient data exchange processes across their SAP landscape.

This layer does not have any knowledge of the underlying data stores in the database layer and exists to help users easily access data from SAP systems and external systems.

2) Application Layer

The application layer is responsible for receiving and parsing other user’s data before it can be used across any part of the organization, providing data in the correct format to the right SAP application, and ensuring the data is secure before sending it to the next layer of the architecture.

This layer of the architecture is a critical component, simplifying the creation and management of work processes across the entire SAP environment. It enables users to create and leverage their own work processes, automatically generate records for the process, and ensure they have access to the data they need within their specific area of the database or SAP architecture as a whole.

3) Database Layer

The database layer is responsible for managing and storing all the data across a company’s SAP environment, making it easier for users to keep business rules, processes, and data in the same place for improved process efficiency across teams. This layer exists between the application server layer and the presentation layer.

With this layer, users are able to build a more solid foundation for their data management processes and facilitate more efficient data storage and processing functions across the SAP landscape.

Understanding the Design of SAP NetWeaver Application Server

The SAP NetWeaver Application Server acts as the central foundation for the entire SAP software stack, providing robust technical components and fully supported applications. Let’s take a closer look at the core components of the SAP NetWeaver architecture:

The Application Server Java (AS JAVA) provides a Java EE 1.6-compliant environment that allows users to develop, deploy, and run Java EE programs more efficiently across teams. The Java runtime environment is designed and optimized to run business-critical applications, including the simplification of server process infrastructure and central cache and session management. The AS Java architecture is comprised of:

A S Java Cluster Architecture: Involves the building units of each application server, including all the components that allow user requests to be processed accurately and efficiently.
SAP JVM: Involves the implementation of the Java Virtual Machine, the runtime platform of AS Java.
AS Java System Architecture: Involves the logical layers of the AS Java system components and the relationships between them.
Zero Administration: Involves a dynamic configuration environment that simplifies technical configuration tasks within AS Java.

The Application Server ABAP (AS ABAP) provides the technology configurations and infrastructure needed to run ABAP applications. It includes the message server that represents the application layer of SAP’s multi-tier architecture, making it easier to execute ABAP applications and communicate with other components across the landscape. AS ABAP is made up of a few core components, including:

Work processes: Facilitates the execution of ABAP work processes and applications and links each application to a memory area that contains the context of each one.
Gateway: Acts as the interface for communication protocols of the SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP system and initiates communication between other ABAP application servers, SAP systems, and non-SAP systems.
Dispatcher queue: Provides a link between work processes and the users logged in to the ABAP application server, receives requests for dialog steps from SAP GUI, and directs screen output to the appropriate users.
Shared memory: Offers a common main memory area to save concepts for work processes or buffer data in the local environment.

SAP NetWeaver can act as both a web server and a web client, making it easier for customers to send, manage, and process HTTP requests across their entire SAP landscape.

As a web server, SAP NetWeaver can accept HTTP requests from any web client, process each request, and send a response to the client. As a web client, it allows users to create HTTP requests in an application program, send requests to a web server, and send responses to clients to proceed as advised.

How Can We Help?

From helping customers begin their journey with SAP for the first time to handling complex integrations between SAP and non-SAP systems, facilitating the installation of Java components through the SAP Software Deployment Manager, navigating central services to manage locks and messages, or anything else SAP-related, Surety Systems is here to help.

Our team of senior-level, US-based SAP consultants has the skills and experience needed to handle all your SAP project needs, regardless of how complex your organizational structure is or where the state of your SAP HANA architecture lies.

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