Episode 2: Administration BTP compared with S/4HANA

Summary

In this episode, the speaker compares S/4 HANA and SAP Cloud Platform (SCP) BTP, highlighting the similarities and tools shared by both platforms. The discussion covers aspects for developers, administrators, and security teams, such as development environments (Eclipse for S/4 HANA and Business Application Studio for BTP), certificate management, destinations, roles, and transport management. The comparison emphasizes how familiar skill sets for developers and administrators are required for both platforms, ensuring a smooth transition to the cloud while retaining key capabilities from S/4 HANA in BTP.

Takeaways

• 😀 Developers in SAP S/4HANA use Eclipse for ABAP reports, while in SAP BTP, Business Application Studio and AI-powered Build Tools assist in developing applications.
• 😀 Both SAP S/4HANA and SAP BTP offer administrative tools like trust configuration and certificate management for seamless system management.
• 😀 In SAP BTP, trust connections and certificate management for destinations mirror the functionality of Strust in SAP S/4HANA.
• 😀 SAP BTP allows you to maintain destinations for on-premise and third-party cloud solutions, similar to how destinations are managed in SAP S/4HANA with SM59.
• 😀 Role and authorization management in SAP BTP is comparable to the PFCG role maintenance in SAP S/4HANA, ensuring consistent access control for users and developers.
• 😀 SAP BTP and S/4HANA both manage user accounts, with SAP BTP using Role Collections and SAP S/4HANA using SU01 for user management.
• 😀 SAP BTP offers transport management services that allow cross-sub-account transport of configurations, roles, and applications, much like STMS in SAP S/4HANA.
• 😀 In both SAP S/4HANA and BTP, tools like ALM (Application Lifecycle Management) and transport management are available for managing the lifecycle of applications and configurations.
• 😀 While many tools are migrating to the cloud in SAP BTP, the skills and tools needed for system administration and development remain the same as in S/4HANA.
• 😀 Despite the transition to the cloud, SAP BTP retains the same foundational requirements for developers, administrators, and security teams, as in SAP S/4HANA.

Q & A

What is the main comparison being made in this script?

The script compares SAP S/4HANA with SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP), focusing on the similarities in development, administration, authorization, and transport management systems.

What tools are mentioned for developing applications in SAP S/4HANA and BTP?

In SAP S/4HANA, Eclipse is used for developing ABAP reports, while in BTP, Business Application Studio is the main tool for building applications, including Fiori apps. Additionally, BTP offers Build Code, an AI assistant that helps developers create applications more smoothly.

How does administration differ between SAP S/4HANA and BTP?

In SAP S/4HANA, administrators use the Trust Management transaction (STRUST) for maintaining certificates and managing system configurations. In BTP, similar tasks are handled via Trust Connection configurations, managing certificates for destinations and other system settings.

What is the equivalent of the SAP Trust (STRUST) transaction in BTP?

In BTP, the equivalent to SAP Trust (STRUST) is the Trust Connection configuration, which manages the trust between systems and identity providers, similar to how certificates are managed in S/4HANA.

What are destinations, and how are they handled in SAP S/4HANA versus BTP?

Destinations in SAP S/4HANA are managed in SM59 and are used for configuring connections to on-premise or external systems. In BTP, destinations are similarly managed, and there are additional tools for handling certificates and managing destination configurations in a cloud-based environment.

What role do roles and authorizations play in SAP S/4HANA and BTP?

Roles and authorizations are central in both SAP S/4HANA and BTP for managing user access. In SAP S/4HANA, roles are managed in PFCG and users in SU01, while in BTP, the equivalent role collections are used to manage access for end users, developers, and administrators.

How is transport management handled differently in SAP S/4HANA and BTP?

In SAP S/4HANA, transport management is handled using the Transport Management System (STMS) and tools like the Service Content Agent. In BTP, transports are handled via a Transport Management Service for moving destinations, role collections, and applications between sub-accounts in the cloud environment.

What is the equivalent of the Solution Manager (ChaRM) in SAP S/4HANA for transport management in BTP?

In BTP, the equivalent of Solution Manager for transport management is ALM (Application Lifecycle Management). ALM in BTP integrates with transport management services to manage changes and deployments across sub-accounts.

What is the role of Work Zone in BTP?

Work Zone in BTP is a platform similar to the Fiori Launchpad in SAP S/4HANA. It acts as a central hub for users to access and interact with Fiori applications and other cloud services, streamlining user workflows.

What are some key similarities between the skills required for SAP S/4HANA and BTP?

Both SAP S/4HANA and BTP require similar skill sets for administrators, developers, and architects, such as managing security, handling authorizations, configuring systems, and developing applications. The core competencies needed are largely the same, despite the shift to cloud environments.