SAP BW4HANA vs SQL Server comparison

SAP BW4HANA is a data warehouse solution developed by SAP for businesses looking to analyze big data in real time. It is designed to run on the SAP HANA database, offering improved performance and optimized processing of large data sets. SAP BW/4HANA provides an array of advanced analytics capabilities, including predictive analytics, text analytics, and spatial data processing. It also offers a modern, intuitive user interface and streamlined data modeling and administration tools, making it easier for businesses to access, manage, and utilize their data.

SAP BW4HANA Features

SAP BW4HANA has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

• In-memory data processing: The solution runs on the SAP HANA database, providing fast and efficient data processing.

• Advanced analytics: SAP BW4HANA includes capabilities for predictive analytics, text analytics, and spatial data processing.

• Data modeling and administration: The solution provides streamlined data modeling and administration tools for efficient data management.

• Modern user interface: SAP BW4HAN is designed with a modern, intuitive user interface for easier data access and analysis.

• Data warehousing optimization: The solution is optimized for big data warehousing, offering improved performance and scalability.

• Integration with SAP ecosystem: SAP BW4HAN integrates with the SAP ecosystem, including SAP S/4HANA and SAP Cloud Platform, for seamless data exchange.

• Real-time data processing: It supports real-time data processing and analysis, enabling businesses to make data-driven decisions.

• Data governance and security: With its robust data governance and security features, SAP BW4HAN can be used for secure data management and compliance.

• Automated data loading: SAP BW4HAN supports automated data loading from various sources, including SAP and non-SAP systems.

• Advanced data visualization: With its advanced data visualization capabilities, users can generate better data insights and make more informed business decisions.

SAP BW4HANA Benefits

There are many benefits to implementing SAP BW4HANA. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

• Improved data processing speed: Running on the SAP HANA database, SAP BW/4HANA provides fast and efficient data processing, resulting in improved performance and reduced downtime.

• Streamlined data management: The solution's streamlined data modeling and administration tools make it easier for organizations to manage their data, improving overall efficiency and reducing the risk of errors.

• Improved data governance: SAP BW/4HANA includes robust data governance and security features, helping organizations meet regulatory requirements and protect sensitive data.

• Cost savings: By optimizing data warehousing processes, SAP BW/4HANA helps organizations reduce costs and improve their bottom line.

Reviews from Real Users

SAP BW4HANA is a solution that stands out when compared to many of its competitors. Some of its major advantages are its hierarchical alert slicing, real-time insights, and its ability to transform large amounts of data.

PeerSpot reviewer, Srivatsav A., SAP BW/4HANA Specialist at a government, is very happy with the solution. He explains, "You can do hierarchical alert slicing and dicing out-of-box, which is not available in other solutions. I haven't come across that in Oracle or any other software provider."

“It has got wonderful features in terms of analyzing your production data, and it gives you real-time insight into productive maintenance. You can plan your budget, and you can map them against actuals. It gives you good insights on overall performance and processes,” says Amrit J., ERP Application Manager at an energy/utilities company.

In addition, a Technology Analyst at a tech services company mentions, "The most valuable feature is that we can transform a huge amount of data and apply business logic as per the requirements."

SQL Server is a relational database management system (RDBMS) by Microsoft. The product's main purposes are to store data and retrieve it as requested by other software applications - on the same computer or on another computer across a shared network. The solution is built on top of Structured Query Language (SQL), which is a standardized programming language used for relational database management.

The product is tied to Transact-SQL (T-SQL), which is an implementation of SQL from Microsoft that adds several proprietary programming extensions to the standard language. SQL Server is built similarly to other RDBMS products, as its structure is a row-based table that connects related data elements in different tables to one another. One of its most important components is the SQL Server Database Engine, as it controls data processing, storage, and security. Beneath the Database Engine is the SQL Server Operating System, which is used for memory and I/O management, locking data to avoid unneeded upgrades, and job scheduling.

The solution has four editions with different sets of services and tools. They include:

• SQL Server Developer
• SQL Server Expression
• SQL Server Standard 
• SQL Server Enterprise

The first two are available for free and are typically utilized by smaller companies, as they work with fewer functions and storage. The second two editions are generally used by bigger organizations and enterprises and offer more features.

The solution has several functions through which users can facilitate different data-related processes. These include:

• Aggregate functions: These functions are used to calculate one or more values and return a single value.
  
  
• Window functions: Window functions calculate an aggregate value based on a group of rows and return multiple rows for each involved group.
  
  
• Date functions: These functions allow clients to handle data and time data efficiently.
  
  
• String functions: Through the string functions, SQL Server processes an input string and returns a string or numeric value.
  
  
• System functions: The system functions of the product return objects, values, and settings.

SQL Server Services

SQL Server has a wide range of add-on services that provide additional benefits beyond database management. These services include:

• Machine learning: SQL Server machine learning services allow users to do machine learning and data analytics within the product.
   
• Service broker: This feature is a part of the database engine and offers messaging and message queuing for applications on the platform.
  
  
• Replication: This feature consists of transaction replication, merge replication, and snapshot replication. 
  
  
• Analysis: SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) adds online analytical processing (OLAP) and data mining capabilities to SQL Server databases.
  
  
• Reporting: This feature supports the development of custom reporting applications.
  
  
• Notifications: This feature generates data-driven notifications which are sent to subscribers of Notification Services.
  
  
• Integration: This SQL Server feature provides capabilities for data integration, data import, and data warehousing.
  
  
• Full-text search: Through this feature, users can utilize specialized indexing and query for unstructured text stored in the solution.
  
  
• Visual studio: This feature supports data programming with SQL Server.
  
  
• Azure Data Studio: This is a cross-platform query editor that can be downloaded and used alongside SQL Server.

SQL Server Benefits

The solution has many benefits for users. These include the following:

• The platform ensures a consistent experience across other platforms while being fast and agile.
  
  
• Through the built-in intelligence features, users can understand their data better.
  
  
• The solution has enterprise-level security, which ensures the smooth and safe performance of users' data.
  
  
• SQL Server offers the ability to retrieve large amounts of data quickly and efficiently.
  
  
• The product installation process is fairly easy, and it offers a user-friendly interface.
  
  
• SQL Server offers improved data storage and retrieval functions through frequent upgrades.
  
  
• The solution reduces the risk of database server attacks, since it is not an open-source database.

Reviews from Real Users

A president at a consultancy evaluates SQL Server as a veteran solution with critical log shipping feature. 

Harkamal S., a user at a manufacturing company, rates SQL Server with a high mark because it is a stable, scalable, and easy-to-deploy solution that pretty much covers everything.