SLT Replication vs SDI Smart Data Intergration

[Former Member]

Hi,

Recently with HANA SPS9 we have now another option to replicate tables into HANA systems which is the SDI (Smart Data Integration) residing
and running on the HANA systems.

I already heard some people asking if the SLT replication will no longer be required, if we can move/migrate all our replication tables using SLT and BODS into the SDI option, etc.

I’ve been working with SLT for real time replication since its beginning and I just now I have the feeling that SLT as replication tool is getting to a mature point, meaning it’s more solid now as replication solution tool, offering more options and functionalities  to deal with real time replication tables, and having less and less bugs.

I’ve been reading about the SDI option for replication, which looks very promising. I guess its strongest sales pitch is that avoids having a BODS or SLT system, meaning, less systems to build in my infrastructure, lower cost. Aside SDI runs on SAP HANA which always has plenty of CPU and RAM.

Now, what is not clear to me is if SDI can really handle really big tables, constantly changing, real time replication? The documents I’ve read I don’t see where I can set the table partition for the replication, performance and initial load options that we have in SLT LTRS rules. Does anybody know where I can use such options on SDI when replicating new big tables?  The examples in the documentation and videos are always using tiny tables that does not reflect the majority of customers that use SAP HANA, where the tables, or main ones that are replicated,  are usually massive tables.

SLT Replication vs SDI Smart Data Integration? For real time replication of lot of tables, really big tables, with rules, extra fields. What is the best option? 

Can at this point  SDI take over all the current replication running on SLT and BODS systems?

Thanks

Rod Cardenas

[werner_daehn]

Personally I would differentiate between "Adapter" and "Framework".

Adapters we have:

• Trigger based ECC Adapter (SLT like Technology)
• Log Based ECC Adapter (Replication Server like Technology)

Frameworks we have:

• Hana based SDI with monitoring, administration, UI,... all Hana based
• ABAP based SLT with monitoring, administration, UI,... all ABAP based

Now you can mix and match:

• Log based ECC adapter + SDI --> what we would call the SDI solution
• Trigger based ECC adapter + SLT --> what we would call the SLT solution
• Trigger based ECC adapter + SDI --> That would be the SLT system as source adapter and SDI as the Framework

With that you get the advantages of everything.

You are ABAP savvy? Use SLT.

You want Hana based solution, realtime transformations etc? Use SDI as framework and any adapter of choice as source.

You want to start with SLT and then take advantage of SDI? No problem.

PS: Please note that SDI does not have an official adapter to the SLT system yet. Prototype exists, rollout of that adapter is not decided yet as far as I know. If you want that adapter, please send us a notice.

[Former Member]

This message was moderated.

[former_member736171]

Please share the Trigger based ECC Adapter which can be used with SDI Framework as a SAP HANA based solution.

[Former Member]

Hi,

SLT have become a useful & tested tool. But improvement as per current & constantly demanding / changing new requirments the HANA SDI is looking like long term player.

Hana SDI is the framework to receive realtime changes, transform the data on the fly and load into Hana (among other things). So way more than a simple replication SLT can do by itself. Plus SDI has all the UIs for setup, creation, administration, monitoring in Hana, reusing the Hana features for that. These are not UIs that have been added to Hana Studio, we are using the architecture and the features Hana provides for this. Easy to do since SDI is a Hana native feature.

If you use SLT for all, all the monitoring, setup etc is done in the SLT SAPGUI application (although some Integration is done in Hana Studio).

Kind rgds,

Ashwin Mane

[Former Member]

Thanks Ashwin for your input.

Yes, I do believe that SDI will play the main role for replication in a medium/long term. Everything is indicating towards that,  But as fresh new tool, is SDI ready to handle massive big tables  real time replications? Hopefully we can have more info from people that are currently using SDI on a large scale to give some inputs.

It is definitely a good topic for a discussion. Let's see what are the other people toughts on it.

Rod Cardenas

[tobias_koebler]

SLT can be controlled out of SDI with the upcoming release. The main questions is where you want to setup your central replication component and which other use cases you want to serve.

We have a lot of customer started with SLT->HANA and afterwards added a scenario like SLT->BW or Central Finance w S4Hana.

When you think about this and add SDI. You will have to data streams required. SLT->BW/Central Finance w S4Hana and (SLT->)SDI->HANA. Only SLT can directly talk to BW or Central Finance/S4Hana.

Best