SAP HANA Cloud continues to evolve to enhance the performance and usability of its administration and monitoring tools. With this focus, we are thrilled to introduce the newly renovated SAP HANA Cloud Central tool; integrating the SAP HANA cockpit (the cockpit) and the SAP HANA database explorer (DBX) features into SAP HANA Cloud Central.
For an overview of the tooling unification and the added value this renovation provides, please see the following blog: https://blogs.sap.com/2022/12/05/sap-hana-cloud-central-gets-renovated/
This page aims to answer common questions that may arise at the onset of the SAP HANA Cloud Central released in QRC4 2022.
What is SAP HANA Cloud Central?
SAP HANA Cloud Central is the administration and monitoring tool to manage multiple SAP HANA Cloud, SAP HANA database and SAP HANA Cloud, data lake instances.
What is the SAP HANA cockpit?
The SAP HANA cockpit is the administration and monitoring tool to manage individual SAP HANA Cloud, SAP HANA database and SAP HANA Cloud, data lake instances.
What is the SAP HANA database explorer?
The SAP HANA database explorer is the tool for browsing and working with individual SAP HANA Cloud instance objects such as tables, views, functions and stored procedures, importing and exporting data, debugging SQLScript, executing SQL statements, creating remote sources, working with multi-model data such as graph, spatial and JSON collections, viewing trace files, and troubleshooting.
What is special about SAP HANA Cloud Central in QRC4 2022?
The SAP HANA Cloud Central in QRC4 2022 integrates selected functionality of the SAP HANA cockpit, so that SAP HANA Cloud operators can manage individual and multiple SAP HANA Cloud instances from a single and unified tool. As future versions of SAP HANA Cloud Central are released, they will incorporate more and more features of the SAP HANA cockpit and SAP HANA database explorer.
Do I need to learn to use a new tool to manage my SAP HANA Cloud instances?
No, we want to emphasize that we are not releasing a new database management tool for SAP HANA Cloud, but rather renovating SAP HANA Cloud Central with enhanced components by adding the existing SAP HANA cockpit and SAP HANA database explorer functionality. You can continue to use your knowledge of those tools when working with this renovated SAP HANA Cloud Central.
Should I still use the SAP HANA cockpit and/or SAP HANA database explorer?
Yes, SAP HANA Cloud Central will continue to have the ability to launch the existing SAP HANA cockpit and SAP HANA database explorer tools in their own web browser tab. This is primarily because not all the existing functionality from the cockpit and DBX will be made available upon initial delivery, so you will still need to use those tools. In future releases, we plan to move all those features into SAP HANA Cloud Central.
Will the SAP HANA cockpit and SAP HANA database explorer be removed?
Not until all functionality from the SAP HANA cockpit and SAP HANA database explorer is available in SAP HANA Cloud Central. In the long term, as we deliver new versions of the tooling, we will continue to simplify the administration experience in SAP HANA Cloud even further to the point where the SAP HANA cockpit and SAP HANA database will no longer be required.
Is there a migration path to this release of SAP HANA Cloud Central?
A migration path is not necessary. The previous behaviour of the SAP HANA cockpit and SAP HANA database explorer, namely opening those tools in a separate web browser tab, will remain available for SAP HANA Cloud operators until all existing capabilities have been integrated into SAP HANA Cloud Central.
Why am I not seeing any changes in SAP HANA Cloud Central?
To access the changes in SAP HANA Cloud Central, you must have multi-environment runtime enabled. Please refer to the following Help Portal for details on creating and managing SAP HANA Cloud instances in the multi-environment administration tools.
Why am I not seeing SAP HANA database explorer features in SAP HANA Cloud Central?
You are correct in that the SAP HANA database explorer functionality has not yet been integrated into SAP HANA Cloud Central. We have first focused on selected SAP HANA cockpit features. This is also the reason why you can still launch the SAP HANA database explorer tool the same way as before.
When will SAP HANA database explorer functionality be made available in SAP HANA Cloud Central?
SAP HANA database explorer functionality will be moved into SAP HANA Cloud Central on a rolling basis, meaning features will gradually be integrated as the tooling evolution progresses. For example, we plan to introduce the SQL Console into SAP HANA Cloud Central as one of the first components of the DBX.
Are there any NEW features in this release of SAP HANA Cloud Central?
Yes, we are excited to introduce several new features into our administration and monitoring tooling as part of SAP HANA Cloud Central in QRC4 2022. The most significant addition to the SAP HANA Cloud Central tool is the integration of selected SAP HANA cockpit functionality. When you click on a database or data lake instance row within SAP HANA Cloud Central, administration and monitoring card containers will now open in a panel on the right (i.e. what you see in the SAP HANA cockpit). This is the essence of tooling unification as you can now manage individual instances directly from SAP HANA Cloud Central.
The tooling functionality has also been enhanced with the addition of new features. For example, SAP HANA Cloud Central now has a command palette in the top header bar to improve efficiency and specificity while searching, filtering, or performing actions on an instance.
Have any features been removed from the tools?
No, we have not removed any features from our SAP HANA Cloud administration and monitoring tools.
What changes can I expect to experience with this version of the tools?
The most significant change you can expect to experience in the SAP HANA Cloud Central in 2022 QRC4 is the integration of SAP HANA cockpit functionality.
Additionally, we have delivered new SAP HANA Cloud Central features to improve the user interface and operator productivity, such as a command palette and making the Alerts application globally accessible.