SAP HANA Database Explorer Overview

The SAP HANA database explorer is a web-based tool for browsing and working with database objects such as tables, views, functions, stored procedures, importing and exporting data, debugging SQLScript, viewing trace files, and executing SQL statements. It was previously named SAP HANA Runtime Tools (HRTT) and was introduced in SAP HANA 1.0 SPS 12. As it is web-based, individual users do not need to worry about installing the software or applying patches.

The SAP HANA Client install provides a text based tool named hdbsql that can used to query an SAP HANA database. For additional details see Use Clients to Query an SAP HANA Database.

The SAP HANA database explorer can be opened from multiple locations as shown below:

• From the SAP Cloud Platform Cockpit

  

• From SAP HANA Cloud Central

  

• From the SAP HANA cockpit

  

• From the Business Application Studio

  

  From the command palette or the SAP HANA Projects panel.

  

• From the SAP Web IDE for SAP HANA with the extension enabled

  

  Once the SAP HANA database explorer extension is enabled, the SAP HANA database explorer can be shown by selecting the icon highlighted above.

The following are some related documentation links for SAP HANA and the SAP HANA database explorer.

The SAP HANA database explorer releases independently of SAP HANA. New features appear first in SAP HANA Cloud and where applicable are available to the on-premise version in a later release. As an example, when SAP HANA 2.0 SPS 05 was released on June 26 2020, SAP HANA database explorer version 2.12.20185 was available in both the on-premise and SAP HANA Cloud releases. At the time when this was published in October 2020, the version available in HANA Cloud contains additional features that are not yet available for an on-premise installation.

The screenshots below show the version of the SAP HANA database explorer in SAP HANA Cloud and on-premise.

The image below shows the SAP HANA database explorer running in SAP HANA Cloud.

The image below shows the SAP HANA database explorer running in an on-premise installation.

For the on-premise edition, only the currently released version receives patches. For example, now that version 2.12.X has been released, there will no longer be fixes made to the 2.11.X release. For additional details see SAP Note 2433181 - SAP HANA 2.0 Cockpit Revision and Maintenance Strategy.

The SAP Software download links (requires an S-User ID to access) below are for the on-premise version of the SAP HANA Cockpit, the SAP Web IDE, and the SAP HANA database explorer. These pages also contain links to release notes that describe fixes made to each release.

SAP HANA Cockpit Download from SAP Software Downloads (Includes the SAP HANA database explorer)

SAP HANA Web IDE Download from SAP Software Downloads

SAP HANA Runtime Tools 2.0 (Adds the SAP HANA database explorer to the SAP HANA Web IDE)

To complete the tutorials in this group, an SAP HANA instance is needed. Step 3 and 4 in this tutorial provide two different, free options that can be used to set up an SAP HANA instance. Only one of these steps needs to be completed if you currently do not have access to an SAP HANA instance.

Continue on to the next tutorial in this group once you have created an SAP HANA Cloud trial instance as shown below.

Note that the SAP HANA Cloud trial instances are shut down overnight and will need to be restarted before working with them the next day.

The instructions on how to setup a free SAP HANA Cloud trial within the SAP Business Technology Platform are well covered in a number of other sources listed below.

• Help Thomas Get Started with SAP HANA

• Getting Started with your trial of SAP HANA Cloud

• SAP HANA Cloud Trial

For more information on the SAP Business Technology Platform see the following:

• https://www.sap.com/products/business-technology-platform/products.html

• https://developers.sap.com/topics/business-technology-platform.html

• https://help.sap.com/viewer/product/BTP/Cloud/en-US

This step only needs to be completed if you currently do not have access to an SAP HANA Instance and did not setup an SAP HANA instance through the SAP HANA Cloud Trial as explained in the previous step.

An alternative option to using the SAP HANA Cloud trial is to use the SAP HANA, express edition.

SAP provides a free, streamlined version of SAP HANA that runs on developer laptops called SAP HANA, express edition.

SAP HANA runs on certain versions of Linux. SAP HANA, express edition provides a binary install as well as virtual machine images that can be run on Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux machines. This is described in the SAP HANA, express edition documentation under the implement section. A database-only option and a database + XS Advanced Applications option are available. The database + XS Advanced Applications install includes the SAP HANA cockpit, the SAP HANA database explorer, and the SAP HANA Web IDE for SAP HANA.

Database + XS Advanced Applications, requires sufficient disk space and memory (32 GB).

Once installed, a useful starting point is the page below.

It contains links to the SAP Web IDE for SAP HANA, SAP HANA cockpit, the SAP HANA cockpit manager, and the SAP HANA database explorer.