SAP HANA Installation & Configuration

Section 1: SAP HANA Basics (1–15)

What is SAP HANA?
An in-memory, columnar database designed for real-time analytics and applications.
What are the key features of SAP HANA?
In-memory processing, columnar storage, real-time analytics, multi-model support, and integrated development.
Which company developed SAP HANA?
SAP SE.
What type of database is SAP HANA?
Relational, column-oriented, in-memory database.
What is the difference between traditional databases and SAP HANA?
Traditional DBs use disk-based storage; HANA uses in-memory for faster performance.
What is the use of columnar storage in SAP HANA?
Improves compression and speeds up aggregation operations.
What is row storage used for in HANA?
Ideal for transactional processing and frequent updates.
Can SAP HANA support both OLTP and OLAP workloads?
Yes, it supports hybrid transactional and analytical processing (HTAP).
What programming languages are supported in SAP HANA?
SQLScript, R, Python, JavaScript, and more via XS Engine.
What are HANA views?
Virtual data models created using attribute views, analytic views, and calculation views.
What is the minimum RAM requirement for SAP HANA?
Typically 64 GB or more based on use case.
What OS does SAP HANA support?
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).
What is an SID in SAP HANA?
A unique 3-character identifier for the HANA system.
What is an instance number in HANA?
A 2-digit number identifying the instance, e.g., 00, 01.
What are tenant databases in HANA?
Independent databases within a multitenant container system (MDC).

Section 2: Installation Tools & Components (16–30)

What is HDBLCM?
SAP HANA Lifecycle Manager used for installation, update, and configuration.
What is hdblcmgui?
The graphical interface version of HDBLCM.
What is SAPCAR?
SAP's tool to extract .SAR files (SAP archives).
What is sapinst used for?
Installation tool for SAP applications (not for HANA database).
What is a .SAR file?
SAP Archive file used for software delivery.
What is the use of the global.ini file?
Stores global configuration for the HANA system.
Where is HANA data stored?
In /hana/data/<SID> directory.
Where is HANA log data stored?
In /hana/log/<SID> directory.
Which file system is recommended for HANA installation?
XFS or EXT4.
What is a multitenant database container (MDC)?
Architecture that allows running multiple tenant databases in one system.
What is XS Engine?
Embedded application server used for lightweight applications and services.
How do you start HANA database?
Using HDB start command.
How do you stop HANA database?
Using HDB stop command.
What is the default SYSTEM user?
The superuser created during installation.
What is the default SQL port in HANA?
3<instance number>15, e.g., 30015.

Section 3: Configuration and Security (31–50)

How to change the SYSTEM user password?
SQL: ALTER USER SYSTEM PASSWORD '<new_password>';
What if SYSTEM user gets locked?
Use another admin to execute: ALTER USER SYSTEM RESET CONNECT ATTEMPTS;
How to create a new user in SAP HANA?
CREATE USER username PASSWORD 'pass';
How to grant privileges?
GRANT SELECT ON schema.table TO username;
What is a role in HANA?
A container of privileges assigned to users.
What is the difference between schema and catalog?
A schema is a logical grouping; catalog is the full DB object collection.
What is hdbuserstore?
Secure store for credentials used by clients.
What is the purpose of saphostagent?
Agent to manage and monitor SAP instances at OS level.
How do you check active services?
Use HDB info or SAP HANA Studio.
What is a savepoint?
Mechanism to persist in-memory data to disk.
What is delta merge in HANA?
Merging of delta storage into main store to improve performance.
How to enable auditing in SAP HANA?
Use HANA Studio > Security > Auditing or SQL commands.
What is index server?
The core server component handling queries and transactions.
What are thread states in HANA monitoring?
Running, Runnable, Suspended, Waiting — for troubleshooting.
What are performance KPIs in HANA?
Memory usage, CPU, disk I/O, savepoint times, delta merges.
How to configure memory limits?
Edit global.ini > memorymanager > global_allocation_limit.
How to backup a HANA database?
Using Studio, Cockpit, or SQL: BACKUP DATA USING FILE ('backup_name');
How to restore HANA from backup?
Use recovery options in HANA Studio or Cockpit.
What is a log backup?
Incremental backup of transaction logs.
Where to schedule backups in HANA?
Use Cockpit or external tools like SAP HANA Studio.

🔴 Section 4: Advanced Topics (51–75)

What is HANA System Replication?
High availability setup between primary and secondary systems.
How to check replication status?
Use hdbnsutil -sr_state or Cockpit.
What is hdbnsutil?
Utility to manage name server and replication setup.
How to perform rolling updates in HANA?
Update nodes one by one to avoid downtime.
What is HANA Cockpit?
Web-based monitoring and administration tool.
What is hdbsql?
CLI tool to run SQL commands on HANA DB.
What is dynamic tiering?
Extension node to store warm data outside main memory.
What is SDA in HANA?
Smart Data Access – virtual connection to external DBs.
What is SDI in HANA?
Smart Data Integration – real-time ETL into HANA.
How do you configure alerts in HANA?
Use Cockpit or HANA Studio under Alert Configuration.
What is a tenant DB restart command?
ALTER SYSTEM RESTART DATABASE <DB_NAME>;
What are volume sizes recommended for HANA?
Depends on sizing, but logs = 50% of RAM, data = 4–6x RAM.
What is ALTER SYSTEM RECLAIM LOG?
Reclaims unused log space.
What is a preload table?
Table loaded into memory automatically at startup.
How do you monitor delta merge time?
Using M_DELTA_MERGE_STATISTICS view.
How do you find expensive statements?
Check M_EXPENSIVE_STATEMENTS or use Cockpit.
What is LCAPA?
Lean Columnstore Analyzer – for tuning data models.
What is MDS?
Mass Data Storage – used for optimized data partitioning.
What is plan cache in HANA?
Stores compiled query plans to improve execution speed.
How do you clear plan cache?
SQL: ALTER SYSTEM CLEAR PLAN CACHE;
What is ST03N equivalent in HANA?
Use SQL traces, SQL plan cache, and expensive statements analysis.
What is lifecycle management in HANA?
Managing install, upgrade, patching, configuration.
What is HANA revision vs. SPS?
SPS = Support Package Stack, Revision = Minor patch/fix level.
What is a calculation view?
A complex view used in modeling layer for real-time analysis.
What is a union node in calc views?
Combines results of multiple inputs (like SQL UNION ALL).

🟣 Section 5: Troubleshooting & Monitoring (76–100)

How to identify memory leaks?
Use memory statistics, trace files, and resident memory analysis.
What is a core dump in HANA?
File created when a process crashes; used for analysis.
Where are trace files stored?
/usr/sap/<SID>/HDB<inst>/trace/
How to analyze trace files?
Use SAP HANA Studio or manually inspect logs.
What is table partitioning?
Splits large tables to improve performance.
What are the partition types?
Range, Hash, Round-Robin.
How to enable SQL trace?
Use ALTER SYSTEM START SQL TRACE;
What is r3trans used for?
Not used in HANA DB – used in ABAP systems.
What is a precheck tool in upgrade?
Used to validate system readiness before upgrade.
How to check disk usage?
Linux: df -h; HANA: M_DISK_USAGE.
How to monitor CPU usage in HANA?
Use Cockpit or OS tools like top.
How to monitor network bottlenecks?
Use iftop, netstat, or SAP internal metrics.
What is table persistence layer?
Responsible for durability of data in HANA.
What is redo log?
Contains recent transactions not yet saved in data area.
What is the log segment size?
Default is 1 GB but configurable.
How to check savepoint interval?
global.ini under persistence.
How to monitor HANA license usage?
Use SQL: SELECT * FROM SYS.M_LICENSE;
What is a memory pool?
Preallocated memory for efficient usage.
What is swap in HANA?
Disk used when RAM is exhausted — should be avoided.
How to kill a HANA session?
ALTER SYSTEM DISCONNECT SESSION '<ID>';
What are the different HANA services?
IndexServer, NameServer, XS Engine, Preprocessor, etc.
What is preload column store?
Columns loaded into memory at start for fast access.
What is data aging?
Moves older data to cheaper storage tiers.
What is workload class?
Controls resource allocation to different queries.
How to schedule housekeeping tasks?
Use cron jobs or HANA tasks (e.g., compression, cleanup).