SAP Hana Search 2014
December 25, 2014
Years ago I wrote an analysis of TREX. At the time, SAP search asserted a wide range of functionality. I found the system interesting, but primarily of use to die hard SAP licensees. SAP was and still is focused on structured data. The wild and crazy heterogeneous information generated by social media, intercept systems, geo-centric gizmos, and humans blasting terabytes of digital images cheek by jowl with satellite imagery is not the playground of the SAP technology.
If you want to get a sense of what SAP is delivering, check out “SAP Hana’s Built-In Search Engine.” My take on the explanation is that it is quite similar to what Fast Search & Transfer proposed for the pre-sale changes to ESP. The built-in system is not one thing. The SAP explainer points out:
A standalone “engine” is not enough, however. That’s why SAP HANA also includes the Info Access “InA” toolkit for HTML5. The InA toolkit is a set of HTML5 templates and UI controls which you can use to configure a modern, highly interactive UI running in a browser. No code – just configuration.
To make matters slightly more confusing, I read “Google Like Enterprise Search Powered by SAP Hana.” I am not sure what “Google like” means. Google provides its ageing and expensive Google Search Appliance. But like Google Earth, I am not sure how long the GSA will remain on the Google product punch list. Futhermore, the GSA is a bit of a time capsule. Its features and functions have not kept pace with next generation information access technologies. Google invested in Recorded Future a couple of years ago and as far as I know, none of the high value Recorded Future functions are part of the GSA. Google also delivers its Web indexing service. Does Google like refer to the GSA, Google’s cloud indexing of Web sites, or the forward looking Recorded Future technology?
The Google angle seems to relate to Fiori search. Based on the screenshots, it appears that Fiori presents SAP’s structured data in a report format. Years ago we used a product called Monarch to deliver this type of information to a client.
My hypothesis is that SAP wants to generate more buzz about its search technology. The company has moved on from TREX, positioned Hana search as a Fast Search emulation, and created Fiori to generate reports from SAP’s structured data management system.
For now, I will keep SAP in my “maybe next year” folder. For now. I am not sure what SAP information access systems deliver beyond basic keyword search, some clustering, and report outputs. SAP at some point may have to embrace open source search solutions. If SAP has maintained its commitment to open source, perhaps these technologies are open source. I would find that reassuring.
Regardless of what SAP is providing licensees, it is clear that the basic features and functions of next generation information access systems are not part of the present line up of products. Like other IBM-inspired companies, the future is rushing forward with SAP search receding in tomorrow’s rear view mirror. Calling a system “Google like” is not helpful, nor does it suggest that SAP is ware of NGIA systems. Some of SAP’s customers will be licensing these systems in order to move beyond what is a variation of query, scan results, open documents, read documents, and hunt for useful information. Organizations require more sophisticated information access services. The models crafted in the 1990s are, in my opinion, are commoditized. Higher value NGIA operations are the future.
Stephen E Arnold, December 25, 2014
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SAP Hana Search 2014 : Stephen E. Arnold @ Beyond Search