SAP solutions have always been extensible to an incredible extent, but mainly inside the system itself. Now things have changed over the last years on how to extend SAP using a side-by-side approach. In this talk I showcase what can be done today by combining SAP with serverless on the SAP side (yes really) and Microsoft Azure’s serverless offerings namely Azure Functions.

1. Serverless and SAP
… Oh Behave

2. About me
• Principal Consultant at msg systems ag
• Origins: SAP development & architecture
• Moved on towards cloud native development
(SAP + non-SAP area)
• Loving Serverless (esp. Azure Functions)
Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77

3. Agenda
Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77
SAP and Extensions
Scenario for an Extension
Solution for Scenario + Demo
• Events and Functions in Kyma on SAP BTP
• Combination of SAP and Microsoft Azure Functions
Wrap Up
Q&A

4. SAP and Extensions: The Past
Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77
SAP System
Database
Application (ABAP)
User Interface (UI)
Extensions
Modifications

5. SAP and Extension: Now – Side-by-Side
Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77
©
SAP
SE
Disclaimer: SAP centric view
SAP Business Technology Platform

6. Can we make
this reality …
using
serverless?

7. Scenario for an Extension
Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77

8. Order process
Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77
Just ordered,
hope it
arrives soon

9. Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77
Happy Path

10. Non-happy Path
Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77
Order
DELAYED!

11. What about …
Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77
Order
Delayed
Event
Get details about
the customer
Fetch order history
Check for prior
complaints in
emails
(sentiment analysis)
React based on history =
delayed orders + complaints
SAP System
Extension

12. Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77
Everything that you see now,
can be done by you without any
SAP license costs
Really!

13. Setup
Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77
Event
API

14. Setup
Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77

15. What is Kyma?
Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77
https://kyma-project.io/

16. Kyma – Key Components
Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77

17. Setup – Part 1
Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77

18. Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77

19. (Intermediate) Result
Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77

20. What about the email part?
Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77

21. Sentiment Analysis of Emails
Emails are probably
located in an Outlook
Mailbox
SAP has no direct access
to the emails
SAP has no sentiment
analysis service
We want to go serverless
Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77

22. Sentiment Analysis of Emails
Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77
Microsoft Graph Cognitive Services Azure Functions

23. Setup - extended
Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77

24. Durable Functions
Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77
Client Orchestrator
Activity 1
Activity 2
Activity 3
Step 2

25. Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77

26. What we did
Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77

27. Wrap up
• Patterns of extending SAP systems evolved a lot in
the past years
• Side-by-Side extensions open completely new
opportunities
• SAP offers serverless with Kyma, but still “young”
offering
• Mixing in Microsoft Azure functionalities lifts
extensions to a new level
• More to come: Extended Partnership between
SAP and Microsoft
Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77

28. Thanks for
your
Attention
Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77

29. Contact data
Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77

30. References
• Blog Post: https://blogs.sap.com/2021/01/12/building-a-side-by-side-
extension-with-kyma-and-microsoft-azure/
• Other Extension Scenarios:
• https://blogs.sap.com/2019/12/09/a-serverless-extension-story-from-abap-to-
azure/
• https://blogs.sap.com/2020/02/17/a-serverless-extension-story-ii-bringing-state-to-
the-stateless/
• myNewsWrap: https://github.com/lechnerc77/myNewsWrap
• Learning Kyma: https://github.com/lechnerc77/learningKyma
Serverless and SAP ... Oh Behave @lechnerc77