General Topic or Industry | Solution Name

Title headline max. 65 cws,

sentence case here and
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External

Clean core extensibility for

SAP S/4HANA Cloud
October 2024, version 1.0
Table
of contents

1 Introduction 3 3.5 Launching a clean core 19

certification program for
2 The clean core strategy 4 partner applications

2.1 Clean core principles: 5 3.6 APIs, events, and 20

guidelines and benefits extension points
of extensibility
4 Extend SAP S/4HANA 21
3 Extensibility of 7 with SAP Build
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
5 Getting started 23
3.1 The extensibility model 7
6 Summary 25
3.2 Extensibility options: 8
when to use what? 7 Appendix 26
3.3 The public cloud 16
extensibility model

3.4 The private cloud 17

extensibility model

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1 Introduction
Software is designed with a scope in mind. While flexible – they can be decoupled from but also
the breadth of scope covered by SAP applications be modifying the core. The latter might slow
is an important factor for the adoption of SAP down upgrades or might even break them so
solutions, these solutions cannot cover the distinct that additional adjustment effort is required.
need of every customer to differentiate with a Therefore, the ultimate goal of every extension
competitive advantage. Therefore, SAP solutions project should be to keep the core of a system
can be extended to fit customers’ unique needs. clean by minimizing these disturbing factors
SAP introduced the revolutionary approach of while adhering to cloud standards.
installing a system with standard functionality
(based on decades of best practices) along with The clean core strategy and the extensibility model
the ability to extend that functionality in a cost- described in this paper support this objective:
effective manner. This balanced approach has enabling customers of SAP S/4HANA Cloud2 to
become one of the most important factors in the extend where needed but still allowing for smooth
phenomenal success of the SAP ERP application. system upgrades and handling of system exten-
sions. Ultimately, the main goal is to keep the core
To accommodate varying business needs and of the ERP system as close to the standard as
preferences while adhering to cloud standards, possible while extending the functional scope
SAP introduced two different editions of where needed.
SAP S/4HANA Cloud: SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public
Edition and SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition. This paper gives details on the clean core strategy
For SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition, as a SaaS in Chapter 2, followed by an in-depth description
solution, SAP makes sure the system is up to date of the extensibility of SAP S/4HANA Cloud in
and upgraded to the latest release for customers. Chapter 3. The extensibility model for both editions
This allows them to leverage a standardized and of SAP S/4HANA Cloud, as well as the possible
quick-to-deploy ERP solution that can be extended options, are outlined with reasoning for when to
while keeping the core of the system unchanged, use which. Chapter 4 highlights the evolution of
that is, helping ensure smooth upgrade cycles by SAP Build solutions into a unified and AI-enabled
not changing its base code line.1 clean-core extensibility solution optimized both
for cloud ERP and other cloud solutions from SAP.
While upgrades in SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Chapter 5 gives guidance on how to get started
Edition are managed by SAP, SAP S/4HANA Cloud on the journey toward achieving and keeping a
Private Edition follows a different approach. clean core, followed by a summary in Chapter 6
It allows for more flexibility and control. SAP and a collection of relevant links in Chapter 7.
takes care of system operations, but upgrades
are customer-managed projects that follow
the customer’s schedule. The higher degree of
flexibility and control can lead to costly and
1. Public cloud solutions from SAP for lines of business, such as
time-consuming upgrade projects. One reason SAP SuccessFactors, SAP Concur, and SAP Fieldglass solutions, offer similar
for this is that extensibility options are much more extension options adhering to the public cloud principle of keeping the
core unchanged. What holds for SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud Edition and is
explained in Section 3.3 similarly holds for these solutions, that is, offering
extension options on the system stack as well as being decoupled from it
with SAP Business Technology Platform.
2. Including both SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition and
SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition.

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2 The clean core strategy
“Clean core” is a concept and strategy to extend
SAP S/4HANA Cloud systems in an upgrade-safe
way. SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition does
and will continue to have a clean core, as SAP
technically enforces the guidelines of the public
cloud extensibility model. To achieve or keep a
clean core in SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition,
certain recommendations and guidelines must
be followed (see the paragraph on the private
cloud extensibility model).

Extending SAP solutions to meet specific business

needs has always been a significant advantage for
SAP customers. Therefore, keeping a clean core,
customers experience better maintainability, along
with lower total cost of ownership for SAP S/4HANA
Cloud while being agile enough to adapt to change
when and where required.​A clean core is defined
as an SAP S/4HANA Cloud solution that is up
to date, documented, unmodified, consistent,
efficient, and has custom extensions decoupled
from SAP source code. The method for maintaining
this clean core while adapting SAP solutions to
meet specific business needs is called clean core
extensibility, which will be discussed in the following
paragraphs. Flexibility will continue to benefit
customers in the future, provided that extensions
are built and utilized in adherence to clean core
principles, the topic of the following section. 3

3. Find more information on the ERP clean core strategy.

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2.1 Clean core principles: Guidelines and benefits of extensibility
Building extensions in adherence to clean core principles achieves the balance between software flexibility
with customer adjustments and system stability and availability in the cloud. The main guideline to adhere
to when building an extension is to keep it strictly separate from the underlying SAP applications. Extensions
must access SAP business objects only through well-defined, upgrade-stable interfaces. Extensions calling,
for instance, unreleased function modules or accessing the underlying database table directly can easily
break as soon as the underlying system code is changed and an upgrade is performed. The clean core
approach, however, results not only in faster software deployment but also in easier adoption of software
changes, since the core starts off clean and is kept that way using nondisruptive, regularly scheduled upgrades.

Clean core is a framework of best practices that – when followed – results in keeping both the SAP S/4HANA
Cloud solution and its extensions upgrade stable. Let’s focus on how to achieve this.

Maximize upgrade stability by adhering to SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP)
these recommended clean core guidelines: or hybrid extensions residing both on stack
• Ideally, adopt a policy of zero modifications of and side by side, respectively.
the core system. • Create technical debt only as well-informed
• Never clone SAP standard functionality. decisions and only in cases where there is no
other possibility. Document these decisions
• Retire unused extensions.
and revise the technical debt yearly against
• Adhere to general SAP code quality standards
new possibilities.
and best practices.4
• Keep the SAP software versions close to the latest
• Keep all extensions well documented.
release (current or n-1), feature pack stack (FPS),
• Set up a strong governance to follow the clean
and support pack stack (SPS).
core architecture (further described in the
• When possible, use only partner solutions that are
paragraph on the 3-tier extensibility model).
certified as clean core compliant.6 Discuss your
• Decouple all extensions from the system’s core
clean core strategy with partners and establish
by leveraging public, released APIs. 5
respective governance for the partner solutions.
• Leverage all extensibility options, that is, have
all extensions running on stack, side by side on

4. For more detailed information see these blog posts on the Usage of ABAP Test Cockpit and ABAP Test Cockpit in the Cloud and the SAP BTP Developer’s Guide.
5. Find public, released APIs to integrate and extend on SAP Business Accelerator Hub.
6. For more information, see an overview of implementation and certification of ABAP Cloud add-ons for SAP Partners or this blog. For more information, see “Extend
SAP S/4HANA in the cloud and on premise with ABAP based extensions,” SAP brochure, April 2024.

5 | 27
RISE with SAP Methodology
RISE with SAP Methodology has been launched
to drive these guidelines with customers and
focus on the clean core principles. Customers
using RISE with SAP should leverage this key
entitlement to create a clean core project,
establish a solution standardization board, and
follow governance recommendations including
regular reporting and execution of quality gates.

What are the benefits when following these

guidelines?
Agility starts by having a solid foundation in the
cloud that leverages the previously mentioned
best practices and guidelines. Adopting them
brings benefits such as being able to quickly react
to changing environments that can include, for
instance, a change in your company’s strategy or
processes, changing customer requirements, or
sudden environmental or economic challenges.
Having access to SAP’s innovations – being part of
the latest release and, therefore, requiring an up-
to-date core system – adds to that agility. It allows
customers to stay on top of new technologies and
maximally leverage innovative services such as
generative AI, low-code and pro-code application
development, and process automation.

System upgrade projects will be made signifi-

cantly easier when clean core extensions don’t
access the to-be-updated core in nonrecom-
mended ways. And when they do, if there simply
has been no other option available, customers
will know where to check because the upgrade
will be documented well. In addition, system
upgrades will eventually be both less complex
and costly, as there will be fewer outliers or cus-
tom extensions to potentially harm the upgrade
process adhering to the highest efficiency and
security standards. Moreover, the more regular
updates are run, the easier they will get, as best
practices will be established and well known and
proven project and test plans can be carried out.

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3 Extensibility of SAP S/4HANA Cloud
Whichever SAP S/4HANA Cloud solution customers adopt, there must be ways in place that allow for
deviation from the standard offering where needed to stay competitive and agile as per the customers’
unique business needs. The degree of freedom varies between SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition and
SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition, and the core concepts and differences will be explained in this chapter.

SAP offers SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition as a best-in-class public cloud ERP solution paired with a
competitive cloud extensibility offering and an established robust partner ecosystem. This public cloud
ERP solution features developer extensibility on the code level consuming Tier 1 extensibility concepts.

Customers using SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition are supported on their transformation journey with
a more flexible extensibility offering that enhances Tier 1 extensibility where it is of utmost importance
with so-called Tier 2 and Tier 3 extensibility options. All these options, including the role of SAP BTP in
the extensibility context, will be elaborated on further in this chapter.

3.1 The extensibility model

Independent of which cloud ERP solution you choose, be it SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition or
SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition, it is standard practice to support extensibility use cases with two
different architectural approaches: on-stack extensibility, for extensions that are tightly coupled with
your ERP core, which means they technically run on the same stack, and side-by-side extensibility, for
extensions that are loosely coupled with your ERP core and run on a separate extensibility platform.
In the SAP context, this means that on-stack extensibility is used in case your extension should be tightly
coupled with your SAP S/4HANA Cloud solution, while side-by-side extensibility is used when you want to
loosely couple your extension with your ERP system and run it on SAP BTP. Often, a combination of on-stack
and side-by-side extensibility is needed to fulfill your business requirement. When to use which extensibility
pattern will be detailed next.

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3.2 Extensibility options: when to use what?
The following guidelines and recommendations help to determine what part of the extension should run on
SAP S/4HANA as an on-stack extension and what part of it should run on SAP BTP as a side-by-side extension.
The recommendations apply to SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition, SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition,
and SAP S/4HANA.

Note that this guidance includes insights to help navigate the decision-making process effectively, but it
is not exhaustive. It is important to analyze each extension use case and make an informed decision
about which technologies work best for each case. For more information and support, see SAP BTP
Guidance Framework and use SAP Application Extension Methodology.

Figure 1: Extension use case patterns for SAP S/4HANA Cloud

Figure 1 depicts common extension use case patterns for SAP S/4HANA Cloud – both for on-stack (to the
left) and side-by-side (on the right) extensions. For more information, see the extension architecture guide
on extension use case patterns.

On-stack extensibility on SAP S/4HANA Cloud

On-stack extensions usually need to be tightly coupled, which means they need proximity to data,
transactions, or applications in SAP S/4HANA Cloud.

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Common on-stack use case patterns are as follows:
• Adapt and extend standard applications: With this extensibility pattern, you typically perform the
following extension tasks:
– Adapt a standard user interface (UI).
– Add a custom field to a standard UI.
– Extend the SAP data model.
– Adapt a standard business process with custom logic within a logical unit of work by implementing
the extension point of an SAP application.
• Create custom, full-stack applications: This extensibility pattern enables you to develop new applica-
tions that require proximity to SAP business objects and services according to the previously men-
tioned characteristics. Full-stack applications consist of a back- and front-end implementation and,
therefore, span the full stack.
• Create and enable integration: This extensibility pattern uses public local APIs from SAP or events
to build a custom remote API or event, respectively, that can be used for a side-by-side extension on
SAP BTP. For more information on public local APIs or events, see this page on developer extensibility.

The following are typical characteristics of an on-stack extension:

• Transactional consistency is required when data from SAP standard tables and fields and data from
custom tables and fields are changed jointly
• Custom integrations, for instance, extensions of standard objects such as APIs or services needed to
enable side-by-side extensions
• Reading high data volumes, which requires complex Structured Query Language (SQL) queries and joins
• Frequent access and changes to data from SAP standard tables and fields, resulting in many roundtrips

On-stack extensions on SAP S/4HANA Cloud will be implemented with the ABAP Cloud development
model.7 The benefits are described in the following paragraph.

7. For more information, see “Extend SAP S/4HANA in the cloud and on premise with ABAP based extensions,” SAP brochure, April 2024.

9 | 27
The role and benefits of ABAP Cloud in the extension strategy
ABAP Cloud8 is the development model for developing cloud-ready business applications, services,
and extensions. It is available both on stack in SAP S/4HANA Cloud and also side by side on SAP BTP
(see further benefits of creating extensions with ABAP Cloud in the context of SAP BTP in the following
paragraph). Some of its benefits are listed below.

ABAP Cloud provides one common development model both on stack and side by
side. It’s available on SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition, SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition,
on premise, and on SAP BTP. It is used to develop customer and partner extensions as well
as SaaS applications on SAP BTP. It is the main development model used by SAP itself to
drive the development of SAP S/4HANA Cloud. It allows leveraging existing know-how of
ABAP development tools for cloud-ready and clean extensibility.

ABAP Cloud also helps ensure cloud readiness and clean core compliance by
default. The new language version introduced with ABAP Cloud allows the enforcement
of cloud and clean core rules by compiler and syntax checks. Using ABAP Cloud, these
rules cannot be evaded.

ABAP Cloud provides a model-driven architecture for online transactional processing

(OLTP), online analytical processing (OLAP), and the development of new integrations and
APIs by the ABAP RESTful application programming model. Moreover, strong transactional
consistency is enforced through the controlled logical unit of work.

ABAP Cloud comes with a sound set of technical and business services (logging, change
documents, number ranges, jobs, factory calendar, currency conversion, units of measure, and
many more). These services can be used without any additional license and can reduce both
total cost of development and ownership for complex business applications. At the same time,
they drive a high level of standardization and supportability of custom extensions. Last but not
least, default configurations for these services (calendars, countries, languages, currencies,
units, and so on) are delivered automatically and are ready to use.

ABAP Cloud contains what you need to help ensure code quality, code documentation, and
stable lifecycle management of your custom extensions. It is integrated into the development
environment for ABAP Cloud: ABAP development tools.

ABAP Cloud will benefit from the Joule copilot with ABAP development tools to increase
developer efficiency. At the same time, an AI software development kit for ABAP will offer a
consumable SAP standard library to conveniently use a generative AI hub on SAP BTP to
leverage AI functionality provided there in custom ABAP extensions.

As mentioned, ABAP Cloud is also available on SAP BTP to build side-by-side extensions,
which is explained next.

8. For more information on ABAP Cloud, see the documentation on the SAP Help Portal site.

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Side-by-side extensibility with SAP BTP
SAP BTP is an integrated offering comprising application development and automation, integration,
data and analytics, and AI services. The platform offers users the ability to turn data into business value,
compose and automate business processes, and build and – most important – extend applications in
SAP S/4HANA quickly. It provides integration capabilities to help ensure business processes are connected
across SAP and third-party solutions. SAP BTP is a platform for developing side-by-side extensions that
are loosely coupled with the core of SAP S/4HANA. Custom applications or extensions that run on
SAP BTP can interact with SAP S/4HANA using APIs and events while not modifying the core. 9

Common use case patterns for side-by-side extensions on SAP BTP are described below.
• Create custom, full-stack applications:
– Full-stack, single-tenant applications – This extensibility pattern targets customers and implementa-
tion partners, enabling them to develop full-stack apps on SAP BTP.
– Full-stack, multitenant SaaS applications for partners that are independent software vendors (ISVs) –
This extensibility pattern targets the ISV partner ecosystem, enabling them to develop full-stack SaaS
applications on SAP BTP and to distribute the software to their customers. For an implementation
example of this use case pattern, see the mission on the SAP Discovery Center site.
– Hub scenario of integrating with several ERP systems and cloud services – This extensibility pattern
provides a central hub on SAP BTP to collect and distribute data from various systems. For an
implementation example of this use case pattern, see the samples on github.com.
• Create custom mobile apps: This extensibility pattern provides mobile development capabilities.
For an implementation example of this use case pattern, see the mission on SAP Discovery Center.
• Automate tasks and processes across multiple systems: This extensibility pattern provides
low-code/no-code capabilities to automate processes. For an implementation example of this
use case pattern, see the mission on SAP Discovery Center.

9. For more information about available SAP standard APIs and events, see SAP Business Accelerator Hub.

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The following are typical characteristics and examples for side-by-side extensions:
• Stand-alone applications or new business process steps that can be decoupled
• Data from custom tables and fields that isn’t changed together with data from SAP standard tables and
fields, therefore, no transaction consistency is required
• Demand to use a broad spectrum of different development preferences, skill sets, and
languages such as Java, JavaScript, or ABAP
and freely available open-source libraries
• Applications for external users without a user account for SAP S/4HANA and who will not have direct
access to an SAP S/4HANA solution
• Benefits of independent infrastructure, scalability operations, and lifecycle with frequent shipments and
changes

The services and technologies offered on SAP BTP to implement the previously mentioned extension
patterns are described in more detail in the following chapter. More detailed information can be found
in both the extension architecture guide and the SAP BTP Developer’s Guide. The following paragraph
summarizes the role and benefits of SAP BTP when it comes to extension developments.

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The role and benefits of SAP BTP in the extension strategy
SAP BTP supports two programming models: SAP Cloud Application Programming Model (CAP) to develop
in JavaScript and TypeScript or Java, and ABAP Cloud (described in the previous section). Both development
models are based on common concepts, and they are both centered around core data services (CDS) – a
modeling language for domain models and service definitions. Both support creating services that work
together especially well in conjunction with UI frameworks such as SAPUI5 and SAP Fiori user experience
elements to create enterprise-grade applications in a short amount of time.

CAP services are developed and run on SAP BTP, Cloud Foundry runtime and SAP BTP, Kyma runtime. As
mentioned, CAP allows implementation in JavaScript (Node.js) and Java; it offers libraries to implement
and consume services, as well as generic provider implementations serving many requests automatically;
and it provides the option of using open source libraries to create these services.10 Services and applications
for ABAP Cloud are developed and run in SAP BTP, ABAP environment. Here, ingredients for the development
of applications, services, and integrations are included and part of the SAP standard: SAP HANA Cloud,
model-driven development using the ABAP RESTful application programming model, technical services,
and libraries such as jobs, logs, printing, and XLSX processing.

Encouraging innovation: By enabling side-by-side extensibility, SAP BTP encourages

innovation without disrupting the core SAP S/4HANA suite. Developers can experiment
with new features and applications on SAP BTP. Creating extensions, there is a choice of
a supported set of programming languages such as ABAP Cloud, JavaScript, Java, or even
Python (for instance, for AI use cases). Open source libraries can be used within the
extensions as well.

Reducing the total cost of ownership: By using SAP BTP for side-by-side extensions,
the total cost of ownership can potentially be reduced. This is because extensions developed
on SAP BTP are clean core compliant and loosely coupled from SAP S/4HANA. This will not
interfere with upgrades, thereby reducing the effort required for testing and maintenance.

Supporting the transition to a clean core: By providing a platform for side-by-side

extensibility, SAP BTP supports the transition toward a clean core for the previously
mentioned scenarios and use cases. While extending side-by-side, the SAP S/4HANA
suite is kept unchanged, resulting in the clean core benefits summarized earlier.

10. Find more details on development on SAP BTP.

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The best of both worlds: on-stack and side-by-side extensions
Both on-stack and side-by-side extension options complement each other by providing a comprehensive
ecosystem for building, extending, and running enterprise applications. SAP BTP serves as an underlying
platform for cloud services and integration for extensions based on ABAP Cloud, CAP, and low-code/
no-code technologies coming with respective integrated development environments. In some scenarios,
pieces from all of these worlds might be needed. The following are a few examples.

Hybrid deployment capabilities: Extensibility for SAP S/4HANA often involves a hybrid deployment model,
where some components remain on premise while others are hosted in the cloud. SAP BTP supports this
hybrid approach, allowing organizations to deploy extensions in a manner that best suits their needs. Both
CAP and ABAP Cloud facilitate cloud-based development and extension while integrating with on-premise
SAP S/4HANA software, helping to ensure a cohesive and integrated landscape. As described previously,
ABAP Cloud on top gives the option of developer extensibility for tightly coupled extension scenarios.

Hybrid development practices: SAP BTP promotes modern development practices such as microservices
architecture and DevOps methodologies. Both CAP and ABAP Cloud align with these practices by offering
cloud-native development capabilities for Java, JavaScript, and ABAP developers. On the ABAP side, this
synergy allows developers to adopt modern development paradigms while leveraging their existing ABAP
skills, thereby accelerating the extension process for SAP S/4HANA. Fusion team development (as explained
in the following chapter), might require developers of different skills to jointly develop an enterprise application.
The service built for this might benefit from a tight coupling to the core of SAP S/4HANA, therefore, built
using Tier 1 extension options on stack (that is, the ABAP development environment). Another developer
might create a mobile UI based on that service with SAP Fiori tools in SAP Build Code – maybe even making
use of the available generative AI capabilities enhancing productivity. The resulting full-stack application
will be hosted partly on stack and partly side by side.

Integration and connectivity: SAP BTP provides robust integration capabilities for connecting
SAP S/4HANA with other SAP and third-party systems. ABAP Cloud integrates with SAP BTP’s integration
services, enabling developers to orchestrate complex integration scenarios involving extensions and
other cloud services based on ABAP. This integration helps ensure smooth data exchange and
interoperability across the landscape.

To summarize, both on-stack and side-by-side technologies (and those available in both environments)
complement each other effectively in the transformation journey to SAP S/4HANA. Together, they empower
organizations to extend and customize SAP S/4HANA efficiently, adopting modern ways of working and
accommodating preferences, thereby meeting evolving business requirements and driving digital innovation.

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The role and benefits of SAP BTP in the context of SAP S/4HANA Cloud
SAP BTP plays an essential role in the strategy for SAP cloud ERP solutions. SAP S/4HANA Cloud and SAP BTP
are inseparable, as SAP is developing major parts of its innovations as modular apps on SAP BTP, such as
SAP Green Ledger, SAP Digital Manufacturing, SAP Advanced Financial Closing, sustainability management,
and next-generation industry solutions. SAP is following this strategy to strengthen its clean core strategy:
• The core holds the essential business processes that companies need, regardless of the industry they
operate in (core processes).
• Differentiating processes (edge, industry, innovative, next-generation, and more) are moved as modular
apps toward SAP BTP, establishing modular cloud ERP.

Customers and partners should follow the same strategy and establish two-layer IT:
• Layer 1: A stable clean core holding essential core processes that keep the business up and running,
automating processes to lower the bottom line
• Layer 2: An innovation layer with fast innovations, flexibility, modularity, and nondisruptiveness to the
core – providing processes that differentiate from competitors and give competitive advantage, increasing
the top line (examples include sales-order automation, just-in-time production, and customer loyalty)

SAP BTP is an innovation layer next to a stable clean core and provides superior benefits:
• It is deeply integrated and interwoven with your core ERP and understands and shares the underlying
meta and business model.
• SAP S/4HANA uses services for SAP BTP (for example, SAP HANA service for SAP BTP, SAP Integration
Suite, SAP Datasphere solution, SAP AI Core infrastructure, and ABAP Cloud).
• Deep integration – An extension wizard can start directly from SAP S/4HANA, which allows you to navigate
to tools for extension creation on SAP BTP (see Chapter 4) or to the service center where we show APIs
and business application programming interfaces, along with remote function calls, as such.
• ABAP Cloud and CAP – Hyperscalers don’t offer programming models that help create business
applications with that much built-in functionality.
• SAP Business Accelerator Hub provides a vast amount of built-in, up-to-date content for our applications,
such as integrations, connectors, APIs, localization, and so on.
• As mentioned in more detail in Chapter 4, Joule, SAP’s AI copilot, offers support specialized in
SAP software–oriented development (both for ABAP Cloud and CAP).

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3.3 The public cloud extensibility on the stack for SAP S/4HANA and can leverage
model local APIs from SAP, such as CDS views, interfaces,
business objects, and the like. Developers use
The previous paragraphs described different
ABAP development tools for Eclipse in their
extension patterns and ways to approach these
development projects and can make use of full-
for both on-stack and side-by-side extensibility.
fledged development capabilities including
Now, let’s inspect how this is realized for
profiling, debugging, and code checks. By using
SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition.
only released public APIs, extensions developed
with ABAP Cloud are upgrade stable and have a
On-stack key user extensibility
clean core by default. The list of released APIs
This extensibility technique provides key users can be found in ABAP development tools but
(business experts) with the ability to do low- also on SAP Business Accelerator Hub and in
code/no-code extensions directly on stack the cloudification repository on GitHub. Further
running on SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition. information is provided on SAP Community.
To develop these extensions, key users can either
use dedicated SAP Fiori apps or make changes Side-by-side extensibility on SAP BTP
directly inside existing SAP business applications.
Side-by-side extensions are developed on
SAP BTP and have a clean core by default.
Examples include:
Communication with SAP S/4HANA Cloud solutions
• Changing labels and positions in existing SAP is possible through released remote APIs (such
business applications or adding custom fields as OData APIs) and events, which can be found
to them on SAP Business Accelerator Hub. The portfolio
• Implementing business logic extensions at well- of services, tools, frameworks, and runtimes for
defined locations inside the SAP business objects SAP BTP offer a lot of flexibility and target different
• Creating custom business objects or analytical development and technology preferences and
queries specific to the business department personas. Tools are available that address both
key users (business experts) and developers. As
On-stack developer extensibility mentioned previously, side-by-side extensibility
on SAP BTP can be based on two development
Developer extensibility offers professional,
models – either ABAP Cloud or CAP.
comprehensive development of extensions,
applications, and integrations using the ABAP
Cloud development model. These extensions run

16 | 27
3.4 The private cloud extensibility API enablement technique exists in the private
model cloud, referred to as Tier 2. Furthermore, the private
cloud allows for brownfield implementations and
The public cloud extensibility model described
conversion from SAP ERP Central Component
above is reused in SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private
to SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition and,
Edition. It is cloud enabled and has a clean core
therefore, allows the takeover of classic extensions
by default and is, therefore, the go-to extensibility
for ABAP. These will be collected in Tier 3. The
model for the private cloud including key user,
interplay of these extensibility tiers is called
developer, and side-by-side extensibility. In the
the 3-tier extensibility model, shown in Figure 2
context of the private cloud, these extensions
below and explained in the next subsections.
are called Tier 1 extensions. One of the key
principles of Tier 1 extensions is the usage of
released APIs. If such an API is missing, a cloud

Figure 2: The 3-tier extensibility model for SAP S/4HANA

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3.4.1. Tier 1
Tier 1 extensions are developed using ABAP Cloud for on-stack extensions and all capabilities offered by
SAP BTP (see Chapter 4). Thereby, they are strictly decoupled from the SAP code through released APIs,
events, and extensions points. This is the go-to extensibility tier for new extensions.

3.4.2. Tier 2
There are cases where the required public APIs for Tier 1 extensions are missing. To unblock this situation,
Tier 2 provides an API enablement mechanism to make use of classic APIs instead. This can be the case
either because the public APIs come with a higher release, or it can also occur in areas where SAP does
not actively invest in new APIs (for example, classic HCM). In these cases, SAP nominates existing classic APIs.

3.4.3. Tier 3
Tier 3 contains classic extensions for ABAP. Hence, existing classic code in ABAP brought into
SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition, for instance, from the conversion from SAP ERP Central Component,
will reside in this tier. There is no “magic button” that allows the transformation of all existing extensions
for ABAP to Tier 1 and Tier 2. Moreover, there are cases where extensions cannot be developed in Tier 1
due to technical limitations (such as extensions to SAP business applications based on the SAP GUI interface).
Hence, we recommend starting the journey to reach a clean core by following three steps:
1. Retire all unused custom code and remove it from the system. Perform a fit-to-standard analysis11 to
check which existing extension can be replaced by SAP standard functionalities.
2. If there is a business case to renovate an extension (for example, to make it future ready for the cloud,
make use of new technologies or mobile apps, and so on), bring it step by step toward Tier 1 and Tier 2.
3. For the rest, ensure minimum quality and upgrade stability by following best practices to adapt your
code. To do this, leverage ABAP test cockpit and classic APIs.

For details and more information, please see the extensibility guide for ABAP.

3.4.4. Recommendations for partners

Partners should follow the same recommendations for their partner solutions and add-ons as customers,
so the above guidelines also hold for partners. Partner solutions and add-ons should not break the
clean core strategy of customers. To this end, a clean core certification for partners has been created.
Customers can find certified partner solutions for a clean core in the SAP Certified Solutions Directory
mobile app.

11. For more information, see this premium engagement session on intelligent custom code management or this support page on fit-to-standard workshops.

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3.5 Launching a clean-core certification program for partner applications
SAP Integration and Certification Center (SAP ICC), part of the Partner Innovation Lifecycle Services group,
announces the launch of a certification program for partner applications following the clean core criteria,
with which it is possible to prove clean core compatibility to customers.

With the clean core approach, SAP wants to make sure that partner applications follow the strategy
in both the development and delivery of partner solutions to SAP customers. In the optimal case, this is
enabled by using SAP recommended extension options only, as described in the extensibility model for
SAP S/4HANA Cloud. The following partner apps that previously adhered to the 3-tier model outlined in
this document can earn the clean core designation:
• Add-ons for ABAP Cloud (Tier 1 or Tier 2) built for SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition12
• Side-by-side solutions running on SAP BTP (Tier 1) and integrating with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition.
Technical feasibility will be checked and confirmed through Partner application on SAP BTP
Certification.

Further technical details regarding the certification program can be found in this presentation.

Summary
When starting with SAP S/4HANA Cloud in a greenfield approach, that is, without an existing structure or
processes, we recommend you follow the previously mentioned guidelines and recommendations. That
means using Tier 1 extensibility where possible, Tier 2 extensibility when no publicly released SAP APIs
are available, and Tier 3 extensibility for your existing classic extensions for ABAP or when using Tier 1 and
Tier 2 is not possible. For existing classic extensions for ABAP, follow the described steps for Tier 3 to reach a
clean core step by step.

12. The certification scenario is generally available, and if you want to receive more details, please contact us at icc@sap.com.

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3.6 APIs, events, and extension points On the SAP Road Map Explorer Web site, it is
possible to choose a certain product (for instance,
Publicly released APIs, events, and extension points
SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition) and select
are the foundation for clean core extensibility
the focus topic filter Integration to learn about
both on stack and side by side, since they allow
upcoming APIs.
decoupling from SAP code. They can be found
on SAP Business Accelerator Hub. Customers
Now that the strategy and the reasoning behind
and partners can request new APIs, events, and
the clean core has been laid out, the following
extension points through Customer Influence
chapter describes how to develop extensions
program channels as shown below.
achieving and keeping a clean core, that is,
• SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition: which services support extension development
– SAP S/4HANA Cloud and SAP S/4HANA for according to the clean core strategy and how
Integration best to leverage the benefits of the SAP Cloud
– SAP S/4HANA Cloud and SAP S/4HANA for Application Programming Model and the ABAP
Key User and Developer Extensibility RESTful application programming model for
• SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition: SAP S/4HANA both on-stack and side-by-side extensions.
Cloud Private Edition for Extensibility and Inte-
gration (APIs)

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4 Extend SAP S/4HANA with SAP Build
The go-to place following SAP-recommended business context. Uniquely trained on SAP data
best practices to create extensions optimized for and processes, it helps developers write code
SAP software development is SAP Build. SAP Build and design workflows for SAP S/4HANA across
includes powerful low-code, pro-code (ABAP, Java, ABAP, Java, JavaScript, and low-code tools. As
JavaScript), and generative AI capabilities, and an integral part of SAP Build, Joule is the copilot
enhanced interoperability with SAP S/4HANA to for SAP development and makes developers
empower developers and business experts to more efficient with their development tasks for
create extensions for SAP software with greater SAP S/4HANA.
efficiency. It allows customers to accelerate ERP
modernization, foster innovation, and automate Joule generates high-quality code and code
processes – all within a single comprehensive explanations aligned with SAP’s programming
suite of solutions. models, thereby reducing development time
for both new and experienced developers and
Streamline extension of SAP S/4HANA accelerating migration to cloud ERP with a
Through application development and process clean core.
automation with SAP Build, the previously described
programming models CAP and ABAP Cloud can be AI capabilities enabled by Joule can also be used
leveraged, being aligned with clean core principles to extend ERP through low-code application
to create scalable, secure, and stable extensions. development. Joule assists with process auto-
mation, expediting the creation of workflows for
Accelerate extension of SAP S/4HANA with SAP S/4HANA and guiding workflow approvers
AI capabilities enabled by Joule with automated recommendations.

New levels of ERP efficiency can be unlocked

with the latest AI capabilities enabled by Joule
in SAP Build. Joule is SAP’s AI copilot offering
conversational interactions in the respective

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Fusion team development
SAP Build offers diverse, multiskilled teams with professional developers and business experts what they
need to create enterprise extensions fostering collaboration, asset sharing, and seamless technology
bridges with built-in governance and lifecycle management (see Figure 3). The lobby for SAP Build is the
central place and the starting point to begin an extension project with SAP Build – be it for side-by-side
extension development on SAP BTP or for on-stack extension development. Depending on the use case
of the extension, the respective development environment can be launched as, for instance, in a complete
application development pro-code scenario, ABAP development tools for an on-stack-extension or
SAP Build Code development tools, or ABAP development tools for a side-by-side extension. The lobby
provides many convenient features, such as monitoring capabilities and access to prebuilt content to
supercharge developer productivity.

Figure 3: SAP Build – what it comprises, how it can be used, and which solutions can benefit from it

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5 Getting started
Your path to a clean core – as a step-by-step guide on how to get and stay clean – is similar for both greenfield
and brownfield implementations. Whereas for greenfield the main task is to design a system utilizing as much
standard functionality as possible and implement governance to keep this system clean (all steps except
step 3 on the following page), a brownfield implementation – in addition – entails a transformation journey
that strives to make existing custom code clean (all steps including step 3 on the next page). SAP recommends
anchoring the clean core principles in an organization’s IT strategy and follow clean core guidelines as
mandatory for new extensions – whether in a greenfield or brownfield approach. RISE with SAP Methodology
embeds these into the customer journey (greenfield or brownfield) through relevant tasks across project
phases, in the form of a standardized framework, governance, guidance, and use of a tool chain. Quality
gates, as well as reports with recommendations and actions, help you stay on track during your transformation
journey, adhering to clean core principles. Whether through SAP-led or partner-led engagements, you
can get a clear path with specific implementation stages and success parameters to be able to take advantage
of speed, agility, and the benefits of the cloud.

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The six-step path to a clean core is as follows:

1
Start with the clean core concept and definition: This document is a perfect place to
start, as it provides explanations and recommendations, with links to learn more about and
understand the concept. Please refer to this document and to the SAP Learning Journey
“Applying the RISE with SAP Methodology” to help understand how you would apply these
concepts in your transformation journey in a tangible way.

2
Apply the concept and create your specific clean core strategy: The clean core concept
needs to be applied to the specific requirements of each customer and should be reflected in
all aspects of your IT strategy. This presentation provides further details to support this.

3
Analyze existing custom code (brownfield only): As discussed in Chapter 3, existing custom
code needs to be analyzed. You should prioritize what to touch first, retire unused objects, and
create a list of objects to be redesigned or replatformed. Further tools to help with this are
described in this blog post and this overview.

4
Adopt extension guidelines and methodologies: Conduct a fit-gap analysis resulting in
a gap list. Ensure fit to standard, including validating gaps against future product road maps, and
design clean extensions following the SAP Application Extension Methodology and SAP Integration
Solution Advisory Methodology according to the previously described guidelines. 13

5
Build extensions: Follow the 3-tier model described in Chapter 3 and use the services
described in Chapter 4 to develop on stack or side by side, keeping the core clean.

6
Establish clean core governance and operations: As mentioned previously, document your
technical debt, establish clean core governance, and embed your undertakings in your business
transformation journey..14 Clean core governance is key to success. Every deviation from clean
core principles (or your specific clean core strategy) should go through a governance board
that has to approve and document every exception. Clean core baselines such as KPIs and
thresholds should also be in place, as should periodic monitoring using technical governance
tools, such as mandatory checks from the ABAP test cockpit. The goal is to minimize the number
of business modifications and unclean and unused custom code and maximize the share of
code that is clean core compliant.

13. Find more information: Extensibility guide for ABAP, fit-to-standard analysis for SAP Signavio solutions, SAP BTP Guidance Framework, SAP Extensibility Explorer tool
14. SAP LeanIX solutions and the SAP Cloud ALM solution can help with this.

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6 Summary
Striving for a clean core comes with many benefits. However, it certainly poses several challenges. We
continue to try to solve these challenges. We do so by providing a rich extensibility offering for both
SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition and SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition, considering each of their
different backgrounds and requirements. We certainly take into account customer needs during this
transformation journey.

We understand your requirements during your transformation into the cloud, and our extensibility offering
will continue to improve to mirror this in the future. Be sure to stay up to date by checking our packed road
maps for future innovations to improve the clean core extensibility model for SAP S/4HANA Cloud even further.

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7 Appendix
Below is a list of relevant links that can support you on your journey toward a clean core.

Links Descriptions

Extension use case patterns Provides help to determine which part of the extension runs on
SAP S/4HANA as an on-stack extension and which part runs on
SAP BTP as a side-by-side extension

SAP Application Extension Describes a structured, technology-agnostic approach for customers

Methodology and partners to define an organization-specific extension strategy

SAP BTP Developer’s Guide Helps to implement business applications on SAP BTP

SAP BTP Guidance Framework Provides a central access point for architects, developers, and
administrators to build and run enterprise-grade solutions on SAP BTP

SAP Business Accelerator Hub Offers what customers need to accelerate integrations, extensions,
and innovations (APIs, events, CDS views, prebuilt automation
content, and more)

Clean core on SAP.com Gives an overview of the ERP clean core strategy

RISE with SAP Methodology Represents a comprehensive framework designed to drive digital
transformation and intelligent operations within organizations,
leveraging advanced tools and strategies to streamline processes,
enhance efficiency, and accelerate innovation

From Classic ABAP to ABAP Gives an overview of implementation and certification for add-ons
Cloud and clean core for ABAP Cloud for SAP partners

Extend SAP S/4HANA in the Provides an overview on the extensibility options for ABAP-based
cloud and on premise with extensions on SAP S/4HANA in the cloud and on premise, along with
ABAP-based extensions guidelines for project managers, key users, and ABAP developers

SAP Discovery Center Lets you explore missions, reference architectures, and services
for SAP BTP

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Links Descriptions

Extension architecture guide Shows how you can use the guide to determine which SAP tech-
nology should be applied in a given scenario

SAP BTP Developer’s Guide Shows how you can use the guide to improve the process of
implementing a business application on SAP BTP

ABAP Cloud Details a development model for ABAP to build cloud-ready business
apps, services, and extensions

SAP Cloud Application Helps you build cloud-native applications with maximized productivity
Programming Model at minimized costs, based on proven best practices

Tutorials for SAP Build Apps Provides tutorials for SAP Build Apps

Tutorials for SAP Build Process Provides tutorials for SAP Build Process Automation
Automation

Tutorials for SAP Build Work Provides tutorials for SAP Build Work Zone
Zone

SAP Build Code Demo Showcases SAP Build Code development tools: AI code generation
with Joule copilot, built on SAP BTP, that is optimized for Java and
JavaScript development; delivering a turnkey environment for coding,
testing, integrations, and application lifecycle management.

Watch the video to get an overview of SAP Build Code.

SAP BTP, ABAP environment Informs about a platform-as-a-service offering that enables developers
on SAP Community to use their traditional on-premise knowledge of ABAP to develop
and run applications on SAP BTP

Hitachi High-Tech customer story Shows how Hitachi High-Tech mastered side-by-side development
techniques to innovate in a more agile and future-ready way

SAP Innovation Awards 2024 Gives information about RISE with SAP and the clean core journey
– Accenture of Accenture

93961enUS (24/10) © 2024 SAP SE or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. See Legal Notice on www.sap.com/legal-notice for use terms, disclaimers, disclosures, or restrictions related to this material.

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