HANA News Blog

Smart SAP HANA Optimization: Applying NSE for Better Efficiency

Matthias Sander • 15. Januar 2025

Optimize your HANA with NSE

 When it comes to optimizing SAP HANA, the balance between performance and cost efficiency is critical. I am happy to share a success story where we used the Native Storage Extension (NSE) to significantly optimize memory usage while being able to adjust the sizing at the end.

The Challenge: Our client was operating on a 4 TB memory SAP HANA system, where increasing data loads were driving up costs and memory usage. They needed a solution to right-size their system without compromising performance or scalability. The client wanted to use less hardware in the future.

The Solution: We implemented NSE to offload less frequently accessed data from memory. The activation was customized based on table usage patterns:
  •     6 tables fully transitioned to NSE
  •     1 table partially transitioned (single partition)
  •     1 table transitioned by specific columns

The Results:  Memory Savings 1135 GB


  • NSE: 945 GB saved
  • Changing one table to Inverted Individual Index: 90 GB saved
  • SBCMCONT1 cleanup: 230 GB saved
  • Offset: NSE Buffer Cache (130 GB)


As you can see, we have not only saved memory through NSE, but have also discovered other potential savings in the course of the project.


Including the NSE buffer cache, we were able to save around 48% of the memory compared to the initial situation. A really great result. On average, we achieve savings of around 25-35% for an ERP system.

After the GoLive of NSE, the client waited around 5 weeks until the database memory was reduced from 4 TB to 2.5 TB, despite prior and intensive tests in the test system.

As a result, we achieved optimal sizing according to SAP:

  • 50 % payload data
  • 50 % working memory



It would have been possible to reduce the memory to 2 TB, but then we would have been directly at an utilization of 62%. Depending on the growth and use of the database, this may already be too much and it would have to be increased again soon.

The customer has decided on a conservative approach and selected 2.5 TB.   

Beyond NSE: Holistic Data Management Is Key

While NSE delivered exceptional results in this case, it is not the only solution for optimizing SAP HANA systems. Proactive data archiving and, importantly, data deletion can also lead to significant memory savings. For example, SAP note "2388483 - How-To: Data Management for Technical Tables" provides excellent strategies for managing technical tables effectively.

These steps — NSE, archiving, and deletion — serve as excellent preparation for:


  • Purchasing new on-premise hardware
  • Migrating to cloud or other cloud environments
  • Transitioning to SAP RISE

The less data you store in memory, the lower your costs and environmental impact. These optimizations not only improve performance but also contribute to a greener IT landscape by reducing energy usage. It is better to clean up first and then migrate.

As you can see from this story, an NSE project helps you to get to know your data better and also reveals other areas where memory can be saved.

How Can We Help? If you’re considering memory optimization for your SAP HANA system we’re here to help. Feel free to reach out with any questions or to explore how we can assist you in unlocking the full potential of your SAP HANA environment.


Together, let’s make SAP HANA smarter, leaner, and more sustainable.

SAP HANA News by XLC

Why Databases Need Optimizer Statistics – With a Focus on SAP HANA

SAP HANA data statistics for the optimizer

von Jens Gleichmann • 28. Mai 2025
In the world of modern database management systems, query performance is not just a matter of hardware—it’s about smart execution plans. At the core of generating these plans lies a critical component: optimizer statistics. This article explores why databases need optimizer statistics, with particular emphasis on SAP HANA, while drawing parallels with Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL), and IBM DB2.
HANA OS maintenance

HANA OS maintenance

von Jens Gleichmann • 27. Mai 2025
Please notice that when you want to run HANA 2.0 SPS07, you need defined OS levels. As you can see RHEL7 and SLES12 are not certified for SPS07. The SPS07 release of HANA is the basis for the S/4HANA release 2023 which is my recommended go-to release for the next years. Keep in mind that you have to go to SPS07 when you are running SPS06 because it will run out of maintenance end of 2023.
HANA performance degradation after upgrade to SPS07+SPS08

Ongoing HANA HEX performance issues with SPS07+SPS08

von Jens Gleichmann • 27. Mai 2025
With SPS06 and even stronger in SPS07 the HEX engine was pushed to be used more often. This results on the one hand side in easy scenario to perfect results with lower memory and CPU consumption ending up in faster response times. But in scenarios with FAE (for all entries) together with FDA (fast data access), it can result in bad performance. After some customers upgraded their first systems to SPS07 I recommended to wait for Rev. 73/74. But some started early with Rev. 71/72 and we had to troubleshoot many statement. If you have similar performance issues after the upgrade to SPS07 feel free to contact us! Our current recommendation is to use Rev. 74 with some workarounds. The performance degradation is extreme in systems like EWM and BW with high analytical workload.
The HANA Optimizer is one of the core components of the HANA database. It determines how SQL is exec

SAP HANA Optimizer - the heart of the performance

von Jens Gleichmann • 25. Mai 2025
A database optimizer behaves similarly to the navigation system in your car. You use various parameters to determine which route you want to take to reach a particular destination. Potential additional costs for tolls and ferries also play a role, as do other limitations such as the vehicle's height, length, and width. From these input parameters, the navigation system determines the optimal route based on current traffic information (traffic volume, construction sites, congestion, accidents, closures, etc.), weather conditions, and the length of the route. This means that with exactly identical input parameters, different routes, costs, and thus different travel times can arise depending on the given conditions.
Is NSE worth the effort or is the better question: Do you know your cost per GB of RAM?

Is the effort for NSE worth it?

von Jens Gleichmann • 18. April 2025
Most of our presentations on data tiering projects end with these typical questions: How much we will save? How fast can it be implemented? Is the effort worth it over time? My counter question: "Do you know how much 1 GB of memory costs your company per month or year?" => how much memory we have to save to be beneficial?
Buch: SAP HANA Deepdive

Buchtipp: SAP HANA Deepdive: Optimierung und Stabilität im Betrieb

von Jens Gleichmann und Matthias Sander • 30. März 2025
Unser erster Buch mit dem Titel "SAP HANA Deepdive: Optimierung und Stabilität im Betrieb" ist erschienen.
More time to switch from BSoH to S/4HANA

SAP ERP Extended Maintenance until 2033 - but with conditions

von Jens Gleichmann • 7. Februar 2025
Recently handelsblatt released an article with a new SAP RISE option called SAP ERP, private edition, transition option. This option includes a extended maintenance until the end 2033. This means 3 years more compared to the original on-prem extended maintenance. This statement was confirmed by SAP on request of handelsblatt, but customers receive more details, such as the price, in the first half of the year. This is a quite unusual move of SAP without any official statement on the news page. Just to raise more doubts? Strategy? However a good move against the critics and the ever shorter timeline. Perhaps it is also a consequence of the growing shortage of experts for operating and migrating the large number of systems.
SAP HANA NSE - a technical deepdive with Q&A

HANA NSE - technical details Q&A

von Jens Gleichmann • 6. Januar 2025
SAP NSE was introduced with HANA 2.0 SPS04 and based on a similar approach like data aging. Data aging based on a application level approach which has a side effect if you are using a lot of Z-coding. You have to use special BADI's to access the correct data. This means you have to adapt your coding if you are using it for Z-tables or using not SAP standard functions for accessing the data in your Z-coding. In this blog we will talk about the technical aspects in more detail.
The SAP Enterprise Cloud Services Private Cloud Customer Center (PC3) - a new digital delivery

3 years of RISE with SAP: ECS realignment

von Jens Gleichmann • 5. Januar 2025
The SAP Enterprise Cloud Services Private Cloud Customer Center (PC3) - a new digital delivery engagement model dedicated to manage service delivery for RISE with SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition customers.
Proactive maintenance for SAP RISE will start now in 2025

SAP RISE: Proactive Maintenance

von Jens Gleichmann • 5. Januar 2025
Proactive maintenance for SAP RISE will start now in 2025 with minor tasks like updating SPAM/SAINT and ST-PI / ST-A/PI. For those companies which are familiar with frequent maintenance windows, they are good to have such time frames to hold the systems up-to-date and secure. However, for larger companies where such frequent maintenance windows are not common because every minute of downtime is costly and may only really be necessary once, the situation is quite different.
more