Learn how to develop and operate SaaS applications by using add-ons in the ABAP environment.
The ABAP environment allows you to leverage existing ABAP know-how to create custom add-ons in the cloud. This add-on build process is orchestrated by using the ABAP environment. Delivery tools, such as the Add-on Assembly Kit as a Service for the registration and publishing of the add-on as a software product, and deployment tools to carry out test installations and to make the add-on available for productive use, simplify this process. See Delivery Tools and Deployment Tools.
You should only consider using add-on delivery if you intend to offer a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution.
Note that only one add-on can be installed per system.
Following the add-on build process, you can develop a multitenant application to share the add-on with multiple consumers (tenants) simultaneously. See Multitenant Applications. The application is registered with the Software-as-a-Service provisioning service (saas-registry) to make the application available for subscription to consumers. See Register the Multitenant Application to the SaaS Provisioning Service.
In this context, the ABAP Solution Service accounts for the provisioning of new ABAP service instances, including the installation of the add-on, and the creation of tenants whenever required for a new consumer subscription.
The way ABAP service instances and tenants are used for consumer subscription applications can be configured as follows:
- Single-tenant enabled: With each new consumer, a new ABAP service instance is created
- Multi-tenant enabled: For multiple consumers, the same ABAP service instance is used
For more information, see Multitenancy in the ABAP Environment.
This guide describes the end-to-end process of developing and offering a SaaS solution using the ABAP environment. The following chapters cover all aspects of this scenario, from the initial setup and development tasks to the final productive use by consumers.
The Concepts chapter gives you an overview about important concepts that are relevant throughout the end-to-end process.
The Glossary contains a list of all the technical terms and phrases used in this scenario.
Chapter Develop, Test, Build describes the actual development activities. This includes the setup of the required account structure and system landscape, as well as the recommended testing process and subsequent build of the add-on.
Chapter Order and Provide illustrates how a developed add-on can be deployed and made available to consumers. It also shows how consumers order solutions and what steps you, as the provider, need to perform to provision the solution.
Chapter Configure and Implement a Customer Project describes how to configure and implement a customer project in the consumer tenant, including the setup of identity and authentication management, integration with other systems or services, and adjustment of business configuration.
Chapter Maintain, Monitor, Support gives you an overview about the activities involved in maintaining an already commercialized product, as you usually continue to support the add-on, fix bugs, and potentially offer new functionalities as time goes on.
Chapter Dismantle provides information about consumer offboarding, in particular about deleting and restoring tenants.
If you decide to use gCTS transport instead of add-on delivery, please refer to the gCTS Delivery boxes across the guide. See Delivery via Add-On or gCTS.
For more information, see Build ABAP Code into an Add-on Product and Make it Available as a Tenant-Aware SaaS Solution.
The tutorial group "Convert Your Add-on Product into a Tenant-aware SaaS Solution" is now replaced by the functionality of the Maintain Solution app.