Licensing & Commercial Center
Centralised reference for architects, project managers, and solution owners. Covers BTP commercial models, scenario-by-scenario licensing requirements, extension patterns, AI scenarios, a comprehensive reference matrix, and common architecture pattern dependencies.
BTP Licensing Overview
The four commercial models for SAP BTP services — and what RISE/GROW includes by default.
Consume BTP services on demand with no upfront commitment. Highest unit price. Ideal for development sandboxes, exploration, and non-production workloads.
Flat-rate subscription for specific services (Integration Suite, Work Zone Advanced, Build Apps). Predictable cost regardless of consumption within defined limits.
Cloud Platform Enterprise Agreement. Pre-purchase a credit block at discounted unit rates. Credits can be consumed across all eligible BTP services. Being replaced by BTPEA for new contracts.
The replacement for CPEA in new contracts from 2024. Similar pre-committed credit model with improved flexibility, better reporting in SAP for Me, and lower minimum commitment thresholds.
Commercial Model Architecture
How SAP commercial agreements map to BTP platform services, subscriptions, and bundle inclusions.
RISE with SAP vs GROW with SAP vs On-Premise
Standard published scope. Actual entitlements vary by contract tier — verify in SAP for Me (me.sap.com).
Feature / Entitlement | RISE with SAPGenerally Available | GROW with SAPGenerally Available | S/4HANA On-Premise |
|---|---|---|---|
| ERP Deployment | |||
| S/4HANA deployment model | Private Cloud (PCE) | Public Cloud (SaaS) | On-Premise |
| Upgrade managed by SAP | |||
| Upgrade cadence | Annual | Quarterly | Customer-defined |
| Custom ABAP (ABAP Cloud) | |||
| Hyperscaler choice (AWS/Azure/GCP) | |||
| BTP & Platform | |||
| BTP credits included | Yes (tier-based) | Yes (limited) | Purchase separately |
| SAP Business App Studio (BAS) | Purchase separately | ||
| Cloud Identity Services (IAS/IPS) | Purchase separately | ||
| Cloud ALM | Purchase separately | ||
| Build & Extensibility | |||
| SAP Build Apps | Limited | Purchase separately | |
| Build Process Automation | Limited | Purchase separately | |
| Build Work Zone — Standard Edition | |||
| Build Work Zone — Advanced Edition | Separately priced | Separately priced | |
| AI & Copilot | |||
| Joule Core Skills (11 GA) | Limited | ||
| Joule Booster | Add-on entitlement | ||
| AI Foundation (AI Core + Gen AI Hub) | CPEA consumption | CPEA consumption | Purchase separately |
| Other Entitlements | |||
| SAP LeanIX Enterprise Architecture | |||
| SAP Business Network Starter Pack | |||
| SAP Learning Hub — selected content | |||
BTP Commercial Models — CPEA / BTPEA / PAYG / Subscription
CPEA is being superseded by BTPEA for new contracts from 2024. PAYG is only for non-production workloads at scale.
Aspect | PAYG | Subscription | CPEA | BTPEA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commitment model | No commitment | Fixed term | Pre-committed credits | Pre-committed credits |
| Minimum spend | None | Contract minimum | Yes | Yes (lower than CPEA) |
| Unit price vs. PAYG | Full price | Fixed (predictable) | Discounted | Discounted |
| Scope | Most BTP services | Specific service | Cross-BTP services | Cross-BTP services |
| Credit expiry | None | End of term | End of contract | End of contract |
| Unused credit rollover | N/A | N/A | No | Deal-specific |
| New contracts (2024+) | Always available | Service-specific | Being replaced | SAP preferred vehicle |
| Best for | Dev/PoC/sandbox | Predictable service | Existing customers | New BTP workloads |
BTP Service Licensing Catalogue
Licensing overview for all covered BTP services. Select any service to view full details.
SAP BTP
SAP's unified platform for application development, integration, data management, and AI — hosting 80+ services across Cloud Foundry, Kyma, and ABAP runtimes.
Platform access is free; individual services consume CPEA/BTPEA credits or carry their own subscription.
CAP
An open-source, convention-over-configuration framework for building cloud-native services and applications on SAP BTP using CDS, Node.js, and Java.
Framework is free (Apache 2.0). BTP infrastructure costs apply when deployed on Cloud Foundry, Kyma, or ABAP environment.
Build Apps
SAP's visual, no-code/low-code application development tool for building responsive web and mobile applications without hand-coding.
Licensed per active user per month. Included with GROW with SAP (limited). Available as stand-alone subscription.
Build Process Automation
Combines workflow automation and robotic process automation (RPA) in one SAP BTP service — enabling end-to-end process automation with pre-built SAP content packages.
Workflow automation instances consumed via CPEA credits. RPA bots (attended/unattended) carry separate licensing. Included in GROW with SAP.
Work Zone
A central digital workplace hub — providing a unified launchpad for SAP and non-SAP applications, personalised workpages, notifications, and workflow management.
Standard edition included. Advanced edition licensed per active user — requires separate CPEA/BTPEA allocation.
HANA Cloud
A fully managed, cloud-native, in-memory database platform on SAP BTP — supporting relational, vector, JSON, spatial, and graph data models with integrated data lake.
Capacity-based: compute block sizes (16–512 GB RAM), storage units (1 GB increments), and optional data lake file/relational storage. Included in RISE with SAP.
Integration Suite
SAP's enterprise integration platform-as-a-service (iPaaS) — enabling cloud-to-cloud, cloud-to-on-premise, and B2B integration via 2,000+ pre-built connectors.
Subscription-based. Message volume and API call thresholds define the tier. API Management and Event Mesh may carry separate entitlements.
Datasphere
SAP's business data fabric platform — enabling data integration, federation, semantic modelling, and governed access across heterogeneous data sources without data duplication.
Capacity units: Workload Class A (standard compute), Workload Class B (large-scale transforms), plus storage. Can be procured standalone or via Business Data Cloud bundle.
Business Data Cloud
A unified data and AI product (GA May 2025) combining SAP Datasphere, SAP Analytics Cloud, pre-built SAP business data products, and Snowflake — for intelligent enterprise data management.
Bundle subscription — includes Datasphere, SAP Analytics Cloud, pre-built SAP data products, and Snowflake technology. Pricing per organisation deal.
AI Core
SAP's MLOps service on SAP BTP — providing infrastructure for AI model training, deployment, serving, and lifecycle management including access to the Generative AI Hub.
CPEA consumption-based: Resource Units for model training/serving, Inference Units for production AI workloads. Storage charged separately.
Generative AI Hub
SAP's curated access point for 20+ foundation models (GPT-4o, Claude, Gemini, Llama, DALL-E, and SAP-specific models) — with data privacy, usage tracking, and SAP context grounding.
Access via SAP AI Core (Standard plan). Token consumption billed per model per 1,000 tokens. All inference processed within SAP-operated infrastructure for data sovereignty.
Joule
SAP's generative AI copilot embedded across SAP applications — providing natural language interaction for navigation, transactions, insights, and code generation across the SAP portfolio.
Core Joule skills included in RISE with SAP. Joule Booster (additional skill pack) is a separate entitlement for RISE customers. Standalone access requires SAP AI Business Services licensing.
Service Dependency Map
Architectural layers showing which services depend on which.
Development Scenarios — Decision Matrices
For each development scenario: required services, optional services, runtime dependencies, and key licensing considerations.
- SAP BTP subaccount (any commercial model)
- SAP Business App Studio (BAS) — for development
- Cloud Foundry Runtime OR Kyma Runtime — for deployment
- XSUAA service (included with CF/Kyma)
- SAP HANA Cloud — for persistent data storage
- SAP Destination Service — for backend (S/4HANA) connectivity
- SAP Event Mesh — for async event-driven patterns
- SAP API Management — for API governance and rate limiting
- Cloud Foundry Runtime: memory/CPU-based billing
- Kyma Runtime: node-based billing (Kubernetes)
- BAS: included in RISE/GROW; separate subscription otherwise
- HANA Cloud: capacity unit billing (separate)
- CAP framework itself is free — open source (Apache 2.0)
- Runtime costs depend on chosen hosting (CF or Kyma)
- RISE/GROW includes a BTP credit envelope covering CF/Kyma usage
- Commercial deployment requires BTPEA/CPEA or Pay-as-you-Go
- No per-user licence for CAP applications — platform consumption only
- SAP BTP subaccount
- SAP Build Apps subscription (per active user)
- HTML5 Application Repository (included)
- Cloud Identity Services — IAS (included in RISE/GROW)
- SAP Destination Service — for OData/REST backend access
- SAP Build Work Zone — to host published apps in launchpad
- SAP HANA Cloud — for app-level data persistence
- SAP Integration Suite — for complex backend integration
- HTML5 runtime: included in BTP (no separate runtime charge)
- Published apps run in browser — no server-side runtime
- Backend calls via Destination Service use BTP connectivity quota
- Work Zone hosting: requires Work Zone Standard or Advanced licence
- Subscription model: priced per active user per month
- Standard plan: included in GROW with SAP
- RISE with SAP: Limited Build Apps included; full plan extra
- Premium features (custom JS, offline): require higher plan tier
- Verify current plan tiers on SAP Discovery Center
- SAP BTP subaccount
- SAP Build Process Automation subscription or CPEA
- SAP Cloud Identity Services — IAS (for user auth)
- SAP Build Work Zone — Task Center integration (recommended)
- SAP Destination Service — for S/4HANA event triggers
- SAP Event Mesh — for S/4HANA business event-driven BPA triggers
- SAP HANA Cloud — for process data and audit logs
- Desktop Agent — required for RPA bot execution on-premise
- Process Service runs in SAP-managed cloud (no runtime to provision)
- RPA Desktop Agent: deployed on attended/unattended Windows machines
- Task Center: requires Work Zone + backend task provider configuration
- S/4HANA event integration: requires BTP Event Mesh + S/4HANA config
- Free Tier: limited workflow instances and bots for exploration
- Standard: per active workflow participant; CPEA or subscription
- Standard + RPA: adds unattended bot execution licence
- GROW with SAP: Build PA included in suite (limited quota)
- RISE with SAP: limited allocation; requires top-up for production scale
- SAP BTP subaccount
- SAP Build Work Zone subscription (Standard or Advanced)
- Cloud Identity Services — IAS (for SSO)
- HTML5 Application Repository (included)
- SAP Task Center — for unified inbox (RISE/GROW task providers)
- SAP Joule — embedded AI copilot in Work Zone (requires Booster)
- SAP Launchpad Service — for Fiori app catalogue federation
- SAP Build Apps — for custom app cards in Work Zone
- Work Zone Standard: included in RISE and GROW — no additional cost
- Work Zone Advanced: per active user per month (separate licence)
- Task Center: configuration effort, no additional BTP runtime charge
- Joule in Work Zone: requires Joule Booster entitlement
- Standard Edition: included in RISE with SAP and GROW with SAP
- Advanced Edition: separately priced per active user
- Advanced required for: custom homepages, Joule integration, dynamic tiles
- ISV/reseller scenarios require separate Work Zone entitlement
- SAP Launchpad Service deprecated — migrate to Work Zone Standard
- SAP BTP subaccount
- SAP Integration Suite subscription (Standard or Enterprise)
- Cloud Integration (CPI) — for iFlow mediation
- SAP Cloud Identity Services — IAS (for inbound auth)
- API Management — for northbound API gateway and developer portal
- SAP Event Mesh — for async event-driven integration patterns
- Open Connectors — for 170+ third-party SaaS connectors
- Integration Advisor — for B2B/EDI message standards
- SAP Cloud Connector — required for on-premise system connectivity
- Flat-rate subscription: Standard or Enterprise tier (not CPEA)
- Priced by message volume and concurrent integration flows
- Cloud Connector: deployed on-premise; free to use
- Event Mesh: consumption-based on top of Integration Suite
- NOT CPEA-based: flat-rate subscription independent of BTP credits
- Standard: suitable for typical enterprise integration volumes
- Enterprise: required for very high message volumes, advanced B2B
- API Management add-on: priced separately per API call volume
- Migration from CPI standalone to Integration Suite required (CPI deprecated)
- SAP S/4HANA 2023 or later (or SuccessFactors / Ariba for those skill packs)
- SAP BTP subaccount with Joule configuration
- SAP Cloud Identity Services — IAS + SPS (Identity Propagation)
- SAP BTP Destination Service — for Principal Propagation to S/4HANA
- SAP Build Work Zone Advanced — to embed Joule panel in Work Zone
- Joule Booster — for extended skill packs and Joule Studio access
- SAP AI Core — for Joule Studio custom skills (requires Booster)
- SAP Generative AI Hub — for LLM-powered custom skill responses
- Joule infrastructure runs on SAP-managed BTP (no runtime to provision)
- SAP AI Core Standard plan required for Joule Studio deployments
- Gen AI Hub: CPEA token consumption for LLM-powered responses
- Joule Booster automated provisioning: simplifies BTP setup
- Joule Core Skills: INCLUDED in RISE with SAP
- Joule Booster: additional entitlement on top of RISE
- Joule Studio (custom skills): requires Joule Booster
- GROW with SAP: limited Joule capabilities; Booster not available
- Non-RISE customers: standalone Joule subscription required
- SAP BTP subaccount
- SAP AI Core service instance (Free Tier or Standard plan)
- SAP Cloud Identity Services — for service authentication
- Git repository — for Argo Workflow pipeline templates (GitOps)
- SAP AI Launchpad — for visual MLOps management (separate subscription)
- SAP HANA Cloud — for training data and Vector Engine RAG
- SAP Datasphere — for managed training dataset pipelines
- Object store (S3-compatible) — for artefact storage (included in Standard)
- CPEA / BTPEA consumption-based: Resource Units (training), Inference Units (serving)
- Free Tier: limited compute, 1 deployment — exploration only
- Standard: GPU compute for training, unlimited deployments
- AI Launchpad: separate subscription, not included in CPEA
- CPEA consumption: Resource Units (GPU/CPU training hours) + Inference Units (serving)
- AI Core is bundled at a base level in RISE/GROW AI Foundation entitlement
- Extended GPU training and high-volume inference require CPEA top-up
- Gen AI Hub access requires AI Core Standard plan as prerequisite
- No per-user licence — platform infrastructure consumption only
- SAP AI Core Standard plan (prerequisite — Gen AI Hub runs on AI Core)
- SAP BTP subaccount with AI Core service instance
- SAP Cloud Identity Services — for token-based authentication
- CPEA/BTPEA balance for token consumption
- SAP AI Launchpad — for prompt management UI and model testing
- SAP HANA Cloud Vector Engine — for RAG grounding via Orchestration Service
- SAP Build Code / Joule Studio — for developer access to Gen AI Hub models
- SAP Integration Suite — for routing Gen AI Hub calls in integration flows
- No additional runtime beyond AI Core — Gen AI Hub is a tenant on AI Core
- Orchestration Service: included with Gen AI Hub; no separate billing
- HANA Vector Engine: separate HANA Cloud capacity charge
- Token consumption varies by model — GPT-4o highest; Llama 3 lowest
- CPEA consumption: per 1,000 tokens per model (rates vary by model)
- AI Core Standard plan required — Free Tier gives limited model access
- Data sovereignty: prompts via SAP infrastructure — no vendor direct access
- Joule Booster includes Gen AI Hub access for Joule Studio skills
- Token budget controls via Orchestration Service recommended for production
Extension Scenarios
Comparison of all S/4HANA and BTP extension methods — BAdIs, Custom Fields, RAP, CAP, and side-by-side extensions. Shows whether BTP is required and the licensing implications.
| Extension Method | Description | BTP Required? | Licence Required | Additional Cost | Clean Core? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BAdI (Business Add-In) | Embedded ABAP exit points in S/4HANA for custom logic | No | S/4HANA Developer User | None — included in S/4HANA | Tier 2 (ABAP Cloud). Use only Released BAdI interfaces. No unreleased APIs. | |
| Custom Fields & Logic (Key User) | In-app extensibility via Custom Fields and Logic UI5 apps | No | S/4HANA Professional User + Custom Fields app access | None — included in RISE/GROW | Tier 1 (Key User). No code. Upgrade-safe by design. | |
| RAP (ABAP RESTful Application Programming) | OData V4 service development using CDS + ABAP behaviour | No | S/4HANA Developer User (S/4HANA) or ABAP Environment BTP | Developer User licence; ABAP Environment BTP if on BTP | Tier 2 (Developer Extensibility). Released APIs only in ABAP Cloud. Best for custom Fiori/OData services. | |
| CAP Side-by-Side Extension | Custom BTP application consuming S/4HANA APIs externally | Yes | BTP subaccount + CF/Kyma runtime + Destination Service | BTP runtime (CF/Kyma) + optional HANA Cloud | Tier 3 (Side-by-Side). Most flexible. Best for complex UX, integrations, and AI-powered extensions. | |
| ABAP Legacy (Classic Z/Y) | Traditional ABAP modification in customer namespace | No | S/4HANA Developer User | None — but upgrade risk and migration cost | NOT Clean Core. Not supported in ABAP Cloud. Migration to BAdI/RAP required for RISE/GROW. | |
| Fiori App Extension (UI Adaptation) | UI-level adaptation of standard Fiori apps without code | No | Key User / Developer depending on adaptation type | None (included) | Tier 1 (UI Adaptation). Changes stored in S/4HANA LREP. Upgrade-safe. | |
| SAP Build Apps Extension | No-code companion app extending S/4HANA process | Yes | BTP + Build Apps subscription (per active user) | Build Apps per active user per month | Consumes S/4HANA via released OData APIs. Work Zone integration recommended. | |
| Key User Extensibility — Custom Business Objects | Create new business objects via CBO app (without ABAP) | No | S/4HANA Professional User + CBO app access | None — included in RISE/GROW | Tier 1. Creates OData service automatically. Integrated in Fiori Launchpad. |
AI Scenarios
Licensing requirements for every SAP AI capability — from embedded Joule through custom model training on AI Core.
| AI Scenario | What it does | Requires | Commercial Model | Additional Cost | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joule Core Skills | Pre-built AI copilot skills in S/4HANA Finance, HR, Procurement | S/4HANA 2023+ · BTP · IAS · Destination Service (PP) | Included in RISE with SAP | None for RISE customers | Generally Available |
| Joule Booster | Extended skill packs, Joule Studio access, Agent Builder (Preview) | RISE with SAP + Joule Booster entitlement | Additional RISE entitlement (separately priced) | Joule Booster add-on fee | Generally Available |
| Joule Studio (Custom Skills) | Develop custom Joule skills and agents using SAP Joule Skill SDK (TypeScript) | Joule Booster · AI Core Standard · Gen AI Hub | Joule Booster required; AI Core CPEA consumption | AI Core Resource Units + Gen AI Hub token consumption | Generally Available |
| SAP AI Core — Custom ML | Train and serve custom machine learning models with Argo Workflows | BTP subaccount · AI Core Standard plan · Git repo for templates | CPEA / BTPEA (Resource Units + Inference Units) | Per GPU-hour (training) + per inference pod-hour (serving) | Generally Available |
| SAP Generative AI Hub | Access 20+ foundation models (GPT-4o, Claude, Gemini, Llama, Mistral) | AI Core Standard plan · CPEA balance | CPEA per 1,000 tokens per model (rates vary by model) | Token consumption — budget with Orchestration Service | Generally Available |
| Gen AI Hub Orchestration Service | Declarative RAG pipeline: template + grounding + PII masking + content filter | AI Core Standard · Gen AI Hub · HANA Cloud Vector Engine (for RAG) | Included with Gen AI Hub; HANA Cloud charged separately | Underlying LLM token cost only; no separate Orchestration charge | Generally Available |
| HANA Cloud Vector Engine (RAG) | Vector similarity search for RAG-grounded AI applications | SAP HANA Cloud (any capacity plan) | Included in HANA Cloud capacity licence | No separate Vector Engine charge — included in HANA Cloud | Generally Available |
| Joule Agent Builder | Low-code tool to create autonomous Joule Agents in Joule Studio | Joule Booster · AI Core Standard · Gen AI Hub | Joule Booster required; Preview status | No additional cost beyond Joule Booster + AI Core | Planned |
| SAP AI Launchpad | Visual web UI for AI Core — manage pipelines, deployments, logs | AI Core service instance (any plan) | Separate BTP subscription (not included in AI Core) | Separate subscription fee (see SAP Discovery Center) | Generally Available |
| Multi-Agent Orchestration | Dynamic orchestration of multiple specialist agents by a planner agent | AI Core + Gen AI Hub + custom orchestration framework | No dedicated SAP product yet — CPEA consumption on AI Core | AI Core + Gen AI Hub CPEA; custom development required | Roadmap |
SAP Joule Licensing Tiers
Three distinct Joule tiers. Do not assume Joule Booster or Studio are included in base RISE.
- 11 GA skills: S/4HANA Finance, HR, Procurement, Service Cloud
- Natural language Fiori navigation
- Context-aware process guidance
- Joule panel in Fiori Launchpad
- Extended skill packs beyond core
- Deeper S/4HANA process coverage
- Prerequisite for Joule Studio
- Automated BTP provisioning
- Custom skill authoring (TypeScript SDK)
- AI Core deployment of skills
- Gen AI Hub LLM integration
- Knowledge sources + RAG grounding
Technology Reference Matrix
Comprehensive one-stop reference: every SAP technology covered in this playbook with its purpose, licence, BTP requirement, cost model, and runtime dependency.
| Technology | Purpose | Licence Required | BTP Required? | Cost Model | Runtime Dependency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAP BTP Subaccount | Foundation — all BTP services require a subaccount | Included in RISE/GROW; CPEA/PAYG otherwise | Yes | No direct cost | Platform prerequisite |
| Cloud Foundry Runtime | Host CAP/Java/Node.js applications on BTP | RISE/GROW bundle or CPEA consumption | Yes | Per memory/CPU instance | BTP Cloud Foundry |
| Kyma Runtime | Host containers and functions on Kubernetes | CPEA / BTPEA node-hour billing | Yes | Per Kyma node (3-node minimum) | BTP Kyma (Kubernetes) |
| ABAP Environment (BTP) | ABAP Cloud development without on-premise S/4HANA | Subscription or CPEA | Yes | Monthly subscription per ABAP unit | BTP ABAP stack |
| SAP CAP Framework | Build OData V4 services with CDS-first design | Free (Apache 2.0 open source) | Yes | Runtime cost only (CF or Kyma) | CF or Kyma (deployment) |
| SAP Business App Studio | Cloud IDE for SAP development | Included RISE/GROW; standalone subscription | Yes | Included or per-user subscription | BTP (SAP-managed) |
| SAP Build Apps | No-code app development with drag-and-drop | Per active user (subscription) | Yes | Per active user / month | HTML5 runtime (included) |
| SAP Build Process Automation | Business process automation + RPA bots | CPEA or subscription; free tier available | Yes | Per workflow + per bot (RPA) | SAP-managed cloud + Desktop Agent |
| SAP Build Work Zone — Standard | Fiori launchpad and content federation | Included in RISE + GROW | Yes | No additional cost (RISE/GROW) | BTP (SAP-managed) |
| SAP Build Work Zone — Advanced | Digital workplace portal with custom homepages | Per active user (subscription) | Yes | Per active user / month | BTP (SAP-managed) |
| SAP HANA Cloud | In-memory DB, Vector Engine, Data Lake | Capacity-based (compute blocks + storage GB) | Yes | Per capacity unit / hour | BTP HANA service |
| SAP Integration Suite | Cloud Integration, API Management, Event Mesh | Flat subscription (Standard / Enterprise) | Yes | Message volume + API calls | BTP CF (SAP-managed) |
| SAP Datasphere | Business data fabric — integration and modelling | Capacity/subscription | Yes | Compute hours + storage GB | BTP HANA + CF |
| SAP Business Data Cloud | Unified data + AI product (DS + SAC + HANA + Delta) | Subscription bundle | Yes | BDC licence (includes DS + SAC) | BTP multi-service |
| SAP Analytics Cloud | BI, planning, and predictive analytics | Per user subscription | No | Per user / month | SAP-managed cloud (standalone) |
| SAP AI Core | MLOps platform — train and serve ML models | CPEA (Resource Units + Inference Units) | Yes | Per GPU-hour (train) + pod-hour (serve) | BTP AI Core (Kubernetes) |
| SAP Generative AI Hub | Managed access to 20+ foundation models | CPEA per 1,000 tokens per model | Yes | Token consumption (varies by model) | AI Core (prerequisite) |
| SAP AI Launchpad | Visual MLOps management UI | Separate BTP subscription | Yes | Separate subscription | BTP (SAP-managed) |
| SAP Joule (Core) | AI copilot in S/4HANA + SuccessFactors | Included in RISE with SAP | Yes | No additional cost (RISE) | BTP + SAP-managed Joule infra |
| SAP Joule Booster | Extended skills + Joule Studio + Agent Builder | Additional RISE entitlement | Yes | Joule Booster add-on fee | BTP + AI Core Standard |
| ABAP BAdI (in S/4HANA) | Embedded ABAP extension via released exit points | S/4HANA Developer User | No | Developer User licence only | S/4HANA ABAP stack |
| Key User Extensibility | No-code custom fields, apps, and CBOs in S/4HANA | S/4HANA Professional User | No | Included in RISE/GROW | S/4HANA Fiori UX |
| RAP (in S/4HANA or BTP ABAP) | OData V4 service development with ABAP | S/4HANA Developer User (or ABAP Environment) | No | Developer User or BTP ABAP Environment | S/4HANA ABAP or BTP ABAP |
| Fiori UI Adaptation | In-browser UI customisation of standard Fiori apps | Key User (no code) or Developer User (code) | No | Included — no additional cost | S/4HANA LREP (local) |
All costs and licensing terms are indicative only. Verify current plans and pricing on SAP Discovery Center (discovery-center.cloud.sap) and your SAP Order Form.
Common Architecture Patterns — Service Dependencies
For each common SAP architecture pattern: all required BTP services, their licences, and whether each service is mandatory or optional.
| BTP Service / Component | Licence | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| S/4HANA (PCE or OP) | RISE or On-Premise licence | Mandatory |
| SAP BTP Subaccount | RISE BTP credits | Mandatory |
| SAP CAP (Cloud Foundry or Kyma runtime) | CF/Kyma runtime consumption | Mandatory |
| SAP HANA Cloud (HANA service) | Capacity units | Mandatory |
| SAP Destination Service | Included in BTP | Mandatory |
| SAP Build Work Zone (Standard) | Included in RISE | Mandatory |
| SAP Cloud Identity Services (IAS) | Included in RISE | Mandatory |
| SAP Business App Studio | Included in RISE | Optional |
| SAP API Management (optional governance) | Integration Suite add-on | Optional |
| BTP Service / Component | Licence | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| S/4HANA (PCE or OP) | RISE or On-Premise licence | Mandatory |
| SAP BTP Subaccount | RISE BTP credits | Mandatory |
| SAP Integration Suite (Standard or Enterprise) | Flat subscription | Mandatory |
| SAP Cloud Connector | Free (for on-premise) | Mandatory |
| SAP API Management (for northbound APIs) | Included in Integration Suite Enterprise | Optional |
| SAP Event Mesh (for async patterns) | Integration Suite or standalone | Optional |
| Open Connectors (for SaaS targets) | Integration Suite add-on | Optional |
| BTP Service / Component | Licence | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| S/4HANA 2023+ (RISE/GROW) | RISE with SAP (Joule included) | Mandatory |
| SAP BTP Subaccount | RISE BTP credits | Mandatory |
| SAP Cloud Identity Services (IAS + SPS) | Included in RISE | Mandatory |
| SAP Destination Service (Principal Propagation) | Included in BTP | Mandatory |
| Joule Core Skills (11 GA apps) | Included in RISE | Mandatory |
| SAP Build Work Zone (Joule panel hosting) | Included in RISE (Standard) | Optional |
| Joule Booster (for extended skills) | Additional RISE entitlement | Optional |
| BTP Service / Component | Licence | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| SAP BTP Subaccount | CPEA / BTPEA | Mandatory |
| SAP AI Core (Standard plan) | CPEA (Resource Units + Inference Units) | Mandatory |
| SAP Generative AI Hub | CPEA (per 1K tokens per model) | Mandatory |
| SAP CAP on Kyma or CF | CPEA runtime consumption | Mandatory |
| SAP HANA Cloud (Vector Engine) | HANA Cloud capacity units | Mandatory |
| SAP Destination Service (for S/4HANA tools) | Included in BTP | Optional |
| SAP AI Launchpad (MLOps UI) | Separate subscription | Optional |
| SAP Cloud Identity Services | Included in RISE or standalone | Mandatory |
| BTP Service / Component | Licence | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC) | BDC subscription (includes DS + SAC + HANA) | Mandatory |
| SAP Datasphere (within BDC) | Included in BDC | Mandatory |
| SAP Analytics Cloud (within BDC) | Included in BDC | Mandatory |
| SAP HANA Cloud (within BDC) | Included in BDC (capacity limits) | Mandatory |
| SAP Joule (BDC AI layer) | Gen AI Hub CPEA tokens | Mandatory |
| SAP AI Core / Gen AI Hub | CPEA (via BDC AI Foundation) | Mandatory |
| SAP S/4HANA (source system) | RISE or On-Premise | Optional |
| Databricks / Snowflake (Delta Sharing) | External licence + BDC connector | Optional |
| BTP Service / Component | Licence | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| SAP Build Work Zone (Advanced Edition) | Per active user / month | Mandatory |
| SAP Build Process Automation | CPEA or subscription | Mandatory |
| SAP Task Center (task federation) | Included in Work Zone Advanced | Mandatory |
| SAP Cloud Identity Services (IAS) | Included in RISE/GROW | Mandatory |
| S/4HANA / SuccessFactors (task providers) | Respective application licence | Mandatory |
| SAP Joule (Work Zone embedding) | Joule Booster required | Optional |
| SAP Build Apps (custom Work Zone cards) | Build Apps per active user | Optional |
Best Practices, Pitfalls & Disclaimer
Best Practices
- Verify entitlements in SAP for Me before architecture commitments. Actual entitlements vary by contract tier and negotiation. Always check me.sap.com for your specific entitlement scope before committing to architecture decisions based on "standard" bundle content.
- Use BTPEA for all new BTP contracts (2024+). CPEA is being replaced by BTPEA for new contracts. BTPEA offers improved credit flexibility, better reporting, and lower minimums. Ask your SAP account executive to confirm your agreement type.
- Negotiate Joule Booster at RISE contract signing. Joule Booster is not included in standard RISE. Adding it later requires a contract amendment. If Joule Studio or custom skills are in your roadmap, include Joule Booster in the initial RISE contract.
- Model AI token consumption before committing CPEA budget. Gen AI Hub token costs vary 10-20× between models. Baseline actual production usage in a PoC — then size your CPEA commitment. Use the Orchestration Service token budget controls.
- Use PAYG only for development and PoC. PAYG prices can be 3-5× higher than CPEA rates. For any production workload running more than 3 months, migration to BTPEA/CPEA delivers significant cost reduction.
- Separate HANA Cloud sizing from general BTP credits. HANA Cloud capacity units are sized independently. Under-provisioning causes performance degradation; over-provisioning wastes budget. Right-size at deployment and review quarterly with HANA metrics.
Common Pitfalls
Assuming all BTP services are covered by RISE credits
RISE/GROW includes a fixed BTP credit envelope covering runtimes and core services — but not HANA Cloud, AI Core, or Integration Suite at production scale.
Fix: Request a service-by-service BTP entitlement breakdown from SAP before go-live planning.
Building on Roadmap or Future Direction features
Projects have failed by designing against features that are still on the SAP Road Map with no committed date.
Fix: Architecture only against GA features. Get contractual commitments for Planned items before including in delivery scope.
Underestimating Work Zone Advanced Edition cost
Work Zone Standard is free in RISE/GROW, but Advanced Edition is per active user. Large user bases with advanced homepages, Joule integration, or custom cards require the Advanced subscription.
Fix: Evaluate whether Standard Edition meets requirements before defaulting to Advanced. Audit active user counts quarterly.
Missing the AI Core prerequisite for Gen AI Hub
Developers often try to use Gen AI Hub without provisioning AI Core Standard plan first — Gen AI Hub runs on AI Core and cannot be used independently.
Fix: Provision AI Core Standard plan first. Free Tier gives limited Gen AI Hub access; Standard plan required for production.
S/4HANA Named User Licence Types
S/4HANA uses named-user licensing. User type determines scope and fee.
| User Type | Description | Typical Roles | Access Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional User | Full access to all S/4HANA functionality | FI accountant, SD manager, procurement lead | All modules — SAP GUI + Fiori |
| Limited Professional | Module-specific transactional access | AP/AR clerk, inventory operator, shop floor worker | Named module only (e.g., FI-AP) |
| SAP Fiori User | Fiori launchpad only — no SAP GUI | Task worker, approver, self-service requester | Assigned Fiori app groups |
| Developer User | ABAP development and system configuration | ABAP developer, Basis administrator, architect | ADT, SE80, system tables, BTP ABAP |
| Employee Central User | SuccessFactors Employee Central self-service | All employees (leave, timesheet, expenses) | HR self-service Fiori apps only |
SAP Official References
- GuideSAP Discovery Center — BTP Service Catalogue
Official catalogue of all BTP services with plans, pricing models, and features.
- GuideSAP for Me — Entitlement Dashboard
Customer portal for actual entitlements, system status, and licence consumption.
- GuideSAP Road Map Explorer
Official SAP Road Maps: GA / Planned / Roadmap / Future Direction status.
- SAP HelpSAP Help Portal — BTP Commercial Models
Documentation on CPEA, BTPEA, PAYG, and subscription commercial models.
- SAP HelpSAP Help Portal — RISE with SAP
Complete RISE with SAP documentation including entitlement scope and BTP inclusions.
- SAP HelpSAP Help Portal — GROW with SAP
GROW with SAP documentation — scope, included services, and extensibility limits.
- GuideSAP Trust Center
SAP compliance certifications: ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR DPA documentation.
- GuideSAP Joule — Discovery Center
Joule service overview, plans, prerequisites, and trial setup.
Explore Related Topics
Account model, runtimes, security, and connectivity.
Developer licensing for cloud-native ABAP development.
Build Apps, Process Automation, and Work Zone.
CPI, API Management, Event Mesh — service overview.
MLOps platform, foundation models, Orchestration Service.
AI copilot — capabilities, architecture, and requirements.
Custom skill authoring — SDK, testing, deployment.
Enterprise AI strategy, agent patterns, governance, reference architectures.
Latest BTP announcements and new service availability.