I'm a beginner and trying to learn SAP ERP and know that SAP S/4HANA is the new version. Is SAP Fiori a way to run S/4HANA? Doesn't SAP S/4HANA already have a presentation layer in its 3-layer system?
I've read that SAP Fiori is for UX and a bit more deeply on the 3-layer system of SAP S/4HANA.
SAP traditionally used proprietary graphical user interface technology called SAP-GUI. Interface is developed in own programming language ABAP, screens in accordance with the technology are called classical screens Dynpros and communicate with SAP application server using own protocol. First it required installation of the local client and later SAP has introduced also Web Dynpro technology which could be employed to render the classical GUI-screens on the web-interface, what actually is only a transformation of display surface.
As a result of complete re-thinking and technological transformation SAP has developed a completely new way of interaction with enterprise applications and a new user interface called Fiori. Fiori has renewed the most widely-used scenarios and is aimed at keeping things simple. Frontend part is based of the web-technology using HTML5 and own JavaScript UI library SAPUI5. This is a SAP's user experience that applies modern usercentric design principles. So actually Fiori can be thought of as a design guidelines for an SAP web applications.
These both frontend technologies can be used and are used with classic R3 ERP system and with SAP S/4HANA. It is possible to run R3 system with HANA used as a database. SAP S/4HANA is a new platform with re-engineered applications, simplified database model, IoT, Big data, predictive analysis and many other possibilities. Main frontend technology and focus is on UI5 (Fiori), but it also works with a classic GUI.