SAP Core Data Services (CDS) is the infrastructure for defining and consuming semantically rich data models in SAP S/4HANA. CDS views form the Virtual Data Model (VDM), which serves as a stable, consistent, and semantically explicit interface on top of the physical database tables in SAP HANA. This VDM acts as the "universal language" or single source of truth, allowing different applications—such as SAP Fiori apps, embedded analytics, and APIs—to read and process business data in a unified way, abstracting the complexity of the underlying data structures.

B. SAP Fiori: This is the user experience (UX) and presentation layer. It consumes data via services built on CDS views but is not the data modeling layer itself.

C. SAP HANA: This is the in-memory database that stores and processes the data. It is the foundation, not the semantic abstraction layer or "language" used by applications.

D. SAP Business Suite: This is the predecessor product suite to SAP S/4HANA. It is an application suite, not a specific technical layer within the S/4HANA architecture.

1. SAP Help Portal

ABAP Platform

ABAP Core Data Services (CDS): "ABAP CDS is the implementation of the general CDS concept for AS ABAP. ABAP CDS makes it possible to define semantic data models on the standard AS ABAP database... These models are based on a new architecture in SAP S/4HANA

the virtual data model (VDM)." This document establishes CDS as the technology for creating the semantic data models that form the VDM.

2. SAP Help Portal

SAP S/4HANA

Virtual Data Model (VDM): "The virtual data model (VDM) is a structured representation of CDS views in SAP S/4HANA... It provides the basis for data access in SAP S/4HANA

exposing the business data in the underlying database tables in a way that is understandable for the business user." This source explicitly states that the VDM

built on CDS

is the basis for data access.

3. SAP Press

"ABAP to the Future" (4th Edition)

Chapter 3

Section 3.1

"Core Data Services": "CDS is the cornerstone of the SAP S/4HANA programming model... CDS views are the basis for the Virtual Data Model (VDM) of SAP S/4HANA

which is the only way business data should be accessed." This confirms CDS as the fundamental technology for the VDM

which is the prescribed method for data access.