Sap hana row and column table differences on data storage

Data is stored as "ROW" within standard row tables where as it is stored as "COLUMN" as far as column table is concerned. In a row table, all rows are structured the same way. Data will be unique within a row but would be occurring many times among all rows. In other words, data is duplicated in a row table. In a column table, the table is organized by column instead. Data duplication is replaced by a link to the first data occurrence. This is the data compression. It is performed automatically on column tables.

Sap hana table storage type explanation and example :

The following standard create table syntax can create either a row table or a column table by default but you can notice data layout is the same for either table type.


 -------- For that particular table definition ------ 

 CREATE TABLE ATABLE ( 
	ID INTEGER, 
	NAME VARCHAR(10), 
	SURNAME VARCHAR(20), 
	DEPARTMENT VARCHAR(30), 
	PRIMARY KEY (ID) 
 );

 -- Find out what is the underlying data storage structure
 -- when the table is defined as column or when it is a row table type.

Row table underlined data storage

Column Table underlined data storage

Row	Data
1	ROSY FLOWERY RECEPTION
2	DANIEL ADAM RECEPTION
3	DANIEL SMITH RECEPTION
4	ROSY SMITH RECEPTION
5	PETER FLOWERY RECEPTION
6	PETER SMITH RECEPTION
7	PETER LORENCE RECEPTION
8	LORENCE PETER RECEPTION
9	DANIEL LORENCE RECEPTION

Column	Data
NAME	ROSY DANIEL DANIEL ROSY PETER PETER PETER LORENCE DANIEL
SURNAME	FLOWERY ADAM SMITH SMITH FLOWERY SMITH LORENCE PETER LORENCE
DEPARTMENT	RECEPTION RECEPTION RECEPTION RECEPTION RECEPTION RECEPTION RECEPTION RECEPTION RECEPTION

Column	Data compression example
NAME	ROSY DANIEL PETER LORENCE
SURNAME	FLOWERY ADAM SMITH LORENCE PETER
DEPARTMENT	RECEPTION