SAP Business Intelligence / Business Warehouse (BI/BW): December 2012

Transport Tips in BW

Transport

SAP BW vs. R3 ..What is same….

SAP BW allows you to transport your work

– Configuration, Objects, Roles, and Business Explorer (BEx)

objects

– Records your development creation or changes

– Moves objects & configuration to downstream systems

• SAP BW uses change requests and tasks

– Provides a change history log for an object

• Transporting program objects

– Custom code, user exits, etc., are transported just like in R/3

SAP BW vs. R3 ..What is different..

New SAP BW-specific objects

– BEx objects (Queries, InfoCubes, etc.)

– Administrative objects (roles)

• The Transport Connection Tool

– One-stop tool for assigning objects to & managing transports

– Used mainly to transport BEx objects

• The “Packages” concept

– Same function as a “Development class”

– Like R/3, BW includes a local ($TMP) package (nontransportable)

How objects get collected for transport

– SAP BW introduces a “grouping” concept for all objects

– You’ll run into problems unless you understand

grouping!

• Objects can be changed in QA and PRD

– Allows “eligible” objects to be created/managed without

transports

• e.g., aggregate, queries, workbooks

– You can enable/disallow this permission in the Transport

Connection Tool

The Transport Connection……..

– Easy-to-use tool for assigning objects to & managing

transports

– For all tasks and requests, you still need SE09/SE10 to release

the transports

– Access via transaction RSA1 or via the Admin Workbench

(AWB)

• Click on the “Transport Connection” tab

How it Works

– New objects are created as local objects in package $TMP

– Activated business content objects are also assigned to $TMP

– Objects get assigned to a transportable package only when

they are to be transported

– BEx objects are assigned to a fixed BEx change request

• BEx objects = Queries, Query elements, Calculated and

Restricted Key Figures

• You can define a fixed BEx request for each package

• Upon assignment to a transportable package in the TC

– BEx objects are directly written at the request level

An alternative to the transport connection

Tip: You don’t have to use the Transport

Connection Tool

– The Transport Connection is active by default

– You can use the traditional transport approach/tools instead

– You can only use one or the other (this is a global setting!)

– The standard tools involve more effort/work

• How to deactivate the Transport Connection

– Launch the transport connection

– Go to menu path > Edit > Transport > Switch-on Standard

I recommend you always use the Transport Connection Tool!

The Package Concept

In SAP BW, objects are assigned to packages

– Packages allow customers to group their development work

– Same object as development classes in R/3

– Packages are assigned to transport layers which map to target

systems

• There are two types: local vs. transportable

– Local = $TMP = non-transportable

– All new objects are automatically assigned to $TMP

– All newly created objects are automatically assigned to a local

package ($TMP)

How to transport BW objects

You first need to decide

– Which objects you want to collect

– How you want to collect them

• Five grouping options are available

– Only necessary objects

– In data flow before

– In data flow afterwards

– In data flow before and afterwards

– Save for system copy

The combination of grouping and object type will

define the objects that will be transported

– InfoProviders, InfoObjects, Update Rules, Transfer Rules, etc.

• Example:

– If you choose collection mode “In data flow before and

afterward”, you probably will collect at the InfoProvider level

(Cube or ODS)

– If you choose “Only necessary objects,” you probably will

collect at an InfoObject level

You need to understand the relationship of objects to others

and their levels to choose the appropriate grouping…

once required objects are collected ,see whether the transport check box is checked or not ..

then if u want to change the package name click on change package option..else click on truck symbol to add a change request..

To select or create a change request click on bex truck symbol.

Important Tips & Pitfalls: BEx Objects

– Choose the package correctly the first time for BEx objects

• It's difficult to go back and change the package after

transport

– Don’t release the change request until you’re ready to

transport

• If the global BEx change request gets released, you’ll need

to assign a new one before objects can be added to the

package

– Deselect “Do not transport any below” for specific objects

HOW TO TRANSPORT Roles

– Common point of confusion!

– Business Content roles _ use the Transport

Connection

– Customer-specific roles _ must be transported

manually

• Use the Role Maintenance screen in the profile

generator (PFCG)

As roles are customizing objects, you need a

customizing request

How to manage transports

Transaction SE09 is where the transport

request is managed.

• You can do the following activities:

– Release your tasks and request for import to the target

systems

– Merge your request or reassign your tasks for

organizational purposes

– Delete tasks or requests assigned to you

– Delete objects within a task

– Change ownership of a task(s) or request(s)

How to troubleshoot errors

Transport log will allow you to see your error(s)

– There are four levels of statuses

1. 0 – no errors, objects were imported successfully

2. 4 – warnings, objects were imported successfully

3. 8 – errors, some objects may have been imported

successfully

4. 12 – errors, no object was imported successfully

In the transport log you can view the specific error and

object that failed and why

Note::

Transport all customer-defined packages before

transporting objects

• Transport InfoProvider(s) using the “in data flow

before” grouping option

• Transport all Global Variables with primary

package assignment

– i.e., ZBW

• Transport BEx objects with appropriate individual

package assignment

• Transport roles and workbooks

• Transport other objects: Process chains,

InfoSpokes, etc.

Objects need to be transported as per their

dependencies

– InfoProviders will bring in all relevant InfoObjects

• Global variables are dependant on their reference

InfoObject to be active

• Queries, workbooks and roles are dependant on

InfoProviders and InfoObjects to be active

• Use the Transport Connection Tool to analyze

your objects

– Is it in another transport owned by someone else?

– What is its relationship to other objects?

– What else does it contain within it?

Make sure to set the source system mapping

configuration in each target system to convert the

transfer rules

– If you don’t, your transports will fail on importing the transfer

rules/transfer structures

• It’s critical to properly sequence your R/3 and

SAP BW transports!

– 1 - Transport the OLTP 1st

– 2 - Replicate DataSources

• copies the DataSources from the OLTP system to SAP BW

– 3 - Transport to your SAP BW

For more information

See http://service.sap.com/bi

How to check the setting of flat file in BW

o check the settings of your flat file , what format of flat file we can upload in bw side,
we need to go for se11 , go to the RSADMINCV1,this a Maint. view with text BW: Settings for Flat Files.. Simply execute this , you will get the settings , follow the below screen shot

Treasury system business Content Cubes

Mostly in treasury system is part of Finance like FI and CO.Under Treasury system we have different different sub-modules, those we are using for different requirements .To find the business content cubes , please follow the below navigations.
RSA1---Business Content---Expand Financial Management & Controlling(0FMCO) InfoArea ,expand Treasury(0TR) IA, then you will be getting Cash Management(0TRCM) and Liquidity Planning(0TRLP) IA, expand those , you will be getting all Cubes and Mps..please try to install as per your requirements.
The business content Cubes and Multi providers available in BI side are as bellow
Under Cash Management IA , The underlying Cubes are
1:Planned Amounts---------------0TRCM_C01
2:Planned Amounts - Enhanced---0TRCM_C02
3:Current Planned Amounts------0TRCM_RC1
Multiprovider is
1:Planned Amounts - Comparison---0TRCM_MC1.
Under Liquidity Planning IA , underlying Cube is
1:Liquidity Planning: Actual Data----0TRLP_C01.

Please follow the below Screen shot for more details..

How to find out total number of records in Multiprovider?

In case of cube and DSo , you can go to manage screen and there you will get an idea, how many number of records transfered and how many added but in case of multiprovider , there is no such option to find out the total number of records.To find out the total number of records in a multiprovider , we can follow the below steps...go to the Multiprovider , navigate to display datathen ,select your required selections,then check the check box output number of hits,make maximum number hits blank(all hits)please follow the below screen shot for more clarity..

after this you will be getting 1rowcount(number of record) column in your list out put, select that column and go for summation , at the endyou will get total no of records ,that will also help you finding the duplicate records in your MP.Please follow the screen shot.

Differences between Multiprovider and Infoset

Multi-Provider

Multi-Provider is used to Union two or more data-targets, so that we can run query on different data-targets. It also helps us to execute parallel queries.

A Multi-Provider can consist of different combinations of the following Info-Providers: Info-Cube, Data-Store object, Info-Object, Info-Set, Virtual-Provider, and aggregation level.

Info-Sets

Info-Sets is used to joins two or more data targets. These joins only combine values that appear in both tables. In contrast to a union, joins form the intersection of the tables

A Info-Sets can consist of different combinations of the following Info-Providers: Info-Cube, Data-Store object and Info-Object.

Differeces Between DSO and InfoCube

The main difference in Reporting from Info cube and ODS/DSO is that InfoCube is meant for Multi-Dimensional reporting while ODS/DSO reporting is like 2 dimensional reporting.

There are many points which will clearly state that reporting from Info cube is far better than that from DSO.

Some major differences:

DSO
- Detailed form of data
- Flat file formate structure
- Two dimentional
- Performance is less as compared to cube
- Overwrite data functionality

InfoCube
- Summerised form of data
- Star schema
- 16 dimentional
- Additive data functionality
- Performance is better as compared to ods

InfoCube is prepared to visualize aggregation data and with the star schema relational tables, the data is accessed in better ways in terms of performance.

So if you use report in DSO performance is very slow compared to performance in InfoCubes.

Also chk this link:
http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/index?rid=/library/uuid/b04a79b4-bbea-2b10-da86-bf0fe933fe34&overridelayout=true

Infocube, DSO, Multiprovider

Info Cube

Info Cube is structured as Star Schema (extended) where a fact table is surrounded by different dim table that are linked with DIM'ids. And the data wise, you will have aggregated data in the cubes.

Infocube contains maximum 16(3 are sap defines and 13 are customer defined) dimensions and minimum 4(3 Sap defined and 1 customer defined) dimensions with maximum 233 key figures and 248 characteristic.

The following InfoCube types exist in BI:

. InfoCubes

. VirtualProviders

There are two subtypes of InfoCubes: Standard, and Real-Time. Although both have an extended star schema design, Real-Time InfoCubes (previously called Transactional InfoCubes) are optimized for direct update, and do not need to use the ETL process. Real-Time InfoCubes are almost exclusively used in the BI Integrated Planning tool set. All BI InfoCubes consists of a quantity of relational tables arranged together in a star schema.

Star Schema

In Star Schema model, Fact table is surrounded by dimensional tables. Fact table is usually very large, that means it contains millions to billions of records. On the other hand dimensional tables are very small. Hence they contain a few thousands to few million records. In practice, Fact table holds transactional data and dimensional table holds master data.

The dimensional tables are specific to a fact table. This means that dimensional tables are not shared to across other fact tables. When other fact table such as a product needs the same product dimension data another dimension table that is specific to a new fact table is needed.

This situation creates data management problems such as master data redundancy because the very same product is duplicated in several dimensional tables instead of sharing from one single master data table. This problem can be solved in extended star schema.

Extended star schema

In Extended Star Schema, under the BW star schema model, the dimension table does not contain master data. But it is stored externally in the master data tables (texts, attributes, hierarchies).

The characteristic in the dimensional table points to the relevant master data by the use of SID table. The SID table points to characteristics attribute texts and hierarchies.

This multistep navigational task adds extra overhead when executing a query. However the benefit of this model is that all fact tables (info cubes) share common master data tables between several info cubes.

Moreover the SID table concept allows users to implement multi languages and multi hierarchy OLAP environments. And also it supports slowly changing dimension.

MultiProvider

A MultiProvider is a special InfoProvider that combines data from several InfoProviders, providing it for reporting. The MultiProvider itself (InfoSets and VirtualProviders) does not contain any data. Its data comes exclusively from the InfoProviders on which it is based. A MultiProvider can be made up of various combinations of the following InfoProviders:
. InfoCubes
. DataStore objects
. InfoObjects
. InfoSets
. Aggregation levels (slices of a InfoCube to support BI Integrated Planning)

Use
A BEx query can only be written against a single InfoProvider. A MultiProvider is a single InfoProvider to a query but through it, multiple providers can be indirectly accessed.

DataStore object

Since a DataStore object is designed like a table, it contains key fields (document number and item, for example) and data fields. Data fields can not only be key figures but also character fields (order status, customer, or time, for example). You can use a delta update to update DataStore object data into connected InfoCubes or into additional DataStore objects or master data tables (attributes or texts) in the same system or in different systems. In contrast to multidimensional DataStores for InfoCubes, data in DataStore objects is stored in flat, transparent database tables. Fact and dimension tables are not created.

With DataStore objects, you can not only update key figures cumulatively, as with InfoCubes, but also overwrite data fields. This is especially important for transaction-level documents that change in the source system. Here, document changes not only involve numerical fields, such as order quantities, but also non-numerical ones such as ship-to parties, delivery date, and status. Since the OLTP system overwrites these records when changes occur, DataStore objects must often be moceled to overwrite the corresponding fields and update to the current value in BI.

DS Oject Types

SAP BI distinguishes between three DataStore object types: Standard, Write Optimized, and Direct Update. These three flavors of DataStore Objects are shown in the following figure.

1. The Standard DataStore Object consists of three tables (activation queue, active data table, and change log). It is completely integrated in the staging process. In other words, data can be loaded into and out of the DataStore Objects during the staging process. Using a change log means that all changes are also written and are available as delta uploads for connected data targets.

Architecture and Functions of Standard DataStore Objects

Standard DataStore objects consist of three tables:

Active Data table

This is where the current status of the data is stored. This table contains a semantic (business-related) key that can be defined by the modeler (order number, item, or schedule line, for example). It is very important that the key be correctly defined by the modeler, as a match on the key initiates special delta processing during the activation phase (discussed later). Also, reporting via the BEx uses this table.

Change Log table

During the activation run, changes are stored in the change log. Here, you can find the complete history of the changes, since the content of the change log is not automatically deleted. The connected targets are updated from the change log if they are supplied with data from the DataStore object in the delta method. The change log is a PSA table and can also be maintained in the PSA tree of the Data Warehousing Workbench. The change log has a technical key consisting of a request, data package, and data record number.

Activation Queue table

During the DTP, the records are first written to this table. This step is necessary due to the complex logic that is then required by the activation process.

Schema for a Standard DataStore Objects

2. Write optimized is a new kind of DataStore Object . It is targeted for the warehouse level of the architecture, and has the advantage of quicker loads.

3. A direct update DataStore object (previous 3.x transactional ODS) has only the table with active data. This means it is not as easily integrated in the staging process. Instead, this DataStore object type is filled using APIs and can be read via a BAPI.

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BI Training

What is Business Intelligence?

• Business Intelligence is a broad category of application and technologies for:

– gathering,

– storing,

– providing access and

– analyzing data

to help enterprise users make better, faster business decisions.

BI Leverages all your Existing Data Assets

Why Business Intelligence

By definition, the moment any given business is operating, it begins generating data. Some obvious examples are banking, sales, production data, warehouse information, transportation and logistics, personnel, etc.

In addition there also exists large volumes of data which are important to the business but not directly generated by business operations. Examples are market data, competitive data, tenders and proposal, legal information, raw material prices, etc.

–As such, none of the above described information can be used in its raw form by corporate management to make decisions although the information is critical in helping make those business decisions.

–Therein lies the necessity for Business Intelligence. BI technologies help bring decision-makers the data in a form they can quickly digest and apply to their decision making. BI turns data into information for managers and executives and in general, people making decisions in a company.

• Business Intelligence applications include the activities of:

•Decision support systems,

•Query and reporting,

•Online analytical processing (OLAP),

•Statistical analysis, Forecasting, and

•Data Visualization

BI Benefits

–Make better decisions by turning enterprise data into real information

–Increase efficiencies getting the most out of the data available to your business

–Gain a competitive advantage by getting timely, flexible, sophisticated analysis of corporate data

Business Intelligence Architecture

Important Factors in Choosing a BI Platform

–Standardization - Standardization is Key. Single, shared view of the organization.

–Integration - Delivers a faster time to value and reduce on going support costs you need. Integration into your existing IT infrastructure with back office systems and desktop productivity tools.

–Data source independenc

–Flexibility

–Manageability

What is the main difference between Data warehousing and Business Intelligence?

• DW - is a way of storing data and creating information. DW does not require BI to work. Reporting tools can generate reports from the DW.

• BI - is the leveraging of DW to help make business decisions and recommendations. Information and data rules engines are leveraged here to help make these decisions along with statistical analysis tools and data mining tools.

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ABAP

What is an ABAP data dictionary?- ABAP 4 data dictionary describes the logical structures of the objects used in application development and shows how they are mapped to the underlying relational database in tables/views.
What are domains and data element?- Domains:Domain is the central object for describing the technical characteristics of an attribute of an business objects. It describes the value range of the field. Data Element: It is used to describe the semantic definition of the table fields like description the field. Data element describes how a field can be displayed to end-user.
What is foreign key relationship?- A relationship which can be defined between tables and must be explicitly defined at field level. Foreign keys are used to ensure the consistency of data. Data entered should be checked against existing data to ensure that there are now contradiction. While defining foreign key relationship cardinality has to be specified. Cardinality mentions how many dependent records or how referenced records are possible.

Describe data classes.- Master data: It is the data which is seldomly changed. Transaction data: It is the data which is often changed. Organization data: It is a customizing data which is entered in the system when the system is configured and is then rarely changed. System data:It is the data which R/3 system needs for itself.
What are indexes?- Indexes are described as a copy of a database table reduced to specific fields. This data exists in sorted form. This sorting form ease fast access to the field of the tables. In order that other fields are also read, a pointer to the associated record of the actual table are included in the index. Yhe indexes are activated along with the table and are created automatically with it in the database.
Difference between transparent tables and pooled tables.- Transparent tables: Transparent tables in the dictionary has a one-to-one relation with the table in database. Its structure corresponds to single database field. Table in the database has the same name as in the dictionary. Transparent table holds application data. Pooled tables. Pooled tables in the dictionary has a many-to-one relation with the table in database. Table in the database has the different name as in the dictionary. Pooled table are stored in table pool at the database level.
What is an ABAP/4 Query?- ABAP/4 Query is a powerful tool to generate simple reports without any coding. ABAP/4 Query can generate the following 3 simple reports: Basic List: It is the simple reports. Statistics: Reports with statistical functions like Average, Percentages. Ranked Lists: For analytical reports. - For creating a ABAP/4 Query, programmer has to create user group and a functional group. Functional group can be created using with or without logical database table. Finally, assign user group to functional group. Finally, create a query on the functional group generated.
What is BDC programming?- Transferring of large/external/legacy data into SAP system using Batch Input programming. Batch input is a automatic procedure referred to as BDC(Batch Data Communications).The central component of the transfer is a queue file which receives the data vie a batch input programs and groups associated data into “sessions”.
What are the functional modules used in sequence in BDC?- These are the 3 functional modules which are used in a sequence to perform a data transfer successfully using BDC programming: BDC_OPEN_GROUP - Parameters like Name of the client, sessions and user name are specified in this functional modules. BDC_INSERT - It is used to insert the data for one transaction into a session. BDC_CLOSE_GROUP - This is used to close the batch input session.
What are internal tables?- Internal tables are a standard data type object which exists only during the runtime of the program. They are used to perform table calculations on subsets of database tables and for re-organising the contents of database tables according to users need.
What is ITS? What are the merits of ITS?- ITS is a Internet Transaction Server. ITS forms an interface between HTTP server and R/3 system, which converts screen provided data by the R/3 system into HTML documents and vice-versa. Merits of ITS: A complete web transaction can be developed and tested in R/3 system. All transaction components, including those used by the ITS outside the R/3 system at runtime, can be stored in the R/3 system. The advantage of automatic language processing in the R/3 system can be utilized to language-dependent HTML documents at runtime.
What is DynPro?- DynPro is a Dynamic Programming which is a combination of screen and the associated flow logic Screen is also called as DynPro.
What are screen painter and menu painter?- Screen painter: Screen painter is a tool to design and maintain screen and its elements. It allows user to create GUI screens for the transactions. Attributes, layout, filed attributes and flow logic are the elements of Screen painter. Menu painter: Menu painter is a tool to design the interface components. Status, menu bars, menu lists, F-key settings, functions and titles are the components of Menu painters. Screen painter and menu painter both are the graphical interface of an ABAP/4 applications.
What are the components of SAP scripts?- SAP scripts is a word processing tool of SAP which has the following components: Standard text. It is like a standard normal documents. Layout sets. - Layout set consists of the following components: Windows and pages, Paragraph formats, Character formats. Creating forms in the R/3 system. Every layout set consists of Header, paragraph, and character string. ABAP/4 program.
What is ALV programming in ABAP? When is this grid used in ABAP?- ALV is Application List viewer. Sap provides a set of ALV (ABAP LIST VIEWER) function modules which can be put into use to embellish the output of a report. This set of ALV functions is used to enhance the readability and functionality of any report output. Cases arise in sap when the output of a report contains columns extending more than 255 characters in length. In such cases, this set of ALV functions can help choose selected columns and arrange the different columns from a report output and also save different variants for report display. This is a very efficient tool for dynamically sorting and arranging the columns from a report output. The report output can contain up to 90 columns in the display with the wide array of display options.
What are the events in ABAP/4 language?- Initialization, At selection-screen, Start-of-selection, end-of-selection, top-of-page, end-of-page, At line-selection, At user-command, At PF, Get, At New, At LAST, AT END, AT FIRST.
What is CTS and what do you know about it?- The Change and Transport System (CTS) is a tool that helps you to organize development projects in the ABAP Workbench and in Customizing, and then transport the changes between the SAP Systems and clients in your system landscape. This documentation provides you with an overview of how to manage changes with the CTS and essential information on setting up your system and client landscape and deciding on a transport strategy. Read and follow this documentation when planning your development project.
What are logical databases? What are the advantages/ dis-advantages of logical databases?- To read data from a database tables we use logical database. A logical database provides read-only access to a group of related tables to an ABAP/4 program. Advantages: i)check functions which check that user input is complete, correct,and plausible. ii)Meaningful data selection. iii)central authorization checks for database accesses. iv)good read access performance while retaining the hierarchical data view determined by the application logic. dis advantages: i)If you donot specify a logical database in the program attributes,the GET events never occur. ii)There is no ENDGET command,so the code block associated with an event ends with the next event statement (such as another GET or an END-OF-SELECTION).
What is a batch input session?- BATCH INPUT SESSION is an intermediate step between internal table and database table. Data along with the action is stored in session ie data for screen fields, to which screen it is passed, program name behind it, and how next screen is processed.
How to upload data using CATT ?- These are the steps to be followed to Upload data through CATT: Creation of the CATT test case & recording the sample data input. Download of the source file template. Modification of the source file. Upload of the data from the source file.
What is Smart Forms?- Smart Forms allows you to create forms using a graphical design tool with robust functionality, color, and more. Additionally, all new forms developed at SAP will be created with the new Smart Form solution.
How can I make a differentiation between dependent and independent data?- Client dependent or independent transfer requirements include client specific or cross client objects in the change requests. Workbench objects like SAPscripts are client specific, some entries in customizing are client independent. If you display the object list for one change request, and then for each object the object attributes, you will find the flag client specific. If one object in the task list has this flag on, then that transport will be client dependent.
What is the difference between macro and subroutine?- Macros can only be used in the program the are defined in and only after the definition are expanded at compilation / generation. Subroutines (FORM) can be called from both the program the are defined in and other programs . A MACRO is more or less an abbreviation for some lines of code that are used more than once or twice. A FORM is a local subroutine (which can be called external). A FUNCTION is (more or less) a subroutine that is called external. Since debugging a MACRO is not really possible, prevent the use of them (I’ve never used them, but seen them in action). If the subroutine is used only local (called internal) use a FORM. If the subroutine is called external (used by more than one program) use a FUNCTION.

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