Transporting SAP BI/BW Objects

Transport 

A SAP transport is a package used to transfer data from one SAP installation to another. This data can be a simple printer driver or a whole SAP client. 

Use 

The SAP transports are used to implement some new features in a production system. As the production system cannot be used for development and testing, the implementation process is divided into several phases:

1. A development and a testing installation is created using backups from the production system

2. The new features are implemented into the development installation

3. This is imported into the testing or quality system using a transport

4. After the new features are fully tested, it is imported into the production system using another transport

Despite this fact the transport system is the most convenient and effective way of implementing new features into a production system with a minimal downtime. 

Construction 

An SAP transport consists of several files. These files are usually located in 5 separate folders within the OS:

Data files - Contains the transport data, i.e. the actual data to be transported.

Cofiles - Contains information on change requests, i.e. different steps of a change request and their exit codes.

Profile files - It contains profile parameter.

Transport log - Logs, trace files, and statistics.

Support packs - Contains update and enhancement related files.

The main drawback of the transport is that the changes once made cannot be undone, i.e. if an import goes wrong, another transport that corrects the original change must follow or in some cases a full system restore might be required.

Collecting Objects in transports 

In order to have an error free release to another system the first step is to identify the related objects / dependencies in each transport. 

The respective Transports should have the following objects: 

Base Objects

a. Info Area

b. Info object catalogs

c. Info Objects

Info Providers

a. Info Cubes

b. Multi Providers

c. Info Sets

d. Data Store Objects

e. Info Cube Aggregates

Transfer Rules

a. Application Components

b. Communication Structure

c. Data Source replica

d. Info Packages

e. Transfer Rules

f. Transformations

g. Info Source Transaction data

h. Transfer Structure

i. Data sources (Active version)

j. Routines & BW Formulas used in the Transfer routines

k. Extract Structures

l. If the transfer structures and related objects are being transferred without preceding Base Objects transport (e.g. while fixing an error) it is safer to transport the related InfoObjects as well.

Update Rules

a. Update rules

b. Routines and formulas used in Update rules

c. DTPs

Process Chains

a. Process Chains

b. Process Chain Starter

c. Process Variants

d. Event – Administration Chains

Report Objects

a. Reports

b. Report Objects

c. Web Templates 

Transport Sequence 

The Transports sequence to the QC/Production assuming the corresponding objects as mentioned above are captured in these transports is give below: 

1. Base Objects

2. Info Providers

3. Transfer Rules

4. Update Rules

5. Process Chains

6. Report Objects

7. User exits in any order 

Transport Landscape & Strategy 

A typical system landscape consists of a development system, a consolidation system, and a productive system. Transport is done either between source systems (O1, O2, and O3) or between BI systems (B1, B2, and B3). However, BI and source systems can actually be the same systems (Myself system). The communication between the source systems and the BI systems takes place when the metadata is replicated and the data is loaded using an RFC (Remote Function Call). 

 

 

The following are the transport strategies which can be chosen.

 Standard Transport System: When you create an object, you specify a package for the object and write it to a transport request.

 BI Transport System: When you create an object, it is automatically assigned to a local package. You can subsequently use the BI transport connection to collect all the objects relevant for a scenario, assign them to a package, and write the objects to a request. 

Transporting Objects in SAP BI 

The following step by step procedure gives detailed information about transporting objects in SAP BI.

1. Go to the Data warehousing workbench (DWWB) using TCODE RSA1. Click “Transport Connection” on the left hand side. 

2. Click “Object Types” under “SAP Transport”. 

3. Choose the type of objects to be transported. E.g.: To transport an InfoArea Expand the “Info Area” icon and double click the “Select Objects” and choose the required InfoArea and Click on “Transfer Selections”. 

4. The prompt for choosing or changing the package appears if we want to change the package. Choose a new package.

5. Choose the request if it is relevant or create a new request. Here a new request is created. Click on continue once the new request number is shown.

 

 6. Click on the Truck Icon to transport the collected object(s). The transport is now created.

 

7. Now Go to TCode SE01, give the request number and press enter.

8. Choose the Transport request that needs to be released. Click on the TRUCK icon or press F9. First release the child request and then the parent request. The request is released now.

 

The screen will display the Released items under “Released” category.

 

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