Information model for SAP BW

SAP BUSINESS WAREHOUSE information model is based on the core building block of InfoObjects which are used to describe business processes and information requirements. They provide basis for setting up complex information models in multiple languages, currencies, units of measure, hierarchy, etc. The key elements in the SAP BUSINESS WAREHOUSE information model are:

• DataSources
• InfoSources
• ODS Objects
• InfoCubes
• InfoProviders
• MultiProviders

Data Sources

Data Sources are flat data structures containing data that logically belongs together. They are responsible for extracting and staging data from various source systems.

InfoSources

Info Sources are the group of Info Objects that belong together from a business point of view. It contains the transactional data obtained from the transactions in online transactional processes (OLTP) and master data such as addresses of customers and organizations, which remain unchanged for longer time period.

ODS objects

An ODS object is a dataset which is completely formed as a result of merging data from one or more info sources. In it information is stored in the form of flat, transparent database tables that are used for preparing reports and quality assurance purposes.

InfoCubes

Info Cubes are multidimensional data storage containers for reporting and analysis of data. They consist of keys figures and characteristics of which latter is organized as dimensions facilitating users to analyze data from various business perspectives such as geographical area or types of sales channel.

InfoProviders

Info Providers refer to all the data objects available in the SAP BUSINESS WAREHOUSE systems. These include all the data targets viz. Info Cubes, ODS objects and also master data tables along with Info sets, remote Info cubes and Multi Providers.

MultiProviders

MultiProvider is a virtual information provider that is a combination of any two physical or virtual info providers. Multi Providers which doest not contain any data and are used to combine data from different info providers. Their main purpose of this is to make this data accessible for reports and analysis.

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BW - Metadata Modelling

The administration services in SAP BW can be availed through Administration Workbench (AWB). It is a single point of entry for data warehouse development, administration and maintenance tasks in SAP BW with Metadata modeling component, scheduler and monitor as its main components as described in the figure hereunder:

Figure: Metadata Services Architecture

Metadata modeling: Metadata modeling component is the main entry point for defining the core metadata objects used to support reporting and analysis. This includes everything from defining the extraction process and implementing transformations to defining flat or multidimensional objects for storage of information.

Modeling Features

* Metadata modeling provides a Metadata Repository where all the metadata is stored and a Metadata Manager that handles all the requests for retrieving, adding, changing, or deleting metadata.
* Reporting and scheduling mechanism: Reporting and scheduling are the processes required for the smooth functioning of SAP BW. The various batch processes in the SAP BW need to be planned to provide timely results, avoid resource conflicts by running too many jobs at a time and to take care of logical dependencies between different jobs. These processes are controlled in the scheduler component of AWB. This is achieved by either scheduling single processes independently or defining process chains for complex network of jobs required to update the information available in the SAP BW system. Reporting Agent controls execution of queries in a batch mode to print reports, identify exception conditions and notify users and pre compute results for web templates.
* Administering ETL service layer in multi- tier level: SAP’s ETL service layer provides services for data extraction, data transformation and loading of data. It also serves as the staging area for intermediate data storage for quality assurance purposes. The extraction technology of SAP BW is supported by database management systems of mySAP technology and does not allow extraction from other database systems like IBM, IMS and Sybase. It does not support dBase, MS Access and MS Excel file formats. However, it provides all the functionality required for loading data from non- SAP systems as the ETL services layer provide open interfaces for loading non-SAP data.

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Storage Service Layers - SAP Business Warehouse

Understanding the role of storage services layers in architectural model

* Master data manager: Master Data Manager generates the master data infrastructure containing master data tables as well as master data update and the retrieval routines. It also maintains master data and provides access to master data for use by SAP BW reporting components and for exporting to other data warehouse services for analysis and access services.
* ODS Manager: ODS manager generates ODS data object infrastructure. It maintains an active data table for maintaining ODS object data, a change log for every update applied to the ODS object data as part of application process and provides access to ODS object data for SAP BW reporting and analysis functionality.
* Archiving Manager: The Archiving Manager stores unused, dormant data in an archive with the help of Archive Development Kit (ADK). ADK is connected to the SAP BW via Archiving Manager. It also keeps track of relevant metadata such as Infocubes and ODS objects which possibly will change over time.

* InfoCube Manager: It serves the function of generating the InfoCube Meta tables. It maintains InfoCube data tables and provides access to InfoCube data tables for SAP BW reporting and analysis.

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SAP Business Warehousing - BW

SAP(R) BW: A Step-by-Step Guide (Addison-Wesley Information Technology Series) by Biao Fu (Author), Henry Fu (Author) (15 customers reviewed)

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BW - Integration

Analysis of BW support navigation facilities integrated to BW 3.0

OLAP BAPI: SAP BW 3.0 comes with the OLAP BAPI Interface (OBI) which provides functions that can be used by third party reporting tools to access BW Info cubes. It provides an open interface to access any information that is available through OLAP engine.

Integrating with XML: OLAP BAPI serves as the basis for the SAP implementation of XML for analysis. It is an XML API based on Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) designed for standardized access to an analytical data provider over the web. The XML interface introduced with SAP BW 3.0 release accepts XML data streams compliant with the SOAP. Unlike all other SAP BW interfaces in XML interface the actual data transfer is initiated by the source system.

Open Hub Services: The Open Hub Service allows controlled distribution of consistent data from any SAP BW InfoProvider to flat files, database tables and other applications with full support for delta management, selections, projections and aggregation. Open Hub Services have InfoSpokes as their core metadata objects. With the SAP 3.0 release InfoSpokes have become generally available.

Content Management Framework: The SAP Web Content Management Server stores unstructured information that users can go through and use efficiently. Integration with the SAP BW content management framework provides an integrated view on structured and unstructured information to the end user.

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Storage Service Layers

Understanding the role of storage services layers in architectural model

Master data manager: Master Data Manager generates the master data infrastructure containing master data tables as well as master data update and the retrieval routines. It also maintains master data and provides access to master data for use by SAP BW reporting components and for exporting to other data warehouse services for analysis and access services.
ODS Manager: ODS manager generates ODS data object infrastructure. It maintains an active data table for maintaining ODS object data, a change log for every update applied to the ODS object data as part of application process and provides access to ODS object data for SAP BW reporting and analysis functionality.
Archiving Manager: The Archiving Manager stores unused, dormant data in an archive with the help of Archive Development Kit (ADK). ADK is connected to the SAP BW via Archiving Manager. It also keeps track of relevant metadata such as Infocubes and ODS objects which possibly will change over time.

InfoCube Manager: It serves the function of generating the InfoCube Meta tables. It maintains InfoCube data tables and provides access to InfoCube data tables for SAP BW reporting and analysis.

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ETL Components

Components of ETL Services at Database of File Level

* Operational Data Store: It stores detailed data and supports tactical, day-to-day decision making. A SAP view ODS as a near real-time informational environment that supports operational reporting by interacting with existing transactional systems, data warehouses, or analytical applications. SAP BW allows flexible access to data in the ODS, the data warehouse, and the multidimensional models.
* Data Marts: A data mart provides the data needed by a decentralized function, department, or business area. You need to weight the pros and cons before developing a data mart. For example, a data mart can be implemented faster and cheaper than a data warehouse, sometimes costing 80% less than a full data warehouse. But as data marts proliferate, the cost advantages can disappear. The IT organization must maintain the individual data marts and the multitude of ETL and warehouse management processes that go with them. Multiple data marts can complicate data integration efforts, increase the amount of inconsistent data, require more business rules, and create the data stovepipes that data warehousing strives to eliminate.
* Interfaces: The data mart interface enables users to transfer and update transactional data and metadata from one SAP BW system to other SAP BW systems.
* Open Hub Services: The open hub service is used to share data in SAP BW with non-SAP data marts, analytical applications, and other applications. This service controls data distribution and maintains data consistency across systems. With the open hub service, actual data and the corresponding metadata are retrieved from InfoCubes or ODS objects.

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ETL Fundamentals

Fundamentals of ETL Service Architecture

ETL service comprises of two parts: Staging engine and Storage Service. Staging engine manages staging process for all data received from several source systems. It interfaces with the AWB scheduler and monitor for scheduling and monitoring data load processes. However, Storage Service manages and provides access to data targets in SAP BW and the aggregates that are stored in relational and multidimensional database management systems.

It is true, however, that the extraction technology provided as an integral part of SAP BW is restricted to database management systems supported by mySAP technology and that it does not allow extracting data from other database systems like IBM IMS and Sybase. It also does not support proprietary file formats such as dBase file formats, Microsoft Access file formats, Microsoft Excel file formats, and others. On the other hand, the ETL services layer of SAP BW provides all the functionality required to load data from non-SAP systems in exactly the same way as it does for data from SAP systems. SAP BW does not in fact distinguish between different types of source systems after data has arrived in the staging area. The ETL services layer provides open interfaces for loading non-SAP data.

Extraction at Service Levels



SAP BW can be integrated with other SAP components based on application programming interface (API) service. It provides a framework to enable comprehensive data replication based on data extractors that encapsulate the application logic. Data Extractor fills the extract structure of data source with a data from data source and offers sophisticated handling of changes. In addition to supporting extractors, the service APIs also enable online access via RemoteCube technology and flexible staging for hierarchies. On the other hand SAP provides an open interface called Staging Business Application Programming Interface (BAPI) to extract data from non-SAP sources. BAPI serves the purpose of connecting third- party ETL tools to SAP BW and provides access to SAP BW objects which facilitates use of customer extraction routines. Data can be extracted at the database level by using: DB connect, flat files and XML. DB connect facilitates extraction directly from DBMS. In this the metadata files are loaded by replicating metadata tables and views into the metadatory repository of SAP BW. Data can also be uploaded from flat files by creating routines for extraction of data and XML files can be extracted through XML via Administrator Workbench in SAP BW.

NOTE: SAP BW provides three ways to extract data at the database or file level: DB Connect, flat file transfer, and XML. SAP BW provides flexible capabilities for extracting data directly from RDBMS tables using DB Connect.

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BW - Metadata Modelling

The administration services in SAP BW can be availed through Administration Workbench (AWB). It is a single point of entry for data warehouse development, administration and maintenance tasks in SAP BW with Metadata modeling component, scheduler and monitor as its main components as described in the figure hereunder:
Click on "READ MORE" for viewing the figure
Metadata modeling: Metadata modeling component is the main entry point for defining the core metadata objects used to support reporting and analysis. This includes everything from defining the extraction process and implementing transformations to defining flat or multidimensional objects for storage of information.

Modeling Features
* Metadata modeling provides a Metadata Repository where all the metadata is stored and a Metadata Manager that handles all the requests for retrieving, adding, changing, or deleting metadata.
* Reporting and scheduling mechanism: Reporting and scheduling are the processes required for the smooth functioning of SAP BW. The various batch processes in the SAP BW need to be planned to provide timely results, avoid resource conflicts by running too many jobs at a time and to take care of logical dependencies between different jobs. These processes are controlled in the scheduler component of AWB. This is achieved by either scheduling single processes independently or defining process chains for complex network of jobs required to update the information available in the SAP BW system. Reporting Agent controls execution of queries in a batch mode to print reports, identify exception conditions and notify users and pre compute results for web templates.
* Administering ETL service layer in multi- tier level: SAP’s ETL service layer provides services for data extraction, data transformation and loading of data. It also serves as the staging area for intermediate data storage for quality assurance purposes. The extraction technology of SAP BW is supported by database management systems of mySAP technology and does not allow extraction from other database systems like IBM, IMS and Sybase. It does not support dBase, MS Access and MS Excel file formats. However, it provides all the functionality required for loading data from non- SAP systems as the ETL services layer provide open interfaces for loading non-SAP data.

read more...

SAP Business Warehouse (BW)

Extract from the BW Cookbook Volume 1: "The SAP Business Information Warehouse enables Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) to format the information of large amounts of operative and historical data. OLAP technology enables multi-dimensional analyses according to various business perspectives. The preconfigured Business Information Warehouse Server for core areas and processes ensures information views within the entire enterprise."


Extract from the BW Cookbook Volume 2:

Settings In SAP (R/3) Source System

STEP 1. Install Plug-In

STEP 2. Defining Source System

TRANSACTION CODE: SPRO -> SAP Ref. Img ->

If R/3 system is 4.0B -> Cross Application components -> Distribution ALE -> Basic Settings -> set up logical system -> Maintain logical systems -> New entries -> maintain the entries as : ->

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