Jan 23, 2013

SAP BusinessObjects Analysis Workbook and SAP BW



Hello Everyone!

This blog would demostrate that with SAP BusinessObjects Analysis edition for MS Office release 1.3 is possible, finally, to save workbook on SAP BW.

The previous realease of this frontend tool allowed to save workbook only on the BI platform.

The file format that you can store are: xls,xlsx, ppt and pptx and is necessary on SAP BW have an role that contain the authorization object R_RS_AO.


aut_obj_aoffice.PNG

To save an workbook on SAP BW is very simple : after the workbbok is developed , selecting the Office Button , is available the function "Save Workbook" and "Save to SAP NetWeaver".
analysis_bw1.png
Then a window appear that permit to choice where save the workbook: in a Role or in the folder "My documents".

analysis_bw2.png

In SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse, Analysis objects are stored with object type AAOE (for workbooks) and AAOP (for presentations).
When the user, access to SAP BW by SAP GUI, the workbook will be visible on the menu:

analysis_bw3.png
To launch the analysis workbook from SAP menu is necessary SAP Netweaver BW 730 SP8 (see SAP Notes 1724842).

Jan 21, 2013

Customer specific adjusting of BEx web-based variable screen


1 Introduction

The possibilities of adaptation of a web-based report dialog variables were previously restricted. About parameters of the WebTemplate and using the Web Design API that can be charged affects the behavior of Web Templates in the variables but not the layout and processing logic of the input

Figure 1.1: SAP Standard Variable Dialog

With patch NW730 BI JAVA SP08 Patch 30 (see also Note 1622306),

SAP offers a possibility the layout and processing logic for the following dialogues with respect to variable processing to adapt:
Variables
Dialogue
Filter

For customer-specific adaptation of the variables dialog, two alternative routes are available:
Customized formatting and positioning
Customer-specific layout and processing logic

The principle of implementation is the same for all kinds of adjustment. About a Web item types of Individual expansion of the BEx Web runtime, an HTML and / or JavaScript code segment (Snipplte) is passed. The BEx Web runtime replaces the standard SAP code passed by the code segments. Thus, the BEx Web runtime performs this replacement process, certain conditions must be met. I go even further down into the details of the implementation.

2 Customized formatting and positioning

The first way is to adjust the variable dialog customized, positioning to the individual elements of the variables dialog customized. For determining the positions of the individual elements can be any HTML tags are used. For the individual elements are patterns (pattern) are available which can be placed within a customized HTML text.

The following items are available:
Area variants
Areaersonalize
Eachvariable of the report
OK-Button
Check-Button

The pattern will be placed as a custom XML tags in customized HTML coding. The BEx Web runtime environment recognizes the pattern and replaces them with the necessary coding.

Figure 2.2 shows in (1) a custom dialog variables in the areas of personalization options and were just like the OK button and check positioned similar to the standard variable dialog.

The variables were divided into time-related variables, and not time-related variables. To better highlight this structure for each type, a separate group was formed.


Figure 2.1: Customer-specific formatting and positioning
Adjustment in (2) illustrates the use of more complex HTML components. Here, only the time-related variables shown directly and all other variables are hidden on a tray. This allows the variable dialog for reports with a lot of variables to be made ​​clearer and thus the ease of use increased.

The implementation of the component tray used here is purely on HTML and JavaScript, and needs no round-trip.

This representation could be achieved through a personalization that could not be controlled centrally.

3 Customer Individual Variable dialog
Another option is to adjust the variable dialog to make the layout and processing logic for each variable individually customized.

In this variant is not the SAP standard HTML coding of the entire variables dialogue replaced by customer-specific HTML coding but only the ranges for the input variable values. In the Variables dialog in Figure 3.1, the SAP standard HTML coding for the two variables CURRENT PREVIOUS YEAR PERIOD
YERA PERIOD and was replaced by customized HMTL code.


Figure 3.1: Individual customer's variables dialog

For the example implementation shown in Figure 3.1 has been deposited adjacent to the surface for the input of a very specific period still additional JavaScript code, through which a function of the two variables and PREVIOUS YEAR CURRENT PERIOD YEAR PERIOD was implemented.

Validation and adjustment of variable values

When entering a value for a period of two variables is automatically checked whether the variable value of the other period, according to custom rules, is still
valid. This is not the case; the value is adjusted according to the rules directly.

Such validation and adjustment is not possible without this extension, since it is in the customer exit in I_STEP 3 is not possible to override the values of the user.

Analogous to the implementation of a customized variables dialogue must also be replaced by a Web item types from individual extension of the SAP standard HTML code. In this variant, for each variable of a Web item types must Individual expansion in WebTemplate be deposited.

For the implementation of custom HTML code for some HTML elements are also patterns provided. For these HTML elements are patterns available:
Input Feld
Dropdown-Box
Label

The pattern is used to facilitate the creation of a portal layout compliant HTML code, but they are not to use it. Some properties of the extension can be customized via parameters from the Web item type Individual expansion in WebTemplate.

For each extension the BEx Web runtime environment add a standard variable input field automatically into the layout. About the Web item parameters, you can control whether the input field should be displayed above or below the user-defined layouts.

Standard input field
Using JavaScript, it is also possible to hide the standard input field. Important is that it is available within the HTML page. Also, the button for the F4 help can be hidden using JavaScript if it is not needed.

The aim of the implementation is to fill this field with the variable value.

Layout
In the current version you some adjustments at the layout of are necessary. This applies, for example, the width of the dialog variables; the height of the row in a customer-specific adaptation is embedded. Positioning of the standard input field for the variable value.

4 Customized F4 and filter dialogs
Another way of displaying variables is the customer-specific adaptation of the F4 and filter dialogs. Figure 4.1 shows two different implementations of an F4 input help dialog for the variable ZTK_0I0DAYS. In the above example, the values ​​are displayed with a reference period.

Dependencies between variables
The F4 help dialog is used explicitly for a variable. In this variant, it is not possible to influence the values of another with. Technically, the dialogue contains
an extra field that contains the value of the variable. This field is closely associated with the variable. The value of this field is passed when you close the dialog via the OK button of the dialog variables for exactly that variable. The extension replaces only the HTML code within the F4 help dialog.


Figure 4.1: Individual customers F4 and filter dialog

For each dialogue has its own Web item types of Individual expansion in WebTemplate provided. Here it is possible to reuse the implementation. You want an individual F4 help dialog for variable 0I_CALMONTH (based on 0CALMONTH) Implement. At the same time you want, however, that if the user in the report a filter to the feature 0CALMONTH applying the filter dialog has the analogous behavior as the F4 help dialog. You can do this in the Web item you both use the same implementation class. It is equally possible to implement different dialogues.

5 Implementation
The implementation of all the extensions described above is always the same principle. Figure 5.1 shows the architecture of the individual extensions.


Figure 5.1: Architecture – SAP Standard

The number of implementations of the Web item types of Individual expansion may increase due to the many possible combinations quickly. To every implementation of a Web item types of Individual expansion ever heard an implementing ABAP OO class.

Using a BAdI, the different implementations to be better organized and structured. It also provides the advanced architecture of the BAdI framework
the ability to create templates that simplify the implementation costs of new implementations and greatly shorten. Additionally, a fallback implementation is stored in the event that an implementation is not available.

Figure 5.2: Architecture - SAP standard with BAdI

~~~END~~~



Jan 18, 2013

Possibilities of BW projects documenting – Transformations

Possibilities of BW projects documenting – Transformations
via something about SAP by sapper

Some time ago I blogged about possibilities of BW BEx queries documenting. There are many other BW objects being developed during BW implementation that are also needed to be documented. In this post I focus on transformations. Following are the options to document transformation (TRFN) that I came across:

1. BW metadata repository: It is available in TA RSA1 which you select particular TRFN and press F1 button. It open web browser with page generated out of web dynpro RSO_METADATA_REPOSITORY. You can either save this page in HTML format or embed it into your documentation as attached file. Other possibility is to just include URL link.

2. Tabular overview: Functionality is available in TA RSA1: while you in display/change screen of TRFN choose Tabular overview from Extras menu. You get new pop up window with overview of all IOs used, Rules details, Start/End Routine. You can copy content of this window to your documentation via clipboard.

3. Save as picture: From display/change screen in TA RSA1 you have Save as picture functionality available. You can afterwards include this picture into your documentation.

Read Further at source : http://sapport.blogspot.com/2012/10/possibilities-of-bw-projects.html

Jan 17, 2013

Five Factors for a Successful SAP HANA Implementation

via Content in SCN 

The ability to manage "big data" in real time has revolutionized the way businesses analyze and manage performance. The revolution, though, lies in more than just quick data processing – instead, new database technology from SAP radically changes how and when businesses use the information they receive, regardless of its volume and complexity.

With SAP® NetWeaver® Business Warehouse (BW) running on SAP HANA, SAP has changed how organizations think about data management technologies, construct applications, and consume the results. Businesses that adopt new technology can sharpen their competitive edge by dramatically accelerating the speed of not only data queries but fundamental business processes.

You can benefit from this new database model in one of two ways:
1. Upgrade your existing installation to deploy SAP NetWeaver BW powered by SAP HANA, ending up with a single instance of SAP NetWeaver Data Warehouse
2. Install a new instance of SAP NetWeaver BW 7.3, running a parallel landscape
(To find out which implementation option is right for you, see this article by Tom Kurtz.)

Whatever option you choose, five major factors affect the success of your implementation:

1. Up-front assessment : Before you begin, it helps to understand the requirements and scope of a SAP HANA implementation. Assess your overall architecture, database platform, business applications, and current SAP NetWeaver BW footprint. You also need a clear understanding of the technical elements of your implementation. Do you need to upgrade to SAP NetWeaver BW 7.3? If so, which version will you be upgrading from – 7.x or 3.5? What about requirements such as authorization migration and Unicode migration?

Before SAP HANA, SAP BW consultants routinely followed a Layered, Scalable Architecture (LSA) methodology for building and structuring the business warehouse. The LSA methodology helped create a standardized approach that organized data by functional area, geography, and other key dimensions. With SAP HANA, the new LSA++ methodology takes advantage of in-memory capabilities to deliver simplified data models, increasing flexibility and optimizing enterprise performance management. Using LSA++, which is a fundamentally different approach to data modeling, requires careful upfront planning to optimize your SAP NetWeaver BW solution powered by SAP HANA.

Performing an upfront assessment will align the HANA platform with the strategic solution landscape. Accurate scoping and a clearly defined architecture and design will help you stay on schedule, meet financial budgets, and identify necessary skills and personnel.


2. Data quality and sizing: With a SAP NetWeaver BW on SAP HANA implementation, as with any data solution, the results are only as good as the data you start with. Take the time to analyze existing data, clearly define which data should be migrated, and specify the volume of data to be stored, and you'll be more likely to accurately size the required HANA hardware – and limit unexpected changes during the implementation.

Also consider the data to be stored in the SAP HANA system. You must understand both the frequency of data loads and which elements and volumes need to be loaded. SAP BW Data Store Object (DSO) improvements provide significant data load performance benefits and directly take advantage of SAP HANA's column-based data processing. However to ensure optimal performance and a robust and scalable solution, you'll want to clearly architect the data elements and points of integration.

Data management must be an ongoing consideration, and your final data optimization exercise should be performed after migration. To take full advantage of SAP HANA in-memory capabilities, deploy SAP HANA as the database for the SAP NetWeaver BW instance following the principles for LSA++.


3. Related project components : An SAP NetWeaver BW on HANA migration is likely to interact with a number of other systems and applications; consider how the interplay among them will affect the project. For example, SAP BusinessObjects™ Business Intelligence (BI) solutions are often used for SAP HANA solution output. Ensure best practices for business intelligence implementation, and ask the project team to consider data output formats.
Also consider how data gets into SAP HANA. It may seem straightforward to load SAP ERP data into SAP HANA, but what about the ETL approach for data from non-SAP sources? Mismanaged data can lead to project escalations and delays.

Increasingly SAP NetWeaver BW on SAP HANA projects are not just for reporting and analytics purposes. SAP solutions are also taking advantage of SAP NetWeaver BW on SAP HANA as a platform. For example, SAP Business Planning and Consolidation (BPC), SAP Business Warehouse Integrated Planning (BW-IP), and SAP Strategic Enterprise Management (SEM) products all have the capability to take direct advantage of SAP HANA in-memory and high performance capabilities. If your project contains one of these solutions, you should ensure it includes the specific, related SAP HANA functionality.


4. Project management : There is no single timeline for an SAP HANA project. Each project is different; each has distinctive contributing factors, characteristics, and objectives. Use a standard project methodology, such as the SAP ASAP implementation methodology, to ensure that a project addresses all critical activities, phases, and deliverables necessary for success. The SAP ASAP methodology has been updated to incorporate SAP HANA activities required for a standard in-memory project. Accelerators, best practices, and implementation tools have also been updated or developed to shorten project timelines and reduce risk. Methodology, timelines, and key activities will vary based on your technical landscape, expectations for in-memory functionality, and use case.

Of course, with complex SAP HANA projects the need for robust project management only increases. Strong project management can provide visibility while ensuring the best possible outcome for each project.


5. Skills and experience : SAP HANA is a new technology – the success of any implementation depends in large part on your ability to find experts with needed skills. Critical resources will also vary depending on how you leverage the SAP HANA in-memory solution and the use case you choose.

Consultants at SAP Services HANA Center of Excellence (COE) have in-depth skills and knowledge that come from having performed a multitude of complex implementations. Based on extensive experience with numerous successful SAP NetWeaver BW on HANA implementations, the SAP Services HANA COE can advise you of the best approach and alert you to common pitfalls. With a large pool of certified talent, SAP Services HANA COE can help ensure the success of your SAP HANA implementation while speeding timelines and managing the return on investment.


Learn More
Let SAP HANA Services help you optimize your SAP NetWeaver BW on SAP HANA implementation. We can help with assessment, data sizing, and quality issues; solution considerations; project management; and more. Whether you need initial advisory design or a complete implementation, SAP's expert planning and installation services can help you streamline and accelerate your migration plan for maximum benefit.

To learn more about how SAP can help you deliver maximum business benefits, go to ww.sap.com/services

On the perils of using SAP HANA


Being an advocate of SAP HANA makes me somewhat idiosyncratic. I tend to see the advantages of implementing SAP HANA for BW systems, but I am not involved in the "other side" of the BW administrators. Recently I discussed the implementation of SAP HANA for my favorite BW landscape. Speaking with the responsible BW administrators was somewhat of an eye-opener for me. Even if such issues like hardware selection/sizing and overall project funding are clarified, then there remain four obstacles or let's better say challenges:

1. Encryption
I was asked whether the current version of SAP HANA supports data encryption. I had to say no, and this clearly violated the corporate policy. So no HANA implementation is possible right away. Life can be hard. There is this ideal landscape - THE landscape why SAP developed HANA in the first place, and it cannot be implemented due to the security policy! I was flabbergasted. I just hoped that SAP would provide encryption in a future release to alleviate this problem. Luckily the "what's new" of HANA 1.0 SPS05 was right on the spot. This obstacle was fixed really fast, thanks SAP!

2. Resources
BW data loading can be really complicated. There are some old and obsolete BW instances which cannot easily be dumped due to some complex data loading configurations. Unfortunately, such old instances bind resources, and this can hinder the implementation of new technologies like SAP HANA. It doesn't really matter if you have some old reference systems which cannot be shut down due to legal reasons, but using obsolete BW releases (on obsolete HW/OS/DB) for reporting is getting more and more critical. Of course this is well known among the BW administrators, but not being able to support such an obsolescence process in any way goes against my grain as being a support engineer.

3. Capacity Planning
BW systems can be very demanding and tend to be very important for a company, therefore better use good hardware. The hardware should neither be under nor over utilized. Either way you'll get complaints. So you need a good capacity planning process. BW systems are "work in progress" with different projects running concurrently and new subprojects going live all the time. If you have finally found a working solution so that the CPU-, memory- and IO-demands can be met in an economic way, you can be pretty sure a game changer like SAP HANA will void that process. I would not call that a real obstacle because the SAP HANA scale-out solution together with the "pay-per-use" software license should reduce the pressure from capacity planning and move it to performance + resource consumption reporting. However, if I say capacity planning is no problem, that could be only marketing speak as long as there is no verification in real life.

4. Data Issues
OK, so now for the straight talk. There was one issue which I really didn't anticipate and could cause some subsequent problems: I was told that implementing HANA would enable the end users to see all the data, because certain queries wouldn't time-out any more. So end users could complain that in certain areas only mockup data is loaded, not the real data. This of course means some more follow-up work on the data loading side to provide the real data. You better plan such tasks as part of the migration project if you don't want to enter reactive mode. HANA will raise the data quality because it will really make it possible to check all the data. Have you ever wondered what to do with the people who are currently struggling with performance troubleshooting? This is the answer what they will be doing after the migration to HANA.

Conclusion
My expressed thoughts are of course my very own opinion. Nevertheless I expect HANA to reveal some more strange intricacies which are not related to software bugs or architecture issues.

SAP BI Infocube

SAP BI Infocube
Source : SCN
Info cubes are of three types. They are:
a.  Standard Info cube
b. Virtual Info cube
c.  Real time info cube

Note:
The difference between standard info cube and virtual info cube is that the standard info cube holds data but the virtual info cube doesn't hold/ store data. Standard Info cube is used for historical reporting and the Virtual Info cube is used for online reporting.

A) Standard Info Cube: Stores data, used for historical reporting These are called as Info providers.

B) Virtual Info cube: Doesn't store data, Used for online reporting

a. These are divided into three types

i. Based on DTP direct access

ii. Based on BAPI's

iii. Based on Function Module

c) Real Time Inco Cube:These are used for actual and planned comparison

Standard Info Cube:Steps to create Info Cube: (Standard Info Cube)
Necessary info objects are to be created and follow the below steps

  • Go to RSA1 
  • Go to Info provider section 
  • Right click on Info Area 
  • Select 'Create Info cube' 
  • Give some technical name, description 
  • Select type of info cube (standard) 
  • Click on Create 
  • Right click on 'Dimension' folder 
  • Create new dimensions and give description 
  • Select option Info object catalog 
  • Select Characteristic Info object catalog and drag necessary info objects into dimensions 
  • Select Key Figure Info object catalog and drag and drop them into key figure folder 
  • Click on 'Activate'
Note: Navigational attribute has to be activated at Info object level and Info provider level
Virtual Info cube: We go for this info cube if the data is less and the number of users executing the query is less.
  • Direct access to data in BI system without extraction is available using virtual info cube or virtual providers.
  • Virtual providers are info providers with transaction data that is not stored in the object itself but which is read directly in reporting
  • The relevant data can be from BI system or SAP system or non-SAP system
  • Virtual Provider is of three types. They are :
Virtual Providers based on DTP (with Direct Access):
  • This type of virtual provider is based on data source or an info provider and takes its characteristics and key figures. 
  • Unlike other virtual providers we do not need to program interfaces in the source system. 
  • We use the same extractor to select the data in source system and replicate the data in BI system. 
  • We use the virtual provider when we need up to date data from SAP source system, when we are accessing small amount of data from time to time, or when few users execute the query simultaneously on database
Virtual provider with BAPI's: We use this virtual provider to carry out reporting on data in external system without having to physically store data in BI system 

Virtual provider with Function module: We use this virtual provider if we want to display data from non BI data sources in BI without having to copy the data set into BI structures 

Steps to create virtual providers:
  • Create info objects 
  • Right click on 'Info Area' in Info Provider section 
  • Select create virtual provider 
  • Give info cube technical name 
  • Give description 
  • Select virtual provider option 
  • Click on 'Create' 
  • Create dimension tables 
  • Assign characteristics to necessary dimensions 
  • Drag and drop necessary key figures 
  • Click on activate 
  • Right click on info cube (virtual provider) 
  • Select Activate Direct Access option 
  • Click on Save 
  • Go to source system 
  • Right click on source system 
  • Select 'Display data source tree' 
  • Create Application component 
  • Right click on application component and create data source 
  • In Extraction tab, select direct access allowed (other steps are similar to flat file extraction) 
  • Activate data source 
  • Right click on data source, select 'Create Transformations' 
  • Select target object type 
  • Give technical name of object 
  • Click on continue and activate the transformation 
  • Right click on data source, select data transfer process, create Direct Access DTP 
  • Click on Activate 
  • Right click on virtual provider 
  • Select display data 
  • Go to fields selection for output 
  • Select necessary characteristics and key figures 
  • Click on execute twice