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