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SAP BW: 2008

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Monday, October 20, 2008

Update types in BW/BI

With the update type, you control whether a key figure/data field is updated in the InfoProvider.
Functions
For InfoCubes:

· Depending on the aggregation type you entered in the Key Figure Maintenance for this key figure, you are given the options Addition or Maximum or Minimum. If you choose one of these options, new values are updated in the InfoCube.

The aggregation type (addition, minimum & maximum) determines how key figures are updated where primary keys are the same. Thus the total, the minimum or the maximum for these values is formed for new values.

If you entered one of these aggregation types in the key figure definition, it is transferred for the update. Otherwise, the aggregation type addition is automatically selected.

· If you choose no update, the key figures are not updated in the InfoCube, meaning that no data records are written in the InfoCube with the first data transfer, or that data records that already exist, will remain in place with subsequent transfers.
For InfoObjects:

Only the Overwrite option is available. With this option, new values are updated to the InfoObject.
For ODS Objects:

1. Depending on the type of data and DataSource, you have the options Addition, Minimum, Maximum or Overwrite. If you choose one of these options, new values are updated in the ODS object.

For numerical data fields, you are given a proposal for the update type through the characteristic 0RECORDMODE. If only the after-image is delivered, the system proposes Overwrite. However, it could make sense to change this: For example, with the meter data field “# Changes”, which is filled with a constant 1 but still has to be updated through addition, although only an after-image is delivered.

Characteristic 0RECORDMODE is used to pass indicators of the DataSource (from SAP systems) to the update.

You do not need characteristic 0RECORDMODE as long as you do not load delta requests in the ODS object or only from file DataSources.

a. Addition:

Addition is not supported with the data types CHAR, DAT, TIMS, CUKY and UNIT. To be able to use the addition function, make sure the DataSource is compatible with an additive delta.

b. Overwrite:

Whether overwriting is supported is determined by the delta-compatibility of the DataSource.

In this example, the order quantity changes after it has been loaded into BW. With the second load process the data is overwritten since it has the same primary key.

First load process

Document No. Document Item Order Quantity Unit of measure
100001 10 200 Pieces
100001 20 150 Pieces
100002 10 250 Kg

Second load process

Document No. Document Item Order Quantity Unit of measure
100001 10 180 Pieces
100001 20 165 Pieces

When you update data, the system keeps to the time sequence of the data packages and requests. You have to decide the logical order of the update yourself. Meaning, for example, orders must be requested before deliveries; otherwise the wrong results may appear when you overwrite the data.

c. If you choose no update, the data fields are not updated in the ODS object, meaning that no data records are written in the ODS object with the first data transfer, or that data records that already exist will remain in place with subsequent transfers.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

New features in process chains

In Netweaver BI 2004s we can find many new features in process chains. Below I have listed some of them


Copying of process chains:In BI 2004s there is a copy option in the process chain menu.

Go to RSPC -----> Process chain ----> Copy. Enter the technical name and description, save it and click on refresh button. You can see the new process chain in the list.

Client dependent: We have a option of assigning a particular process chain to a particular client.

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Go to RSPC ----> Process chain ----> Attributes. Enter client id and save it. Once you assign, the process chain can only monitored in this client. Note: Process variants which are used in one client will not be used in other client.

Display mode: Display, here in BI 2004s we don't have locking issues. One user may change the process chain while the other is just displaying it. Process chain can be scheduled in display mode.

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Authorization for process chain: There is a new authorization object on process chian itself S_RS_PC which checks on the sub objects:
.DEFINITION, the activities display(03) and change(23),
.PROTOCOLS, the activity deletion(06),
.RUNTIME, the activity execution(16).

Some new Process Types:

Decision between Multiple Alternatives:

This process Supports if (condition1) then (event1) elseif; decisions up to 99 resulting events and an error event can be defined.

Once you put all conditions in the process type, then when you connect a link between decision process type to the next process, it will asks on what condition you need to proceed to next process type.
You can find the process type in "General Services".

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Data Transfer Process:

This proess is used for automatically load data into an Infoprovider. It is just like an info package.
You can find the process type in "Load process and post-processing".

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Close Request of Real-Time Infopackage:

With this process type, you can close an open PSA request for a Web service DataSource or a DataSource for real-time data acquisition in an SAP source system before the entry value is reached.
You can find the process type in "Load process and post-processing".

imageimage

Archive Data from Info Provider:

This process type is used to automate the Archiving data from info provider.
You can find the process type in "Data Target Administration".

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Deletion of Request from the Change log:

This process is used for deleting data from the change log of a DataStore object is which are no longer needed for the delta update.
You can find the process type in "Other BW Processes".

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Switch Real time Infocube to Plan mode & Switch Real time Infocube to Load mode:

This both process types are used to automate the process of converting real time Infocube to plan mode or load mode.
You can find the process types in "Other BW Processes".

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Wednesday, April 2, 2008

key performance indicators

If you are struggling to define your company's key performance indicators (KPIs), here is a useful bit of information. I recently discovered an interesting website dedicated to identifying KPIs for just about every category you can think of. And it is FREE!

Yes, indeed -- a website described as "The free Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Library is a community of business professionals that provides guidance in identifying and prioritizing the KPIs that really matter for your organization's success." The categories include business, compliance & legislation, environmental, finance, HR, IT, outsourcing, procurement, project portfolio, R & D, supply chain & logistics, and many others. Warning -- you have to register to use the site but I found it quite useful.

The site contains (at the time of this posting) 943 KPIs. Here are a few by name:

Market share gain comparison %
Ad click-through ratio (CTR)
Cash dividends paid
Share price
Perfect Order Measure
Average customer recency
Average number of trackbacks per post
Number of past due loans
% of service requests posted via web (self-help)
Total energy used per unit of production
Cumulative Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

With each entry, you get a definition, the category it belongs to, and the ability to share it using any number of book marking applications. You can also comment on the KPI and add your own to the listing. As an example, here is the entry for Cumulative Annual Growth Rate (CAGR):

"This tells the story about any company as to what rate the company has grown over years irrespective of consistency in growth YoY basis. A company might have one successful year and then a bad year. If you compare the growth rate YoY basis it may give a different picture and be concluded as lack of consistency in management. But if one looks at the CAGR, it will explain the real growth over years. It is calculated as:

=Power(Revenue Year (n)/Revenue Year(1),1/n) - 1

Where, Revenue Year (n)= n-th year Revenue Revenue Year(1) = 1st year Revenue"

And on it goes...

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Variable Types

Types of Variables:

The type of variable being used. This determines the object that the variable represents as a placeholder for a concrete value.

Structure

There are different types of variables depending on the object for which you want to define variables. These types specify where you can use the variables.

· Characteristic Value Variables

Characteristic value variables represent characteristic values and can be used wherever characteristic values are used.

If you restrict characteristics to specific characteristic values, you can also use characteristic value variables.

· Hierarchy Variables

Hierarchy variables represent hierarchies and can be used wherever hierarchies can be selected.

If you restrict characteristics to specific hierarchies or select presentation hierarchies, you can also use hierarchy variables.

· Hierarchy Node Variables

Hierarchy node variables represent a node in a hierarchy and can be used wherever hierarchy nodes are used.

If you restrict characteristics to specific hierarchy nodes, you can also use hierarchy node variables.

· Text Variables

Text variables represent a text and can be used in descriptions of queries, calculated key figures and structural components.

Sunday, January 20, 2008