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BI1-V1-04 SAP BW Data Modeling
SAP University Alliances
Version 2.0Authors Klaus Freyburger
Peter Lehmann
2010 All Rights Reserved. SAP UA
Abstract:This chapter covers the basic aspects and concepts ofdata modeling with SAP Business Information
Warehouse (SAP BW).
ProductSAP Netweaver BI 7.0
Level
Undergraduate
Beginner
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BI1-V1-04 SAP BIModeling
SAP UA
Overview
InfoObjects
Key Figures Characteristics
InfoProviders
DataStore Ob ects
Agenda
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InfoCubes
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SAP BW Architecture Overview
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SAP BW Data Modeling Architecture Objects and
Data Structures
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What is an InfoObject?
InfoObjects are used to focus on business requirements.
Note:
The original product name was SAP Business InformationWarehouse.
The abbrevation BIW conflicted with another product name, soBW was chosen.
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InfoObjects are the bricks to build data structures inside SAPBW.
InfoObjects represent business objects from an end users
view. The most important InfoObject types used for business analysis
are Characteristics and Key Figures.
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InfoObject: Characteristics
A Characteristic represents a business object (or concept,business term, business entity).
A Characteristic may have attributes which describes thebusiness object in more detail.
Example: InfoObject Customer is a characteristic withattributes such as Customer Number ZIP Code Re ion
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etc. The attributes Customer Number, ZIP Code, Region, etc.
are also managed as Characteristics and may have their ownattributes.
Note: What SAP calls a Characteristic is often referredto in the data warehouse community as a Dimension.
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InfoObject: Key Figures
A Key Figure (or variable, measure) is oftenly used to documentthe performance of a business process over time.
It can be found in document records such as invoice, deliverynote, purchase order, or goods receipt.
Example: InfoObject Revenue or Sales Amount, etc.
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Note: InfoObjects are unique inside SAP BW, and they are used tobuild the data structures for analysis requirements.
Conceptually unique: the semantics (meaning) of anInfoObject is uniquely defined system-wide inside SAP BW.
Logically unique: the data type, value range or field length isuniquely defined system-wide inside SAP BW.
From the technical point of view, an InfoObject can viewed as adatabase field.
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Evolution from a SAP ERP Database Object to an
SAP BW InfoObject
R/3 BW ExtraktorSAP ERP
SAP BW InfoObjects
SAP BW DataSource
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InfoObject
"0COSTCENTER"
SAP Business Information Warehouse!!
COAccountingCOAccounting
HRHumanRessources
HRHumanRessources
COSTC ...
Table Employee
EMPLO COST_CENTER ...
DataSourceCostCenter
Definition&
Mapping
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InfoProviders Provide Access to Data Records
InfoProviders:
Are data storage inside SAP BW
May store data records physically (persistent)
May also be used to access data stored outside SAP BW virtually(transparent views)
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BusinessExplorer
Note: A query is a view to data within an InfoProviderand does not contain physical data.
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InfoProviders
InfoProviders with physical data:
InfoCubes
Contain data optimized for fast multi-dimensional analysis. DataStore Objects
Contain detailed data.
Used for high data volumes stored in normal database tables.
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en use as a a source or n o u es.
InfoProviders with virtual data:
MultiProviders
Often used to create views above two or more InfoCubes with the sameCharacteristics but different Key Figures.
Data resides in the InfoCubes involved and data redundancy is avoided.
VirtualProviders
Data stored somewhere outside SAP BW.
Some ERP systems provide data storage which may be accessed directlyby SAP BW without changing the end user s view to the data.
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InfoCubes
Provide data storage used for reporting and onlineanalysis.
Consist of Key Figures and Characteristics. Contain data stored multi-dimensionally and often aggregated
(week, month).
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,
by dimension tables. Use a maximum of 3 + 13 dimension tables.
3 dimension tables are pre-defined by SAP.
Time, Unit and DataPackage (for technical information)
13 dimensions may be used by InfoCube developers.
Note: In practice, good InfoCube design should not exceed6-8 dimensions (+ the 3 above) so 13 dimensions are plenty.
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DataStore Objects
Contain single data records such as invoices,purchase orders or customer order items.
Consist of key fields (such as order number,order position number) and data fields (Key Figures andCharacteristics such as sales amount, net value, customer id,material number).
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Store data records in relational database tables. Often contain massive volumes of data.
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Overview
InfoObjects
Key Figures Characteristics
InfoProviders
DataStore Ob ects
Agenda
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InfoCubes
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InfoObjects
InfoObjects
Key Figures
Revenue, Sales Amount, Net Value, .
Characteristics
Customer, Region, Zip Code,
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Unit of Measurement, Currency,
Time
Calender Year, Fiscal Year, Month, Day, Quarter, .
Some Technical Stuff
DataPackageID, RequestID,
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Key Figure Definition: Revenue
Amount, Quantity, ..
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EUR, USD, (fix)
Pieces, inch, %, (fix)
Unit / Currency (fix) / Currency
reference
float, char(10),
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Key Figure Definition: Revenue (cont.)
A re ation: Last Value
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
500
520515
520 520
Last value
No Employee per Month
521
Last value
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Aggregation:Summation,Minimum,Maximum
Maximum, Average
Reference Characteristic, e.g. Quarter
The reference characteristic allows the use
of a function to aggregate data instead ofsummation.
Example: Number of Employees at theend of the quarter. Sum does not makesense!
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Key Figure Definition: Revenue (cont.)
If the Key Figure is non-cumulative (e.g.,
warehouse stock), this fielddefines an InfoObjectrepresenting non-cumulative change. This
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InfoObject is either positiveor negative. So, the stockamount can be calculatedfrom it. Two fields are used to
calculate the non-
cumulative amounts.Inflow is the InfoObjectwhich represents the stockinflow amount. Outflow isvice versa.
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Key Figure Definition: Revenue (cont.)
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Conversion Routine
Database values
Are stored in internal formatappropriate to the database
Date as YYYYMMDD
Are presented to a user in externalformat according to his local settings,e. . in
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Europe Date: DD.MM.YYYY
Numbers: 1.234,56
US
Date: MM/DD/YYYY Numbers: 1,234.56
Transformation external internal format isperformed by a conversion routine
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ALPHA Conversion Routine
Alphanumeric database fields
Datatype CHAR in SAP
Can store character and number values Have conversion exit ALPHA as default
Eliminates leading blanks after user input
User in ut of RB0010 and RB0010 refers to same ob ect
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Stores numbers with leading 0s in database Numeric values are stored in natural order in database, e.g. 0002
first, then 0010
Material Group in SAP Business Content has numericalvalues with trailing blanks
Conversion exit ALPHA must not be used
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MATN1 Conversion Routine
Database field Material often requires special treatment.
Datatype CHAR in SAP
Conversion exit MATN1 is used Edit format can be defined in transaction OMSL
E.g. _ _-_ _ _ _ User Input RB-0010 is stored as RB0010
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Since the OMSL format setting is system-wide, we donot use it in the Bike Company Curriculum.
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Characteristic Definition: Sales Organisation (cont.)An InfoObject mayhave attributes!
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Texts:Descriptive texts
Multi-language textsTime dependent texts
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Time Characteristics
Time characteristics are alwaysnecessary and define the time-
related reference point for dataanalysis purposes.
Time characteristics arepredefined by SAP and cannot
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be changed.
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Units/Currencies
Units and Currencies are used to define Key Figures in more detail.
A Unit may be an InfoObject which defines the Unit of a Key Figure.
A Currency may be an InfoObject which defines the Currency of aKey Figure
Examples:
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0BASE_UOM
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Overview
InfoObjects
Key Figures Characteristics
InfoProviders
DataStore Ob ects
Agenda
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InfoCubes
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5 Steps to Define a DataStore Object
5 steps to Define an DataStore Object
1) Define a name for aDataStoreObject
2) Choose the key fields
3) Choose the data fields
4) Define attributes used for data
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ana ys s
5) Activate the DataStoreObject
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Choosing InfoObjects to Build a DataStore Object
Select the relevant InfoObjects
Direct InfoObject name input (1) or
Choose InfoObjects by InfoObjectCatalog and drag & drop theInfoObjects (2)
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7 Steps to Define an InfoCube
7 Steps to Define an InfoCube
1) Choose a name for an InfoCube
2) Create Dimensions as needed3) Assign Characteristics to Dimensions
4) Choose Time Characteristics
5 Choose Ke Fi ures
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6) Define Navigational Attributes7) Activate InfoCube
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What is a Dimension Inside SAP BW?
A dimension is a group of characteristics which belong to thesame business object (semantically).
Each characteristic may contain additional attributes which arerelevant for data analysis or not!!!
Navigational attributes are InfoObjects which are used toperform data analysis.
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Display attributes are InfoObjects for which data analysis doesnot make sense (e.g. a house number or a family name)
This has an impact to cube design!
Note: In data warehouse community, the term Dimension isused for what SAP calls Characteristic .
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Summary
Key Figures and Characteristics are defined as InfoObjects.
InfoObjects are the smallest bricks to define InfoProviders
within SAP BW. InfoProviders are used to store data within SAP BW or allow SAP
BW to access data stored somewhere else.
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and DataStore Objects. The definition of an SAP BW InfoCube is
no Witchery!