Exposing Queries in Portal

SAP BW

How to use the InfoSet Query in BW 2.0B:A Step-by-Step Guide

Document Version 1.0

SAP AG assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in these materials.

These materials are provided “as is” without a warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

SAP shall not be liable for damages of any kind including without limitation direct, special, indirect, or consequential damages that may result from the use of these materials.

SAP does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these materials. SAP has no control over the information that you may access through the use of hot links contained in these materials and does not endorse your use of third party web pages nor provide any warranty whatsoever relating to third party web pages.

How to use the InfoSet Query in BW 20B

August 2000 page 2

Table of Contents

1 Preliminary Remarks ................................................................................................... 3

2 All Activities Step-by-Step .......................................................................................... 3

2.1 Step 1: Setting up Roles for the InfoSet Query................................................................................ 3 2.2 Step 2: Defining the InfoSet............................................................................................................ 3 2.3 Step 3: Assigning an InfoSet to a Role............................................................................................ 4 2.4 Step 4: Defining a Query ................................................................................................................ 5 2.5 Step 5: Saving your Query Directly into a Role ............................................................................... 5 2.6 Step 6: Publishing your Query on the Web ..................................................................................... 5


August 2000 page 3

1 Preliminary Remarks With BW 2.0B, it is possible to use the InfoSet Query in the SAP Business Information Warehouse as a tool, designed for reporting on flat, tabular data. This applies to data stored in the ODS, or to master data. There is a separate paper that compares the InfoSet Query with the BEx Query, and gives recommendations as to when the InfoSet Query should be used in the BW.

The InfoSet Query is a new tool that has evolved from the SAP Query. It provides an easy-to-use graphical interface that enables you to definite both ad hoc queries and reusable queries. Output is done via the SAP ListViewer that provides integration with various other tools (for example, MS Excel

�

). WebReporting is also supported by the SAP ListViewer. This means that every InfoSet Query can be run in a Web environment.

This paper describes how to start with the InfoSet Query in BW 2.0B. It explains the steps necessary to set up the tool, as well as all the steps to your first InfoSet Query on the Web.

2 All Activities Step-by-Step

2.1 Step 1: Setting up Roles for the InfoSet Query

The InfoSet Query tool is completely integrated into the role concept of the mySAP.com Workplace and the BEx Browser, respectively. This means that there is not just a transaction for calling the Query Builder, the tool itself must be called with parameters defining the environment, meaning the reporting content relevant for one specific role.

The InfoSet Query is based on the SAP Query that developed the concept of user groups to meet these demands, even before the role concept existed. Technically, there is now a one-to-one assignment of a particular role to a SAP Query user group. This assignment needs to be made once by the administrator.

• In the BW Menu, choose Business Explorer -> InfoSet Query -> Set up Roles for InfoSet Query (or use transaction code RSQ10).

• Now, choose the appropriate role from the main screen of the transaction. All available roles are displayed.

In order to create a new role, you have to use the Role maintenance. To get to role maintenance, go back, and click the pushbutton Create role in the BW Menu toolbar, or use transaction code PFCG.

• Choose Assign user group.

• On the following popup Determine User Group, choose Create a new user group, and type in the name.

When assigning a role to a SAP Query user group, the system creates a role entry called InfoSet Query that calls the Query Builder in this context. Make sure that you are assigned to this role.

Before starting the Query Builder, you must define an InfoSet. The InfoSet represents the data source of a query.

2.2 Step 2: Defining the InfoSet

InfoSets are the data sources of the InfoSet Query. They can be compared to an InfoCube to some extent, although InfoSets are not containers of data, only references to the database tables or joins of tables. An InfoSet can also refer to a program that collects data.

In BW, you can build InfoSets on master data (InfoObjects), ODS objects, or joins of these objects.

The InfoSet maintenance can be opened from the Administrator Workbench (transaction code RSA1) by a right mouse click on the corresponding ODS object or InfoObject. Choose the menu option InfoSets.

If you want to list all the InfoSets that have already been created, use the transaction code RSQ02 - Maintain InfoSets.


August 2000 page 4

On the right-hand area of the AWB screen, all existing InfoSets related to this ODS object or InfoObject are displayed.

If there are no InfoSets displayed, you can either create standard InfoSets for a certain ODS/InfoObject, or you can create your own InfoSet.

How to create standard InfoSets for a certain ODS/InfoObject:

• Click on the pushbutton Create standard InfoSets in the AWB toolbar.

The system creates an InfoSet containing all the fields of the corresponding database tables of the ODS/InfoObject. With an ODS object, the system creates an InfoSet for the active records, and an InfoSet for the most recent records.

You can modify these InfoSets according to your needs. Keep in mind, that only the generated version of an InfoSet can be used by the InfoSet Query.

These standard InfoSets may be useful as a starting point. However, if you need more sophisticated contents (for example joined objects), you have to create your own InfoSet.

How to create your own InfoSet:

• Type in the technical name of the InfoSet on the AWB screen, and click the pushbutton Create new InfoSet.

On the following screen, the system has already filled in the name of the corresponding database table.

• By clicking the OK button, you get to the screen Join Definition. Define the join conditions.

• On the main screen of the InfoSet maintenance you can:

o Select all relevant attributes.

o Group these attributes into field groups.

o Define additional fields that may contain additional information, for example characteristics or key figures initially not contained in the ODS objects or in the InfoObjects.

o Save your entries.

Note: If an InfoSet is to be used for queries in a Web environment, the InfoSet must be assigned to an authorization group. To do this, go to InfoSet maintenance, click the pushbutton Change, and choose Global properties from the Goto Menu.

See the documentation on InfoSet maintenance in the SAP Library (-> Basis Components -> ABAP Workbench -> SAP Query) for further help on the features of InfoSets, and InfoSet maintenance.

2.3 Step 3: Assigning an InfoSet to a Role

After you have saved and generated an InfoSet (this is done automatically by the system if you create the standard InfoSet), it must be assigned to a role.

In the Administrator Workbench, choose the function InfoSets by clicking with the right mouse button on the respective object (see Step 2). Select an InfoSet entry, and choose Role assignment. Assign the InfoSet to the respective roles, and save your entries. One InfoSet can be assigned to several roles.

The InfoSet is now ready for reporting.

Note: It is possible with transaction RSQ10 (see Step 1) to define a default InfoSet for a certain role. This is particularly useful, if several InfoSets are assigned to one role. To do this, use transaction RSQ10, and then choose Assign InfoSets.


August 2000 page 5

2.4 Step 4: Defining a Query

There are two ways to call the Query Builder: You can call the Query Builder from your role menu by double clicking on InfoSet Query, this method is appropriate for reporting users, or you can call the Query Builder directly from the InfoSets overview in the Administrator Workbench (see Step 3). This method is appropriate for InfoSet developers and testers especially.

To define a query, you select fields from the group of fields preselected in the InfoSet, by dragging the respective fields into the output area, or setting the appropriate flags in the field list (Output).

If you want to apply filters for certain fields, drag these fields into the selection area, or set the appropriate flags in the field list (Selection).

The procedure is similar to the procedure with the BEx Analyzer.

When designing the query, the output area contains sample data only. The query can be executed and the results displayed on the same screen using the Refresh data function of the output area.

2.5 Step 5: Saving your Query Directly into a Role

If you want to keep your query, you can save it directly into the role from which you called the Query Builder. After saving, a second dialog opens asking you whether you want the system to create a role entry for this query.

A role entry can also be created manually using the Role maintenance transaction (transaction code PFCG).

2.6 Step 6: Publishing your Query on the Web

Every InfoSet Query can be called in a Web environment. There are three output options:

• MiniALV (to use your query output in a MiniApp for the mySAP.com Workplace)

• MidiALV without a selection screen (you can switch between different selection variants)

• MidiALV displaying a selection screen first for the input of variables

Both the MiniALV and MidiALV allow you to switch between several selection variants and/or layout variants. The appearance of the data can be customized by URL parameters.

See the documentation on the SAP ListViewer on the Web for further details1.

For security reasons, certain prerequisites have to be fulfilled before a query can be executed in a Web environment:

• The query has to be released for execution on the Web

• The underlying InfoSet has to be assigned to an authorization group (see Step 2)

To fulfill these requirements, choose Web Reporting Administration for InfoSet Query (transaction code RSQ11) from the BW Menu. Here you can add authorization groups to InfoSets as well as release or reset the release for queries for the Web. This transaction also contains an URL generator.

The URL generator creates an URL for a query with all the parameters necessary/allowed for calling the ITS services mentioned above. This URL may be called directly, embedded in a Web page, or used for a MiniApp in the SAP Workplace.

1 Prerequisites regarding ITS: • MiniALV service has to be installed/published on ITS, if you want to use this output option (MidiALV uses webrfc

service, which is usually part of the ITS installation • Function modules WWW_ALV_CALL and WWW_ALV_SELSCREEN have to be released for the web (this is

done with Transaction SMW0)


August 2000 page 6

Documents

Exposing Queries in Portal