Sap Bi Modeling

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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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SAP BI Curriculum

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 BI Curriculum


SAP UA

SAP BW Architecture Overview

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SAP UA

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


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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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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Modeling

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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


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!

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Sap Bi Modeling