What option should be used to install standard BI content in BW4HANA?

[former_member308471]

Hi All,

We have a fresh BW4HANA system and wish to activate standard BI content through RSA1.

What option should we use during installation for Grouping :

Grouping : Only Necessary Objects

Data Flow Before

Data Flow Afterwards

Dataflow Before and Afterwards

Data Flow Before (direct)

and which type of object should we begin with ADSO or Composite Provider?

Example : - Composite Provider : Delivery /IMO/V_SD20

ADSO's Delivery Header :/IMO/D_SD20

ADSO's Delivery Item Data :/IMO/D_SD21

Kindly advise on the best practise to be followed.

Regards,

Kiran

[former_member71289 · Accepted solution]

Hi Kiran,

depending on how the system is used, I would see two main approaches

A) Quick approach, when you do not need to care about the meta data foot print in the system (e.g. sandbox system)

1) Connect the ERP or S/4HANA source system(s) via ODP-SAP and activate (!) the source system. When you are asked by the system if you want to write content versions for the source system with a notification that this might take a long time, respond happily with 'YES' (it will not take too long, but this is an important step, otherwise content installer would not be able to collect source system-dependent content objects, e.g. DataSources and Transformations)

2) Maintain the 2-digit source system ID (still via SAP GUI RSA1 -> 'Source Systems' -> 'Source System Assignment' -> column Source System ID

3) In content installer (transaction code RSORBCT) select the source system(s) for that you want to collect the content (yellow icon with a cross)

4) Choose option "data flow before and after' and select the object (e.g. CompositeProviders or DataFlow objects) that you want to install with all dependent objects

5) Choose install in background

Keep in mind that this will really install everything dependent including MD transformations - also for BW objects that you never will use (e.g. an attribute of an attribute of an attribute of Business Partner that is e.g. Retail specific...).

B) Selective approach, you only want to activate the content objects that you really want to use (e.g. in a development system). For this approach, best to prepare a list of the DataFlow or Composite Provider objects you want to activate based on the documentation. Additionally list all InfoObjects for that you require to load texts, attributes or hierarchies for reporting (this list definitely varies from customer to customer implementation). The list must not be complete, as you can activate single objects like transformations also later if you missed out something.

Step 1) - 3) as in approach A).

4) Choose option "DataFlow before (direct)" SAP Note 2244374 and the content object(s) from your list that you want to install. In your example, select the SD-Delivery CompositeProvider and the InfoObjects you would need to load with master data (e.g. material, customer, delivery status etc.).

5) After the system has collected the objects, check the list of the collected objects and if all looks okay, click install ("in dialog" mode might be possible if your list is not too long). This will only activate the objects that are feeding the transactional data consumed by the Composite Provider and master data objects feeding the InfoObjects that you have chosen (e.g. attribute, text, hierarchy data sources and transformations) and their necessary objects (e.g. all required InfoObjects, also attributes of attributes but not the transformations into these attributes).

6) Afterwards install also the standard queries, Restricted Key Figures, Calculated Key Figures that are provided for the CompositeProvider and that you want to use. Also possible to use function "DataFlow afterwards" for Composite Provider for this, as it should not collect too many objects.

There are definitely also many more approaches. 🙂

All the best,

Andreas

[former_member308471 · Accepted solution]

Thankyou so much Andreas.... really appreciate you took out time to explain things in so much detail.

Approach B works good for us. 🙂

[former_member788224 · Accepted solution]

Hi Andreas,

I have one doubt here if we already have an Installed info Object in production and which holds data but now I am implementing some new data flow and I need the existing Info Object to be reinstalled from the Business content as it got 2 more extra attributes which are newly added to it by SAP as part of new BI Content , How do we proceed in this scenario.

Thanks & Regards,

Sitharam.

[former_member71289 · Accepted solution]

Hi Sitharam,

from my knowledge you should be able to activate the data flow without the need to activate the InfoObject. Therefore deselect the InfoObject in RSORBCT - when using the SAP GUI content installer. This should not cause any issues - unless the two additional attributes are used somewhere in the new dataflow e.g. as navigation attributes or used for lookup in transformations.

Best to check first in a sandpit system.

Best regards,

Andreas

[FCI]

I guess it depends on what you want to activate and on the confidence you have in BW.

I generally try to begin small (a few infoProviders with necessary objects only). Then, when no more errors occurs, I increase the activation scope (dataflow before, dataflow after, more infoProviders etc;).

The bigger the activation scope is, the more difficult the error analysis will be (if any).