Real time Reporting using BW/4 HANA on ECC or BW data sources

[Former Member]

Hello ,

I have few questions with regards to BW/4 HANA and real time reporting in ECC environment (and not S/4 HANA case). In most cases, one will have EDW thus will need BW which is now on BW/4HANA. Another condition, with native HANA modelling and SLT, business are able to get real time reporting. So if one visualizes BW/4 HANA case, there also one will aspire real time reporting. So question is does BW/4 HANA with upcoming extractors, will it have real time extraction and reporting possible. It has two parts 1) real time extraction from source i.e. ECC, BW source >>> BW/4HANA system 2) real time on the fly query time logic and transformation execution for final data set to report.

I am under impression with ABAP CDS technology it could be possible. I think BW InfoProviders can be based on ABAP CDS and these base ABAP CDS (say CDS_REPORT) can be based on another set of CDS view (say CDS_ECC) or just DB table populated by BW/4 HANA with upcoming (hopefully real time) extractors or SLT.

Thus we can have real time BI data application and can re-use CDS_REPORT kind of CDS views in other data application. Additionally, other benefit of CDS and BW will be utilized like push down, security, life cycling etc.

Please help me understand above. In short, I want to understand what’s the way to go to build real time reporting based on ECC data (and other data source like other BW) using BW/4 HANA extraction from source and transformation from raw to infoprovider level is all real time. Is it going to be
Option 1 -> ECC >>> standard extraction ..hopefully real time >>> BW objects/infoprovider >> reporting
OR
Option 2 -> ECC >>> standard extraction ..hopefully real time >> DB table/BW object/CDS view >>> CDS view >>> BW objects/infoprovider >> reporting
OR
Option 3 > ECC >>> standard extraction ..hopefully real time >> DB table/BW object/CDS view >>> CDS view >>> reporting
I don’t think option 3 is very good as then will miss benefits of BW.

Option 4 > ECC >>> standard extraction ..hopefully real time >>>> BW object >> Transformation BW logic >> infoprovider >>> reporting
I think option 4 we loses CDS and its benefits of re-using one data model in variety of data application.

Regards,
Nitin

[Former Member]

HI Abhishek,

Thank you for quick reply and weblinks. Both links works in the context of S/4HANA but my question pertains to ECC source only. For S/4 HANA there are CDS views on OLTP side and BI can do virtual/persistent call to pick data from there.

Reason not to use persistence layer per se is to enable end to end real time.

In my opiniion, as of today, this is the best we can get

ECC >>> SLT (for whatever it does) >> DB table/BW object/CDS view >>> [[[CDS view]]]] >>> BW objects/infoprovider/composite provider >> BW Query >> reporting

From reporting side we can go directly to [[[CDS view]]]], but I think going to through BW Query and composite provider is better as BW shell will add flexibility to do more things.

I think I have right conclusion but just trying if someone from SAP core team confirms. I think they are ignoring my post :). Right now their focus is S/4HANA.

Regards,

Nitin

[Former Member]

Helli Nitin,

Below is another link and I am hopeful u will get answers to all ur questions here with recommendations from sap.

http://www.sap.com/documents/2016/06/a221357d-767c-0010-82c7-eda71af511fa.html

Thanks

Abhishek Shanbhogue

[Former Member]

Hello Nitin,

You talk about having all the features but not wanting to use persistence layer and build a virtual model which is also possible with the options I mentioned but there are limitations.

If yous want to make use of just bw objec

https://blogs.sap.com/2016/08/29/how-to-use-extraction-capability-of-cds-to-sap-bw/

Thanks

Abhishek shanbhogue

[Former Member]

Hello Abhishek,

You are missing the point, the solution you suggest has persistence involved all through or else trying to use HANA views directly. Objective here is to get end to end Analytic real time using BW objects. It has two part:

-- ECC Source to BI mart

-- within BI mart on the fly transformation to report during query time

With SLT, there are bunch of source in ECC like payroll cluster and ECC hierarchy can't be replicated properly. Plus during replication the transformation are bit limited and complicated

Plus after replicating how can we have on the fly relevant transformation with BW object ; I think its through ABAP CDS only.

Let me know if you have some option.

Regards,

Nitin

[Former Member]

Hello Nitin - I hope this answers your question, I would suggest you go thru BW4HANA course from OpenSAP website to get beter understanding of the options

Data from SAP source systems

Data Sources -> SLT -> aDSOs -> Reporting

Data Sources -> SLT -> aDSOs -> Composite Providers/HANA Views --> Reporting

Data from Non SAP Source systems

Data Source -> SLT -> Open ODS -> Reporting

Data Source -> SLT -> Open ODS -> Composite Providers/HANA Views -> Reporting

Thanks

Abhishek Shanbhogue

[Former Member]

HI Roland,

I just noticed your response, I attended the course but didn't got the answer. I also posted the same question in course community page but no credible response. In last few days I re-posted this question to one of your blog post.

Please see if you can answer here.

Regarfs,

Nitin

[RolandKramer]

You might find your Answer in the former OpenSAP class - https://open.sap.com/courses/bwhana1-1/

Best Regards Roland