SAP NetWeaver BW

Buntic Georgian is a BI lead and SAP BusinessObjects solutions architect for ExxonMobil. He has been working with BW for 13 years, and has experience with all versions (including upgrades of BW systems to 3.0B, 7.0, and 7.3). He has also developed BI competency centers with methodologies, best practices, how-to guides, and standards for development and deployment. Andrew Joo is a leader within the SAP BI Center of Excellence at IBM Global Business Services. He has over 10 years of diverse SAP thought leadership and implementation experiences spanning Business Intelligence (BI), Enterprise Information Management (EIM), and Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), and serves as an expert advisor to WIS' BusinessObjects Expert journal. He has spoken at a number of WIS conferences.

Acknowledgments ... 13

Introduction ... 15

Part 1. SAP NetWeaver BW Data Modeling ... 17

1 ... Creating Mock Data for an InfoCube for Testing ... 19
2 ... Using Remodeling Rules to Change the Structure of an InfoCube after Data Load ... 23
3 ... Flattening a Hierarchy for Increased Flexibility in Reporting ... 27
4 ... Implementing a Custom Conversion Routine for an InfoObject ... 33
5 ... Finding the Lineage of an InfoObject in the Data Source ... 37
6 ... Looking Up a DataStore Object with a New Rule Type in SAP NetWeaver BW 7.3 ... 39
7 ... Combining the Results of Two Queries Using the Application Process Designer ... 42
8 ... Using the Analysis Process Designer as a Data Modeling Object ... 46
9 ... Using the Analytic Index as a Data Provider to Create Quick Data Prototypes ... 50
10 ... Converting Standard InfoCubes to SAP HANA Optimized InfoCubes ... 54
11 ... Modeling InfoProviders with the Composite Provider ... 56
12 ... Keeping Runtimes Short for Large Data Loads using Semantically Partitioned Objects ... 59
13 ... Converting Key Figure Models to Account Models via a Rule Group ... 64
14 ... Modeling Planning Scenarios on Direct Update DataStore Objects ... 67
15 ... Analyzing the Effectiveness of InfoCube Design per SAP Recommendations ... 70
16 ... Implementing Date and Time Fields as Key Figures ... 73
17 ... Using an Existing BEx Query to Transform Your Data ... 77
18 ... Using Integrated Planning to Enable Planning with Master Data That Doesn't Yet Exist ... 80
19 ... Reporting on Base Tables Using Transient Providers ... 84
20 ... Allowing Flexible Calculations on Date and Time Fields ... 88


Part 2. SAP NetWeaver BW Reporting and Analysis ... 93

21 ... Determining Which Queries Are Being Used in a Workbook ... 95
22 ... Creating Ad Hoc Key Figures on the Fly and Saving Them in Workbooks ... 97
23 ... Using Alternate Unit of Measures for Key Figures in BEx Reporting ... 100
24 ... Implementing BEx User Exit Variables Using a BAdI for en Masse Modification ... 104
25 ... Counting Using Exception Aggregation in BEx ... 108
26 ... Copying and Creating Calculated and Restricted Key Figures to Use as a Template ... 113
27 ... Changing a Variable Type en Masse ... 116
28 ... Reviewing Key Figure Information without Using the BEx Query Designer ... 118
29 ... Creating a Custom Hierarchical Display in BEx ... 121
30 ... Integrating Custom Formulas into the Formula Builder for Reuse ... 124
31 ... Seamlessly Binding all SAP NetWeaver BW Web Application Designer (WAD) Components ... 126
32 ... Implementing the NOT EXISTS Functionality in BEx Queries ... 130
33 ... Dynamically Determining Multiple Time Periods for Reporting ... 132
34 ... Enabling Cascading Variable Prompt Values in a BEx Query ... 135
35 ... Enabling Dynamic Calculations in BEx by Using the Master Data Attribute Value in the Formula Variable ... 139
36 ... Setting Up the Report-Report Interface for Additional Drill-Through in BEx Queries ... 142
37 ... Using Virtual Characteristics and Key Figures in SAP NetWeaver BW for Easy Ad Hoc Analysis ... 145
38 ... Using the Enhanced Menu Option in BEx Reports to Obtain More Information about Key Figures ... 148
39 ... Customizing a BEx Workbook with Excel VBA for Greater Control ... 151
40 ... Creating a Condition to Filter a Key Figure in BEx ... 154
41 ... Suppressing Records with Zero Values in BEx Query Designer ... 157
42 ... Making Multiple Changes to a Query Seamlessly in BEx Analyzer ... 159
43 ... Combining Query Results by Setting Up Subqueries with Linked Variables ... 162
44 ... Leveraging Existing Data Range References in the BEx Analyzer for Data Manipulation ... 166
45 ... Returning a List of BEx Queries that Use Specified SAP NetWeaver BW BEx Variables ... 169


Part 3. SAP NetWeaver BW Data Flow ... 171

46 ... Analyzing Process Chains for Troubleshooting or Optimizing Data Load Processes ... 173
47 ... Populating Internal Tables That Are Available across Multiple Data Packages ... 177
48 ... Correctly Populating the Process Keys for Logistics Extractors ... 181
49 ... Activating Transformations in an SAP NetWeaver BW System en Masse ... 184
50 ... Adjusting the System's Default Package Size to Optimize Data Loading ... 186
51 ... Restarting a Failed Full Repair Request for a DSO ... 189
52 ... Using a Standard Table to Analyze and Delete Data from Transfer Process Error Logs ... 192
53 ... Copying Queries between InfoCubes That Don't Have Similar Structures ... 194
54 ... Using a Standard Functionality to Perform a Data Dump for an InfoCube ... 198
55 ... Creating Monitor Entries to Display Custom Messages during Data Load ... 200
56 ... Improving the Load Time of Standard DSO Data Activation ... 204
57 ... Reversing Data Flow Migration from 7.x to 3.x ... 207
58 ... Enabling Email Alerting for Failed Process Chain Steps ... 209
59 ... Scheduling Process Chains to Run in Loops ... 212
60 ... Correlating BEx Query Elements in a Transport to a Common Query ... 216
61 ... Merging Two Queries into One BEx Analyzer Workbook ... 218
62 ... Modifying BEx Queries from SAP NetWeaver BW with the Use of Conditions ... 221
63 ... Using Restricted Key Figures to Simulate the OR Operator in a Single Query ... 224


Part 4. SAP NetWeaver BW Administration and Development ... 229
64 ... Restoring a BEx Query from Version 7.x to 3.x ... 231
65 ... Documenting SAP NetWeaver BW Transformations ... 234
66 ... Clearing the Logistics Cockpit Delta Queue to Ensure Data Consistency ... 238
67 ... Converting Logical System Names during a System Copy ... 242
68 ... Creating a Custom Method to Search for Invalid Characters in an InfoObject ... 245
69 ... Deleting SAP NetWeaver BW Statistics for Better Statistic Query Performance ... 249
70 ... Analyzing InfoProviders in Detail in SAP NetWeaver BW ... 253
71 ... Setting Up a Transport Request to Delete Obsolete SAP NetWeaver BW Objects from Inaccessible QA and PRD Systems ... 258
72 ... Restoring an ABAP Program to an Earlier Working Version to Correct a Bug ... 261
73 ... Checking the Patch Level of Different SAP NetWeaver BW Components ... 264
74 ... Finding and Deleting Unused Query Elements Using Selection Conditions ... 266
75 ... Accessing the Metadata of an InfoCube for Troubleshooting ... 269
76 ... Tracking Changes to Common SAP NetWeaver BW Objects Using the Rev-Trac Tool ... 272
77 ... Suppressing Unwanted Messages in BEx Workbooks or Queries ... 274
78 ... Checking the Last Failed Authorization in a Role ... 276
79 ... Transferring SAP NetWeaver BW Authorizations into SAP BusinessObjects ... 279
80 ... Analyzing Transport Logs to Identify Failing Elements within a Change Request ... 283
81 ... Creating User-Input Required Variables for Use in Key Figure Calculations ... 286
82 ... Overriding Default Cell Limits in the BEx Web Analyzer ... 289
83 ... Creating Secondary Indexes on DataStore Objects without a Transport ... 291
84 ... Optimizing Query Performance by Using Code to Restrict Parallel Access to InfoProviders ... 295
85 ... Narrowing Down Data Selection on MultiProviders with Query Pruning ... 300
86 ... Quickly Finding a BEx Query Definition in the SAP NetWeaver BW Backend ... 302


Part 5. Integration ... 307

87 ... Making SAP NetWeaver BW Integrated Planning Formulas in Queries Input-Ready ... 309
88 ... Creating a Postable Node Hierarchy in SAP NetWeaver BW Integrated Planning ... 312
89 ... Triggering a Report to Create Dynamic Measures for BEx Key Figures in OLAP Universes ... 315
90 ... Invoking an SAP Data Services Job Using Process Chains in SAP NetWeaver BW ... 319
91 ... Importing SAP NetWeaver BW BEx Queries to an SAP HANA Modeling Environment ... 324
92 ... Enabling the Use of SAP BusinessObjects Explorer in an SAP NetWeaver BW on SAP HANA Environment ... 328
93 ... Using a MultiProvider as a Source for Open Hub Destination ... 332
94 ... Reporting on SAP HANA Models from SAP NetWeaver BW with VirtualProviders ... 335
95 ... Exposing BEx Queries to SAP BusinessObjects en Masse ... 339
96 ... Suppressing an End User's Unwanted and Excess Messages in Integrated Planning ... 342
97 ... Leveraging SAP NetWeaver BW Analysis Authorizations to Support Row-Level Security in SAP BusinessObjects Explorer ... 345
98 ... Connecting SAP NetWeaver BW to External Systems through DB Connect ... 348
99 ... Reporting on SAP ERP Data from SAP NetWeaver BW with VirtualProviders ... 351
100 ... Analyzing the Performance of SAP BusinessObjects Reports using SAP NetWeaver BW Statistics ... 355

The Authors ... 359

Index ... 361