SAP R/3 Extraction and BW Overview Continued

This post is a continuation of our previous post regarding SAP BW data extraction overview.

SAP BW Business Content Components

Business Content in BW Release 2.0B contains:

around 800 SAP standard extractors (for R/3, New Dimensions, external)
around 120 SAP standard InfoSources
around 240 SAP standard InfoCubes
around 800 SAP standard queries (of which around 80 are Web-compatible)
around 800 SAP standard workbooks
around 180 channels / roles

SAP will continue to add further objects in all application areas.

In response to demands from our customers, SAP has designed the reporting facility in certain parts of the R/3 System in such a way that it can be easily customized. Information systems were developed in the R/3 System that can be adapted individually to the customer's requirements.The Business Information Warehouse must be able to process this data, with the result that it must be possible to define generic extractors in certain applications. These applications are the Logistics Information System, profitability analysis and Special Ledger.

Each individual application provides tools for this purpose. But first, you have to generate a DataSource from a selected 'data base' in the application.Following this, you have to assign attributes to the fields of the extract structure / DataSource (for example, selectability).Depending on the application, certain settings may have to be made. In this example, activating the delta update in the LIS.

Data supplied to customer tables in an R/3 System by programs developed in-house can also be transferred to BW. This includes data in R/3 tables that are supplied by SAP programs but cannot be made available to the Business Information Warehouse with Business Content.The tool for generic data extraction can be used here to generate an extractor for all applications. By assigning a database view or transparent database table, you can transfer data to BW without having to write your own programs. Furthermore, the generic extractor can also be used by SAP Query to retrieve data .These techniques are also used for some of the Business Content extractors.

Several steps are also required to create extractors using the generic data extraction tool (transaction RS02). These are basically as follows:

Create a DataSource with the generic data extraction tool (transaction RSO2)
If necessary, create a view or an InfoSet (functional area).
The fields in the DataSource must then be assigned InfoObjects. If these InfoObjects are not available, they must be created.

Function Enhancements for Extractors

The Business Content shipped by SAP provides customers with a set of standard extractors for the R/3 System in the Business Information Warehouse. Every customer, however, has his or her own requirements when it comes to the data that is to be supplied by the extractors. For this reason, BW provides function exits for extending Business Content.

This procedure first involves extending the standard extraction structures. After this, the new fields must be assigned InfoObjects and then the function exit for enriching the data must be programmed. Application-specific generic extractors in CO/PA, LIS, and FI-SL can also be extended.This also applies to the cross-application generic extractors, with the exception that enhancements are not possible if a view is used to extract transaction data.

Delta Update

Data can be imported into BW using two different update methods: a full update, in which all of the data is extracted, and a delta update, in which only the data that has been changed or added since the last import run is extracted.Naturally, a delta update is particularly suitable for large quantities of data so that the same data does not have to be imported into BW several times. Unfortunately, not all of the extractors in Release 2.0B support a delta process, such as FI-SL.

A delta management tool (change log) is provided for the most important master data, which can have a very large number of characteristic instances in the R/3 OLTP System. These characteristics are the material, batch number, plant, creditor, debtor, cost center, cost component, activity type and G/L account.As far as the transaction data is concerned, Business Content is shipped with extractors in SD and HR, which support delta processes. Within the LO module, a central delta management is used. In LIS and CO/PA, all application-specific generated extractors support a delta process. Delta updates in the LIS are based on separate delta tables. The CO/PA module, on the other hand, uses a timestamp.A delta process is not implemented for the cross-application generic data extraction tool. Delta extraction in this case can only be carried out by suitable selections using a creation and change date.