How to Choose Between Field-Based and InfoObject-Based Modeling in SAP BW/4HANA

How to Choose Between Field-Based and InfoObject-Based Modeling in SAP BW/4HANA

How to Choose Between Field-Based and InfoObject-Based Modeling in SAP BW/4HANA

SAP BW/4HANA is a modern data warehousing solution that enables you to integrate, transform, and analyze data from various sources. One of the key decisions you need to make when modeling data in SAP BW/4HANA is whether to use fields or InfoObjects as the building blocks of your data models.

Fields and InfoObjects are two different ways of representing data elements in SAP BW/4HANA. Fields are raw data columns that can be accessed directly from the source system without any metadata definition. InfoObjects are metadata objects that define the properties, semantics, and hierarchies of data elements.

Both fields and InfoObjects have their advantages and disadvantages, depending on your requirements and scenarios. In this blog post, we will explain what they are, how they differ, and when to use them for the best results.

What are Fields?

Fields are a flexible and simple way of modeling data in SAP BW/4HANA. You can create fields based on any source system that supports SAP HANA Smart Data Access (SDA), such as SAP S/4HANA, SAP HANA, or external databases.

Fields have several advantages:

  • They are easy to create and maintain. You don’t need to define any transformations, InfoObjects, or Data Transfer Processes (DTPs). You just need to specify the source system, the table or view name, and optionally map the fields to existing InfoObjects.
  • They offer more flexibility and range. You can access any data column from the source system without any restrictions or validations. You can also combine data from different sources using various operations, such as union, join, or projection.
  • They enable faster prototyping and ad-hoc reporting. You can quickly create and test data models based on fields without any metadata definition or activation.

However, fields also have some limitations:

  • They do not support master data integration. You cannot enrich your field-based data with additional information from SAP BW/4HANA master data attributes and texts. You can only link fields to InfoObjects as display attributes, not as navigation attributes or hierarchies.
  • They do not offer built-in conversions and validations. You need to ensure that the field-based data is compatible with the target structure and format. You also need to handle any conversions or format settings manually.
  • They are not optimized for performance. Fields are always processed sequentially in SAP BW/4HANA, not key-based in SAP HANA. Fields also prevent the use of the OLAP cache for query execution.

What are InfoObjects?

InfoObjects are a powerful and robust way of modeling data in SAP BW/4HANA. You can create InfoObjects based on any combination of InfoProviders, such as ADSOs, InfoCubes, Open ODS Views, or calculation views.

InfoObjects have several advantages:

  • They support master data integration. You can enrich your InfoObject-based data with additional information from SAP BW/4HANA master data attributes and texts. You can also use InfoObjects as navigation attributes or hierarchies for OLAP functions.
  • They offer built-in conversions and validations. InfoObjects automatically apply the necessary conversions and format settings based on their properties and semantics. For example, if you define an InfoObject with an ALPHA conversion exit, it will handle the conversion for you.
  • They are optimized for performance. InfoObjects leverage the capabilities of SAP HANA to process queries efficiently and in parallel. InfoObjects also enable the use of the OLAP cache for query execution.

However, InfoObjects also have some drawbacks:

  • They are more complex and time-consuming to create and maintain. You need to define the metadata, the transformations, the InfoObjects, and the DTPs for each source. You also need to activate the metadata changes before using them.
  • They offer less flexibility and range. You can only access data columns from the source system that match the predefined properties and semantics of the InfoObjects. You also need to follow certain rules and restrictions when combining data from different sources.

When to Use Fields vs InfoObjects?

The choice between fields and InfoObjects depends on your specific requirements and scenarios. Here are some general guidelines:

  • Use fields if you want to access remote data sources directly and simply in SAP BW/4HANA without any master data integration or input parameters. Fields are ideal for quick prototyping and ad-hoc reporting where performance is not critical.
  • Use InfoObjects if you want to combine data from multiple sources and perform complex transformations or input parameters. InfoObjects are ideal for advanced analytics and performance optimization where master data integration is essential.

Of course, you can also use both fields and InfoObjects together for more flexibility and functionality. For example, you can create an Open ODS View based on fields from a remote calculation view without input parameters, and then use it as a source for a Composite Provider that combines it with other InfoProviders or calculation views with input parameters.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we have explained how to choose between field-based and InfoObject-based modeling in SAP BW/4HANA. We have compared their advantages and disadvantages, and provided some tips on when to use them for the best results.

We hope you have found this post useful and informative. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Disclaimer: This content is generated by AI.

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