How to Create a DataStore Object (Advanced) and Load Data from a Flatfile DataSource in SAP BW/4HANA

SAP BW/4HANA is a next-generation data warehousing solution that enables you to access, analyze and report on data from various sources. A DataStore Object (Advanced) is a central object for data storage and data consolidation in SAP BW/4HANA. It can contain InfoObjects and fields, and can be used in various layers of the data warehouse. A Flatfile DataSource is a type of DataSource that allows you to load data from a flat file, such as a CSV or TXT file.

In this blog post, we will explain how to create a DataStore Object (Advanced) and load data from a Flatfile DataSource in SAP BW/4HANA, which are two essential steps for transferring and transforming data from a flat file to SAP BW/4HANA. We will also show some examples of creating a DataStore Object (Advanced) and loading data from a Flatfile DataSource for different scenarios.

What is a DataStore Object (Advanced) and a Flatfile DataSource?

A DataStore Object (Advanced) is an object that defines the structure and properties of the data that is stored and consolidated in SAP BW/4HANA. It can contain InfoObjects and fields, which are the logical units of information that describe the data. It can also have different types, such as standard, write-optimized, inbound table or hybrid.

A DataStore Object (Advanced) has several advantages over the classic InfoProviders, such as InfoCubes and DataStore Objects (Classic). For example:

It can load data without having to assign InfoObjects.
It can handle frequent loading and large amounts of data with its new request management.
It does not need an export DataSource to update data to another BW system.

A Flatfile DataSource is an object that defines the fields and parameters for extracting data from a flat file, such as a CSV or TXT file. It can be used to load data from any source system that can provide data in a flat file format.

A Flatfile DataSource has several advantages over other types of DataSources, such as SAP HANA or ODP DataSources. For example:

It can load data from any source system without requiring any connection or authorization.
It can load data from any file format that can be converted to CSV or TXT format.
It can load data with any structure or delimiter that can be specified in the parameters.

How to Create a DataStore Object (Advanced) and Load Data from a Flatfile DataSource in SAP BW/4HANA?

To create a DataStore Object (Advanced) and load data from a Flatfile DataSource in SAP BW/4HANA, you need to follow these steps:

In the SAP BW/4HANA Modeling Tools (Eclipse), create or select an InfoArea or a Data Flow Object folder and choose Create DataStore Object (Advanced).
Enter a name and description for the DataStore Object (Advanced) and assign it to a transport request.
In the DataStore Object (Advanced) editor, open the General tab page and choose the type of the DataStore Object (Advanced) from the templates. You can also customize the properties of the DataStore Object (Advanced), such as partitioning, semantic groups and key fields.
Open the Fields tab page and add InfoObjects or fields to define the structure of the DataStore Object (Advanced). You can also specify the attributes of each InfoObject or field, such as aggregation type, currency unit and reference characteristic.
Save and activate your DataStore Object (Advanced) along with its contained InfoObjects or fields.
In the Project Explorer or the Palette, drag and drop an existing or new Flatfile DataSource object to the canvas. This will open the Flatfile DataSource editor.
Enter a name and description for the Flatfile DataSource and assign it to a transport request.
In the Flatfile DataSource editor, open the Extraction tab page and choose the file format, delimiter, header rows and encoding of the flat file.
Open the Fields tab page and add fields to define the structure of the flat file. You can also specify the attributes of each field, such as length, decimal places and conversion routine.
Save your Flatfile DataSource along with its contained fields.
Connect the Flatfile DataSource object to the DataStore Object (Advanced) object by dragging from one object to another or by using the context menu or the toolbar. This will create a transformation object between them.
Double-click on the transformation object or use the context menu or the toolbar to open the transformation editor. Here you can define the mapping rules and logic for transforming the source fields to the target fields. You can also use formulas, routines and lookups to enhance the transformation logic.
Save and activate your transformation object along with its contained rules and logic.
Right-click on the connection between the Flatfile DataSource object and the DataStore Object (Advanced) object or use the context menu or the toolbar to create a DTP object. This will open the DTP editor. Here you can define the parameters and settings for executing the data transfer process, such as filters, error handling, delta process and parallel processing.
Save and activate your DTP object along with its contained parameters and settings.

Examples of Creating a DataStore Object (Advanced) and Loading Data from a Flatfile DataSource in SAP BW/4HANA

Here are some examples of creating a DataStore Object (Advanced) and loading data from a Flatfile DataSource in SAP BW/4HANA:

Creating a standard DataStore Object (Advanced) and loading data from a CSV file:

Creating a write-optimized DataStore Object (Advanced) and loading data from a TXT file:

Creating an inbound table DataStore Object (Advanced) and loading data from a CSV file:

Conclusion

In this blog post, we have learned what a DataStore Object (Advanced) and a Flatfile DataSource are, how to create them and some examples of creating a DataStore Object (Advanced) and loading data from a Flatfile DataSource in SAP BW/4HANA. We hope this post has been helpful for you to understand how to create a DataStore Object (Advanced) and load data from a Flatfile DataSource in SAP BW/4HANA.

Disclaimer: This content is generated by AI.