InfoObjects Enhancements for SAP BW/4HANA

InfoObjects Enhancements for SAP BW/4HANA

What are the InfoObjects Enhancements for SAP BW/4HANA and How to Use Them?

InfoObjects are the basic building blocks of data modeling in SAP BW/4HANA. They represent the business entities and measures that are used for reporting and analysis. InfoObjects can be classified into five types: characteristics, key figures, units, time characteristics, and technical characteristics.

In SAP BW/4HANA, InfoObjects have been enhanced with new features and capabilities that make them more flexible, powerful, and user-friendly. In this blog post, we will explain what are the InfoObjects enhancements for SAP BW/4HANA and how to use them for different scenarios.

What are the InfoObjects Enhancements for SAP BW/4HANA?

Some of the main InfoObjects enhancements for SAP BW/4HANA are:

  • Modeling with fields instead of InfoObjects: You can now use fields instead of InfoObjects to define the structure of your data models, such as DataStore Objects (advanced), Open ODS Views, Composite Providers, etc. Fields are simple data elements that do not have any metadata or properties associated with them. They can be used for staging or transient data models that do not require any analytic capabilities. Fields can also be converted into InfoObjects later if needed.
  • Creating InfoObjects using a wizard: You can now create InfoObjects using a wizard in the BW Modeling Tools of the HANA Studio. The wizard guides you through the creation process by asking you to enter the basic information and settings for your InfoObject, such as name, description, type, data type, properties, etc. The wizard also allows you to copy from an existing object template or reference an existing InfoObject.
  • Generating SAP HANA views from InfoObjects: You can now generate external SAP HANA views from your InfoObjects. An external SAP HANA view is a SQL view that exposes your InfoObject data to external applications or tools that can access SAP HANA. You can use this feature to integrate your SAP BW/4HANA data with other SAP or non-SAP solutions.
  • Replicating master data and hierarchies from InfoObjects: You can now replicate master data and hierarchies defined for an InfoObject attribute in SAP BW/4HANA to an SAP Profitability and Performance Management field. This feature allows you to reuse your existing master data and hierarchies in your profitability and performance models without having to maintain them separately.

How to Use the InfoObjects Enhancements for SAP BW/4HANA?

In this section, we will show you some examples of how to use the InfoObjects enhancements for SAP BW/4HANA for different scenarios.

Example 1: Modeling with Fields Instead of InfoObjects

In this example, we will create a DataStore Object (advanced) using fields instead of InfoObjects. A DataStore Object (advanced) is an object that stores transaction data in SAP BW/4HANA. It can have different properties and types depending on the scenario.

The steps are:

  1. In the BW Modeling Tools of the HANA Studio, right-click on your InfoArea and choose New > DataStore Object (advanced).
  2. In the wizard, enter a name and description for your DataStore Object (advanced) and choose Next.
  3. In the General step, choose the properties that you need for your DataStore Object (advanced). For example, you can choose whether to generate an external SAP HANA view, whether to enable snapshot support, whether to enable unique data records, etc. Choose Next.
  4. In the Details step, select the Fields option and add the fields that you want to include in your DataStore Object (advanced). You can also create groups to organize them. Choose Next.
  5. In the Settings step, you can optionally define partitions, secondary indexes, or technical settings for your DataStore Object (advanced). Choose Next.
  6. In the Summary step, review your settings and choose Finish.

You have now created a DataStore Object (advanced) using fields instead of InfoObjects. You can use this DataStore Object (advanced) as a source or target for loading data into SAP BW/4HANA using a Transformation and a Data Transfer Process (DTP).

Example 2: Creating InfoObjects Using a Wizard

In this example, we will create an InfoObject using a wizard in the BW Modeling Tools of the HANA Studio. An InfoObject is an object that represents a business entity or measure in SAP BW/4HANA.

The steps are:

  1. In the BW Modeling Tools of the HANA Studio, right-click on your InfoArea and choose New > InfoObject.
  2. In the wizard, enter a name and description for your InfoObject and choose Next.
  3. In the InfoArea step, select an InfoArea for your InfoObject and choose Next.
  4. In the General step, choose the type of your InfoObject (characteristic, key figure, unit, or XXL InfoObject) and enter the data type and length for your InfoObject. You can also choose to copy from an existing object template or reference an existing InfoObject. Choose Next.
  5. In the Properties step, assign properties to your InfoObject. For example, you can specify whether your InfoObject is authorization relevant, whether it has an aggregation behavior, whether it has a semantic key, etc. Choose Next.
  6. In the Summary step, review your settings and choose Finish.

You have now created an InfoObject using a wizard in the BW Modeling Tools of the HANA Studio. You can use this InfoObject to define the structure of your data models, such as DataStore Objects (advanced), Open ODS Views, Composite Providers, etc.

Example 3: Generating SAP HANA Views from InfoObjects

In this example, we will generate an external SAP HANA view from an InfoObject in the BW Modeling Tools of the HANA Studio. An external SAP HANA view is a SQL view that exposes your InfoObject data to external applications or tools that can access SAP HANA.

The steps are:

  1. In the BW Modeling Tools of the HANA Studio, right-click on your InfoObject and choose Properties.
  2. In the Properties tab, under General, select the External SAP HANA View checkbox and choose Save.
  3. Right-click on your InfoObject and choose Activate.

You have now generated an external SAP HANA view from your InfoObject in the BW Modeling Tools of the HANA Studio. You can use this external SAP HANA view to integrate your SAP BW/4HANA data with other SAP or non-SAP solutions.

Example 4: Replicating Master Data and Hierarchies from InfoObjects

In this example, we will replicate master data and hierarchies defined for an InfoObject attribute in SAP BW/4HANA to an SAP Profitability and Performance Management field. An SAP Profitability and Performance Management field is a data element that represents a business entity or measure in SAP Profitability and Performance Management.

The steps are:

  1. In the SAP Profitability and Performance Management Cockpit, go to the Modeling tab and choose New > Field.
  2. In the wizard, enter a name and description for your field and choose Next.
  3. In the Data Type step, choose Characteristic as the data type for your field and choose Next.
  4. In the Source System step, choose SAP BW/4HANA as the source system for your field and choose Next.
  5. In the Source Object step, choose InfoObject as the source object for your field and enter the name of your InfoObject attribute. Choose Next.
  6. In the Master Data Replication step, select the Replicate Master Data checkbox and choose Next.
  7. In the Hierarchy Replication step, select the Replicate Hierarchies checkbox and choose Next.
  8. In the Summary step, review your settings and choose Finish.

You have now replicated master data and hierarchies defined for an InfoObject attribute in SAP BW/4HANA to an SAP Profitability and Performance Management field. You can use this field to define your profitability and performance models in SAP Profitability and Performance Management.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we have explained what are the InfoObjects enhancements for SAP BW/4HANA and how to use them for different scenarios. We have shown you some examples of how to use fields instead of InfoObjects, how to create InfoObjects using a wizard, how to generate SAP HANA views from InfoObjects, and how to replicate master data and hierarchies from InfoObjects.

InfoObjects are essential data modeling objects in SAP BW/4HANA that provide business and technical information and handling rules for each entity. They have been enhanced with new features and capabilities that make them more flexible, powerful, and user-friendly.

We hope you have found this blog 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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