Overview of SAP BW

SAP Business Information warehouse

Data Warehouse system with optimized structures
for reporting and analysis
OLAP engine and tools for BEX Reporting
Integrated meta data repository
Data extraction and data staging in OLTP
Preconfigured support for data sources from ECC Systems
BAPIs for data sources from non-SAP systems
Automated Data Warehouse management
Administrator Workbench for controlling and
managing content
Business Information Warehouse
Architecture
 Business
Content

Business Content

Financial Accounting Logistics

General Ledger Sales

Controlling Human Resources
Accnts Receivable Profitability Analysis Purchasing
Administration
Accnts Payable Product Costing Inventory Management
Training & Events
Special Ledger Overhead Costing Production
Time Management
Fixed Assets Profit Center Accnt
Project Management 4Payroll Accounting
Close the Loop
Action
Action

Common
Analytical
Analytical
Transaction
Transaction Applications
Applications
Analysis
Analysis
Processing
Processing Meta Data

--------
--------
--------
Extraction
Extraction Transformation
Transformation
--------

OLTP External DSS

 Architecture Overview
3rd party
3rdparty
3rd OLAP
partyOLAP clients
OLAPclient
clients
3rd
3rd party
party OLAP
OLAP client
client
3rd party OLAP client Business Explorer
MDX Analyzer
Analyzer
Browser
Browser
(hosted
(hosted by
by MS
MS Excel)
Excel)
OLE-DB
OLE-DB for
for OLAP
OLAP Provider
Provider

Administrator OLAP
OLAP Processor
Processor InfoCatalog
Workbench
Administration
Administration Meta Data
Repositor Meta
Meta Data
Data Manager
Manager Data
Data Manager
Manager
y InfoCubes
Scheduling
Scheduling
Business Information Staging
Staging Engine
Engine Operational
Monitor
Monitor Warehouse Server Data Store
BAPI

Non
Non ECC
ECC Production
Production Data
Data Production
Production Data
Data OLTP
OLTP
Extractor
Extractor Extractor
Extractor Reporting
Reporting

Non
Non ECC
ECC OLTP
OLTP Applications
Applications ECC
ECC OLTP
OLTP Applications
Applications
6
 Staging Process
InfoCube InfoCube

Update Rules Update Rules Update Rules

Communication
Communication Structure
Structure Communication
Communication Structure
Structure

Business
Information
Info Sources
Mapping & Transformation Rules
Mapping & Transformation Rules
Warehouse
Transfer
Transfer Structure
Structure Transfer
Transfer Structure
Structure Transfer
Transfer Structure
Structure
Server

Source R/3
R/3 standard
standard 3rd
3rd party
party Market
Market
Systems extractor
extractor extraction
extraction tool
tool Information
Information

Data
Data extract
extract Data
Data extract
extract
Sales Europe
Sales Europe Sales
Sales Americas
Americas
Research Institute

R/3 OLTP System Non R/3 OLTP System

 DataSource and Infosource
Business Information
Warehouse Server InfoCubes
Staging Engine
Update Rules

Communication
Communication structure
structure InfoSource

Transfer Rules Transfer Rules

Transfer Rules
(Replicated) Transfer
Transfer Structure
Structure Transfer
Transfer Structure
Structure Transfer
Transfer Structure
Structure

DataSource
Transfer
Transfer Structure
Structure Transfer
Transfer Structure
Structure Transfer
Transfer Structure
Structure

Extract
Extract Source
Source Structure
Structure Extract
Extract Source
Source Structure
Structure Extract
Extract Source
Source Structure
Structure

OLTP System 1 OLTP System 2

Extraction, Transformation and Loading

Open for any source

Flexible set of ETL
capabilities
Integration on application
level
Open to third-party tools
Support of open standards

to get a complete view of your business

 Non-SAP Data Sources
Business Information Warehouse Server
Administrator
Workbench
Meta Data Data
Staging
StagingEngine
Engine Bas
Repositor
y e
BAPI

Complementary
ComplementaryExtraction
Extraction
&&Transformation
TransformationTool
Tool
R/3 File

Mainframe RDBMS
Staging BAPIs allow Non SAP

- certified SAP Partners to provide ready-to-

run extraction and transformation tools
- customers to integrate their non-SAP data
Persistent Staging Area
Business Information Warehouse Server

InfoCube

Update Rules

PSA Validation

InfoSource
InfoSource InfoSource
InfoSource

BAPI

Data
Data extract
extract Data
Data extract
extract
OLTP System
Data Warehousing Workbench

Central
CentralAdministration
Administrationand
andControl
Control
Modeling
Modeling
Administration
Administration
Transport
TransportConnection
Connection
Documents
Documents
BIBIContent
Content
Translation
Translation
Metadata
MetadataRepository
Repository
OLAP Processor
Arbitrary drill-downs, horizontally, vertically, hierarchically
Built-in functions for ...
... Aggregation: sum, count, count distinct, min / max,
first / last, average by period
... Comparison: difference, ratio, percent,...
... Analysis: sort, cumulated sum, time series,...
... Stock value handling
... Financial: currencies, fiscal year variants,...
Derived key figures
More OLAP Goodies
Hierarchies for interactive drill-down
Tree-like structures on a characteristics domain
Structure defined in external hierarchy table (similar to
master data) no realignment problem!
Flexible versioning on hierarchies
Variables
Determine set of data for a query at run-time
which complex filters, which hierarchies?
Values for variables are calculated by the system or
entered by the user
Values for variables can be used as input for formulas
Currency Conversion

Convert during data load Business

Business Explorer
Explorer
EUR
and/or during analysis
Based on ECC conversion rates
convert
Conversion per OLAP
OLAP Processor
Processor
fiscal year / fiscal period EUR
calendar date / period
USD JPY
conversion rate type
Mixed currencies within Staging
Staging Engine
Engine convert
columns or rows
multi currency aggregates
can be resolved by a simple
dill-down by units NLG
DM
JPY
R/3 EUR LIT File
R
FF
Aggregates
Speed up query performance by providing
pre-aggregated views on InfoCubes
Aggregates are also stored in InfoCube star schema
Fully invisible to the end-user
Created by administrator depending on InfoCube semantics and
query anticipation
Optimized by OLAP processor selecting best aggregate
Built-in consistency
data package released for queries when aggregate update
complete
Zero downtime during load
BW Data Model
Master Data
Customer # Name Location
13970522 Brightview, Inc. Palo Alto

Customer Dimension InfoCube

C Customer # Region
13970522 west

Fact Table
P C T Quantity Revenue Discount Sales Overhead
250 500,000 $ 50,000 $ 280,000 $
50 100,000 $ 7,500 $ 60,000 $

Product Dimension Time Dimension

P Product # Product Group T Period # Fiscal Year
2101004 Displays 2101004 2017
 BW Star Schema: InfoCube
Master Data Table

Dist. Channel ID Customer Dim. ID

Distrib. Channel Sold to Party ID

Fact Table
Customer Dim ID
Sales Area Dim ID Sales Area Dim ID Time Dim. ID
Division ID Distrib. Channel ID Time Dim ID Calendar Day
Division Division ID Unit Dim ID Calendar Year Month
Sales Org ID Calendar Year Week
Data Packet Dim ID
Incoming Orders Qty
Incoming Orders Value

Sales Org. ID
Sales Org.

InfoCube: SAP BW Design

Central data stores for reports and

evaluations
Contains two types of data:
Key Figures
Characteristics
1 Fact Table and up to 16 Dimension Tables
3 Dimensions are predefined by SAP
Time
Unit
Info Package
 Info Cube Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Query Cache

Others
Govt Agencies
Institutions
Customer Retail
Group Whole sale South
Dept Stores West Regions
East

Furnishings

Bi-products
Glassware

Chemicals
Ceramics
Plastics

Division
 InfoCube: Example
East
South

Dept. Stores
North

Wholesale
Retail

Glass- Ceramics Plastics Pottery Copper Pewter

ware

Division
 Query Cache InfoCube
Characteristics:
Product group
Customer group
East

Division
Region

Customer
Area
South

group
DeptStores
Company code
North

Wholesale Region
Retail
Glass- Ceramics Plastics
ware
Period
Division Profit Center
Bus. Area

Analysis 2 Analysis 3 Analysis

of Ceramics of Plastics of Plastics division
division division and Southern region
East

East
South East

Region

Region
Customer Customer Customer
Region

South

group group

South
group
DeptStores DeptStores DeptStores
North

North

North
Wholesale Wholesale Wholesale
Retail Retail Retail
Glass- Ceramics Plastics Glass- Ceramics Plastics Glass- Ceramics Plastics
ware ware ware

Division Division Division

 InfoCube: Characteristics and Key
Figures

Customer
group
1 North
100 Plastics Character-
RT-0001 Retail Trade istics
Region

Sales 4,000,000
Hours worked 1,300,000 Key Figures

Division

Key Figures are stored for a unique combination of Characteristic

Values
Number of dimensions is degree of granularity / summarization
level of the dataset
 What is an InfoObject?
The various OLTP data models are unified for BW
Business objects / data elements become InfoObjects

R/3
OLTP BW Extractor

Table of cost centers

CO KOSTL ...
Controlling DataSource InfoObject
for
Cost Center
0COSTCENTER

Table of employees
HR
Human EMPLO COST_CENTER ...
Resources
InfoObjects are unique across
application components !
Types of InfoObjects
Characteristics: evaluation groups like Cost Center,
Product group, Material
Have discrete values stored in their master data tables
(e.g. the characteristic Region has the values North,
South, ... )
Special types of characteristics:
Time characteristics like Fiscal period, Calendar
year, ...
Unit characteristics which comprise currencies and
units of measure like Local currency or Sales
quantity
Keyfigures: continuously valued numerical fields like
amounts and quantities (e.g.: Revenue and Sales
quantity)
 Reporting Architecture

Analyzer
defines ...
Business Explorer

OLAP server
OLAP
Processor
operates on ... Query

Database Database
stores ... Star
Schema
Aggregates

stored in
InfoCube
 Reporting Architecture
Business Explorer
Analyzer stored in
shows ...
defines ...
Query View Excel Workbook

OLAP server

OLAP
Processor Query
operates on ...

Database Aggregates

stored in Star
Database Schema
stores ...
InfoCube
27
Analyzer: Defining Queries
Analyzer embedded in Excel
Business Explorer Analyzer ...
... implemented as an Add-in for Microsoft Excel
... links query rsults to cells in Excel workbooks
(e.g. multiple queries within same worksheet)
... offers all navigation features of OLAP-Processor via mouse-
click, context-menus, toolbar etc.

Workbooks
as container All rendition
and End-users build
for queries on existing Excel
(store, e-mail) presentation
features of and MS Office
Excel available know how
Iceberg view
Thank you!