Previously on LOST: LOST Episode #123: BW-BCT & BC-BW.
We all know exploring this island isn't goint to be easy. We can start with a simple subject: the Setup Tables.
What are the Setup Tables?
The Setup Tables are the objects from which the Business Warehouse system is going to extract data for Full loads and Initialization on LO Cockpit DataSources. Not just "LO DataSources" because there are some that don't use this feature.
When a Full extraction or a Delta Initialization is going to be performed, the Setup Tables need to be filled with all the historical data to be loaded to the Business Warehouse system.
Their content can be deleted any time, without affecting the R/3 transaction data. In fact, after the full/Init load has been performed, it is highly likely that the information contained in the Setup Tables is already not up-to-date anymore. Therefore, it would be no harm at all to delete their content. You may think of it as a "PSA" on the R/3 side.
If the load performed was an Initialization, the next records to be extracted will be sent to the Delta Queues.
A Myth
It isn't 100% true to say that the reason for the Setup Tables is to ensure the extractors won't need to access the always busy application tables (like EKKO or VBAK). The application tables are still read during the setup running.
Setup Tables Nomenclature
The base nomenclature for these tables is MC*SETUP. It may not be easy to find the actual name you may be looking for, but if you display some in se11/se16 you may figure it out by the description.
I created the following Wiki page with the Setup Tables names:
http://wiki.sdn.sap.com/wiki/display/BI/BW+Setup+Tables+List
I tried to list all the tables I could find. I didn't list them all here in this post, because there is a large number of Setup Tables. It is better to put that in a Wiki, just so you guys can add more names you find, or correct mistakes. Let's work together on that.
If you need to quickly find the name of a name, just Control+F this Wiki!
Procedures involving the Setup
Well, it does sound pretty simple if you consider only the purpose of the Setup Tables. The part which would turn this subject eligible for a blog post is how to properly handle these tables in various possible activities.
I have composed a list of step-by-step explanations for some procedures that, in a way or another, end up involving Setup Tables somehow. I'll also mention what are the common consequences of not performing these activities correctly.
Deleting Setup Tables Content
1- To delete the Setup Tables, you may go directly to LBWG or choose the following IMG option (transaction SBIW).
IMG path:
- Data Transfer to the SAP Business Information Warehouse
- Settings for Application-Specific DataSources (PI)
- Logistics
- Managing Extract Structures
- Initialization
>>Delete the Contents of the Setup Tables
2- Select the application for which you want the Setup Tables to be deleted.
3- Click on "Execute" or press F8.
How can you check if the content was properly deleted?
You may check the correspondent Setup Table or perform an extraction check for the relevant extractors in RSA3.
Filling Setup Tables
1- Before filling the Setup Tables, you need to ensure at least 1 extractor for the application is active in LBWE.
2- To enter the transactions to perform the setup, you may either go directly to one of the following transactions, or choose one of te options from the SBIW menu displayed below.
Application | Transaction | Component | |
02 | Purchasing | OLI3BW | BW-BCT-MM-PUR |
03 | Inventory Controlling | MCNB OLI1BW OLIZBW | BW-BCT-MM-IM |
04 | Production / Shop Floor Control | OLI4BW | BW-BCT-PP-LIS |
05 | Quality Management | OLIQBW | BW-BCT-QM |
06 | Invoice Verification | OLI6BW | BW-BCT-MM-IV |
08 | Transport /Shipment | VTBW | BW-BCT-LE-TRA |
08 | Shipment Costs | VIFBW | BW-BCT-LE-TRA |
11 | SD Sales Orders | OLI7BW | BW-BCT-SD-SLS |
12 | LE Deliveries / Shipping | OLI8BW | BW-BCT-LE-SHP |
13 | SD Billing Documents | OLI9BW | BW-BCT-SD |
17 | Plant Maintenance | OLIIBW | BW-BCT-PM |
18 | Customer Service | OLISBW | BW-BCT-CS |
40 | Retail / Retailing | ORISBW | BW-BCT-LO |
45 | Agency Business | OLIABW | BW-BCT-ISR-AB |
IMG path:
- Data Transfer to the SAP Business Information Warehouse
- Settings for Application-Specific DataSources (PI)
- Logistics
- Managing Extract Structures
- Initialization
- Filling the Setup Tables
>> Application-Specific Setup of Statistical data
3- Specify a Run Name and Date (inform a future date).
4- Execute.
Hint: You can check the logs for the Setup in Transaction NPRT.
How can you check the data that was filled?
You may check the correspondent Setup Table or perform an extraction check for the relevant extractors in RSA3.
Initialization or Full Loads
- Delete the Setup Tables contents from the relevant application number.
- Lock all users and terminate all scheduled jobs that could affect the application. In particular, you must deactivate the start of the RMBWV3xx update report.
- Then load the delta data from R/3 into BW, so that the delta queue (transaction RSA7) no longer contains any data.
- Fill the Setup Tables.
- If the datasource supports early delta initialization (ROOSOURCE-ZDDABLE field), you may unlock the users and return regular activities.
- Run the InfoPackage.
- If the datasource doesn't support early delta initialization (ROOSOURCE-ZDDABLE field), you'll be able unlock the users and return regular activities only after the Init request has finished in the BW system.
More details on SAP's recommedations can be found on the following SAP Note:
602260 - Procedure for reconstructing data for BW.
The performance on the construction of the Setup Tables can be improved, with the following SAP Note:
436393 - Performance improvement for filling the setup tables.
What happens if you don't fill the Setup Tables before performing a full or delta initialization?
If you have deleted the content or has never filled them before: No data is extracted.
If you have already filled it and haven't deleted the content: the data extracted won't be up to date.
What happens if you don't delete the Setup Tables before performing a full or delta initialization?
If you don't refill them: the data extracted won't be up to date.
If you refill them: there is a risk you will have duplicate records.
Extractors Maintenance
- Lock users out of R/3.
- Deletion of the contents of Setup Tables for specific applications in transaction LBWG.
- Run the collective run, so all the data is sent into the delta queues.
- Empty BW delta queues on R/3 by extraction to BW.
- Apply the changes / Transport.
- Unlock users out of R/3.
- Run the collective run so all the data are sent into the delta queue.
- Recommence extraction into BW from the modified R/3.
The following SAP Note contains more information about this:
328181 - Changes to extraction structures in Customizing Cockpit.
What happens if you maintain the extractors with data in the Setup Tables or in the Delta Queues?
When you apply the changes (via transport, for example), there is a chance inconsistencies will be generated in the structure of the extractor. The job that collects data for deltas, for example, may start to fail.
It may also appear that delta records were lost. This records are actually written into the extraction queue or in SM13, however it's not possible to read them, because of the differences in the structure.
Note that even if you are adding a new extractor that didn't exist before, this may also affect the existing extractors.
If inconsistencies are found or records are missed, the solution is to perform a Full Repair load or to reinitialize the DataSource. For some applications, you may use the Hash Solution to recover them. The following SAP Note describes this procedure:
835466 - Using the repair mode of the hash solution.
(I'll make sure I do post new post just about the Hash Solution)
In case of missing records, you may also run a Full Infopackage in Repair Mode. You should be able to identify, though, which documents need to me contained in this repair.
R/3 Upgrades
In upgrades, a check was introduced to make sure this procedure is followed. SAP Support's recommendation is to follow the steps listed below, when performing an upgrade.
- Lock users out of R/3.
- Deletion of the Setup Tables contents for specific applications in transaction LBWG.
- Run the collective run so all the data are sent into the delta queue.
- Empty the BW delta queues on R/3 by extraction to BW:
- Start prepare phase on R/3 including generation of shadow instance.
- Return R/3 productive instance to users.
- Recommence normal extraction from R/3 to BW, while upgrading shadow instance.
- Lock users out of R/3.
- Run the collective run so all the data is sent into the delta queue.
- Empty BW delta queues on R/3 by extraction to BW.
- Final upgrade of productive instance.
- Return upgraded system to users.
- Re-commence extraction into BW from upgraded R/3.
SAP Note 1081287 contains a Step-by-Step explanation about cleaning up the Setup Tables and the Delta queues during an upgrade.
1081287 - Data extraction orders block the upgrade process.
As you may be wondering, the act of locking the users in step 1 and 8 isn't the automatic lock the upgrades performs. You will need to lock the users yourself, with transaction SU10, for example. The main purpose is to prevent that data is sent to the extraction queues or Setup Tables.
What happens if you don't properly clean up the Setup Tables in an upgrade?
The consequences are basically the same as changing an extractor: inconsistencies and missing delta records. In this situation, the Hash-Solution isn't really a good option, because the upgrade may have delievered changes on way too many structures. The risk of generating more inconsistencies with the Hash-Solution is great.
Plug-in upgrade or plug-in patch upgrade, support package upgrade or Unicode conversion
SAP Support's recommended Step-by-Step for these activities is very similar to maintaining an extractor.
- Lock users out of R/3.
- Deletion of the contents of Setup Tables for specific applications in transaction LBWG.
- Run the collective run so all the data are sent into the delta queue.
- Empty BW delta queues on R/3 by extraction to BW.
- Apply one of these processes: plug-in upgrade or plug-in patch upgrade; support package upgrade; transports; manual changes; Unicode conversion.
- Unlock users out of R/3.
- Run the collective run so all the data are sent into the delta queue.
- Recommence extraction into BW from modified R/3.
What happens if the Setup Tables weren't cleaned?
You may face issues while filling the setup tables once more. It won't affect the delta structure, though.
The Polar Bear in the Jungle
These activities won't all work for 2LIS_02_SRV! Despite its name, it just won't use the LO Cockpit! SAP Note #1250820 - BI data source 2LIS_02_SRV does not support LBWE.
Its Setup Table is filled with Application 02 (transaction OLI3BW). To delete the content from this table, however, you would need to go to transaction SE14 (table MC02M_0SRVSETUP).
Also, you have to make sure you activate the LOG_MM_CI_2 business function on transaction SFW5, before using this DataSource.
One more Jacob's "Set Up", just to cause some BCT confusion on our brains...
A Useful link
My colleague who is a Senior Support Consultant composed the following weblog post, with helpful information about this topic:
Customizing Cockpit: Managing delta queues when structure changes
2 Comments
