Data Warehouse InfoObjects can be defined as the data elements to populate the Data Warehouse layer of your Enterprise Data Warehouse. Please refer for a conceptual overview to my blog Introducing Data Warehouse InfoObjects - Part 1: Conceptual Overview. For SAP source systems it is advisable to take advantage of the structured and comprehensive ABAP Data Dictionary to generate these Data Warehouse InfoObjects. Please refer for more technical details to my blog Introducing Data Warehouse InfoObjects - Part 2: Technical Details.
I created an ABAP program to generate Data Warehouse InfoObjects for SAP source systems’ DataSources. This blog series explains how to use the program. In Part 2 we will have a look at the metadata repository, consisting of a set of tables where all metadata is registered during generation of the Data Warehouse InfoObjects.
The blog series consists of the following blogs in addition to this blog:
- Generating Data Warehouse InfoObjects - Part 1: Introduction;
- Generating Data Warehouse InfoObjects - Part 3: Customizing;
- Generating Data Warehouse InfoObjects - Part 4: Optimizing Results.
I published the following 3 documents with detailed technical instructions how to create the ABAP program and all related objects:
- Implementing Data Warehouse InfoObjects - Part 1: ABAP Dictionary Objects;
- Implementing Data Warehouse InfoObjects - Part 2: ABAP Programming & Other Objects;
- Implementing Data Warehouse InfoObjects - Part 3: ABAP Developments in SAP Source System.
Overview
The program analyzes the ABAP Data Dictionary objects of the DataSource. The ABAP data type plays an important role here. It determines the InfoObject type and can be mapped to a BW data type (i.e. a subset of ABAP data types).
The following table shows the relations and also if a reference InfoObject is applicable.
InfoObject Type | BW Data Type | ABAP Data Type | Reference InfoObject |
Characteristic | CHAR | CHAR | Basic characteristic in case of characteristic with reference |
RAW | |||
CLNT | |||
NUMC | NUMC | ||
DATS | DATS | 0DATE | |
TIMS | TIMS | 0TIME | |
LANG | LANG | 0LANGU | |
Unit | CUKY | CUKY | 0CURRENCY |
UNIT | UNIT | 0UNIT | |
Key Figure | CURR | CURR | n/a |
DEC | DEC | ||
FLTP | FLTP | ||
INT4 | INT1 | ||
INT2 | |||
INT4 | |||
QUAN | QUAN |
Table 1: Data Type Relations
The Metadata Repository in the context of Data Warehouse InfoObjects consists of 5 tables where the metadata related to the newly generated InfoObjects is registered during processing. The following tables exist:
- YBWIOBJBAS - Basic Characteristics;
- YBWIOBJREF - Characteristics with Reference;
- YBWIOBJUNI - Units;
- YBWIOBJKYF - Key Figures;
- YBWMAPPING - Mapping Rules.
The program checks the Metadata Repository if an InfoObject already exists for the domain or data element. If yes, then it will proceed by skipping this domain or data element. Otherwise it will generate a new InfoObject that will be appended to the respective Metadata Repository table and inserts the new InfoObjects into the appropriate InfoObject Catalog. As a last step, the program generates the mapping rules and stores them in the Mapping Rules table.
Basic Characteristics
The first step is processing the Basic Characteristics. These are based on ABAP dictionary domains. Every newly created InfoObject is registered in table YBWIOBJBAS.
Figure 1: Basic Characteristics
Characteristics with Reference
The second step is processing the Characteristics with Reference. These are based on ABAP dictionary data elements. Every newly created InfoObject is registered in table YBWIOBJREF.
Figure 2: Characteristics with Reference
Units
The third step is processing the Units. These are based on ABAP dictionary data elements. Every newly created InfoObject is registered in table YBWIOBJUNI.
Figure 3: Units
Key Figures
The fourth step is processing the Key Figures. These are based on ABAP dictionary data elements. Every newly created InfoObject is registered in table YBWIOBJKYF.
Figure 4: Key Figures
Mapping Rules
Last but not least, the program generates so-called Mapping Rules. This is part of the Mapping Services building block which is used for dynamically mapping DataSource fields with InfoObjects. The Mapping Rules are stored in table YBWMAPPING.
Please filter on DataSource and Source System to narrow down your selection.
Figure 5: Mapping Rules
Conclusion
In this blog I discussed the Metadata Repository. It consists of a set of tables where all metadata is registered during generation of the Data Warehouse InfoObjects. The customizing is subject of Generating Data Warehouse InfoObjects - Part 3: Customizing. Generating Data Warehouse InfoObjects - Part 4: Optimizing Results explains how to optimize the results.
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