Using SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.x with SAP BW on HANA – Publishing a BW model to HANA (Part 1)
Recently I am getting a lot of questions how a customer that is using SAP BW on SAP HANA (HANA being the database for BW) leverage for example SAP BusinessObjects Explorer or SAP Visual Intelligence with the data in SAP BW.
There is a relatively simple answer for this and I will try to explain the required steps in the next days in a small blog series.
You can use this integration between SAP BW and SAP HANA to import models from SAP HANA-optimized InfoCubes, SAP HANA-optimized DataStore objects, and Query Snapshot into the SAP HANA modeling environment and you can then use the BI tools on top of those HANA models.
Overall the steps:
- You publish the InfoProvider model to SAP HANA as a Calculation View / Analytical View
- You make sure that the model in SAP HANA returns the data
- You then leverage the SAP BusinessObjects BI product in combination with the data in SAP HANA
So lets start with the first steps today – publishing our existing BW InfoProvider to SAP HANA:
- Start SAP HANA Studio by following the menu Start > All Programs > SAP HANA > SAP HANA Studio.
- In the left hand panel use a right click and select the option Add System.
- Enter the system details for the SAP HANA environment.
- Click Next.
- Enter you SAP HANA credentials.
- Click Next.
- Click Finish.
- Select the menu File > Import.
- Open the Folder SAP HANA Content.
- Select the option Import SAP NetWeaver BW Models.
- Click Next.
- Enter the SAP NetWeaver BW Server details.
- Click Test Connection
- Click OK.
- Click Next.
- In the next screen select the SAP HANA System entry you created previously.
- Click Next
- Open the InfoArea.
- Select the InfoCube.
- Click Add.
- Activate the option Include Display Attributes
- Activate the option Overwrite existing objects.
- Click Browse for the Package.
- Select the Package sap.bw (just an example here)
- Click OK.
- Click Finish.
After the import has successfully finished, check if the model was been imported.
- In the left panel open your system entry.
- Open the folder Content.
- You should find in the package sap.bw now 1 Analytical View and 1 Calculation View
To see the list of pre – requisites please take a look at SAP Note 1764251
In the next blog we will use BEx Query and generate a snapshot in form of an analytical view in SAP HANA.
Thanks for the blog...
HI Ingo, thanks for this blog.
Is there any news to add supporting import Write-Optimized and Direct Optimized DSO objects to HANA ?
Importing SAP HANA-optimized DataStore objects and IM infocubes it's not enough.
WO will be supported in BW 7.4 SP5 (dec 2013).
Hello Ingo,
Nice article.
For Importing Role based Authorizations into SAP HANA , I believe SAP BW should be on BW 7.3 SPS9 .Please confirm
On SPS8 I see Only Infoprovider based Authorizations are available.
Thanks
Ramesh
Hello Ramesh,
take a look at SAP Note:
Note 1764251 - Documentation- Importing BW Models in SAP HANA Modeler
There is a PDF attached to the note which covers the Authorization topic in a lot more details.
let me know if that helps
regards
Ingo
Ingo,
Thanks for clarification
Rregards
Ramesh
Hey Ingo,
Thanks for you blog series, I'm sure it will help a lot of green field implementations out with exploring their deployment options.
Q. Once these objects are created, can they be transported from Test through Dev to production, or, does this action need to be done in all 3 environments?
Corey
Hello Corey,
you could use SAP HANA mechanism to transport them but then you need to ensure by yourself that everything is really 100% identical.
Transporting the query snapshot is not something you would do as the query snapshot is not only creating the model but also generating data and the data would be different in the system.
In BW 7.4 there are plans to have a closer integration with change management scenarios
regards
Ingo Hilgefort, SAP
Thanks heaps Ingo!
If it is ok, I would like to add a bit more flesh to my question to make sure I understand the answer.
I want to build an Information Space for Explorer using COPA data from BW, exposed using this method to produce an Analytic View.
I have a 3 tier architecture of BW on Hana, so have Dev ,Test and Prod BW and Hana instances. I know there is a method of sorts for transporting between instances in Hana, and obviously there is a transport mechanism for BW.
So, if I understand you correctly, to build my Explorer Information Space I would perform this activity based on a Hana optimised InfoCube, DSO or Snapshot in BWP, importing the model to my HANA Prod instance, and connect with my Explorer Prod using one of the connection methods you cover. Is that correct?
An alternative in my mind would be to create my Analytic View in Hana Dev, based on BW Prod content, then promote using Hana's Import/Export mechanism (Hana Import Export function) and build the Explorer content once you reach Hana prod.
Interested to get your take on Best Practise in this context.
Thanks again for your time and patience.
Corey
Hello Corey,
the connectivity from Explorer to the data would be the same in all landscapes, so either you would create the connection via the Information Design Tool as a connection or you setup the connection in the CMC and then you create an Information Space that points to the Analytical model. thats the same for all landscapes - just different system details.
In terms of the model, not sure why you would want to have your production model from BW imported into the HANA Development environment. Perhaps you can elaborate on it.
So depending on what you preference really is - and assuming that your BW InfoProvider is the same in all three landscapes and that changes will get transport from DEV, to QA, to PROD...
- You could either create the model from BW DEV to HANA DEV and then use HANA lifecycle management options to move from DEV to QA to PROD
- or depending on how strict you are in PROD, you move the InfoProvider from DEV to QA to PROD and then generate the model in each landscapes.
Right now there is no automatic change management, that is something to keep in mind. That means if the InfoProvider is changed, you need to make sure the model in HANA is getting updated.
hope it helps
Ingo
Hi Corey,
verified with several others and for now the recommendation is to generate the models in the systems instead of transporting.
so you would go with the second option I outlined.
You are transporting your BW objects and then generate the HANA model in each system
regards
Ingo
Thanks Ingo, much clearer.
Hi Ingo,
just a question for my understanding. First, let me re-phrase it in my words: Assuming we have a "BW on Hana" and an "ERP on Hana", I am able to generate on ERP-Hana side a view which is based on a BW info provider. This view can be accessed with e.g. SAP Predictive Analysis to be analysed.
Am I right that the real, persistent data is only stored on BW? In case I am right, is that for any "BW on Hana" / "ERP on Hana" architecture valid to assume or are there any restrictions?
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Oliver.
Hello Oliver,
you model generated based on the BW InfoProvider would be part of the HANA system from the BW on HANA environment - not the ERP on HANA environment.
Correct, such a view can be leverage with the SAP BusinessObjects BI products.
With BW on HANA you have two options:
- you can leverage a InfoProvider, then the model in HANA points to the BW tables directly in the HANA database.
- you can create a Query snapshot, then the query is executed and the data from the query output is persisted in HANA
Ingo
Hello Ingo,
thanks for the clarification. I see here some potential scenarios where to use it. At least until each SAP frontend tool might be able to consume BEx queries directly 😉
Regards,
Oliver.
Hi Ingo,
but i don't understand.
My Questions:
1) I can run directly Report BO XI 3.1 o 4.1 on BW on HANA with Query Bex on Multiprovider with Cube optimized for Hana?
2) What is the necessity of export of model BW InfoCube into HANA design ? This model exported have data o then i may loading the data from external ? I can run report BO on this model into Hana or not ?
3) What is the difference from export of model BW InfoCube into HANA design and create Query snapshot into Hana ? I can run report BO on this ? What is the differences and the performances reltives ?
Regards,
Charly