Consuming SAP HANA Models in SAP BW – Virtual Provider

Hi Everyone,

Today i would like to discuss how we can consume SAP HANA Models in SAP BW using Virtual Provider

To create a virtual provider based on HANA Model, run the transaction RSA1, and then In Modeling select InfoProvider and then Create Virtual InfoProvider-> select based on HANA Model as shown below.

After that click on Details tab and then a popup will appear as shown below:

Now select package and HANA Model that we want to consume in BW.

We can select model from any of the schemas present in HANA database.

Now select Ok and then select create button at the bottom right corner.

Now we will see the below screen:

As seen above, it shows Virtual InfoProvider based on SAP HANA Model.

Then Click on “Assign HANA Model Attributes” at the top right of the screen and the following popup will appear:

Now we can select checkboxes to propose mapping of HANA field to BW InfoObjects.

On selecting checkboxes and clicking OK, BW system suggest InfoObjects for us and following screen appears:

So now we can select the InfoObject that we want to map to our HANA model field.

If none of the suggested InfoObjects are suitable, we can leave the attribute unassigned and then we can assign it manually later on.

On pressing OK button, all selected InfoObjects are shown along with their Navigational Attributes:

As mentioned above we said that If none of the suggested InfoObjects are suitable, we can leave the attribute unassigned and then we can assign it manually later on.

So now if we want to assign Attributes manually, R-Click on Dimensions or Key Figures and Select “Provider specific InfoObject Properties” as shown below:

On selecting, a popup will appear and then we can assign the InfoObjects to the attributes in the HANA model.

Alternatively, you can also select a particular InfoObject, R-Click on it and then select Provider specific properties:

On selecting, a popup will appear and then we can assign that particular InfoObject to any of the attributes in the HANA model.

Similarly we can also map the Navigational Attribute to a field in the HANA model in the “Provider specific properties”.

If we do not map it, the data comes from the Master data tables in BW.

Now Activate the InfoProvider.

A Virtual Provider is an InfoProvider that does not have its own physical data storage in BW.

Restrictions that are applied while creating HANA based Transient Provider:

• Only Analytic and Calculation Views can be used.
• We can also use Attribute View in Virtual Provider but for that we need to create Virtual Master data based on Attribute View.
  
• To publish a HANA Model in BW, the BW user should have full access rights to the model otherwise the model is not displayed for selection.

Authorization Concept:

• Analysis Authorizations are handled completely by BW based on the modeled InfoObjects, and Analytic Privileges in the HANA model are not taken into account.
• The authorization in this case is the intersection between the BW analysis authorizations and the authorizations that the BW database user has for the schema in the HANA database.

Benefits of HANA based Virtual Provider:

• Virtual Provider based on a SAP HANA model is suitable for stable, long-term scenarios.
• This Virtual Provider can also be used in a Multi Provider.
• Support for Navigational Attributes