SAP Lumira support for SAP NetWeaver BW
Overview
In this document I will try to provide an overview on how SAP Lumira is supporting the different elements from SAP BW, such as BEx variables, query structures, conditions, exceptions, … and so on.
This document is a “living” document, meaning that I will keep it updated as much as possible when things change and highlight the changes with the version of SAP Lumira.
Overall the document is structured in different parts such as support for meta-data, support for variables, support for BEx query functionality.
I am fully aware that there is also SAP’s official answer with SAP Note 1869560 but I do think that sometimes there is some more background information necessary.
Support for BEx Query Meta-Data
| Metadata Area | Type of Meta-Data | Supported (Y/N) | Known Limitations | SAP Lumira Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| InfoProvider | Dimension | N | The user will see a plain list of Dimensions without an organizational structure | 1.28 |
| BEx Query | Characteristics | Y | 1.28 | |
| Free Characteristics | Y | 1.28 | ||
| Display Attributes | Limited | Display Attributes are not shown as part of assigned characteristic. | 1.28 | |
| Navigational Attributes | Y | 1.28 | ||
| Characteristic Restrictions | Y | 1.28 | ||
| Default Area | N | Elements in the Default Area of the BEx query are being ignored. | 1.28 | |
| Restricted Keyfigure | Y | 1.28 | ||
| Calculated Keyfigure | Y | 1.28 | ||
| Custom Structures | Limited | Only Keyfigure based structures are supported. Structures based on characteristics are not supported. | 1.28 | |
| 2 structures in 1 BEx Query | N | 1.28 | ||
| Custom Structure with hierarchical structure | N | 1.28 | ||
| Dimension / Characteristic | Support for Key | Y | 1.28 | |
| Support for Text | Y | SAP Lumira will use the Text that is configured on the InfoObject Level. Display settings in the BEx query are being ignored. | 1.28 | |
| Support for short Text | Y | SAP Lumira will use the Text that is configured on the InfoObject Level. Display settings in the BEx query are being ignored. | 1.28 | |
| Support for Medium Text | Y | SAP Lumira will use the Text that is configured on the InfoObject Level. Display settings in the BEx query are being ignored. | 1.28 | |
| Support for Long Text | Y | SAP Lumira will use the Text that is configured on the InfoObject Level. Display settings in the BEx query are being ignored. | 1.28 | |
| Support for Key & Text | Y | SAP Lumira will use the Text that is configured on the InfoObject Level. Display settings in the BEx query are being ignored. | 1.28 | |
| Data Type NUMC | N | Characteristics with Type NUMC are treated as String objects and not as numbers. | 1.28 | |
| Data Type CHAR | Y | 1.28 | ||
| Data Type DATS | Y | 1.28 | ||
| Data Type TIMS | Y | 1.28 | ||
| Keyfigure | Data Type Amount / Quantity | Y | 1.28 | |
| Data Type DATS | Y | 1.28 | ||
| Data Type TIMS | Y | 1.28 | ||
| Scaling Factor | N | 1.28 | ||
| Scaling Unit | N | 1.28 | ||
| Currency / Unit | N | 1.28 | ||
| BEx Variables | ||||
| Optional Variables | Y | 1.28 | ||
| Mandatory Variables | Y | 1.28 | ||
| Default Values for Variables | Y | 1.28 | ||
| Support for Manual Entries | Y | |||
| Hierarchy / Hierarchy Node Variable dependency | N | |||
| Variables place in Defaults area of BEx Query | N | The variable will prompt but it will not influence the resultset | ||
| Variable Variants | N | |||
| Variable Personalization | N | |||
| Variable Types | ||||
| Characteristic Variables | Y | 1.28 | ||
| Formula Variables | Y | 1.28 | ||
| EXIT Variables | Y | 1.28 | ||
| Hierarchy Variables | N | The prompt will be shown but the hierarchy will not get automatically selected. | 1.28 | |
| Hierarchy Node Variables | Y | The hierarchy node variable itself is supported, but the hierarchy still has to be added manually to the Lumira document. | 1.28 | |
| Text Variables | ||||
| Key Date Variable | Y | |||
| Processing Type | ||||
| User Entry | Y | 1.28 | ||
| Replacement Path | 1.28 | |||
| EXIT | Y | 1.28 | ||
| Authorization | Y | 1.28 | ||
| Variable Representation | ||||
| Single Value | Y | 1.28 | ||
| Multi Single Value | Y | 1.28 | ||
| Range Value | Y | 1.28 | ||
| Selection Option | Y | Only missing operator is “Contains pattern” | 1.28 | |
Thanks Ingo, I really appreciate you sharing this information. It helps us mere mortals in userland understand better the issues we may face when deploying Lumira. As you no doubt appreciate little pain points can seriously affect user adoption so if we are armed with the facts, we can coach users around the issues rather than let them become frustrated.
I would add a caveat to Dimension/Characteristic that to display Long or Medium Text not only do you have to change the Characteristic Display at the InfoObject level but if there is Compounding it won't work no matter what you do. I am currently on version 1.30. So a choice in the BW data Acquisition Connector of Short, Med. or Long Text is necessary.