Connecting HCP and using HANA Views in SAP BusinessObjects Cloud
Following on from Nash Gajic’s excellent blog on connecting HCP to Cloud for Analytics I wanted to get this working for myself with some of my own analytical datasets.
Before connecting HCP into C4A and getting started on building a story I spent a little bit of time getting some tables, data and HANA analytic models (attribute and analytic views) setup in the HCP database to give me some data sets to work with. I had a couple of data set to work with, the good old eFashion (the classic BusinessObjects demo based on retail data) and EIM360 (SAP ERP profitability analysis data). I had some table/data exports (binary files) from an on premise HANA system that I was able to use.
With these binary exports to hand, and getting my HCP system connected HANA studio, I was able to import the files into my HCP instance to get the tables and data uploaded. I then created some Attribute, Analytic & Calculation views on top of the tables.
I decided to use the HANA studio application on my laptop rather than the HCP web IDE to build the views as from what I could see I could only create HANA calculation views in the web IDE rather than Attribute or Analytic Views (at least not graphically anyway). I did double check to see everything was there in the HCP web IDE once I had done the activities in the studio (below is a list of the view in the web IDE).
I then created a remote system connection in C4A to my HCP system and then created a C4A model by connecting to the HANA Analytic View I created on top of the eFashion tables & data. I was able to then to go and build a story on my new C4A model. The process of connecting HCP and creating the C4A model was extremely easy.
The eFashion & EIM datasets can be accessed vie the URLs below if others want to use them (download, unpack and choose Import from within the Catalog/Schema area within the HANA Studio). You can then build the HANA views on top. The eFashion views are probably the easiest. I created 3 Attribute Views for Article, Store and Calendar (each using the relevant base table) and then an Analytical view using the fact table and then linking the 3 Attribute views.
Hi Matt,
This Using SAP Cloud for Analytics with SAP Hybris Marketing blog is also really good.
Hi Matt,
Great article and well written.
To help others along, are you able to assist by providing details on whether they can get/access the datasets you refer to:
Once again, well done on a great instructional piece.
Thanks for the feedback Allan. I've added some download links at the end of the blog to the datasets.
Hello Matt,
Nice article!
I want to set up a scenario as you described (for PoC).
Is it possible to make the sample data availabnle for download again?
Also, do you have a detailed guide on how to set up the connection in BO Cloud? I'm having issues that seem to be related to authentication but it would be nice if I could compare the process steps with yours...