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Smart Data Streaming – FAQ

Former Member
‎08-11-2016 11:23 PM




NOTE: An updated version for SAP HANA streaming analytics 2.0 SPS02 is now available as part of the product documentation. SAP HANA Streaming Analytics FAQ



 

Start here for answers to your most frequently asked questions about SAP HANA smart data streaming.



Installation



What are the installation requirements for smart data streaming?


You can install SAP HANA and smart data streaming on a dedicated server for a production environment. This is called dedicated host deployment.

You can also install them on the same server for a test environment. This is called same host deployment.

Additionally, the smart data streaming client can be installed on a host running Linux or Windows. And the smart data streaming studio plugin can be installed on a host running Linux, Windows, or MacOS.

You may also need to download and install some Microsoft Windows updates before continuing with your installation.

For complete details on the installation requirements, see Installing SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming in the SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming: Installation and Update Guide.

How do I install smart data streaming?


You’ll need to download streaming from the SAP Server Marketplace, extract the download, and then configure it.

For complete details on installing smart data streaming, see the blog post on Installing the Smart data streaming plugin for HANA Studio.

Which version of smart data streaming am I running?


You can find the version and revision information of your installation by following these steps:

  1. Switch to the SAP HANA Administration Console perspective.

  2. Double-click on the HANA system in the Systems panel to open the system Overview.

  3. Choose the Diagnosis Files tab.

  4. Find the project log files that begin with streamingserver~. Scroll up to the top to find the version information.


The line you’re looking for should look something like this, where the bolded part is the version information: SAP HANA smart data streaming Cluster Node 1.00.120.00/20160428.1/SP12/…

For a closer look, see Project Log Files in the SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming: Troubleshooting Guide.

How do I update smart data streaming?


You can upgrade your system using two methods: regular and optimized.

To learn about these methods, see the blog post on Updating Smart Data Streaming (and SAP HANA).

For more information, see Updating SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming in the SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming: Installation and Update Guide.

What kind of license should I use?


Here’s a summary of the licenses offered for streaming:

  • The smart data streaming option requires its own license, but you only need one license per installation

  • When you first install smart data streaming, you’ll get a temporary 90-day license. After that period, you’ll need a permanent one

  • If your permanent license expires, you’ll receive a 28-day license

    • Note: Make sure to reapply for a permanent license during this time period, or else smart data streaming will stop working



  • There are two types of permanent license keys available for SAP HANA: unenforced and enforced. The difference between the two is that your system will not lock down with an unenforced license key if its memory consumption exceeds the licensed amount of memory


Take a look at SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming Licenses in the SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming: Installation and Update Guide, and Managing SAP HANA Licenses in the SAP HANA Administration Guide for more information.

How do I install SAP HANA and Streaming for Nonproduction and Test Purposes?


You can install SAP HANA smart data streaming on the master SAP HANA host for a non-productive or test environment.

For complete details on installing streaming for nonproduction and test purposes, see Installing Same Host Deployment in SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming: Installation and Update Guide.

How do I uninstall smart data streaming?


Uninstalling smart data streaming can be done in one of two ways:

  • using a graphical interface, or

  • using a console interface


To learn more, see Uninstalling SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming in the SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming: Installation and Update Guide.

HANA Studio


Where do I find central information about SAP HANA Studio and smart data streaming?


Use the Help Portal for the latest documentation and the SAP Community Network (SCN) for asking questions, reading blog posts, and watching videos on HANA Studio and smart data streaming.

Help Portal – SAP HANA Platform

Help Portal – SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming

SCN – Smart Data Streaming Developer Center

SCN - SAP HANA and In-Memory Computing

How do I access diagnosis files for more details on an error?


View detailed error messages by going to the Diagnosis Files, which are accessible from the HANA Administration Console.

  1. Switch to the SAP HANA Administration Console perspective.

  2. Double-click on the HANA system in the Systems panel to open the system Overview.

  3. Choose the Diagnosis Files tab.

  4. (Optional) If you have a multi-host system, then you can use the Host drop down box to filter smart data streaming host diagnosis files.

  5. The smart data streaming specific files will all start with "streamingserver~”. There will be a .log file for the smart data streaming server, and .trc and .out files for each project. The project files will include the workspace and project names as part of the file name.


For more information, see View Diagnosis Files in SAP HANA Studio in the SAP HANA Administration Guide.

Where can I find an overview of smart data streaming features introduced in each revision?


Information about new features can be found in the "What's New" guide of the SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming Release Notes.

The SP 12 What’s New - Release Notes can be found on the Help Portal.

Why can’t I see any input/output adapters?


This typically occurs when the smart data streaming plugin is installed without first having started HANA Studio with "Run as administrator" permissions on Windows. You can do this by following these steps:

  1. Start HANA Studio with “Run as administrator” permissions.

  2. Uninstall the smart data streaming plugin.

  3. Restart HANA Studio (again with “Run as administrator” permissions) to complete the uninstallation.

  4. Reinstall the smart data streaming plugin while studio is running with “Run as administrator” permissions.


For more information, see Installing the Smart Data Streaming Plugin Manually in the SAP HANA Studio in the SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming: Installation and Update Guide.

 

Why can’t I connect to the SAP HANA smart data streaming cluster?


If you can’t connect to the SAP HANA smart data streaming cluster when running a project:

  1. Check the status of the SAP HANA smart data streaming server, and restart if necessary.

  2. Verify that the smart data streaming host is running*.

  3. If the host is not running, start it**.

  4. If the host can’t be started, check the smart data streaming log files in the SAP HANA trace directory for errors.

  5. Make sure that the SAP HANA index server is running***.


For more information about troubleshooting your cluster connection, see Cannot Connect to the Cluster in the SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming: Troubleshooting Guide.

* See Verify that the Streaming Service is Running in the SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming: Configuration and Administration Guide for detailed instructions.

** See Start the Streaming Service in the SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming: Configuration and Administration Guide for detailed instructions.

*** See Verifying Availability of SAP HANA XS Server and SAP Web Dispatcher in the SAP HANA Direct Extractor Connection Implementation Guide.

Why can’t I open a project in Studio?


Have you encountered this error: Could not open the editor: Invalid thread access? If so, you likely have conflicts with previous environment variable settings, or missing environment variables. You can set environment variables and start studio using the command prompt to fix this.

For complete details on solving this error, see Cannot Open a Project in Studio in the SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming: Troubleshooting Guide.

Why can’t I discover a service or schema?


If you can’t discover a service of a schema, you probably have a problem with your ODBC proxy connection.

You’ll need configure your proxy as described in Configuring an ODBC Driver Manager for Streaming Host with Proxy in the SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming: Configuration and Administration Guide.

Why don’t the File/Hadoop (CSV, XML, JSON) input adapters work?


The primary cause of this problem is using incorrect file paths. In smart data streaming, the path for an input file is always relative to the project working directory rather than a local file on your computer.

Smart data streaming enforces sandboxing, requiring the file to be in one of the accepted sandbox directories. Once you have the file in the right location, Discovery requires that the full file path be specified—whereas during runtime, the file path has to be set relative to the sandbox directory.

See the blog post on Getting Started Tutorial for Smart Data Streaming for more information.

How do I turn off sandboxing?


In smart data streaming, sandboxing is enabled by default as a security feature and cannot be disabled.

Sandboxing restricts access to project data files in a cluster and limits the directory that adapters and log stores use for reading and writing. Because of this, a sandbox makes sure that adapters and smart data streaming projects don’t share data within the same workspace, and don’t overwrite any important data files.

For more information, see Sandboxing in the SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming: Security Guide.

How do I configure an ODBC connection for the SAP HANA Output adapter?


You can configure an ODBC connection by creating a HANA service in the Data Services view in studio.

To set that service as the default service for all connections to HANA:

  1. Go into studio preferences, Window > Preferences

  2. Choose SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming in the left-hand panel

  3. Change the Default HANA Service Entry to your HANA service


To find out more about configuring an ODBC connection, see Adding a Connection to an SAP HANA Database in the SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming: Configuration and Administration Guide.

How do I migrate existing work from ESP to smart data streaming?


You’ll need to change some datatypes before migrating your projects.

For complete details on migrating existing work from ESP to smart data streaming, see Migrating Existing SAP Event Stream Processor Projects to SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming in the SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming: Installation and Update Guide.

CCL


What’s the difference between a stream and a window?


Streams are stateless. They process each incoming event, one at a time, and publish an output event based on any logic attached to the stream.

Windows are like a table and normally hold any number of rows (events). The number of rows held in the window is typically determined by a KEEP policy, which deletes events after a specified period of time.

See the blog post on CCL FAQ - What is the difference between a Stream and a Window for more information.

What’s an opcode?


Short for operation code, opcodes are database-style operations on the events of CCL windows. Opcodes really only have significance in the CCL project when the event is processed by a window.  Windows have a primary key and retain state. Opcodes then allow an event to directly modify the contents of a window.

Every event has an opcode consisting of either:

  • insert

  • update

  • upsert (update if present, otherwise insert)

  • delete, or

  • safedelete (delete it if it exists, but don’t log an error if it doesn’t).


Streams only handle inserts and will treat any updates or upserts received as an insert. Any deletes or safedeletes received by a stream will be ignored. Windows, on the other hand, apply the events to the data in the window according to the opcode.

For more information, see the blog on Understanding Opcodes, and the blog on Capturing CCL output in a Database - Mirroring vs History.

How can I structure CCL to reduce memory usage?


You can use streams, KEEP policies, and additive aggregates to reduce memory usage.

For complete details, see the blog post on CCL FAQ - How can I structure my CCL to reduce memory usage.

How do I prevent unbounded growth with my windows?


This may be caused by:

  • KEEP policies without DELETE opcodes

  • creating streams from windows, or

  • using dictionaries and vectors in Flex Operators


Take a look at the blog post on CCL FAQ - My windows seem to grow unbounded, what’s wrong to find out more.

Cockpit


How do I set streaming permissions and roles through the HANA cockpit?


Use the Streaming Permissions tile to add users, set their permissions and roles, and also create, edit, and remove roles directly.

For a full explanation of setting and managing streaming permissions and roles, see the following blog posts and video:

Blog: Setting Streaming Permissions through HANA Cockpit

Blog: Managing Smart Data Streaming with SAP HANA Cockpit
Video: Smart Data Streaming: Setting up Streaming Permissions

How do I view streaming tiles?


You can view streaming tiles in the cockpit by granting yourself the sap.hana.streaming.monitoring.roles::Monitoring permission. You can watch this specific process in the video Smart Data Streaming: Setting up Streaming Permissions.

What types of smart data streaming tiles are there in the cockpit?


The cockpit uses tiles such as Streaming Adapters, Streaming Nodes, and Streaming Workspaces.

For a full list of tiles available in the smart data streaming cockpit, see the Tiles section of the blog post Managing Smart Data Streaming with SAP HANA Cockpit.

What are some typical roles I might create, and what permissions might I grant them?


You can create roles for Admin, Developer, or Monitoring, with permissions that range from having full access to having none.

For a full explanation of typical roles and permissions, see the blog post on Setting Streaming Permissions through HANA Cockpit.

How do I configure access to content in the cockpit?


You can configure access to content through tile catalogs and groups. For example, the SAP HANA Database Administration tile catalog and group contain tiles for database administration and monitoring.

For more information, see Configure Access to Content in SAP HANA Cockpit in the SAP HANA Administration Guide.

What are the SYS_STREAMING, SYSTEM and SYS_STREAMING_ADMIN users for?


These users have different privileges and limits that range from granting and revoking permissions to performing all tasks in streaming.

You can read all about these users on the blog on SYS_STREAMING, SYS_STREAMING_ADMIN, and SYSTEM user: What do they do?

Do I need to use command line tools?


You no longer need to use command line tools, as you can perform all functions directly from the cockpit.

For more information, see Managing Smart Data Streaming with SAP HANA Cockpit in the SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming: Configuration and Administration Guide.

 

Cluster Management


How do I edit my cluster configuration?


You can edit your cluster configuration using the SAP HANA Streaming Cluster Configuration tile in the HANA cockpit.

Use this to:

  • set the key store encrypted password

  • configure the heartbeat interval

  • edit node names

  • manage settings for the Streaming Web Service and the Web Services Provider


See Managing Cluster Settings in the SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming: Configuration and Administration guide for more information.



Can I publish data from smart data streaming to a separate HANA system that does not have streaming?


Under a full use license, smart data streaming can interact with any number of HANA databases. Runtime licenses will have restrictions limiting use of smart data streaming to the product that it is sold with.

How can I set up active-passive failover for a streaming project?


For step-by-step instructions, see the blog post on Active-Passive Configuration for a Multi-Node Streaming Project.

How can I set up active-active failover for a streaming project?


For step-by-step instructions, see the blog post on Active-Active Configuration for a Multi-Node Streaming Project.

What is the cluster administrative tool?


The cluster administrative tool is one of several options available for cluster administration. All of its functions can now be done in SAP HANA Cockpit.

Use the cockpit to add and remove projects and workspaces, and to query, start, and stop existing projects.

For more information, see Managing Smart Data Streaming with SAP HANA Cockpit in the SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming: Configuration and Administration Guide.

 

Machine Learning


Does SAP HANA smart data streaming support machine learning?


To use machine learning functions in a streaming project, you must:

  • define a predictive analysis model, and

  • configure machine learning function parameters.


You can add, edit or delete models within SAP HANA studio. Once they are configured, you can use saved models in streaming projects to run analytic algorithms on sets of incoming data.

For more information, see Machine Learning with Streaming in the SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming: Developer Guide.

Do you have any machine learning tutorials available?


Smart data streaming has tutorials for two algorithms that can be used in streaming projects: Adaptive Hoeffding Tree and DenStream Clustering.

What do I do if I accidentally deleted the machine learning schemas under SYSTEM?


If you delete those schemas, you need to create a new model.

See Workflow: Using Machine Learning with Streaming in the SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming: Developer Guide for step-by-step instructions.

Internet of Things (IoT) and HANA Cloud Platform (HCP)


What is Streaming Lite?


Streaming Lite is a lightweight smart data streaming process designed for gateway deployment in IoT scenarios.

For more information, see Streaming Lite in the SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming: Developer Guide, and the blog post on Learning how to use Streaming Lite with HANA Smart Data Streaming.

What is SAP HANA Cloud Platform smart data streaming?


SAP HANA Cloud Platform smart data streaming has all of the same capabilities as the on-premise version of smart data streaming in the cloud.

This capability is essential to many IoT solutions, since it provides a means of transforming and analyzing data streaming from smart devices, such as real-time click stream analysis for eCommerce websites.

See the SAP HANA Cloud Platform guide for SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming SP 10 to learn more.

How do I install smart data streaming in HCP?


Once you have enabled the smart data streaming service on your SAP HANA Cloud Platform account, you’ll need to download and install some on-premise components to connect to the server from the client side.

For complete details on how to install smart data streaming in HCP, see Downloading and Installing Smart Data Streaming Components for SAP HANA Smart Data Streaming SP 10.

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