SAP Analytics Cloud integration with SAP BW Technical Webcast Recap

Source: SAP

This webcast covered SAP Analytics Cloud Integration with BW; technical, end to end

Technical overview, backend prerequisites.

If you are interested in related webcast, join us tomorrow:

• July 24 BI: SAP BusinessObjects Universes Connectivity to SAP Analytics Cloud

Source: SAP

The legal disclaimer applies; anything in the future is subject to change.

Figure 3: Source: SAP
2 ways to connect

Live connection – baseline of 7.5/4 with SP’s and you must apply SAP Notes on top
See SAP Note 2541557

How start applying notes?
Notes are specific to SAP Analytics Cloud
https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2541557

Figure 4: Source: SAP
Data import connnectivity is covered above

Figure 5: Source: SAP
2 modes of connectivity

Live connectivity – approach most customers want; connect directly, leverage rich metadata and no modeling, no data replication

Leverage underlying data authorizations

Data import is not a dark horse; if using data from different sources

Figure 6: Source: SAP

Getting connectivity to work
If using reverse proxy approach, no need to change

If starting new deployment, SAP recommends CORS

Figure 7: Source: SAP

CORS technical specifics

Figure 8: Source: SAP
3 components to install

Figure 9: Source: SAP
Install HANA Cloud Connector – manage transfer of on-premise to SAP Analytics Cloud
Uses TLS encryption; same as what banks use
Set up agent; used to help manage connection and query request to on-premise
SAP JCo connectors – connect to BW system

In next wave or 2, new component that bundles HANA Cloud Connector, Jco and agent together
Could be an alternative for those who want a simplfied connectivity experience

BW Query Concepts

Figure 10: Source: SAP
Talking to BW queries
Live connection and data import
Leveraging your existing investment

Data import – about leverage selective BW query concepts; extract query results into SAP Analytics Cloud

Once acquired in SAP Analytics Cloud not tied to BW OLAP engine

Figure 11: Source: SAP
Different BW metadata concepts
Live connection almost fully satisfy – not support TIMS – part of the roadmap; early next year
Data import nuances; acquire the data, map dimensions as part of the model

Figure 12: Source: SAP
Display attributes, structures; recommend Live connectivity

Figure 13: Source: SAP
Live connectivity is recommended here
Recently delivered support for BW Variants and personalization

Figure 14: Source: SAP

Core concepts make the live connectivity “special”

Figure 15: Source: SAP
Display settings – scaling, etc. part of the live connectivity workflow

Best Practices:

Figure 16: Source: SAP

Safety belt protects against large dataset retrieval
Blog: https://blogs.sap.com/2014/07/06/safety-belt-for-sap-bw-as-data-source/

Figure 17: Source: SAP
Query read mode; setting in BW that decides how OLAP processor navigates in client; use transaction RSRT

Figure 18: Source: SAP

BW query design considerations; not redesign queries, try to leverage existing queries with SAP Analytics Cloud

Figure 19: Source: SAP

Administrative feature introduced in SAP Analytics Cloud; if have story page with 6 different charts/widgets and pointing to different queries those would be executed in parallel
Use judicially

Figure 20: Source: SAP
Storybuilding feature; similar to pause/refresh in Analysis Office
Design time feature

Road map

Figure 21: Source: SAP
Some of the changes in Q3/Q4 delivery planning
DATS support improving

Product direction – planned for 2019

Figure 22: Source: SAP

Q3 – additional chart types
Waterfall charts may come in Q4

Figure 23: Source: SAP

Chart to chart filtering is being enhanced (called Linked Analysis)
– when charts are based on different BW queries
– planned for end of Q3

Figure 24: Source: SAP

Search to insight was introduced last month
Planned for Q4 – live BW models
“Smart capability”

Figure 25: Source: SAP
Data blending – many customers are asking for this
Looking at Q3 delivery

Questions & Answers
Q: Will BW based RRI work with SAP Analytics Cloud?
A: Not yet; aware of this; working on as part of the product backlog

Q: Are there customers live with a live BW connection?
A: Yes

Q: End users want to create ad-hoc BW queries; Eclipse based BW query desiger has too much overhead; will SAP Analytics Cloud have it’s own version?
A: No, you can use traditional BEx query designer or the BW modeling tool

Q: As the safety belt assists limiting data, is there a possibility to limit it for SAP Analytics Cloud?
A: No, the safety belt is managed from IT

Q: What is the row limit for BW live connections?
A: Think of BW live connection with a safety belt – could be restricted
Within SAP Analytics Cloud – different visualizations have different limits and data points
Not specific to live connections

Q: Currently using data import; can we switch model to live connection?
A: No, can’t switch

Q: Will SAP Analytics Cloud cover the same functionalities as Analysis for OLAP?
A: Over time, will bring use cases to SAP Analytics Cloud

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Data Visualization and Dashboards with SAP Analytics Cloud and App Design with SAP Analytics Cloud

Hands-On | Full Day, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Fee: $745 ASUG Member | $845 ASUG Nonmember

Date: October 1
This full day, hands-on workshop provides an overview of SAP Analytics Cloud and of its app-building capabilities. Attendees will learn what role SAP Analytics Cloud and its app-building capabilities can play as part of the overall SAP landscape and how these can integrate with existing on-premise and cloud-based data sources. You will have the opportunity to work directly with SAP Analytics Cloud and app-building features, in combination with SAP Business Warehouse and SAP HANA, to create a variety of dashboards.