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Author's profile photo Ingo Hilgefort
Ingo Hilgefort
December 3, 2020 3 minute read

SAP Data Warehouse Cloud & SAP BW/4HANA Model Transfer – Part 4

So far we have setup our SAP BW/4HANA System, we configured the Tunnel connection from SAP Analytics Cloud to SAP BW/4HANA and we configured the DP Agent.

So at this point, we can configure the connection in SAP Data Warehouse Cloud and we can release the BW Query , so that we can use the BW Query as part of the Model Transfer integration between SAP Data Warehouse Cloud and SAP BW/4HANA.

  1. In SAP Data Warehouse Cloud, navigate to the Space Management.
  2. Open the Space that you would like to use.
  3. Start the process to add a new Connection.

 

  1. Select the option for the SAP BW/4HANA Model Transfer.

  1. Define a Business Name and a Technical Name for the connection.
  2. Ensure to select the DP Agent that you configured in the previous step.
  3. Go to the next step.

 

  1. You can now choose to use SSL Encryption, which would also require that your DP Agent is setup for SSL.
  2. You can choose for validate the server certification. In my example, I am using false as we didn’t setup the certificate.
  3. For the HANA Credentials you need to provide HANA credentials (not BW/4 credentials), which have read access to the Schema of the BW/4HANA System in SAP HANA.
  4. Click Create Connection.

The connection is being assigned to your SPACE.

 

As next step we need to release the queries in BW/4HANA, so that we can use them as part of the BW/4HANA Model Transfer.

  1. Logon to your SAP BW/4HANA System.
  2. Start transaction RSDWC_QUERY

  1. Here you can select the BW Query and release the BW Query for the BW/4HANA Model Transfer, by creating a SAP Data Warehouse Cloud Variant.
  2. In case your query does have Input enabled Variables, you can also set the values for those.

  1. In case there are some limitations or warnings for the BW Query, you will see those right away, before releasing the BW Query. As shown, in my case the query contains compounded characteristics, which are not yet support.

So now we have the connection setup, and we have the BW Query released, so we have all the items to bring in the BW Query model into SAP Data Warehouse Cloud.

  1. In SAP Data Warehouse Cloud we open the Business Builder.
  2. Make sure you select the correct SPACE.
  3. We then use the Import from Connection option.

  1. We then select the BW/4HANA Model Transfer Connection we created before.

 

… and we are presented with our released Analytical Query and we can already see the list of suggested elements that the BW/4HANA Model transfer is suggesting to generate in the Business Builder as well as in the Data Builder…

… which we will then discuss in the next blog.

 

The current list of limitations for the BW/4HANA Model Transfer can be found here:

https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2932647

 

 

In case you would to follow the step by step guidance, you can register for a free SAP Data Warehouse Cloud Trial here.

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      8 Comments
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      Author's profile photo Abhimanyu Sharma
      Abhimanyu Sharma

      If i have BW4HANA and SAC already in my organisation and connected with each other, what benefit DWC provides as an extra investment ? And if SAP is focussing more on DWC does it mean in future BW4HANA would be decommissioned?

      Author's profile photo Aditya Garg
      Aditya Garg

      Yes, I am also looking something on the same lines but to the far I think, BW4HANA will not be decommissioned and both BW4HANA & DWC with BW should have different use cases,

       

      Author's profile photo Ingo Hilgefort
      Ingo Hilgefort
      Blog Post Author

      Hello Abhimanyu,

       

      take a look here:

      https://blogs.sap.com/2020/07/08/why-you-should-be-interested-in-sap-data-warehouse-cloud.../

       

      and to give some key pointers:

      • Data Warehouse Cloud isn't there to replace BW/HANA but instead to complement for a more business user focus
      • Think about scenarios where you were looking to combine data from several sources, lets say S/4HANA, BW, non-SAP like  SQL Server, and perhaps some flat files. In SAC the blending options are limited. In Data Warehouse Cloud this can easily be done.
      • In Data Warehouse Cloud you also have the concept of SPACES, which gives you an option to provide your business user with an area where on the one hand you can provide governed access to corporate models, but they also have the ability to enrich the models with a more business user friendly modeling
      • Data Warehouse Cloud comes with a Business Layer, which is basically a semantic layer (similar to the Universe Layer in SAP BusinessObjects). Its version 1 - but you can see already the power of the business layer.

      regards

      Ingo Hilgefort, SAP

       

      Author's profile photo Mayank Jaiswal
      Mayank Jaiswal

      Hi Ingo,

       

      I can do all above steps in BW/4 as well apart from giving model access to Business users, which they usually don't want.

      So, I am still happy to use BW/4 system rather than going to DWC and still trying to figure out the use case other than what you mentioned.

      Best Regards,

      Mayank

      Author's profile photo Ingo Hilgefort
      Ingo Hilgefort
      Blog Post Author

      Hello Mayank,

       

      and that's totally fine. as mentioned in the beginning, DWC is not there to replace your BW/4HANA System.

       

      I still think that the ability to join different data sources and the ability for a business user to upload information by themselves and also to be able to enrich existing models is a huge benefit that you wouldn't be able to realize as easy and quick in BW/4HANA as with DWC.

      In addition - the business layer across systems is something that doesn't exist in BW/4HANA.

       

      Regards

      Ingo Hilgefort, SAP

      Author's profile photo Marian Canciu
      Marian Canciu

      Hi Ingo

       

      I'm getting an error message after step 11 Click Create Connection.

      The error message is: "We are not able to retrieve SAP HANA port and host. Please validate tunnel connection ABC in SAP Analytics Cloud and try again."

      The ABC Tunnel Connection is working.

      How are the HANA host and port retrieved?

      If I didn't miss it you didn't define a HANA connection.

       

      Cheers

      Author's profile photo sandeep karnati
      sandeep karnati

      Hello Marian,

      when you define a BW4 Model transfer connection on DWC,DWC will leverage the SAP Cloud connector  to connects to backed ABAP system to fetch the DB MetaData.

      As we provide the HANA or Backed DB credentials when defining the BW4 Model transfer connection and those credential will be leveraged along with metadata(DB info ) to define connection.

       

      ln your case

      1. make sure on Cloud connector you exposed all the required paths for backed ABAP.
      2. if your cloud connector is installed in the DMZ ,make sure you have ports open from CC server to backend ABAP system
      3. in sicf there is one DB info service (you can get it in the CC logs) that CC will call on backed to get DB info,make sure that service is activated and proper logon procedure is maintained.
      Author's profile photo Chaitanya Reddy
      Chaitanya Reddy

      Hi Ingo

      Is it possible to use existing BW hierarchy in DWC for example profit center.

      We are trying the options but do not find a solution. can you guide it please

       

      Thanks