Product Information
SAP Analytics Cloud and SAP Data Warehouse Cloud: Better Together #ASUG Webcast Summary Q&A
The great Ingo Hilgefort provided this ASUG webcast last week, and answered several questions.
Figure 1 Source SAP
Figure 2 Source SAP
Challenges today
Data warehouses today are IT driven; difficult to access data sources
Most BI tools do not have good inside model capabilities
SAP Data Warehouse Cloud looks to business user to being part of the process, self-service modeling workflow
Uses SAP HANA Cloud as the underlying database
It also has data flow (embedded DI) for ETL jobs
Figure 3 Source SAP
Three main use cases
Provide an environment that isn’t all IT driven
Not just self-service analytics
Data modeling in a governed approach to business user
Data democratization using the semantic layer (Business Builder in DWC) – create a scenario independent of data layer
End to end data warehouse – DWC provides different aspects of data warehousing. Integrates with existing solutions, such as BW
Figure 4 Source: SAP
Direct connectivity with SAC
Expose DWC to third party tool – 2 options:
- expose data model for consumption (e.g. Tableau, PowerBI)
- ETL tool, use external ETL scenario to fill data to DWC
Business Content
- Preconfigured scenarios (like BW)
- Gives you a head start
Figure 5 Source SAP
SAC understands DWC assets
SAC capable of connecting to data layer or business layer
Figure 6 Source SAP
Many to many connectivity options
Can have 3 tier structure – dev, test and production environment
Most customers have 1 DWC tenant, some have 2 tenant
Some use the spaces concept to separate dev and production environment
Connection from SAC to DWC is many to many
Figure 7 Source SAP
Expose DWC to third party tool – consumption or loading information – configuration to allow external consumption
Figure 8: Source SAP
Business content from SAP and partners
More information about the Business Content the SAP Data Warehouse Cloud Community. Partner Content also listed on SAP Store (source: SAP)
Gives you a head start
Figure 9: Source: SAP
As part of integration between DWC/SAC, can configure geo enrichment
Use lat/long of dataset in DWC and then use in SAC
Figure 10: Source: SAP
Create input parameters – not SAC specific
Parameter you can create as part of the model; it is mandatory
SAC can reuse it
Figure 11: Source: SAP
Create story filters in the model; specific to SAC
Figure 12: Source: SAP
Planned for next quarter, SAC add in will use the live DWC connection; allowing you to use Excel (or Excel 365) and talk to information in DWC
Figure 13: Source: SAP
SAC: some faced limitations with data blending
Consider DWC/SAC combination
See blog below that shows how combination SAC/DWC gives you like a live connection to SAC
Resources: (source: SAP)
Current Limitations : https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2832606 –
SAP Data Warehouse Cloud Best Practices – SCN Community: https://community.sap.com/topics/data-warehouse-cloud/best-practices-troubleshooting –
SAP Roadmap Explorer – SAP Data Warehouse Cloud – View road map explorer link: https://roadmaps.sap.com/board?PRODUCT=73555000100800002141&range=CURRENT-LAST#Q3%202021 (logon required)
Find sample content on GitHub https://github.com/SAP-samples/data-warehouse-cloud-content
90 Day Trial: https://www.sap.com/products/data-warehouse-cloud/trial.html
Q&A
Q: using BW for last 14 years and SAC for last year, is it possible to lift and shift?
A: Yes, there was a webinar on integration DWC with BW using a model transfer
Can point DWC to existing BW models and leverage that as part of DWC environment
Q: Self -service data modeling – how prevent business user from a “mess”?
A: Want to put a framework; not just technical framework but an education on the tool and what makes sense
Can use Business Builder, to create more of a semantic model for the end user
Can use security for the spaces concept
Q: Recommendations on govern business user credentials/models
A: Governance, control over who sees which models, access new models, create new models
Q: Can we do script scenarios in DWC?
A: You can use SQL scripting in terms as part of SQL driven modeling scenarios
Q: DWC looks like a replacement for BW4
A: It’s not an either or, but a combination
Q: Is there an embedded version of SAC in DWC?
A: There has been; when DWC came out, there was a story builder part of that but it has been removed and now point to existing SAC system
Can still configure menus to go to your tenant
Q: Is DWC connecting with SAC live, so how is planning supported?
A: Planning in SAC, data needs to be in SAC, if want to use DWC, can create a scenario where SAC imports data, SAC to HANA Cloud
Planning in SAC data needs to be in SAC
Q: Can a third party consumption handle complex queries?
A: DWC third party API – does give access to data layer and not the business layer
It is a SQL interface to data layer of DWC
Q: What is the recommendation way – multiple DWCs or spaces?
A: Recommended approach is spaces
Go to the community page
Q: Does the customer have to purchase SAC when buy DWC?
A: If customer has SAC, can reuse DWC
Q: Today we have Analysis Office against HANA with calculation views
A: Analysis for Office is not planned to connect to DWC; plan is to use SAC add in – strategic investment
Q: Do we have an update on Data Warehouse Marketplace
A: Webinar in October
Q: DWC leverage ODP extractors?
A: Yes, see best practices page
Legal disclaimer applies:
Source: SAP
Hi Tammy,
Interesting comment that AfO will not be connected to DWC. Any idea when the SAC add-in for MS will get a functionality boost to bring it more close to AfO?
Kind regards,
Martijn van Foeken | Interdobs
Hello Martijn - thank you for reading/replying. I don't have anything more than what is on the publicly available road map at https://roadmaps.sap.com/board?PRODUCT=73555000100800001621&range=CURRENT-LAST#Q3%202021 (logon required)
We do have an ASUG webcast later next month on this topic so I hope to learn more then/there.
Tammy