A Practical Guide to SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse 7.0

... Preface ... 17

... An Introduction to Business Intelligence ... 21

1 ... The Business Scenario: ABCD Corp. ... 27
... 1.1 ... ABCD Corp.: Company Overview ... 27
... 1.2 ... Marketing Network ... 28
... 1.3 ... The Sales and Billing Process ... 29
... 1.4 ... Business Intelligence Requirements ... 32
... 1.5 ... The Business Planning Scenario ... 33
... 1.6 ... Summary ... 34

2 ... SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse -- Overview ... 35
... 2.1 ... Evolution of SAP NetWeaver BW ... 35
... 2.2 ... Layers of SAP NetWeaver BW ... 38
... 2.3 ... Basic Navigation in SAP NetWeaver BW ... 43
... 2.4 ... Data Warehousing Workbench Functions ... 53
... 2.5 ... Activation of SAP Business Content ... 56
... 2.6 ... Implementation/Architecture Options with SAP NetWeaver BW ... 64
... 2.7 ... Avenues of SAP NetWeaver BW Learning ... 66
... 2.8 ... Summary ... 67

3 ... InfoObjects and Master Data ... 69
... 3.1 ... Types of InfoObjects ... 70
... 3.2 ... Creating an InfoArea ... 71
... 3.3 ... Creating an InfoObject Catalog ... 73
... 3.4 ... Creating a Characteristic InfoObject ... 76
... 3.5 ... Configuring a Characteristic InfoObject ... 78
... 3.6 ... Creating a Key Figure InfoObject ... 98
... 3.7 ... Configuring a Key Figure InfoObject ... 100
... 3.8 ... Creating a Unit InfoObject ... 112
... 3.9 ... Summary ... 114

4 ... DataStore Objects ... 115
... 4.1 ... Introduction to DataStore Objects ... 115
... 4.2 ... Architecture of the Standard DSO ... 119
... 4.3 ... Designing a DSO ... 125
... 4.4 ... Configuration of the Standard DSO ... 128
... 4.5 ... Configuration of Write-Optimized DSOs ... 135
... 4.6 ... Configuration of Direct Update DSOs ... 137
... 4.7 ... Usage Scenarios for DSOs ... 138
... 4.8 ... Summary ... 140

5 ... InfoCubes ... 141
... 5.1 ... Modeling InfoCubes ... 141
... 5.2 ... Types of InfoCubes ... 150
... 5.3 ... Creating a Standard InfoCube ... 152
... 5.4 ... Provider-Specific Properties ... 168
... 5.5 ... Summary ... 172

6 ... InfoProviders ... 173
... 6.1 ... Introduction to MultiProvider ... 173
... 6.2 ... Designing a MultiProvider ... 175
... 6.3 ... InfoSets ... 188
... 6.4 ... Creating an InfoSet ... 191
... 6.5 ... Additional Navigation Capabilities ... 199
... 6.6 ... Global Properties ... 203
... 6.7 ... Left Outer Join in an InfoSet ... 208
... 6.8 ... Introduction to VirtualProviders ... 210
... 6.9 ... Summary ... 211

7 ... Extraction, Transformation, and Loading ... 213
... 7.1 ... Introduction to ETL ... 213
... 7.2 ... Loading Master Data from a Flat File Source System to an InfoObject ... 219
... 7.3 ... Loading Transaction Data from a Source System to a DSO ... 260
... 7.4 ... Loading Data from a DSO to an InfoCube ... 279
... 7.5 ... Temporary Storage Areas and Error Stacks ... 286
... 7.6 ... Data Extraction from Non-SAP systems ... 293
... 7.7 ... Summary ... 296

8 ... Extraction from an SAP Source System ... 297
... 8.1 ... Settings in SAP ERP ... 298
... 8.2 ... Activating Business Content DataSources ... 298
... 8.3 ... Data Extraction Using the Logistic Cockpit ... 299
... 8.4 ... Generic DataSources ... 304
... 8.5 ... Making Generic DataSources Delta Capable ... 311
... 8.6 ... Extractor Checker ... 314
... 8.7 ... Summary ... 316

9 ... BEx Query Designer ... 317
... 9.1 ... BEx Tools Landscape ... 317
... 9.2 ... Example Scenario ... 319
... 9.3 ... BEx Query Designer ... 320
... 9.4 ... Create a Simple BEx Query ... 324
... 9.5 ... OLAP Variables ... 333
... 9.6 ... Variable Editor ... 338
... 9.7 ... Filters -- Selection Objects ... 351
... 9.8 ... Structures ... 356
... 9.9 ... Selections and Formulas ... 360
... 9.10 ... Restricted Key Figures ... 368
... 9.11 ... Calculated Key Figures ... 370
... 9.12 ... Properties of Query Elements ... 372
... 9.13 ... Conditions ... 384
... 9.14 ... Exceptions ... 388
... 9.15 ... Report-to-Report Interface ... 393
... 9.16 ... Summary ... 397

10 ... Reporting and Analysis ... 399
... 10.1 ... Running Queries in BEx analyzer ... 399
... 10.2 ... Performing Information Analysis in BEx analyzer ... 407
... 10.3 ... Local Properties and Formulas in BEx analyzer ... 411
... 10.4 ... Saving and Reusing Workbooks in BEx Analyzer ... 418
... 10.5 ... Building an Analysis Application in BEx analyzer ... 420
... 10.6 ... Running Queries in BEx Web Analyzer ... 431
... 10.7 ... Performing Information Analysis in BEx Web Analyzer ... 436
... 10.8 ... Analysis Filters and Settings in BEx Web Analyzer ... 441
... 10.9 ... Information Broadcasting ... 444
... 10.10 ... Summary ... 452

11 ... Web Application Designer ... 453
... 11.1 ... Web Application Designer Overview ... 453
... 11.2 ... Create a Simple Web Application ... 457
... 11.3 ... Web Items ... 473
... 11.4 ... Working with Commands ... 486
... 11.5 ... Web Template Properties ... 493
... 11.6 ... Summary ... 494

12 ... Integrated Planning ... 495
... 12.1 ... An Overview of Planning ... 496
... 12.2 ... Planning Requirements in ABCD Corp ... 498
... 12.3 ... SAP NetWeaver BW Integrated Planning Components ... 499
... 12.4 ... Planning Applications ... 550
... 12.5 ... Planning Locks ... 569
... 12.6 ... Changes to Data in Real-Time InfoCubes ... 571
... 12.7 ... Summary ... 572

13 ... Reporting with SAP BusinessObjects ... 573
... 13.1 ... Basic Elements of a SAP BusinessObjects Universe ... 574
... 13.2 ... Creating a Universe ... 577
... 13.3 ... Web Intelligence ... 588
... 13.4 ... Summary ... 604

14 ... Administration and Monitoring ... 605
... 14.1 ... DSO Administration and Maintenance ... 605
... 14.2 ... InfoCube Administration and Maintenance ... 616
... 14.3 ... Aggregates ... 625
... 14.4 ... Compression ... 633
... 14.5 ... Process Chain ... 634
... 14.6 ... Analysis Authorizations ... 644
... 14.7 ... Other Administration and Maintenance Tasks ... 650
... 14.8 ... Summary ... 653

15 ... Advanced Features ... 655
... 15.1 ... Open Hub ... 655
... 15.2 ... Analysis Process Designer ... 658
... 15.3 ... Remodeling ... 663
... 15.4 ... Summary ... 665

... Appendices ... 667
... A ... Case Study: ABCD Corp ... 669
... B ... Glossary ... 679
... C ... Important OSS Notes ... 685
... D ... The Authors ... 687

... Index ... 689