SAP BW

SAP NetWeaver BW offers flexible ways of integrating data from various sources.
Depending on the data warehousing strategy data can be extracted from the source and
load it into the SAP BW system, or directly access the data in the source, without storing
it physically in the Enterprise Data Warehouse. (In this case the data is integrated
virtually into the EDW. Sources for the EDW can be operational, relational datasets (for
example in SAP systems), files or older systems.) Transformations allow us to run a
technical cleanup and to consolidate the data.

Extraction and Loading

Extraction and transfer processes to the initial layer in SAP BW as well as direct access to
data are possible using various interfaces, depending on the origin and format of the
data. SAP NetWeaver BW allows integration of both SAP and non-SAP data.
Transformation:
With transformations, data loaded within the SAP BW system using the specified
interfaces is transferred from a source format to a target format in the data warehouse

layers. The transformation allows us to consolidate, clean up and integrate the data, thus
synchronizing it and allowing it to be evaluated.
This is done using rules that allow any degree of complexity when transforming the data.
The functionality includes a 1:1 assignment of the data, the use of complex functions in
formulas and custom programming of transformation rules.
Availability Requirements for Data in SAP NetWeaver BW:
It might be necessary to have data which is more up-do-date or less up-to-date,
depending on the business issue.
If data is needed for the tactical decision-making procedure, data that is mostly up-todate and granular is usually taken. The data can be staged in the SAP BW system based
on its availability and loaded in minute intervals. A permanently active SAP background
processing job is used here. This job is controlled by a special daemon. This data staging
procedure is called real-time data acquisition.
Loading:
By loading the data into a data warehouse, performance in the source system is not
affected during data analysis. However the load processes require administrative time
and effort.
Business Content:
Business Content is a pre-configured set of role and task-relevant information models
based on consistent metadata in the SAP Business Information Warehouse. Business
Content provides selected roles within a company with the information they need to
carry out their tasks.
This information model includes integral roles, workbooks, queries, InfoSources,
InfoCubes, DSO objects, key figures, characteristics, update rules, and extractors for
SAP R/3, mySAP.com Business Applications, and for other selection applications.
Advantages:
On one hand SAP Business Information Warehouses comprehensive Business Content
enables a quick and cost-effective implementation.
On the other hand, it provides a model that can be used as a guideline during
implementation using experience gained from other implementations.
Objects Delivered:
SAP Business Information Warehouse delivers pre-configured objects under the collective
term Business Content. These objects speed up the implementation of the SAP
Business Information Warehouse because they deliver complete solutions for business
information requests.

Business Content Objects includes:

SAP ECC R/3 extractor programs
DataSources
Process chains
InfoObjects
InfoSources
Data targets (InfoCubes and ODS objects)
Variables
Data mining models
Queries
Workbooks
Crystal Reports
Web templates
Roles