InfoObjects 
InfoObjects
Definition
Business evaluation objects (customers. sales revenues,...) are known in BW as InfoObjects. They are divided into characteristics, key figures, units, time characteristics and technical characteristics (for example, request number).
InfoObjects with attributes or texts can be either a pure
data target or an InfoProvider (if it is being reported).Use
InfoObjects are the smallest information units in BW. They structure the information needed to create data targets.
Structure
The characteristics of an InfoObject are reference objects (keys) with interrelated dimensions (for example, ‘region’ and ‘land’ are the geographical dimensions of ‘customer’). Time characteristics are characteristics that are assigned to the dimension of time. For this reason, their dependencies are already known, since the time is predefined. The key figures of an InfoObject make up the data part. That is, they deliver the values that you want to report on. Key figures can be quantities, amounts or number of items. These values must have units to give them meaning. The technical characteristics of an InfoObject are only of structural use within BW. An example is the request number, which is taken when you load a request and which helps you find the request at a later date.
Special Features of Characteristics:
If characteristics have attributes, texts, or hierarchies at their disposal then they are referred to as
master data-bearing characteristics. Master data is data that remains unchanged over a long period of time. It contains information that is always needed in the same way. For this reason, master data can be used in all InfoProviders, and so serves as an integrator. You also have the option of creating characteristics with references. The reference characteristic provides the attributes, master data, texts, hierarchies, data type, length, number and type of compounded characteristics, lowercase letters, and the conversion routine for the newly created characteristic.A hierarchy is always created for a characteristic. This characteristic is the Basic characteristic for this hierarchy (Basic characteristics are characteristics that do not reference to other characteristics). Hierarchies structure characteristics in the same way as attributes. Company Location can be an attribute of ‘customer’. You can use these to form customer groups for a specific region. You can also define a hierarchy to make the structure of characteristic ‘customer’ more transparent.
Special Features of Key Figures:
A key figure is given additional properties that influence not only the load process but also the query display. The assignment of a fixed or variable currency, determination of the aggregation and exception aggregation for non-cumulative key figures and the number of decimal places in the query are important here. You can also create a key figure with a reference, if you want to
Eliminate Internal Business Volume in the query.Integration
An InfoSource is always a quantity of InfoObjects that logically belong together.
An InfoSource with flexible update can be updated in any data targets (with the exception of hierarchies). Update rules are created for this InfoSource.
InfoObjects can be used in as many InfoSources and InfoCubes/ODS objects as you want.
Master data (characteristics with attributes, texts or hierarchies) of an InfoObject can be written directly (without update rules) to the master data table with an InfoSource with direct updating.
An InfoCube/ODS object consists of a number of InfoObjects.