Procedure documentation Creating a Process Chain Locate the document in its SAP Library structure

Prerequisites

If you want to include a load process in the process chain, you need to have already created an InfoPackage.

You cannot load flat file data from a client workstation in the background. For this reason, you have stored your data on an application server.

Creating a Process Chain

You have the option to create a process chain directly in the process chain maintenance or by using a maintenance dialog for a process:

Creating a Process Chain Directly in the Process Chain Maintenance

They are found in the BW Administrator Workbench.

  1. Choose This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Process Chain Maintenance in the AWB toolbar.

    2. The Process Chain Selection dialog window appears.

  2. Choose Create.
  3. Enter the technical name and a description of the chain and confirm your entry.

    4. The Add Start Process dialog window appears.

  4. Create a variant for a start process.
    1. Choose whether you want to schedule the chain directly or start it by using a metachain on the Maintain Start Process screen.
    2. If you schedule the chain directly, enter the start date value for the chain under Change Selections and save your entries.

      3. The Maintain Start Process screen appears again.

    3. Save your entries. Then go back and confirm your entries in the Add Start Process dialog window.

The process chain maintenance This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Plan View appears.

In the left-hand area of the screen, a navigation area is displayed. In the right-hand area, the process chain is displayed.
  1. Add the relevant processes into your process chain with Drag&Drop.

You can select the processes in which you choose This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Process Types. The process types are then sorted according to different categories. You can call up InfoPackages as well as processes for the data target from the separate This graphic is explained in the accompanying text InfoSources and This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Data Targets navigation trees .

Note

If you insert a process that is linked with additional processes into the chain, the respective process variants are generated and automatically inserted into the process chain. These variants are suggestions and can be changed and removed from the chain. Your chain is checked in the checking view and during activation. The system indicates any errors.

Only by automatically inserting the attribute realignment run, do you also arrive at the variant maintenance.

If you only want to specify which processes need to be included in a chain, choose Settings ® Default Chains... and select Propose No Processes. As a result, no processes are proposed, generated or automatically inserted into the chain. This setting is user-specific.

Creating a Process Chain Using the Maintenance Dialog for a Process.

You are in the maintenance dialog of a process that is to be included in a process chain.

  1. Choose the Process Chain Maintenance pushbutton and create a process variant.
  2. Save the variant and go back.

    3. A dialog window appears in which you can enter a technical name and a description of the chain to be created.

  3. Confirm your entries.

    4. The Add Start Process dialog window appears.

  4. Create a variant for a start process.
    1. Choose whether you want to schedule the chain directly or start it by using a metachain on the Maintain Start Process screen.
    2. If you schedule the chain directly, enter the start date value for the chain under Change Selections and save your entries.

      3. The Maintain Start Process screen appears again.

    3. Save your entries. Then go back and confirm your entries in the Add Start Process dialog window.

The process chain maintenance This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Plan View appears.

The various process categories with the application and collection processes are displayed in the left-hand area of the screen. In the right-hand side, the process chain is displayed.

Note

If you insert a process that is linked with additional processes into the chain, the respective process variants are generated and automatically inserted into the process chain. These variants are suggestions and can be changed and removed from the chain. Your chain is checked in the checking view and during activation. The system indicates any errors.

Only by automatically inserting the attribute realignment run, do you also arrive at the variant maintenance.

If you only want to specify which processes need to be included in a chain, choose Settings ® Default Chains... and select Propose No Processes. As a result, no processes are proposed, generated or automatically inserted into the chain. This setting is user-specific.

  1. Add the additional processes that are relevant into your process chain with drag and drop.

You can select the processes in which you choose This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Process Types. The process types are then sorted according to different categories. You can call up InfoPackages as well as processes for the data target from the separate This graphic is explained in the accompanying text InfoSources and This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Data Targets navigation trees .

Additional Process Steps When Creating a Process Chain

  1. Select a process variant when adding the processes, or create a new variant. For collection processes, the system makes sure the variants are consistent.

Note

Different functions are available for the processes by using the context menu:

Context Menu Entry for a Process

Function Information

Maintain Variants

Except for the collective process variants, you can change all process variants with this function.

Exchange Variants

You can exchange the variants for an existing or newly created variant.

Display Scheduled Jobs

After you activated the process chain, you can display the scheduled jobs with this function.

Display All Jobs

After at least one run of the process chain, you can also display the jobs, with which this process was run, for a specific process next to the scheduled jobs. You arrive at the job overview and can call up the relevant job log.

Create Message

You can also send messages to a chain application process depending on the success of the completion.

  1. For this you create an additional process variant of type Send Message for a process by using the context menu.
  2. If you maintain a message, first enter whether the message needs to be sent with successfully completed processes or with processes completed with errors. Then choose Continue.
  3. You then arrive at a window in which you can select or create a process variant.
  4. If you create a new process variant, edit the document that needs to be sent and maintain a receiver list.
  5. Save your process variant and go back.

The message process variant is now assigned to your application process. If you send the message, the status information as well as the process log is sent along as well, if necessary.

Wait Time

Enter how long the process needs to wait (in seconds) after the preceding, triggered event until it is run.

This function debugs the process execution. You can capture the process by using the transaction SM37 (Job Overview) or SM50 (Process Overview).

Remove Process

With this function you remove a process from a process chain.

Manage Data Target

You can use this function for process variants of the following types:

  • Constructing indexes
  • Deleting indexes
  • Constructing database statistics
  • Rolling up filled aggregates
  • Compressing InfoCubes
  • Activating ODS object data

to call up the administration for the particular data targets
  1. Connect the processes through events by holding down the left mouse button.

    2. Note

    Beforehand, select the process underneath the process type row and move the cursor over the required process. When selecting the process type row, the whole process is moved in the plan view.

    By using the context menu for a link, you can display the event or remove the link again. Do so by selecting the link and right-clicking the mouse.

  2. If required, specify whether the event is to be triggered after successful or incorrect termination of the predecessor process or whether it needs to be independently triggered.
  3. Assign a display component to the process chain using Attribute ® Display Components.
  4. Maintain additional process chain attributes if necessary.
  5. Check your process chain in the This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Check View and correct the chain if necessary.

    6. Note

    The This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Legend describes the meanings of the different colors for processes and links.

    By using the context menu for a process you can display the messages delivered by the check.

  6. Save your process chain if it does not contain any errors.

Result

Your process chain can be activated. The chain starts after activation in accordance with the start process selections. The chain run starts directly after activation, if you scheduled the start process directly and chose Immediately as the start date value. In the This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Log View, you can allow the reports for the chain runs to be displayed.

See also:

Process Chain Logs Display