Import Data to Your Model

The process to import data differs depending on your model type, the data source, and the platform you are working on.

This section only describes how to import data to a model. After you import data, it must be prepared so that it's ready to be consumed both in models and stories. For more information about data preparation, check out Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Classic Account Model, or Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Model with Measures.

In the image below, you can see all the data sources supported when importing data to a model. Click any of them to access a detailed procedure.

This image is interactive. Hover over each area for a description. Click highlighted areas for more information.

Import Data Source Reference

This section acts as a reference for all procedures to import data in a model for all supported data sources.

Personal Files

Note
This procedure also applies to datasets.

The data is imported and analyzed, and then mapped to the dimensions of the target model. Note that the data to be imported must fit the structure of the existing target model.

When you import data into an existing model, you can align the new data with existing version categories or create new version categories during the import. For example, if the existing model contains actual values, you can now import planning data by selecting the Planning category and entering a label for the new version data. Then, in stories generated from the model, both the actual and the new planning columns will be visible.

The workflow to import data from a file into an existing model is:

  1. Open the model that will be updated.
  2. Select a source file.
  3. Start the import and initial mapping process.
  4. Finish mapping the imported data to existing dimensions in the model.
  5. Cleanse your data and fix any mapping or data quality problems.

Data files can be in your local file system or in your network. The source data can be an Excel spreadsheet (.xlsx) or a delimited text file (.csv or .txt). If you import data from Microsoft Excel, and if the data is saved in separate sheets in the Excel workbook, either you can choose which sheet to import (if from a local file system) or the first sheet is automatically imported (from a network file).

The source data must include columns that can be matched to the existing dimensions in the selected model. It must also include transactional data (measures) in numeric format (for example, 1,587,370.50 or 1.587.370,50 ) but not scientific notation.

  1. From the () Main Menu, select Files.
  2. Open the model you want to update.
  3. Switch to the Data Management screen.

  4. Select Start of the navigation path Next navigation step FileEnd of the navigation path.
  5. Choose whether you want to import data from a file on your local system, or from a file server.

    If you don't see the option to import data from a file server, see Allow Data Import and Model Export with a File Server.

    Tip
    If you import a file from a file server, you can also schedule imports from that file. For more information, see Update and Schedule Models.
  6. If you're importing from a file server, choose a file server connection, or select Create New Connection.

    If you create a new file server connection, specify the path to the folder where the data files are located. For example: C:\folder1\folder2 or \\servername\volume\path or /mnt/abc.

  7. Choose the file you want to import.
  8. If you are importing from a local Excel workbook containing multiple sheets, select the Sheet you want to import.

    If you are importing from an Excel file on a file server, the first sheet is automatically imported.

  9. If you're importing a .csv file, select which delimiter is used in the file.
  10. Select Import.

    You can continue to work on other tasks while the dataset is being uploaded in the background.

  11. When the draft data is finished uploading, open it from the Draft Sources list.

    The data appears in the data integration view, where you can complete the mapping of your new data to the model's dimensions.

Next Steps

After the initial import of raw data, continue with the data preparation task before completing your model: See Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Classic Account Model and Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Model with Measures..

Related Information

Attributes of an Account Dimension

Creating a Model with Coordinate or Area Data for Geospatial Analysis

Allow Data Import and Model Export with a File Server

SAP BPC

Prerequisites

  • You use SAP Business Planning and Consolidation, version for BW/4HANA, and the SAPCP cloud connector is installed and configured on premise, or
  • You use SAP Business Planning and Consolidation, version for SAP NetWeaver (BPC NW) of version 10.1 and the SAPCP cloud connector is installed and configured on premise, or
  • You use SAP Business Planning and Consolidation, version for Microsoft of version 10.1 and both the SAPCP cloud connector and SAP Analytics Cloud agent are installed and configured on premise.
Note

For SAP BPC, version for BW/4HANA and SAP BPC 10.1, version for SAP NetWeaver, only importing data from a BPC standard configuration is supported.

During the data import, if a member doesn't belong to any hierarchy, the member will by default be added to Hierarchy1 as root member that has no parent or child members.

Remember

For SAP BPC, version for BW/4HANA and SAP BPC10.1, version for SAP NetWeaver, if the BPC environment does not have the HANA Accelerator on (this can be checked via the environment level IMG parameter ACCELERATOR_ON in the BPC system), make sure you refer to the SAP Note 1858257 Information published on SAP site to enable member set functions in BPC first.

If you import data from BPC 10.1, version for SAP NW on BW 740, make sure you apply the SAP Note 2550738 Information published on SAP site on the BPC system beforehand.

If you want to import a larger volume of transaction data from BPC to SAP Analytics Cloud without changing your memory configuration, you can apply the SAP Note 2755379 Information published on SAP site or upgrade your BPC system to a minimum support package specified in the note.

Importing into a New Model

  1. From the Modeler start page, select Start of the navigation pathFrom a Data Source Next navigation step SAP BPCEnd of the navigation path.
    Note
    From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
  2. To create a model from SAP BPC:

    1. Choose a BPC connection type and select a BPC connection from the list of connections. You can choose from the following connection types:
      • SAP BPC for SAP BW/4HANA
      • SAP BPC 10.1 for Microsoft platform
      • SAP BPC 10.1 for SAP NetWeaver
      Note

      If the connection you select is an OAuth connection that you haven't authenticated, or your OAuth authentication has expired, then a dialog will pop up for you to enter your BPC credentials and complete the OAuth authentication process. If SSO is enabled, you can directly sign in without entering your BPC credentials again.

      You can also create a new connection on the fly by selecting Create New Connection and following the instructions in Import Data Connection to an SAP BPC System.

    2. Choose to create a new query or copy a query from an existing BPC model for mapping later.

      Click Next after completing all the settings on this page.

    3. On the next page, enter a Model Name for the new target model, and optionally a Description.
    4. If you want users to be able to write data back to the BPC model, choose Write-back model. Otherwise, choose the Basic model.

      Note

      In a write back model, transaction data is synchronized from time to time based on your model settings. Master data imported from BPC is read-only and cannot be changed.

    5. When the model type is Basic model, you can choose to create new dimensions as public dimensions or private dimensions.
    6. If you need to convert currency values, toggle on Currency Conversion. You can then either directly use an existing SAP Analytics Cloud currency conversion table, or import a currency conversion table from BPC.

      Note

      When currency conversion is enabled, only the local currency is imported from BPC. When currency conversion is disabled, all data values of local currencies and pre-converted currencies are imported without any currency unit.

    7. To create a new conversion table by importing it from BPC, select Add New Currency Conversion Table from the Currency Conversion Table list. For detailed steps, refer to Import Currency Conversion Table From SAP BPC.

      Click Next after completing all the settings on this page.

  3. In the next Select Model from BPC dialog, select an Environment and then select a Model.

    A name is automatically generated for the new BPC query, but you can rename it freely.

  4. To build the BPC query you just created:

    1. If you have chosen a basic type model, drag dimensions from Available Data to the Selected Data area.

    2. To restrict the data to be imported, drag dimensions to the Filters area. Set a filter by selecting the filter icon. In the filtering dialog, select members to be included, and then select OK.

      Click Next after completing all the settings on this page.

  5. In the dimension mapping dialog, map the source BPC dimensions to the corresponding new dimensions in SAP Analytics Cloud.

    1. Select a type for each dimension from the Dimension Type list.

    2. For the Category dimension, an additional Version Mapping dialog is displayed to let you map the BPC category names to the SAP Analytics Cloud category names.

    3. If you didn't toggle on the Currency Conversion setting in step 3, BPC's original data values are imported into SAP Analytics Cloud.

      In this case, if there's only a single currency used in your BPC system, you can select the Default Currency option and specify the currency; if different currencies are defined for different entities in BPC, you can select the option Local Currency is taken from:, and choose an entity attribute that defines the local currency.

    When you have completed the mapping, select Finish.

  6. The new model is created with BPC imported data.

Importing into an Existing Model

About Synchronizing BPC Delta Data to SAP Analytics Cloud in a Write-back Model

By directly clicking the (Refresh) icon in the (Version Management) panel for the version that you want to refresh from BPC, you can bring back only delta data from BPC in BPC 10.1 NW on BW 750 and BPC, version for BW/4HANA.

Important Information:

  • If you are using a BPC 10.1 NW on BW 7.50 version lower than SP09, make sure you first install the SAP Note 2504877 Information published on SAP site. Otherwise, full data will be loaded into SAP Analytics Cloud when syncing data.
  • Syncing delta data to SAP Analytics Cloud is currently not supported in BPC 10.0 Microsoft version, BPC 10.1 Microsoft version, BPC 10.0 NW version and BPC 10.1 NW on BW740.
  • Please don't activate BPC data on the BW DataStore Objects (advanced) or compress BPC data (by running a Light_Optimize data manager package) on the BW InfoCubes/InfoProviders at BPC side. Otherwise, the time-stamp information will be removed from the activated or compressed requests, and you might not be able to sync delta data from corresponding BPC model.
Note

When a user clicks the Refresh button, other users won't be able to refresh or schedule to refresh the same model at the same time.

During this process, only transaction data are synchronized. Master data imported from BPC is read-only.

Performance Tips:

When synchronizing BPC delta data to a write-back model, it will retrieve data calculated by BPC member formula by default. This may bring extra performance burden.

To overcome this issue, we recommend you set the BPC model level IMG parameter "SKIP_GET_FORMULA_DATA" to 'X'. Then BPC calculated data will not be retrieved with delta query for a write-back model.

In a standard configuration of BPC 10.1 on NW 7.50 or higher, most InfoProviders are InfoCubes, but there might be some rare cases in BPC 10.1 on NW 7.52 that are advanced DataStore objects (aDSO).

You can customize the standard data size for an InfoCube based on your environment settings, which is not supported in an aDSO.

This defines the threshold for the total number of requests to be imported or exported each round in an InfoObject in NW 10.1. To do so, set the following parameter in table RSADMIN:

  1. Enter report SAP_RSADMIN_MAINTAIN in Tcode se38;
  2. In the Object field, enter the parameter: <Infocube ID>_BPC_REQU_SIZE;
  3. In the value field, enter the threshold number.

    We recommend a minimum threshold value of 10000.

    Note

    You can improve deployment performance by increasing that number; however, this depends on the maximum number of table partitions allowed in your RDBMS. For more information, see the recommendations of the RDBMS engine used by your NetWeaver platform.

    Example

    For example: in SQL Server, the maximum number of partitions is 1,000. This number is fixed by the database engine. You can calculate limits as follows: 10,000 * (number of maximum partitions per table).

    This number is different, depending on the database engine you use.

    For SQL Server 2005, 2008, and 2008 R2, the limit is 1,000 partitions per table => 10,000 * 1,000 = 10,000,000 rows per infocube.

About Import Data to a Basic Model or an Existing Model Created in SAP Analytics Cloud

To import data to a basic model or an existing model created in SAP Analytics Cloud:

  1. From the () Main Menu, select Files.
  2. Open the model that you want to update.
  3. Switch to the Data Management screen.

  4. In the Draft Sources section, select Start of the navigation path Next navigation step Data source Next navigation step SAP BPCEnd of the navigation path.
  5. Choose a BPC connection type and select a BPC connection from the list of connections. You can choose from the following connection types:
    • SAP BPC for SAP BW/4HANA
    • SAP BPC 10.1 for Microsoft platform
    • SAP BPC 10.1 for SAP NetWeaver
    Note
    You can create a new connection on the fly by selecting Create New Connection and following the instructions in Import Data Connection to an SAP BPC System.
  6. Choose to create a new query or copy a query from an existing BPC model for mapping later.

    Click Next after completing all the settings on this page.

  7. In the next Select Model from BPC dialog, select an Environment and then select a Model.

    A name is automatically generated for the new BPC query, but you can rename it freely.

  8. To build the BPC query you just created:

    1. If the SAP Analytics Cloud model is a basic type model, drag dimensions from Available Data to the Selected Data area.
    2. If you want to restrict the data to be imported, drag dimensions to the Filters area. Set a filter by selecting the filter icon. In the filtering dialog, select members to be included, and then select OK.

    Click Next after completing all the settings on this page.

  9. In the dimension mapping dialog, check and map the source BPC dimensions to the corresponding new dimensions in SAP Analytics Cloud. When you've completed the mapping, select Next.
  10. In the Import Method dialog, specify how any existing data in the model is to be treated, by choosing one of the following Import Methods:

    Clean & Replace First deletes the existing data in the default replace scope, then updates existing SAP Analytics Cloud data with data imported from BPC. When there are new records from BPC that don't exist in SAP Analytics Cloud, add the new records directly to the SAP Analytics Cloud model. In this case, you can use the check box for each dimension to decide whether to include or exclude specific dimensions in or from the update.
    Update Updates the existing SAP Analytics Cloud data, and when there are new records from BPC that don't exist in SAP Analytics Cloud, the new records will be added directly to the SAP Analytics Cloud model.
    Append Based on the existing SAP Analytics Cloud data, append corresponding BPC data to it, and when there are new records from BPC that don't exist in SAP Analytics Cloud, the new records will be added directly to the SAP Analytics Cloud model.
  11. If you choose the Clean & Replace method, you need to further define the default replace scope of the import.
  12. Choose Next. The model is updated with BPC imported data.

Results

The new model opens in the Modeler.

Note
Values of calculated members in BPC are not directly imported into SAP Analytics Cloud. Instead, the BPC formulas that produced the calculated members are imported into an unused FORMULA column of the account dimension. You must recreate the formulas in the proper syntax for SAP Analytics Cloud in the Formula column. For instructions on creating formulas, see All Formulas and Calculations.
Note

In the date dimension of the imported BPC model, if the number of the BASE_PERIOD, which represents the fiscal month doesn't match the number of the calendar month of PERIOD, then the fiscal year doesn't start with January. For example, in the following case, the fiscal year of this BPC model starts in April:

  • The imported BPC data should have at least month granularity.
  • Before importing data, in the time dimension of the BPC model, ensure that the values for the property BASE_PERIOD consist of three digits representing fiscal months, such as 001, 011, and 012, while values for the property PERIOD must consist of the first three capital letters of calendar months in English, such as APR or MAR.

When the data is configured in this way, the Fiscal Year option in the Modeler will be automatically enabled, and the starting month automatically set to the corresponding calendar month defined in BPC.

In the Modeler, you can still choose to disable fiscal year or change to another starting month.

Noted that during data import and export, BPC only denotes fiscal year by the calendar year it ends with. So if you plan to sync or export data back to BPC later, we recommend you retain this Denote fiscal year settings, otherwise fiscal year between the two systems will become inconsistent.

Save your model. The BPC transaction data is imported into your model.

On the Data Management screen, your model is displayed in the Import Jobs section.

If you want to schedule the execution of import jobs, follow these steps:

  1. Select an import job.
  2. Select (Schedule Settings), and choose between the following options:

    Frequency Description
    None Select this option when you want to import the data manually.
    Once The import is performed only once, at a preselected time.
    Repeating The import is executed according to a recurrence pattern. You can select a start and end date and time as well as a recurrence pattern.
  3. Select Save to save your scheduling settings.

If you've enabled write-back to BPC, users can write data back to BPC directly from stories. For detailed information, refer to the SAP BPC procedure.

About Importing SAP BPC Data

Imports from version 10.1 of SAP BPC are supported:

  • SAP Business Planning and Consolidation, version for Microsoft Platform (BPC for Microsoft)
  • Standard configuration of SAP Business Planning and Consolidation, version for SAP NetWeaver (BPC for NW)
  • Standard configuration of SAP Business Planning and Consolidation, version for SAP BW/4HANA

Prerequisites

  • To import from a BPC system, the on-premise BPC system must be specifically set up to connect with SAP Analytics Cloud. Refer to Import Data Connection to an SAP BPC System for more information.

  • For SAP BPC, version for BW/4HANA and SAP BPC 10.1, version for SAP NetWeaver, if the BPC environment does not have the HANA Accelerator on (this can be checked via the environment level IMG parameter ACCELERATOR_ON in the BPC system), make sure you refer to the consulting SAP Note 1858257 Information published on SAP site to enable member set functions in BPC first.

  • If you import data from BPC 10.1, version for SAP NW on BW 740, make sure you apply the SAP Note 2550738 Information published on SAP site on the BPC system.

  • The imported BPC data should have at least month granularity. Before importing data, make sure that the time dimension in your BPC model has the following properties: BASE_PERIOD, PERIOD, YEAR, LEVEL.

    • The LEVEL property only supports the values YEAR, QUARTER, MONTH, DAY on base members. The level of base members in a time dimension should be consistent.

    • The PERIOD property represents the calendar period of the member. The format must contain the following settings:

      If the value of the property LEVEL is YEAR, corresponding values of the property PERIOD must follow the following format: yyyy (e.g. 2020).

      If the value of the property LEVEL is MONTH, corresponding values of the property PERIOD must consist of the first three capital letters of calendar months in English, such as JAN, FEB, or MAR. Others can not be supported.

      If the value of the property LEVEL is QUARTER, corresponding values of the property PERIOD must be taken from "Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4", where "Q1" stands for "Quarter 1", and so on.

      If the value of the property LEVEL is DAY, corresponding values of the property PERIOD must follow the following format: mmmdd (e.g. JAN01 for January 1st).

    • The BASE_PERIOD property should consist of a 3-digit number. It represents the fiscal period of the member only when the granularity of the time dimension is on a month level.

    • The YEAR property should be a 4-digit number representing the fiscal year (and calendar year if there’s no offset between BASE_PERIOD and PERIOD).

  • Before you can proceed with the import from BPC, you must have set up a connection to the BPC system in SAP Analytics Cloud Connections.

Activities

The workflow to create a model from BPC data or to import BPC data into an existing model is:
  1. Specify the connection to be used for importing data.
  2. If you're creating a new SAP Analytics Cloud model, provide information about the target model.
  3. Specify the source BPC model information, and build a query.
  4. Map source data to the new or existing model.

Specifying the Connection

You first need to select the connection to the BPC system. This can be an existing connection or one that you create on the fly during the export. For more information on creating connections, see Data Connections.

Providing Target Model Information

If you're creating a new model, you'll need to provide a name for the target model and optionally a description. Note that the model name can't start with a numeral or any other non-alphabetical symbol, such as a space.

When importing from BPC, models are by default planning enabled.

Specify Source Model Information

Next, specify the environment, which is a set of BPC models, and the specific model to be imported.

Note

SAP Analytics Cloud reads only periodic data from BPC because it doesn't have a YTD measure by default, regardless of whether the BPC model is periodic or YTD. There's one exception: because the AST and LEQ account types in SAP Analytics Cloud aggregate the latest data in the Date dimension, these two account types will store and display YTD values correctly in SAP Analytics Cloud.

If the BPC model is the YTD type, for example, a consolidation-type model, then only importing into an SAP Analytics Cloud Basic Mode model is supported.

Mapping

Choose each dimension in the Source Dimensions area. You can create mappings between the source dimension and the target model dimension:

  • Dimension Type (when creating a new model): The type for each dimension. A type is automatically suggested for some dimensions, but you can change or set the type by choosing one of the following options from the list:
    • Account: This dimension represents the accounts structure of your organization. You can have only one dimension of this type per model.
    • Organization: This dimension represents the business units that drive your business. Depending on your organization, these could be operating units, geographic entities, cost centers, and so on. You can have only one dimension of this type per model.
    • Date: Specifies the smallest time period to be applied to the model. You can use year, quarter, month, or day. It is created automatically when you create a model.
    • Version: This is for the Category dimension.
    • Generic: Any kind of business dimension that isn't an organizational one. This can include products, channels, or sales representatives. You can add multiple dimensions of this type to a model.

Once the mapping is complete, you can start the import.

Using SAP Analytics Cloud as a BPC Client Extension

In a write-back model, SAP Analytics Cloud can be used as a client extension for BPC models. You can perform planning and analysis, write your planning data back to the BPC model, and bring the newest data in from the BPC model at any time.

You can edit planning data in a public version of SAP Analytics Cloud, and when you save and publish the data, it is automatically written back to the BPC model.

Note that a public version in edit mode can't be updated from the BPC model.

Two options are available:

Pre-converted currency values in BPC are imported

Disable currency conversion in SAP Analytics Cloud. If the BPC data contains pre-converted currency data, it is imported into the model together with local currency values. In stories, you'll need to add the RPTCURRENCY dimension to the drill state to see data for all the different currencies.

Pre-converted currency values in BPC are not imported

Enable currency conversion in SAP Analytics Cloud, and choose a rate table. If the BPC data contains pre-converted currency data, it is not imported into the model. Only the local currency data is imported.

Related Information

Data Connections

Import Data Connection to an SAP BPC System

Installing the Cloud Connector

SAP Analytics Cloud Agent

SAP S4/HANA

Prerequisites

You are using a supported version of SAP S/4HANA. For more information, see System Requirements and Technical Prerequisites.

Context

Note
  • SAP Analytics Cloud supports OData Version 4.0. Logical Operators (such as Equal, Not Equal, Less or Equal, Greater than, Greater than or Equal, Less than, Less than or equal, Logical and, Logical or, Startswith, and substringof) are supported for S/4HANA. Not logical negation, arithmetic operators, or functions are not supported. The following table lists the minimum requirements for S/4HANA OData services:

    Data Type

    Operator

    Format

    String (Edm.String)

    "eq", "ne", "startswith", "toLower","substringof", "gt", "ge", "lt", "le", "eq", "ne"

    "eq", "ne", "startswith", "toLower","substringof", "gt", "ge", "lt", "le", "eq", "ne"

    Number (Edm.Decimal)

    "gt", "ge", "lt", "le", "eq", "ne", "M"

    [value] m

    Number (Edm.Double)

    "gt", "ge", "lt", "le", "eq", "ne", "d"

    [value] d

    Number (Edm.Single)

    "gt", "ge", "lt", "le", "eq", "ne", "f"

    [value] f

    Number (Edm.Int16)

    "gt", "ge", "lt", "le", "eq", "ne"

    Number (Edm.Int32)

    "gt", "ge", "lt", "le", "eq", "ne"

    Number (Edm.Int64)

    "gt", "ge", "lt", "le", "eq", "ne", "L"

    [value] L

    Datetime (Edm.DataTime)

    "gt", "ge", "lt", "le", "eq", "ne"

    Datetime (Edm. DataTimeOffset)

    "gt", "ge", "lt", "le", "eq", "ne"

    Boolean (Edm.Boolean)

    "eq", "ne"

    True|False

    Edm.Guid

    "eq", "ne"

    guid'[value]'

    Logical Operator

    "and", "or"

  • Embedded Complex types are not supported.
  1. Select the appropriate option:
    • If you're creating a new model:
      1. From the Modeler start page, select From a Data Source.
      2. Select SAP S/4HANA.
      Note
      From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
    • If you're importing into an existing model:
      1. From the () Main Menu, select Files.
      2. Open the model you want to update.
      3. Switch to the Data Management screen.

      4. Select Start of the navigation path Next navigation step Data sourceEnd of the navigation path.
      5. Select SAP S/4HANA.
      Note
      From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
  2. Choose an existing connection, or create a new connection.

    For information on creating an SAP HANA connection, see Import Data Connection to SAP S/4HANA.

  3. Copy a query from an existing model (which you can edit before saving), or create a new query.
    • To copy and edit an existing query, follow these steps:
      1. Select Copy a query from a model.
      2. Select a query from the list, and then select Next.
      3. Make your changes, and then select Create.
    • To create a new query, follow these steps:
      1. Enter a name for your query.
      2. Select a table, and then select Next.
      Note
      You can connect to services in the discovery service without having to create connections to all of the individual services.

      Build your query by moving data elements into the Selected Data and Filters areas. For more information, see Building a Query.

  4. Select OK.

    The data appears in the data integration view, where you can complete the mapping of your new data to the model's dimensions.

Next Steps

After the initial import of raw data, continue with the data preparation task before completing your model: See Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Classic Account Model and Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Model with Measures.

SAP HANA

Prerequisites

  • The HANA database must first be set up by the system administrator. The HANA views in the database (analytic or calculation-type views) are available to create new models and datasets from.
  • You need to install the SAP Analytics Cloud agent, with location ID. This location ID is configured through the Cloud Connector, and the agent needs to be allowlisted there. For more information, see:
  1. Select the appropriate option:
    • If you're creating a new model:
      1. From the Modeler start page, select From a Data Source.
      2. Select SAP HANA.
      Note
      From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
    • If you're importing into an existing model:
      1. From the () Main Menu, select Files.
      2. Open the model you want to update.
      3. Switch to the Data Management screen.

      4. Select Start of the navigation path Next navigation step Data sourceEnd of the navigation path.
      5. Select SAP HANA.
      Note
      From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
  2. Choose an existing connection, or create a new connection.

    Selecting a HANA connection loads all the views for which you have the select privilege.

    To filter on the dimension of a HANA views or acquire data from a HANA view, make sure you have analytic privilege. If you select a HANA view that only has the select privilege and try to filter on its dimension or acquire data, the application throws an error: You need an SAP HANA analytic privilege to complete this workflow. Please contact the HANA view owner for the required privilege.

    Only the analytic view owner can grant the analytic privilege. For more information and example about how to gain privilege, see Examples: Securing Views Using SQL-Based Analytic Privileges.

    For information on creating an SAP HANA connection, see Import Data Connection to SAP HANA.

  3. Copy a query from an existing model (which you can edit before saving), or create a new query.

    • To copy and edit an existing query, follow these steps:
      1. Select Copy a query from a model.
      2. Select a query from the list, and then select Next.
      3. Make your changes, and then select Create.
    • Or, to build a query from scratch:
      1. Select Create a new query and select Next.
      2. Type a name for your query.
      3. If you want to type in a query manually:
        1. Select Freehand Query.
        2. Type in your query.
        3. Select Next.
      4. Or, to build a query from scratch:
        1. Select Build a Query.
        2. Select a HANA view from the list, or search for a view by name, and then select Next.
          Restriction
          • Calculation views without a data category are not available.
          • Users need to have read access to the view (to execute a SELECT on the run-time object; for example, grant select on schema Schema123 to User123), and an appropriate analytic privilege (for example, _SYS_BI_CP_ALL).
        3. If the data source contains prompts, select values for them.
        4. Drag dimensions and measures into the Selected Data and Filters areas to build your query. Note that you can filter dimensions but not measures.

          See Building a Query for more information.

        5. Select Create when you're done.

      You can continue to work on other tasks while the data is being uploaded in the background.

Next Steps

After the initial import of raw data, continue with the data preparation task before completing your model: See Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Classic Account Model and Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Model with Measures.

If your HANA data contains location information, you will need to add location dimensions. For more information on live HANA data see Creating Geo Spatial Models from HANA Calculation Views. For information on acquired HANA data see Creating a Model with Coordinate or Area Data for Geospatial Analysis.

Related Information

Import Data Connection to SAP HANA

Models Based on Live Data Connection to HANA Views

SAP BW

Prerequisites

You use an SAP Business Warehouse (BW) system, version 7.3x or higher release, or an SAP BW/4HANA system, SP4 or higher, and both the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) Cloud Connector and SAP Analytics Cloud agent are installed and configured.

Note
If you're importing data via a BEx query using an SAP BW import data connection, see these SAP Notes: 2416705 Information published on SAP site 2408693 Information published on SAP site.
  1. Select the appropriate option:

    • If you're creating a new model
      1. From the Modeler start page, select From a Data Source.
      2. Select SAP BW.
      Note
      From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
    • If you're importing into an existing model:
      1. From the () Main Menu, select Files.
      2. Open the model you want to update.
      3. Switch to the Data Management screen.

      4. Select Start of the navigation path Next navigation step Data sourceEnd of the navigation path.
      5. Select SAP BW.
      Note
      You can select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
  2. Select an existing connection, or select Create New Connection to create a new connection.
  3. Copy a query from an existing model (which you can edit before saving), or create a new query.
    • To copy and edit an existing query, follow these steps:

      1. Select Copy a query from a model.
      2. Select a query from the list, and then select Next.
      3. Make your changes, and then select Create.
    • Or, to create a new query, follow these steps:

      1. Select Create a new query and select OK.
      2. Type a name for your query.
      3. Select a BW query from the list, or search for a query by name, and then select Next.
      4. If the data source contains prompts, select values for them. If you're using a variable that is filled by customer exit, you can select the Use Backend Default option. Then when you refresh the data, the data is based on the current value filled by the customer exit instead of the value saved when the query initially ran.
      5. Select dimensions and measures for your query.

        (If you're importing data via a BEx query using an SAP BW import data connection, see the note in the prerequisites above.)

      6. You can select the icon to open the Select Presentations dialog, and then choose which presentations you want to see. Depending on the characteristic, you could have these presentations available:
        Key (DISPLAY_KEY)
        Key (Internal) (KEY)
        Long Text (LONG_TEXT)
        Medium Text (MIDDLE_TEXT)
        Short Text (SHORT_TEXT)
        Text (TEXT)
      7. If one of the selected dimensions has a hierarchy, you can click (Select Hierarchy and Drill Level) for more options, such as specifying which hierarchy to use. Note that No Hierarchy / Flat Presentation (Default) is the default.

        You can also specify the drill level. The default drill level is 2.

      8. Select Create.

    You can continue to work on other tasks while the data is being uploaded in the background.

  4. When the draft data is finished uploading, open it from the Draft Data list (for a new model or dataset), or the Draft Sources list (for an existing model or dataset).

    The data appears in the data integration view.

  5. Complete the following substeps if your SAP BW data source contains date dimensions that you want to enrich with time-hierarchy information.

    If you enrich the date dimensions, you can use date-related features such as sorting by date, and date range sliders for filtering.

    1. Select the column that contains the SAP BW date dimension data.

    2. In the right hand Details side panel, expand Modeling and choose the Date dimension type.

    3. Choose the appropriate Date Format.

Next Steps

After the initial import of raw data, continue with the data preparation task before completing your model: See Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Classic Account Model and Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Model with Measures.

Related Information

Import Data Connection to an SAP BW or SAP BW/4HANA System

Installing the Cloud Connector

SAP Analytics Cloud Agent

SAP Universe

Prerequisites

  • The Cloud Connector and SAP Analytics Cloud agent are installed and configured.
  • You use a supported version of SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence platform. For information on supported versions, see System Requirements and Technical Prerequisites.
  1. Select the appropriate option:
    • If you're creating a new model:
      1. From the Modeler start page, select From a Data Source.
      2. Select SAP Universe.
      Note
      From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
    • If you're importing into an existing model:
      1. From the () Main Menu, select Files.
      2. Open the model you want to update.
      3. Switch to the Data Management screen.

      4. Select Start of the navigation path Next navigation step Data sourceEnd of the navigation path.
      5. Select SAP Universe.
      Note
      You can select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
  2. Choose an existing universe connection, or create a new connection.
  3. If you created a new connection, you'll next create a new query.

    If you chose an existing connection, you can copy an existing query (which you can edit), or create a new query.

    • To edit an existing query:
      1. Select a query from the list.
      2. Select Modify existing query.
      3. Make your changes, and then select Next.
    • To create a new query:
      1. Select Create a new query.
      2. Type a name for the query.
      3. Select a universe from the list, or search for a universe by name, and then select Next.
      4. Select data objects from the universe tree, and drag or double-click to add them to the Selected Data or Filters area.
      5. Select Next.
      6. If the universe contains prompts, select values for them.
  4. Select OK.

Next Steps

After the initial import of raw data, continue with the data preparation task before completing your model: See Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Classic Account Model and Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Model with Measures.

Related Information

Import Data Connection to an SAP Universe

Selecting the Right Model for Your Data

Installing the Cloud Connector

SAP ERP

Prerequisites

  • The SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) Coud Connector and SAP Analytics Cloud agent are installed and configured.
  • You use a supported version of SAP ERP Central Component. For information on supported versions, see System Requirements and Technical Prerequisites.
  1. Select the appropriate option:
    • If you're creating a new model:
      1. From the Modeler start page, select From a Data Source.
      2. Select SAP ERP
      Note
      From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
    • If you're importing into an existing model:
      1. From the () Main Menu, select Files.
      2. Open the model you want to update.
      3. Switch to the Data Management screen.

      4. Select Start of the navigation path Next navigation step Data sourceEnd of the navigation path.
      5. Select Select SAP ERP.
      Note
      You can select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
  2. Select an existing connection, or select Create New Connection to create a new connection.
  3. Copy a query from an existing model (which you can edit before saving), or create a new query.
    • To edit an existing query, follow these steps:
      1. Select a query from the list.
      2. Select Modify existing query.
      3. Make your changes, and then select Next.
      4. If the data source contains prompts, select values for them.
      5. Review the Preview data, and then select Done.
    • Or, to create a new query, follow these steps:
      1. Select Create a new query.
      2. Type a name for the query.
      3. Select an ERP object from the list, or search for an object by name, and then select Next.
      4. Select columns from the Available Columns list to add to the Selected Columns list, and then select Next.
      5. If the data source contains prompts, select values for them.
      6. Review the Preview data, and then select Done.

Next Steps

After the initial import of raw data, continue with the data preparation task before completing your model: See Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Classic Account Model and Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Model with Measures.

Related Information

Import Data Connection to an SAP ERP System

Selecting the Right Model for Your Data

Installing the Cloud Connector

SAP Analytics Cloud Agent

SAP Integrated Business Planning

  1. Select the appropriate option:
    • If you're creating a new model:
      1. From the Modeler start page, select From a Data Source.
      2. Select SAP Integrated Business Planning.
      Note
      From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
    • If you're importing into an existing model:
      1. From the () Main Menu, select Files.
      2. Open the model you want to update.
      3. Switch to the Data Management screen.

      4. Select Start of the navigation path Next navigation step Data sourceEnd of the navigation path.
      5. Select SAP Integrated Business Planning.
      Note
      You can select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
  2. Select an existing connection, or select Create New Connection to create a new connection. If you're creating a new connection, check out Import Data Connection to SAP Integrated Business Planning.
  3. Choose whether you want to copy an existing query, or create a new query.
    • If you're copying an existing query, select it from the list, and then click OK.
      Note
      Copying a query is not supported with the new model type.
      1. Make changes to the query, and then click Create.
      2. Skip to step 6.
    • If you're creating a new query, enter a name for your query.
      1. Select Build a Query to build a query using the query builder, or Freehand Query to manually type a query using V2 OData query syntax.
      2. If you chose to use the query builder, select a table, and then select Next.

        Build your query by moving data elements into the Selected Data and Filters areas. For more information, see Building a Query.

      3. If you selected the Freehand Query option, type a query in the box and select OK.

        You will need to pass certain parameters to IBP. To see the parameters that can be used to request data, check out the Parameters for Requesting Data in the IBP documentation.

        For example, the following query lets you get the product by rating:

        Sample Code
        KeyPredicate:
        Categories(1)/Products?$format=json&$select=Name ,Category/Name,Supplier/Name,Supplier/Address&$expand=Category,Supplier&$filter=Supplier/ID eq 0
        FunctionImport:
        GetProductsByRating?rating=3&$format=json&$select=Name,Rating,Category/Name,Supplier/Name,Supplier/Address&$expand=Category,Supplier
        

        For more information on the OData query syntax, refer to the OData documentationInformation published on non-SAP site.

        Note

        SAP Analytics Cloud has the following validation rules for freehand queries:

        • Duplicated parameters ($select, $expand, $format, $top, $skip, $inlinecount, $filter) in the query are not allowed.
        • Only entity set and function import are supported.
        • For function import, entity set is only supported as a return type.
        • If $select contains the Nav property but without $expand property, the query is invalid.
  4. Select the appropriate option:
    • If creating a new model: In the Draft Data dialog, select the data that you just uploaded.
    • If importing to an existing model: In the Draft Sources list, select the data that you just uploaded.

Next Steps

After the initial import of raw data, continue with the data preparation task before completing your model: See Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Classic Account Model and Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Model with Measures.

SAP Business ByDesign Analytics

Context

For more information about extending SAP Business ByDesign using SAP Analytics Cloud, see Extending SAP ByDesign Analytics using SAP Analytics CloudInformation published on SAP site. Information about available data sources in SAP Business ByDesign can be found here.

  1. Select the appropriate option:
    • If you're creating a new model:
      1. From the Modeler start page, select From a Data Source.
      2. Select SAP Business ByDesign Analytics.
        Note
        From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
    • If you're importing into an existing model:
      1. From the () Main Menu, select Files.
      2. Open the model you want to update.
      3. Switch to the Data Management screen.

      4. Select Start of the navigation path Next navigation step Data sourceEnd of the navigation path.
      5. Select SAP Business ByDesign Analytics.
        Note
        You can select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
  2. Select an existing connection, or select Create New Connection to create a new connection.
    Note
    Advanced features of customized OData data sources, such as SAP Cloud for Customer and SAP Business ByDesign Analytics, are only available using customized data source types. These features are not available using generic OData services. It is highly recommended to use the relevant customized data source types, if available, for your data service to leverage full capability of the data connector. It is possible to request a customized OData data source solution.

    For more information, see:

  3. Copy a query from an existing model (which you can edit before saving), or create a new query.
    • If you're using an existing query, select it from the list:
      1. If you want to make changes to the query, select Modify existing query.
      2. Make your changes, and then select OK.
    • If you're creating a new query, enter a name for your query:
      1. Select a table, and then select Next.

        Build your query by moving data elements into the Selected Data and Filters areas. For more information, see Building a Query.

  4. Select OK.

    The data appears in the data integration view, where you can complete the mapping of your new data to the model's dimensions.

Next Steps

After the initial import of raw data, continue with the data preparation task before completing your model. See Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Classic Account Model, and Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Model with Measures.

SAP Cloud for Customers

Context

Note
SAP Cloud for Customer was formerly named SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer.
  1. Select the appropriate option:
    • If you're creating a new model:
      1. From the Modeler start page, select From a Data Source.
      2. Select SAP Cloud for Customer.
      Note
      From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
    • If you're importing into an existing model:
      1. From the () Main Menu, select Files.
      2. Open the model you want to update.
      3. Switch to the Data Management screen.

      4. Select Start of the navigation path Next navigation step Data sourceEnd of the navigation path.
      5. Select SAP Cloud for Customer.
      Note
      You can select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
  2. Select an SAP Cloud for Customer connection type:
    • SAP Cloud for Customer: Use this data source type to connect to the SAP Cloud for Customer General OData API, which exposes lower level data objects used to create analytics in SAP Analytics Cloud.
    • SAP Cloud for Customer Analytics: Use this data source type to connect to the SAP Cloud for Customer Analytics OData API, which exposes analytical objects (reports) that users have already created in SAP Cloud for Customer products.

      For more information on the type of data you can access, see the SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer – OData Services - OData API Reference and the SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer Business Analytics Guide.

  3. Select an existing connection, or select Create New Connection to create a new connection.
    Note
    Advanced features of customized OData data sources, such as SAP Cloud for Customer and SAP Business ByDesign Analytics, are only available using customized data source types. These features are not available using generic OData services. It is highly recommended to use the relevant customized data source types, if available, for your data service to leverage full capability of the data connector. It is possible to request a customized OData data source solution.

    For more information, see:

  4. Copy a query from an existing model (which you can edit before saving), or create a new query.
    • If you're using an existing query, select it from the list.
      1. If you want to make changes to the query, select Modify existing query.
      2. Make your changes, and then select OK
    • If you're creating a new query, enter a name for your query.
      1. Select a table or a template query, and then select Next.

        Build your query by moving data elements into the Selected Data and Filters areas. For more information, see Building a Query.

  5. Select OK.

    The data appears in the data integration view, where you can complete the mapping of your new data to the model's dimensions.

Next Steps

After the initial import of raw data, continue with the data preparation task before completing your model: See Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Classic Account Model and Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Model with Measures.

SAP Concur

Context

Note
When importing Concur data, SAP Analytics Cloud leverages the Concur Expense ReportInformation published on SAP site and Expense EntriesInformation published on SAP site API. Please be aware that the Concur Expense Entries API has restrictions on the set of fields which can be filtered on. Here's a list of available Expense Entries Filter Parameters:
  • attendeeTypeCode
  • expenseTypeCode
  • hasAttendees
  • hasVAT
  • isBillable
  • paymentTypeID
  • reportID

Because of the above restrictions on filtering data, and data volume restrictions of the Concur API, the amount of data that can be retrieved from Concur into SAP Analytics Cloud is limited. For more information on data import thresholds, see System Requirements and Technical Prerequisites and Expense EntriesInformation published on SAP site.

  1. Select the appropriate option:

    • If you're creating a new model:
      1. From the Modeler start page, select From a Data Source.
      2. Select Select SAP Concur.
        Note
        From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
    • If you're importing into an existing model:
      1. From the () Main Menu, select Files.
      2. Open the model you want to update.
      3. Switch to the Data Management screen.

      4. Select Start of the navigation path Next navigation step Data sourceEnd of the navigation path.
      5. Select SAP Concur.
        Note
        You can select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
  2. Select an existing connection, or select Create New Connection to create a new connection.

    For more information, see Import Data Connection to SAP Concur

  3. Copy a query from an existing model (which you can edit before saving), or create a new query.
    • If you're using an existing query, select it from the list.
      1. If you want to make changes to the query, select Modify existing query.
      2. Make your changes, and then select OK.
    • If you're creating a new query, enter a name for your query.
      1. Select a table, and then select Next.

        Build your query by moving data elements into the Selected Data and Filters areas. For more information, see Building a Query.

  4. Select OK

The data appears in the data integration view, where you can complete the mapping of your new data to the model's dimensions.

Next Steps

After the initial import of raw data, continue with the data preparation task before completing your model: See Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Classic Account Model and Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Model with Measures.

SAP Fieldglass

  1. Select the appropriate option:

    • If you're creating a new model:
      1. From the Modeler start page, select From a Data Source.
        Note
        From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
      2. Select SAP Fieldglass.
    • If you're importing into an existing model:
      1. From the () Main Menu, select Files.
      2. Open the model you want to update.
      3. Switch to the Data Management screen.

      4. Select Start of the navigation path Next navigation step Data sourceEnd of the navigation path.
      5. Select SAP Fieldglass.
        Note
        You can select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
  2. Select an existing connection, or select Create New Connection to create a new connection.

    For more information, see Import Data Connection to SAP Fieldglass.

  3. Copy a query from an existing model (which you can edit before saving), or create a new query.
    1. If you're using an existing query, select it from the list, and then select OK.
    2. If you're creating a new query, enter a name for your query, select a report, and then select Next.

      In the list of reports, you can search by report ID or report description. When hovering over a report, the tooltip shows the report ID.

      Note
      Selecting a report starts the data import for a report in Fieldglass. Currently, it is not possible to filter or to select a subset of properties for Fieldglass data.

      For more information about reports in Fieldglass sign into SAP Fieldglass, click on the Help icon in the upper-right of your screen, and then select "Online Help". Within the "Create Report" section you can find instructions on how to fill in the required fields when creating a new Report. The section "View Predefined Reports/Graphs" provides more information about the set of most commonly used Reports/Graphs provided by Fieldglass.

    The data appears in the data integration view, where you can complete the mapping of your new data to the model's dimensions.

Next Steps

After the initial import of raw data, continue with the data preparation task before completing your model: See Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Classic Account Model and Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Model with Measures.

SAP SuccessFactors

Context

For more information on the data you can access, see the SAP SuccessFactors HCM Suite OData API: Reference Guide in the SuccessFactors Product Page.

  1. Select the appropriate option:

    • If you're creating a new model
      1. From the Modeler start page, select From a Data Source.
      2. Select SAP SuccessFactors.
      Note
      From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
    • If you're importing into an existing model:
      1. From the () Main Menu, select Files.
      2. Open the model you want to update.
      3. Switch to the Data Management screen.

      4. Select Start of the navigation path Next navigation step Data sourceEnd of the navigation path.
      5. Select SAP SuccessFactors.
      Note
      You can select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
  2. Select an existing connection, or select Create New Connection to create a new connection.

    For more information, see Import Data Connection to SAP SuccessFactors

  3. Select your SuccessFactors query or select Create a new query to create a new query.

  4. In the Create New Query dialog, enter a name and a description for your query.

  5. In the Select Data area, select Build a Query from a Table or Start from a Template Query, select a table or a template query to build your query, and select Next. For more information, see Building a Query

    • The Build a Query from a Table option lets you build a query from a table by moving data elements into the Selected Data and Filters areas.
    • The Start from a Template Query option automatically selects the table and data elements to be included in the Selected Data and Filters areas based on the template query. For example, you can select the Headcount template query to build your query; you can then add or remove elements to finish building your own query.
    • Select (Refresh list) to display the list of reports from SuccessFactors in real time. Note: The list of templates cannot be refreshed.
  6. Select OK.

Next Steps

After the initial import of raw data, continue with the data preparation task before completing your model: See Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Classic Account Model and Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Model with Measures.

Open Connectors Cloud Storage Data Sources

  1. Select the appropriate option:
    • If you're creating a new model:
      1. From the Modeler start page, select From a Data Source.
      2. Choose an Open Connectors cloud storage data source, such as Dropbox or Microsoft OneDrive.
        Note
        From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
    • If you're importing into an existing model:
      1. From the () Main Menu, select Files.
      2. Open the model you want to update.
      3. Switch to the Data Management screen.

      4. Select Start of the navigation path Next navigation step Data sourceEnd of the navigation path.
      5. Choose an Open Connectors cloud storage data source, such as Dropbox or Microsoft OneDrive.
        Note
        You can select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
  2. Select an existing connection, or select Create New Connection to create a new connection.

    For more information, see Import Data Connection to SAP Open Connectors Cloud Storage Data Sources.

  3. Choose a file from the list, or search for a file, and select Next.
    Note
    Only files that have been loaded will appear in the search results. To see more results, open more folders.
    Note
    If you're importing an Excel workbook containing multiple sheets, the first sheet is automatically imported.
  4. Specify whether the first row of data contains column headers.
  5. If you're importing a .csv file, select which delimiter is used in the file, or select Auto-detect.
  6. Select Import to begin the import procedure.
  7. When the draft data is finished uploading, open it from the Draft Data list (for a new model or dataset), or the Draft Sources list (for an existing model or dataset).

    The data appears in the data integration view.

Next Steps

After the initial import of raw data, continue with the data preparation task before completing your model: See Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Classic Account Model and Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Model with Measures..

Open Connectors Cloud Storage Query-Based Data Sources

  1. Select the appropriate option:
    • If you're creating a new model:
      1. From the Modeler start page, select From a Data Source.
      2. Choose an Open Connectors query-based data source, such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM or Netsuite CRM 2018 Release 1.
        Note
        From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
    • If you're importing into an existing model:
      1. From the () Main Menu, select Files.
      2. Open the model you want to update.
      3. Switch to the Data Management screen.

      4. Select Start of the navigation path Next navigation step Data sourceEnd of the navigation path.
      5. Choose an Open Connectors query-based data source, such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM or Netsuite CRM 2018 Release 1.
        Note
        You can select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
  2. Select an existing connection, or select Create New Connection to create a new connection.

    For more information, see Import Data Connection to SAP Open Connectors Query-Based Data Sources.

  3. Copy a query from an existing model (which you can edit before saving), or create a new query.
  4. If you're using an existing query, select it from the list.
    1. If you want to make changes to the query, select Modify existing query.
    2. Make your changes, and then select OK.
  5. To create a new query, follow these steps:
    1. Select Next.
    2. Type a name for your query and select Create.
    3. Select a table, and then select Next.

      Build your query by moving data elements into the Selected Data and Filters areas. For more information, see Building a Query.

    4. Select Create.

      You can continue to work on other tasks while the data is being uploaded in the background.

  6. When the draft data is finished uploading, open it from the Draft Data list (for a new model or dataset), or the Draft Sources list (for an existing model or dataset).

Google Drive

Context

Note
  • If your SAP Analytics Cloud system is hosted on a data center located within China, this feature is not available.

    When you connect to Google Drive, you can import any of the following file formats: Google Sheets, comma-separated-values text files (csv), and Microsoft Excel files (xlsx).

  • The login prompt for Google Drive is displayed in a popup dialog. You'll need to disable the popup blocker in your browser before trying to connect.
  • You can also import files from Google Drive in stories when adding data to a new story.
  1. Select the appropriate option:
    • If you're creating a new model:
      1. From the Modeler start page, select From a Data Source.
      2. Select Google Drive.
      Note
      From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
    • If you're importing into an existing model:
      1. From the () Main Menu, select Files.
      2. Open the model you want to update.
      3. Switch to the Data Management screen.

      4. Select Start of the navigation path Next navigation step Data sourceEnd of the navigation path.
      5. Select Google Drive.
      Note
      From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
  2. Select a Google account, or create a new Google connection, or type or paste the URL for your file directly into the dialog.

    For your first access to Google Drive, you'll need to sign in to your Google Drive account.

  3. Choose a file from the list, and select Next.
  4. If you're importing from Google Sheets, and there are multiple sheets, select the sheet you want to import, and select Next.
  5. If you're importing a .csv file, select which delimiter is used in the file, or select Auto-detect.
  6. Select OK to begin the import procedure.
  7. Select the appropriate option.
    • If creating a new model: In the Draft Data dialog, select the data that you just uploaded.
    • If importing to an existing model: In the Draft Sources list, select the data that you just uploaded.

Results

The data is imported from Google Drive, and is displayed in the data integration view

Note
You are still signed in to Google. When you are finished using SAP Analytics Cloud, it is recommended to sign out of your Google account. To sign out, you can select Sign Out in the Select Google Drive File dialog, or sign out of Google in your browser.

Next Steps

After the initial import of raw data, continue with the data preparation task before completing your model: See Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Classic Account Model and Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Model with Measures.

Google BigQuery

Context

Note
If your SAP Analytics Cloud system is hosted on a data center located within China, this feature is not available.
Note
The login prompt for Google BigQuery is displayed in a popup dialog. You'll need to disable the popup blocker in your browser before trying to connect.
  1. Select the appropriate option:
    • If you're creating a new model:
      1. From the Modeler start page, select From a Data Source.
      2. Select Google BigQuery.
      Note
      From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
    • If you're importing into an existing model:
      1. From the () Main Menu, select Files.
      2. Open the model you want to update.
      3. Switch to the Data Management screen.

      4. Select Start of the navigation path Next navigation step Data sourceEnd of the navigation path.
      5. Select Google BigQuery.
      Note
      From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
  2. Choose an existing BigQuery connection, or create a new one.
  3. Create a new query, or copy an existing query, and then select OK.
  4. Type a name for your query.
  5. Choose whether you want to build a query or type in Freehand SQL.

    If you want to build a query, select a table from the list. If you want to use Freehand SQL, type your query in the Query box. Note: BigQuery standard SQL is supported, but legacy SQL is not.

  6. Select Next.

    If you're building a query, drag objects from the Available Data list to the Selected Data and Filters boxes.

  7. Create a new query, or copy an existing query, and then select OK.
  8. Select Create to begin importing data.

Next Steps

After the initial import of raw data, continue with the data preparation task before completing your model: See Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Classic Account Model and Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Model with Measures.

SQL Data

Prerequisites

  • The SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) Cloud Connector and SAP Analytics Cloud agent are installed and configured.
  • You have installed a JDBC driver. For details, see Import Data Connection to an SQL Database.
  1. Select the appropriate option:
    • If you're creating a new model:
      1. From the Modeler start page, select From a Data Source.
      2. Select SQL Databases.
      Note
      From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
    • If you're importing into an existing model:
      1. From the () Main Menu, select Files.
      2. Open the model you want to update.
      3. Switch to the Data Management screen.

      4. Select Start of the navigation path Next navigation step Data sourceEnd of the navigation path.
      5. Select SQL Databases.
      Note
      From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
  2. In the Import Data or Create Model dialog, do the following:
    1. Choose a connection type.
    2. Choose an existing connection, or create a new connection.
    3. Select Copy a query from a model to copy and edit an existing query, or select Create a new query to create a new query.
    • To copy and edit an existing query, follow these steps:
      1. Select a query from the list, and select Next.
      2. Select Freehand SQL if you want to manually type an SQL statement, which adds a new card representing that query to the linking page.
      3. Make changes to the query.
      4. Select Preview to review the data; if two or more tables are joined, the Joined Table Quality chart will show the number of accepted rows from the first table as well as matched values, duplicated values, and omitted values from other joined tables.

        The values are displayed on the next page.

      5. Select Hide Preview.
      6. Select View SQL to show the SQL query generated for joined tables.

        You can then select Save as Freehand SQL Query to create a freehand SQL query based on the content of the View SQL dialog.

        Note
        When creating a Freehand SQL query, if the query contains parameters that are shown with question marks, the Freehand SQL query cannot be edited.
      7. Select OK to save your changes.

        You can continue to work on other tasks while the data is being uploaded in the background.

    • To create a new query, follow these steps:
      1. Select Next.
      2. Select Freehand SQL if you want to manually type an SQL statement, which adds a new card representing that query to the linking page.
      3. Drag and drop one or more tables from the list, or search for tables by name or description.

        When you add tables with matching primary keys, a join is created.

      4. If two or more tables are joined, you can select the (Inner Join) icon to change the type of join to one of the following options:
        • Intersecting data only (Inner Join) – This is the default option.
        • All primary data (Left Outer Join)
        • All data (Full Outer Join)
        • Remove matched data (Exception) – This option removes rows from the left-hand side table that have a match in the right-hand side table.
      5. Select Preview to review the data; if two or more tables are joined, the Joined Table Quality chart will show the number of accepted rows from the first table as well as matched values, duplicated values, and omitted values from other joined tables.

        The values are displayed on the next page.

      6. Select Hide Preview.
      7. Select View SQL to show the SQL query generated for joined tables.

        You can then select Save as Freehand SQL Query to create a freehand SQL query based on the content of the View SQL dialog.

        Note
        When creating a Freehand SQL query, if the query contains parameters that are shown with question marks, the Freehand SQL query cannot be edited.
      8. Select Next to build your query.
      9. Type a name and description for your query and select Done.

        You can continue to work on other tasks while the data is being uploaded in the background.

  3. When the draft data is finished uploading, open it from the Draft Data list (for a new model or dataset), or the Draft Sources list (for an existing model or dataset).

    The data appears in the data integration view.

Next Steps

After the initial import of raw data, continue with the data preparation task before completing your model: See Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Classic Account Model and Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Model with Measures.

Related Information

Import Data Connection to an SQL Database

Selecting the Right Model for Your Data

Installing the Cloud Connector

SAP Analytics Cloud Agent

OData Services

You can create a connection that allows you to import data from both on-premise and cloud data sources using generic OData services. It is possible to request a customized OData data source solution. You can also save your OData connection details, and schedule model updates and data imports from OData sources.

Context

Note
  • SAP Analytics Cloud supports OData Version 4.0. Logical Operators (such as Equal, Not Equal, Greater than, Greater than or equal, Less than, Less than or equal, Logical and, Logical or) are supported. Not logical negation, arithmetic operators, or functions are not supported.

    The following table shows which operators need to be supported for each data type, for a generic OData service to integrate with SAP Analytics Cloud:

    Data Type

    Operator

    Format

    String (Edm.String)

    "eq", "ne", "startswith", "toLower"

    "eq", "ne", "startswith", "toLower";

    Number (Edm.Decimal)

    "gt", "ge", "lt", "le", "eq", "ne", "M"

    [value] m

    Number (Edm.Double)

    "gt", "ge", "lt", "le", "eq", "ne", "d"

    [value] d

    Number (Edm.Single)

    "gt", "ge", "lt", "le", "eq", "ne", "f"

    [value] f

    Number (Edm.Int16)

    "gt", "ge", "lt", "le", "eq", "ne"

    Number (Edm.Int32)

    "gt", "ge", "lt", "le", "eq", "ne"

    Number (Edm.Int64)

    "gt", "ge", "lt", "le", "eq", "ne", "L"

    [value] L

    Datetime (Edm.DataTime)

    "gt", "ge", "lt", "le", "eq", "ne"

    Datetime (Edm. DataTimeOffset)

    "gt", "ge", "lt", "le", "eq", "ne"

    Boolean (Edm.Boolean)

    "eq", "ne"

    True|False

    Edm.Guid

    "eq", "ne"

    guid'[value]'

    Logical Operator

    "and", "or"

  • To integrate with SAP Analytics Cloud, your OData service must support these query parameters and paging capabilities:

    OData Service Support

    Requirements

    Query parameters
    • $select: Filters properties (columns). Lets you request a limited set of properties for each entity.
    • $filter: Filters results (rows). Lets you filter a collection of resources that are addressed by a request URL.
    • $expand: Retrieves related resources. Specifies the related resources to be included with retrieved resources.
    • $skip: Specifies the number of items in the queried collection that are to be skipped and not included in the result.
    • $top: Sets the page size of the results. Specifies the number of items in the queried collection to be included in the result.
    • $orderby: Orders the results. Lets you request resources in either ascending or descending order using asc and desc.
    • $inlinecount: OData V2 only. Specifies that the response to the request includes a count of the number of Entries in the Collection of Entries identified by the Resource Path section of the URI.
    • $count: OData V4 only. Lets you request a count of the matching resources included with the resources in the response.
    Paging capabilities
    • Support paging based on $top and $skip.
    • Should have the ability to return 1000 data rows per request, but if it doesn't, it must implement the “nextLink” function.
    • The order of the data rows in the data source needs to be fixed during data acquisition (for example, by sorting on a column). Otherwise, when paging is done, there could be data correctness issues. For example, the same data row could appear more than once in different pages.
    • The order of data rows should be guaranteed on data source during paging by $skip and $top.
  • If you want to use the query builder in the step below when you create a new query, the data service must support the select system query option. Example: https://services.odata.org/OData/OData.svc/Products?$select=Price,Name

    Key-as-Segment isn't supported by the query builder, and should only be used with freehand queries.

    Also, the $skip parameter must be supported by the data service.

  • Embedded Complex types are not supported.
  1. Select the appropriate option:
    • If you're creating a new model:
      1. From the Modeler start page, select From a Data Source.
      2. Select OData Services.
        Note
        From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
    • If you're importing into an existing model:
      1. From the () Main Menu, select Files.
      2. Open the model you want to update.
      3. Switch to the Data Management screen.

      4. Select Start of the navigation path Next navigation step Data sourceEnd of the navigation path.
      5. Select OData Services.
        Note
        You can select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
  2. Select an existing connection, or select Create New Connection to create a new connection.

    If you create a new connection, you can select the following options:

    • Connect to an On-Premise OData service
      Note

      To connect to an On-Premise OData service, ensure that the following tasks are completed:

      1. The Cloud Connector is installed. For more information, see Installing the Cloud Connector.
      2. The Cloud Connector is configured. For more information, see Configuring the Cloud Connector.

      The SAP Analytics Cloud agent doesn't need to be installed during the configuration process.

    • Connect to an SAP OData service When you select this option, specific SAP metadata is respected. This metadata specifies default behaviors based on SAP OData services guidelines. For more information, see SAP Annotations for OData Version 2.0Information published on SAP site.
    Note
    Advanced features of customized OData data sources, such as SAP Cloud for Customer and SAP Business ByDesign Analytics, are only available using customized data source types. These features are not available using generic OData services. It is highly recommended to use the relevant customized data source types, if available, for your data service to leverage full capability of the data connector. It is possible to request a customized OData data source solution.

    For more information, see:

  3. Choose whether you want to copy an existing query, or create a new query.
  4. If you're copying an existing query, select it from the list, and then click OK.
    1. Make changes to the query, and then click Create.
    2. Skip to step 6.
  5. If you're creating a new query, enter a name for your query.
    1. Select Build a Query to build a query using the query builder, or Freehand Query to manually type a query using V2 OData query syntax.
    2. If you chose to use the query builder, select a table, and then select Next.

      Build your query by moving data elements into the Selected Data and Filters areas. For more information, see Building a Query.

    3. If you selected the Freehand Query option, type a query in the box and select OK.
      Note
      When using freehand queries, the columns (including expanded entity columns) need to be specified, otherwise they won't be picked up in SAP Analytics Cloud.

      For example, the following queries let you get the product by rating, or find a nearby airport:

      OData V2 syntax:

      Sample Code
      KeyPredicate:
      Categories(1)/Products?$format=json&$select=Name ,Category/Name,Supplier/Name,Supplier/Address&$expand=Category,Supplier&$filter=Supplier/ID eq 0
      FunctionImport:
      GetProductsByRating?rating=3&$format=json&$select=Name,Rating,Category/Name,Supplier/Name,Supplier/Address&$expand=Category,Supplier
      

      OData V4 syntax, using the expand parameter:

      Sample Code
      KeyPredicate:
      Products?$select=ID,Name,Description,ReleaseDate,DiscontinuedDate,Rating,Price&$expand=ProductDetail($select=ProductID),ProductDetail($select=Details)
      FunctionImport:
      GetNearestAirport(lat=80, lon=90)

      For more information on the OData query syntax, refer to the OData documentationInformation published on non-SAP site.

      Note

      SAP Analytics Cloud has the following validation rules for freehand queries:

      • Duplicated parameters ($select, $expand, $format, $top, $skip, $inlinecount, $filter) in the query are not allowed.
      • Only entity set and function import are supported.
      • For function import, entity set is only supported as a return type.
      • If $select contains the Nav property but without $expand property, the query is invalid.
  6. Select the appropriate option:
    • If creating a new model: In the Draft Data dialog, select the data that you just uploaded.
    • If importing to an existing model: In the Draft Sources list, select the data that you just uploaded.

Next Steps

After the initial import of raw data, continue with the data preparation task before completing your model: See Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Classic Account Model and Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Model with Measures.

Workforce Analytics

  1. Select the appropriate option:
    • If you're creating a new model:
      1. From the Modeler start page, select From a Data Source.
      2. Select SAP SuccessFactors Workforce Analytics.
        Note
        From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
    • If you're importing into an existing model:
      1. From the () Main Menu, select Files.
      2. Open the model you want to update.
      3. Switch to the Data Management screen.

      4. Select Start of the navigation path Next navigation step Data sourceEnd of the navigation path.
      5. Select SAP SuccessFactors Workforce Analytics.
        Note
        You can select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
  2. Select an existing connection, or select Create New Connection to create a new connection.

    For more information, see Import Data Connection to SAP SuccessFactors Workforce Analytics.

  3. Copy a query from an existing model (which you can edit before saving), or create a new query.
  4. If you're using an existing query, select it from the list.
    1. If you want to make changes to the query, select Modify existing query.
    2. Make your changes, and then select OK.
  5. If you're creating a new query, build your query by moving data elements into the Selected Data and Filters areas.

    Select a measure to display a list of dimensions related to that measure. Then, select at least one dimension. For more information see, Building a Query.

    Note
    You can only use dimensions as filters. Filters only support EQUALS and AND operations.
    1. Select OK.
    2. Enter a name for your query.
  6. Select OK.

    The data appears in the data integration view, where you can complete the mapping of your new data to the model's dimensions.

Next Steps

After the initial import of raw data, continue with the data preparation task before completing your model: See Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Classic Account Model and Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Model with Measures..

Dow Jones

  1. Select the appropriate option:
    • If you're creating a new model:
      1. From the Modeler start page, select From a Data Source.
      2. Select Dow Jones.
        Note
        From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
    • If you're importing into an existing model:
      1. From the () Main Menu, select Files.
      2. Open the model you want to update.
      3. Switch to the Data Management screen.

      4. Select Start of the navigation path Next navigation step Data sourceEnd of the navigation path.
      5. Select Dow Jones.
        Note
        You can select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
  2. Select an existing connection, or select Create New Connection to create a new connection.

    For more information, see Import Data Connection to Dow Jones.

  3. Copy a query from an existing model (which you can edit before saving), or create a new query.
    • If you're using an existing query, select it from the list.
      1. If you want to make changes to the query, select Modify existing query.
      2. Make your changes, and then select OK.
    • To create a new query, follow these steps:
      1. Select Next.
      2. Build your query by moving data elements into the Selected Data and Filters areas. For more information see, Building a Query.
      3. Select Create.
      4. Type a name for your query and select Create.

        You can continue to work on other tasks while the dataset is being uploaded in the background.

  4. When the draft data is finished uploading, open it from the Draft Data list (for a new model), or the Draft Sources list (for an existing model).

    The data appears in the data integration view.

Next Steps

After the initial import of raw data, continue with the data preparation task before completing your model: See Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Classic Account Model and Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Model with Measures..

Qualtrics

Context

Best practices for consuming Qualtrics surveys

SAP Analytics Cloud can access data that has been provided through responses to a Qualtrics survey. When you're creating a model or dataset, it will be helpful if you have access to that survey in Qualtrics, so that you understand the structure of the survey.

Here are some suggestions to help you get the best out of analytics on Qualtrics surveys.

Note that questions in the Thrash section of your survey shouldn't be used when creating your model or dataset.

During the data preparation step while creating a model or dataset, the following basic initial steps will help in getting better insights:

  1. Add a count column in SAP Analytics Cloud.

    Create a calculated column with the value 1 in each row, to count your responses.

  2. The first row appears with descriptions of questions. This row should be removed.

    Why is this row provided at all?

    If you don't have access to the Qualtrics survey while creating the model or dataset, since the column headers provide the question numbers, the description information will help you decide which questions are relevant for analysis.

  3. Create a Geo dimension.

    Use the columns LocationLatitude and LocationLongitude to create your Geo dimension. Video: Enrich Geographic Dimensions

Modeling different types of questions

Qualtrics offers several options for question types that may be included in a survey. Here are suggestions for handling some question types in SAP Analytics Cloud.

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

For a question of type NPS, for example Q1, Qualtrics generates a field Q1_NPS_GROUP with the value Promoter or 3, Detractor or 1, or Passive or 2 for each response. To calculate an aggregated NPS in SAP Analytics Cloud, calculate the counts of Promoters and Detractors, and calculate the NPS as: (Promotercount/count - Detractorcount/count)*100.

Matrix Table

For a question of type Matrix Table, columns are generated based on the number of statements. For example, if Q2 has 3 statements, then the generated columns are Q2_1, Q2_2, and Q2_3, and the descriptions are available as mentioned in basic step 2 above. You can create a model or dataset for each matrix question, by selecting the columns ResponseID and Q2_1 to Q2_3, doing an unpivot on the Q2 columns, and then adding a count as mentioned in basic step 1 above.

Link this model to the other model for this survey through ResponseID.

A similar approach can be followed for the Rank Order question type.

Text Entry

For these questions, if there is a TextIQ license, then performing text analysis generates some sentiment related fields. It is useful to have calculated measures based on the Sentiment score field, which can have Positive, Negative, or Neutral values.

Highlight

Avoid importing this question type during model creation because it generates a large number of columns, which could exceed the maximum number of columns supported by SAP Analytics Cloud. For these kinds of questions, use datasets instead.

Adding descriptions for dimension names and dimension members

The question numbers are available as dimension names. To have dimensions look more meaningful, add a description for each dimension in the model or dataset, based on your Qualtrics survey. For dimension members, the code values are provided. You'll need to provide descriptions based on the Qualtrics survey. You can get all of this information using the “Export Survey to Word” option in Qualtrics.

Restrictions

  • CSV export size limit = 1.8 GB: Currently, response exports that exceed 1.8 GB will fail. To prevent your export from failing, use limits and filters to limit the size of your final export file.
  • Each API token can run a maximum of 15 jobs per minute.
  1. Select the appropriate option:
    • If you're creating a new model:
      1. From the Modeler start page, select From a Data Source.
      2. Select Qualtrics.
        Note
        From the acquire data panel, select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
    • If you're importing into an existing model:
      1. From the () Main Menu, select Files.
      2. Open the model you want to update.
      3. Switch to the Data Management screen.

      4. Select Start of the navigation path Next navigation step Data sourceEnd of the navigation path.
      5. Select Qualtrics.
        Note
        You can select the filter icon to narrow down the number of data sources in the list. You can filter by data source type or by category.
  2. Select an existing connection, or select Create New Connection to create a new connection.

    For more information, see Import Data Connection to Qualtrics

  3. Copy a query from an existing model (which you can edit before saving), or create a new query.
    • If you're using an existing query, select it from the list.
      1. If you want to make changes to the query, select Modify existing query.
      2. Make your changes, and then select OK.
    • To create a new query, follow these steps:
      1. Select Create a new query, and then click Next.
      2. Type a name for your query.
      3. Select a table from the list, or search for one.
      4. Select Next.

        Build your query by moving data elements into the Selected Data and Filters areas. For more information, see Building a Query.

      5. Select Create.

        You can continue to work on other tasks while the data is being uploaded in the background.

  4. When the draft data is finished uploading, open it from the Draft Data list (for a new model or dataset), or the Draft Sources list (for an existing model or dataset).

    The data appears in the data integration view.

Next Steps

After the initial import of raw data, continue with the data preparation task before completing your model: See Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Classic Account Model and Import and Prepare Fact Data for a Model with Measures..

Building a Query

Build a query to import data from an app or a data source into a new or existing model.

To build a query, you move data elements from the Available Data area into the Selected Data and Filters areas to create new measures and dimensions to be imported to your model, and apply filters to them.

An entity () can be expanded to select one or more of its members. The following icons represent types of data you can select, and their properties:

Icon Type
Entities
Numerical properties
Generic properties (strings, Boolean values, UUIDs, and so on)
Complex properties

In SAP Universe queries – the set of data that can be selected from and/or filtered on (similar to the Entity in other queries)

Date type properties
In SAP Universe queries – data that can be filtered on

When building a query, you can select the icon to search for specific values in the Available Data area, select the icon to display the list of reports from your source data in real time, or select the icon to change the way values are displayed:

  • Description – The Description is displayed and used to search values.
  • Description and ID – The Description and ID are both displayed. The ID is used to search values.
  • ID – The ID is displayed and used to search values.

Filters

When you add a data element to the Filters area, you can use operators, such as equal to, except, greater than, and so on, and select the icon to open the Select Values From dialog. In this dialog, you can search and select the values you want to filter on. The list displays the unique values from the first 1000 records. It is possible to search for a value not displayed in the list using the search function.

Some entities, such as Boolean values, can have only a single filter value. Entities such as strings or integer values can have multiple values in a filter. To select multiple values, select the check box of each value you want to add to the filter or Select All to select all the values in the list. Selecting multiple values for a single filter treats the filter as a large OR function, filtering out values that do not match any of the selected values.

Incremental Load Filters

When you create a query, you can set an Incremental Load. An incremental load is based on time or numeric data fields and lets you bring the newest set of data since the last import when you refresh. For example, you can set an incremental load based on the "Release Date" field of a "Product" entity to bring in the newest data based on the release date.

You can set an incremental load while creating a new data source or on an existing data source.
Note
When you set an Incremental Load for the first time on a data source, the first refresh will not use the Incremental Load because the system doesn't know what the "newest" data is yet.

To set an incremental load, in the Filters area, select Set Incremental Load and then drag and drop an incremental-load-enabled property to the incremental load box that appears.

Note

To ensure that duplicate data is not added during refresh, there are a few restrictions on the data field that you can use for an Incremental Load:

  • The values must be unique.
  • The data must be incremental.
  • Previously imported data must be unchanged.

Updates for previously imported data must be brought in by a new import using a specific query for that data region.

These restrictions are not enforced by the application, so you must ensure your data follows the restrictions.
After you create the model, the incremental load appears in the Import Settings section of the Data Management screen.
Note

The incremental load will only take effect if there is a valid value recorded for the filter in the query builder or the import settings panel. Once an effective incremental load filter is present for your query, it is recommended to use Append as the import method for the data refresh job running that query. You can change the import method from the Import Settings section on the Data Management screen.

If you want to use the import method Update or Clean and replace subset of data, don't remove the Incremental Load field during wrangling. Otherwise, rows with the same dimensionality will be aggregated.

In addition, if you use Clean and replace subset of data pay special attention to the granularity of the date dimension used in your model. For more information on import methods, please see Update and Schedule Models.

The next time the source is refreshed, the latest value will be recorded for the Incremental Load Filter. Once the Incremental Load Filter has a value, you should switch the import method to Append.

Deleting or Replacing an Existing Incremental Load Filter

If you change the Incremental Load Filter to a different field, the new filter will not take effect until after the next refresh.

Example:

You set an Incremental Load based on the CreateDate field, and the latest row contains the date "Jan 14, 2018", so the system saves that value. The next time a data refresh occurs, a filter will be applied to grab only data that is later than "Jan 14, 2018".

If you change the Incremental Load to a different field, for example TransactionID, the system does not overwrite the old value until the next refresh. If you change the Incremental Load Filter back to CreateDate before a refresh, the load will still have the old value and, if you refresh now, it will still grab anything after "Jan 14, 2018".

To ensure the data is correct when you change an Incremental Load filter, make sure you perform the following steps:

  1. Change the Incremental Load Filter to a new field you want.
  2. Change the import method accordingly because the Incremental Load Filter will not apply right after you’ve switched it.
  3. Perform a manual refresh - The first refresh right after replacing or deleting the old incremental load filter will bring in the full set of data. Confirm a valid value is present for the incremental load filter after the manual refresh.
    Example of an Incremental Load Filter with a valid value
  4. Change the import method. More information.
Note
  • These steps needs to be performed manually without the interruption of an automatic scheduled refresh job running on the same query.
  • If the data source was using the Append import method before using the Incremental Load Filter, then you can skip steps two to four.

Import Data into Public Dimensions

You can import master data from an external data source into a public dimension.

Context

If you update model data by importing data into a model using the “Update dimension with new values” option, public dimensions are not updated. Follow this procedure to import data into public dimensions. Dimensions and their attributes can be imported:

  • Descriptions
  • Properties
  • Parent-child hierarchies

You can use this procedure to import data into public account dimensions as well. The following account dimension properties are supported at this time:

  • ID
  • Description
  • Account Type
  • Hierarchy
  • Unit Type
  • Measure Unit
  • Scale
  • Decimal Places
  • Rate Type
Note

Unit Type and Measure Unit both correspond to the Units & Currencies column in the Modeler, for account dimensions.

The Unit Type value should be either Currency or Unit. When the value is Currency, the Measure Unit column is blank. When the value is Unit, the Measure Unit value can be a unit of measure or a packaging unit, such as Bottles or Pieces.

Importing Data Access Control Information

You can import data access control (DAC) information into a public dimension, to respect the access control that you've already defined in your on-premise system.

The DAC properties that can be imported are:

  • Read
  • Write
  • Data Locking Owner
  • Person Responsible

The values in the DAC column need to be formatted as follows:

  • Names separated by semicolons
  • All upper-case text

When you finish the column mapping and click Finish Mapping, a job will be submitted and shown in the Data Management tab. This job will start to run automatically after a few seconds, so you don't need to (and shouldn't) execute the job directly. Also, while the job is running, you can navigate away from the Data Management page; the job will continue to run in the background. When the job completes, a completion status will be displayed.

Note
  • This feature is available for generic and organization dimensions, but not account dimensions.
  • Be sure that the user and team names to be imported are valid, because the information isn't validated during the import process.
  • Both user and team names are supported, but team names need to be prefixed with the keyword “TEAM:”. For example: TEAM:ABCTEAM.
Note

The following procedure describes how to import data from a file into a public dimension. If you import data from other supported data sources, refer to the following topic for data-source-specific details:

Import Data to Your Model

Procedure

  1. From the Modeler start page, go to the Public Dimensions tab.
  2. Select the check box beside the public dimension that you want to import data to.
  3. Select (Import Data).
  4. Choose the data source that you want to import data from; for example, File.
  5. In the Import Data From File dialog, choose whether you want to import data from a file on your local system, or from a file server.
    If you don't see the option to import data from a file server, see Allow Data Import and Model Export with a File Server.
  6. If you're importing from a file server, choose a file server connection, or select Create New Connection.

    If you create a new file server connection, specify the path to the folder where the data files are located. For example: C:\folder1\folder2 or \\servername\volume\path or /mnt/abc.

  7. Choose the file you want to import.
  8. If you are importing from a local Excel workbook containing multiple sheets, select the Sheet you want to import.
    If you are importing from an Excel file on a file server, the first sheet is automatically imported.
  9. Specify whether you want to use the first row of the data as column headers.
  10. If you're importing a .csv file, select which delimiter is used in the file.
  11. If the dimension specified in the Target Dimension field isn't correct, choose the correct one from the list.
  12. Select Import to begin the initial import of the source data.

    After the import completes, the data integration view is displayed, where you can complete the mapping of your new data to the public dimension.

    Note
    If you import a large-volume dataset, you'll be informed that a data sample will be displayed rather than the entire dataset. Choose OK to continue.
  13. In the Dimension Mapping section of the Details panel, map the new data columns to your dimension's properties and attributes.
  14. If there are any remaining issues shown in the Mapping Requirements section, resolve them.
  15. If you want to omit validation for specific hierarchies, to allow non-leaf members to contain fact data, click Select hierarchies in the Conditional Validation section of the Details panel, and then select the hierarchies that you want to omit from validation.
    For details about storing data in non-leaf members, see Entering Values with Multiple Hierarchies.
  16. If any cells in the grid appear with red highlighting, those cells have data quality issues, and those rows will be omitted from the model if you don't resolve the issues. Select a highlighted cell to see information about the issue in the Details panel.

    When you select a column or cell, a menu appears, with options for performing transforms. There are two parts to this menu:

    • Choose the Quick Actions option to perform actions such as deleting rows that contain the selected value.
    • Select the (Smart Transformations) icon to list suggested transformations to apply. You can also select Create a Transform to customize a transform in the transformation bar.
  17. Select Finish Mapping.
    Caution
    A dimension data import job never deletes existing members, but only adds additional ones. For example: You have a dimension with members A, B and C. You trigger a data import job that imports members B, C and D. You'd expect that the dimension would then have members B, C and D, but in fact the dimension has now members A, B, C and D.

Allow Data Import and Model Export with a File Server

The SAP Analytics Cloud agent must be configured in order to allow importing data from a file server or exporting a model to a file server.

Prerequisites

The SAP Analytics Cloud agent must be installed. For more information, see Installing SAP Analytics Cloud Agent.
Note

If you have used the SAP Analytics Cloud Agent Simple Deployment Kit to install the SAP Analytics Cloud Agent, you must update the file server import allowlist file following the instructions in the Post-Setup Guide instead of the instructions below.

Data import from file server or model export to file server will assume the file permission level based on the user that started the Tomcat process. For import, read permission is required. For export, write permission is required. The user depends on your Tomcat setup. This may be the Windows system user, a specific user account that started Tomcat as a service in Windows, or the user that executes startup.bat for Windows or startup.sh for Linux. The system administrator must ensure this user has permissions to access the local share or the network share on a different machine.
Note
Any users under the specific tenant will have access to all files defined within the allowlist.

Context

For importing data, a file server location allowlist must be configured. Only file server paths allowed by this allowlist can be accessed when creating a model from file, or importing data from files.

For exporting models, another file server location allowlist must be configured. Only file server paths allowed by this allowlist can be accessed when exporting a model.

Procedure

  1. Create an allowlist file as a text document: allowlist.txt.
    Example allowlist.txt:
    \\<YourHostName>\Import
    The file must follow the following format:
    • The file must be encoded in UTF-8 format.
    • Each line in the file should specify only one allowed path. All descendant paths will be allowed.
    • The folder path is system specific. If the agent is running on a Microsoft web application server, the path should follow Windows format. For example: C:\folder1\folder2 or \\servername\volume\path. If the agent is running on a Linux system, the path should follow Linux format. For example, /net/abc/
    • Multiple lines are allowed.
    Note
    Leading, trailing, and empty lines are ignored.
  2. Define the file server allowlist using one of the following methods:
    • Add the allowlist location in your Tomcat JVM properties.

      In the Apache Tomcat GUI tool, go to the Java tab. Under Java Options, add one of these lines:

      • For import data: -DSAP_CLOUD_AGENT_FILE_SERVER_WHITELIST_PATH=<AllowlistFilepath>
      • For export model: -DSAP_CLOUD_AGENT_FILE_SERVER_EXPORT_WHITELIST_PATH=<AllowlistFilepath>

      Alternatively, you can add the allowlist location to JAVA_OPTS. Please refer to the Apache Tomcat guide for detail.

    • Set the operating system environment variable SAP_CLOUD_AGENT_FILE_SERVER_WHITELIST_PATH or SAP_CLOUD_AGENT_FILE_SERVER_EXPORT_WHITELIST_PATH to the location of the allowlist file.

    You must specify the complete path up to and including the allowlist file. For example, C:\<full path to file>\allowlist.txt.

    Note

    If you choose to use an environment variable, you must restart Tomcat.

    • If you’re running Tomcat via command line: Shut down the existing Tomcat process, then add the environment variable, and then start Tomcat from a new command line window.
    • If you’re running Tomcat as a Windows service: Restart the Tomcat service by using the Tomcat configuration manager.
  3. Restart the SAP Analytics Cloud agent.
    Note
    Updates to the allowlist environment variable will not take effect until the agent is restarted, and after restart, may require up to one minute to take effect.
  4. In SAP Analytics Cloud, go to Start of the navigation path (Main Menu) Next navigation step  System Next navigation step  Administration Next navigation step System ConfigurationEnd of the navigation path.
  5. Select (Edit).
  6. For data import, turn on Allow model import from File Server. For model export, turn on Allow model export to File Server.
  7. Select (Save).
  8. Go to Start of the navigation path (Main Menu) Next navigation step  Connection Next navigation step Connections Next navigation step  (Add Connection) Next navigation step Import Data Connection Next navigation step File ServerEnd of the navigation path.
  9. In the dialog, enter a Connection Name, Description, and the Folder Path.

    The Folder Path should match the path listed in your allowlist file.

  10. Select Create.

Results

The environment variables and allowlist files are polled once a minute.