Time-Dependent Hierarchies

When you use the time dependent hierarchy feature, you can modify a hierarchy and still keep its history. Thus, you can create, modify, and delete different versions of one hierarchy.

You can display the different versions of that hierarchy by selecting key dates in SAP BusinessObjects Analysis, Edition for Microsoft Office.

The following information pertains to hierarchy version maintenance within various areas of Business Planning and Consolidation.

Admin Console

Using the hierarchy view of the dimension master data maintenance screen, you can create, modify, and delete time-dependent hierarchy versions.
  • Create a new hierarchy version by specifying a start date. A new version will be created starting with the date selected and end at the original end date of the hierarchy version to which the start date originally belongs. In addition, it is possible to select a reference hierarchy version to indicate how the new version of hierarchy should look at the beginning.
  • By selecting an existing hierarchy version from the dropdown list, you can modify any existing hierarchy version. It is also possible to modify an existing hierarchy version in the list view.
  • You can select any hierarchy version to delete by selecting a previous version or the next version with which to merge it.

Data Manager

When you use the process chain /CPMB/MANAGE_TDH_VERSION to create and execute a Data Manager package, you can either create a new time-dependent hierarchy version or delete an existing time-dependent hierarchy version.

When you load a master data hierarchy either from a flat file or from an InfoObject to a time-dependent hierarchy enabled dimension, you can select which hierarchy version to modify by selecting either a date or a version.. If you select a date, the system takes the version to which the selected date belongs. If you select a version, your selection is based on a time range.

Reporting

As long as there is at least one dimension from a model that has time-dependent hierarchy enabled, you can select a key date for reporting.

  • EPM plug-in
    • You can select Key Date in the context bar or report editor when the current model has at least one dimension with a time-dependent hierarchy enabled.
    • The selected key date affects all time-dependent hierarchy dimensions, meaning the version of the hierarchy of the time-dependent hierarchy dimension depends on the selected key date.
    • You can specify only one key date for a report. Multiple reports from the same worksheet or workbook can have different key dates.
    • The default key date is the current date.
    • By default, three versions of the hierarchy for each time-dependent hierarchy dimension are cached on the client machine. The number of cached versions can be changed by modifying in the client-side configuration file FPMXLClient.dll.config the line:

      <add key="LimitTDHCountInCache" value="3"/>

  • Web Reporting
    • You can select a key date from the dropdown menu by choosing Manage Context when the current model has at least one dimension with time-dependent hierarchy functionality enabled.
    • The selected key date affects all the time-dependent hierarchy dimensions, meaning the version of the hierarchy of the time-dependent hierarchy dimension depends on the selected key date.
    • The default key date is the crrent date.

Security

A data access profile is always defined with the hierarchy version of the current date. At run-time, data security is always resolved with the hierarchy version of the crrent date, no matter what key date is selected from the Reporting user interface.

Data Manager Packages

A key date selection is available when executing a Data Manager package if the model has at least one time-dependent hierarchy enabled dimension.

Logic Scripts

  • There is no keyword with logic script; it is not possible to specify a key date in a script file.
  • When a script is triggered by a Data Manager package, a key date is derived from the selection screen when the package is executed.
  • For default logic, a key date is derived from the input-ready report.
  • For the script logic test transaction UJKT, the key date can be specified in the field PARAM with the format KEYDATE = yyyymmdd.

Consolidation

Consolidation always uses the current date to resolve a hierarchy.

Transport

  • A time-dependent hierarchy can be transported with dimension master data.
  • The global setting ENABLE_TIME_DEPENDENT_HIER cannot be transported. You must maintain this manually in all systems.
  • The Time-dependent Hierarchy setting in a dimension structure can be transported together with dimension transport. Note that the import process might fail if the global setting ENABLE_TIME_DEPENDENT_HIER is not set to X in the target system.

Backup and Restore

All versions of a time-dependent hierarchy can be backed up and restored together with master data.

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