Show TOC

Generating SAP HANA Views for QueriesLocate this document in the navigation structure

You can generate calculation views for queries in the SAP HANA database.

Prerequisites

The following prerequisites must be met to generate an SAP HANA view:

  • The InfoProviders that the query is defined on must be of type InfoCube, DataStore object (classic or advanced) or CompositeProvider.
  • The External SAP HANA View flag must be set for the InfoProvider on which the query is defined.
  • The query can only comprise elements that are supported. More information: Supported BW Functions
  • This query is not input-ready.

Context

Queries are compiled by the analytic manager into an optimized execution plan, meaning that most parts are executed in SAP HANA, and only a small part in the BW application server.

In many cases, the result set is complex and multidimensional. In some cases however, the query result can be displayed as a flat view and can be fully calculated in SAP HANA. For these queries, a calculation view can be generated from the BW system. This view can be consumed using SAP HANA native interfaces such as SQL.

A calculation view, which has been created from its BW query, cannot be compared to other query interfaces such as BICS. This is because the calculation view cannot perform any calculations such as hierarchies, zero suppression or local calculations, which are normally performed on the BW application server. Therefore there is no guarantee that the result of the calculation view will be exactly the same as the result of the query executed on the BW application server. Here the restrictions of the SAP HANA view of the InfoProvider, which the query is based on, also apply to the query. More information:

BW Query Designer (BEx Query Designer and Query Designer in the BW modeling tools) remains the modeling tool, while the BW Analytic Manager compiles the execution plan, and the BW system stores the metadata and is used for the transport and the lifecycle of the data model.

The texts of the query elements are always added in the logon language of the user. With key figures, the technical name in the SAP HANA view is the same as the UID, if no technical name has been specified. You can display the UID in the UID Query Designer: Start of the navigation path Properties Next navigation step Advanced End of the navigation path. You can display the technical name in the UID Query Designer: Start of the navigation path Properties Next navigation step Technical Name End of the navigation path.

If your change the query in the BW modeling tools, the associated SAP HANA view is automatically updated. However, the global elements are not updated. If global elements have been changed, these elements will only be changed in the query, once the query has been activated again. The associated SAP HANA view will also be updated.

Procedure

  1. You are in the BW modeling tools, in the editing screen for your query. Choose the option Reporting under General for the SAP HANA View Support field.
  2. When the query is activated, an SAP HANA view corresponding to the structure of the object is generated on the SAP HANA database.