Working in SAP Datasphere Spaces

All data acquisition, preparation, and modeling in SAP Datasphere happens inside spaces. A space is a secure area - space data cannot be accessed outside the space unless it is shared to another space or exposed for consumption.

This topic contains the following sections:

Introduction to Spaces

You may be assigned to one or more spaces. For each space you are assigned to, you can see all the objects in that space.

Many apps, such as the Data Builder, require you to select a space before you can open the app. When you select a space, the app will then show you only the relevant objects that belong to that space. The Repository Explorer, by contrast shows you objects from all the spaces you are assigned to, in order to give you a global view of all your objects.

Create Spaces

Only a tenant administrator can create spaces and assign resources to them.

In our simple example, the administrator creates four spaces with the following purposes:

  • HR - Acquire, prepare, and model HR data.

  • Sales - Acquire, prepare, and model Sales data.

  • Sales EU - Model EU sales data using data shared from the Sales and HR spaces

  • Sales US - Model US sales data using data shared from the Sales and HR spaces.

See Create a Space.

Prepare Access to Spaces and Assign Space Administrators

The administrator must add the spaces to scoped roles to allow the assignment of users with the appropriate role templates:

In our example, the administrator creates scoped roles to allow users to be assigned to the spaces with space administrator, modeler, viewer, and consumer roles. They add users to the space administrator scoped roles, to allow these users to add other users to the other roles for their spaces:

Scoped Role

Role Template

Scopes (Spaces)

Users

HR Space Administrators

DW Space Administrator

HR

Lucia

HR Modelers

DW Modeler

  

HR Viewers

DW Viewer

  

HR Consumers

DW Consumer

  

Sales Space Administrators

DW Space Administrator

Sales

Sales EU

Sales US

Tao

Sales Modelers

DW Modeler

  

Sales Viewers

DW Viewer

  

Sales Consumers

DW Consumer

  
See Create a Scoped Role to Assign Privileges to Users in Spaces.

Add Users to Spaces

Administrators and space administrators can assign users to spaces via scoped roles.

In our example, the space administrators assign users as follows:

Space

Space Admins

Modelers

Viewers

Consumers

HR

Lucia

Maeve

Thomas

Manuel

Sales

Tao

Thomas

Maeve

Sales EU

Elias

Thomas

Lisa

Sales US

Thomas

Rashmi

See Control User Access to Your Space.

Integrate Connections and Other Sources to Spaces

Space administrators and integrators can create connections to systems and other sources to allow data to be loaded into the space.

In our example, the space administrators create connections to an SAP SuccessFactors system and an SAP S/4HANA system.

See Integrating Data via Connections.

Load Data into Spaces

Modelers assigned to a space can acquire data from the connections and other sources.

In our example, the modelers acquire data from the SAP SuccessFactors and SAP S/4HANA connections via flows.

See Acquiring Data.

Prepare and Model Data in Spaces

Modelers can use views, tables and flows to combine, harmonize, filter and otherwise transform their data.

In our example the modelers protect their loaded data with data access controls and model views into facts, dimensions, and other semantic entities.

See:

Share Data to Other Spaces

Modelers can choose to share certain tables and views from their space to other spaces. Data shared in this way can then be further modeled and consumed in the recipient spaces.

In our example, the modelers in the HR and Sales spaces share views to the Sales EU and Sales US spaces.

See Sharing Entities and Task Chains to Other Spaces.

Expose Data From a Space

Modelers can combine their facts and associated dimensions in analytic models and select measures and attributes to expose for consumption in SAP Analytics Cloud, MS Excel, and other clients, tools, and apps.

In our example, the modelers in all four spaces produce analytic models, which are exposed for consumption.

See Creating an Analytic Model.

Consume Data From a Space

Consumers (or users with any other role) who are assigned to a space can consume the data exposed using SAP Analytics Cloud, MS Excel, and other clients, tools, and apps.

In our example, the three consumers use various clients, tools, and apps to consume and visualize the exposed data.

See Consuming Data Exposed by SAP Datasphere.