Importing Entities with Semantics from SAP BW∕4HANA or SAP BW Bridge

You can use the Import Entities wizard to load metadata from your SAP BW∕4HANA and SAP BW bridge connection via semantically-rich objects. The wizard creates Business Builder and Data Builder entities (along with all the objects on which they depend) in SAP Datasphere.

Prerequisites

To import entities with semantics from SAP BW∕4HANA and SAP BW Bridge, you must have a scoped role that grants you access to a space with the following privileges:

  • Data Warehouse General (-R------) - To access SAP Datasphere.

  • Data Warehouse Connection (-R------) - To access remote objects.

  • Data Warehouse Data Builder (CRUD----) - To create, edit, and delete Data Builder objects.

  • Data Warehouse Business Entity (CRUD----) - To create, edit, and delete Business Builder business entities.

  • Data Warehouse Consumption Model (CRUD----) - To create, edit, and delete Business Builder consumption models.

  • Space Files (CRUD----) - To create, read, update, and delete objects in your spaces.

The DW Modeler role template, for example, grants these privileges. For more information, see Privileges and Permissions and Standard Roles Delivered with SAP Datasphere.

You must also have a user in the bridge tools with the business role template SAP_DW4_BC_MODELING_DWC_PC. For more information, see Business Role Templates in the SAP Datasphere, SAP BW Bridge documentation.

Context

You can import entities from the following types of sources:

  • SAP BW∕4HANA (see SAP BW∕4HANA Model Transfer Connections).

  • SAP BW bridge

    If the SAP Datasphere, SAP BW bridge option is enabled:

    • A SAP BW bridge space is created, containing an SAP BW bridge connection to your bridge tools.

    • You can use the Import Entities wizard to import your SAP BW bridge Queries, CompositeProviders, DataStore objects (inbound table and/or active table depending on the type of the DataStore object), and Master data tables (including hierarchies):

      • Remote tables to load the data are created in the SAP BW bridge space and then automatically shared to the target space you specify in the wizard.

      • Views and business entities that draw their data from and are built on these remote tables are created in your target space.

    For SAP BW bridge, you can import hierarchies modeled in SAP BW bridge including its semantic information into SAP Datasphere and use it as display hierarchy in the analytic model. When importing an InfoObject (ANALYTICAL_DIMENSION) which has a hierarchy, the hierarchy is imported as well. The following objects are created for the hierarchy with directory in the Data Builder: hierarchy store, hierarchy directory, hierarchy directory description, and hierarchy note text.

    When you import objects with variables, you can use these variables in an analytic model. The default values set in SAP BW bridge are displayed in the preview. You can also define your own values.

    Not all types of variables are supported in SAP Datasphere. In most cases these are input-ready variables for characteristic values. Note also that the variable in the global filter can be the only restriction.

    For importing queries, there are certain restrictions:

    • When an object is remodeled in SAP BW bridge, the query definition is broken.

    • For dimensions, the following features are not supported: compound characteristics, and time dependency.

    You can use the app Query to get an overview on the supported analytical queries. For more information, see Overview of Apps.

Procedure

  1. Open the wizard from the Repository Explorer, Semantic Onboarding, or the Data Builder:

    • In the side navigation area, select (Repository Explorer), and select Start of the navigation pathImport Next navigation step Import EntitiesEnd of the navigation path.

    • In the side navigation area, select (Semantic Onboarding), and then select the appropriate tile.

    • In the side navigation area, select (Data Builder), select a space if necessary, and select Start of the navigation pathImport Next navigation step Import EntitiesEnd of the navigation path.

  2. Select your connection and target space:

    Semantic Onboarding

    Repository Explorer/ Data Builder

    Select the connection to the source you want to import from the list, and then click Next Step.

    You can use the Filter By pane on the left to filter the connections by space.

    1. Select the SAP BW/4HANA or SAP BW Bridge connection type, and then click Next Step.

    2. Select the connection/target space that you want to import the entities from/into, and click Next Step.

      If you opened the wizard from the (Data Builder), only your current space can be selected.
  3. On the Select Entities page, select the entities that you want to import from the Results list, and click Next Step.
    Use the Search field to search by label. Depending on your connection type, you can filter by:

    • Application Component

    • Modeling Pattern

    • Software Component

  4. On the Review Entities page, review the entities that you will import.
    The left pane lists the entities you have selected for import and the right pane has two tabs listing all the entities that will be created in the SAP Datasphere Business Builder and Data Builder during the import of the selected entity.
    The following entities are created when you import entities with the most common modeling patterns:

    Source Modeling Pattern

    Business Builder Objects Created

    Data Builder Objects Created

    ANALYTICAL_QUERY

    • Selected entity:

      • One consumption model containing a perspective.

    • Supporting entities:

      • One entity (Fact)

      • One entity (Dimension) for each associated dimension.

    • Supporting entities:

      • One view (Fact)

      • One remote table (Relational Dataset)

      • One view and one remote table for each associated dimension.

    ANALYTICAL_CUBE

    • Selected entity:

      • One business entity (Fact)

    • Supporting entities:

      • One entity (Dimension) for each associated dimension.

    • Selected entity:

      • One view (Fact)

      • One remote table (Relational Dataset)

    • Supporting entities:

      • One view and one remote table for each associated dimension.

    ANALYTICAL_DIMENSION

    (SAP BW Bridge only)

    • Selected entity:

      • One business entity (Dimension)

    • Supporting entities:

      • One entity (Dimension) for each associated dimension.

    • Selected entity:

      • One view (Dimension)

      • One remote table (Relational Dataset)

    • Supporting entities:

      • One view and one remote table for each associated dimension, hierarchy, and text entity.

    LANGUAGE_DEPENDENT_TEXT

    (SAP BW Bridge only)

    (none)

    • Selected entity:

      • One remote table (Text)
    Each object has the following read-only properties:

    Property

    Description

    Business Name

    Generated from the Label value.

    Technical Name

    Generated from the ID value as: remote.<connection_name>.<ID>.

    Import Status
    Specifies whether the object needs to be created in SAP Datasphere during the import:

    • Ready for Import - The object will be created.

    • Already Imported - The object has already been created during a previous import. If the structure or semantics of the object have subsequently changed in the source system, the object will be automatically updated and redeployed.
  5. Click Import and Deploy.
    A notification is sent immediately, and this notification will update as the import process continues. When the import is complete:

    • You have two notifications:

      • Click the first notification to see the imported entities listed in the (Repository Explorer).

      • Click the second notification to view the import log messages.

        If any entity could not be created, an error is given.

    • The imported entities are available for use in the (Business Builder) and the (Data Builder).
  6. [optional] By default, data is only federated to your remote tables. To replicate the data, open the Data Integration Monitor (see Monitoring Remote Tables).