Creating Transformations

The transformation process allows you to consolidate, cleanse, and integrate data.

Context

You can semantically integrate data from various sources.

You create a transformation between a source and a target. When data is loaded from a BW object or virtual object to a target BW object, the data passes through a transformation. A transformation converts the fields of the source into the format of the target.

A transformation consists of at least one transformation rule. Various rule types, transformation types, and routine types are available. These allow you to create very simple and highly complex transformations.

The following figure illustrates how the transformation is integrated in the data flow:

Procedure

  1. You are in the Modeling area in the Data Warehousing Workbench. In the InfoProvider tree, choose Create Transformation in the context menu for your InfoProvider.
  2. Choose the source for your transformation and choose Create Transformation.

    The system proposes a transformation. The proposal is generated on the basis of a comparison with existing transformations. The system also checks for Basis InfoObjects that can be assigned (UNIT to 0UNIT for example) or whether the DataSource can be assigned to InfoObjects while editing the DataSource.

    You can accept the proposed transformation or modify it. On the left side of the screen, you see the source. On the right side of the screen, you see the rule group. To show the target as well, choose Switch Detail View On/Off.

  3. Using the mouse, you can create new connecting arrows or change existing ones. You can delete a connecting arrow by choosing the relevant entry in the context menu for the arrow.
  4. You can edit the rule details. More information: Editing Rule Details
  5. Under Settings for Currencies and Units, you can do the following:
    • Allow currency translation and unit conversion for InfoSources and DataStore objects. As a prerequisite for this, all currencies and units of measure must be contained in the key of the target.

      For DataStore objects (advanced), translation/conversion of currencies and units is only supported with InfoObjects.

    • Activate the consistency check for units of measure. This allows you to prevent records from being updated with initial units of measure for example.
  6. To create additional rule groups, choose Start of the navigation pathRule Group Next navigation step  New Rule GroupEnd of the navigation path.
    More information: Rule Group
  7. Choose Start Routine and End Routine to create the corresponding routines for your transformation.
    More information: Routines in Transformations

    For transformations that are executed in SAP HANA, you can create ABAP Managed Database Procedures (AMDP) in SAP HANA. To do this, choose Start of the navigation pathEdit Next navigation step Routines Next navigation step Create SAP HANA Expert ScriptEnd of the navigation path.

  8. You can select source fields for the semantic grouping by choosing Define Semantic Groups for Packages. Data records with the same values in the selected fields form a logical key and are processed together in a package.
    More information: Semantic Grouping
  9. If you want to follow changes to your InfoProvider over a given period, you can create a manual version. To do this, choose Start of the navigation pathGoto Next navigation step Version ManagementEnd of the navigation path in the main menu.
    More information: Version Management
  10. By choosing Start of the navigation pathExtras Next navigation step Table ViewEnd of the navigation path, you can display the metadata from the transformation as a table (in HTML format), for documentation purposes for example. You can use the context menu to print the Table View.
  11. Activate the transformation.

Results

The transformation is executed with the corresponding data transfer process when the data is loaded.

To check whether the transofrmation provides the required results, you can simulate it to begin with. To do this, execute the simulation of the DTP request. The transformation is also simulated when the data update is simulated.

More information: Simulating and Debugging DTP Requests.