Data Staging in the Virtual InfoProvider

The financial reports in consolidation are generated with queries that are not directly based on the InfoCubes for totals records and journal entries. Instead, these queries are based on the virtual InfoProviders delivered in SAP Business Content, which in turn refer to the aforementioned InfoCubes. The reason for this indirect method of data access is because accounting principles with regards to single-entity statements and consolidated statements necessitates various modifications to the data stored in the BasicCubes. This data staging occurs dynamically when a query is executed with the help of programs that are assigned as data sources for the virtual InfoProviders. Data staging can involve the following steps:

  • Consideration of the hierarchy of consolidation units and groups, and the assignment of those consolidation units to the consolidation groups: During this step, the system may need to temporarily create additional data records or, for reporting purposes, even discard data records read from the InfoCube for totals records.

  • If a consolidation unit simultaneously belongs to more than one consolidation group, the system creates in the virtual InfoProvider additional data records that are not contained in the InfoCube for totals records.

The hierarchies store information regarding the accounting technique, first consolidation, and divestiture accounting. If this information excludes certain consolidation units from Reporting, the system ignores data records from the InfoCube for totals records.

  • Determination of the consolidation group for data records that were posted without the consolidation group information (posting levels 00, 01, 10, and 20)

  • Dynamic modification of the selection condition (restriction of the query to certain consolidation units)

  • Dynamic modification of the field list contained in the selection condition (adding of the consolidation unit and partner unit)

  • Determination of which data records are considered for two-sided eliminations between the consolidation units included in the query

  • Checking of the hierarchy relationship attributes for the validity of all data records for reporting (for example, the accounting technique, first consolidation, and divestiture accounting)

Consideration of Data Records Depending on Their Posting Level

Whether the data retrieved from the InfoCube is taken into consideration for reporting on the virtual InfoProvider depends on various conditions, which differ with each posting level. The following describes how the system prepares the data retrieved from the InfoCube and transfers it to the virtual InfoProvider.

Note Note

As a prerequisite, the query needs to contain at least one characteristic with the role consolidation group. If the query contains no such characteristic, the system displays all data records that have been selected by the user. In this case, the system does not check which consolidation units belong to the consolidation group.

End of the note.
Data with Posting Levels 00, 01, and 10

Only data records with the following properties are processed:

  • The consolidation unit belongs to the consolidation group.

  • The consolidation unit is consolidated using the purchase method.

  • The period (in the data record) ranges between the date of first consolidationand the date of divestiture accountingfor the consolidation unit within the consolidation group.

Data with Posting Level 20

Only data records with the following properties are processed:

  • Both the consolidation unit and the partner unitbelong to the consolidation group.

  • Both the consolidation unit and the partner unit are consolidated with the purchase method.

  • The period (in the data record) ranges between the date of first consolidation and the date of divestiture accounting for both the consolidation unit and the partner unit within the consolidation group.

Data with Posting Levels 02, 12, 22, and 30

Only data records with the following properties are processed:

  • The entry was posted either in the selected consolidation group or in a consolidation group that (according to the hierarchy structure) belongs to the selected consolidation group.

  • The accounting technique and the dates of first consolidation and divestiture accounting do not influence the reports on data with posting levels 02, 12, 22, and 30.