Editing DataSources from SAP Source Systems in BW

A DataSource is defined in the SAP source system along with its properties and field list. In DataSource maintenance in BW, you define which fields of the DataSource are to be transferred to BW. You can also change the properties for extracting data from the DataSource and properties for the DataSource fields.

You have replicated the DataSource to BW.

You are in an object tree in the Data Warehousing Workbench.

1. Select the required DataSource and choose Change.

2. Go to the General tab page.

   Select PSA in the CHAR format if you want to generate the PSA for the DataSource with character-type fields of type CHAR rather than a typed structure.

   Use this option if conversion during loading causes problems, for example because there is no appropriate conversion routine, or if the source cannot guarantee that data is loaded with the correct data type.

   After activating the DataSource, you can then load data into the PSA and correct it there.

3. Go to the Extraction tab page.

   1. Under Adapter, you define how the data will be accessed. The options depend on whether the DataSource supports direct access and real-time data acquisition.

   2. If you select Number Format Direct Entry, you can specify the character for the thousand separator and the decimal point character that are to be used for the DataSource fields. If a User Master Record has been specified, the system applies the settings of the user who is taken when the conversion exit is executed. This is generally the BW background user.

4. Go to the Fields tab page.

   1. Under Transfer, specify the decision-relevant DataSource fields that you want to be available for extraction and transferred to BW.

   2. If required, change the setting for the Format of the field.

   3. If you choose an External Format, make sure that the output length of the field (external length) is correct. Change the entries if necessary.

   4. If necessary, specify a conversion routine that converts data from an external format into an internal format.

   5. Under Currency/Unit, you can change the entries for the referenced currency and unit fields.

5. Check, save and activate your DataSource.

When you activate the DataSource, BW generates a PSA table and a transfer program.

You can now create an InfoPackage. You define the selections for the data request in the InfoPackage. The data can be loaded into the inbound layer of the BW system, the PSA. Alternatively, you can access the data directly if the DataSource supports direct access, and you have defined a VirtualProvider in the data flow.