Show TOC

Adding Objects and Connections to the Data FlowLocate this document in the navigation structure

Procedure

Adding Non-Persistent Objects

  1. Using the toolbar on the left side of the data maintenance screen, you can insert objects into the data flow. Drag and drop the required object symbol into the edit window.

    An empty, white node is displayed for the object type in the edit window.

    Note

    Note that you cannot specify the type of the DataStore object or InfoCube when selecting a DataStore object or InfoCube as a non-persistent object. At this stage, you cannot specify whether a DataStore object is a standard or a write-optimized DataStore object. You can only do this when you create the persistent object.

  2. Choose Change in the node context menu to give the object a technical name and a description.

Adding Persistent Objects

Creating an Object in the Data Flow Maintenance

  1. To create a persistent object in the data flow maintenance screen, first create a non-persistent object and choose Create in the context menu of the non-persistent object.

    The object maintenance screen of the relevant object type appears (for example, DataStore object). Here you can specify the object properties as well as save and activate the object. Depending on the object type, you can select the object type (for example, write-optimized DataStore object) in the create object dialog box or on the object maintenance screen.

    Note

    When you create a composite or derived object (for example, a HybridProvider), then persistent predecessor objects or subobjects and the corresponding connections to the higher-level object are automatically created or transferred (in the example with the HybridProvider, a DataStore object and an InfoCube or a VirtualProvider and an InfoCube).

  2. When you go back, you return to the data flow maintenance.

    Composite or derived objects are automatically displayed with all valid predecessor objects or subobjects.

  3. There are two ways to create runtime objects (InfoPackage and data transfer process) and transformations:

    • You can create objects by using the object context menu. Data transfer processes and transformations are usually created using the target object context menu (except for DataSources). InfoPackages are created using the DataSource context menu.

    • Data transfer processes and transformations can also be created using connections. First establish a connection between the source and the target. The first connection is made as a transformation. The other connections are created as data transfer processes (except the DataSource). Use the connection context menu or double-click a connection to access the object maintenance. Here you create the object. Note that you can only create data transfer processes and transformations if active source and target versions exist.

    Once you have created and added a runtime object or a transformation, any new sources are also displayed in the data flow maintenance.

Adding Existing Objects and Data Flows

Using an Existing Object from an Object Tree of the Data Warehousing Workbench

You can add objects from a Data Warehousing Workbench object tree to the data flow maintenance by using drag and drop. Hold down the control key for multiple selection.

Transferring an Existing Object in the Data Flow Maintenance

  1. On the application toolbar in the data flow maintenance, choose Add Object.

  2. A dialog box appears. First select the object type and then the required object.

  3. To add the object and return to the network, choose Add and Close. If you want to add further objects to the data flow, choose Add. In this case, the dialog box remains open.

Using an existing object with objects from the previous or next level

  1. Add an object from an existing data flow to your current data flow.

  2. Choose Show Objects on Previous Level or Show Objects on Next Level in the object context menu.

    The objects connected to the object one level higher/lower in the data flow are added to the current data flow. Connecting objects on the previous level is particularly useful for composite or derived objects, such as MultiProviders.

Use Existing Data Flow

  1. Add an object from an existing data flow to your current data flow.

  2. In the context menu of the object, choose Use Data Flow of Object.

    A dialog appears where you can specify the data flow direction that you want to display. You can choose between the options Upwards, Downwards and Upwards and Downwards. The selected data flow for the initial object is displayed on the next screen. You can integrate the data flow into your data flow by using the option Use Data Flow.

Use data flow or data flow template (object DMOD) in a data flow

You can also add existing data flows or data flow templates of object type DMOD to the current data flow. In this way, you can use data flow templates, for example, to ensure that the data flows are modeled according to organizational standards and best practices. In the current data flow, you can add and combine multiple data flows and templates. Using the data flow templates for specific layers of the Layered Scalable Architecture, for example, you can create a aggregated data flow for your scenario.

  1. Choose Data Flow Template Apply Data Flow Template.

    A screen appears. The left screen area displays the data flows and data flow templates listed by InfoArea. The Data Flows area shows all the data flows (user-defined and SAP data flow templates). The Data Flow Templates area shows all the user-defined and SAP data flow templates. The SAP Data Flow Templates only shows the the data flow templates supplied by SAP.

    Note

    SAP data flow templates that are only included in the content version are also displayed here. It is not necessary to have an active version of SAP data flow templates, to use the templates in data flow maintenance and to integrate them into other data flows. More information: Using SAP Data Flow Templates.

  2. Select a data flow or a data flow template.

    The selected data flow or data flow template is displayed in the right screen area.

  3. Choose Continue to add the data flow or template to the current data flow.

    The data maintenance screen appears. Here you see the data flow or template that you have applied. In this case, the technical name and description of non-persistent objects are retained when the objects are copied. The objects now belong to the current data flow.

Creating Connections Between Objects

To establish a connection between two objects, hold down the left mouse button and drag the mouse pointer from object to the next object.

The system automatically creates the required connection type. For example, a standard arrow from the subobjects to the composite object is created for composite objects. A transformation is created for the first connection between and a source and a target and a data transfer process is created for subsequent connections.

Note

When you create an InfoPackage using the DataSource context menu, the connection between the DataSource and the InfoPackage is displayed automatically when you return to the data flow maintenance.

Integration with the Data Flow Wizard

Any objects created in data flow maintenance using the Data Flow Wizard are automatically displayed in the data flow, once you have finished creating the data flow.

For more information on the data flow wizard, see Generating Simple Wizard-Based Data Flows.