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Indexing BW Data in the SAP HANA DatabaseLocate this document in the navigation structure

Prerequisites

To be able to index the snapshot of a query result in the SAP HANA database, you first need to activate the query. Select the query in question on the SAP HANA/BWA Index Maintenance screen (transaction RSDDB) and choose Release Query as InfoProvider. If no restrictive conditions apply, the system informs you in the next dialog that the query has been activated for indexing in the SAP HANA database. The query result is given the read mode Query to Read All Data at Once (A) (see Read Mode), which means that the free characteristics are also used in GROUP BY.

Context

If you use your BW system with the SAP HANA database, the system generates, updates and deletes the logical indexes (CalculationScenarios) for most InfoProviders automatically, or performs complex calculations such as hierarchy handling with internal database routines.

It is also possible to create indexes for a VirtualProvider or a query. The procedure for doing this is exactly the same as for creating BWA indexes.

SAP HANA Index for a VirtualProvider

Scenario: You want to analyze data from an InfoProvider with transaction data that is not stored in the BW object itself, but which is read directly for analysis and reporting purposes. The relevant data can be from the BW system or from other SAP or non-SAP systems. See Modeling Direct Data Access.

SAP HANA Index for a Query (Snapshot)

Scenario: You want to analyze InfoProvider data requires complex processing beforehand, but the required analytic manager functionality of the BW system is not available in the SAP HANA database.

Restrictions A query result cannot be indexed if the query meets one of the following conditions:

  • It is an input-ready query. An aggregation level is used as the InfoProvider.

  • Input-ready mandatory variables are used in the query. (As indexing runs in the background, no entries can be made.)

  • The query contains a temporal hierarchy join. (The result cannot be stored in a "flat" index.)

  • The query contains more than one structure

  • Calculations in the query cannot be performed before aggregation. Indexing can be performed despite this, but the relevant key figures cannot be used in every context.

  • Local aggregation is used. The system ignores this during indexing. The query result in the OLAP processor is not the same as the result that the user sees.

  • The technical name of the query is more than 20 letters long. An index ID is formed from the query name. There is a technical limitation for this.

The system uses the snapshot index if the time stamp of the snapshot index is not older than the time stamp of the InfoProvider that the query is based on.

Procedure


  1. Select the BW object that you want to create an index for in SAP HANA/BWA index maintenance (transaction RSDDB).

    Note

    You can call up index maintenance for the object of your choosing using one of the following options:

    • Access from Data Warehousing Workbench (Transaction RSA1)

      You are in the Data Warehousing Workbench in the Modeling functional area. Choose InfoProvider in the navigation screen and navigate to the InfoProvider of your choosing. In the context menu for the InfoProvider, choose Maintain BW Accelerator Index. The SAP HANA/BWA index administration screen for this BW object appears.

    • Call SAP HANA/BWA index maintenance (transaction RSDDB)

      You are in the SAP HANA/BWA index maintenance screen. Use the corresponding pushbutton to select the BW object type (VirtualProvider or Query as InfoProvider).

      Enter the technical name of the BW object. You can use input help for this.

      In the lower part of the screen, the system displays a list of all objects that already have a SAP HANA index.

  2. Choose the required editing function. You have the following options:

    Function

    Description

    Display

    The system displays the index settings for the selected BW object. You have the following options:

    Logs. The Log Selection dialog box appears.

    Refresh

    Cancel

    Edit

    You can change the index settings for the selected BW object.

    You have the following options:

    Save

    Cancel

    Create

    If the BW object is suitable for indexing data in the SAP HANA database, but a index has not been created yet, you can create one by choosing Create.

    Make the corresponding settings on the tabs.

    Choose Activate and Fill Index. The dialog box for specifying start dates appears.

    Define the start time for indexing and choose Save.

    Delete

    If you delete an index, the optional settings for indexing the relevant BW object are retained. If you want to use other settings when indexing the same BW object at a later point in time, you have to change them individually in editing mode.

  3. Depending on which BW object you create, display or edit indexes for, you can find settings or information on all or some of the tab pages detailed below.

    Tab

    BW Object

    SAP HANA/BWA Index Settings

    VirtualProvider, Query as InfoProviders

    These tabs provide you with information about the last change made to data in SAP HANA indexes (name of user making change, date and time) together with the status of the deployment of the index for reporting.

    Memory Management

    Query as InfoProvider

    The way that data is split on the SAP HANA database depends on the size of the fact index. The value entered here is either the default value (the actual size of the fact index) or the value entered by the user (the expected number of records in the fact table). If the default value is used, and the amount of data in the fact index increases significantly after being created, the data in the SAP HANA database will be reorganized. To avoid having to reorganize data in this way, you can specify the amount of data that you expect in future for the fact index. You do this in Edit mode.

    Index Information

    VirtualProvider, Query as InfoProviders

    The system displays the name, size and indexing status of the fact index. It also displays the name of the last user to change them and when this change was made.

  4. Choose Activate and Fill Index. The dialog box for specifying start dates appears. Schedule activating and filling the index with data at the required time (see Activation and Provision of Data).

    Note

    If you want to update your query snapshots automatically, you can add this application process to a process chain for automatic execution (process chain type Create/Fill SAP HANA/BWA Index Initially. (See Application Process).

  5. Check whether indexing has been performed, and the logs filled. Choose Start of the navigation path Goto Next navigation step  Application Logs End of the navigation path to display the application log.

Results

Reporting tools can access data indexed in the SAP HANA database for the selected BW object.