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Real-time InfoCubes differ from standard InfoCubes in their ability to support parallel write accesses. Standard InfoCubes are technically optimized for read accesses to the detriment of write accesses.

Use

Real-time InfoCubes are used when plan data is entered during BW integrated planning. More information: InfoProvider

The data is simultaneously written to the InfoCube by multiple users. Standard InfoCubes are not suitable for this. You should use standard InfoCubes for read-only access (for example, when reading reference data).

Real-time InfoCubes can also be used for audits - provided that they are SAP HANA-optimized. More information: Audit

Structure

Real-time InfoCubes can be filled with data using two different methods: Using the transaction for entering planning data and using BW staging, in which case planning data cannot then be loaded simultaneously. You have the option to convert a real-time InfoCube. From the context menu for your real-time InfoCube in the InfoProvider tree, choose Start of the navigation path Planning-Specific Properties Next navigation step Change Real-Time InfoCube End of the navigation path. By default, Real-Time Data Target Can Be Planned, Data Loading Not Permitted is selected. Switch this setting to Real-Time Data Target Can Be Loaded With Data; Planning Not Permitted if you want to fill the cube with data using BW Staging.

During entry of planning data, the data is written to a real-time InfoCube data request. As soon as the number of records in a data request exceeds a threshold value, the request is closed and a rollup is carried out for this request in defined aggregates (asynchronously). You can still rollup and define aggregates, collapse, and so on, as before.

Depending on the database on which they are based, real-time InfoCubes differ from standard InfoCubes in the way they are indexed and partitioned. For an Oracle DBMS, this means no bitmap indexes for the fact table.

Reduced read-only performance is accepted as a drawback of real-time InfoCubes, in favor of the option of parallel (transactional) writing and improved write performance.

Creating a Real-Time InfoCube

When creating a new InfoCube in the Data Warehousing Workbench, select the Real-Time indicator.

Converting a Standard InfoCube into a Real-Time InfoCube

Conversion with Loss of Transaction Data

If the standard InfoCube already contains transaction data but you no longer need it (for example, test data from the implementation phase of the system), you proceed as follows:

  1. On the InfoCube maintenance screen in Data Warehousing Workbench, choose Start of the navigation path InfoCube Next navigation step Delete Data Content End of the navigation path from the main menu. The transaction data is deleted, and the InfoCube is set to inactive.

  2. Continue with the same procedure as with creating a real-time InfoCube.

Conversion with the Retention of Transaction Data

If the standard InfoCube already contains transaction data from the production operation that you still need, proceed as follows:

Execute ABAP report SAP_CONVERT_NORMAL_TRANS under the name of the corresponding InfoCube. You should schedule this report as a background job for InfoCubes with more than 10,000 data records. This is to avoid a potentially long runtime.

Integration

The following typical scenarios arise for the use of real-time InfoCubes in planning:

Scenario 1:

Actual data (read-only access) and planned data (read-only and write access) have to be held in different InfoCubes. Therefore, use a standard InfoCube for actual data and a real-time InfoCube for planned data. Data integration is achieved using a multiplanning area that contains the areas that are assigned to the InfoCubes. Access to the two different InfoCubes is controlled by the Planning Area characteristic that is automatically added.

Scenario 2:

In this scenario, the planned and actual data have to be together in one InfoCube. This is the case, for example, with special rolling forecast variants. You have to use a real-time InfoCube, since both read-only and write accesses take place. You can no longer load data directly that has already arrived in the InfoCube by means of an upload or import source. To be able to load data nevertheless, you have to make a copy of the real-time InfoCube that is identified as a standard InfoCube and not as real-time. Data is loaded as usual and subsequently updated to the real-time InfoCube.