Show TOC

Additional Functions in InfoCube MaintenanceLocate this document in the navigation structure

Use

Documents

You can use this function to display, create or change documents for InfoCubes.

See also: Documents

Tree Display

You can display all the InfoCube settings made in InfoCube maintenance in a clear tree structure. The InfoCube is displayed in a hierarchical tree display with its dimensions and InfoObjects.

Version Comparison

You can use this function to compare changes for the following InfoCube versions in InfoCube Maintenance:

  • Active and modified versions of an InfoCube

  • Active and content versions of an InfoCube

  • Modified and content versions of an InfoCube

Transport Connection

You can select and transport InfoCubes. The system automatically collects all BW objects that are required to ensure a consistent status in the target system.

Where-Used List

You can determine which other objects in the BW system use a specific InfoCube.

You can determine the effect of changing a given InfoObject, and whether this is currently permitted.

Business Content

In Business Content InfoCubes, you can call the transaction for installing Business Content, copy the InfoCube, or compare it to the customer version. More information: Business Content (Versions).

Navigation Attributes

In the InfoCube, you can activate Navigation Attributes that were created in InfoObject maintenance. In the default setting, navigation attributes are deactivated so that as few attributes as possible are included in the InfoCube. See also

Performance of Navigation Attributes in Queries and Input Help.

Note: You can create or activate navigation attributes in the InfoCube at any time. Once you have activated an attribute however, you cannot deactivate it any more (because of any aggregates or selection variables that may have been defined).

Units

On the key figures screen, you can display the units contained in the InfoCube by pressing the relevant pushbutton. Units are not defined. Instead, they are generated from data from the key figures that have been taken.

Analyzing InfoCubes

In the main menu, choose Edit to access the analysis and repair environment. You use the analysis and repair environment to check the consistency of your InfoCubes.

See Analysis and Repair Environment

Structure-Specific Properties of InfoObjects

By choosing Provider-Specific Characteristics from the context menu you can assign InfoObjects specific characteristics that are only valid in the InfoCube you are currently editing.

Most of these settings correspond to the settings that you can make globally for an InfoObject. For characteristics, these are Display, Text Type, Selection and Filter Value Selection upon Query Execution. See the corresponding sections under Tab Page: Business Explorer.

You can also specify constants for characteristics.

By assigning a constant to a characteristic, you assign it a fixed value. This means that the characteristic is available in the database (for validation for example) but not displayed in the query anymore (no aggregation/drilldown is possible for this characteristic).

It is particularly useful to assign constants to compound characteristics.

Example

Example 1:

The Storage Location characteristic is compounded with the Plant characteristic. If only one plant is ever run in the application, you can assign a constant to the plant. Validation against the storage location master table is then performed using this value for the plant. In the query, the storage location only appears as a characteristic however.

Example 2:

For an InfoProvider, specify that only the constant 2005 appears for the year. In a query based on a MultiProvider that contains this InfoProvider, the InfoProvider is ignored if the selection is for 2004. This improves query performance since the system knows that it does not have to search for records.

Exception:

If constant SPACE (type CHAR) or 00..0 (type NUMC) is assigned to the characteristic, specify character # in the first position.

For key figures, you have the settings Decimal Places and Display. See the corresponding sections under Tab Page: Additional Properties.

Info Functions

Various information functions are available with regard to the status of the InfoCube:

Special Functions

Navigation for InfoObject Maintenance: Pushbuttons allow you to Create, Display, and Change individual InfoObjects. If you change InfoObjects, not that the system applies these changes globally to all instances where the InfoObject is used, including other InfoCubes.

: Undo change: This function resets the InfoCube to the active version. Changes made last time data was saved are reset.

Display active/SAP version: When you edit an InfoCube, you can display its active version or the version supplied by SAP (if available).

Performance Settings:

Assigning Function Modules

You load data from external sources by assigning a function module to an InfoCube. The function module is called when the data is loaded. It supplies the data temporarily. You can call this function by choosing Additional Properties in the context menu.