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Creating Data Flows or Data Flow TemplatesLocate this document in the navigation structure

Use

Using the data flow tree in the Data Warehousing Workbench: Modeling, you can create a data flow or data flow template. The procedure is basically the same for both cases. When you save the data flow, you decide whether it should be saved as a data flow or as a template.

You can also use the data flow display in the Data Warehousing Workbench to save existing data flows as separate data flows with the TLOGO object type 'DMOD'.

Procedure

Creating Data Flows or Data Flow Templates Using the Data Flow Tree

You are in the Data Warehousing Workbench: Modeling in the data flow tree.

  1. Select the InfoArea to which you want to assign the new data flow, or create a new InfoArea.

  2. In the InfoArea context menu, choose Create Data Flow. A screen appears. Under Data Flow, enter a technical name and a description of the data flow. Choose Continue. The data flow maintenance screen appears. Alternatively you can use the transaction RSDF to access the data flow maintenance screen.

    Note

    The technical name of a data flow is limited to 30 characters. The last few characters are filled with TMPL if you are creating a data flow template.

  3. Add the required objects to the data flow.

    There are different ways of adding persistent and/or non-persistent objects (including adding objects from data flows and data flow templates).

    For more information, see Adding Objects and Connections to the Data Flow and Using SAP Data Flow Templates.

    Note

    If you use persistent objects in your data flow and then you save the flow as a template later on, the system uses the persistent objects to create non-persistent objects for the template. The technical names and descriptions of the persistent objects are applied to the non-persistent objects.

  4. Connect the objects to each other.

    For more information, see Adding Objects and Connections to the Data Flow.

  5. Create documentation for the data flow and the associated objects.

    For more information, see Creating and Showing Documentation.

  6. Check the data flow for consistency.

    Note

    A data flow is consistent and can be activated if all persistent objects contained in the data flow exist and have the object status 'active'. If the data flow contains non-persistent objects, warnings appear during the consistency check. However the data flow can still be saved and activated.

    A data flow template is consistent and can be activated, provided that it only contains non-persistent objects.

  7. There are two ways of saving and activating a data flow:

    • To save the data flow as a normal data flow, choose Save and then Activate.

    • To save the data flow as a data flow template, proceed as follows:

      1. Choose Start of the navigation path Data Flow Next navigation step Save as Template End of the navigation path from the menu.

      2. A dialog box appears where you can change the InfoArea assignment, technical name and description of the template. The last characters of the technical name are filled with TMPL.

      3. Choose Activate.

    Note
    • A data flow template can only contain non-persistent objects.

    • You can also save an existing data flow as a template. The template is also created for the existing data flow.

Creating a Data Flow Using the Data Flow Display of an Object

You are in an object tree in Data Warehousing Workbench.

  1. Choose Display Data Flow in the object context menu.

  2. A screen appears. Decide how you want to display the data flow (upwards, downwards or upwards and downwards). Choose Add and Close.

  3. Make a selection the data flow display of the object