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Creating Virtual ModelsLocate this document in the navigation structure

Context

In modelling, virtual models provide a new abstraction layer. This layer allows you to run different search models on identical TREX data.

You can use virtual modes to cover various use cases:

  • Virtual modes allow you to use meaningful human-readable names for search object connector models instead of cryptic technical names.

  • Users can now use virtual models, which offer different perspectives on a model, to search data.

    A normal model allows each user to use the same search attributes and to receive the same search results as all other users, regardless of their role.

  • A normal model has one response structure. If you require a different response for the reasons listed above, you can use a virtual model to implement this requirement.

  • Virtual models provide additional entry points to a search object connector model. This allows the extraction model to be closely connected with the business object model.

    For example, the bill of material (BOM) item exists as a seach object connector model within the SAP Business Suite. Users can search for the BOM item. Virtual models allow you to model the BOM header and BOM item in a single model and users can still search for the BOM item separately. Previously, you needed two models to do this.

  • You can use virtual models to refine the generic object types. This makes sense if you want to address an instance of a generic object type that is distributed among more than one subobject type.

Procedure

  1. In the modeler, select a software component that contains at least one model.
  2. Choose Create .
  3. In the Model Properties step of the roadmap, enter the following information:

    1. Choose Virtual Model as the purpose.

    2. Select a node that is to be used as the reference to an existing business object template and choose Select .

      Note

      Note that you cannot revoke this selection. If you choose the wrong node, you have to delete the model and create it again because the system generates fixed links to the selected node, which cannot be changed afterwards.

    3. Optional: Define keywords and categories.

    More information: Defining Model Properties

  4. Work through the Define Optional Settings step. You define the following properties for the virtual model here:

    • Response attributes

      The response attributes for the reference node are not copied. You can define your own response attributes.

    • Additional authorizations

      The authorization for the reference node are copied.

    • Associated Models

    • Navigation targets

    More information: Defining Node Responses

  5. In the next step of the roadmap, you define your own search queries and query attributes.

    More information: Defining Model Queries