Classification of Source System-Dependent Objects

The source system-dependent objects can be classified according to three criteria:

1. Degree of dependency

   • Directly dependent on the source system

   • Indirectly dependent on the source system (depends on objects of a different type that in turn depend on the source system)

   More information: Object Dependencies and Consistency

2. Type of dependency

   • Dependency in the key of the database tables of the object (for more information, see SOBJ: Definition of the Transportable Object Types)

     These objects require a pseudo D version.

   • Dependency in the data part of a database table of the object.

     These objects do not require a pseudo D version, but a conversion of the table contents is still required after the transport or BI Content activation.

3. Key technology

   • The object key contains the source system in a transparent field

   • The object key contains the source system in coded form

   • The object key is a GUID (Global Unique IDentifier)

   • The object key is a HASH value

Both the GUID and the HASH technologies are also called surrogate keys since they replace the logical, transparent key. You can usually find it in the data part of the table. You cannot determine the logical key from the surrogate key using an algorithm for either technology.

The most common reason for using GUIDs or HASH keys is the length: for GUIDs 25 characters and for HASH values 40 characters. The logical key can be much longer or can be missing entirely. In this case no information in the data part of the object is marked as a logical key.

The advantage of a HASH value with respect to a GUID is that the HASH value can be uniquely derived from the logical key and can be reproduced. The GUID, on the other hand, is a random value. In order to reproduce it, therefore, you must save the value that was determined in a separate table (for InfoPackages) or in the object itself (for DTP). A GUID, on the other hand, can also be used if there is no logical key.

The following table provides an overview of cases that occur in the BW system: