Input-Ready Query 

Use

You use input-ready queries to create applications for manual planning. These can range from simple data entry scenarios to complex planning applications.

Integration

You define a query that you want to use for manual planning in the BEx Query Designer (see Defining New Queries).

In the Web Application Designer or the BEx Analyzer, you can combine the input-ready queries with other queries and planning functions to create complex planning applications.

Prerequisites

You can define an input-ready query on any of the following InfoProviders:

●      Aggregation levels (see Aggregation Levels)

●      MultiProviders that include at least one simple aggregation level

The aggregation levels are created in the planning modeler; MultiProviders are defined in the modeling functional area of the Data Warehousing Workbench.

Features

Input-Ready Query Definition

Once you have defined a query on one of the types of InfoProvider listed above, you see the Planning tab page under the Properties of structural components (for example, in key figures or restricted key figures). With the options provided there, you can determine which structural components of an input-ready query you want to be input ready at runtime. With structural components that are not input ready, you can also determine whether these components are viewed as data not relevant for locking or are just protected against manual entry.

For the structural components, you also have the following options:

Input Readiness of Structural Components of a Query

Option	Description
Not input ready (not relevant for locking)	The structure components are not locked for the exclusive access of a user because many users use this data as a reference (for actual data, for example). This is the default setting.
Not input ready (relevant for locking)	If you want to protect structural components against manual entries but allow changes by planning functions, you can use locks to protect this data for one particular user. This allows you to ensure that the planning function works with the displayed data only and not with data that has been changed by other users.
Input ready (relevant for locking)	The data is locked for a user and is input-ready for manual planning.

These default settings can be overridden by the system state, for example if no disaggregation takes place (see below).

You can also determine whether an input-ready query is to be started in change mode or in display mode. You find this property in the Query Properties on the Planning tab page. If there is at least one input-ready query component, the query (as long as it has not been determined otherwise) is started in display mode.

The Start Query in Display Mode setting overrides the default settings about whether data can be changed. If you set the structural component in such a way the data is input-ready and relevant for locking, but the Start Query in Display Mode setting is activated in the query properties, the query will not be input-ready when it is started. The user can activate input-readiness at runtime, and the settings specified here take effect for the structural component.

In BI applications that use input-ready queries as data providers, you can enter data manually at runtime. For more information, see Performing Manual Planning and Creating Planning Applications.

Disaggregation (Also Called Top-Down Distribution)

In input-ready queries, only cells on the detail level for the aggregation level can be changed. Any cells that contain aggregated values, such as in results rows or inner hierarchy nodes, are not input ready. To be able to change an aggregated value, the value must be disaggregated in all data records that are related to this aggregated value.

Disaggregation Settings

Setting	Description
No Disaggregation	The values for the structural component are not disaggregated. Cells that contain values aggregated with regard to the aggregation level cannot be changed.
Disaggregate Value Entered	You can change cells that contain values aggregated with regard to the aggregation level. The newly entered value is distributed on all data records that contribute to the changed cell. The type of distribution depends on your specifications, as described below.
Disaggregate Difference	You can change cells that contain values aggregated with regard to the aggregation level. The difference between the old and the newly entered value is distributed on all data records that contribute to the changed cell. The type of distribution depends on your specifications, as described below.

Distribution Types for Disaggregation

Distribution Type	Description
Equal Distribution	The distribution is made evenly across all data records that contribute to the changed cell (including data records with zero values).
Analog Distribution (Self-Reference)	Distribution is analogous to all data records that result in the changed cell.
Analog Distribution (With Reference to Following Structure Element)	You can define a structure element as reference. Distribution is analogous to all data records that contribute to the corresponding cell of this referenced structure element. You can only select a structural component from the same structure as the reference for analog distribution.

For more information, see Performing Manual Planning and Disaggregation (Top-Down Distribution).

Example

Input-Ready Query Definition

You want to create an input-ready query for manual planning for a plan-actual comparison of revenues for a set of products. You want the plan data in a real-time InfoCube and the actual data in a standard InfoCube.

...

       1.      Create a MultiProvider that includes the InfoCubes for the plan and actual data.

       2.      Define an aggregation level on the MultiProvider which contains the characteristic Product and the key figure Revenue.

       3.      On the aggregation level, create two restricted key figures Plan Revenue and Actual Revenue. For restriction, choose the characteristic 0INFOPROV and restrict it to the plan or actual InfoCube.

       4.      Add the restricted key figures to the key figure structure. Insert Product into the rows. For Plan Revenue, choose Input Ready (Relevant for Locking)  for the input-readiness option. For Actual Revenue, choose the option Not Input Ready (Not Relevant for Locking).

       5.      In the query properties, set the indicator that determines whether the queries are started in display or change mode as required.

Example of an Input-Ready Query

Product	Plan Revenue	Actual Revenue
P01		20
P02		30

If you want to keep actual and plan data in a real-time InfoCube, you do not require a MultiProvider for the task described above. Create an aggregation level on the InfoCube and define the input-ready query for the aggregation level. In the example above, a version characteristic acts as the InfoProvider. Create restricted key figures with the plan or actual version and proceed as in the previous example.

You can find examples for the use of disaggregation in Disaggregation (Top-Down Distribution).