3.x InfoSource Types 

There are two types of 3.x InfoSources:

●      InfoSources with flexible updating

●      InfoSources with direct updating

In both cases, uploaded data is transformed using the transfer rules, which have been created for the current combination of InfoSource and source system and for each InfoObject of the communication structure. An InfoProvider can be supplied by multiple InfoSources, which in turn can be supplied by multiple source systems.

An InfoSource for hierarchies can only be supplied by one source system.

For characteristics, attributes, or texts, a combination of flexible and direct updating is only possible for different source systems.

InfoSources with Flexible Updating

For an InfoSource with flexible updating, the data from the communications structure is loaded into the data targets (InfoCubes, DataStore objects, master data) using update rules. Several data targets can be supplied by one InfoSource. The InfoSource can contain transaction data as well as master data.

This function is not available for hierarchies.

Before Release 3.0A, only transaction data could be updated flexibly and it was only possible to update master data directly. Master data InfoSources were therefore distinguished from transaction data InfoSources. This is no longer the case as of Release BW 3.0A, since both transaction data and master data can be updated flexibly. You therefore cannot immediately see if an InfoSource with flexible updating handles transaction data or master data. You should therefore specify this in the description of an InfoSource.

You have the following update options:

●      The data from InfoSources with master data or transaction data can be stored directly in DataStore objects.

●      You can then use update rules to update from DataStore objects into further DataStore objects, InfoCubes, or master data tables.

●      It is also possible to update into InfoCubes or master data tables without having to switch between DataStore objects.

InfoSources with Direct Updating

Using an InfoSource with direct updating, master data (characteristics with attributes, texts, or hierarchies) of an InfoObject can be updated directly (without update rules, only using transfer rules) into the master data table. To do this you must assign it an application component. The system displays the characteristic in the InfoSource tree in the Data Warehousing Workbench. You can assign DataSources and source systems to the characteristic from there. You can then also load master data, texts, and hierarchies for the characteristic.

You cannot use an InfoObject as an InfoSource with direct updating if:

●      The characteristic you want to modify is characteristic 0SOURSYSTEM (source system ID).

●      The characteristic has neither master data nor texts nor hierarchies. It is therefore impossible to load data for the characteristic.

●      The characteristic that you want to modify turns out not to be a characteristic, but a unit or a key figure.

To generate an export DataSource for a characteristic, the characteristic must also be an InfoSource with direct updating.