Scenarios for Flexible Updating 

1.   Attributes and texts are delivered together in a file:

Your master data, attributes, and texts are available together in a flat file. They are updated by an InfoSource with flexible updating in additional InfoObjects. In doing so, texts and attributes can be separated from each other in the communication structure.

Flexible updating is not necessary if:

·        texts and attributes are available in separate files/DataSources. In this case, you can choose direct updating if additional transformations using update rules are not necessary.

2.   Attributes and texts come from several DataSources:

This scenario is similar to the one described above, only slightly more complex. Your master data comes from two different source systems and delivers attributes and texts in flat files. They are grouped together in an InfoSource with flexible updating. Attributes and texts can be separated in the communication structure and are updated further in InfoObjects. The texts or attributes from both source systems are located in these InfoObjects.

3.   Master data in the ODS layer:

A master data InfoSource is updated to a master data ODS object business partner with flexible updating. The data can now be cleaned and consolidated in the ODS object before being re-read.  This is important when the master data frequently changes.

These cleaned objects can now be updated to further ODS Objects. The data can also be selectively updated using routines in the update rules. This enables you to get views of selected areas. The data for the business partner is divided into customer and vendor here.

Instead you can update the data from the ODS object in InfoObjects as well (with attributes or texts). When doing this, be aware that loading of deltas takes place serially. You can ensure this when you activate the automatic updates in ODS object maintenance or when you perform the loading process using a process chain (see also Including ODS Objects in a Process Chain).

A master data ODS object generally makes the following options available:

·        It displays an additional level on which master data from the whole enterprise can be consolidated.

·        ODS objects can be used as a validation table for checking the referential integrity of characteristic valuables in the update rules.

·        It can serve as a central repository for master data, in which master data is consolidated from various systems. They can then be forwarded to further BW systems using the Data Mart.