SAP BI InfoObject

Definition

Business evaluation objects are known in BI as InfoObjects. They are divide into characteristics (for example, customers), key figures (for example, revenue), units (for example, currency, amount unit), time characteristics (for example, fiscal year) and technical characteristics (for example, request number).

Use

InfoObjects are the smallest units of BI. Using InfoObjects, information is mapped in a structured form. This is required for constructing InfoProviders.

InfoObjects with attributes or texts can themselves also be InfoProviders (if in a query).

Structure

Characteristics are sorting keys, such as company code, product, customer group, fiscal year, period, or region. They specify classification options for the dataset and are therefore reference objects for the key figures. In the InfoCube, for example, characteristics are stored in dimensions. These dimensions are linked by dimension IDs to the key figures in the fact table. The characteristics determine the granularity (the degree of detail) at which the key figures are kept in the InfoCube. In general, an InfoProvider contains only a sub-quantity of the characteristic values from the master data table. The master data includes the permitted values for a characteristic. These are known as the characteristic values.

The key figures provide the values that are reported on in a query. Key figures can be quantity, amount, or number of items. They form the data part of an InfoProvider.

Units are also required so that the values for the key figures have meanings. Key figures of type amount are always assigned a currency key and key figures of type quantity also receive a unit of measurement.

Time characteristics are characteristics such as date, fiscal year, and so on.

Technical characteristics have only one organizational meaning within BI. An example of this is the request number in the InfoCube, which is obtained as ID when loading requests. It helps you to find the request again.

Special features of characteristics:

If characteristics have attributes, texts, or hierarchies at their disposal then they are referred to as master data-bearing characteristics. Master data is data that remains unchanged over a long period of time. Master data contains information that is always needed in the same way. References to this master data can be made in all InfoProviders. You also have the option of creating characteristics with references. A reference characteristics provides the attributes, master data, texts, hierarchies, data type, length, number and type of compounded characteristics, lower case letters and conversion routines for new characteristics.

A hierarchy is always created for a characteristic. This characteristic is the basic characteristic for the hierarchy (basic characteristics are characteristics that do not reference other characteristics). Like attributes, hierarchies provide a structure for the values of a characteristic. Company location is an example of an attribute for Customer. You use this, for example, to form customer groups for a specific region. You can also define a hierarchy to make the structure of the Customer characteristic clearer.

Special features of key figures:

A key figure is assigned additional properties that influence the way that data is loaded and how the query is displayed. This includes the assignment of a currency or unit of measure, setting aggregation and exception aggregation, and specifying the number of decimal places in the query.

Integration

InfoObjects can be part of the following objects:

...

1. Component of an InfoSource

An InfoSource is a quantity of InfoObjects that logically belong together and are updated in InfoProviders.

2. Composition of an InfoProvider:

An InfoProvider consists of a number of InfoObjects.

In an InfoCube, the characteristics, units, and time characteristics form the basis of the key fields, and the key figures form the data part of the fact table of the InfoCube.

In a DataStore object, characteristics generally form the key fields, but they can also be included in the data part, together with the key figures, units and time characteristics.

3. Attributes for InfoObjects

SAP BI InfoObject Catalog

Definition

An InfoObject catalog is a collection of InfoObjects grouped according to application-specific criteria. There are two types of InfoObject catalogs: Characteristic and Key figure.

Use

An InfoObject catalog is assigned to an InfoArea.

An InfoObject catalog is an organizational aid and is not for intended for data analysis purposes.

For example, all the InfoObjects that are used for data analysis in the area of Sales and Distribution can be grouped together in one InfoObject catalog. This makes it much easier for you to handle what might turn out to be a very large number of InfoObjects for any given context.

An InfoObject can be included in several InfoObject catalogs.

In InfoProvider definition, you can select an InfoObject catalog as a filter for the template.

SAP BI Creating InfoObject Catalogs

Prerequisites

Ensure that all the InfoObjects that you want to transfer into the InfoObject catalog are active. If you want to define an InfoObject catalog in the same way as an InfoSource, then the InfoSource has to be available and active.

Procedure

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1. Create an InfoArea, to which you want to assign the new InfoObject catalog. This function is on the first level of the hierarchy in the Administrator Workbench, under InfoObjects.

2. Use the right mouse button to create an InfoObject catalog in the InfoArea. If you want to make a copy of an existing InfoObject catalog, specify a reference InfoObject catalog.

3. Choose either characteristic or key figure for the InfoObject type, and choose Create.

4. Transferring InfoObjects:

On the left side of the screen there are various templates to choose from. These allow you to get a better overview in relation to a particular task. For performance reasons, the default setting is an empty template. Using the pushbuttons, select an InfoSource (only the InfoObjects for the communication structure of the InfoSource are displayed), an InfoCube, a DataStore object, an InfoObject catalog or all InfoObjects.

On the right side of the screen you compile your InfoObject catalog. Transfer the desired InfoObjects into the InfoObject catalog using Drag&Drop You can also simultaneously select multiple InfoObjects.

5. Activate the InfoObject catalog.

SAP BI Additional InfoObject Catalog Functions

Documents

This function allows you to display, create or change documents for your InfoObject catalog.

See: Documents.

Info Functions

There are various info-functions on the status of the InfoCube Catalog:

· the log display for activation and deletion runs of the InfoObject Catalog,

· the current system settings, the object catalog entry.

Display in Tree

You can use this function to display all properties of your InfoObject catalog in a concise hierarchical structure.

Version Comparison

You use this function to compare the following InfoObject catalog versions:

· the active and revised versions of an InfoObject catalog

· the active and Content versions of an InfoObject catalog

· the revised and Content versions of an InfoObject catalog

In this way you are able to compare all properties.

Transport Connection

You can transport the InfoObject catalog. All BW Objects that are needed to ensure a consistent status in the target system are collected automatically.

Where-Used List

You can determine which other objects in BW use this InfoObject catalog. You can determine what effects making a particular change in a particular way will have, and whether this change is permitted at the moment or not.

InfoObject Maintenance

You get to the transaction for displaying, creating, and changing InfoObjects from Extras in the main menu.

SAP BI InfoObject Naming Conventions

Use

As is the case for other objects in BI, the customer namespace A-Z is also reserved for InfoObjects.

When you create an InfoObject, the name you give it has to begin with a letter. BI Content InfoObjects start with 0.

For more information about namespaces, see Namespaces for BI Objects.

Integration

If you change an InfoObject in the SAP namespace, your modified InfoObject is not overwritten immediately when you install a new release, and your changes remain in place.

BI Content InfoObjects are initially delivered in the D version. If you use the BI Content InfoObject, it is activated. If you change the activated InfoObject, a new M version is generated. When this M version is activated, it overwrites the previous active version.

When you are determining naming conventions for InfoObjects, keep in mind that the length of an InfoObject is restricted to 60 characters. If additional characteristics are compounded to other InfoObjects, the length is the concatenated value. See also Tab Page: Compounding.

SAP BI Creating InfoObjects: Characteristics

Procedure

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1. In the context menu of your InfoObject catalog for characteristics, select Create InfoObject.

2. Enter a name and a description

3. Specify a reference characteristic or a template InfoObject. If you choose a template InfoObject, you copy its properties and use them for the new characteristic. You can edit the properties as required. For more information about reference characteristics, see Tab Page: Compounding in the Reference InfoObject section.

4. Confirm your entries.

5. Maintain Tab Page: General. You have to enter a description, data type and data length. The following settings and tab pages are optional.

Maintain Tab Page: Business Explorer

Maintain Tab Page: Master Data/Texts

Maintain Tab Page: Hierarchy

6. Maintain Tab Page: Attributes. This tab page is only available if you have set the With Master Data indicator on the Master Data/Texts tab page.

Maintain Tab Page: Compounding

7. Save and Activate the characteristic you have created.

Before you can use characteristics, they have to be activated.

If you choose Save, the system creates all the characteristics that have been changed and saves the table entries. However, they cannot be used for reporting in InfoProviders yet. If there is an older active version, this is retained initially.

The system only creates the relevant objects created in the data dictionary (data elements, domains, text tables, master data tables, and programs) after you have activated the characteristics. Only then do the InfoProviders use the activated, new version.

In InfoObject maintenance, you can switch between any D, M, or A versions that exist for an InfoObject at any time.

Tab Page: General BI InfoObject

Use

On this tab page, you specify the basic properties of the characteristic.

Structure

Dictionary

Specify the data type and the data length. The system provides you with selection options using F4 Help.

The following data types are supported for characteristics:

Char:	Numbers and letters	Character length 1 - 60
Numc:	Numbers only	Character length 1 - 60
Dats:	Date	Character length 8
Tims:	Time	Character length 6

Miscellaneous

Lowercase Letters Allowed / Not Allowed

If this indicator is set, the system differentiates between lowercase letters and capital letters when you use a screen template to input values. If this indicator is not set, the system converts all the letters into capital letters when you use a screen template to input values. During the load process or in the transformation, no conversion occurs. This means that values with lowercase letters cannot be updated to an InfoObject that does not allow lowercase letters.

If you choose to allow the use of lowercase letters, you must be aware of what happens when you input variables:

If you want to use the characteristic in variables, the system is only able to find the values for the characteristic if the lowercase letters and the capital letters are typed in accurately on the input screen for variables. If, on the other hand, you do not allow the use of lowercase letters, any characters that you type in the variable screen, are converted automatically into capital letters.

Conversion Routines

The standard conversion for the characteristic is displayed. If this standard conversion is unsuitable, you can override it by specifying a conversion routine in the underlying domain. See also Conversion Routines in BI Systems.

Attribute Only

If you select Attribute Only, the created characteristic can be used only as a display attribute for another characteristic and not as navigation attribute. Furthermore, you cannot transfer the characteristic into InfoCubes. However, you can use it in DataStore objects or InfoSets.

Characteristic Is Document Property

You can specify that a characteristic be used as a document property. This enables you to assign a comment (this can be any document) to a combination of characteristic values. See also Documents and the example Characteristic Is Document Property.

Since it does not make sense to use this comment function for all characteristics, you need to identify explicitly the characteristics that you want to appear in the comments.

If you set this indicator, the system generates a property (attribute) for this characteristic in the metamodel of the document management system. For technical reasons, this property (attribute) has to be written to a (dummy) transport request (the appropriate dialog box appears) but it is not actually transported.

Constants

By assigning a constant to a characteristic, you give it a fixed value. The characteristic then exists on the database side (for example, verifications), but it does not appear in reporting. Assi

Tab Page: Business Explorer BI InfoObject

Use

On this tab page you determine the properties that are required in the Business Explorer for reporting on or analyzing characteristics.

Structure

General Settings

You can make the following settings for the InfoObjects contained in the InfoProvider on an InfoProvider by InfoProvider basis. The settings are only valid in the relevant InfoProvider. See also Additional Functions in InfoCube Maintenance and Additional Functions in DataStore Object Maintenance.

Layout

For characteristics with texts: Under Display, you select whether you want to display text in the Business Explorer and if yes, which text. You can choose from the following display options: No Display, Key, Text, Key and Text, or Text and Key. This setting can be overwritten in queries.

Text Type

For characteristics and texts: In this field you set whether you want to display short, medium or long text in the Business Explorer.

Description BEx

In this field, you determine the description that appears for this characteristic in the Business Explorer. You choose between the long and short descriptions of the characteristic. This setting can be overwritten in queries. For more information, see Priority Rule with Formatting Settings.

Selection

The selection describes if and how the characteristic values have to be restricted in queries. If you choose the Unique for Every Cell option, the characteristic must be restricted to one value in each column and in each structure of all the queries. You cannot use this characteristic in aggregates. Typical examples of this kind of characteristic are Plan/Actual ID or Value Type.

Filter Selection in Query Definition

This field describes how the selection of filter values or the restriction of characteristics is determined when you define a query.

When you restrict characteristics, the values from the master data table are usually displayed. For characteristics that do not have master data tables, the values from the SID Table are displayed instead. In many cases it is more useful to only display those values that are also contained in an InfoProvider. Therefore you can also choose the setting Only Values in InfoProvider.

Filter Selection in Query Execution

This field tells you how the selection of filter values is determined when a query is executed.

When queries are executed, the selection of filter values is usually determined by the data that is selected by the query. This means that only the values for which data has been selected in the current navigation status are displayed.

In many cases, however, it can be useful to include additional values. Therefore you can also choose the settings Only Values in InfoProvider and Values in Master Data Table. If you make this selection, however, you may get the message “No data found” when you select your filter values.

These settings for input help can also be overwritten in the query. For more information, see Priority Rule with Formatting Settings.

Base Unit of Measure

You specify a unit InfoObject of type unit of measure. The unit InfoObject must be an attribute of the characteristic. This unit InfoObject is used when quantities are converted for the master data-bearing characteristic in the Business Explorer.

Currency Attribute

You select a unit InfoObject of type currency that you have created as an attribute for the characteristic. In this way, you can define variable target currencies in the currency translation types. The system determines the target currency using the master data when you perform currency translation in the Business Explorer or load dynamically. See the example Determining the Target Currency from an InfoObject.

Authorization Relevance

You choose whether a particular characteristic is included in the authorization check when you are working with the query.

Mark a characteristic as authorization-relevant if you want to create authorizations that restrict the selection conditions for this characteristic to single characteristic values.

You can only mark the characteristic as Not Authorization-Relevant if it is no longer being used as a field for the authorization object.

See also:

Analysis Authorizations

BEx Map

Geographical Type

For each geo-relevant characteristic you have to specify a geographical type. There are four options to choose from.

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1. Static geo-characteristic: For this type you can use shape files (country borders, for example), to display the characteristic on a map in the Business Explorer.

2. Dynamic Geo-Characteristic: For this type geo-attributes are generated that make it possible, for example, to display customers as a point on a map.

3. Dynamic Geo-Characteristic with Attribute Values: For this type the geo-attributes of a geo-characteristic of type 2, which is an attribute, are used.

4. Static geo-characteristic with geo-attributes: Just like static geo-characteristics, with the addition of generated geo-attributes.

See also Static and Dynamic Geo-Characteristics.

If you choose the Not a Geo-Characteristic option, this characteristic cannot be used as a geo-characteristic for displaying information on the BEx Map. Geographical attributes of the InfoObject (such as 0LONGITUDE, 0ALTITUDE) are deleted.

Geographical Attribute

If you have selected the Dynamic Geo-Characteristic with Attribute Values geographical type for the characteristic, on this tab page you specify the characteristic attribute whose geo-attributes you want to use.

Uploading Shapefiles

For static geo-characteristics: Use this function to upload the geo-information files that are assigned to the characteristic. These files are stored in the BDS as files that logically belong to the characteristic.

See also Shapefiles.

Downloading Geo-Data

For dynamic geo-characteristics: You use this function to load the master data for a characteristic to your PC, where you can use your GIS tool to geocode the data. You use a flat file to load the data again as a normal data load into the relevant BI master data table.

Mapping Geo-Relevant Characteristics SAP BI InfoObject

Definition

To display BI data geographically, a link between this data and the respective geographical characteristic must be created. This process is called Mapping Geo-Relevant Characteristics.

Structure

The geographical information about geographical boundaries of areas that are displayed using static geo-characteristics is stored in Shapefiles. In the Shapefile, a BI-specific attribute called the SAPBWKEY is responsible for connecting an area on the map with the corresponding characteristic value in BI. This attribute matches the characteristic value in the corresponding BI master data table. This process is called SAPBWKEY Maintenance for Static Geo-Characteristics . See SAPBWKEY Maintenance for Static Geo-Characteristics

You can use ArcView GIS or other software that has functions for editing dBase files to carry out the SAPBWKEY maintenance (MS Excel, for example).

With data in point form that is displayed using dynamic geo-characteristics, geographical data is added to BI master data. The process of assigning geographical data to entries in the master data table is called geocoding. See Geocoding

The software ArcView GIS from ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute) geocodes the InfoObjects.

Integration

You can execute the geocoding with the help of the ArcView GIS from ESRI software. As well as geocoding, ArcView also offers a large number of functions for special, geographical problems that are not covered by SAP NetWeaver Business Intelligence. ArcView enables you to create your own maps, for example, a map of your sales regions. For more detailed information, see the ArcView documentation.

When you buy SAP NetWeaver BI, you receive a voucher that you can use to order ArcView GIS from ESRI.

The installation package also contains a CD developed specially by SAP and ESRI. The CD contains a range of maps covering the whole world in various levels of detail. All maps on this data CD are optimized already for use with SAP NetWeaver BI. The .dbf files for the maps already contain the column SAPBWKEY that is predefined with default values. For example, the world map (cntry200) contains the usual values from the SAP system for countries in the SAPBWKEY column. Therefore, you can use the map immediately to evaluate your data geographically. You do not have to maintain the SAPBWKEY.

You can get additional detailed maps in ESRI Shapefile format from ESRI.

Static and Dynamic Geo-Characteristics SAP BI INFOOBJECT

Definition

Static and dynamic characteristics describe data with a geographical reference (for example, characteristics such as customer, sales region, country). Maps are used to display and evaluate this geo-relevant data.

Structure

There are four different types of geo-characteristic:

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1. Static geo-characteristics

A static geo-characteristic is a characteristic that describes a surface (polygon), whose geographical coordinates rarely change. Country and region are examples of static geo-characteristics.

Data from areas or polygons are stored in Shapefiles that define the geometry and the attributes of the geo-characteristics.

2. Dynamic geo-characteristics

A dynamic geo-characteristic is a characteristic that describes a location (information in point form), whose geographical coordinates can change more frequently. Customer and plant are examples of dynamic geo-characteristics because they are rooted to one geographical “point” that can be described by an address, and the address data of these characteristics can often change.

A range of standard attributes are added to this geo-characteristic in SAP NetWeaver BI. These standard attributes store the geographical coordinates of the corresponding object for each row in the master data table. The geo-attributes concerned are:

Technical Name	Description	Data Type	Length
LONGITUDE	Longitude of the location	DEC	15
LATITUDE	Latitude of the location	DEC	15
ALTITUDE	Altitude of the location (height above sea level)	DEC	17
PRECISID	Identifies how precise the data is	NUMC	4
SRCID	ID for the data source	CHAR	4

At present, only the LONGITUDE and LATITUDE attributes are used. ALTITUDE, PRECISID and SRCID are reserved for future use.

If you reset the geographical type of a characteristic to Not a Geo-Characteristic, these attributes are deleted in the InfoObject maintenance.

3. Dynamic geo-characteristics with values from attributes

To save you having to geocode each dynamic geo-characteristic individually, a dynamic geo-characteristic can get its geo-attributes (longitude, latitude, altitude) from another dynamic characteristic that has been geocoded already (postal code, for example). Customers and plants are examples of this type of dynamic geo-characteristics with values from attributes (type 3).

The system treats this geo-characteristic as a regular dynamic geo-characteristic that describes a location (geographical information as a point on map). The geo-attributes described above are not added to the master data table on the database level. Instead, the geo-coordinates are stored in the master data table of a regular attribute of the characteristic.

You want to define a dynamic geo-characteristic for Plant with the postal code as an attribute. The geo-coordinates are generated from the postal code master data table during the runtime.

This method prevents redundant entries from appearing in the master data table.

4. Static geo-characteristics with geo-attributes

A static geo-characteristic that includes geo-attributes (longitude, latitude, altitude) which geo-characteristics of type 3 are able to refer to. The postal code, for example, can be used as a static geo-characteristic with geo-attributes.

0POSTCD_GIS (postal code) is used as an attribute in the dynamic geo-characteristic 0BPARTNER (business partner) that gets its geo-coordinates from this attribute. In this way, the location information for the business partner is stored on the level of detail of the postal code areas.

See also:

Delivered Geo-Characteristics

Shapefiles Static and Dynamic Geo-Characteristics SAP BI Info Object

Definition

ArcView GIS software files from ESRI that contain digital map material of areas or polygons (shapes). Shapefiles define the geometry and attributes of static geo-characteristics. Note that shapefiles have to be available in the format of the World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS 84). For more information on the World Geodetic System WGS 84, see www.wgs84.com.

Use

Shapefiles serve as a basis for displaying BI data on maps.

Structure

Format

The format of ArcView shapefiles uses the following files with special file enhancements:

.dbf – dBase file that saves the attributes or values of the characteristic

.shp – saves the current geometry of the characteristic

.shx – saves an index for the geometry

These three files are saved for each static geo-characteristic in the Business Document Service (BDS) and loaded to the local computer from BDS when you use BEx Map.

Shapefile Data from the ESRI BI Mapping Data CD

The map data from the ESRI BI mapping data CD was chosen as the basic reference data level to provide you with a detailed map display and thematic mapping material at the levels of world maps, continents and individual countries. The reference data levels involve country boundaries, state boundaries, towns, streets, railways, lakes and rivers. The mapping data is geographically subdivided into data for 21 separate maps.

There is mapping data for:

· a world map

· seven maps on continent level, for example, Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, South America.

· 13 maps on country level: How current the data for the countries is varies. Most of the country boundaries are as they were between 1960-1988, some countries have been updated to their position in 1995.

The names of the shapefiles on the ESRI BI mapping data CD follow a three-part naming convention.

· The first part consists of an abbreviation of the thematic content of the shapefile, for example, cntry stands for a shape file with country boundaries.

· The second part of the name indicates the level of detail. There are, for example, three shapefiles with country boundary information at different levels of detail. The least detailed shapefile begins with cntry1, whereas the most detailed shapefile begins with cntry3.

· The third part of the name indicates the version number of the shapefile, based on the last two digits of the year beginning with the year 2000. Therefore, the full name of the shapefile with the most detailed country boundary information is cntry300.

All shapefiles on the ESRI BI mapping data CD already contain the SAPBWKEY column. For countries, the two-figure SAP country key is entered in the SAPBWKEY column.

The Readme.txt file on the ESRI BI mapping data CD contains further, detailed information on the delivered shapefiles, the file name conventions used, the mapping data descriptions and specifications, data sources, and how up-to-date the data is.

Integration

At run time, the shapefiles are downloaded from the BI system to the IGS (Internet Graphic Server). The files are copied into the ../data/shapefiles directory. If a specific shapefile is already in this directory, it is not copied again. If in the meantime, the shapefile has been changed in the Business Document Service (BDS), the latest version is automatically copied into the local directory.

Depending on the level of detail, shapefiles can be quite large. The shapefile cntry200.shp with the country boundaries for the entire world is around 2.2 megabytes. For smaller organizational units, such as federal states, the geometric information is saved in multiple shapefiles. You can assign a characteristic to several shapefiles (for example, federal states in Germany, France and so on).

Delivered Geo-Characteristics BI InfoObject

Definition

With Business Content, SAP NetWeaver BI delivers a range of geo-characteristics.

Structure

The following are the most important delivered geo-characteristics:

Static geo-characteristics

Technical Name	Description
0COUNTRY	Country key
0DATE_ZONE	Time zone
0REGION	Region (federal state, province)

Dynamic geo-characteristics

Technical Name	Description
0APO_LOCNO	Location number
0TV_P_LOCID	IATA location

Dynamic geo-characteristics with values from attributes

Technical Name	Attributes	Description
0BPARTNER	0POSTCD_GIS	Business partner
0CONSUMER	0POSTCD_GIS	Consumer
0CUSTOMER	0POSTCD_GIS	Customer number
0PLANT	0POSTCD_GIS	Plant
0VENDOR	0POSTCD_GIS	Vendor

Static geo-characteristics with geo-attributes

Technical Name	Description
0CITYP_CODE	City district code for city and street file
0CITY_CODE	City code for city and street file
0POSTALCODE	Postal/zip code
0POSTCD_GIS	Postal code (geo-relevant)

SAPBWKEY Maintenance for Static Geo-Characteristics

Purpose

During run time, BI data is combined with a corresponding Shapefile. This enables the BI data to be displayed in geographical form (country, region, and so on) using color shading, bar charts, or pie charts. The SAPBWKEY makes sure that the BI data is assigned to the appropriate Shapefile.

In the standard Shapefiles delivered with the ESRI BI map CD, the SAPBWKEY column is already filled with the two-character SAP country keys (DE, EN, and so on). You can use these Shapefiles without having to maintain the SAPBWKEY beforehand.

Prerequisites

You have marked the geo-relevant characteristic as geo-relevant in the InfoObject maintenance.

Before you are able to follow the example that explains how you maintain the SAPBWKEY for static geo-characteristics, you must ensure that SAP DemoContent is active in your BI system.

You can use ArcView GIS from ESRI to maintain the SAPBWKEY, or you can use other software (MS Excel or FoxPro, for example) that has functions for displaying and editing dBase files.

Process Flow

For static geo-characteristics (such as Country or Region) that represent the geographical drilldown data for a country or a region, you have to maintain the SAPBWKEY for the individual country or region in the attributes table of the Shapefile. The attributes table is a database table stored in dBase format. Once you have maintained the SAPBWKEY, you load the Shapefiles (.shp, .dbf, .shx) into BI. The Shapefiles are stored in the Business Document Service (BDS), a component of the BI server.

The following section uses the example of the 0D_COUNTRY characteristic to describe how you maintain the SAPBWKEY for static geo-characteristics. You use the CNTRY200 Shapefile from the ESRI BI map data CD. The CD contains the borders of all the countries in the world. The maintenance of the SAPBWKEY for static geo-characteristics consists of the following steps.

...

1. You create a local copy of the Shapefile from the BI data CD (.shp,.shx,.dbf).

2. You download BI master data into a dBase file.

3. You open the dBase attributes table for the Shapefile (.dbf) in Excel, and maintain the SAPBWKEY column.

4. You load the copied Shapefile into the BI system.

In this example scenario using the 0D_COUNTRY characteristic, the SAPBWKEY column is already maintained in the attributes table and corresponds with the SAP country keys in the master data table. If you maintain a Shapefile where the SAPBWKEY has not been maintained, or where the SAPBWKEY is filled with values that do not correspond to BI master data, you proceed as described in the steps above.

Result

You are now able to use the characteristic as a static geo-characteristic in the Business Explorer. Every user that works with a query containing this static geo-characteristic, is able to attach a map to the query and analyze the data on the map directly.

Creating a Local Copy of the Shape File BI InfoObject

Use

You need a local copy of the shape file before you are able to maintain the SAPBWKEY column in the attributes table of the shape file.

Procedure

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1. Use your file manager (Windows Explorer, for example) to localize the three files cntry200.shp, cntry200.shx and cntry200.dbf on the ESRI BI map data CD, and copy the files to the C:\SAPWorkDir directory, for example.

2. You must deactivate the Write Protected option before you are able to edit the files. (Select the files and choose the Properties option from the context menu (secondary mouse-click). Under Attributes, deactivate the Write Protected option).

If you do not have access to the ESRI BI map data CD, proceed as follows:

The files are already maintained in the BI Business Document Service (BDS). The following example explains how, for the characteristic 0D_COUNTRY in InfoCube 0D_SD_C0, you download these files from the BDS to your local directory.

...

1. Log on to the BI system and go to the InfoObject maintenance screen (transaction RSD1). This takes you to the Edit InfoObjects: Start screen.

2. In the InfoObject field, enter 0D_COUNTRY and choose Display. You reach the Display Characteristic 0D_COUNTRY: Details screen.

3. Choose the Business Explorer tab page. In the BEx Map area, 0D_COUNTRY is shown as a static geo-characteristic.

4. Choose Display Shape files. This takes you to the Business Document Navigator that already associates three shape files with this characteristic.

5. Open up the shape files completely in the BI Metaobjects tree.

6. Select the .dbf file BW_GIS_DBF and choose Export Document. This loads all the files to your local SAPWorkDirectory. (The system proposes the C:\SAPWorkDir directory as your SAPWorkDirectory).

7. Repeat the last step for the .shp (BW_GIS_SHP) and .shx (BW_GIS_SHX) files.

Downloading BI Master Data into a dBase File BI InfoObject

Use

To maintain the SAPBWKEY column in the shapefile attribute table, you have to specify the corresponding BI country key for every row in the attribute table. As this information is contained in the BI master data table, you have to download it into a local dBase file to compare it with the entries in the attribute table and maintain the SAPBWKEY.

Prerequisites

You have created a local working copy of the shapefile.

Procedure

...

1. Log on to the BI system and go to the InfoObject maintenance screen (transaction RSD1). This takes you to the Edit InfoObjects: Start screen.

2. In the InfoObject field, enter 0D_COUNTRY and choose Display. The Display Characteristic 0D_COUNTRY: Detail dialog box appears.

3. Choose the Business Explorer tab page. In the BEx Map area, 0D_COUNTRY is displayed as a static geo-characteristic.

4. Choose Geo Data Download (All).

5. Accept the file name proposed by the system by choosing Transfer.

The proposed file name is made up of the technical name of the characteristic and the .dbf extension, therefore, in this case the file is called 0D_COUNTRY.DBF.

If the Geo Data Download (All) pushbutton is deactivated (gray), there is no master data for the InfoObject. If this is the case, download the texts for the InfoObject manually to get to the SAPBWKEY.

See also: Creating InfoObjects: Characteristics, Tab Page: Master Data/Texts

Result

The status bar contains information on how much data has been transferred.

If you have not specified a directory for the file name, the file is saved in the local SAP work directory.

Maintaining the SAPBWKEY Column BI InfoObject

Prerequisites

You have completed the following steps:

Created a local copy of the shapefile

Downloading BI master data into a dBase file

Integration

The SAPBWKEY is maintained in the dBase file with the suffix .dbf. This file contains the attributes table.

Procedure

...

1. Launch Microsoft Excel and choose File ® Open.

2. From the dropdown box in the Files of Type field, choose dBase Files (*.dbf).

3. From the C:\SAPWorkDir directory, open the cntry200.dbf file. The attributes table from the shapefile is displayed in an Excel worksheet.

4. Repeat this procedure for the 0D_COUNTRY.DBF file that you created in the step; Loading BI Master Data into the dBase File. This file shows you which values from the SAPBWKEY are used for which countries.

5. In the 0D_COUNTRY.DBF file, use the short description (0TXTSH column) to compare the two tables.

ESRI delivers an ESRI BI map data CD. This CD contains the SAPBWKEY (corresponding to the SAP country key) for the characteristic 0D_COUNTRY. This is why the SAPBWKEY column in the cntry200.dbf file is already filled with the correct values.

Copy the SAPBWKEY manually to the attributes table in the shapefile

- if you are using a different country key

- if you are working with characteristics for which the SAPBWKEY column has not been defined, or is filled with invalid values

If you are working with compounded characteristics, copy the complete SAPBWKEY, for example, for region 01 compounded with country DE copy the complete value DE/01.

Do not under any circumstances change the sequence of the entries in the attributes table (for example, by sorting or deleting the rows!) If you were to change the sequence of the entries, the attributes table would no linger agree with the index and the geometric files.

6. When you have finished maintaining the SAPBWKEY column, save the attributes table in the shapefile, in this example, cntry200.dbf.

Uploading Edited Shapefiles into BI Systems

Prerequisites

You have completed the following steps:

Created a local copy of the shapefile

Downloaded BI master data into a dBase file

Maintained the SAPBWKEY column

Procedure

The last step is to attach the shapefile set (.shp, .shx, .dbf) to the InfoObject, by uploading it into the Business Document Service (BDS) on the BI server.

...

1. Log on to the BI system and go to the InfoObject maintenance screen (transaction RSD1). This takes you to the Edit InfoObjects: Start screen.

2. In the InfoObject field, specify 0D_COUNTRY and choose Maintain. This takes you to the Change Characteristic 0D_COUNTRY: Detail screen.

3. In the Business Explorer tab page, choose Upload Shape Files. The Business Document Service: File Selection dialog box appears.

4. Select the cntry200.shp file and choose Open The Business Document Service suggests entries for the file name, description, and so on, and allows you to enter key words that will make it easier for you to find the file in the BDS at a later date.

5. Choose Continue.

6. The system automatically asks you to upload the cntry200.dbf and cntry200.shx files for the shapefile.

Result

You have uploaded the edited shape file into the BI system. You can now use the characteristic in the Business Explorer. Every user that works with a query that contains the 0D_COUNTRY InfoObject, can now attach a map to the query and analyze the data on the map.

BI Geocoding

Purpose

To display dynamic geo-characteristics as points on a map, you have to determine the geographic co-ordinates for every master data object.

The master data table for dynamic geo-characteristics is, therefore, extended with a number of standard geo-attributes such as LONGITUDE and LATITUDE (see Static and Dynamic Geo-Characteristics ).

Prerequisites

You have marked the geo-relevant characteristic as geo-relevant in the InfoObject maintenance. See the tab page: Business Explorer

To follow the example that explains the geocoding process, you must ensure that SAP DemoContent is active in your BI system.

Process Flow

Geocoding is implemented with ArcView GIS software from ESRI. ArcView GIS determines the geographical coordinates of BI data by identifying a column with geo-relevant characteristics in a reference Shapefile. To carry out this process, you have to load the BI master data table into a dBase file. The geographical coordinates are determined for every master data object. After you have done this, convert the dBase file with the determined geo-attributes into a CSV file (comma-separated value file), which you can use for a master data upload into the BI master data table.

The following steps explain the process of geocoding dynamic geo-characteristics using the 0D_SOLD_TO characteristic (Sold-to Party) from the 0D_SD_C03 Sales Overview Demo-Content InfoCube.

...

1. You download BI master data into a dBase file.

2. You execute the geocoding with ArcView GIS .

3. You convert dBase files into a CSV files.

4. You schedule a master data upload for the CSV file.

The system administrator is responsible for the master data upload.

Result

You are now able to use the characteristic as a dynamic geo-characteristic in the Business Explorer. Each user who works with a query that contains this dynamic geo-characteristic can now analyze data from a chart.

Downloading BI Master Data into a dBase File Geocoding

Use

The first step in SAPBWKEY maintenance for dynamic geo-characteristics and their geocoding is to download the BI master data table into a dBase file.

Procedure

...

1. Log on to the BI system and go to the InfoObject maintenance screen (transaction RSD1). The Edit InfoObjects: Start dialog box appears.

2. In the InfoObject field, enter the name of the dynamic geo-characteristic that you want to geocode (in this example: 0D_SOLD_TO).

3. Choose Display. The Display Characteristic 0D_SOLD_TO: Detail dialog box appears.

4. Choose the Business Explorer tab page. In the BEx Map area, 0DSOLD_TO is displayed as a Dynamic Geo-Characteristic.

5. Choose Geo Data Download (All).

If you only want to maintain those entries that have been changed since the last attribute master data upload, choose Geo Data Download (Delta). The geo-data has to be downloaded in the delta version before you execute the realignment run for the InfoObject. Otherwise the delta information is lost.

6. The system asks you to select a geo-attribute that you want to include in the dBase file. The system only displays those attributes that were defined as geo-relevant. In this case, select both attributes: 0D_COUNTRY and 0D_REGION.

7. Choose Transfer Selections.

8. Transfer the file name suggested by the system and choose Transfer.

The proposed file name is made up of the technical name of the characteristic and the .dbf extension. You can change the file name and create a directory. If you do not specify a path, the file is automatically saved in the SAP work directory.

Result

The status bar contains information on how much data has been transferred.

Geocoding Using ArcView GIS BI InfoObject

Prerequisites

· You have installed the ESRI ArcView software on your system and requested the geographical data you need from ESRI, if this is not already on the data CD delivered with the software.

· You have completed the following step:

Downloading BI master data into a dBase file

Use

Using geocoding, you enhance dynamic geo-characteristics from BI master data with the geographical attributes degrees of longitude and latitude.

Procedure

The following procedure is an example procedure that you can reconstruct using the demo contents. For further details on geocoding and on the ArcView functions, refer to ArcView documentation.

In ArcView GIS you can execute many commands easily from the context menu. To open the context menu, select an element and click on it with the secondary mouse button.

...

1. Open using Programs ® ArcGIS ArcCatalog.

2. Under Address Locators, double-click on the entry New Address Locator.

3. In the Create New Address Locator window, select the entry Single Field (File) and click on OK.

4. In the New: Single Field (File) Address Locator window, enter the name of the service and the description, for example, Geocoding Service SoldTo. Under Reference data, enter the path for the reference Shapefile, for example, g_stat00.shp and from the Fields dropdown menu, select the most appropriate entry, in this case, SAPBWKEY. Under Output Fields, activate the control box X and Y Coordinates.

In the navigation menu, the new service is displayed under Address Locators.

5. Open using Programs ® ArcGis ArcMap and start with A New, Empty Map in the entry dialog. Choose OK.

6. In the standard toolbar, click on the Add Data symbol and add the corresponding dBase file, for example, SoldTo.dbf as a new table.

The Choose an address locator to use.. window is opened. All available services are displayed in this window.

7. Click Add and, in choose the Address Locator entry in the Add Address Locator window under Search in:. Select the service that you created in step four (in this example, Geocoding Service SoldTo) and click on Add.

8. In the Choose an address locator to use.. window, select the service again, and click OK.

The Geocode Addresses window is opened.

9. Under Address Input Fields, choose the appropriate entry, for example, 1_0D_Regio. This is the field that tallies with the reference data. Under Output Output Shapefile or feature class, enter the path under which the result of the geocoding is to be saved. Choose OK.

The data is geocoded.

10. After you have checked the statistics in the Review/Rematch Addresses window, click Done.

Result

The dynamic geo-characteristics for your master data have now been enhanced with additional geo-information in the form of the columns X (longitude) and Y (latitude). In ArcMap this information is displayed by points displayed in the right-hand side of the work area.

To check whether the result appears as you had planned, you can place the points on the relevant map. Proceed as follows:

...

1. Click on the Add Data symbol on the tab page.

2. Select the reference Shapefile that you used in step four, for example, g_stat00.shp.

3. Click Add.

The map is displayed in the work area in a layer beneath the points.