Use
The BI Service API (SAPI) is a technology package in the SAP source system that enables the close integration of data transfer from SAP source systems into a BI system.
The SAPI allows you to
● make SAP application extractors available as a basis for data transfer into BI
● carry out generic data extraction
● use intelligent delta processes
● access data in the source system directly from BI (VirtualProvider support)
With transaction SBIW, the SAPI provides an implementation guide in the SAP source system that includes the activities necessary for data extraction and data transfer from an SAP source system into BI.
Irrespective of the type of SAP source system, Customizing for extractors comprises activities that belong to the scope of SAPI:
● general settings for data transfer from a source system into BI
● the option of installing BI Content delivered by SAP
● the option of maintaining generic DataSources
● the option of postprocessing the application component hierarchy and DataSources on a source system level
In addition to the activities that are part of the scope of SAPI, Customizing for extractors for OLTP and further SAP source systems may contain source-system specific settings for application-specific DataSources.
Features
General Settings
General settings include the following activities:
● Maintaining control parameters for data transfer
● Restricting authorizations for extraction
● Monitoring the delta queue
Installing BI Content Delivered by SAP
DataSources delivered with the BI Content by SAP and those delivered by partners appear in a delivery version (D version). If you want to use a partner or BI Content DataSource to transfer data from a source system into BI, you need to transfer this DataSource from the D into the active (A) version.
In the source system, the DataSources are assigned to specific application components. If you want to display the DataSources in BI in the DataSource tree of the Data Warehousing Workbench according to this application component hierarchy, you need to transfer them from the D version into the A version in the source system.
Transferring data from an OLTP system or other SAP source systems
Note: You need to make settings for some BI Content DataSources before you can transfer data into BI. These settings are listed in transaction SBIW in the Settings for Application-Specific DataSources section. You can only find this section in those SAP source systems for which it is relevant.
The following activities are associated with installing BI Content:
● Transferring application component hierarchies
● Installing Business Content DataSources
Generic DataSources
Regardless of the specific application, you can use generic data extraction to extract data from any transparent tables, database views or SAP Query functional areas. You do not need to program in ABAP. You can also use function modules for generic data extraction.
In this way, you can use your own DataSources for transaction data, master data attributes or texts. The data for such DataSources is read generically and then transferred into BI.
Generic DataSources allow you to extract data which cannot be supplied to BI either with the DataSources delivered with BI Content or with customer-defined DataSources of the application.
For more information, see Maintaining Generic DataSources.
Postprocessing DataSources
You can adapt existing DataSources to suit your requirements as well as edit the application component hierarchy for the DataSources.
For more information, see Editing DataSources and Application Component Hierarchies .
