2003 Business Information, Technology & Infrastructure Forum

Session Code: 402

Luis Orama
Platinum Consultant
SAP
Transporting Objects in BW: Key Concepts

Techniques You Need to Know

Best Practices

Conclusion
Transporting Objects in BW: Key Concepts

Techniques You Need to Know

Best Practices

Conclusion
• SAP BW allows you to transport your work
– Configuration, Objects, Roles, and Business Explorer (BEx)
objects
– Records your development creation or changes
– Moves objects & configuration to downstream systems

• SAP BW uses change requests and tasks

– Provides a change history log for an object

• Transporting program objects

– Custom code, user exits, etc., are transported just like in R/3
• New SAP BW-specific objects
– BEx objects (Queries, InfoCubes, etc.)
– Administrative objects (roles)

• The Transport Connection Tool

– One-stop tool for assigning objects to & managing transports
– Used mainly to transport BEx objects

• The “Packages” concept

– Same function as a “Development class”
– Like R/3, BW includes a local ($TMP) package (non-
transportable)
continued >

Building Block
• How objects get collected for transport
– SAP BW introduces a “grouping” concept for all objects
– You’ll run into problems unless you understand
grouping!

• Objects can be changed in QA and PRD

– Allows “eligible” objects to be created/managed without
transports
• e.g., aggregate, queries, workbooks
– You can enable/disallow this permission in the Transport
Connection Tool

Building Block
 ! "

• The Transport Connection

– Easy-to-use tool for assigning objects to & managing

transports
– For all tasks and requests, you still need SE09/SE10 to release
the transports
– Access via transaction RSA1 or via the Admin Workbench
(AWB)
• Click on the “Transport Connection” tab
! "

Tcode
RSA1
! "
 ! "

• How it Works

– New objects are created as local objects in package $TMP

– Activated business content objects are also assigned to $TMP
– Objects get assigned to a transportable package only when
they are to be transported
– BEx objects are assigned to a fixed BEx change request
• BEx objects = Queries, Query elements, Calculated and
Restricted Key Figures
• You can define a fixed BEx request for each package
• Upon assignment to a transportable package in the TC
– BEx objects are directly written at the request level

Don't
Forget
 "
!

• Tip: You don’t have to use the Transport

Connection Tool
– The Transport Connection is active by default
– You can use the traditional transport approach/tools instead
– You can only use one or the other (this is a global setting!)
– The standard tools involve more effort/work
• How to deactivate the Transport Connection
– Launch the transport connection
– Go to menu path > Edit > Transport > Switch-on Standard

I recommend you always use the Transport Connection Tool!

 # $ %
!
• In SAP BW, objects are assigned to packages
– Packages allow customers to group their development work
– Same object as development classes in R/3
– Packages are assigned to transport layers which map to target
systems
• There are two types: local vs. transportable
– Local = $TMP = non-transportable
– All new objects are automatically assigned to $TMP
– All newly created objects are automatically assigned to a local
package ($TMP)
Transporting Objects in BW: Key Concepts

Techniques You Need to Know

Best Practices

Conclusion
 &' ( '
) * +

• 1 - How to Transport BW Objects

• 2 - How to Transport Roles

• 3 - How to Manage Transports

• 4 - How to Troubleshoot Transport Errors

 &' , - . +

/01
• You first need to decide
– Which objects you want to collect
– How you want to collect them
• Five grouping options are available
– Only necessary objects
– In data flow before
– In data flow afterwards
– In data flow before and afterwards
– Save for system copy
 ,- . +
/01

• The combination of grouping and object type will

define the objects that will be transported
– InfoProviders, InfoObjects, Update Rules, Transfer Rules, etc.
• Example:
– If you choose collection mode “In data flow before and
afterward”, you probably will collect at the InfoProvider level
(Cube or ODS)
– If you choose “Only necessary objects,” you probably will
collect at an InfoObject level

You need to understand the relationship of objects to others

Note and their levels to choose the appropriate grouping
 ,- . +
/01

1 – Select a
grouping here

2 - Select an
object as a
“starting point”
Transport
Connection
Main Screen
 ,- . +
/01

3 - Resulting list of objects

that were collected This is the “In data flow afterwards” view
 ,- . +
/01

5 - Then click the truck icon

to add to a change request

4 - To transport, check this

box...

This is the “In data flow before” view

 ,- . +
/01

6 - Select or create a change

request
,- . +
/01
 ,- . +
/01

• Important Tips & Pitfalls: BEx Objects

– Choose the package correctly the first time for BEx objects
• It's difficult to go back and change the package after
transport
– Don’t release the change request until you’re ready to
transport
• If the global BEx change request gets released, you’ll need
to assign a new one before objects can be added to the
package
– Deselect “Do not transport any below” for specific objects
• (see the screenshot on the next slide)

GOTCHA!
 ,- . +
/01

Example custom package structure: BEx Objects

Customer Package Description

ZBW BW Package for Custom Objects

ZACTPAY Accounts Payable - Query-only package
ZACTREC Accounts Receivables - Query-only package
ZCONTROLLING Controlling - Query-only package
ZSALES Sales and Distribution – Query-only package
ZFIAA Fixed Assets - Query-only package
ZPROJ_SYS Project Systems – Query-only package
ZPURCH Purchasing - Query-only package
ZSP_LEDGER Special Ledger - Query-only package
 ,- . +
/01

6 - Select or create a change

request
 &' 2 - . +
"

• Transporting Roles
– Common point of confusion!
– Business Content roles use the Transport
Connection
– Customer-specific roles must be transported
manually
• Use the Role Maintenance screen in the profile
generator (PFCG)

As roles are customizing objects, you need a

Note customizing request
 &' -. +
3

• Transaction SE09 is where the transport

request is managed.
• You can do the following activities:
– Release your tasks and request for import to the target
systems
– Merge your request or reassign your tasks for
organizational purposes
– Delete tasks or requests assigned to you
– Delete objects within a task
– Change ownership of a task(s) or request(s)
-. + 3
-. + 3
 &' 4 - . +
'0"
5
• Transport log will allow you to see your error(s)

– There are four levels of statuses

1. 0 – no errors, objects were imported successfully
2. 4 – warnings, objects were imported successfully
3. 8 – errors, some objects may have been imported
successfully
4. 12 – errors, no object was imported successfully

Don't In the transport log you can view the specific error and
Forget
object that failed and why
Transporting Objects in BW: Key Concepts

Techniques You Need to Know

Best Practices

Conclusion
 56 /01
• Transport all customer-defined packages before
transporting objects
• Transport InfoProvider(s) using the “in data flow
before” grouping option
• Transport all Global Variables with primary
package assignment
– i.e., ZBW
• Transport BEx objects with appropriate individual
package assignment
• Transport roles and workbooks
• Transport other objects: Process chains,
InfoSpokes, etc.
 7
56
/01 8
• Objects need to be transported as per their
dependencies
– InfoProviders will bring in all relevant InfoObjects
• Global variables are dependant on their reference
InfoObject to be active
• Queries, workbooks and roles are dependant on
InfoProviders and InfoObjects to be active
• Use the Transport Connection Tool to analyze
your objects
– Is it in another transport owned by someone else?
– What is its relationship to other objects?
– What else does it contain within it?
 -9

• Make sure to set the source system mapping

configuration in each target system to convert the
transfer rules
– If you don’t, your transports will fail on importing the transfer
rules/transfer structures
• It’s critical to properly sequence your R/3 and
SAP BW transports!
– 1 - Transport the OLTP 1st
– 2 - Replicate DataSources
• copies the DataSources from the OLTP system to SAP BW
– 3 - Transport to your SAP BW
-9
-9
Transporting Objects in BW: Key Concepts

Techniques You Need to Know

Best Practices

Conclusion
 7 3 :

• See http://service.sap.com/bw
 ;* <
$ .

• The BW Transport Connection is a powerful, easy

to use tool for transporting objects
• Be careful when grouping objects to make sure
you get all of (but no more than) those you need
• Setup and transport custom BEx object packages
ahead of time
• Make sure to properly sequence your R/3 and BW
transports
• Consolidate your transports where appropriate
• Keep your transports clean. Use SE09 or SE10
• Set Source System Mapping in target systems
 ( ' ' =

Questions?
 ! < 2>> ? ""
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2003 Business Information, Technology & Infrastructure Forum

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Session Code: 402