Process Review on 3.X Loading for Purchase Cube in SAP BI

By Arun Bala Ganesan, Wipro Technologies

1    Description:

The Purchase Cube (PU_C01) is a standard cube in SAP BI. Its main use in Business Intelligence is to aggregate master data variables (Viz. Material Type, Material ID, and Material Groups) and compute summation on total of these variables.  

Some major enhancement to the Cube are made in the BI content by the project team so as to utilize and manage different types of materials, and the implications effectively. It will provide the tracking of the effects of different groups, types of materials based on categories and attributes, leading to changes in processes and levels to expedite aggregations.  

This information will help organization in understanding movement frequency by tracking materials & goods time-to-time and will enable segmentation of the Master database, and associated level of movement frequency provided, in order to avoid extra cost associated with handling goods from a management point of view.  

This document describes the loading of 3.X Purchase Cube. The master data when loaded into the cube will be used in several reporting levels in end user levels using reports/workbooks using general queries & constructs.  

2   Key Challenges

A key challenge during this change was to ensure that any change would not disturb the existing business content of the Purchase Cube and also that there would be a tangible and quantitative improvement in the completion of the reports. From technical perspective the challenge was to ensure that the legacy 3.X loading of master data would not defoliate the BI performance.  

3    Process Description3.1    Initial Object Creation

Initially in the Info Provider level we create a Info Area. The Info Areas are just similar to folders in normal context of files. Here we create an Info Area with the Technical Name – INFOE_M1 and Description as – INFOAREA_M1.  

Here we are actually copying the cube from OD_PU_01 which is nothing but the purchase cube. We are replicating / duplicating the BI content of the Purchase cube.  

After this process, we save & activate the whole Cube

Note: It’s better to refresh the Sub tree & perform Activation of the Info Provider objects.

Now, Go to Info Sources and right click the top to “Create application component”  

This Application Component Area is similar to Info Area, in concepts of folders, but its main difference is its totally unlinked with Info Areas level.  

The technical name of the application component is AC_45 & the technical name remains the same. 

After creating the Application Component AC_45, we right click the Application Component area  

Additional Functions à Create Info Source 3.X  

Now, we perform data field entry on the Info Source.

The easier option is to list out all the fields in the Output. Now, we need to insert 8/8 data of the info objects technical name in the Info source.

Here, we list the fields and copy them from an XLS sheet (Using transpose method) into the Info source.  

During the completion we got a pop-up message as in the output.  

“Reference Info Object OLOC_CURRCY automatically inserted”  

This is because the reference variable for the particular info object is automatically linked to the OLOC_CURRCY. So, being a currency variable, it must be automatically inserted.

The next step is to create an order for those fields.

The steps as shown below perform the ordering of these fields.

An Info Source consists of the following:

Communication Structure Transfer Structure  

  

The process must be repeated to complete the order in Communication Structure.

Now that the whole steps have been completed, the order of the fields is assured.

Now, our task is to create a Transfer Structure  

Note: The order of the fields is a determinant in the Communication Structure for the same order to be reflected in the Transfer Structure, thereby eliminating hassles for reordering & rechecking fields in TS.

Here, we need to select the Source System as “FLAT FILE (X)” in the Transfer Structure.

In the process of copying the fields, we must not forget to change the Conversion Parameter.

Here, we have CALMONTH which is usually a PERI6 by default, which must be noted  

Now, perform a “Refresh Sub tree”  

  

Now, we need to create an Info package on the Data source. So, right click and choose “Create Info package” & name it, say “IP_TEST46”  

After saving the Info package, we need to choose the corresponding file for input. It could be from AL11 or from your desktop.  

Choosing files from the list we choose “DIR_HOME” where purchase cube data is stored.

We now have chosen the file name “0D_PU_C01_TD_2003_2004_E” as an example  

Choose “Disp Cont.” to continue with selection.

  

Now we have to specify the Name of the file, which is automatically named by the AL11. Also, the main thing to be noted here is the “No. of header rows to be ignored” which is set to “1” .  

  

  

Caution: Don’t “Execute” the info package at this moment.

Now, on the cube we need to create the Update rules

We right click the info cube  Additional Functions  Create Update Rules

Now, the following dialog box is displayed.  

Now, refresh the sub tree.

Now you can “Start the Data Load immediately”, by pressing the START button, further if you wish to schedule as a background job, you can click on “Job(s)”

  

Now, that the sub tree is clearly visible, we proceed to check the PSA data.

So, now click the “Manage PSA” hot key or use [Ctrl + Shift + F6]  

Now, that we note there are totally 990 records loaded from flat file in AL11 common server.

Now that the data has been loaded into the cube we can start to “Display Data”

Right click the Info cube  Display Data, which will display the cube data as in LISTCUBE.  

Choose the “Field Selection for Outputs”  Press Execute  F8

Outputs