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Component documentation Step-by-Step: From the Data Model to the BI Application in the Web 


This tutorial guides you step-by-step through the basic procedures for creating a simple but complete SAP NetWeaver BI scenario. Complete means that you create a simple data model, define the data flow from the source to the BI store of your data model, and then load data or enter data directly in the BI system. To be able to analyze the data, you then create a Web-based BI application that you broadcast by E-mail to your employees.

The company in our scenario produces laptops, PCs and computer accessories, and distributes its products over various channels. An advertising campaign for the Internet distribution channel was started in July by the marketing department. The success of the campaign is to be checked in October of the same year in order to decide whether and how the campaign should be continued. A revenue report containing the data of the past quarter and showing the revenue for the various distribution channels during this time is therefore required.


At the end of the tutorial you will be able to perform the following tasks:

  Create a simple BI data model with InfoObjects (characteristics, key figures) and an InfoCube for storing data in the BI system.

In our scenario, the "container" for the revenue data is an InfoCube. It consists of key figures and characteristics. The key figures provide the transaction data to be analyzed, in our case sales figures and amounts. The characteristics are the reference objects for the key figures; in our scenario these are Product, Product Group and Channel. They contain the master data, which remains unchanged over a long period of time. The master data of the characteristics in this scenario can be attributes and texts.

You create the data model in the following steps:

  Creating Key Figures

  Creating Characteristics

  Creating InfoCubes

  Map the source structure of the data in the BI system and define the transformation of the data from the source structure to the target format. In this way you will be able to define the data flow in the BI system.

The structure and properties of the source data are represented in the BI system with DataSources. In our scenario, we need DataSources to copy master data for the characteristic Product as well as sales data from the relevant file to the entry layer of the BI system.

The transformations define which fields of the DataSource are assigned to which InfoObjects in the target and how the data is transformed during the load process. In our simple scenario, the transformations are kept simple and do not contain any complex rules. The assignment is direct, that is the fields of the source are copied to the InfoObjects of the target one-to-one.

You create the necessary objects for defining the data flow in the following steps:

  Creating DataSources for Master Data of Characteristic "Product“

  Creating DataSources for Transaction Data

  Creating Transformations for Master Data from Characteristic „Product“

  Creating Transformations for InfoCubes

  Load the data.

The load processes are executed using InfoPackages and data transfer processes. The InfoPackages load the data from the relevant file into the DataSource, and the data transfer processes load the master data from the DataSource into the characteristic Product or the transaction data into the InfoCube. When the data transfer process is executed, the data is subject to the corresponding transformation. For the characteristics Product Group and Channel, we show that it is also possible to load small amounts of master data directly in the BI system instead of from the source. In this case neither DataSources and transformations nor InfoPackages and data transfer processes are required.

You create the necessary objects for loading data in the following steps:

  Creating Master Data Directly in the System

  Loading Master Data for Characteristic "Product"

  Loading Transaction Data

  Define a query that is used as the basis for a Web application and allows for an ad-hoc analysis of the data in the Web.

You create the query in the following step:

  Defining Queries

  Create a Web application with navigation options and functions, such as printing based on the query.

You create the Web application in the following step:

  Creating Web Applications

  Analyze the data in the Web application, add comments to it, and broadcast it by E-mail to other employees.

You analyze and broadcast the data in the following steps:

  Analyzing Data in the Web Application

  Broadcasting Web Applications by E-Mail


Systems, Installations and Authorizations

  You have a BI system in which usage types BI ABAP and BI Java are installed and configured.

  You installed the SAP front end with the BI front end add-on.

  You installed a Web browser.

  You installed and configured the Adobe document services.

  You installed Adobe Reader.

  You have a user that is assigned to the following roles:







More information: Setting Up Standard Authorizations

To be able to broadcast BI contents by e-mail at a later time, you have sufficient authorization for authorization object S_OC_SEND.


The sample data for our scenario is available as csv files:


This file contains the attributes for characteristic Product.


This file contains the texts for characteristic Product.


This file contains the sales data for the months July to September.

You stored the files in a folder on your local host. You can download the files from the following Internet address:  Knowledge Center (SAP NetWeaver 7.0  Getting Started  BI Overview BI Tutorial Sample Data. 


You have a basic knowledge of the architecture of SAP NetWeaver BI and have read the section Business Intelligence: Overview.

Continue with ...

Creating Key Figures


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