Overview of SAP History and BW/BI Evolution

The SAP Business Information Warehouse enables Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) to format the information of large amounts of operative and historical data. OLAP technology enables multi-dimensional analyses according to various business perspectives. The preconfigured Business Information Warehouse Server for core areas and processes ensures information views within the entire enterprise.
 

SAP (R/3) Source System Definition
 

All systems that provide the SAP (BW) with data are described as source systems.

• R/3 systems from Release 3.0D

• R/3 systems before Release 3.0D

• SAP (BW) systems

• Flat files, Metadata is maintained manually, and transferred into BW via a file interface

• External systems, Data and Metadata is transferred using staging BAPI's

Components

SAP (R/3) Source System Extractors

Extractors are SAP (R/3) Source System ABAP Programs that enable the SAP (BW) System to extract data from the SAP (R/3) Source System DataSets into the Extract Structure of a Data Source.

• Standard Extractor (Application Specific)

• Non-Standard Extractor (Generic)

SAP (BW) System Definition

The SAP (BW) System is an enterprise-wide information hub, which allows you to analyse data from R/3 and non-R/3 application and present it in an Excel-Based user interface.
Components Administrator Workbench
The Administrator Workbench is the tool for controlling, monitoring and maintaining all of the processes connected with data staging and processing in the SAP (BW) System.
 

Business Explorer (BEx)

The Business Explorer is the reporting tool for the Business Information Warehouse and consists of

• Business Explorer Analyser

• Business Explorer Browser

Data Handling In The SAP (R/3) Source Systems
  

Data Source

• Data that logically belongs together is stored in the SAP (R/3) Source System in the form of Data Sources.

• A Data Source contains a number of fields in a flat structure used to transfer data into SAP (BW) System.

• A Data Source is an object that, at the request of SAP (BW) System, makes data available in one of its predetermined structures.

There are 2 Categories of Data Source

• Standard Data Source (Application Data Source)

• Non-Standard Data Source (Generic Data Source)

• Data Sources for transaction data

• Data Sources for master data

• Attributes

• Text

• Hierarchies

  The components of a Data Source are

• Extract Structure

• Transfer structure