Importing BW models to HANA

Sometimes you need to import BW models to HANA for reporting tools.

In earlier versions, you need to perform this activity manually in hana studio (7.3, 7.4).

With BW 7.5 on HANA, you have the checkbox option ‘External SAP HANA view’ by checking which a view is automatically created when the object is activated in HANA studio.

You can import below BW objects to SAP HANA:

• SAP HANA optimized Infocubes
• Standard DSO
• Query as Infoprovider
• InfoObjects of type Characteristics

Pre requisites:

• You have added BW schema in SQL privileges for the Modeler user
• _SYS_REPO user has SELECT with GRANT privileges on the BW schema
• Proper connection is established between HANA and BW system

Note:

• You can only import queries which are set as InfoProvider and for which analytical index is created in BW (tcode RSDDB)
• Only standard DSO with setting ‘Create SID on Activation’ can be imported
• You can import characteristics having key figures as attributes

step 1: Log on to your BW system, choose the object you want to import, make sure it is active

step 2: go to hana studio, in BW modeling perspective, attach the HANA system to your BW project

step 3: choose the package where you want to import your BW objects or create new package

step 4: In Menu options choose File-Import

step 5: Expand the SAP HANA content node, choose SAP BW models and choose Next

step 6: Log on to your BW system as new connection, click Next, choose the hana system, click Next

step 7: type the technical name of your object and select

step 8: In below options select the package and whether you want authorizations also to be imported, display attributes

step 9: choose finish. Go to the package and select ‘Refresh’. Now you can see your BW object in HANA as a ‘view’

Note: Multiproviders and Infosets cannot be imported, it is advisable to import query based on these in such cases.

Limitations:

Changes to BW object are not reflected automatically in HANA, you need to reimport the objects with overwrite option

For queries, analytical index should be refreshed every time data is changed or query is changed to reflect those changes in HANA

For transports, import should happen in each and every system to reflect changes in HANA

These limitations are taken care in new version where we have the option of selecting option ‘External SAP HANA View’

You can check in which package your view is automatically created by doing below steps.

Go to tcode SPRO in BW, Click on ‘SAP Reference IMG’, search for settings ‘HANA’

Double click on the setting for ‘External SAP HANA view’

Note the package name

Now go to the HANA system which is attached to your BW system in hana studio.

Drill down the Repository Content, You will be able to see a view created for your BW object in package

Please post your questions on this topic in comments section below, we will try to answer. Also any changes observed in the newer versions, please post for audience to be aware. Thank for reading.