Using Process Chains in SAP Business Information

SAP TechEd ‘03 Basel
Using Process Chains in

SAP Business Information
Warehouse
Alexander Peter
Product Management BI, SAP AG
Thomas Rinneberg
Development BI, SAP AG
Learning Objectives
At the end of this lecture, you will be able to:

Understand Process Chains as an intuitive and easy way to
administer your SAP BW
Explain which process types are delivered by SAP
Implement your own process types
 2003 SAP AG, TechED EMEA, BW 255, Peter/Rinneberg 2
© 2003 SAP AG BW 255, Peter/Rinneberg 1

SAP NetWeaver™
Turning Enterprise Services Architecture Vision Into Reality
SAP NetWeaver™ The open integration

PEOPLE INTEGRATION and application
Multi channel access
platform for TCO
… reduction
Portal Collaboration
Integrate people,
Composite Application Framework
information and
INFORMATION INTEGRATION
processes…
Bus. Intelligence Knowledge Mgmt … in 1 hub …
Life Cycle Mgmt

Master Data Mgmt … across technologies
and organizations.
PROCESS INTEGRATION Enterprise-scale Java and
Integration Business ABAP application platform
Broker Process Mgmt .NET and WebSphere
interoperability and
APPLICATION PLATFORM extensibility
J2EE ABAP Pre-configured with
business content
DB and OS Abstraction
Adapters to non-SAP
Agenda
Process Chain Architecture
Process Structure
Selected Process Types
Building and Monitoring Process Chains
Building your own Process Type
Behind the Scenes

Agenda
Process Structure
Behind the Scenes
Introduction: Typical Data Load Cycle
Load into PSA Data Load

Monitor
Drop Indices
Load into ODS
Start
Activate
Roll up
Data in ODS
Aggregates
Build DB Load into Cube

Statistics
Data Target
Build Indices
Maintenance

Process Chains: Concepts
Start
Concept Example:
Building a process
Drop IC control flow
Indices
Failure? Success? Load 3 InfoPackages in

Parallel into 1 InfoCube
Email
System Data Data Data
Admin Load A Load B Load C
Failure? Failure?
Email Email
System
Success off all 3? System
Data
Admin Admin
Load X
Build IC
Indices
Development Model for Process Chain Functionality
Automating BW activities
id e in
Graphical modelling and monitoring O u t s
Central monitoring of BW processes
Openness for all kinds of processes
i de out
High termination security
Ins
Moving “responsibility” into the individual processes

Basic principles (1)
Openness ⇒ abstract meaning of

“process“: “Any activity with defined
start and defined ending”
Security ⇒ founding on the batch job

administration:
Processes get planned before they run and
can be viewed with standard batch-monitor
Starting of successors via batch-events
Dumps and Aborts are caught and thus
can be treated as failures
Basic principles (2)
⇒ Responsibility:
Predecessor process is not
responsible to start the correct
successors and provide them
with necessary information
The successor processes are
only responsible to run correctly
and gather the necessary
information
⇒ Programming model:
Communication between
processes: Check the status info
of the predecessor process
Loose coupling of the processes
to guarantees extensibility
(ability to implement your own
process using ABAP OO)

Process Chains Maintenance
e
e th
Not ble
ila
ava s
ces
pro es
typ
Agenda
Process Structure
Behind the Scenes

Structure of a process
Type – Kind of task

One ABAP-OO-Class per process type
Variant – Configuration
Defines characteristics of this process object
Maintenance of variant is specific for every process type
Instance – Messages and information for the successors

The process object is instantiated at runtime
Runtime:
Get the variant and predecessor list
Instantiate process object
Ask predecessors for information
Execution of the defined process
Report ending with status and instance
Process Chains: Flow for Object Instantiation
Start
Sequence of Object
Instantiation of a
Drop IC
Drop IC Process at Runtime
Predecessor Process Indices
Indices
Failure? Success?
Execute
ess
sor Proc
Email es
System input Information Data Succ
Admin Load
Failure?
Write Status, also:
Any Additional Information? Success? Email
System
Data Admin
Load X
Build IC
Drop IC
Indices
Indices

Structure of a process – Example of process type
Type – Attribute Change Run

Execute the hierarchy and attribute change run
Process types can be maintained via Settings – Process Types
Do not change standard process types (if allowed)
Structure of a process – Example of variant
Variant – Configure the Hierarchy and Attribute Change run

Execute the specific hierarchy and attribute change run for which
hierarchy, which InfoObject or which data loading process

Variant Maintenance: References to Predecessor
Example: Start chain, load master data, upon success,

perform change run
Process Variants can have the objects
to be worked on entered directly
or
a reference to a preceding
(loading) process, which
knows the objects
Structure of a process – Example of instance
Instance
The instance is defined by a unique handle
(instance number, a GUID)
Store Worklist with instance – this information can
be given to successors
Store logs and protocols with instance
The instance has an execution status
Each instance is a batch job – a job count is
attached to it

Agenda
Process Structure
Behind the Scenes
Collector Processes
Collector processes are used to manage multiple predecessor

processes that feed into the same subsequent process. The collector
processes available for BW are:
AND : All of the direct predecessor processes must raise an event in

order for subsequent processes to be executed
OR : A least one predecessor process must send an event

The first predecessor process that sends an event triggers the subsequent
process
Any additional predecessor processes that send an event will again trigger
subsequent process (Only if the chain is planned as “periodic”)
EXOR : Exclusive “OR”

Similar to regular “OR”, but there is only ONE execution of the successor
processes, even if several predecessor processes raise an event

Process Chains: Concepts
Start
Concept Example:
Building a process
Drop IC control flow
Indices

Email
Failure? Failure?
Email Email
System
AND Collector System
Data
Admin Admin
Load X
Build IC
Indices
Application Processes
Application processes represent BW activities that are typically
performed as part of BW operations. Examples include:
Data load
Attribute/Hierarchy Change run
Aggregate rollup
Reporting Agent Settings
Other special types of application processes exist:
Starter – process that exists to initiate process chain

execution
ABAP program
Another process chain
Customer built process

Application Process Types
Operating system command

Access to OS commands like ‘dir’ (list contents of
application server file system)
Note: There is only an call “out” to OS, only Standard-
Out is given back to BW
Remote process chains
Supports process chains in a data mart environment
Master data reorganization
Reporting Agent Settings
Exception reporting
Print queries in background
Pre-calculating web templates
Pre-calculating characteristic variables of type pre-
calculated value sets
Reporting Agent Process Parameterization
Process Variant requires Reporting Agent

Package as only parameter

Agenda
Process Structure
Behind the Scenes
User Interface: Building a Process Chain
Draw line to
connect
Drag and drop processes

Building a Process Chain: Example
Example: Start chain, load master data, upon success,

perform change run
Line shows as black because the

process can only run and end (no
difference between unsuccessful and
successful ending).
Line shows as green because the

event to trigger the subsequent
process is raised at successful
ending of the process.
Three Different Views in the Transaction

Planning view: Build and change process chains
Grey: unplanned processes
Green: planned processes
Yellow: planned but unknown processes
Red: multiple planned processes
Check view: Check for errors in design

Green: Error-free processes
Yellow: Process with warnings
Red: Process with errors
Log view: Monitoring of process chains

Grey: Not yet run
Green: Finished without error
Yellow: running
Red: broken or failed

Different object trees when building process chains 1
For easy administration on process chains different object

trees can be displayed.
Process Chains Process Types

Available process Available
chains (display process types
components)
Process types can be created via

Settings – Process Types
Further information included in
section „Implementing a
Creation and assignment of process“
display components via menu or
via button
Different object trees when building process chains 2
For easy administration on process chains different object

trees can be displayed. Log
Display the log
InfoAreas tree
Search in InfoSources
InfoProvider tree
Search in
InfoSources tree
for InfoPackages
In InfoPackage reference to process

chain is displayed
Possible processes on data

target are displayed

Process Chains: Failed processes can send email!
Write a message
and fill in recipient
and type. Info
saved within
process variant.
Planning view
context menu
Monitoring Features of the Log View
Log View: Double Click on Process to

Launch Job Log Viewer
The log view is the tool for monitoring
the process chain execution

Agenda
Process Structure
Behind the Scenes
Openness: Implementing a Process
If you...
...Have a simple, stand alone program to run in a chain
...Have a program, which is planned in batch by another
program or user
...then you can use the process type “ABAP” to run your
program in a chain.
However if you...
...Want to ask predecessor processes of your program
...Write a log , which should be displayed in the process monitor
...Have implemented an own monitor
...Have a customizing screen, which is more difficult than the
“parameters“ of a program
...then it is recommended to custom develop own process type

Implementing a Custom Designed Process
Interfaces: IF_RSPC_*
EXECUTE – Execution of the process
GET_INFO – Give Information to successors
GET_LOG – Give back messages
MAINTAIN – Maintenance of variants
GET_VARIANT – F4 for variants
GET_DEFAULT_CHAIN – Give default-chain for a process
CHECK – Check consisteny
GET_STATUS – Give status of instance
CALL_MONITOR – own monitoring tool
TRANSPORT – give back TLOGO-entry
CONTEXT_MENU – Enhance context-menu
Make entry in view RSPROCESSTYPES
The interfaces are documented in the system
Implementing a Custom Designed Process
Method called at... Implementing is...

Interfaces: Main- Runtime Log manda- alterna- optional
tainance View tory tively
EXECUTE X X
GET_INFO X X X
GET_LOG X X X
MAINTAIN X X
GET_VARIANT X X
GET_DEFAULT_CHAIN X X
CHECK X X
GET_STATUS X X X
CALL_MONITOR X X
TRANSPORT X X
CONTEXT_MENU X X

Generic Services
There are several services for RSPC which

shall help you implementing a process
type:
Generic variant storage class:

CL_RSPC_VARIANT
Generic dynpro service for variant
maintainance: Function module
RSPC_VARIANT_MAINTAIN
Generic instance storage class:
CL_RSPC_INSTANCE
Wrapper class for application log for
unambigous assignment of logs to
instance CL_RSPC_APPL_LOG
Service function group: RSPC_SERVICES
Variant Storage Class
CL_RSPC_VARIANT
Can be used, if your static worklist (cf. object model) can be saved as
table RSPC_T_RSCEDST, that is
FNAM, (SIGN), (OPTION), LOW, (HIGH)
Does the transport connection for you
You object will be known to TP as ‚R3TR‘ ‚RSPV‘
‚<TYPE><VARIANT>‘
If you need...
After Import
Related Objects
Additional Objects
...you can implement the interface IF_RSPV_TRANSPORT
Does object locking for you
Does deletion of variants for you
Provides an F4-help which is able to select...
with wildcards
by variant contents

Variant Maintainance Dynpro
Function module RSPC_VARIANT_MAINTAIN

Requires usage of CL_RSPC_VARIANT
Provides a dynpro, which does...
Variant (re)-naming
Variant documentation link
Transport link
Last changed by
Navigation through variants
Creation of new variants
Deletion of variants
You provide a subscreen and a form-routine, which checks for

changes on the subscreen
Ok-Codes, which you must react on in PAI of your subscreen:
SAVE: Save the variant
EXIT, BACK and CREA: Check if something has changed, and
eventually save the variant
Generic Variant Maintainance Services
This slide explains how RSPC_VARIANT_MAINTAIN and

CL_RSPC_VARIANT work together and how to use them
Your Abap Dynpro Your Variant

class Service Subscreen Service
IF_RSPC_MAINTAIN
RSPC_VARIANT_MAINTAIN
Create (Factory)
PBO Create (Factory)

Get_info
PAI
RSPC_VARIANT_GET
Save
Free

Instance Storage Class / Application Log Class
CL_RSPC_INSTANCE
Format RS_T_RSCEDST
Save
Get_Info
F4, selecting by one field of instance content
CL_RSPC_APPL_LOG
Saves mapping log handle vs. instance
Object = ‚BW_PROCESS‘, Subobject = <Type> Entry in slg0
required
Generates external number
Provides a display and retrieval method for the instance log
Agenda
Process Structure
Behind the Scenes

Process Chains: Facts
Process chains are transportable

Button for writing to a change request when
maintaining a process chain in RSPC
Process chains available in the transport connection
wizard (administrator workbench)
If a process “dumps”, it is treated in the same

manner as a failed process
Graphical display of Process Chain Maintenance
requires the 620 SAPGUI and SAP BW 3.0B Front-
end GUI
Recent front-end patches for both types!
A special control background job runs to facilitate

the execution of the of the other batch jobs of the
process chain
Note your BTC process distribution, and make sure
that an extra BTC process is available so the
supporting control job can run immediately
Collector Processes and the Detail View
Start
Remember the AND
collector process?
Drop IC
Indices

Email
Failure? Failure?
Email Email
System
AND Collector System
Data
Admin Admin
Load X
Build IC
Indices

Detail View and the AND Collector Process
RSPC > View > Detail

View
Technical names
Ability to move boxes

to re-design the
process chain
“Hidden” collector
processes are
displayed
Note: In detail view, a collector process is displayed as

multiple collector processes (needed for conditions)
Process Chains and Data Target administration
You can call the administration of the current data target by using the
context menu for the following processes:
Construct Indexes
Delete Indexes
Construct database statistics
Roll-Up filled aggregates
Compress InfoCube
Activate ODS object data

Automatic insertion of corresponding process types
If a process is inserted to the process chain that is linked by default

to other processes, the corresponding process variants are inserted
into the process chain automatically:
Example: drag and drop a data load process to your process chain
and the Index drop and the Index create processes are
automatically inserted
Turn this feature off: (user specific) menu

Settings Default Chains
Process Chains: Interaction with Batch Framework
When a chain gets activated

it will be copied into active version
the processes will be planned in batch
• as program RSPROCESS with type and variant given as
parameters
• with job name BI_PROCESS_<TYPE>
• waiting for event, except the trigger
• The trigger is planned as specified in its variant, if “start
via meta-chain” it is not planned to batch
The jobs are identified by the framework

as long as they did not yet run
• via their job name and
• via the event, on which they wait and
• via the program variant, which is stored in the step list of
the job
at runtime via GET_JOB_RUNTIME_INFO. The job count
is stored in the log.
for the log-display via job name and job count

Process Chains: CCMS integration
Monitoring via SAP Computing Center Management System (CCMS):

Menu path: Tools CCMS Control / Monitoring Alert
Monitor SAP BW Monitors BW Monitor
Migration to Process Chains (I)
Process Chains are a SAP BW 3.x feature

Existing Event-Chains, InfoPackages and
InfoPackage Groups continue to work, even
after migration You do not have to migrate
New 3.0 projects should be modeled with
process chains, as there will be no more
support for problems with the “automatism-
flags” like “automatic rollup”, “automatic ODS-
activation”…
If an InfoPackage is started in the old fashion,
these flags will work as in SAP BW 2.x
If an InfoPackage is started via a process
chain, the flags are ignored, thus the
respective task must be added to the process
chain

Migration to Process Chains (II)
InfoPackage Groups
From within the InfoPackage Group maintenance the button “Process
Chain” generates a process chain alike the group.
This migration can be executed manually with the function module
RSPC_MIGRATE_INFOPACKAGE_GROUP
Event Chains
The Event Collector (formerly also called Event Chain) is now the AND-
Process of the process chain
Migrating a manually created chain of events into a process chain is
difficult and fuzzy
There exists a report RSPC_MIGRATE_EVENT_CHAIN which browses
the system for reports planned waiting for an event and reports raising
an event, however the generated process chain may differ from the
existing event chain
Each generated chain must verified and adapted manually!
Summary
Now you are able to:

Understand Process Chains as an intuitive and easy way to
administer your SAP BW
Explain which process types are delivered by SAP
Implement your own process types

Further Information
Public Web:
www.sap.com/bi
SAP Customer Services Network: www.sap.com/services/
Consulting Contact
Roy Wood, VP SAP NetWeaver Consulting Practice (r.wood@sap.com)
Related SAP Education Training Opportunities

http://www.sap.com/education/
BW 310 – BW Data Warehousing
BW 340 – BW Data Staging
Questions?
Q&A

Feedback
Please complete your session evaluation and

drop it in the box on your way out.
Thank You !
The SAP TechEd ’03 Basel Team
Copyright 2002 SAP AG. All Rights Reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or for any purpose without the express
permission of SAP AG. The information contained herein may be changed without prior notice.
Some software products marketed by SAP AG and its distributors contain proprietary software components of other
software vendors.
Microsoft®, WINDOWS®, NT®, EXCEL®, Word®, PowerPoint® and SQL Server® are registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation.
IBM®, DB2®, DB2 Universal Database, OS/2®, Parallel Sysplex®, MVS/ESA, AIX®, S/390®, AS/400®, OS/390®,
OS/400®, iSeries, pSeries, xSeries, zSeries, z/OS, AFP, Intelligent Miner, WebSphere®, Netfinity®, Tivoli®,
Informix and Informix® Dynamic ServerTM are trademarks of IBM Corporation in USA and/or other countries.
ORACLE® is a registered trademark of ORACLE Corporation.
UNIX®, X/Open®, OSF/1®, and Motif® are registered trademarks of the Open Group.
Citrix®, the Citrix logo, ICA®, Program Neighborhood®, MetaFrame®, WinFrame®, VideoFrame®, MultiWin® and
other Citrix product names referenced herein are trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc.
HTML, DHTML, XML, XHTML are trademarks or registered trademarks of W3C®, World Wide Web Consortium,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
JAVA® is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
JAVASCRIPT® is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc., used under license for technology invented
and implemented by Netscape.
MarketSet and Enterprise Buyer are jointly owned trademarks of SAP AG and Commerce One.
SAP, SAP Logo, R/2, R/3, mySAP, mySAP.com and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as
their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other
countries all over the world. All other product and service names mentioned are trademarks of their respective
companies.

Using Process Chains in SAP Business Information

Caricato da

Informazioni sul documento

Descrizione originale:

Copyright

Formati disponibili

Condividi questo documento

Condividi o incorpora il documento

Opzioni di condivisione

Hai trovato utile questo documento?

Questo contenuto è inappropriato?

Copyright:

Formati disponibili

Using Process Chains in SAP Business Information

Caricato da

Copyright:

Formati disponibili

SAP TechEd ‘03 Basel

Using Process Chains in

At the end of this lecture, you will be able to:

Explain which process types are delivered by SAP

Implement your own process types

 2003 SAP AG, TechED EMEA, BW 255, Peter/Rinneberg 2

© 2003 SAP AG BW 255, Peter/Rinneberg 1

SAP NetWeaver™ The open integration

Life Cycle Mgmt

 2003 SAP AG, TechED EMEA, BW 255, Peter/Rinneberg 3

Process Chain Architecture

Selected Process Types

Building and Monitoring Process Chains

Building your own Process Type

Behind the Scenes

 2003 SAP AG, TechED EMEA, BW 255, Peter/Rinneberg 4

© 2003 SAP AG BW 255, Peter/Rinneberg 2

Process Chain Architecture

Selected Process Types

Building and Monitoring Process Chains

Building your own Process Type

Behind the Scenes

 2003 SAP AG, TechED EMEA, BW 255, Peter/Rinneberg 5

Introduction: Typical Data Load Cycle

Load into PSA Data Load

Build DB Load into Cube

© 2003 SAP AG BW 255, Peter/Rinneberg 3

Process Chains: Concepts

Failure? Success? Load 3 InfoPackages in

Development Model for Process Chain Functionality

Openness for all kinds of processes

 2003 SAP AG, TechED EMEA, BW 255, Peter/Rinneberg 8

© 2003 SAP AG BW 255, Peter/Rinneberg 4

Basic principles (1)

Openness ⇒ abstract meaning of

Security ⇒ founding on the batch job

 2003 SAP AG, TechED EMEA, BW 255, Peter/Rinneberg 9

Basic principles (2)

 2003 SAP AG, TechED EMEA, BW 255, Peter/Rinneberg 10

© 2003 SAP AG BW 255, Peter/Rinneberg 5

Process Chains Maintenance

 2003 SAP AG, TechED EMEA, BW 255, Peter/Rinneberg 11

Process Chain Architecture

Selected Process Types

Building and Monitoring Process Chains

Building your own Process Type

Behind the Scenes

 2003 SAP AG, TechED EMEA, BW 255, Peter/Rinneberg 12

© 2003 SAP AG BW 255, Peter/Rinneberg 6

Type – Kind of task

Instance – Messages and information for the successors

 2003 SAP AG, TechED EMEA, BW 255, Peter/Rinneberg 13

Process Chains: Flow for Object Instantiation

 2003 SAP AG, TechED EMEA, BW 255, Peter/Rinneberg 14

© 2003 SAP AG BW 255, Peter/Rinneberg 7

Structure of a process – Example of process type

Type – Attribute Change Run

 2003 SAP AG, TechED EMEA, BW 255, Peter/Rinneberg 15

Structure of a process – Example of variant

Variant – Configure the Hierarchy and Attribute Change run

 2003 SAP AG, TechED EMEA, BW 255, Peter/Rinneberg 16

© 2003 SAP AG BW 255, Peter/Rinneberg 8

Variant Maintenance: References to Predecessor