INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR SAP HANA-“DATA PROVISIONING”

General Questions:
1. What is DATA Provisioning?
DATA Provisioning is a process of creating, preparing, and enabling a network to
provide data to its user. Data needs to be loaded to SAP HANA before data reaches to
the user via a front-end tool.

All these processes are referred as ETL (Extract, Transform, and Load), and detail is
as below-

 Extract – This is first and sometimes most difficult part of ETL, in which data are
extracted from the different source system.
 Transform – In the Transformation Part, series of rules or functions is defined
for the data extracted from the source system, for loading data into the target
system.
 Load – The Load phase loads the data in the target system.

Data provisioning is all about ways to get the data from SAP /NON-SAP systems
into SAP –HANA.  

2. What is Replication in SAP HANA?

SAP HANA supports two type of Provisioning tool –

1. SAP HANA Built-In Provisioning Tool:

 Flat File
 Smart Data Streaming
 Smart Data Access (SDA)
 Enterprise Information Management[EIM]Remote data

2. External tool supported by SAP HANA:

 SAP Landscape Transformation
 SAP Business Objects Data Services
 SAP Direct Extractor Connection
 Sybase Replication Server

3. What are the different replication scenarios?

Different replication scenarios are: 

Load, Replicate, Stop, Suspend and Resume.
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR SAP HANA-“DATA PROVISIONING”

Load:
Starts an initial load of replication data from the source system. The procedure is a
one-time event. After it is completed, further changes to the source system database
will not be replicated. 
For the initial load procedure, neither database triggers nor logging tables are
created in the source system. Default settings use reading type 3 (DB_SETGET) with
up to 3 background jobs in parallel to load tables in parallel or subsequently into the
HANA system.

Replicate:
Combines an initial load procedure and the subsequent replication procedure (real
time or scheduled). 
Before the initial load procedure will start, database trigger and related logging
table are created for each table in the source system as well as in SLT replication
server.

Stop:
Stops any current load or replication process of a table. 
The stop function will remove the database trigger and related logging tables
completely. Only use this function if you want to continue a selected table otherwise
you must initially load the table again to ensure data consistency.

Suspend:
Pauses a table from a running replication. The database trigger will not be deleted
from the source system. The recording of changes will continue and related
information is stored in the related logging tables in the source system. 
If you suspend tables for a long time the size of logging tables may increase and
adjust the table space if required.

Resume:
Restarts the application for a suspended table. The previous suspended replication
will be resumed (no new initial load required).

4. What are Transformation rules?

A rule specified in the Advanced Replication settings transaction for source tables
such that data is transformed during the replication process. Example you can
specify rule to
 Convert fields
 Fill empty fields
 Skip records
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR SAP HANA-“DATA PROVISIONING”

5. What are the jobs involved in replication process?

Following jobs are involved in replication process:

1. Master Job (IUUC_MONITOR_<MT_ID>)
2. Master Controlling Job (IUUC_REPLIC_CNTR_<MT_ID>)
3. Data Load Job (DTL_MT_DATA_LOAD_<MT_ID>_<2digits>)
4. Migration Object Definition Job (IUUC_DEF_MIG_OBJ_<2digits>)
5. Access Plan Calculation Job (ACC_PLAN_CALC_<MT_ID>_<2digits>)

6. Where do you define transformation rules?

By using “Advanced replication settings” (transaction IUUC_REPL_CONTENT, tab

page IUUC ASS RULE MAP) 

7. Where is transformation rules defined?

Transformation rules are defined by using â €œAdvanced replication settingsâ €

(transaction IUUC_REPL_CONT, tab page IUUC ASS RULE MAP)

8. Is it possible to load and replicate data from one source system to multiple target
database schemas of HANA system?
Yes. It is possible for up to 4.

9. Is it possible to specify the type of data load and replication?

Yes either in real time, or scheduled by time or by interval.

10. Is there any pre-requisite before creating the configuration and replication?

For the SAP source systems DMIS add-on is installed in SLT replication server. User
for RFC connection has the role IUUC_REPL_REMOTE assigned but not DDIC.
For non-SAP source systems DMIS add-on is not required and grant a database user
sufficient authorization for data replication.

11. What happens when you set-up a new configuration?

The database connection is automatically created along with GUID and Mass
transfer id (MT_ID).

12. Which technology uses trigger-based replication?

Test Data Migration Server and Near Zero Downtime
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR SAP HANA-“DATA PROVISIONING”

13. What are the steps included in Data integration process?

 Stage data in an operational data store, data warehouse, or data mart.

 Update staged data in batch or real-time modes.
 Create a single environment for developing, testing, and deploying the
entire data integration platform.
 Manage a single metadata repository to capture the relationships
between different extraction and access methods and  provide
integrated lineage and impact analysis.
14. What is an ERP?

ERP stands for Enterprise Resource Planning Software and is a integrated computer
used to manage a company's resources effectively. It ensures smooth information
amongst various departments in an enterprise or a company and manages
workflows.

15. What are the different types of ERP's ?

1. SAP
2. Baan
3. JD Edwards (now acquired by Oracle)
4. Siebel
5. People soft  (now acquired by Oracle)
6. Microsoft Dynamics

SLT Questions:

1. What is SLT?

The SAP Landscape Transformation (LT) Replication Server is the SAP technology that
allows us to load and replicate data in real-time from SAP source systems and non-SAP
source systems to an SAP HANA environment.
The SAP LT Replication Server uses a trigger-based replication approach to pass
data from the source system to the target system. 

2. What is logging table?

A table in the source system that records any changes to a table that is being replicated.
This ensures that SLT replication server can replicate these changes to the target
system. 
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR SAP HANA-“DATA PROVISIONING”

3. What is the advantage of SLT replication?

Advantages:
 SAP LT uses trigger based approach. Trigger-based approach has no
measureable performance impact in source system.
 It provides transformation and filtering capability.
 It allows real-time (and scheduled) data replication, replicating only
relevant data into HANA from SAP and non-SAP source systems.
 It is fully integrated with HANA Studio.
 Replication from multiple source systems to one HANA system is allowed,
also from one source system to multiple HANA systems.

4. Is it possible to use a replication for multiple sources and target SAP HANA systems?

Yes, the SAP LT Replication Server supports both 1:N replication and and N:1 replication.
Multiple source system can be connected to one SAP HANA system.
One source system can be connected to multiple SAP HANA systems. Limited to 1:4 only.

5. Is there any pre-requisite before creating the configuration and replication?

For SAP source systems:

 DMIS add-on must be installed in SLT replication server.
 An RFC connection between the SAP source system and the
SAP LT Replication Server has to be established.
 User for RFC connection must have the role
IUUC_REPL_REMOTE assigned.
 Do not use a DDIC user for RFC connection.

For non-SAP source systems:

 DMIS add-on is not required.
 A database user has to be created with appropriate
authorizations in advance and establish the database
connection by using transaction DBCO in the SAP LT
Replication Server.
 Ensure the database-specific library components for the SAP
7.20 REL or EXT kernel are installed in the SAP LT Replication
Server.

6. What is Configuration and Monitoring Dashboard?

It is an application that runs on SLT replication server to specify configuration

information (such as source system, target system, and relevant connections) so that
data can be replicated. 
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR SAP HANA-“DATA PROVISIONING”

It can also use it to monitor the replication status (transaction LTR). 

Status Yellow: It may occur due to triggers which are not yet created successfully. 

Status Red: It may occur if master job is aborted (manually in transaction SM37). 

7. What happens when you set-up a new configuration?

When a new configuration in the SAP LT Replication Server is created, the database
connection is automatically created along with a schema GUID and Mass transfer id
(MT_ID). 
A schema GUID ensures that configurations with the same schema name can be created. 
The Mass transfer ID is used in the naming of SLT jobs and the system can uniquely
identify a schema. 
The mapping of mass transfer IDs and related schema are stored in the SLT control table
DMC_MT_HEADER in the SAP LT Replication Server.
 

8. Does SLT for SAP HANA support data compression like SAP HANA database?

Yes, this is automatically covered by the RFC connection used for data replication from
the SAP source system. 

9. Define Configuration in SLT?

The information required to create the connection between the source system, SLT
system, and the SAP HANA system is specified within the SLT system as a Configuration.
A new configuration in Configuration & Monitoring Dashboard (transaction LTR) can
hence be defined. 
10. What ETL server is used for ECC system?

Sap slt server

11. What are the benefits of implementing SAP HANA with SAP ERP?

 Performance optimization for operational reporting
 Processing of large volumes of data
 Provision of real-time analytics

12. What method is used to extract tables from ecc server in real time?

SLT based table data provision

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR SAP HANA-“DATA PROVISIONING”

BODS Questions:

1. What is BODS?

It is an ETL tool currently acquired by SAP used for integration with all types of
disparate systems, extracting data from them, transforming them into meaningful
information and loading them into all types of systems.
Component of Data Services:
SAP DATA services have below component –

1. Designer- It is a development tool by which we can create, test, and

execute a job that populates a data warehouse.It allows the developer to
create objects and configure them by selecting an icon in a source-to-
target flow diagram.
It can be used to create an application by specifying workflows and data
flows.
To Open Data Service Designer go to Start Menu -> All Programs -> SAP
Data Services (4.2 here) -> Data Service Designer.
2. Job Server- It is an application that launches the data services processing
engine and serves as an interface to the engine and Data Services Suite.
3. Engine- Data Service engine executes individual jobs which are defined in
the application.
4. Repository- Repository is a database that stores designer predefine
objects and user defined objects (source and target metadata,
transformation rules).
Repository are of two types –
 Local Repository (Used by Designer and Job Server).
 Central Repository ( Used for object sharing and version
control)
5. Access Server- Access server passes messages between web applications,
data services job server and engines.
6. Administrator- Web Administrator provides browser-based
administration of data services resources detail is as below –
 Configuring, starting and stopping real-time services.
 Scheduling, monitoring and executing batch jobs.
 Configuring Job Server, Access Server, and Repository usage.
 Managing users.
 Publishing batch jobs and real-time services via Web services
 Configuring and managing adapters.
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR SAP HANA-“DATA PROVISIONING”

7. Query Transformation – This is a tool used to retrieve data based on

input schema for user specific condition and for transport data from
source to target.
2. What is ETL-Based Replication?

Extraction-Transformation-Load (ETL) Based Data Replication uses SAP 

Business Objects Data Services to specify and load the relevant business data
in defined periods of time from an ERPsystem into the SAP HANA database.

You can reuse the ERP application logic by reading extractors or utilizing SAP 
function modules. In addition, the ETL-based method offers options for the 
integration of third-party data providers.

3. What is the use of Business Objects Data Services?

Business Objects Data Services provides a graphical interface that allows you to easily
create jobs that extract data from heterogeneous sources, transform that data to meet
the business requirements of your organization, and load the data into a single location.

4. What is Repository?

The HANA Repository is storage system for development objects and is built into SAP
HANA. The repository supports Version control, Transport, and Sharing of objects
between multiple developers. We can add objects to the repository, update the objects,
publish the objects, and compile these objects into runtime objects.

5. Why to configure Import server?

In order to load data from external sources to SAP HANA we need to establish a
connection with the server. To connect, we need to provide details of Business Objects
Data Services repository and ODBC drivers. Once the connection is established, we can
import the tables definition and then load data into table definitions.

6. What replication method is good for complex transformation?

ETL based replication(data services)Which all Business Objects tools can be directly
connected to HANA Information views
 SAP Lumira
 Analysis edition for OLAP
 SAP Crystal Reports
 Design Studio
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR SAP HANA-“DATA PROVISIONING”

7. What is data services work bench?

Data Service Workbench was introduced, we used to perform the following steps for data
loading in SAP HANA via Data Services: Import Metadata into Data Services
Workbench (source system HANA relevant) | create DS jobs to push data in SAP HANA |
schedule/run the DS job | data is then available in the relevant schema in SAP HANA.

8. Define the terms Job, Workflow, and Dataflow?

Job is the smallest unit of work that you can schedule independently for execution.
Work flow defines the decision-making process for executing data flows.
Data flows extract, transform, and load data. Everything having to do with data,
including reading sources, transforming data, and loading targets, occurs inside a
data flow.

9. What is a transform?

A transform enables you to control how datasets change in a dataflow.

There are four categories of Transform available in SAP BODS namely Data
Integrator, Data Quality, Platform and Text Data Processing.

1. Data Integrator- Data_Transfer, Date_Generation, Effective_Date,

Hierarchy_Flattening, History_Preserving, Key_Generation,
Map_CDC_Operation, Pivot (Columns to Rows), Reverse Pivot (Rows to
Columns), Table_Comparison, XML_Pipeline.
2. Data Quality- Associate, Country ID, Data Cleanse, DSF2 Walk Sequencer,
Geocoder, Global Address Cleanse, Global Suggestion Lists, Match, USA
Regulatory Address Cleanse, User-Defined.
3. Platform- Case, Map_Operation, Merge, Query, Row_Generation, SQL,
Validation
4. Text Data Processing- Entity_Extraction

10. How many types of data stores are present in Data services?

There are three types

 Database Datastores: provide a simple way to import metadata directly
from an RDBMS.
 Application Datastores: let users easily import metadata from most
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems.
 Adapter Datastores: can provide access to an application’s data and
metadata or just metadata.
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR SAP HANA-“DATA PROVISIONING”

11. What is Extraction in ETL?

During the extraction step the data is extracted from the source systems and is
made available for the next steps. The main goal is to obtain all the data from the
sources so that the impact on the performance of the source systems is
minimized. Generally, the data from the source systems is stored 1-on-1 in a
‘Staging Area’, which will serve as the input for the processing in the
transformation phase.

DXC Questions:

1. What is sap hana DXC?

SAP HANA DXC is batch driven data replication technique i.e. it can execute after a time
interval.

 SAP HANA DXC uses existing ETL (Extract, Transform, and Load) method of
SAP Business Suite Application via a HTTPS connection.
 In SAP Business suite application content Data Source Extractors have been
available for data modeling and data acquisition for SAP Business
Warehouse.
 SAP DXC uses these Data Source Extractor to deliver data directly to SAP
HANA.

2. What are the advantages of DXC?

 This method requires no additional server or application in the SAP HANA system
landscape.
 DXC method reduces complexity of data modeling in SAP HANA as data sends to
HANA after applying all business extractor logics in Source System.
 It speeds up the time lines for SAP HANA implementation project
 It provides semantically rich data from SAP Business Suite to SAP HANA
 It reuses existing proprietary extraction, transformation, and load mechanism built
into SAP business Suite systems over a simple HTTP(S) connection to SAP HANA.

3. What are the limitations of DXC?

 Data Source must have a predefined mechanism for extraction, transformation and
load and if not we need to define one.
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR SAP HANA-“DATA PROVISIONING”

 It requires a Business Suite System based on Net Weaver 7.0 or higher with at least
below SP: Release 700 SAPKW70021 (SP stack 19, from Nov 2008).

4. What is an Extractor?

In the SAP source system, extractors are a data retrieval mechanism. It can fill the extract
structure of a data source with the data from the SAP source system datasets.

SDA Questions:

1. What is sap hana SDA?

Smart Data Access is a data virtualization feature in SAP HANA that allows customers to

access data virtually from remote sources such as Hadoop, Oracle, Teradata, SQL
Server and SAP databases and combine it with data that resides in an SAP HANA
database.

2. What are the advantages of smart data access?

 SAP HANA Smart Data Access optimizes execution of queries by moving processing

as far as possible to the database connected via SAP HANA Smart Data Access. The
SQL queries then work in SAP HANA on virtual tables.
The SAP HANA Query Processor optimizes the queries and executes the relevant
part in the connected database, returns the result to SAP HANA and completes the
operation.
If you connect and define facts and master data from the source via associations in
the Open ODS view, facts and master data are joined directly at database level at
query runtime, together with operations on the navigation attributes.
 For Open ODS views, using SAP HANA Smart Data Access makes it possible to use
data sources that are not managed by the BW system. It is possible when doing this
to expand modeling in the BW system without significant effort, from direct
consumption of the data source via the virtual table to using a persistent BW data
store for ETL purposes.
 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR SAP HANA-“DATA PROVISIONING”

3. What are the prerequisites for smart data access?

Prerequisites

To use SAP HANA Smart Data Access as the source type for Open ODS views or for query
access to near-line storage data, the following prerequisites apply:

 You have installed the ODBC drivers for the databases that you want to connect
with SAP HANA Smart Data Access.
 You have connected the databases SAP HANA Smart Data Access as remote
sources.Pay particulate attention here to which databases are supported in which
versions for SAP HANA Smart Data Access.
 Note that the SAP HANA system authorization CREATE REMOTE SOURCE is
required to create a remote source. If the remote source is not created with the
SAP<SID> user but with a different database user instead, then this database user
must assign the corresponding object authorizations to the SAP<SID> user (CREATE
VIRTUAL TABLE and DROP).
 The remote data is accessed from the BW system with the database user that is used
for the connection of the BW system to the SAP HANA database. When creating a
remote source in SAP HANA, you specified a user for the connection to the source
database. SAP HANA passes the SQL statements on to this user. Make sure that this
user has sufficient authorizations in the relevant schemas and tables in the source
database.

Sap hana flat files:

SAP HANA support uploading data from a file without ETL tools (SLT, BODS, and DXC). It is
a new feature of HANA Studio Revision 28 (SPS04).
SAP HANA Support following type of files which will be available on client system as below

 .CSV (Comma Separated value files)

 .XLS
 .XLSX
Prior to this option, the user needs to create control file (.CTL file). To upload data in SAP
HANA, table need to exist in SAP HANA. If table exits, records will be appended at the end of
the table; if table not present then table needs to be created.
This application suggests column name and data type for the new tables.
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR SAP HANA-“DATA PROVISIONING”