useful BW T-codes

PFCG maintain role
RSPC Process chain
SU01 User Maintain
SE14 Utility for Database Tables
SE37 Function Builder
Se38 ABAP editor
SM66 Monitor Working Process
RSRT Query Monitor

RSA1 - AWB
RSD1 - infoobject maintenance
RSU1/2/3 - infocube update rule (create/change/display)
RSMON - workbench monitoring

RSRV: Analysis and Repair of BW objects
SM50: System Process overviews
SM37: to monitor jobs
SE10: Transport Organizer
RSRQ: Request Monitor

For more look up Table TSTCT.

SAP BW Tips and Business Information Warehouse Discussion Forum

SAP Business Information Warehouse (BW) is SAP´s Data Warehouse solution. It has been specially developed to allow you to gather and analyze all kinds of statistical information in the best possible way.

The SAP Business Information Warehouse (SAP BW) is a core element of mySAP.com. SAP BW is an enterprise-wide information hub that enables data analysis from R/3 and other business application, including external data sources such as databases and the Internet. SAP BW also offers easy integration with other mySAP solutions, such as mySAP Supply Chain
Management (mySAP SCM), mySAP Strategic Enterprise Management (mySAP SEM), and mySAP Customer Relationship Management (mySAP CRM).

SAP BW is a comprehensive end-to-end data warehouse solution with optimized structures for reporting and analysis. To help knowledge workers quickly mine an enterprise’s business data, SAP BW is equipped with preconfigured information models and reports, as well as automatic data extraction and loading methods.

With an easy-to-use Microsoft Excel-based user interface, you can create, format, and analyze reports, and publish those reports to the web. Built for high performance, SAP BW resides on its own dedicated server. Online Transaction Processing (OLTP) and reporting activities are therefore separated, and system performance is not compromised.

If you have any SAP Business Information Warehouse queries, please feel free to raise it in the SAP BW Forum.

SAP BW FAQ

BW Query Performance

Question:
1. What kind of tools are available to monitor the overall Query Performance?

Answers:
o BW Statistics
o BW Workload Analysis in ST03N (Use Export Mode!)
o Content of Table RSDDSTAT

Question:
2. Do I have to do something to enable such tools?

Answer:
o Yes, you need to turn on the BW Statistics:
RSA1, choose Tools -> BW statistics for InfoCubes
(Choose OLAP and WHM for your relevant Cubes)

Question:
3. What kind of tools are available to analyse a specific query in detail?

Answers:
o Transaction RSRT
o Transaction RSRTRACE

Question:
4. Do I have a overall query performance problem?

Answers:
o Use ST03N -> BW System load values to recognize the problem. Use the
number given in table 'Reporting - InfoCubes:Share of total time (s)'
to check if one of the columns %OLAP, %DB, %Frontend shows a high
number in all InfoCubes.
o You need to run ST03N in expert mode to get these values

Question:
5. What can I do if the database proportion is high for all queries?

Answers:
Check:
o If the database statistic strategy is set up properly for your DB platform
(above all for the BW specific tables)
o If database parameter set up accords with SAP Notes and SAP Services (EarlyWatch)
o If Buffers, I/O, CPU, memory on the database server are exhausted?
o If Cube compression is used regularly
o If Database partitioning is used (not available on all DB platforms)

Question:
6. What can I do if the OLAP proportion is high for all queries?

Answers:
Check:
o If the CPUs on the application server are exhausted
o If the SAP R/3 memory set up is done properly (use TX ST02 to find
bottlenecks)
o If the read mode of the queries is unfavourable (RSRREPDIR, RSDDSTAT,
Customizing default)

Question:
7. What can I do if the client proportion is high for all queries?

Answer:
o Check whether most of your clients are connected via a WAN Connection and the amount
of data which is transferred is rather high.

Question:
8. Where can I get specific runtime information for one query?

Answers:
o Again you can use ST03N -> BW System Load
o Depending on the time frame you select, you get historical data or
current data.
o To get to a specific query you need to drill down using the InfoCube
name
o Use Aggregation Query to get more runtime information about a
single query. Use tab All data to get to the details.
(DB, OLAP, and Frontend time, plus Select/ Transferred records,
plus number of cells and formats)

Question:
9. What kind of query performance problems can I recognize using ST03N
values for a specific query?

Answers:
(Use Details to get the runtime segments)
o High Database Runtime
o High OLAP Runtime
o High Frontend Runtime

Question:
10. What can I do if a query has a high database runtime?

Answers:
o Check if an aggregate is suitable (use All data to get values
"selected records to transferred records", a high number here would
be an indicator for query performance improvement using an aggregate)
o Check if database statistics are update to data for the
Cube/Aggregate, use TX RSRV output (use database check for statistics
and indexes)
o Check if the read mode of the query is unfavourable - Recommended (H)

Question:
11. What can I do if a query has a high OLAP runtime?

Answers:
o Check if a high number of Cells transferred to the OLAP (use
"All data" to get value "No. of Cells")
o Use RSRT technical Information to check if any extra OLAP-processing
is necessary (Stock Query, Exception Aggregation, Calc. before
Aggregation, Virtual Char. Key Figures, Attributes in Calculated
Key Figs, Time-dependent Currency Translation)
together with a high number of records transferred.
o Check if a user exit Usage is involved in the OLAP runtime?
o Check if large hierarchies are used and the entry hierarchy level is
as deep as possible. This limits the levels of the
hierarchy that must be processed. Use SE16 on the inclusion
tables and use the List of Value feature on the column successor
and predecessor to see which entry level of the hierarchy is used.
- Check if a proper index on the inclusion table exist

Question:
12. What can I do if a query has a high frontend runtime?

Answers:
o Check if a very high number of cells and formattings are transferred
to the Frontend ( use "All data" to get value "No. of Cells") which
cause high network and frontend (processing) runtime.
o Check if frontend PC are within the recommendation (RAM, CPU Mhz)
o Check if the bandwidth for WAN connection is sufficient

Business Warehouse SAP Interview

1. How to convert a BeX query Global structure to local structure (Steps involved)?

To convert a BeX query Global structure to local structureSteps:

A local structure when you want to add structure elements that are unique to the specific query. Changing the global structure changes the structure for all the queries that use the global structure. That is reason you go for a local structure.

Coming to the navigation part--

In the BEx Analyzer, from the SAP Business Explorer toolbar, choose the open query icon (icon tht looks like a folder) On the SAP BEx Open dialog box: Choose Queries. Select the desired InfoCube Choose New. On the Define the query screen: In the left frame, expand the Structure node. Drag and drop the desired structure into either the Rows or Columns frame. Select the global structure. Right-click and choose Remove reference. A local structure is created.

Remember that you cannot revert back the changes made to global structure in this regard. You will have to delete the local structure and then drag n drop global structure into query definition.

When you try to save a global structure, a dialogue box prompts you to comfirm changes to all queries. that is how you identify a global structure.

2. I have RKF & CKF in a query, if report is giving error which one should be checked first RKF or CKF and why (This is asked in one of int).

RKF consists of a key figure restricted with certain charecteristics combinations CKF have calculations which fully uses various key figures

They are not interdependent on each other . You can have both at same time

To my knowledge there is no documented limit on the number of RKF's and CKF's. But the only concern would be the performance. Restructed and Calculated Key Figures would not be an issue. However the No of Key figures that you can have in a Cube is limited to around 248.

Restricted Key Figures restrict the Keyfigure values based on a Characteristic.(Remember it wont restrict the query but only KF Values)

Ex: You can restrict the values based on particular month

Now I create a RKFlike this:(ZRKF)
Restrict with a funds KF
with period variable entered by the user.

This is defined globally and can be used in any of the queries on that infoprovider. In columns: Lets assume 3 company codes are there. In new selection, i drag

ZRKF

Daily Tasks in Support Role and Infopackage Failures

Daily Tasks in Support Role and Infopackage Failures

1. Why there is frequent load failures during extractions? and how they are going to analyse them?

If these failures are related to Data,, there might be data inconsistency in source system..though you are handling properly in transfer rules. You can monitor these issues in T-code -> RSMO and PSA (failed records).and update .

If you are talking about whole extraction process, there might be issues of work process scheduling and IDoc transfer to target system from source system. These issues can be re-initiated by canceling that specific data load and ( usually by changing Request color from Yellow - > Red in RSMO).. and restart the extraction.

2. Can anyone explain briefly about 0record modes in ODS?

ORECORDMODE is SAP Delivered object and will be added to ODS object while activating. Using this ODS will be updated during DELTA loads.. This has three possible values ( X D R).. D & R is for deleting and removing records and X is for skipping records during delta load.

3. What is reconciliation in bw? What the procedure to do reconciliation?

Reconcilation is the process of comparing the data after it is transferred to the BW system with the source system. The procedure to do reconcilation is either you can check the data from the SE16 if the data is coming from a particular table only or if the datasource is any std datasource then the data is coming from the many tables in that scenario what I used to do ask the R/3 consultant to report on that particular selections and used to get the data in the excel sheet and then used to reconcile with the data in BW . If you are familiar with the reports of R/3 then you are good to go meaning you need not be dependant on the R/3 consultant ( its better to know which reports to run to check the data ).

4. What is the daily task we do in production support.How many times we will extract the data at what times.

It depends... Data load timings are in the range of 30 mins to 8 hrs. This time is depends in number of records and kind of transfer rules you have provided. If transfer rules have some kind of round about transfer rules and updates rules has calculations for customized key figures... long times are expected..

Usually You need to work on RSMO and see what records are failing.. and update from PSA.

5. What are some of the frequent failures and errors?

As the frequent failures and errors , there is no fixed reason for the load to be fail , if you want it for the interview perspective I would answer it in this way.

a) Loads can be failed due to the invalid characters
b) Can be because of the deadlock in the system
c) Can be becuase of previuos load failure , if the load is dependant on other loads
d) Can be because of erreneous records
e) Can be because of RFC connections

These are some of the reasons for the load failures

The Three Layers of SAP BW

SAP BW has three layers:

• Business Explorer: As the top layer in the SAP BW architecture, the Business Explorer (BEx) serves as the reporting environment (presentation and analysis) for end users. It consists of the BEx Analyzer, BEx Browser, BEx Web, and BEx Map for analysis and reporting activities.
  
• Business Information Warehouse Server: The SAP BW server, as the middle layer, has two primary roles:
  • Data warehouse management and administration: These tasks are handled by the production data extractor (a set of programs for the extraction of data from R/3 OLTP applications such as logistics, and controlling), the staging engine, and the Administrator Workbench.
  • Data storage and representation: These tasks are handled by the InfoCubes in conjunction with the data manager, Metadata repository, and Operational Data Store (ODS).
  
• Source Systems: The source systems, as the bottom layer, serve as the data sources for raw business data. SAP BW supports various data sources:
  • R/3 Systems as of Release 3.1H (with Business Content) and R/3 Systems prior to Release 3.1H (SAP BW regards them as external systems)
  • Non-SAP systems or external systems
  • mySAP.com components (such as mySAP SCM, mySAP SEM, mySAP CRM, or R/3 components) or another SAP BW system.

SAP Business Information Warehouse

Ever heard about apples and oranges. SAP/R3 is an OLTP system where as BIW
is an OLAP system. LIS reports can not provide the functionality provided
by BIW.

The following information is for you to get more clarity on the subject:
SAP R/3 LIS (Logistic Information System) consist of infostructures (which
are representation of reporting requirements). So whenever any event (goods
reciept, invoice reciept etc. ) takes place in SAP R/3 module, if relevant
to the infostructure, an corresponding entry is made in the infostructures.
Thus infostructures form the database part of the datawarehouse. For
reporting the data (based on OLAP features such drill-down, abc, graphics
etc.), you can use SAP R/3 standard analysis (or flexible analysis) or
Business Warehouse (which is excel based) or Business Objects (which is
third party product but can interface with SAP R/3 infostructures using BAPI
calls).

In short, the infostructures (which are part of SAP R/3 LIS) form the data
basis for reporting with BW.

Use of manual security profiles with SAP BW

Subject: Use of manual security profiles with BW? (Business Information Warehouse)

Our company is currently on version 3.1H and will be moving to 4.6B late
summer 2000. Currently all of our R/3 security profiles were created
manually. We are also in the stage of developing and going live with the
add-on system of Business Warehouse (BW). For consistency, we have wish
to use manual profiles within the BW system and later convert all of our
manual security profiles (R/3 and BW) to profile generated ones.

Is there anyone else that can shed any light on this situation? (Success
or problems with using manual security profiles with BW?)

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Subject: Use of manual security profiles with BW? (Business Information Warehouse)

Hi ,
You are going to have fun doing this upgrade. The 4.6b system is a
completely different beast than the 3.1h system. You will probably find a
lot of areas where you have to extend you manually created profiles to
cover new authorisation objects (but then you can have this at any level).

In 4.6b you really have to use the profile generator, but at least there is
a utility to allow you to pick up your manually created profile and have it
converted to an activity group for you. This will give you a running start
in this area, but you will still have a lot of work to do.

The fact that you did not use PG at 3.1h will not matter as it changed at
4.5 too and the old activity groups need the same type of conversion (we
are going through that bit right now).

What Is SPRO In BW Project?

1) What is spro?
2) How to use in bw project?
3) What is difference between idoc and psa in transfer methods?

1. SPRO is the transaction code for Implementation Guide, where you can do configuration settings.
* Type spro in the transaction box and you will get a screen customizing :
Execute Project.
* Click on the SAP Reference IMG button. you will come to Display IMG Screen.
* The following path will allow you to do the configuration settings :
SAP Cutomizing Implementation Guide -> SAP Netweaver ->SAP Business Warehouse Information.

2. SPRO is used to configure the following settings :
* General Settings like printer settings, fiscal year settings, ODS Object Settings, Authorisation settings, settings for displaying SAP Documents, etc., etc.,
* Links to other systems : like links between flat files and BW Systems, R/3 and BW, and other data sources, link between BW system and Microsoft Analysis services, and crystal enterprise....etc., etc.,
* UD Connect Settings : Like configuring BI Java Connectors, Establishing the RFC Desitination for SAP BW for J2EEE Engine, Installation of Availability monitoring for UD Connect.
* Automated Processes: like settings for batch processes, background processes etc., etc.,
* Transport Settings : like settings for source system name change after transport and create destination for import post-processing.
* Reporting Relevant Settings : Like Bex Settings, General Reporting Settings.
* Settings for Business Content : which is already provided by SAP.

3. PSA : Persistant Staging Area : is a holding area of raw data. It contains detailed requests in the format of the transfer structure. It is defined according to the Datasource and source system, and is source system dependent.

IDOCS : Intermediate DOCuments : Data Structures used as API working storage for applications, which need to move data in or out of SAP Systems.

Main advantages of BW 3.0 over 2.1C

Here's a brief list, without detailed explanations :-

- XML support for reading and writing metadata and data.
- Web application designer: graphically design and publish web reports and web applications.
- Open Hub Service for distributing data to other tables/systems on a schedule.
It supports selection, projection, and aggregation. Integrated into the BW monitor.
- Process Chains and graphical scheduler for automating complex processes.
Supports branching, condition testing, etc. Enables you to schedule all admin functions in a graphical, drag-and-drop
fashion, including extracts, index drops and rebuilds, activating data, compressing, rolling up to aggregates, etc.
- Transactional ODS objects with read/write API.
- Transfer rules for hierarchies.
- Subtree insert and subtree update for hierarchies.
- Active attributes on hierarchies (sign flip, etc.)
- Load, stage, and merge master data to ODS.
- DB Connect Service allows BW to extract data from any DBMS supported by SAP R/3.
- Formula editor in transfer and update rules to avoid ABAP coding.
- Toolbox of standard transformations such as substring, look up data in a table, concatenate, offset and length,
arithmetic operations, etc.
- Parallel loading into a single ODS object.
- Secondary index maintenance for ODS objects built in to BW Admin Workbench.
- Multiprovider: Use ODS objects, master data, and cubes in a multicube (now called multiprovider.)
- New InfoSet Concept: join tabular data together and make it available for reporting. You can join ODS objects,
master data tables, etc.
- Archiving: Built-in tools to archive data on a schedule using selection criteria.
Integrated into BW monitor; archived data deleted from InfoCubes and corresponding aggregates.
Support for re-loading data from archives as necessary.
- BW Monitor includes all activities of process chains, open hub service, and archiving.
- Use multiple hierarchies in a BW query.
- Use a mix of hierarchies and characteristics on rows or columns in a BW query.
- Use restricted key figures in a calculated key figure.
- Generate static, offline web reports.
- BEx Cell Editor: In queries with two structures, you can now reference cells at the intersections of rows and columns.

Pros and Cons of Web against BEX

1. Web reporting is faster then Excel, there is less overhead in executing Web reporting as opposed to Excel. (Whitepaper on SAP about this.)
2. There is not anymore work in formatting or creation of templates then in comparison to workbooks.
3. Query creation is the same as in BEX, so there is no new knowledge there.
4. Yes, knowledge of HTML is needed, but if you use the standard CSS templates, you really don't need to know them unless you want to change them. But, if you can write queries or code ABAP, you can definitely learn basic HTML and CSS to customize reporting. Its not that hard.
5. The learning curve for NEW users in Web Reporting vs.. BEX is actually considerably lower. Most people are very familiar with using a web browser, and IMOE I have found they pick up usage of web reporting much quicker then trying to teach them BEX.
6. Note, if you have a large user base which is already power Excel/BEx users, then they might be more reluctant to switch, though they would have no problem learning quickly the web reporting. Their downside would be that the behavior is not like Excel, which is a learned behavior, though the functionality is the same.
7. Publishing of queries and reports is done (or can be) via a role template which can be published on the web to provide common access to reports and queries.
8. Your implementation team (or at least one person on there) could be designated to picking up learning creation of web templates. (Its not hard, really.) Depending on organization size you may not need an additional person.
9. Publishing can be as easy a link on an existing intranet, or if you are using Portals already, integration with Portals is straightforward and you should have the knowledge base for doing so w/ your Portals group.
10. Query functionality is EXACTLY THE SAME with BEX and Web reporting, they both use query analyzer. The only difference is in presentation and output.
11. With Web reporting, you have (I think) greater control over presentation (combination of reports, charts, etc...) then w/ BEX.
12. You can provide the ability for "Printer friendly" versions of web reports, you can also provide the ability to easily pull the results into Excel in standard format or CSV format.
13. Finally, I think you have the ability to open up reporting and information consumption to a wider audience then in sticking w/ just BEx. (It definitely has its place in the organization.)

Data load in SAP BW

What is the strategy to load for example 500,000 entries in BW (material master, transactional data)?

How to separate this entries in small packages and transfer it to BW in automatic?

Is there some strategy for that?

Is there some configuration for that?

See OSS note 411464 (example concerning Info Structures from purchasing documents) to create smaller jobs in order to integrate a large amount of data.

For example, if you wish to split your 500,000 entries in five intervals:

- Create 5 variants in RMCENEAU for each interval
- Create 5 jobs (SM36) that execute RMCENEAU for each variant
- Schedule your jobs
- You can then see the result in RSA3

Loading Data From a Data Target in sap bw

Can you please guide me for carrying out his activity with some important steps?

I am having few request with the without data mart status. How can I use only them & create a export datasource?

Can you please tell me how my data mechanism will work after the loading?

Follow these steps:

1. Select Source data target( in u r case X) , in the context menu click on Create Export Datasources.
DataSource ( InfoSource) with name 8(name of datatarget) will be generated.

2. In Modelling menu click on Source Systems, Select the logical Source System of your BW server, in the context menu click on Replicate DataSource.

3. In the DataModelling click on Infosources and search for infosource 8(name of datatarget). If not found in the search refresh it. Still not find then from DataModelling click on Infosources, in right side window again select Infosources, in the context menu click on insert Lost Nodes.
Now search you will definately found.

4. No goto Receiving DataTargets ( in your case Y1,Y2,Y3) create update rules.
In the next screen select Infocube radio button and enter name of Source Datatarget (in u r case X). click Next screen Button ( Shift F7), here select Addition radio button, then select Source keyfield radio button and map the keyfields form Source cube to target cube.

5. In the DataModelling click on Infosources select infoSource which u replicated earlier and create infopackage to load data..

Difference in number of data records

I have uploaded data from R/3 to BW (Controlling Datasources).

The problem is that when i use the extractor checker (rsa3) in R/3 for a
specific datasource (0CO_OM_OPA_1) it shows me that there are 1600 records.

When i load this datasource in BW it shows me that there are 400.000
records. I'm uploading data to "PSA only".

Any ideas why this is happening ?

Check the 'data recs/call' and 'number of extract calls' parameters in
RSA3. Most likely the actual extract is only making one call with a larger
data rec/call number. The extraction process will collect data records
with the same key so less data has to be transferred to the BW. When you
run RSA3 you are probably getting similar records (that would normally
collect) in different data packets thereby creating more records. Try
running RSA3 with a much higher (2000) recs/call for several calls.

Upgradation Steps For BW

Upgradation steps:
1) Convert Data Classes of InfoCubes. Set up a new data class as described in SAP OSS Note 46272.
2) Pay attention to the naming convention. Execute the RSDG_DATCLS_ASSIGN report.
3) Run the report RSUPGRCHECK to activate objects.
4) Upgrading ABAP and JAVA in parallel may cause issues. If there is no custom development on J2EE instance, it is recommended to drop the J2EE instance and re-install the latest J2EE instance after the upgrade.
5) Apply SAP OSS Note 917999 if you include the Support Patch 6 with the upgrade or you will get the error at PARCONV_UPG phase. When you upgrade to a product containing Basis 700, the phase PARCONV_UPG terminates. You included Basis Support Packages up to package level 6 (SAPKB70006) in the upgrade. The job RDDGENBB_n terminates with the error RAISE_EXCEPTION. In addition to this, the syslog contains the short dump TSV_TNEW_PAGE_ALLOC_FAILED. The program SDB2FORA terminates in the statement "LOOP AT stmt_tab". An endless loop occurs when the system creates the database table QCM8TATOPGA.
6) Apply the OSS note 917999 if you get the following error during PARCONV_UPG phase: PARCONV_UPG terminates with TSV_TNEW_PAGE_ALLOG_FAILED

Critical OSS Notes:
819655 – Add. Info: Upgrade to SAP NW 2004s ABAP Oracle
820062 - Oracle Database 10g: Patchsets/Patches for 10.1.0
839574 – Oracle database 10g: Stopping the CSS services ocssd.bin
830576 – Parameter recommendations for Oracle 10g
868681 – Oracle Database 10g: Database Release Check
836517 – Oracle Database 10g: Environment for SAP Upgrade
853507 – Usage Type BI for SAP Netwaevers 2004s
847019 - BI_CONT 7.02: Installation and Upgrade Information
818322 – Add. Info: Upgrade to SAP NW 2004s ABAP
813658 - Repairs for upgrades to products based on SAP NW 2004s AS
855382 – Upgrade to SAP SEM 6.0
852008 – Release restrictions for SAP Netweaver 2004s
884678 - System info shows older release than the deployed one
558197 – Upgrade hangs in PARCONV_UPG
632429 – The upgrade strategy for the add-on BI_CONT
632429 - The upgrade strategy for the add-on FINBASIS
570810 - The upgrade strategy for the add-on PI_BASIS
632429 - The upgrade strategy for the add-on SEM-BW
069455 - The upgrade strategy for the add-on ST-A/PI
606041 - The upgrade strategy for the add-on ST-PI
632429 - The upgrade strategy for the add-on WP-PI

Post upgrade Steps :-
1. Read the Post Installation Steps documented in BW Component Upgrade Guide
2. Apply the following SAP OSS Notes 47019 - BI_CONT 7.02: Installation and Upgrade 558197 - upgrade hangs in PARCONV_UPG, XPRAS_UPG, SHADOW_IMPORT_UPG2 836517 – Oracle Database 10g: Environment for SAP Upgrade
3. Install the J2EE instance as Add-in to ABAP for BI 7.0 and apply the Support Patch that equivalent to ABAP Support Patch.
4. Run SGEN to recompile programs.
5. Install the Kernel Patch.
6. Missing Variants - (also part of test script) look at the RSRVARIANT table in SE16. If it is empty, then you will definitely need to run RSR_VARIANT_XPRA program - RSR_VARINT_XPRA OSS -953346 and 960206 1003481
7. Trouble Shootauthorizations 820183 - New authorization concept in BI

SAP R/3 Source Table.field - How To Find?

What is the quickest way to find the R/3 source table and field name for a field appearing on the BW
InfoSource?

With some ABAP-knowledge you can find some info:

1, Start ST05 (SQL-trace) in R/3
2, Start RSA3 in R/3 just for some records
3, After RSA3 finishes, stop SQL-trace in ST05
4, Analyze SQL-statements in ST05

You can find the tables - but this process doesn't help e.g for the LO-cockpit datasources

SAP BW versus R/3 Reporting

Would it be sufficient just to Web-enable R/3 Reports ? Why does one need
to implement BW ? What are the major benefits of reporting with BW over
R/3 ?

There are quite a few companies that share your thought but R/3 was designed
as a OLTP system and not an analytical and reporting system. In fact
depending on you needs you can even get away with a reporting instance
(quite easy with Sun or EMC storage) Yes you can run as many reports as you
need from R/3 and web enable them but consider these factors.

1: Performance -- heavy reporting along with regular OLTP transactions can
produce a lot of load both on the R/3 and the database (cpu, memory, disks,
etc). Just take a look at the load put on your system during a month end,
quarter end, or year end -- now imagine that occurring even more frequently.

2: Data analysis -- BW uses a Data Ware house and OLAP concepts for storing
and analyzing data. Where R/3 was designed for transaction processing. With
a lot of work you can get the same analysis out of R/3 but most likely would
be easier from a BW.

Major benefits of BW include:
1) By offloading ad-hoc and long running queries from production R/3 system
to BW system, overall system performance should improve on R/3.

2) Another key performance benefit with BW is the database design. It is
designed specifically for query processing, not data updating and OLTP.
Within BW, the data structures are designed differently and are much better
suited for reporting than R/3 data structures. For example, BW utilizes star
schema design which includes fact and dimension tables with bit-mapped
indexes. Other important factors include the built-in support for
aggregates, database partitioning, more efficient ABAP code by utilizing
TRFC processing versus IDOC.

3) Better front-end reporting within BW. Although the BW excel front-end has
it's problems, it provides more flexibility and analysis capability than the
R/3 reporting screens.

4) BW has ability to pull data from other SAP or non-SAP sources into a
consolidated cube.

In summary, BW provides much better performance and stronger data analysis
capabilities than R/3.