Datawarehouse

In layman terms - Datawarehouse is also a Database with additional features to reduce Drawbacks.
Data Warehouse
Earlier, Database was collection of data represented by E.R. Diagram – Entity Relationship Diagram where
 data was arranged in pre-defined diagrams. Big amount of data was tough to manage and analyze efficiently in E.R. Diagrams.
Drawbacks of E.R. Diagram:
1. E.R. Diagram based architecture leads to lots of joints resulting in increase of time to process request.
2. Databases are not designed to store old data.(historical data)
3. Data warehouse is designed such that protocol doesn’t take long time to serve a request.
Data Warehouse is basically information storage area.

Proper definition for Data Warehouse:
Data warehouse is a collection of data which is subject oriented, integrated, time variant and non volatile. It is used for the purpose of assisting the group of super users who are part of DSS (Decision Support System).

DSS is collection of tools, resources, manpower and collection instructions on how to enhance business in appropriate manner.

Subject Oriented: A data warehouse based on department or module. Unlike Database where all module’s data are kept together.
Time Variant: Data value varies based on time factor.
Non-volatile: Data is not going to change over time
Integrated: Integrating data from different data sources.
We can create n number of Data warehouse based on client requirement.
Earlier to DW, the analysis was done on OLTP server because there was neither a need nor a budget allocated for analysis of historical data.

The analysis happening on mission critical cases is also one reason why the industry felt need for DW.

Also, in transaction server - data is prone to change all the time unlike DW server data once stored will never change.

Other reasons for need of DW include resource and memory intensive searches and analysis in OLTP started affecting day to day operations. It was not possible to do both analysis and transactions in the same server at the same time.
DW is still developing and there are more and more DW tools available in market. More than 50 tools available as of now.
The operation of DW in SAP is done through SAP BW.

New Age Terms:
EAI (Enterprise Application Integration)
SAP BIIP (Integrated Planning).
Middle Ware Technologies: SAP XI, BizTalk, TIBCO, MQ Series, Web Methods

SAP Education Course Schedule Jul 2010 - Jan 2011 (last updated on 23 July 2010)

http://www.sap.com/asia/services/education/schedule/schedule_IN.htm

Using BAPI

Good post on using BAPI'S at SDN
http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/weblogs?blog=/pub/wlg/18187

Post after a long time - resolve is to be regular

Passing Thought:
To accelerate your career, you need to demonstrate that you are part of an elite group that has the talent and experience required to optimize SAP software.

Established Thought:
"The focus is on growth, margin and innovation. It has to be kept in mind that all three have to be dealt [with] simultaneously"
And the established thought is from SAP's co-founder and chairman Hasso Plattner

SAP Hits Reset Button With CEO Change

Is there a relation between the Passing thought and the one that is Established?

Here it is - Expect that SAP will keep throwing new hats in the ring, those who are trying to be the SAP Guru have to do two things without fail:
ONE - Make sure you know inside out about the project that you are working on or ever worked upon.
TWO - The new technologies in SAP are exciting, keeping oneself updated with them is a good thing but getting overwhelmed by them will do no good, and quiet a few of the ideas that SAP proposes fizzes out when the response is not great from the target audience.

THREE - Keep looking for ways to learn on your own, it gives unique perspective - it requires going through SDN, SAP Help Documents, Course Materials, Practicing on Sandbox and interacting over the highly informative forums. Try to keep everything focused else its easy to lose the days without gaining a sharp edge.

e.g.: You never know a small upgrade or maintenance you did on integration of Flex PLM with SAP could make you one rare ABAP guy hard to find.
Once the project is finished and you are well into another heated project, connecting the dots is so much tougher, not denying the post-closure analysis or the learnings during enhancement, but the best learnings are in chaos, when there is no time to document, the skills to use are learnt on a fly. Learning from the same task done by two different person could be fairly different based on the attention level and tools used to keep a record of learnings.

Make a list of things you completed while in your last project, go through the blue Print as a checklist and see if you have covered all or most of the things. Understanding the bigger picture and the overview of technical solutions for the problems faced.

Things you probably didn't know about SAP

SAP FACTS - Chuck Norris style

USER EXITS

User exits :

1. Introduction
2. How to find user exits
3. Using Project management of SAP Enhancements

1. Introduction:

User exits (Function module exits) are exits developed by SAP. The exit is implementerd as a call to a functionmodule. The code for the function module is writeen by the developer. You are not writing the code directly in the function module, but in the include that is implemented in the function module.

The naming standard of function modules for functionmodule exits is:
EXIT_<3 digit suffix>

The call to a functionmodule exit is implemented as:
CALL CUSTOMER.-FUNCTION <3 digit suffix>

Example:

The program for transaction VA01 Create salesorder is SAPMV45A

If you search for CALL CUSTOMER-FUNCTION i program
SAPMV45A you will find ( Among other user exits):

CALL CUSTOMER-FUNCTION '003'
exporting
xvbak = vbak
xvbuk = vbuk
xkomk = tkomk
importing
lvf_subrc = lvf_subrc
tables
xvbfa = xvbfa
xvbap = xvbap
xvbup = xvbup.

The exit calls function module EXIT_SAPMV45A_003

2. How to find user exits?

Display the program where you are searching for and exit and search for CALL CUSTOMER-EXIT

If you know the Exit name, go to transaction CMOD.

Choose menu Utillities->SAP Enhancements. Enter the exit name and press enter.

You will now come to a screen that shows the function module exits for the exit.

3. Using Project management of SAP Enhancements, we want to create a project to enahance trasnaction VA01 .

- Go to transaction CMOD
- Create a project called ZVA01
- Choose the Enhancement assign radio button and press the Change button

In the first column enter V45A0002 Predefine sold-to party in sales document.

Note that an enhancement can only be used in 1 project. If the enhancement is already in use, and error message will be displayed

Press Save

Press Components. You can now see that enhancement uses user exit EXIT_SAPMV45A_002. Double click on the exit.

Now the function module is displayed. Double click on include ZXVVAU04 in the function module

Insert the following code into the include: E_KUNNR = '2155'.

Activate the include program. Go back to CMOD and activate the project.

Goto transaction VA01 and craete a salesorder.

Note that Sold-to-party now automatically is "2155"
*****************************************************

What is User Exits and Customer Exits?
Difference between user exits & customer exits:

User exit - A user exit is a three character code that instructs the system to access a program during system processing.

SXX: S is for standard exits that are delivered by SAP. XX represents the 2-digit exit number.

UXX: U is for user exits that are defined by the user. XX represents the 2-digit exit number

Customer exit - The R/3 enhancement concept allows you to add your own functionality to SAP’s standard business applications without having to modify the original applications. SAP creates customer exits for specific programs, screens, and menus within standard R/3 applications. These exits do not contain any functionality. Instead, the customer exits act as hooks. You can hang your own add-on functionality onto these hooks. *-- Mani


The following document is about exits in SAP :-

The R/3 enhancement concept allows you to add your own functionality to SAP’s standard business applications without having to modify the original applications.

SAP creates user exits for specific programs, screens, and menus within standard R/3 applications. These exits do not contain any functionality. Instead, the customer exits act as hooks. You can hang your own add-on functionality onto these hooks.

Types of Exits
There are several different types of user exits. Each of these exits acts as hooks where you can attach or "hang" your own add-ons.

Menu Exits
Menu exits add items to the pulldown menus in standard SAP applications. You can use these menu items to call up your own screens or to trigger entire add-on applications.

SAP creates menu exits by defining special menu items in the Menu Painter. These special entries have function codes that begin with "+" (a plus sign). You specify the menu item’s text when activating the item in an add-on project.

Screen Exits
Screen exits add fields to screens in R/3 applications. SAP creates screen exits by placing special subscreen areas on a standard R/3 screen and calling a customer subscreen from the standard screen’s flow logic.

Function Module Exits
Function module exits add functions to R/3 applications. Function module exits play a role in both menu and screen exits.

When you add a new menu item to a standard pull down menu, you use a function module exit to define the actions that should take place once your menu is activated.

Function module exits also control the data flow between standard programs and screen exit fields. SAP application developers create function module exits by writing calls to customer functions into the source code of standard R/3 programs.

These calls have the following syntax:

CALL CUSTOMER-FUNCTION ‘001’.

Field Exits
Field exits allow you to create your own programming logic for any data element in the Dictionary. You can use this logic to carry out checks, conversions, or business-related processing for any screen field. Example: The data element BBBNR identifies a company’s international location number. You might want to set up your R/3 System so that all international location numbers are larger than 100.

The field exit concept lets you create a special function module that contains this logic.

You assign the special function module to the data element BBBNR. You then assign the module to any programs and screens in which users can add new international location numbers. When you activate your field exit, the system automatically triggers your special routine whenever a user enters a company location number.

In 4.6c, you can use "RSMODPRF" program to create field exits.

An example of a user exits :-

MODULE user_exit_0001 INPUT
CASE okcode.
WHEN 'BACK OR EXIT'.
CASE sy-dynnr.
WHEN '100'.
SET SCREEN 0.
LEAVE SCREEN.
WHEN '200'.
******************************************************************************
**** Note that you can write any code that satisfy your needs. ****
**** But in this case, this was wrote as a sample code for reference sake. ****
**** And you can test it. ****
******************************************************************************
SET SCREEN 100.
LEAVE SCREEN.
ENDCASE.
ENDCASE.

Example of Function Module in Subroutine

REPORT ZTEST_11.

parameters :name(20) type c.
data:begin of itab occurs 0 ,
value(20),
end of itab,
choise like sy-tabix.
at selection-screen on value-request for name.
perform f4 changing name.

*&---------------------------------------------------------------------*
*& Form F4
*&---------------------------------------------------------------------*
* text
*----------------------------------------------------------------------*
* <--P_NAME text
*----------------------------------------------------------------------*
FORM F4 CHANGING P_NAME.

itab-value = 'sap'.
append itab.
itab-value = 'sap1'.
append itab.
itab-value = 'sap2'.
append itab.
CALL FUNCTION 'POPUP_WITH_TABLE_DISPLAY'
EXPORTING
ENDPOS_COL = 40
ENDPOS_ROW = 12
STARTPOS_COL = 20
STARTPOS_ROW = 5
TITLETEXT = 'Select an ID'
IMPORTING
CHOISE = choise
TABLES
VALUETAB = itab
EXCEPTIONS
BREAK_OFF = 1
OTHERS = 2.
CHECK choise > 0.
clear screen.
READ TABLE itab INDEX choise.
name = itab-value.
IF SY-SUBRC <> 0.
* MESSAGE ID SY-MSGID TYPE SY-MSGTY NUMBER SY-MSGNO
* WITH SY-MSGV1 SY-MSGV2 SY-MSGV3 SY-MSGV4.
ENDIF.




ENDFORM. " F4