BW Training Topics

1 Data Modeling
2 Extended Star Schema & Aggregates

3 InfoObjects, DataSources & InfoSources

4 BW overview & Administrative Workbench

5 Data Staging, Data Storage & ODS

6 Data Extraction

7 Reporting & Analysis and Tracking History

8 Business Explorer

9 Query & Analysis

Modeling Demands: Business Scenario

In order to keep performance maximized and meet

the complex historical reporting needs of the client,
you need to evaluate all the modeling options.
Some users need high level of detail while others
need just summary information.
Others may need reports which need to keep track of
the changing Master Data.
For Eg:What should happen to the reports in the
event a Material changes its Material Group from
“Food” to “Chemical”.
Tracking History: Business Scenario
History: Fact Table role

Changes over time are normally tracked in the fact

table while loading the transaction data.
Each record in the fact table is identified by a unique
combination of DIM keys which are in turn derived
from a unique combination of characteristic values
from the transaction data.
For Eg.: Material “A” purchased by Cust “X” on Day
“Y”, the existence of a new relationship between
“A”,”X”,”Y” forms a new record in the fact table.
History: Slowly Changing Dimensions

Changes between attributes of different dimensions

(as in previous slide) are normal in the daily
transactions.
But, how do we deal with changes between the
attributes in the same dimension.
For Eg.:
 “What is my sales for a sales group at the time of
sales transaction?”
 “What is my sales for a sales group at the time I
run the report?”
Hence, it is essential during the design phase to be aware
of the changes between attributes within the same
dimension and how to deal with it.
Tracking History: Supporting data
History Scenario A: At the time of Sales Order
History Scenario B: At time of Report
History Scenario C: Any point in Time (1)
History Scenario C: Any point in Time (2)
History Scenario D: Compare Existing and Unchanged