In the SAP Business Warehouse (SAP BW) ecosystem, data consolidation and integration are crucial for delivering comprehensive and insightful reports. Often, decision-makers require reports that combine data from different business areas or sources. InfoSets are one of the powerful tools that enable such integration by combining data from multiple sources in a single, unified view. This article explains the concept of InfoSets, their role in SAP BW, and how they help in building combined reports.
An InfoSet is a logical data model that combines data from various tables or InfoProviders and makes it available for reporting in SAP BW. InfoSets allow users to join or union data from different sources without physically merging the data into one repository. They act as a virtual layer, enabling flexible reporting scenarios across multiple datasets.
InfoSets are mainly used in the SAP Business Explorer (BEx) InfoSet Query Designer, and they serve as InfoProviders for queries when the data needs to be combined or blended from disparate sources.
There are two primary types of InfoSets:
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InfoSets on Transparent Tables or Logical Databases:
- Combine tables or views using joins.
- Often used for ad hoc reporting or when InfoCubes are not available.
- Useful for operational reporting scenarios.
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InfoSets on InfoProviders:
- Combine data from multiple InfoProviders like InfoCubes, DSOs, or MultiProviders.
- Used when you want to blend analytical data models without physically merging them.
- Help in building composite reports spanning multiple business processes.
InfoSets work by joining or unioning data from multiple tables or InfoProviders based on key relationships. Key features include:
- Join Conditions: Define how tables or providers relate to each other (e.g., joining Customer data with Sales data via Customer ID).
- Field Selection: Choose which fields from each source to include in the InfoSet.
- Data Consistency: Ensure consistent data interpretation across different sources.
- Single Query Access: Allow reporting tools to retrieve data seamlessly from multiple underlying data sources.
¶ Creating and Using InfoSets
- Identify the tables, InfoProviders, or logical databases to combine.
- Understand the key relationships between data sources.
- Use the BEx InfoSet Designer.
- Select the data sources to include.
- Define joins and relationships between sources.
- Select the fields to be exposed for reporting.
- Once the InfoSet is created and activated, it becomes available as an InfoProvider.
- Use BEx Query Designer to create queries on top of the InfoSet.
- Design reports combining data from multiple underlying sources.
- Flexibility: Combine data without physical data duplication.
- Efficiency: Reduce data redundancy by creating virtual joins.
- Simplified Reporting: Users get a unified data view even when data comes from diverse sources.
- Rapid Development: Quicker than modeling complex InfoCubes or MultiProviders for every combined scenario.
- When combining operational data from transparent tables for quick reporting.
- For joining master data with transactional data without restructuring the data warehouse.
- In scenarios where MultiProviders do not support required data blending or when InfoCubes are not feasible.
- For ad hoc or specialized reporting requirements where flexibility is needed.
InfoSets in SAP BW provide an essential method to combine data from multiple sources, enabling richer, more integrated reports without the need for extensive data re-modeling. They act as a virtual layer allowing business users to analyze data across boundaries efficiently. Understanding and leveraging InfoSets can significantly enhance reporting capabilities and support better decision-making in an SAP BW environment.