In today’s fast-paced business environment, timely and accurate data is crucial for decision-making. Traditional data warehousing techniques often involve batch data loads, which can introduce latency between data generation and analysis. To overcome this challenge, SAP BW offers innovative modeling objects such as Virtual InfoCubes that enable real-time data integration and reporting.
A Virtual InfoCube in SAP BW is a special type of InfoProvider that allows real-time access to data from external source systems without physically storing the data inside SAP BW. Unlike classical InfoCubes that persist data within the BW system, Virtual InfoCubes act as virtual views or pointers to data residing in other systems.
Virtual InfoCubes enable SAP BW to deliver real-time or near-real-time reporting by directly querying source system data, eliminating the need for time-consuming data replication and batch processing.
Virtual InfoCubes use remote data access techniques to integrate data in real time:
This setup provides users with up-to-date information, improving responsiveness and decision-making speed.
The data resides in the source system, such as SAP ERP or SAP S/4HANA.
Acts as an InfoProvider within SAP BW but does not store data itself. It references views or tables from the source system.
When a user runs a query on a Virtual InfoCube, SAP BW sends a request to the source system and retrieves current data on-demand.
End users access real-time reports via BEx tools or other front-end applications like SAP Analytics Cloud.
While Virtual InfoCubes offer significant advantages, there are some constraints:
With SAP BW/4HANA and the HANA database, the concept of virtual data access has expanded further. Technologies like CompositeProviders and Open ODS Views complement Virtual InfoCubes by providing even more flexible real-time data integration options.
SAP BW/4HANA emphasizes in-memory processing, making real-time reporting more efficient and scalable.
Virtual InfoCubes represent a powerful feature in SAP BW for enabling real-time data integration without the need for persistent data storage. By directly accessing live data in source systems, they offer businesses the agility to respond quickly to changing conditions with up-to-date insights.
When used appropriately, Virtual InfoCubes enhance the data warehousing landscape by bridging operational and analytical processes, empowering decision-makers with timely and accurate information.