In modern enterprises, data integration across various systems is vital for comprehensive analytics and operational processes. SAP Business Warehouse (SAP BW) serves as a central repository for consolidated data. However, distributing this data efficiently to external systems or applications is equally important. This is where the Open Hub Service (OHS) in SAP BW comes into play.
This article explains what the Open Hub Service is, how it functions, and its significance in distributing BW data.
The Open Hub Service is a standard SAP BW tool that enables the extraction and distribution of BW data to external systems or third-party applications. Unlike typical reporting scenarios within BW, OHS provides a structured way to export data to non-SAP systems, databases, data marts, or flat files.
It essentially acts as an interface that delivers clean, transformed BW data outside the BW environment.
- Flexible Data Extraction: Supports exporting data from InfoProviders such as DataStore Objects (DSOs), InfoCubes, or MultiProviders.
- Multiple Destinations: Allows data distribution to various target types like databases, application servers, or external flat files.
- Data Filtering and Transformation: Data can be filtered and transformed before extraction to meet specific target system requirements.
- Scheduling & Automation: Supports process chains and batch jobs to automate data extraction.
- Data Integrity & Monitoring: Provides tools for monitoring extraction status and ensuring data completeness.
Defines the target system where data is to be sent. It can be of various types:
- Database Table: Data is loaded into external database tables.
- Application Server File: Data is exported to files on the SAP application server.
- Frontend File: Data is exported to files on the user’s local machine.
- Third-party systems: Via interfaces like FTP or external database connections.
This is the actual dataset extracted from BW objects and prepared for transfer.
¶ 3. DataSource and InfoProvider
The source data in BW comes from InfoProviders such as InfoCubes, DSOs, or CompositeProviders, which contain the data to be distributed.
- Define Open Hub Destination: Set up the target system or file where BW data will be exported.
- Create Open Hub Destination Data: Configure the data extraction from a BW InfoProvider, including filters and field mappings.
- Schedule Data Transfer: Use process chains or the scheduler to automate the extraction process.
- Monitor and Manage: Use monitoring tools to check data load status, troubleshoot errors, and ensure data consistency.
- Data Warehousing and Integration: Exporting BW data to data lakes, Hadoop, or third-party data warehouses.
- Data Distribution: Sending consolidated BW data to CRM, ERP, or other operational systems for downstream processing.
- Flat File Exports: Providing data extracts to external analytics tools or business units.
- Hybrid Landscapes: Bridging SAP BW with non-SAP systems, facilitating integrated enterprise reporting.
- Standardized Data Export: Provides a consistent and SAP-supported way to distribute BW data.
- Performance Optimization: Efficient data extraction with minimal impact on BW system performance.
- Flexibility: Supports various data targets and formats tailored to business needs.
- Automation & Monitoring: Ensures reliable and repeatable data transfers with visibility into extraction status.
- Security: Allows controlled and secure distribution of sensitive business data.
- Design destinations carefully considering data volume and target system capacity.
- Use filters and transformations to reduce data footprint and improve relevancy.
- Schedule extractions during off-peak hours to minimize system load.
- Regularly monitor extraction processes and handle errors promptly.
- Maintain clear documentation of Open Hub configurations for audit and support purposes.
The Open Hub Service is an essential component in the SAP BW ecosystem for distributing data beyond the BW system boundaries. It provides a flexible, reliable, and efficient method to export BW data to diverse external environments, enabling integrated analytics, reporting, and operational use cases.
By leveraging Open Hub Service, organizations can unlock the full potential of their BW data, facilitating seamless data integration and distribution across their enterprise landscape.