For SAP-BW (Business Warehouse)
One of the fundamental tasks in SAP BW (Business Warehouse) is extracting data from source systems such as SAP ECC (ERP Central Component), SAP CRM (Customer Relationship Management), and other SAP or non-SAP systems. Data extraction is the process of retrieving data from these operational systems to load into SAP BW for consolidation, transformation, and analysis. Efficient and reliable data extraction is critical to building a robust data warehouse.
This article explains the extraction concepts, methods, and tools used to extract data from SAP source systems like ECC and CRM into SAP BW.
SAP BW typically sources data from various SAP applications:
Data extraction in SAP BW involves:
SAP provides predefined DataSources for common business objects in ECC and CRM, such as:
These standard DataSources simplify extraction without requiring custom development.
If standard DataSources don’t meet requirements, developers can create custom DataSources tailored to specific data needs, including complex logic or non-standard tables.
Extracts only data that has changed since the last extraction.
Reduces data volume and improves efficiency.
SAP BW supports several delta techniques:
ECC extraction uses standard APIs like Business Content Extractors or Change Pointers for delta.
SAP CRM offers its own set of extractors to pull customer interaction, sales, and service data.
Example DataSources:
CRM extraction often leverages the Web Service Interface or RFC calls, depending on the BW version and integration scenario.
Allows extraction and distribution of data to external systems.
Real-time data replication from ECC to BW on HANA, supporting real-time reporting.
Controls data loading from source systems into BW targets, managing full and delta loads.
Extracting data efficiently from SAP source systems like ECC and CRM is crucial for building an effective SAP BW data warehouse. Leveraging standard DataSources and extraction mechanisms combined with delta techniques ensures timely, accurate, and performant data flows. Understanding these extraction processes helps BW consultants design scalable and reliable ETL architectures.
Mastering SAP extraction concepts enables organizations to transform operational data into valuable business insights through SAP BW.