SAP Data Warehouse Cloud (SAP DWC) is a powerful, cloud-native data warehousing solution designed to integrate, model, and analyze enterprise data seamlessly. One of the essential skills for leveraging SAP DWC is the ability to build effective data models that provide business users with meaningful insights.
This article guides you through building your first data model in SAP DWC, from connecting data sources to creating and publishing your model, helping you unlock the value hidden in your data.
¶ Step 1: Access SAP Data Warehouse Cloud and Create a Space
Before modeling data, log in to your SAP DWC tenant and create a Space — a collaborative workspace where you can manage data, artifacts, and users. Spaces help organize projects by teams, business units, or specific use cases, ensuring proper governance and access control.
Data modeling begins with connecting to data sources. SAP DWC supports both live data connections (e.g., SAP S/4HANA, SAP BW/4HANA) and imported data (CSV files, cloud data lakes).
- Navigate to the Connection tab.
- Create a new connection by selecting the source type.
- Configure connection parameters such as credentials, endpoints, and import settings.
- Test and save the connection.
¶ Step 3: Explore and Import Data Tables
Once the connection is established:
- Open the Data Builder tool.
- Browse available tables or views in your data source.
- For imported connections, select tables to replicate into SAP DWC.
- For live connections, select tables/views to use virtually without data replication.
A graphical view is a visual representation of your data model where you can join, filter, and transform data without writing SQL.
- In Data Builder, click Create > Graphical View.
- Name your view (e.g., "Customer Sales Overview").
- Drag and drop base tables or existing views into the workspace.
- Define joins between tables (e.g., join sales fact table with customer dimension on Customer ID).
- Add calculated columns or business logic using the expression editor.
- Apply filters or set variables to enhance interactivity.
- Validate and save the view.
¶ Step 5: Publish and Share Your Model
After completing your graphical view:
- Publish the view to make it available to end users and analytics tools like SAP Analytics Cloud.
- Assign appropriate access rights to users or teams within the Space.
- Optionally, add descriptions and documentation to improve usability.
Your data model can now be used in SAP Analytics Cloud or other reporting tools for:
- Creating dashboards and reports.
- Enabling business users to perform self-service analytics.
- Supporting real-time decision-making with up-to-date data.
- Start Simple: Begin with essential tables and gradually add complexity.
- Reuse Models: Build dimension views (e.g., Customers, Products) separately for reuse.
- Consistent Naming: Use clear, consistent names for models and columns.
- Optimize Joins: Use appropriate join types (inner, left outer) to ensure correct data representation.
- Test and Validate: Regularly validate data accuracy at each modeling step.
Building your first data model in SAP Data Warehouse Cloud is a straightforward process that unlocks powerful business insights. By connecting data sources, visually modeling relationships, and publishing accessible views, you lay the foundation for effective data-driven decision-making.
As you gain confidence, explore advanced features such as SQL views, calculation views, and scenario modeling to further enhance your data warehouse capabilities in SAP DWC.