Conditional Execution Part 2: Prevent Incorrect Data in Transactional Data Loads

by Rajiv Kalra, Independent Consultant

See how you can use conditional execution in your process chains to halt additional transactional data loads when you have outdated master data.

Categories: ABAP, BI/BW, Data Management

Key Concept

In SAP NetWeaver BI 7.0, the data transfer process (DTP) supports error handling for DataStore objects. The system sorts failed data load records and writes them to a temporary request- based database table called the error stack. This allows you to determine the processing step in which the error occurred. You can display the error stack records from the monitor of the data transfer process request. After you resolve the error, it is easier to restart failed loads from the error stack using an error DTP.

Consider a scenario in which SAP NetWeaver BI receives outbound shipment data from the legacy system via flat files written to the application server daily. Until the legacy system is retired, the business plans to keep pushing legacy shipment records into SAP NetWeaver BI.

The flat files contain data for the material (legacy material number), customer, and shipment quantities. The transformation from the flat file into a DataStore object (DSO) maps the legacy material to the SAP material via a lookup. The InfoObject for the material (0MATERIAL) has an attribute, which I call NAMATLEG (legacy material). The master data management (MDM) team populates this attribute in SAP ERP Central Component (ECC) in the material master table MARA. You can then extract NAMATLEG as an attribute of 0MATERIAL into SAP NetWeaver BI.

If no mapping of NAMATLEG to an SAP material exists in the InfoObject 0MATERIAL, the system treats the shipment record as an error record to post to the error stack. You can design the process chain to check for records in the error stack and stop further execution until the MDM team fixes the master data. Subsequently, you can execute the error data transfer process (error DTP) to load the records from the error stack. The process chain permits a delta pull from ECC or SAP NetWeaver BI only if the system has posted the error stack records via an error DTP.

I’ll explain how I applied this technique to a scenario in which I have two values for a material: the legacy system value of A123456 and the ECC value of 10012345. Then I’ll show you how to implement this technique in SAP NetWeaver BI 7.0.

Would you like to see the full version of this article?

If you are an electronic license holder to BI Expert, please click here to log in.

If you would like information about becoming an electronic license holder — and having 24/7 unrestricted access to all articles and content in the BI Expert online knowledgebase — click here to see the available subscription options.

Or call 1-781-751-8799 to speak directly with a subscription and licensing specialist about customized access for you and your team.

Isn't your SAP implementation worth world-class information support?

Copyright © 2010 Wellesley Information Services. All rights reserved. Email: customer.service@bi-expertonline.com.
BI Expert, 20 Carematrix Drive, Dedham, MA 02026, USA.
Sales and Customer Service: 1-781-751-8799
SAP and the SAP logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and several other countries.