In what case would we use Multi-Provider?

[Former Member]

What's the advantage of using Multi-provider? in what case? How about InfoSet?

Thanks

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hello Kevin,

You should go for multi-provider when the requirement is to report on combined data coming from different infoproviders.

Multi-providers combines data using union operation, that means all values of underlying infoproviders are taken into consideration. On ther other hand, Infoset works on the principle of join. Join forms the intersection and only the common data from underlying infoprovider are considerd.

Please go through this link for more details

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04/helpdata/en/52/1ddc37a3f57a07e10000009b38f889/content.htm

Hope it helps.

Regards,

Praveen

[Former Member]

Hi Experts,

Request any one of you to explain me this point mentioned in the replies

"It can insulate your queries from Infocube changes. I could create a MP on top of a single InfoCube. Create all my queries on the MP, then go and change the MP to reference a completely different Infocube, and NOT have to change my queries. Some consultants plug this as a "Best Practice". We use it a lot in our shop."

I'm not very much clear about this point, what does it mean by then go and change the MP to reference a completely different Infocube???

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

Minal

[Former Member]

Kevin,

Check for the doc on hoe to create efficient queries on Multiprovier :

https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/servlet/prt/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/751be690-0201-0010-5e80-f4f...

-Doodle

[Former Member]

Sort of a recap of what others have mentioned and a few other thoughts -

- The ability to combine data from more than one InfoCube. Most SAP doc I have ever seen suggests not putting more than 5 InfoCubes in a MP, but you certainly can put more.

- It can insulate your queries from Infocube changes. I could create a MP on top of a single InfoCube. Create all my queries on the MP, then go and change the MP to reference a completely different Infocube, and NOT have to change my queries. Some consultants plug this as a "Best Practice". We use it a lot in our shop.

- Partitioning / Parallel Processing. If you have 5 years of data in 5 InfoCubes, all pulled together into a single MP, when you run a query on the MP for data all 5 years, you have the option of having that query being broken up into 5 DB queries all running currently, or 5 queries running consecutively.

- Union vs Join. This always seems causes confusion and does offer changes in 2004s. In NW 2004s, you can join InfoCubes in an InfoSet - you cant' do that in NW 2004 or earlier.

Search the forum and you'll find more detailed info on Multi-Providers.

[Former Member]

Kevin,

With multi provider you can combine various cube which are based on different processes

and view the data as a whole

Ex: Creating Multicube on sales; delivery and billing cubes

Also you can find slow moving items by creating a multiprovider based on sales cube and product infoobject

Multicube based on union operation whereas infoset based on join.

We build multiproviders on basic cubes and several queries are on top of it and it works well when it comes to performace as paralleslism happens

-Doodle

[Former Member]

And the best part of this is query based on Multiprovider works internlly as sub queries and subqueries are processed in parallel.

-Ashish

[Former Member]

hi Ashish,

What you mean by "the best part of this is query based on Multiprovider works internlly as sub queries and subqueries are processed in parallel."?

Thanks

[former_member188975]

Hi Kevin,

You can see this for details: Parallelization of Subqueries Versus Sequential Processing

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04/helpdata/en/de/bcb73d73a5f972e10000000a114084/content.htm

Hope this helps...

[former_member188975]

Hi Kevin,

Multiproviders are a great tool that can be used freely to "combine" data without adding much overhead to the system. You may need to combine data of different applications (like Plan and Actual). Another good use is from a data modeling point of view...you can enable "partitioning" of the data by using separate cubes for separate years of data. This way the cube are more manageable, and with an InfoProvider on top the data can be combined for reports if reqd (instead of having one huge cube with all the data).

Also using a multiprovider as an 'umbrella' infoprovider, you can easily make changes to underlying InfoProviders with minimum imapct to the queries.

Hope this helps...