ODS my favorite thing to do in BW

[Former Member]

Hi,

I had different ideas about using the ODS vs. the InfoProvider with another Consulant and a few clients on my last project, and I would want your thought on this.

How often or what should be determined when to use the ODS or the InfoProvider? Yes I have read the Modeling white paper many times, and I understand the tables and their SIDs. My thought on using ODS is not favorable because it is a flat structure reporting method whereas the InfoProvider is multidimensional. Here are some links to the differences between an ODS and IC.

The clients were just out of training and wanted to do everything using ODS. The Consultant confirmed about the SIDs to me and was on my case. My issue was I was working on a task that had no key figures, but I used the InfoProvider to do reporting anyway because then it can be analyzed in multidimensional format. So what if the SIDs tables are created? These people read off to me from the BW book on how the SID tables are created when using the IC where the ODS does not.

My question is how would you explain to these people that it all depends on the requirement? Ultimately, you would still have to update the IC to do multidimensional reporting.

I want to educate myself and to these people that if you want to do ODS reporting why not use the SAP R3 ABAP reporting process. <b>Why take all this energy to shout and scream your head off about using BW?</b>

Thank you

[former_member188975 · Accepted solution]

Hi Crystal,

SIDs are going to be created if your ODS is enabled for BEx reporting too!

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04/helpdata/en/a6/1205406640c442e10000000a1550b0/content.htm

You are right about the reporting performance and capabilities of a multidimensional object like InfoCube or MultiProvider (as you say: why go through all the trouble otherwise)

Did your clients want to just have an ODS layer (for the EDW) or also do all their reporting off the ODS too?

[Former Member]

Hi Crystal,

Check if this link is helpful:

Bye

Dinesh

[Former Member]

Hi Bhanu & Dinesh,

Thanks for the info. I am actually leaning towards to BW reporting because of the complicated reporting computations that can be completed when creating queries with planning and actual data for management decision reporting.

The <b>screaming and shouting</b> was which was better to implement ODS or IC and the SID tables are created when using the IC and ODS does not. I think they have many issues to resolve before thinking about the EDW implementation. If I understand correctly about EDW, this would be an ODS layer between the PSA and infocubes where extensive amounts of R/3 data would be 'staged' until it was needed for the IC. With ABAP programming background, the business data can be staged in the transparent table for review before transferring data to the IC in BW. I am sure there are many ways to approach or implement R3 or non-R3 data to BW.

Thanks again. Cheers...

[Former Member]

Hi,

I found another link about this.

Only this was mentioned in the BW book and

http://help.sap.com/bp_biv235/BI_EN/documentation/Multi-dimensional_modeling_EN.doc

Thanks and cheers...

[Former Member]

Hi,

Here is some more for you to gain a better perspective of things from http://help.sap.com/bp_biv235/BI_EN/documentation/Multi-dimensional_modeling_EN.doc

<b>Granularity</b>

An important result of the data modeling phase is that the granularity is determined. Granularity deeply influences

-Reporting capabilities

-Performance

-Space needed

-Load Time

You have to decide whether you really need to store detailed data in an InfoCube or whether it is better in an ODS object or <b>even not stored in your data warehouse at all</b>, but accesses directly from your Source system via drill thru.

These decisions are decisions that do not only influence your current scope, but the entire approach to and architecture of your warehouse.

So is it a choice or experience or efficiency?

BTW, Efficiency is intelligent laziness. -David Dunham

http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~udani/humor/quotes.html

Enjoy...