Web Intelligence 4.0 - Edit Merged Dimensions wihtout using Unmerge

[Former Member]

I am buiding a whole reporting package in WEBI 4.0 and I've run into an issue. I have several existing merged dimensions in the report (e.g. Month, Year, etc) I just recently added several new queries (from different universes) and would like to add the dimensions that came over to the existing merged dimensions. However, I am unable to do this unless I unmerge the existing merged dimension and then re-merge all the dimension members again. As soon as I unmerge though, many of my reports are completely messed up and would have to be rebuilt.

Is there a way to add new dimensions members to an existing merged dimension without having to unmerge first?

Thank you so much in advance!

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

I also have this issue, but tried a workaround which works for me -> go to the document properties of your webi report and turn on auto-merge dimensions. Refresh the report and it merges all dimensions which can be merged including your new dimensions which you just added via the new query. You can then unmerge dimensions which you don't need merged.

Regards,

J.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Jeroen,

Thaks for giving me hope but it did not work for me . Can you please post a few screenshots if possible.

Or give me an example of the merged dimension name and the names of the individual dimension attributes in it.

Thanks

Chandra

[Former Member]

It has been more than a year and above mentioned 'enhancement' still has not been implemented even in BO4.1 SP5 with Bex data source, even though it has been present in BO3.1. Is it at all considered to be ever implemented back?

[Former Member]

I'm on 4.1 SP5 using BICS and I can add dimensions to an existing merge, see below.  The steps are: 1) first select the new dimension in need or merging

2) hold CTRL key (control key on keyboard)

3) select merged dimension that it should go int

4) click "Add to merge"

Edit: forgot to mention that if you are using Query Stripping - be sure you bring the new dimension into the report first and then refresh, otherwise it won't let you merge.

[former_member204205]

Hi All,

This is a bug in 4.0.

Got a work around though. It still involves unmerging the dimensions, but just reduce ur redevelopment efforts.

Wht i did is created a new Variable and assigned the Merged dimension to that variable.

eg: created a variable called Model (Merged) and formula : =Model (from Merged Dimension)

Now i am using this newly creted variable everywhere instead of directly using the merged dimension.

So now if i unmerge the dimensions and merge them again with new object, i only have to change this particualr variable and all the report works as before.

This has reduced my redevelopment efforts. Its still not the best solution but its working for me for time being.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Aditya Tanak

[Former Member]

This issue is reported as a bug and is assigned ADAPT01689840.

It is fixed in BI4 SP4 Patch 4.

The possible work arounds are:

1- Use auto-merge dimension (I have found that you've to do it before adding the query)

2- Un-merge and re-merge.

Kashif

[vaibhav_rathore]

Hi,

I have been trying to merge the dimensions of common data type from different queries, it is working fine but only with the merged dimension and the comparising dimension from either of the query. Not able to add new dimension because it is giving Incompatible Object.Means it is allowing me to only add one object with the common object.

Example: i have taken Emp_Firstname and Job_Title from Employee and Job tables in Query 1

               in the second query i have taken Emp_Firstname and Showroom_Name from Employeeand Showroom tables in Query 2.

               I have merged the Emp_Firstname.

And when i am trying to drag Emp_Firstname along with Showroom_Name and Job_Title , it is giving incompatible object cannot drop.

But when I only take Emp_Firstname and either Job_Title or Showroom_Name it works fine.

Why cant I take all the three objects in the report?

Please give suggestions

Regards

[former_member204205]

Hi Jeroen,

This didn't work for me either.

I just really dont want to redevelop my report. But I guess there is no other option remaining.

Regards,

Aditya Tanak.

[Former Member]

Hi Keith,

I've run into the same problem. Did you find a solution?

[Former Member]

No I have not found any acceptable solutions. I was basically forced to unmerge the dimensions and rebuild them once I added in the new queries. This forced me to have to recreate some of my reporting unfortunately.

[former_member188911]

Hello,

have you tried the workflow in the latest available patch level? If the problem persists you may wish to report the problem with an OSS message so we can fix it.

Thanks!

Best regards

Simone Caneparo

[Former Member]

No I have not, or at least I do not think I have. I do not know exactly what workflow you are referring to. Do you have a link that references this workflow so that I can review it and attempt to use it? I believe my BO instance has the latest patch installed and I am still unable to perform the merged dimension edit but I need to verify this.

Thanks!

Keith

[former_member188911]

Hi Keith ,

sorry if I haven't been clear, with workflow I mean the detailed steps to reproduce the error so we can try to replicate in our test environments...

To verify what patch level you are on, goto add/remove programs in the control panel.

Thanks

Best regards,

Simone

[Henry_Banks]

Hi,

it's worth confirming your installed Patch level, because a number of fixes have been delivered in this area since Patch2.8 even, for example:

ADAPT01585593

Filter error Webi shows #UNAVAILABLE when a filter is applied on a dimension which is merged.

ADAPT01588872

Filter on Merge BICS dimension is not working

ADAPT01601528

Refreshing a WebIntelligence document merged dimensions may generate an error.

ADAPT01576476

User cannot create merged objects based on attributes in Web Intelligence.

Regards,

H

[Former Member]

We are running BO XI 4.0 SP2 Patch 9.

To recreate the issue, have a report with at least two queries from different data sources. Merge a dimension between those existing queries, let's say a dimension called MERGED_REGION. Now build a report using the merged dimension, MERGED_REGION.

Add in an additional query to a new data source. This query will need to have a dimension REGION as well. Now try and add it to the existing merged dimension MERGED_REGION. You will find that you cannot. The only way to merge this new dimensions witht he existing ones is to unmerge MERGED_REGION, which will break the report that you have built. You will then have to re-merge in all the REGIONS now into a NEW_MERGED_REGION. This is not ideal. It would be better if we could just add a dimension from a new query into an existing merged dimension without having to unmerge it first.

[Henry_Banks]

Hi,

Here are the Release Notes for Patch2.10 : http://service.sap.com/~form/sapnet?_SHORTKEY=01100035870000735576&_SCENARIO=01100035870000000202&_O...

There is a further fix in P2.10 ADAPT01601528 - Refreshing a WebIntelligence document merged dimensions may generate an error. However, it's not clear if your 'region' is a detail attribute of customer, for example, in which case it might be ADAPT01576476.

Anyway, I would suggest that: if you adding in a new Data Provider in, much later during your development cycle, having to unmerge and remerge makes sense to me. This is because the entire webi microcube's aggregation and calculation contexts will need to be done from scratch, and the synchronization between those dataproviders is an entirely new analysis.

What does surprise me however, is that your saying you can't use the existing merged_dimension name?

Regards,

H

[Former Member]

I will try the new patch release but based on the description, I do not think it will resolve my issue specifically.

I want to correct what I said. I CAN use the existing merged dimensions (MERGED_REGION) even after adding in the new data source. However, that merged dimension will not include the REGION dimension of the new data source. To merge the REGION dimension with MERGED_REGION, i would have to unmerge MERGED_REGION and then re-merge all the REGIONs together into a NEW_MERGED_REGION.

I agree that I can see why this needs to be done. What I am suggesting is that it would be nice for this to happen behind the scenes so that i do NOT have to unmerge MERGED_REGION as that affects all the reports I have built using MERGED_REGION. Does this make sense?

[Henry_Banks]

Hi,

Yes, it does make sense, but this puts it firmly into the realms of 'enhancement request'

You should log your interest here, and describe this feature for the product owners to review: https://cw.sdn.sap.com/cw/community/ideas/businessanalytics/sbowebi

search for terms "MERGE" first - there are loads of entries, so perhaps pick one and vote it up.

the thing with 'nice to haves' like this, is that for every person that argues their requirements one way, there will always be another developer who wants the other behaviour.

infact, have you evaluated the effectiveness of the 'auto merge extended dimensions' tickbox under document properties ?

Regards,

H

[Former Member]

This feature was available in XI 3.1. This should be considered an enhancement - rather it is a defect.

[Henry_Banks]

FYI - this is planned to be re-implemented in BI4.1 next year.

the Ideas Place link for this planned 'enhancement' can be found here: https://cw.sdn.sap.com/cw/ideas/4229

Regards,

H

[Former Member]

Hello,

This is proving quite an issue for us,

Do you have an adapt number / service pack this scheduled for release in?

Thanks

James

[Former Member]

It's been over a year since this thread was created and I am still seeing this issue in BO 4.0 SP04 Patch 9.

How is this still not included yet?

[vaibhav_rathore]

Hi,

I have been trying to merge the dimensions of common data type from different queries, it is working fine but only with the merged dimension and the comparising dimension from either of the query. Not able to add new dimension because it is giving Incompatible Object.Means it is allowing me to only add one object with the common object.

Example: i have taken Emp_Firstname and Job_Title from Employee and Job tables in Query 1

               in the second query i have taken Emp_Firstname and Showroom_Name from Employeeand Showroom tables in Query 2.

               I have merged the Emp_Firstname.

And when i am trying to drag Emp_Firstname along with Showroom_Name and Job_Title , it is giving incompatible object cannot drop.

But when I only take Emp_Firstname and either Job_Title or Showroom_Name it works fine.

Why cant I take all the three objects in the report?

Please give suggestions

Regards