SAP BW Easy Query

Concept of Easy Queries in SAP BW was introduced in BW 7.3 particularly in SP05 although they were available but not fully functional in lower SPs like SP02. Another prerequisite to use Easy Queirs is to have BEx Query Designer with revision of level 671 or higher.

What is SAP BW Easy query? It allows external access to the BEx queries. By the external access it is meant here that the BEx query can be consumed by web service. There are other interfaces that can be used to connect 3^rd party tools to BEx queries, such as: OLE DB for OLAP (ODBO), OLAP BAPI (Business Application Programming Interface), XML for Analysis (XML/A), OData and finally Easy Query.

First of all such query needs to be enables for this access. This can be done in BEx Query Designer.  Follow to query properties and on Advanced tab page for the query there is a check box in section “Release for External Access” called “By Easy Query”.

Once the query is enabled for Easy Query BW system generates configuration needed to access it in BW’s background. This in particular means that SOA configuration profile is generated. To see generated objects you can use Easy Query Manager (transaction EQMANAGER) in the BW system. Note that transaction is webdynpro JAVA based (wda_eq_manager) so it runs in your web browser via HTTP server built in NetWeaver.

Afterwards the query can be used as a SOAP service. There are certain limitations in this scenario. See full documentation here.

One of common error which you can encounter while setting flag of easy query in BEx QD is that such a query will fail while attempt to transport it. There will be following error while import phase of the transport:

The easy query is wrongly or incompletely configured Message no. BW_BICS_EQ029

The easiest way to solve is to uncheck the flag and recollect the query into new transport request. However if your intention was to use the query for easy query purposes you need to check the query’s generated objects in TA EQMANAGER.