A
next generation of data warehousing solution of SAP so called SAP Data Warehouse Cloud (DWC) is around
for a sometime. Yes, the cloud is most important thing in its name. As transactional
systems are being moved to the cloud, the analytics/data warehousing do so.
Problem here is again (similar to ECC -> S/4 Cloud move) how to migrate SAP data
warehouse solution to the cloud with a less pain. SAP comes to address this via
SAP Data Warehouse Cloud, SAP BW Bridge
(aka DWC Bridge). Solution was
announced during TechEd
2021.
What
it does in nutshell is that it enables functions of SAP BW but in the (public) cloud.
By
the BW functions is meant, a classic BW functionalities as we know them from either
classic BW on any DB, or BW4/HANA one. The
functions or functionalities basically cover what SAP BW Data Manager is doing,
e.g. data loads, data transformations, SQL interface, database utilities, etc. The
Bridge enables data modes of classic on premise BW system to be imported into DWC.
On premise SAP BW’s InfoProviders objects like (a)DSO, Composite Providers can
be imported into the Bridge’s space in DWC. These spaces can be shared with
other spaces. A new data models can be built on top of these objects while
combining them with other data sources or e.g. master data views.
Technically
the SAP DWC Bridge is based on an ABAP
Platform. It is a full-blown SAP BW4/HANA system just
its analytics functions are not present. This is why the reporting part stays
with DWC itself. Therefore, the Bridge has two key components: data modeling and data acquisition.
Data modeling part is managed in two separate modeling
environments:
1.
SAP BW bridge objects are developed by Eclipse based BW
Modeling Tools for SAP BW Bridge objects. The modeling tools are to be
installed in SAP
HANA Studio.
2.
Data Builder (in DWC) – consists of a
tools to support data acquiring and replicating from a different sources and as
well to combine and prepare these objects for consumption. The Bridge objects are
present in DWC as remote tables.
Second
- the data acquisition part takes
place in so called SAP BW Bridge Cockpit.
The cockpit serves as a central point of administration of processes. Data loading
processes are managed here, managing aDSOs, InfoObjects, etc. Similar to what BW/4HANA Cockpit
does.
To
simply put it; the Bridge is the migration tool. The DWC works differently comparing
to traditional BW. Difference is that while the classic BW gathers all data and
models into a single place, DWC does not only store data. The DWC acts as a consistent
layer that virtualizes data and models stored at many organization’s systems thus
it supports accessing and managing data for analytics. Man in middle between the
DWC and classic BWs is the Bridge that facilitates the move to the cloud.
A minimum version of BW that you can “bridge” with the DWC with the BWB is SAP BW 7.30.
More
information:
3117800 -
Information/Restrictions Note for SAP Data Warehouse Cloud, SAP BW Bridge
3141688 -
Conversion from SAP BW or SAP BW/4HANA to SAP Data Warehouse Cloud, SAP BW
Bridge
SAP Support site software component: DWC-BWB