Tips on troubleshooting UD Connect type based source systems connection to SAP BW

There can be multiple issues popping up while connecting SAP BW to UD Connect based source systems like MSSQL. Within this blog post, I list few of them I recently faced.

1. Message No. RSSDK300:

S:RSSDK:300 Cannot convert a value of 'Local' from type java.l ang.String to INT at field CURRENCYTYPE

or

S:RSSDK:300 Cannot convert a value of 'LOCAL' from type java.lang.String to FLOAT at field CURRENCY

Normally error no RSSDK300 can be solved by reactivating corresponding DataSource, then following errors may pop up:

S:RSSDK:300 Field ENTITY is not a member of /BIC/CAZRXD_V_0001 70000001

Message No. RSSDK300

or

S:RSSDK:300 Column: Entity not found    Message No. RSSDK300

To solve this look for SAP Note: 1009063 - UDConnect displays erratic behaviour in loading data and blog. Or as per Note 1040572 – “UDC: Error "Column XXX not found" happens randomly”, use use parameters "fixedSchema" and "fixedCatalog" because the MSSQL system may be using different DB schemas and you may use the table/view that has same name in different schemas.

2 Message No. RSM340

Errors in source system       Message No. RSM340

3 Message No. RSDS_ACCESS036

Error while extracting field list of UD Connect object: UDC ADAPT ERROR::RSSDK|100|while trying to invoke th

4 Message No. RSSDK100

UDC adapter problem: connection area     Message No. RSSDK100

Things that may help to solve above mentioned errors:

JDBC test page

There is JDBC test page available on NetWeaver JAVA stack with following URL:

http://server:port/TestJDBC_Web/TestJDBCPage.jsp

Here one can test connection to particular UD Connect based system. Moreover you can even extract the columns of table or view extraction is retrieving data from. This extremely needed check. It can reveal many issues. For example, in case BW’s datasource is expecting column called ABC but in source system there is completely different column name available like XYZ.

Meta data cache

As UD Connect, based systems are using JAVA NetWeaver server in middle there can be an issues at JAVA server. Mostly these are related to meta data cache. Because metadata description may already be present metadata cache of JAVA server. After the changes done insource system (column name change, column data type/length change, etc.) these changes must be replicated to the JAVA server. As those changes will not automatically be removed from the metadata cache on the JAVA. Normally these can be easily solved by restarting JAVA server when the cache is cleared. However, in production environments it may not be easy to get a time slot to perform the restart. Luckily as of NW version 7.2 the clear cache can be done w/o restart. Procedure is described in SAP Note 1479970 - Changes in RFC modules are not reflected in Java Server. In NetWeaver Admin tool choose tab "Availability and Performance" then select "Resource Monitoring" then "JCo Monitoring", there choose tab "Meta Data Cache". It is also possible to made the cache clear programmatically.

Investigate JAVA logs

Look for following logs to dig out more details about the error:

·        \usr\sap\\\j2ee\cluster\server?\BI_SDK_Trace.log. (there's one log per server node)

·        \usr\sap\\\j2ee\cluster\server?\log\defaultTrace.?.trc (send us the latest default?.trc file from all the server nodes)

·        \usr\sap\\\j2ee\cluster\server0\log\applications\BI\UDI.?.log

Debug on ABAP Stack

Set a breakpoint in FM RSSDK_DATA_UPLOAD_ALL on the line where function RSSDK_DATA_UPLOAD_ALL is called. Also see t-code RSSDK - DB Connect and ABAP program RSSDK_START.

More information:

UD Connect extractor error

1722695 - JRA: Object not found in lookup of CallbackConnectionFactory

2000681 - JRA: NullPointerException in CallbackConnectionFactory

1004194 - UDC: How to create log files for problem analysis

512739 - BW external DB Connect for MS SQLServer

1396552 - Remote connection delivers wrong character data

SAP BI Export Library

An export of BI report’s output into the different format like PDF is very common. Also SAP’s reporting frontend’s tools are offering that. In case of web reporting based on JAVA stack an export functionality of reports is done by this library. For example BEx Broadcaster is creating PDFs documents also by the library. The BI Export Library is an alternative to Adobe Document Services (ADS). However in contrast to ADS you can use the Export Library only within application based on JAVA Stack. Technically the Library is delivered within Business Intelligence Java Components (BI-JAVA) BI-BASE-S and BI-WEBAPP.

To enable using of the Library you need to maintain field SAP_EXPORT_LIB in table RSPOR_T_PORTAL via TA SM30. By default the Library delivers only font for export TrueType font "Arial Unicode J". If you want to use other fonts you need to put them as files into the folder. Then maintain the directory name into the same table in field FONT_PATH. You can maintain also default font by specifying it in field DEFAULT_FONT I the same table.

For more details see:

1112132 - The SAP BI Export Library

SMP Component: BW-BEX-ET-WJR-EXP Export Services and Printing

BW370 training

I’ve recently attended SAP’s BW370 training. It is Integrated Planning training. Just briefly in general by planning we understood BW application that allows users to enter data in BW system. SAP BW/BI platform provides several planning tools in that matter:

1. BW-BPS (Business Planning and Simulation, formerly know as SEM-BPS Strategic Enterprise Management) – it was a solution provided strategic planning capabilities for management.

It had 5 components:

• SEM-BPS (Business Planning and Simulation)


• SEM-SRM (Stakeholder Relationship Management)


• SEM-CPM (Corporate Performance Monitor)


• BIC (Business Information Collection)


• SEM-BCS (Business Consolidation)

From BI point of view BW-BPS was moved from SAP SEM to SAP BI within SAP NetWeaver ’04, but SAP is still offering SAP SEM as part of mySAP Financials which means part of mySAP ERP).

Difference between SEM-BPS and BW-BPS is no quite significant, they are mostly same. However some financial planning functions (like offsetting entry, accumulated balances, depreciation, net present value, internal rate of return, time lag, valuation, allocation, rounding, and account-based currency translation) remain with SEM-BPS. Only available in BW-BPS are following function: formula extensions (FoX formulas) and ABAP. Some other functionality like Status and Tracking System (STS) have been enhanced in BW-BPS only. Target for SAP is combine functions of both in BI-IP.

2. BI-IP (Integrated Planning) a solution that is completely integrated into the BI system and it is based on JAVA Stack of NetWeaver.

Both solutions (BPS & IP) can be used in parallel just SAP recommends IP for new development and BPS for enhancement of existing solution based on it.

Major differences between BPS & IP:

- For developing of data models, planning scenarios etc there is a new tool called Planning Modeler.

- Instead of Web Interface Builder in BPS “BEx Query/(Web Application) Designer (called all together as Business Explorer Suite, a tool Visual Composer is used for developing of BI cockpit, dashboards..)” is used for input-query development.

- BPS Planning objects like Planning area, Planning level, Planning package, Parameter Group in IP there are following objects: Aggregation level, Filter, Planning functions, Planning sequence.

For further details refer to online docu.

It will be interesting how all this tools plus tools coming from acquisition of OutlookSoft; SAP tackles into their solutions.

Business Intelligence Java Components aka BI-JAVA

I was recently helping to upgrade SAP BW system comprehended with SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal (EP). In case of BI related JAVA components of EP I was not very able to distinguish between them. Over here I summarize such a components.

To be able access and model BW query in EP you need to maintain following BI-JAVA Development Components (DC) installed in portal JAVA Stack:

BI-BASE-S – Base Services
BI-WEBAPP – Web Applications
BI-IBC – Information Broadcasting
BI-REPPLAN - Reporting and Planning
BI-WDALV – WebDynPro ALV
BI-MMR - Meta Model Repository
BI-UDI - Universal Data Integration

Those DCs are from J2EE technical point of view so called Software Component Archives (SCAs). Sometimes you may encounter a term Bundled resources in SAP BI Technology.

Once you are upgrading them you need to consider some of them that they need to be upgraded on same Support Package level. Check this out in SAP notes database.

BI-Java is used to provide the Java runtime for scenarios such as Enterprise Reporting, Query, and Analysis as well as Business Planning and Analytical Services. It enables variants such as Information Broadcasting and Ad-hoc Query & Analysis. It also enables Web Dynpro-based BI applications and third party data access via Universal Data Integration. BI-Java is a usage type provided by SAP and contains all of the web based BI tools available for BI 7.0.

BI-Java requires AS Java and Enterprise Portal Core (EPC) and EP in the same system. Optionally, it can be combined with other usage types in one system. Usually, scenarios running on usage type BI-Java also require usage types BI and AS ABAP. While installing BI-Java, AS Java, EPC and EP get installed automatically. After configuring BI-Java, you do not need to perform further steps in AS Java, EPC and EP. Usually, scenarios running on usage type BI-Java also require usage types BI and AS ABAP – be aware that no matter if you run BI and BI-Java in the same or in separate systems, you must keep them in sync concerning applied Support Package Stacks.

There are some changes within BI 7.x in conjunction with JAVA. BI-JAVA components are involved in these changes as well. In version of BI 7.x everything new here like web reporting is executed via BI-JAVA and not via Internet Connection Manager (ICM) of ABAP Stack of BI backend. E.g. embedding of query you have invoked via web reporting functionality is taking place on server where is BI-JAVA installed in place of BI backend system. In case of version 3.x HTML stuff is generated in BW system and is going to be outputted to user’s web browser via ICM. New concept of BI 7.x is more data scalability and virtualization enabled architecture with distributed landscape. BW server as it self is more focused on basics data warehouse functions like data acquisition, ETL as long presentation layer is separated. However possibility of query execution and web templates generation can take place in BW system as well; in case SAP EP system is not available in your landscape. The difference can be observer in the URL of queries generated for the 7.x vs. 3.x systems. A 3.x based query would have a URL that points back to the BI server and the HTTP port configured in TA SICF. In a 7.x query, the URL will point to the URL of the JAVA Application Server that is hosting EP and BI-Java components (e.g. a port in the 50000 range that is used by the EP).

Let me add a few sentences about particular BI-JAVA DCs. BI-BASE-S and BI-WEBAPP incorporates basis services for accessing BW queries from web environment to BW backend. BI-IBC is JAVA part of BI’s Information broadcasting functionality to allow make objects with business intelligence content available to a wide range of users, according different requirements. BI-REPPLAN a part of BW’s reporting and planning (e.g. Planning Modeller) functionality encapsulated in JAVA stack. BI-WDALV is a component responsible for handling of ABAP List Viewer (ALV) in web environment. BI-MMR - BI Metadata Repository Manager regulates read and write access to metadata (InfoCubes, queries, Web templates, workbooks, etc.) and the documentation on this metadata in BI system. The BI Metadata Repository Manager also allows access to online links generated using BEx Information Broadcasting. BI-UDI - Universal Data Integration is resource adapter consists of:

BI SAP Query Connector (BW-BEX-UDI) - adapter based on SAP Query, which is a component of NW Application Server that allows you to create custom reports without any ABAP programming knowledge. The BI SAP Query Connector uses SAP Query to allow applications created with the BI Java SDK to access data from these SAP operational applications. You can also use the BI SAP Query Connector to make these data sources available in BI systems via UD Connect. The SAP Query Connector implements the BI-Java SDK's IBIRelational interface.

BI ODBO Connector (BW-BEX-UDI) - adapter based on Microsoft's OLE DB for OLAP (ODBO), which is the established industry-standard OLAP API for the Windows platform. The BI ODBO Connector may be deployed into NW Application Server, and allows you to connect applications built with the BI-Java SDK to ODBO-compliant OLAP data sources such as Microsoft Analysis Services, SAS, and Microsoft PivotTable Services. You can also use the BI ODBO Connector to make these data sources available in BI systems via UD Connect. The ODBO Connector implements the BI Java SDK's IBI OLAP interface.

As of SAP NW 2004s, BI-UDI and BI-MMR are integral parts of NW Application Server. You can use the functions that these two formerly separate components provide after you have completed the necessary follow-up activities and configuration tasks.

For further information refer to SAP note:

1072576 - Frequently Asked Questions: BI Java Support Packages/patches