BW/4HANA Cockpit – Check tool (t-code BW4CHECK)

I previously wrote about the SAP BW∕4HANA Cockpit in my post here. In short, the SAP BW∕4HANA Cockpit is a web-based central hub for managing and administering an SAP BW∕4HANA system.

Setting up the Cockpit involves several activities. Below, I’ve briefly listed the relevant SAP Notes. If any issues arise during the setup, the t-code BW4CHECK (Check BW/4HANA Cockpit Setup) can be useful for troubleshooting. The BW4CHECK runs ABAP program BW4_UI5_IFC_CONSISTENCY. The program calls a method CHECK_STATUS of a class CL_BW4_FLP_HEALTH_CHECK. The method and few inner method calls read ICF services from table ICFINSTACT (service name = BW4_LAUNCHPAD, etc.) and checks if they are activate.

There are errors reported by the t-code in case some ICF/OData services that the launchpad uses are not configured.

In case the Cockpit setup is okay there is an information message: All services are active! (msg no BW4_UI5_TOOLS001).

More information:

BW/4HANA Cockpit

3405328 - FAQ: BW/4HANA 2023 Cockpit Setup

3129762 - FAQ: BW/4HANA 2021 Cockpit Setup

2918492 - FAQ: BW/4HANA 2.0 Cockpit Setup

File upload in BW/4HANA Web Cockpit

In BW/4 based BW systems there is a new feature included in its Web Cockpit. Data from files can be uploaded directly to the BW object like aDSO without any need to model data transformation. The upload is just done directly to the target BW object. I think such a thing was missing in the BW for a very long time. We do not need to bother our self anymore with  creating custom transformation just load the test data in Dev or Quality systems any more. Even if the object is supposed to be loaded by end user we do not need to prepare custom web applications (either in BSP, web dynpro etc. technologies) in order to provide this possibility to the end user.

The BW/4 Web Cockpit can be started from SAP GUI via t-code BW4WEB. Afterwards navigate to FIORI app called DataStore Objects - Manage Requests located under Data Administration part of the cockpit. Once you are there find an aDSO object that you want to load the data into and go to its Manage part. In top right corner, part of the web page there is a Further Actions drop down menu and item called Upload Data.

On the next page, you can browse for a file with the data. Supported file types are following MS Excel files: *.XLS, *.XLSX and CSV. It is also possible to generate a template – a CSV file that has a header line and a structure of the target aDSO object having all field names of the DataStore object.

After the source file is entered the BW systems recognizes it columns and presents it to the user. Further adjustments can be done concerning mapping of file’s columns into the objects (fields/IOs) of the target aDSO object. The BW system can also perform actions like Propose Mapping (for every column it is possible to manually assign fields using either a dropdown menu or an input field), Constant Values (a constant value can be assigned to a field), Cleansing Defaults (change the settings for the check by the back end). 

The data can be checked by hitting the Check button in very right down corner. The real upload happens by hitting an Upload button in the same part of the web page. Once the data from the file is uploaded there is a below message displayed.

Data load request is generated in the target aDSO afterwards a type of File upload.

While using this file upload function I run into an issue within decimal of uploaded key figure. In my file, I had a dot set as decimal separator. It seems that decimal separator sign is taken from SAP BW user’s default settings maintained in t-code SU01. It only worked for me in case my user had a comma set as a decimal separated in the SU01. Once I had a dot set; it did not work. There is a Note “2921556 - SAP BW/4HANA cockpit - manage DataStore - changing of decimal numbers during file upload” but my system has that implemented. Thus, it didn’t help to resolve this. Anyhow, it is a minor problem that can be workarounded.

Technically function is implemented in ABAP classes like below:

CL_RSL_ASTG_MAIN ADSO Upload Main

CL_RSL_ASTG_SOURCE ADSO Upload Source

That are called from CL_BW4_MANAGE_DATASTORE* classes like CL_BW4_MANAGE_DATASTORES_FILEM DataStore File Mappings

 Table RSL_ASTG_SET e.g. stores an settings from previous uploads for the same file.

 

More information:

Online documentation

Support site component: BW4-UI (valid for all BW/4HANA Web Cockpit parts)

BW/4HANA Cockpit

In BW4 an good old t-code RSA1 is replaced and most of its functions are basically moved to web environment via FIORI app called BW/4HANA Cockpit or sometimes as BW Fiori Launchpad. It serves as an entry point for BW4 administration. The cockpit was shipped with BW/4 version 1.0 SP08 for first time. It can be started by t-code BW4WEB from SAP GUI or directly in web browser by accessing an URL:

http(s)://server:<port>/sap/bc/ui2/flp?sap-client=<BW_client>&sap-language=EN

Installation of the cockpit is normally part of BW4 server installation. It involves an activation of BW monitoring and modeling UI based on SAP_UI 7.54 - component BW4-UI. For the activation, a task List called SAP_BW4_LAUNCHPAD_SETUP needs to run via t-code STC01. Roles that need to be assigned to user in order to make the cockpit available for them need to have an following authorization objects included: S_BW4_REST, S_SERVICE, S_RS_ADSO, S_RS_IOBJA, S_RS_PC, S_RS_DTP. Notice that there needs to be SAP Fiori Tile Catalogs and SAP Fiori Tile Groups assigned to the users and user roles on the Menu tab in t-code PFCG.

Many admin tasks can be performed from there like data loads (process chain, DTP) monitoring/scheduling/modeling etc. The tasks are clustered into so called groups in which the particular apps reside. The app is represented by the FIORI app. Following are basic groups and apps:

Group                    App

Modeling                 PC Editor

                              Process Variant Editor

                              Analysis Authorization Editor

Monitoring               Process Chains - Display Dashboard

                              Process Chains - Display Latest Status

                              Process Chain Runs

                              Processes

                              Remodeling Requests

                              Data Volume Statistics

                              Data Selection Statistics

Data Administration  DataStore Objects - Manage Requests

                              InfoObjects - Manage Requests

                              External SAP HANA View

                              Data Tiering Summary

                              Data Tiering Maintenance

Data Protection        Data Protection Notifications

                              Data Protection Worklists

All available application can be seen as BSP Apps in BW’s backend in development package BW4_UI5_TOOLS.                              

 

A personalization of the cockpit is available for the user. A new FIORI tiles can be added/removed from the cockpit. On home screen, there is an Edit Home page button under user’s avatar icon. A web page is rendered with a view allowing adding/renaming/reordering the group or tile. Moreover, there is an App Finder that serves to lookup other tiles/apps.

In addition there are several settings that user can maintain under Settings area. Some of them are related to: appearance (Design of the FIORI), language/region/date/time format, user’s name, email address, switching on/off collecting user’s history and information about the system itself (IP address, server address, version of system/kernel/database.

A notification can be consumed in the cockpit as well. The notification is to be displayed according the user’s role. This only works if the notification are switched on in backed system customizing.

My take: although I still prefer to work in SAP GUI while working on BW’s administration tasks (see my post about t-code RSMNG which allow a some kind of data target administration in SAP GUI in BW/4 based systems) I find the web cockpit useful. For basic admins stuff like just checking PC’s status, it can be very useful. In case I need to dig deeper into data like analyzing it I prefer SAP GUI. However, I can imagine myself to work only with the cockpit going forward.

Related t-codes:

BW4CHECK             Check BW/4HANA Cockpit Setup (ABAP prg: BW4_UI5_IFC_CONSISTENCY)

BW4WEB                 Launch BW/4HANA Cockpit (ABAP prg: BW4_WEB_SHOW)

BW4_WEB_START    BW/4HANA: Web UI Entry Point (ABAP prg: BW4_WEB_START)

More information:

Online docu

SAP software component: BW4-UI (Maintenance & Monitoring User Interfaces)

Configuring the SAP BW∕4HANA Cockpit

Authorizations for Working with the SAP BW∕4HANA Cockpit

Apps in the SAP BW∕4HANA Cockpit

2861491 UI problem in BW/4HANA Cockpit persists after implementation of a note

2918492 FAQ: BW/4HANA 2.0 Cockpit Setup

2922364 FAQ: BW/4HANA 2.0 Cockpit Notifications

2926199 Error activating ODATA Services using SAP_BW4_LAUNCHPAD_SETUP

2998821 Configuration of BW/4 Cockpit incomplete

3037823 -FAQ: BW/4HANA 2.0 Cockpit Authorizations

3124344 BW/4HANA Cockpit activation fails