SAP BW Standard Transport System

In SAP BW a transport system is used to move BW objects from one system to another. This system facilitates the movement of data models, data sources, transformations, InfoObjects, DataStore Objects, queries objects and other BW specific artifacts between different environments, such as development, testing, and production systems. The standard transport system in SAP BW is part of the overall SAP Transport Management System (TMS). The type of BW transport system is called BW standard transport system. There is a difference between the TMS and BW standard transport system. That BW standard transport system can be active or inactive in the BW system. How the BW system does behaves in case it is active and inactive?

Standard transport inactive (deactivated) – All new objects are created as local objects, means they belong to $TMP developer package. No dialog windows appears to assign the development class neither transport request upon the objects creation. Once these objects need to be transported then need to be collected to different developer package, e.g. via Transport Connection tool.

Standard transport active – New objects are no longer created as local objects. Instead, developer is asked to assign the objects to developer package and assign transport request upon creation of the new BW object.

Developer can switch on/off BW standard transport system in SAP GUI as follows.

1. t-code RSA1 -> Transport Connection, menu Edit -> Transport -> Switch On Standard

2. t-code RSOR -> same mu path as above

Info on what type of transport type a BW system is set is stored in table RSADMINS. In its field called TADIRPOPUP. If there is, an X value saved it means the BW standard transport system is set on.

Technically, there is an ABAP SQL statement UPDATE that manipulates the column. The code is implemented in ABAP class CL_RSO_GUI_REPOSITORY and method TRANSPORT_STD_MODIFY.

One more specialty is there with the respect to BEx/BW query objects. The BEx/BW artefacts are written to a fixed BEx request. In addition, you can optionally determine a BEX request per package. BEx objects are written directly to a request and not to a developer's task. The popup to enter the BEx request is also available in the transport connection tool.

Transport Connection -> Object Changeability

Some of BW objects can be created and also changed directly in production systems. This is a case of most common objects like InfoPackages or DTP but also BEx Queries. Particular BW object can be setup in way that it can be changeable even if the BW system is set to cannot be changed (via tcode SE06).

A function available in RSA1 -> Transport Connection (or directly tcode RSOR) where the setting can be customized. 

I’m not going to discuss the possible settings in here as this is pretty much known to BW folks. However I just want to point to table where the settings are stored. It happened to me recently that I needed to check the Object Changeability but I wasn’t authorized to do so. BTW user has to have an authorization to access SETTINGS wit activity 23 = maintain this is checked by FM RSSB_AUTHORITY_ADMWB_OBJECT.

While debugging I realized that settings are stored in table RSTRACTIVE – “BW CTO Status - Content Can Not Be Changed”. The data from the table are retrieved by FM RSO_MAINTAIN_OBJ_CHANGEABLE.

Adding BW objects from temporary into development package

This is common issue in BW systems. Especially in systems which are productive or golden ones where no any changes were foreseen. If in such a systems an objects like BW objects of type BEx query, Query Elements, DTP, InfoPacks, etc. were created they were assigned to local package $TMP. These objects in local package are not transportable. In case it is needed to transport thee objects an assignment from $TMP to real development package must take in place.

To do this we usually go into object directory entry and we assign the object into development package. However if the system is closed for an changes this re-assignment of the package is not possible. While doing such an attempt there is error messaged showed as below.

Therefore always plan ahead. If there is necessities to re-assign the development package in e.g. productive system make sure that you get your system opened. The opening of the system/client itself takes place in t-code SCC4.

System setting does not allow changes to be made to object ELEM 00O2SPCKTAN9FU9JJTONQD8BW

Message No. TO128

Diagnosis

The system and namespace change option set for this SAP System does not allow any changes to be made to object ELEM 00O2SPCKTAN9FU9JJTONQD8BW.

System Response

Editing is terminated, the object can only be displayed.

Procedure

If you want to edit the object ELEM 00O2SPCKTAN9FU9JJTONQD8BW in this SAP System, have your system administator set the SAP System to "modifiable" for this object.

This can affect the modifiability of the namespace /0CUST/ or the namespaces that correspond to the pattern /0CUST/, as well as the global setting of the system change option.

The system change option is set using the Transport Organizer tools (Transaction SE03). Expand the Administration node and execute the program Set system change option. The options are described there.

- Update 21/05/2017 –

Got a tip from a friend – Martin Kuma regarding below error that may occur while inserting BEx Query elements into transport request via Transport Connection:

Object ELEM 00O2TK9973U27J5NF6N1XHFOP is generated, and cannot be transported. Message No. RSO215

To overcome this error an adjustment of TADIR table’s field GENFLAG is needed for particular entry. Value X of the field GENFLAG shall be removed and then it is possible to collect the entry into the transport request. The GENFLAG field basically identifies entries that were generated directly in the NetWeaver system.