Understanding Multi-Origin in CDS Views

[Ravikumar_H1]

In this blog, we'll dive into multi-origin in CDS views, understand its use cases, and explore how to implement it with practical examples. By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of why this feature is valuable and how to leverage it for your SAP S/4HANA applications.

What is Multi-Origin in CDS Views?

Multi-origin in CDS views refers to the ability to handle data originating from multiple sources or tenants in a single data model. This is especially relevant for scenarios like:

• Multi-tenancy: Managing data for multiple tenants in a shared SAP system.
• Cross-system reporting: Combining data from multiple systems (e.g., SAP and non-SAP).
• Consolidated views: Aggregating data from various tables or partitions while maintaining source traceability.

The multi-origin feature uses a special field, typically referred to as the $session.client, or custom fields such as MANDT, to identify the data's origin.

Use Cases for Multi-Origin in CDS

1. Multi-Tenancy in S/4HANA:

   • A shared S/4HANA system serving multiple tenants where each tenant's data is segregated logically but stored in the same database.
   • CDS views can dynamically filter data based on the current tenant or client.

2. Consolidated Reporting Across Clients:

   • Reporting across multiple SAP clients (e.g., Client 100, Client 200), where you want to show aggregated or tenant-specific data.

3. Data Integration from Different Sources:

   • Merging data from different systems (e.g., SAP ECC and non-SAP) into a unified CDS view.

How Multi-Origin Works in CDS Views

Multi-origin functionality is enabled using:

1. Session Variables: For example, $session.client dynamically filters data based on the user's client session.
2. Annotation @Environment.systemField: This annotation marks fields (like MANDT) as automatically filtered by the system.

Step-by-Step Implementation

1. Defining a Basic Multi-Origin CDS View

Below is a simple example of a CDS view for handling data from multiple clients

@AbapCatalog.sqlViewName: 'ZMULTIORIG'
@EndUserText.label: 'CDS View with Multi-Origin Support'
@AccessControl.authorizationCheck: #CHECK
define view ZMulti_Origin_Sales
  as select from zsales_data
{
  key SalesID          as Sales_ID,
      Client           as Origin_Client, -- Represents the origin (MANDT)
      CustomerID       as Customer_ID,
      SalesDate        as Sales_Date,
      ProductID        as Product_ID,
      Quantity         as Quantity,
      Amount           as Amount
}
where Client = $session.client

How it Works:

• The field Client (or MANDT) identifies the origin of the data.
• The filter Client = $session.client ensures that users see only the data corresponding to their current session's client.

2. Multi-Origin with Aggregations

Suppose you want to aggregate sales data across multiple origins (clients). Here's how you can extend the basic CDS view

@AbapCatalog.sqlViewName: 'ZMULTIORIGAGG'
@EndUserText.label: 'Aggregated Multi-Origin CDS View'
@AccessControl.authorizationCheck: #NOT_REQUIRED
define view ZMulti_Origin_Aggregated
  as select from ZMulti_Origin_Sales
{
  Origin_Client,
  Product_ID,
  sum(Amount) as Total_Sales
}
group by Origin_Client, Product_ID

Explanation:

• This view aggregates the Amount field by Origin_Client and Product_ID.
• It allows consolidated reporting while preserving the ability to differentiate between data origins.

3. Multi-Origin with Tenant Identification

For multi-tenant systems, you can use annotations like @Environment.systemField to simplify client filtering

@AbapCatalog.sqlViewName: 'ZMULTIORIGTEN'
@EndUserText.label: 'Multi-Tenant CDS View'
@AccessControl.authorizationCheck: #CHECK
define view ZMulti_Tenant_Sales
  as select from zsales_data
{
  key SalesID          as Sales_ID,
      CustomerID       as Customer_ID,
      SalesDate        as Sales_Date,
      ProductID        as Product_ID,
      Quantity         as Quantity,
      Amount           as Amount
}
where Client = @Environment.systemField: client

Here, the annotation @Environment.systemField: client automatically handles the client filtering, reducing the need for explicit $session.client usage.

4. Cross-Client Reporting Without Filters

In some cases, you may want to disable client-based filtering to create a global view that includes all data from all origins

@AbapCatalog.sqlViewName: 'ZGLOBALVIEW'
@EndUserText.label: 'Global View Without Client Filtering'
@AccessControl.authorizationCheck: #NOT_REQUIRED
@ClientHandling.type: #NONE
define view ZGlobal_Sales_View
  as select from zsales_data
{
  key Client           as Origin_Client,
      SalesID          as Sales_ID,
      CustomerID       as Customer_ID,
      SalesDate        as Sales_Date,
      ProductID        as Product_ID,
      Quantity         as Quantity,
      Amount           as Amount
}

Here, the annotation @ClientHandling.type: #NONE disables client-specific filtering, making the view cross-client.

Sample Output

Here’s what the output might look like for the above views:

Scenario 1: Data for Single Origin

Sales_ID  Origin_Client  Customer_ID  Sales_Date  Product_ID  Quantity  Amount
1001      100	         CUST01	      2024-01-05  PROD001     10        500.00
1002	  100	         CUST02	      2024-01-15  PROD002     5	        250.00

Scenario 2: Aggregated Data Across Origins

Origin_Client     Product_ID       Total_Sales
100               PROD001          500.00
200               PROD002          1000.00

Scenario 3: Global Cross-Origin View

Origin_Client  Sales_ID  Customer_ID  Sales_Date  Product_ID  Quantity  Amount
100            1001      CUST01       2024-01-05  PROD001     10        500.00
200            1002      CUST02       2024-01-15  PROD002     5         250.00

Best Practices for Multi-Origin CDS Views

1. Use Annotations:

   • Use @Environment.systemField: client for tenant-specific views.
   • Use @ClientHandling.type: #NONE for cross-origin views.

2. Test for Performance:

   • Multi-origin queries can be resource-intensive. Optimize with proper indexes and aggregations.

3. Combine with AMDP or CDS Hierarchies:

   • Extend multi-origin views with hierarchies or AMDP for complex scenarios like forecasting or migrations.

Conclusion

Multi-origin in CDS views is a powerful feature that simplifies handling data from multiple sources or tenants. Whether you're building tenant-specific models, cross-client reports, or global views, understanding and leveraging this feature can enhance your SAP applications’ efficiency and scalability.