- SAP Managed Tags
Hello dear readers! Happy New Year!!!
Last month, my colleague released a What’s New blog post regarding enhancements that were delivered to SAP Profitability and Performance Management Cloud – Universal Model (SAP PaPM Cloud UM) application.
This month marks the start of another year, and new year means new enhancements. I am here to introduce the latest enhancements that were delivered to SAP PaPM Cloud UM application.
Read on for this month’s instalment.
Model
Model Screen
The Model Screen is a central component that allows users to create, manage, and visualize various functions. It has undergone several key improvements which significantly enhances its usability and functionality. These upgrades provide users with a more intuitive and efficient workspace for creating, managing, and visualizing models.
When creating a new Function, a pop-up will appear prompting the user to enter the Function Name, Description, and API State. After clicking Create, the Function will be created immediately. The function details will then appear automatically in draft edit mode, allowing further modifications.
For Folder, upon creation or left clicking, only the function attributes will be displayed in properties panel as that is what exist in the folder structure. This is also the same behavior if a right click is performed on a folder.
Additionally, a full-screen option is available, allowing users to work in an expanded view for greater ease of navigation and editing. You can expand view in both properties panel and main screen.
A refresh option is also available, allowing users to refresh the screen. This action refreshes the Diagram/List and the Properties Panel display. The refresh functionality is applied to various elements, including Fields, Connections, Partitions, and Event Logs.
Manage Writers
Package Size and new type Export in Writer Function
The Writer function now can be managed by package sizes and has a new Writer type Export.
Let’s dive into the Package Size topic first.
As a user, you know how important it is to send data smoothly, but sometimes, trying to send a huge amount of data at once is like trying to stuff a whole elephant into a tiny suitcase – it just doesn't work! Things can slow down, cause problems, or even crash the system.
That’s where Package Size comes in. This new feature in the Writer Function is available in all Writer types. It lets you control their data transfers. Sending data in smaller packages keeps things moving efficiently, this means you can now write data to remote targets, like SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC), SOAP, and OData in smaller and more manageable chunks. This is especially helpful when you are sending data to remote target preventing the system from being overloaded and improving performance. You can now decide the size of each package by sending a large amount of data without worrying about overloading the system or causing any problems/hiccups.
Now, let me guide you how package size works in the Writer Function.
The feature is in the General Information which allows you to specify the package size, which varies between 1 and 999,999,999. If the package size exceeds the maximum value of 999,999,999 a validation error occurs.
As an example, if the package size is left empty or set to the maximum value of 999,999,999 your data will be sent as a one big chunk.
Let’s say you are writing 1000 data records. You can set the package size to 100 meaning that the data records will be split into 10 packages containing 100 data records each and the system will processed it at the same time or in parallel.
On a successful run with Package Size, you can see how many data records were inserted after selecting a package size via Manage Event Log that reads: "Processing Package 10 of 10. Records processed in this package: 100".
Now that you have a better understanding of how Package Size works, let me discuss to you about the new Writer Type called “Export”.
In addition, the "Export" type, primarily used with SOAP connections, this is used for tracking which record (document) was reversed by which record. In the input data, there is a reversal field that holds the ID of the record that was reversed. After writing, the output contains a reversed field, which holds the ID of the row where the reversal record is located.
For accounting use cases, it is essential to ensure that documents and reversals are not separated into different packages. This packaging ensures that a reversal and its corresponding reversed document are in the same package.
Here is an example of simple visualization on how package sizes can be determined with given reversal/reversed fields (package size is 2 in this example):
In the Universal Modeling application, when a user selects the "Export" Writer function type, both the Reversal Field and Reversed Field becomes mandatory.
To see how reversed and reversal fields work, you can check this link in our Help Portal:
For accounting use cases, check out this blog on how to post a document using our Connection and Writer function with related SOAP Services. It provides step-by-step instructions!
Early Exit Check for Writer Function with OData Connection
In Universal Model, Writer functions can use an OData Service connection to write. It is also possible that models from your existing connection have a mandatory parameter that your writer will require as an input to your result model function from your connection. See sample image below:
Previously, when you run the Writer function with a mandatory parameter empty, the function would still send the request to the HTTP destination path configured in your connection. However, as expected, it would return an like the one shown in the image below.
With the new enhancement, if the Model Entity, in conjunction with OData, has a mandatory Parameter that is empty, running your Writer function will be aborted and a proper validation error will be returned. For example, see the image below:
This improvement will lessen the runtime of your Writer function. Instead of sending the request to the specified HTTP destination with empty parameters, Universal Model will automatically abort the run and return a clear message.
Process
Manage Activities
Activity Settings facet for Activity Users
In the Manage Activity application, there are 2 types of users that can access the mentioned application, Process Users and Activity Users. A new security enhancement has been implemented for the mentioned users to improve the user experience based on their roles and actions to be performed.
Previously, the Activity screen visible for both users have the Activity information like Runtime Environment, Process, Activity, Description, Show Rules, Show Data etc., and Activity Settings like Enable Run, Enable Confirm, Enable Reject, Enable Show Data, Enable Rules etc. in General Information section.
With the new enhancement, the General Information fields are now segregated into two sections: General Information and Activity Settings.
As a Process Users, these users are the one managing the activity (creation, editing and deleting). With that, these users should have the access to manage/configure the General Information and Activity Settings.
In General Section, it contains the following activity information:
While in Activity Settings, it contains the following:
Note: The Activity Information and Settings still have the same functionality. There are no functionality changes just the displaying of fields.
For Activity Users, as these users only focuses on the actions to be performed in an activity such as run, confirm, reject, show data etc., they are only required to view the General Information together still with Activity Fields, Activity Parameters and Documentation Section.
Activity Setting section is not visible to Activity Users as the fields for it are for configuration purposes only.
For more information you can check the Manage Activities > Simple Function Activity Configuration section in the Application Help for Universal Model
Support for deep nested authorization paths via association-to-one relations
A new feature was implemented for Activity users which is the support for deep nested authorization paths that will restrict any actions (view, create, delete, edit) to Activity users based on their data authorization in Manage Activities using association-to-one data relation.
Currently, when you are accessing the show data screen of an activity, your data authorization will be restricted based on the teams assigned as Reader and Writer together with its defined activity field, data privilege and data locks.
Having this new feature, if you have a data with relations (specifically Association-To-One) defined in the Activity Field or Data Privilege or Data Locks field selection, even if only the field value of a related entity has an authorization restriction, data access restriction will be also applied to the data related to the value defined in the selection.
For a detailed explanation of this new feature a separate blog post will be released soon with examples so that you can visualize its behavior.
Report
Manage Reports
Reference Creation and Management in Reports
This feature allows users to link show elements, data elements, and text to specific targets within the same report, creating dynamic and intuitive navigation for dashboard users.
With this enhancement you can now create, use, and delete references on your reports.
The steps below will help in your configuration so that you can maximize this functionality.
Create References
In edit mode, users can now assign references to Text, Show Elements, Data Elements and Application Elements.
1. Switch report to edit mode.
2. If you want to add reference to a text element, highlight the text and select Reference in Standard Document Area menu.
3. If you want to add reference to a Show Element, Data Element or Application Element, select the element and then click on the Set Reference Link 
Note: to see the link Icon, you need to hover over the grid.
4. Then select the one target element from the pop-up window – Pages/Tags, Show elements.
5. You can also provide external link for the reference by choosing the “Set External link” switch On.
6. Save the changes.
Use References in Display Mode
1. In edit format, when the icon is blue, it indicates that the reference is embedded in a specific table.
2. In display mode, clicking on a referenced show element, data element, application element or text will take users directly to the assigned target.
3. Once you saved the report with embedded reference, the edit, columns, and filters features are disabled.
4. To use reference: in display mode, click on the referenced element to navigate to the assigned target.
Delete References
Users can remove references easily if they are no longer needed or if changes to the dashboard’s. Users can delete references in edit mode with ease by choosing the “Clear” button.
Manage Pages
Drag-and-Drop Functionality for Page Filters
In edit page mode, the drag-and-drop feature was added to allow you to rearrange the order of page filters effortlessly. To use this functionality, you must click on the square dots beside the field you want to move then drag it to the new position where you want it to be, it’s that simple. Whether you’re making quick adjustments or entirely reorganizing your filters, this new capability makes managing your filters intuitive and straightforward.
If you are interested with what was delivered to the application from the previous months, you may search for the tag “PaPMCloudUMWhatsNew” and you will be directed to our previous What’s New blog posts.
That is all for now and hope to see you on my next blog posts.
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