Calculation View Features of 2024 QRC4

[jan_zwickel]

Within the time frame of 2024 Q4, several new calculation view features have been released in SAP Business Application Studio when connected to SAP HANA Cloud database QRC4. Some of these features are highlighted below. You can find examples that illustrate the individual features here. An overview of features of other releases can be found here.

Wildcards When Defining Secured Models in Analytic Privileges

SQL wildcard patterns such as "%Sales%" can now be used to define which calculation views should be secured by a given analytic privilege or structured filter.

The dialog for entering the pattern shows the views that would be currently affected by the pattern. However, the final set of secured views is only determined at deployment time of the analytic privilege. If the pattern pertains to views that are not defined as being secured by an analytic privilege deployment of the respective analytic privilege will fail.

To ensure that also new calculation views are included in an existing analytic privilege with wildcards, the deployment of calculation views within the same HDI container will trigger a redeployment of analytic privileges with matching patterns.

With this it becomes easier to manage analytic privileges for a set of calculation views that follow a naming convention.

Vector Functions in Graphical Expression Editor

The graphical expression editor offers now vector functions such as COSINE_SIMILARITY and L2DISTANCE to calculate the similarity between two vectors:

Workload Class Hints

The dialog "Select Execution Hint from List" available under "View Properties", "Advanced" supports adding a workload class hint:

If the hint is defined on the top-most calculation view queries that are directed to the calculation view will run in the respective workload class.

This enhancement can support active workload management at the granularity of individual calculation views.

Performance Options for Non Equi Joins

The performance options "Greedy Pruning" and "Referential Join" are now also available for non equi joins:

These options can improve performance of non equi joins. However, given their potential influence on results a thorough check is needed whether their pre-requisits are fulfilled (for details see e.g., performance guide).

Time of Currency Conversion for MDS Cubes

Currency measures that are included in MDS Cubes can be converted at the time the MDS Cube is loaded, or the time when the query on the MDS Cube is executed.

If conversion happens at MDS Cube loading time (default setting) the result of the conversion is persisted and cannot be changed afterwards, e.g., by selecting a different target currency at query execution time.

If conversion happens at Query execution time the conversion can be influenced by input parameter prompts for example for the target currency. This additional flexibility can lead to slightly longer query execution times due to the currency conversion at query execution time.

The time of conversion is set globally for a calculation view:

Selection of to-be-displayed columns in node Semantics

The choice of to-be-displayed columns in node Semantics

 

is now persisted within a developer workspace and thus reused across opening and closing calculation views and across sessions.