SAP Analytics Cloud Implementation on SAP ECC

[bosegsap]

Hello All

SAP-ECC --->>SAP_Analytics_Cloud(SAC)

Just want to know what are the best practice/approach in implementing SAP-Analytics-Cloud(SAC) on top of

SAP-ECC system.

1) Best practices

2) Limitations

Please share your experiences

BR-Bose

[VijayetaSharma · Accepted solution]

Hello bosegsap,

Here are some pointers that may help

• There are prerequisites for import connection from ECC to SAC. You need Cloud connector and agent setup first. Import Data Connection to an SAP ERP System

• If your ECC is on non HANA DB then you are limited to infoset queries and SAP queries only. These are the only two form of datasource accepted by SAC. Infoset queries are notorious for performance hit.
• If your ECC running on HANA then you can leverage embedded BW in ECC layer itself. This opens up new possibilities. Even though BW resides under ECC layer you can still take advantage of all BW features and connectivity. Connect live to your BW queries or import setup. You will be able to build CDS views and connect them to SAC as well. Take advantage of master data integration from BW layer (in ECC). This way you do not need to build properties in SAC. They can be imported from BW layer or connected live.
• If your ECC is on HANA DB and your license allow external connection to HANA layer then you can take advantage of import or live connection to Calculation Views from HANA layer itself.
• You can create virtual reporting object in BW layer and read data directly from ECC table or view.
• As with any other system connection challenge would be setup Delta fields (date, numeric etc). For instance if you are trying to replicate data from new GL Tables - Say FAGLFLEXA then you need to perform a one time load followed by delta loads (only new and changed entries) next time. So in this case Entered on date can help on SAC side. In other scenarios you may need to discuss with Functional Expert on how to identify delta.
• Timely update of Cloud Agent will be a task to keep under regular maintenance task list.
• There are limitation on how much data you can pull each time. So you may need to split your extraction process into multiple loads.
• At present you can not use external schedulers ( maestro , Autosys, Redwood etc) to create dependencies between ECC jobs and SAC jobs. Instead SAC only allow predefined scheduled refresh only. In other word you can not created a setup say your posting jobs in ECC completes and then only SAC extraction get triggered.

To be honest ECC (non HANA DB) have many limitations. Reason why you may not see this as very popular integration approach. ECC on HANA, with BW layer is different story.

If you find shared information helpful, feel free to accept (accept button at the bottom) and vote (voting arrows at left side).

Thanks,

Vijayeta

[VijayetaSharma · Accepted solution]

Hello bosegsap,

Assuming your query is answered, would you mind accepting and voting on it.

Thanks,

Vijayeta

[bosegsap · Accepted solution]

Hi Vijayeta

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Do you suggest a best approach/solution for ECC on NON-SAP Database, where in we need to leverage all the available features such as

1.Live data replication

2.SAC Modelling features

3.Security management

4.Peformance management

5.Future S/4HANA Migration feasible options open

BR-Bose

[VijayetaSharma · Accepted solution]

Hello bosegsap,

Your hands a kind of tied when you try plan to use ECC as an intermediate development approach. Beside it poses other restrictions as well. Here are comments on your points-

1.Live data replication live connection support not available on ECC. Workaround is to have a BW layer on ECC side and connect BW virtual providers to SAC live. If you do not have a BW - ECC layer then you are out of luck when it comes to live connection.

2.SAC Modelling features. SAC modelling feature are functions do not differentiate on data sources for import connection. Once data is in SAC you can take advantage of all available bells and whistles. Only limiting factor here is Live connection (explained above)

3.Security management - Security management need to be setup on SAC side. As there is no direct option available for live connection you end up recreating the security in SAC. You can restrict object as well as data both via different methods in SAC.

4.Performance management - Same for any import connection based setup

5.Future S/4HANA Migration feasible options open - As per my experience, you may be able to leverage some developments once you switch. But we have found due to the change how data gets stored in S4 (Compared to ECC), it is much easier to create them new or leverage contents delivered by SAP and then modifying them as per need.

Thanks,

Vijayeta