Overview & useful Links on Process Chain : 'General Services' - Beginners

[Former Member]

Hi Everyone,

This blog gives you a brief idea about the 'General Services' option under Process Chain and few useful links/docs related to it  (esp. for Beginners).

It includes various options like

• Start Process
• Interrupt Process
• AND(Last)
• OR(Each)
• EXOR(First)
• ABAP Program
• OS Command
• Local Process Chain
• Remote Process Chain
• Workflow (Remote also)
• Decision Between Multiple Alternatives
• Is the Previous run in the chain still Active?
• Start job in SAP Business Objects Data Services

Start Process :

As we all know that  this Process type let us to start the Process Chain.

• Every Process Chain starts with this process type.
• It is Mandatory in all the Process Chains.
• It can be scheduled according to the Client needs.
• It triggers the Process Chain.

Interrupt Process :

• This Process type will interrupt the currently running Process chain and checks the condition mentioned in it.

Once you drag this Process type on to the work area, then you shall create a new variant for it. When you are creating a variant, you will find the below screen.

• If it's 'Immediate', then the next Process connected to the 'Interrupt Process' is carried out instantly.
• If it's 'Data & Time', then it waits till the mentioned data/time is reached and later the Process chain will resume back.
• If it's 'Event/Job', then the particular job/event will be triggered. After it gets completed, the Process Chain will continue to run.

Useful Link:

http://scn.sap.com/community/data-warehousing/bw/blog/2011/05/10/interrupting-the-process-chain

http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/30cb3053-98a0-2e10-aca3-dde5b6498...

AND/OR/EXOR :

AND - When we use AND operator, it will check whether all the above processes are completed successfully. If ALL the above process are successful, then it

will proceed to the following process which is connected to AND process type.

If  both '1 & 2' in the above snapshot are completed, then the 'Program' which is connected to AND process will be executed.

OR - When we use OR operator, it will check whether all the above processes are completed successfully. If EITHER  of the above process are successfull, then it will proceed to the following process which is connected to OR process type.

If  either '1' OR '2' in the above snapshot are completed successfully, then the 'Program' which is connected to OR process will be executed.

EXOR - When we use EXOR operator, it will check whether all the above processes are completed successfully. If EITHER  of the above process are

successfull, then it will proceed to the following process whereas if both the above process are successfull or failed then EXOR will not proceed further.

Only If, either '1' OR '2' in the above snapshot are completed successfully, then the 'Program' which is connected to EXOR process will be executed.

If both '1' & '2' in the above snapshot are completed successfully, then the 'Program' which is connected to EXOR process will not be executed.

If both '1' & '2' in the above snapshot are failed, then the 'Program' which is connected to EXOR process will not be executed.

ABAP Program :

• This will let us to include both standard and customized  ABAP programs from various destinations like from the local workstation or from other source systems which are connected to our BW system through RFC connections.
• You can also pull the ABAP program through the Events that you have created for it.

Useful Links:

http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/0002ef92-6b7d-2e10-01bd-9f4cdff82...

http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-31355

OS Command:

• If we want to execute certain scripts or OS instructions, then this process will  help us to execute the same.
• It shall be created in the SM69 and can be executed in SM49.

Useful Link :

http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/e0c41c52-2638-2e10-0b89-ffa4e2f10...?QuickLink=index&overridelayout=true&50680614451028

Local Process Chain :

• This will let us to add a local Process chain which is present in our current BW system.
• When the control moves to this Process, then the referenced process chain(Local Process Chain)  will be executed in the background and if it's successful, then the control resumes back to the current process chain.

When you drag the 'Local Process chain', you will get the following screen.

• Click on the prompt window which will show all the Process chain in your BW system.
• Select the one you want to add in the new process chain.
• Once you have selected your process chain, then you will get a similar screen like below.

• Then you can connect to other Process types in the Process Chain like the below snapshot.

Remote Process Chain :

• This is similar to the Local Process Chain except that the referenced process chain is in different system which is connected to our current BW system through RFC connectivity.

Useful Link:

http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/30cb3053-98a0-2e10-aca3-dde5b6498...?

QuickLink=index&overridelayout=true&51887500303922

Decision Between Multiple Alternatives :

• This process can be considered as Decision maker of the Process chain. While creating this process, we can write our 'If..else' condition in it.
• Then, the subsequent process is carried out according to the condition filled.

You can refer the below useful document on 'Decision between Multiple Alternatives'.

Useful Links :

http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/900be605-7b59-2b10-c6a8-c4f7b2d98...?

QuickLink=index&overridelayout=true&31976031532763

http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/705aefe8-8a27-2d10-7b8e-88017ee91...

Is the Previous run in the chain still Active? :

• It's a new Process type added in BW 7.0
• This process type will check whether the previous run of the Process chain is successful or not. If it's successful, then it will continue with the subsequent processes.

Sample Scenario :

If the Process chain runs on every 'Friday' of the week. When it runs on the second friday of the current month, you need to check whether the Process chain has run successfully or not  in the previous Friday. If it's successful, then it shall run on the second friday of the current Month. To use this Logic, we shall use this Process Type.

There are many scenarios in which it shall be used effectively.

Useful Link :

http://scn.sap.com/message/622386#622386

Start job in SAP Business Objects Data Services :

• This Process help us to run BODS jobs from BW system.
• BODS (Business Objects Data Services) - It's a service by SAP which can extract the data from  both SAP and non SAP data sources.
• The jobs will extract the  data from various data sources through 'Data Services' and pull them into the BW.

Useful Link  :

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw73/helpdata/en/48/55dc37a06c4260b8512fc94ae2dd68/frameset.htm

http://scn.sap.com/community/data-warehousing/bw/blog/2014/04/07/how-to-trigger-bw-process-chain-fro...

I hope that this blog is helpful for you.

Thanks a lot for reading this Blog :smile:

Regards,

Gokulkumar RD