Following is an overview of the SAP BW 3.5 course. The course is not limited to the terms mentioned below. The entire class will be supplemented with exercises with extensive use of the Administrative Workbench (AWB) as well as the BEx Query Designer, BEx Analyzer and Web Application Designer. In addition, handouts and Remote Access will be provided to practice the exercises in lab or at home. Areas covered are as follows:

Data Warehousing

Modeling

• Extended Star Schema vs. Classic Star Schema concept
• Data Flow in BW: DataSource, InfoSource, Transfer Rules, Update Rules
• InfoSource: InfoSource Types, Creating and Maintaining InfoSources
• Update Rules: Creating Update Rules for Data Targets and the Options available
• InfoObjects: InfoObject Catalogue, Creating InfoObjects, Characteristics and KeyFigures
• Master Data: Texts, Attributes and Hierarchies. Use and maintenance of Master Data
• Cube: Star Schema, Dimensions, Creating and Maintaining InfoCubes
• Data Targets: InfoObject, Basic InfoCube, ODS Object
• InfoProviders: MultiProviders, Virtual Cubes InfoSet

Extraction

• Source System: Connection with BW, Creating Source Systems (SAP, External, Flat File)
• Extraction from SAP Source Systems: Standard, Customized, and Generic Extractors
• Extraction from R/3: Extract Structure, Transfer Structure, Delta Process
• Customizing: Enhancing Business Content
• User Exits: Transaction Data, Master Data, Texts and Hierarchies

Warehousing Management

• Transports: Transport Connection, BEx Objects and Roles, Versions of Objects
• Business Content: Installing and Collecting Objects, BW Statistics

BI SUITE: BEX EXPLORER

BEx Query Designer

• Queries: New queries, Restricting Characteristics, Formulas and Exception Cells
• Query Design: Defining Exceptions, Conditions, Restricted and Calculated KeyFigures
• Variables: The Variable Wizard, Variable Types and Processing Types, query Properties
• Component Properties: Properties of Characteristics, Attributes, Structure, Formula, KeyFigures
• Structures: Creating Re-usable structures
• Functions on BW Server: Copying queries between Cubes, Deleting Query Elements

Web Application Designer

• WAD: Functions of WAD, Web Items Window, Template Window, Properties Window
• Web Applications: Creating Web Applications, Settings, Stylesheets, Symbols and Properties
• Design: Designing the Layout of Web Templates, working with Library for Web Items
• Web Items: Tables, Filters, Checkboxes, Dropdown Box and other web items and their attributes

BEx Analyzer

• Functions of BEx Toolbar: Open, Save, Change and Refresh Queries
• Evaluating Query Data: Navigating queries, Selecting Filter values, saving query variants
• Workbooks: Cell Areas, Workbook Templates, Display options and more.

BI Platform

• Information Broadcasting
• Functions of the Broadcaster: Precalculating and Exporting into Enterprise Portal
• User Guide: Distributing Queries and Web Templates, Scheduling Broadcasting Settings
• Example Scenarios: Monthly Sales Reports, Ad-hoc Distribution Options.

OLAP

• OLAP v OLTP: The OLAP Concept and differences between OLAP and OLTP
• OLAP Functions: Aggregation, Currency Translation, Report-to-Report Interface
• MetaData Repository: Searching for MetaData

Reporting Agent

• Exception Settings: Creating a setting and defining a follow up action
• Print Settings: Defining Print Settings and Print Layout
• Scheduling Packages: Creating Package, Assigning Settings, Variants, with Process Chains

Career Related Support

• Resume Building with sample resumes
• Frequently asked interview questions
• Common Production Issues

Advanced Topics

Hot Bonus Topics:

• Overview of Planning with SEM-BPS.
• Architecture of BPS components.
• Planning Models (Planning Area, Planning Level, Planning Functions, Planning Layouts, Packages).
• Chararcteristic relationships, Variables.
• Data Slice
• Web Interface and Planning Folders.

Performance in depth

• Data Model for Performance: Line Item Dimensions, Navigational attributes, Time-Dependent
• BW Statistics: Query Analysis Tools, Performance Tables
• Reporting Performance: Effective query design, Line-Item, Compression, Partitioning
• Aggregates: Creating Aggregates, Finding effective aggregates
• Data Load Performance: Parallelism, Impact of Aggregates
• Partitioning: Logical Partitioning, Table Partitioning