Shifting SAP BW to SAP Business Data Cloud

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to use SAP BW Data Product Generator to leverage SAP BW models in SAP Business Data Cloud.

SAP BW Data Product Generator

Usage Scenario

Let's now look at the second step of the lift, shift and innovate approach. In the shift step, SAP BW data is exposed as data products in SAP Business Data Cloud.

As a first step to expose SAP BW data as data products, you need to use the SAP BW Data Product Generator (SAP BW DPG).

Functionality and Key Features of the SAP BW Data Product Generator

The SAP BW Data Product Generator is a tool designed to simplify the integration of data from your SAP BW or SAP BW/4HANA system with SAP Business Data Cloud. It provides a mechanism to replicate data from your SAP BW InfoProviders to the managed object store (HDLFS) within your SAP Datasphere tenant as part of SAP Business Data Cloud. This replication allows for seamless consumption of your SAP BW data within the SAP Business Data Cloud ecosystem and beyond.

The picture shows an end‑to‑end data flow from SAP BW to SAP Databricks via SAP Datasphere and SAP HANA Data Lake Files. Left: SAP Business Warehouse, private cloud edition. Inside it, “SAP BW Product Generator – Subscriptions” takes data from an InfoProvider. Center: SAP Datasphere, with a space of type “BW”, where through the API a “Local Table (File)” is created in the Space (“Create Local Table”). Creating this local table generates artifacts in SAP HANA Data Lake Files: an Inbound Buffer, a MergeTask (periodic/scheduled), and a DeltaTable. BW then “Pushes Data” into the Inbound Buffer. The MergeTask consolidates buffered files and writes/updates the DeltaTable. Right: A Delta Share serves the DeltaTable out to external consumers, shown here as SAP Databricks. In short: BW subscriptions push data into Datasphere where it lands in HANA Data Lake Files, is merged into a Delta table, and is shared to Databricks via Delta Sharing.

The SAP BW Data Product Generator offers several key features that make data integration efficient and straightforward:

Easy Replication: It simplifies the process of replicating data from SAP BW InfoProviders to SAP Business Data Cloud. You define subscriptions specifying which SAP BW InfoProviders and their fields should be replicated, along with any necessary filtering.
Flexible Replication Modes: You can choose between one-time snapshots, regular reloads, or incremental delta updates (where supported by the underlying SAP BW InfoProvider). This flexibility allows you to tailor the replication frequency to your data update needs.
SAP BW Integration: The SAP BW Data Product Generator integrates directly into the SAP BW environment, providing an editor (SAP GUI for BW and a Fiori UI for SAP BW/4HANA) for managing subscriptions and configurations. This makes the process familiar and intuitive for SAP BW users.
Process Chain Integration: You can integrate SAP BW Data Product Generator subscriptions into SAP BW process chains, enabling automated data replication triggered by other SAP BW processes or scheduled at optimal times.
Local Table (File) Creation: For each SAP BW InfoProvider included in a subscription, the SAP BW Data Product Generator creates a Local Table (File) in a dedicated SAP BW space within your SAP Business Data Cloud Datasphere tenant. This Local Table (File) contains the replicated data and metadata, ready for further use.
Data Products: The Local Table (File) can be used as a basis for creating data products in the SAP Datasphere Data Sharing Cockpit. These data products facilitate easy sharing and consumption of the data within the SAP Business Data Cloud environment and with external tools.
Zero-Copy Consumption: A key benefit is the ability to enable zero-copy consumption of your SAP BW data in SAP Databricks. By sharing the Delta Table of the Local Table (File) via DeltaShare, you allow SAP Databricks to access the data directly without needing to move it, optimizing performance and reducing data redundancy.
Analytical Consumption: You can also use the Local Table (File) directly for analytical consumption within SAP Datasphere. This allows you to combine SAP BW data with data from other sources to create comprehensive analytical models.

Note

For future developments of the SAP BW Data Product Generator, you can check the SAP Roadmap Explorer for SAP Business Data Cloud

Install and Setup of the SAP BW Data Product Generator

A system administrator handles the steps related to installing the SAP BW Data Product Generator in SAP BW, private cloud edition or SAP BW/4HANA, private cloud edition (for detailed steps, see SAP Note 3593519).

Note

The SAP BW Data Product Generator is supported for the releases SAP BW/4HANA 2023 SP0 or higher, SAP BW/4HANA 2021 SP4 or higher, and SAP BW in SAP NetWeaver 7.50 SP24 or higher.

After installation, the system administrator also takes care of the setup. A task list, SAP_BW_BDC_CONFIGURATION, can be used to perform the following steps:

Configure an OAuth 2.0 Client in SAP Datasphere.
Configure OAuth in SAP BW or SAP BW/4HANA to SAP Datasphere.
Configure certificate usage by creating a new SSL client identity and adding the required certificates (this identity is later used in the RFC connection to the object store).
Create a target space with type SAP BW and storage type SAP HANA Data Lake Files in SAP Datasphere (during this process, the self-signed certificate is sent to the SAP Datasphere tenant and stored in the new space).
Configure SAP HANA Data Lake Files Connection (an RFC destination type to the object store is created).

The picture shows a screenshot of an SAP GUI window showing a task list for configuration. The main area displays a table of configuration tasks. The listed tasks include: CL_RSDDS_CONF_OAUTH_DSP — Configure OAuth Client in Datasphere, CL_RSDDS_CONF_OAUTH_BW — Configure OAuth to Datasphere, CL_RSDDS_CONF_CERT — Configure Certificate Usage, CL_RSDDS_CONF_SPACE_CREATOR — BW Target Space Creation in Datasphere and CL_RSDDS_CONF_HDLFS_SETUP — Configure HANA Datalake Files connection.

Use the SAP BW Data Product Generator for a Data Subscription

After installation and setup by the system administrator, you want to use the SAP BW Data Product Generator to publish data from SAP BW or SAP BW/4HANA to the SAP Datasphere object store.

For this scenario, you need to perform the following steps:

Launch the SAP BW Data Product Generator.
Create, save and check a data subscription.
Activate the data subscription.
Run the data subscription.

Let's have a detailed look at every step.

Launch the SAP BW Data Product Generator

For SAP BW/4HANA, you create and maintain the data subscription in the SAP BW/4HANA Cockpit (transaction code BW4WEB).

For SAP BW, you use the SAP GUI (transaction code RSDPS) to create and maintain the data subscription.

The image is a screenshot of SAP transaction code RSDPS, showing a list of data subscriptions/jobs in a grid. The main area is a table with seven rows. Showing columns like Selection Subscription: entries start with “DDS_”, Status, Source Name, Target Name, Last Run, Last changed at. Overall, it’s a management screen for SAP data subscriptions with status, source/target names, and runtime information.

Create, Save and Check a Data Subscription

When you create a data subscription, you must first specify the following information:

Source Name: The data subscription is based on source type ODP (SAP BW InfoProvider). The following SAP BW objects can be used as a source:
- InfoObject (master data)
- DataStore Object (classic and advanced)
- InfoCube
- CompositeProvider
- MultiProvider
- Query as InfoProvider
As these objects are used as ODP Provider, the source name is represented with an extension:
- Transactional data: <Technical Name>$F
- Texts: <Technical Name>$T
- Attributes: <Technical Name>$P
- Hierarchies: <Technical Name>$H
Target Name: This is the name of the SAP Business Data Cloud target as defined by the system administrator (DEFAULT).
Execution Mode: You can choose between Full and Delta.

The Description of the data subscription is derived from the description of the SAP BW source object. This can be edited after a first save.

When you first save the data subscription, the Technical Name is filled with a generated subscription ID (DDS....). After this first save, it's optional to:

Change the Description.
Select a Process Chain Variant: to run the extraction using a process chain (the process type has to be "Load Process and Postprocessing – Data Subscription").
Use Selections to restrict the data values to be extracted by defining conditions.
Use Projections: to define which source fields are extracted (the key field(s) always have to be selected).

If you have specified one of these options, you must save the data subscription again.

The picture shows a screenshot of the Maintain Subscription app. The subscription being edited is titled “SAP BW Actual Cashflow Data. Header details on the left: Execution Mode: Full, Full Projection: Yes. Header details on the right: Subscription Status: Inactive, Local Table Status: Not created, Has Data: No. Tabs across the page: General (selected), Settings, Projections, Local Table. In the General tab, fields are visible: Technical Name: DDS_BU… (long generated ID), Description: SAP BW Actual Cashflow Data, Source Name: ZCASHACT$F, Target Name: DEFAULT.

The table Data Subscription Status shows the status values after saving the data subscription:

Data Subscription Status

Status	Value
Subscription Status	Inactive
Local Table Status	Not Created
Has Data	No

When you check the data subscription, several checks are performed by the system, for example if credentials for SAP Datasphere have been maintained and if a dedicated space exists in SAP Datasphere.

The image is a screenshot of a data subscription check where multiple validations have run and mostly passed (green). Example log lines shown: Check source, Check target, Check consistency, Check Datasphere Local Table Files, Credentials for datasphere connection maintained, Space BDC_BW_B4Q exists on datasphere, Local table does not exist yet, No partition information found for ADSO, Local table CSN passes all prechecks.

Now, you will perform some exercises to use SAP BW data for a data subscription.

In the first exercise, you will have a look at the SAP BW data to be used.

Display SAP BW Data for Subscription

ExerciseStart Exercise

Use the SAP BW Data Product Generator to Create, Save, and Check a Data Subscription for SAP BW Data

In the following exercise, you use the SAP BW Data Product Generator to create, save and check a data subscription for SAP BW Data.

ExerciseStart Exercise

Activate the Data Subscription

When you activate the data subscription, a Local Table (File) is created in SAP Datasphere in a dedicated SAP BW space (of type SAP HANA Data Lake Files). The subscription ID is used as the name for the Local Table (File).

The table Data Subscription Status shows the status values after activating the data subscription:

Data Subscription Status

Status	Value
Subscription Status	Active
Local Table Status	Deployed
Has Data	No

In the following exercise, you activate a data subscription for SAP BW Data.

ExerciseStart Exercise

Run the Data Subscription

When you run the data subscription, the data is loaded to the Local Table (File).

The subscription log shows information about the transferred records.

The picture shows a screenshot of the Subscription Logs app. A table “Subscription Logs (1)” lists one log entry: Subscription: “SAP BW Actual Cashflow Data” (technical ID starting with DDS_BUG5N…), Started At: 10.10.2025, 09:40:57, Status: Success (green indicator), Duration (s): 4, Transferred Records: 1,283, Update Mode: Full, Last Changed By: BWREMOTE (BWREMOTE), Process Variant: column present, value not shown. The overall look is a single successful subscription run.

After a successful run, the table Data Subscription Status shows the following status values:

Data Subscription Status

Status	Value
Subscription Status	Active
Local Table Status	Deployed
Has Data	Yes

In SAP Datasphere, you choose the Data Builder to locate the Local Table (File) in the dedicated SAP BW space. A data viewer option is available to check the contents.

The image is a screenshot of the data viewer in the Data Builder of SAP Datasphere. The header indicates a local table file named “SAP BW Actual …” within the space “BDC_BW_B4H2.” The main area displays a grid of records with columns such as: Posting Date in the Document (dates mostly in early January 2024), Company Code (examples: 1710, 1720, 1730), Cash Flow (numeric values, both positive and negative) and Currency Key (EUR). It shows “Data: SAP BW Actual … (1000 / 1283)” meaning 1,000 of 1,283 rows are visible.

In the following exercise, you run a data subscription for SAP BW Data.

ExerciseStart Exercise

Create a Data Product on a Local Table (File)

Usage Scenario

After using the SAP BW Data Product Generator, SAP BW data is stored in a Local Table (File) in SAP Datasphere. To expose the SAP BW data as a data product, you want to learn the steps to create a data product on this Local Table (File).

Data Provider Profile

Before you can create a data product, a data provider profile needs to have been created using the Data Sharing Cockpit in SAP Datasphere.

A data provider profile comprises company and contact information as well as general information about the data you offer, such as the industry your data products belong to or the SAP applications related to them.

The image shows a screenshot of the Data Provider setup. The page title is “Customer Managed DP,” with a namespace sap.dpm.saceu10.preparation. Key elements visible: Summary counters near the title: Published Data Products = 59 and Product Views = 0, the Overview sections contains descriptive and metadata fields, like Data Category (Benchmarking Data, Company Data), Data Provider/Data Product Visibility (Formations), Contact data.

In a data provider profile, also the Data Product Visibility is set, which defines how data products of the data provider can be published. You can set the following options:

Public Data Provider
Private Data Provider
Internal Data Provider
Formations

For our scenario, where SAP BW data should be exposed as a data product, the option Formations has to be set. With this setting, a data product may only be published with SAP Business Data Cloud Formation.

Note

To enable other users to work within your data provider environment, for example to create new data products and releases, data provider profiles can be reused by generating activation keys, which you can distribute to other users of SAP Datasphere. After registering the activation key, they can perform all data provider tasks. More information can be found in the Data Marketplace: Data Provider's Guide.

Data Product

You use the Data Sharing Cockpit in SAP Datasphere to create a data product in a data provider profile.

Like other data products, you specify a Business Name, Technical Name, Description and Data Category.

To expose the SAP BW data as a data product, you select the SAP BW space and the Local Table (File). It's also possible to select multiple tables that should be exposed through the data product.

The picture shows a screenshot of the Data Product app. In the main area, the “Product Artifacts” tab is open (other tabs include Overview, Sample Data, Product Details, Pricing, Terms of Use, and Data Documentation). A table lists product artifacts with columns: Name, Elements, and Data Filter. There is one artifact row with a technical name (a long ID starting with “DDS_…”). In the Elements column, the fields POSTINGDATE, COMPANYCODE, CASHFLOW, COMPCODECURRENCY, and TRANSACTIONCURRENCY are shown.

The data product has the following typical product details:

Contexts: formations
Delivery Mode: Delta Share

After saving the data product, the Lifecycle Status is Draft. This means that the data product has been created but is not yet visible in the Catalog & Marketplace.

The picture shows a screenshot of the Data Product app. Key elements visible: Product name: ZCASHACT_BW_ACT and version ZCASHACT_BW_ACT:v1, Product type/owner: Customer Managed DP, Metrics/status: Views 0, Price Free Of Charge, Lifecycle Status Draft, Short description: “Actual cashflow data from SAP BW.” Product Details section with fields like Contexts: Formations, Delivery Mode: Delta Share, Data Category: Other Data Categories. Top-right toolbar includes a “Switch Status” button.

To enable visibility and access for authorized users, you use Switch Status to switch the status of the data product from Draft to Listed.

This triggers the creation of a delta share endpoint and an ORD document that will be shared with the Unified Customer Landscape.

After the status has been set to Listed, you can find the data product using Catalog & Marketplace in SAP Datasphere and also using Catalog & Marketplace in SAP Business Data Cloud.

The picture shows a screenshot of a data product named ZCASHACT_BW_ACT, displayed using the Catalog & Marketplace. It shows field like: Business Name: ZCASHACT_BW_ACT, Category: Other, Lifecycle Status: Active, Version: 1.0.0, Data provider: Customer Managed DP and ORD ID: sap.ibm.spaceu10.preparationdataproduct

Notice the following details of the data product:

Business Name
Lifecycle Status
Category
Version
ORD-ID (a unique identifier for a data product using the Open Resource Discovery (ORD) standard)

In the following exercise, you create a data product on a Local Table (File) in SAP Datasphere.

ExerciseStart Exercise

Let's Summarize What You've Learned

In this lesson you have learned about the possibilities of the SAP BW Data Product Generator:

It simplifies the integration of SAP BW data with SAP Business Data Cloud.
It offers flexible replication options, including one-time snapshots, regular reloads, and delta updates.
Replicated data is stored as Local Tables (Files) in SAP Datasphere, enabling various consumption scenarios.

In this lesson you have also learned how to use a data provider profile to create a data product on a Local Table (File) in SAP Business Data Cloud:

The data product visibility of the data provider profile has to be set to Formations.
The data product is created in a data provider profile.
The data product has to be listed to make it available in the Catalog.

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