Selecting a data source

Data for a story can come from a file, a SAP Analytics Cloud model or dataset, or an outside data source.

Note

If using data from SAP Datasphere, you directly access an SAP Datasphere dataset located in a specific space defined in SAP Datasphere.

If you import data from a file or on outside data source, you create a dataset within the story. SAP Analytics Cloud has two types of datasets:

• Embedded - Embedded datasets are embedded into a story and are unique to that story. They cannot be shared outside the story or refreshed.
• Public - Public datasets are standalone datasets and can be shared among different stories.

Neither dataset can be scheduled for a refresh, but you can manually re-import updated data. In addition, both datasets can be secured to allow users access to the dataset or not. Specific column-based or property security, however, is not supported for any datasets.

A limitation to a public dataset is that you cannot change its datasource. For example, if your public dataset was originally created from a flat file but you now want to use a BW query, you have no option to make that change. Embedded datasets, on the other hand, do allow you to change the data source via the Add New Data option.

You can also convert an embedded dataset into a model, but any transformations you made to the dataset are lost and must be recreated in the model.

Note

A public dataset cannot be converted to a model.

You can manipulate, or "wrangle," the data to meet your story needs in the Data Preparation area. Here you can change the data, including adding transformations using either a simple or more robust transformation editor.

Note

Data preparation is only possible with imported data. If you choose SAP Datasphere as your outside data source, you cannot manipulate the data because it is live, not imported.

Data for SAP Analytics Cloud stories can come from many different data sources, both SAP and non-SAP. Your SAP Analytics Cloud administrator must create connections to any source that contains data you need. These connections can be used to create models in SAP Analytics Cloud, or you can use them to access or import data directly into your story.

SAP Analytics Cloud models are able to access the most data sources. A model can access a live data source directly, or it can import data from a source database or system. The figure Data Sources shows a small sample of the data sources available for stories.