The main tool for data modeling in SAP Analytics Cloud is the Modeler. It is where you view, edit and configure your models.
There are different ways to connect to your data when you create a model. Some options are: .
- You can create a new connection and use it to import data later
- You can import a local file from your computer and start creating your model based on it (CSV, XSLS).
- You can use a data source such as BW Query, or SAP HANA calculation view as basis for your model.
When you open an existing model, its contents are shown on the Model Structure screen composed of the Dimensions list (1), the Structure view (2), the Data Foundation view (3), and the Model Details pane (4).
Let`s discuss in more detail what the purpose of each area is.
The Model Structure screen contents can vary depending on the chosen model type. If you follow the modeling recommendation and work with the New model, it shows you both dimensions and measures. It also shows you the number of members and hierarchies in each dimension, and any attributes that have been defined for the dimensions.
In the Structure view you find the contents of your model represented by a star schema diagram. The central entity is a fact table that references several dimensions. This view helps you to visualize how your fact data, attributes, and properties all relate to each other. Examples of fact data include sales price, or sale quantity. Examples of related dimension attributes are product names, product categories, or salesperson names.
Note
The star schema is a universal approach most widely used to develop data models. Regardless of the tool and the solution, its concept is used for better performance and usability purposes. There is a lot of freely accessible documentation available if you want to explore this concept in more detail.
The Data Foundation view helps you understand the data you have access to. The data you can see in the Data Foundation view and the number of results is filtered based on the data access control and security settings, as well as active filters within the table.
On the right, the Model Details area shows you the model settings, data sources, and other information about your model.
Now that you know the two ways of data access, the different data modeling objects and the central data modeling tool, it`s time to go through two simple model creation scenarios.
The first scenario is the creation of an import model. We focus on a two-step approach. The first step shows the creation of a simple blank Analytic model.
The second step will illustrate the data import using an SAP BusinessObjects Universe as data source. For the data import, you must use the Data Management screen of the Modeler. If we use another data modeling object as data source, we always need to either create a new connection to the source system or to select an existing one.
Our second data modeling scenario is the creation of a Live Data model based on an SAP S/4HANA ABAP CDS view. Similar to the import scenario, it requires an established connection to the source system.
Our second data modeling scenario is the creation of a live data model based on an SAP S/4HANA ABAP CDS view. Similar to the import scenario, it requires an established connection to the source system. To illustrate the final output, we will use our model in a story to visualize the data in a tabular format.