Introducing Transition Options with Customer Use Cases

The model transfer automatically creates SAP Datasphere entities that correspond to a BW Query, the underlying CompositeProvider, and all dependent BW objects. A number of native SAP Datasphere entities are generated:

• Remote tables for accessing the underlying data models
• Views for the intermediate virtual layers
• An analytic model for the BW Query.

The SAP BW/4HANA system only acts as a remote data source, but the calculation and consumption is managed by the SAP HANA engines of SAP Datasphere core tenant.

Such a model transfer is not offered from SAP Netweaver BW 7.5. To use data from SAP Netweaver BW 7.5, you can migrate or you extract data to SAP BW/4HANA.

With this hybrid approach, you can modernize your data warehouse landscape in your own pace, due to the following value proposition:

• SAP's long-term support commitment for SAP BW/4HANA until 2040 specially for large and complex SAP BW customers.
• Easy deployment and use of SAP BW/4HANA and SAP Datasphere and their hybrid model.
• Reuse of your data model in SAP Datasphere via Semantic Onboarding.
• Automatic transfer of most of your semantics.
• Identification of business areas with increased demand for flexibility
• Enablement of data-savvy business users for agile self-service in the data fabric on a well known data model from the past.
• Gradual balancing of increased agility with centralized IT control.
• Bringing responsibility for data to those who know it best.

Use SAP BW bridge to build models in the cloud based on existing BW investments.

Two steps belong to this approach:

1. There are Migration and Conversion paths (shell, remote migration, and combinations) to move SAP Netweaver BW or SAP BW/4HANA data flows into SAP BW bridge, including the related master data and transactional data, if required. Migration and conversion is started from the original SAP Netweaver BW or SAP BW/4HANA system.

   You can then continue to load data or create dataflows in SAP BW bridge.

2. The SAP BW bridge Model Transfer (more than a simple Import of BW objects) enables the semantics integration of BW bridge content into native SAP Datasphere entities. BW Queries, which have been migrated into SAP BW bridge before, are also available for this approach. The SAP BW bridge model transfer is part of the Semantic Onboarding functionality of SAP Datasphere core and started from there.

With the migration to SAP BW bridge approach, you can Build on existing investments and skills, due to the following value proposition:

• Use of SAP BW data structures, transformations, customizations, and skills – quickly extending your SAP BW investments to the public cloud.
• Integrating on-premises SAP Business Suite data with familiar connectivity and semantic richness – retaining instant access while expanding your analytics depth.
• Rapid innovation on SAP BW data with an open, unified data and analytics cloud service – scaling innovation and efficiency in the cloud.
• Providing proven SAP BW-based data integration (Extractors) from SAP ECC and SAP S/4HANA
• Leveraging the enterprise-ready staging layer of SAP BW.
• Tool-supported move of SAP BW-based integration and staging ( ODP sources only).

Use the greenfield approach to build new models in SAP Datasphere core. You can combine different ways to create models:

• Define models manually from scratch, such as local tables, remote tables, views, replication flows, transformation flows, analytic models.
• Implement Business Content for SAP Datasphere which is made available by SAP or partners.
• Install data products that are shipped via Data Marketplace.
• Import CSN files or import a transport package from another SAP Datasphere tenant.
• Upload CSV files to create a table based on the structure provided by the files.

But don't lose your data history. Besides the slow CSV upload, the easiest way to integrate data are flows.

• Import data using SAP Datasphere Replication Flow technology into local tables. Tables are automatically created based on the source structure.
• From these tables, you can use SAP Datasphere Transformation Flow to create a next physical layer with new tables for transformed data.
• SAP Datasphere Data Flow remains useful for special use cases, such as selective deletion of data from a local table or data extraction with transformation (ETL) from specific sources.

Note that the result tables of a replication flow or transformation flow can be created "on the fly" during the definition of the flow. In such a case, the data structure of the new local table is based on the source or result of the flow as its template. But, one to one copy of existing structures is typically not what you want in a greenfield approach.Before implementing new models with such technologies, do the following:

• Transfer and backup old data from SAP and non SAP source systems.
• Take advantage of the opportunity to modernize and revise your data model and focus on those that are actually used.
• Easily bring legacy data and new data together through views and lookup.
• Get rid of legacy issues and start building data models based on CDS from SAP S/4HANA.
• Use accelerators such as Semantic Onboarding.

With the greenfield approach, you can focus on new technological possibilities and create a sustainable and future-oriented architecture, due to the following value proposition: .

• Import of existing metadata with semantics from SAP BW bridge, SAP BW/4HANA to bring together all features and processes that allow SAP customers to harmonize data.
• Already built SAP and 3rd party business content as accelerator to benefit from "State-of-the-Art" data integration options.
• Customer and partner managed data products to democratize SAP data within SAP Datasphere and beyond via APIs.

SAP S/4HANA model transfer leverages the same concept as SAP BW/4HANA model transfer or SAP BW bridge model transfer, but is based on ABAP CDS Views which act as source for the model generation in SAP Datasphere core tenant. This type of model transfer generates replication flows which allow you to load the data.

With the Model transfer from SAP S/4HANA approach, you can add a new data preparation and harmonization architecture on top of existing sources, due to the following value proposition: .

• Metadata import with semantics from SAP S/4HANA Cloud, SAP S/4HANA to bring together data from your source systems.
• Providing data using the well-established CDS technology from SAP S/4HANA business content or customer-defined models.
• Data import (replication) with full or delta logic, with option for subsequent data transformation.

This decision tree can help you to find out the best approach that suits your strategy. Customers who want to stay with their existing SAP BW 7.5 should consider the end of maintenance date and plan the transition ahead of time. Therefore, modernizing your data warehouse landscape already now is highly recommended.

If you do not want to or if you are not allowed to move to the cloud, you can work with SAP BW/4HANA on-premise or private cloud edition (PCE). However, if you are following SAP's public cloud strategy, you will have to decide which of the above scenarios best suits your needs. So, if you want to modernize your SAP BW and follow a public cloud strategy, consider the questions from the figure, Decision Tree.

Customers without previous BW experience or those who want to start with a fresh new system architecture can take the greenfield approach with SAP Datasphere only. A switch to a combined scenario is possible anytime, be it an accelerated greenfield scenario with SAP S/4HANA, a hybrid scenario with SAP BW/4HANA, or using SAP BW bridge. The hybrid approach with SAP BW/4HANA is appropriate when the existing complexity forces you to stay with your existing SAP BW/4HANA, but you want to implement new use cases in SAP Datasphere or take advantage of the additional functionality of SAP Datasphere.

As a next step, you can migrate from SAP BW/4HANA to SAP BW bridge anytime, even dataflow by dataflow. As time goes on, gradually replace more and more BW-based models with modern models of SAP Datasphere core. Make the transition to the cloud in your own pace.

The following lessons in this unit provide details on the different approaches.

As a final step of planning your transition, you have to think about substitution of your frontend connections. When you use BW query, ABAP CDS views, or Calculation Views in SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) or other analysis tools, the existing frontend models and stories are based on connections to SAP BW/4HANA, SAP S/4HANA, SAP HANA or other sources. After you have created advanced models in SAP Datasphere, don't forget to include them in your stories.

Suppose you have already built models or stories in SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) which are based on BW queries that are accessible via a live data connection to the current SAP BW system. Now, you want to substitute the existing BW queries with SAP Datasphere models. Then, you first need to log on at SAP Analytics cloud (SAC) and create a live data connection to SAP Datasphere. Based on this new connection, you can create new models in SAC. Alternatively, you can replace BW sources in existing stories or models with the new SAP Datasphere objects available via the new SAP Datasphere connection.

Similar steps are required for other frontend tools. For the possible frontend tools and interfaces, refer to the figure, Options for Frontend Consumption.