What's New in SAP Accelerators by BackOffice Associates® 6.5.3

NOTE: DSP® version 6.5.3 implements a new licensing scheme that ties the license key to a hardware ID specific to the application server on which DSP® is installed. This license key will therefore not work on other machines. In addition, hardware changes to the server, including virtual machine reconfiguration, may cause the license to be invalidated. In the event of a hardware change, server move, or other action that may require a new license to be issued, please open a Support message via SAP Solution Manager using component XX-PART-BOA to request a new license. The request for a new license should be made a minimum of 2 business days before the license is needed to allow time for review and approval.

This topic contains:

Version 6.5.3 contains various fixes to existing features, including:

New Features

Advanced Data Migration (ADM)

SQL AutoGen

SQL AutoGen creates basic objects used by the migration process (tables, rules and reports) so that users can focus on addressing complex requirements. 

All objects created using SQL AutoGen are written to the data source defined for the object in Console (Process Area > Objects > Vertical View > Data Source ID).

Access SQL AutoGen by clicking the gold Automation tab in the Quick Panel.

Refer to SQL AutoGen for more information.

With SQL AutoGen these tasks can be performed automatically:

 

Fiori

Display and visualize the key activities in a Data Migration given a single pane of glass view into the status of the migration by deploying the Fiori add-on into your SAP HANA Cloud Platform (HCP) account. Using the Fiori user interface, the key metrics of the migration are extracted from the DSP® and displayed using Fiori. These metrics and details can be viewed on a mobile device as well as a workstation and have complete drill-through capabilities directly into dspMigrate™.

Map

A user can profile a source data source on the Vertical View of the Target Sources page or an Update Row source data source on the Vertical View of the Target Sources (Update Row) page. Once the profile has run, the user can view the profile results such as record counts, unique values, or field data types.

Target Design

A new Visibility column has been added for both Natural and Utility fields. Setting the visibility determines whether a field is available to be mapped on the source or target pages. Refer to Set Visibility for Mapping of Target and Source Fields and Set Visibility for Appended Utility Columns for more information.

Transform

Transform provides measurable advantages in the Data Preparation phase of a data migration project. The tool cleans, manipulates and reports on data, and exports the data so that it can be loaded into a target ERP system using a load tool.

Use Transform to register target rules, target remediation rules, and target reports. Transform also creates Target Source rules and Target Source reports. A user can audit updates to target data as a result of rule processing, debug rules and reports, and view dashboards that display a count of active source rules, source reports, target rules and target reports by Wave and Process Area; the number of processes running for reports broken out by report type; and the count of changes to all object types in the Wave and Process Area.

Access to report data can be controlled at the report level by restricting access to reports, or through user filters assigned to a report.

Refer to Transform for more information.

Information Steward Accelerator (ISA)

dspCompose™

A user can access the black dspCompose Requests tab on the Quick Panel to navigate among active requests for which the logged in user has access. Refer to Use the dspCompose Requests tab for Quick Access to Request Details for more information.

Fiori

Display and visualize the key activities in Data Quality given a single pane of glass view by deploying the Fiori add-on into your SAP HANA Cloud Platform (HCP) account. Using the Fiori user interface, the key metrics of data quality are extracted from ISA and displayed using Fiori. These metrics and details can be viewed on a mobile device as well as a workstation and have complete drill-through capabilities directly into ISA.

Data Stewardship Platform (DSP)®

Common

NOTE: This feature replaces Back End Authentication that was previously established in Integrate and dspCompose™.

  • An Administrator can import a System Type from any system. The user can add a System Type using that system’s data dictionary to create a System Type Model with the correct SQL. The process imports table descriptions and field descriptions and registers check tables to fields. Refer to Import a Data Source for more information.
    NOTE: The SAP and DE System Types are included with the DSP®.
  • Profiling and duplicate detection have been added.

Profiling

Profiling is a quick and easy method to perform an assessment of data contained within a database. The goal of data profiling is to save hours of research effort by listing all database information in one location. It is important to note that data profiling does not replace viewing and analyzing data, but is considered a value-added activity for reporting to the client and can provide useful information at the beginning of a Data Migration project.

The following elements are available for all profiled databases:

  • A list of all tables in the database
  • A list of all columns within each table with defined Data Type, Length and Table Order
  • A frequency distribution of values for each column
  • A minimum and maximum value for each column
  • A number of blank, null or empty values for each column
  • Indication of unused tables and fields

Duplicate Detection

The duplicate detection feature provides an easy method to identify and resolve duplicate data. After the user creates and register the objects (tables and views) that contain the data to be analyzed for duplication, the process finds potential duplicate data and displays it on a results page. The user can configure this results page as needed. The user reviews the results and identifies duplicate records to decide if the record is a true duplicate, if the record must be reset, or if the record is not a duplicate.

Integrate

  • A user can configure After Post rules that run after the process template executes successfully and before the next process template begins processing (if posting with a multi-template process)After a process template that has an After Post rule registered posts successfully, the data is passed to the next dependent process template as an input parameter. Refer to Register After Post Rules to a Process Template for more information.
  • The SAP Data Services Job  template type has been added to Integrate. It uses a Data Services Job (consisting of a Data Services Repository and a job name) when posting request data to a target system. Refer to Post Data Using an SAP Data Services Job for more information.
  • A user can add a Custom template in Integrate for posting to any application. Refer to Post Data Using a Custom Template for more information.

Enhancements

Advanced Data Migration (ADM)

Console

Map

  • A Migration Developer can designate a system other than the target system for check tables. Refer to Designate a System for a Check Table for more information.
  • The process for establishing relationships has been updated. External sources, Add Row sources (formerly primary sources), and Update Row sources (formerly secondary sources) can now be used when creating relationships. Refer to Work with Sources for more information.
  • The Submit All icon on the Field Mappings page can be used to submit any mappings with a Mapping Status of In Progress and any mappings with a Mapping Status of Complete (if that Mapping Status was set manually by the user but had not yet been submitted).
  • On the Mapping Approval page, a user can click the Complete icon to approve the selected mapping(s) and set the Rule Status to Complete.
  • An Update Row source that is a table can now be added. Rules can be created for this Update Row source table which convert the data before it is processed by the main source rule. The table can also be used as a snapshot of data for results validation. Refer to Add Update Row Sources that are Tables for more information.
  • Mapping Status and Rule Status values and the Mapping Approval process have been updated. During the Mapping Approval process, the Mapper submits a mapping for review. When submitted, the mapping status is set to Complete. The Developer can approve the mapping, which sets the Rule Status to In Progress. The Developer can also select an option to set the Rule Status to Complete when approving a mapping.
    Mapping Status values are:

Pending Review – The default value indicates that a mapping has been either:

  • Synced with Target Design but work on the mapping has not begun.
  • Synced with Target Design, has been worked on, but the saved changes did not pass validations.
  • Reset by a Mapper or a Developer. Mappings can be reset on the Field Mappings page or on the Mapping Approval page.

Design Required – The mapping has been reviewed by a Developer and rejected on the Mapping Approval page. The Mapper must update the mapping and submit it again.

Complete – The mapping has been submitted when the Mapper has finished creating the mapping and clicks the Submit or Submit All icons on the Field Mappings page.

Rule Status values are:

  • Pending Review – The default value indicates that a mapping for the rule:
    • Has not yet been submitted.
    • Has been submitted and is waiting for Developer review.
    • Has been reset by a Mapper or a Developer. Mappings can be reset in AutoGen on the Automation SQL Field Mappings page, in Map on the Field Mappings page, or on the Mapping Approval page accessible from the Quick Panel.
  • Revision Requested – The mapping for this rule has been reviewed by a Developer and rejected on the Mapping Approval page. The Mapper must update the mapping and submit it again.
  • In Progress – The mapping has been approved on the Mapping Approval page.
  • Complete – The mapping development has been completed. A user clicked the Create and Complete icon on the  Automation SQL Field Mappings page or the Create All Rules icon on the Automation page. A Developer clicked Complete on the Mapping Approval page.

Target Design

  • The Derived from Source field has been added to the Target Fields page. It allows the user to include or exclude a field from an insert rule when building the rule in SQL AutoGen.
  • When a lookup table is registered in Target Design, it is registered as a source table with a status of Documentation and a rule priority offset of 50000 so that it is sorted last. Documentation sources are not processed but are a reference item to see all the sources of data.

Information Steward Accelerator (ISA)

dspCompose™

  • On the Template (Role Excel Column Control) page, the Include, Exclude, and Exclude If Null options have been moved to the toolbar to allow updates to multiple records.
  • If columns have been previously imported and a new column is added to a template, when the columns are imported again, the new column is added but there are no updates to existing columns.  
  • On the Template (Post Message Tables) page, a user can identify the Integrate template ID specific to the post message tables if a dspCompose™ template is associated with a multi-template process in Integrate.
  • For an External Request Scenario for an Information Steward-initiated Request, the description of the request that displays on the Request page has been updated. The rule name and rule binding name have been added. The format of the description is “Request from ISA - <Rule Name> - <Rule Binding Description> - <Date time>”.
    Additionally, when creating an External Request Scenario for an Information Steward-initiated request, the following variables can be used in the REQUEST FORMAT DESCRIPTION field on the Template (ISA External Request Scenario) page.
  • #ISAProjectID# - ISAProjectID (ISA Project ID)
  • #ISARuleBindingID# - ISARuleBindingID (ISA Rule Binding ID)
  • #ISARuleID# - ISARuleID (ISA Rule ID)
  • #RuleID# - ExternalRequestAlias (Rule ID)
  • #RuleBindingID# - Scenario (Rule Binding ID)
  • #RequestConnectionID# - RequestConnectionID (RequestConnectionID

The text entered in this field displays on the Request page in the DESCRIPTION field for a request created from this external request scenario.

Data Stewardship Platform (DSP)®

Collect

  • For a Target Source, the data store created in Data Services now has the Target Source name as part of the name when using an SAP Data Services using RFC package type (for example, <DS_SAP_SOURCE1_RFC>) to allow multiple sources to download to a single DS repository.
  • A validation message has been added in Collect, on the Tables page, for Data Services or Data Service using RFC package types to let the user know if a data services repository is not assigned on the Targets page’s Vertical View.
  • The Data Services using RFC package type can only be used by a Target Source with a connection type of SAPAPPSERVER. The Manual Data Services package type is now available for Data Services connections.
  • On the Tables page’s Vertical View Advanced Settings tab, a user can now edit the package name for a Manual Data Services package or accept the default name for the package.
  • When a table is added to a Target Source with SAPAPPSERVER as a source type, the package type now defaults to SAP Data Services using RFC regardless of the package type set in Common on the Parameters – Collect page > Package Info tab.
  • A Do Not Delete check box has been added in Collect on the Target Sources page's Vertical View so that a user can choose whether or not data is automatically deleted from the target table when the target data is built and refreshed. This option has been added to support change data capture with Data Services.
  • In Collect, <source> has been added to the name of SAP RFC connections to allow multiple connections to SAP in a single Data Services Repository.

Excel Integration

  • A user can now update data in the DSP® from an Excel spreadsheet created by the user (based on the current DSP® page) or from a spreadsheet previously downloaded from the DSP®. Refer to Import Data for more information.
  • The default values from the page are now applied for records inserted via Excel Integration. Refer to Import Data for more information.

Integrate

In Integrate, the Delay Between Records field has been added to the Process page's Vertical View. It allows the user to set the amount of time, in milliseconds, that passes after processing of one record is complete and processing of the next record can begin.

Online Help

A glossary has been added.

Resolved Issues

Information Steward Accelerator (ISA)

  • In ISA, timeout issues and deadlocks occurred during report generation under specific conditions at a client’s site. When the view the report was based on contained a large number of records (15,000), the report did not generate. Indexes have been added to decrease the processing of the report SQL. [DSP-7214]
  • An issue was found when processing and generating workflows.  An incorrect Project Distribution was listed in the email body. With this fix, the correct Project Distribution now appears in the email body. [DSP-7120]
  • An issue was found when processing and generating workflows and the user was not receiving the appropriate workflows. It was found that the User ID appeared in the email body instead of the User Name. With this fix, the User Name appears in the email body. [DSP-7119]
  • A process in ISA did not accept the Connection Timeout for a data source. This has been fixed to allow longer running SQL commands. [DSP-6864]
  • When a user was removed from a Project Distribution, the user was still able to view the Distribution’s rules on the Report Data Viewer page and still received summary workflow emails. This issue contributed to performance problems which became worse as the number of days to retain history (set on the Parameters page) increased. With the fix, a user who has been removed from a distribution no longer receives summary workflow emails and can no longer view that distribution’s rules on the Report Data Viewer page. [DSP-6503]
  • The option to change the setting of the Translate check box for the columns has been added to the following ISA pages:
    • Distribution Workflow Attachment Option
    • Edit Workflow Templates
    • Metric Summary
    • Project Distribution Attributes
    • Project Distribution Filters
    • Project Distribution Reports
    • Project Distribution Rule Bindings
    • Project Distribution Rules
    • Project Distributions
    • Project Quality Dimension Rules
    • Project Quality Dimensions
    • Project Summary
    • Report Data Viewer
    • Rule Binding List
    • Users
    • Workflow

Refer to Modify the Translation Option for Columns for more information. [DSP-6695]

Target Design and Map

An issue occurred when syncing a target between Target Design and Map. After an initial sync, if the sync process was run again, the process took longer than expected to complete. Updates were made to correct the issue, and the second time a sync process runs, it now completes in an acceptable amount of time. [DSP-7309]

Data Stewardship Platform (DSP)®

  • The LinkTag feature allows the page Designer to link to another page and pass an identifying string (stored in the Link Tag field) in order for that page to conditionally choose a Page Control View (PCV) by name. For example, webMyTable#LinkTag#Pcv can become webMyTable#LinkTag1#Pcv or webMyTable#LinkTag2#Pcv. An issue occurred when the wrong PCV was used and the identifying string (the value of the Link Tag) was not maintained throughout the usage of the page. With this fix, the value of the LinkTag is always maintained and the correct PCV view is used. [DCR-595]
  • An issue occurred when the Validation icon was clicked and the pop-up window contained no errors. With this fix, the pop-up window displays with any and all validation errors. [DCR-579]

Collect

Fixed an issue in Collect which affected Oracle replications in DBMoto®. [DSP-6741]

Common

An issue occurred where the import event on the System Type Import page did not check for whether or not a check table entry already existed for a field. It continued to add them resulting in duplicate entries. With this fix, there are no duplicate check table entries. [DSP-7056]

Online Help

Fixed a link that was missing in an ISA topic. [DSP-6938].

System Administration

The issue of an exception being thrown during an Excel file upload when the drill down criteria contained a column which did not exist on the underlying table for the page has been fixed. [DCR-576]

Transform

  • When Generate Documentation was enabled, an error occurred when the object, target, or Target Source table name was more than 50 characters long. With this fix, the object, target and Target Source table names are allowed to be up to 128 characters. [DSP-7128]
  • An issue occurred where the segmented reports displayed the total record count for the report as if it was not segmented. With this fix, each of the segmented reports displays the record count for the individual report. [DSP-6035]
  • An error occurred when special characters were used in segmented reports. The report would not save, validate or run successfully. With this fix, the report runs successfully. [DSP-6505]
  • An error occurred when attempting to execute the Source Rule in Transform due to the EscapeObjectName function used by the framework. With this fix, the Source Rule executes without error. [DSP-6523]

Enhancement Requests from the User Base

Information Steward Accelerator (ISA)

In ISA, the user can activate or deactivate one or more users selected on the Project Distribution Users page.

Data Stewardship Platform (DSP®)

 

WARNING: Customizations made to any component of thedelivered BackOffice Associates® Solutions will be overwritten in the next upgrade. To preserve customizations, make a copy of the customizations prior to applying any upgrade.

A customization is a change to the underlying source code, which differs from configuration – normal setup of the software, such as setting up workflows and defining parameters via the configuration pages.

Previous VersionsPrevious Versions

NOTE: A 6.4 version of SAP Accelerators by BackOffice Associates® was not released. The immediately prior release to 6.5 was version 6.3.1.