Transporting SAP BW Objects

Transport

A SAP transport is a package used to transfer data from one SAP installation to another. This data can be a simple printer driver or a whole SAP client.


The SAP transports are used to implement some new features in a production system. As the production system cannot be used for development and testing, the implementation process is divided into several phases:

1. A development and a testing installation is created using backups from the production system
2. The new features are implemented into the development installation
3. This is imported into the testing or quality system using a transport
4. After the new features are fully tested, it is imported into the production system using another transport

Despite this fact the transport system is the most convenient and effective way of implementing new features into a production system with a minimal downtime.


An SAP transport consists of several files. These files are usually located in 5 separate folders within the OS:

Data files - Contains the transport data, i.e. the actual data to be transported.
Cofiles - Contains information on change requests, i.e. different steps of a change request and their exit codes.
Profile files - It contains profile parameter.
Transport log - Logs, trace files, and statistics.
Support packs - Contains update and enhancement related files.

The main drawback of the transport is that the changes once made cannot be undone, i.e. if an import goes wrong, another transport that corrects the original change must follow or in some cases a full system restore might be required.



Collecting Objects in transports

In order to have an error free release to another system the first step is to identify the related
objects /dependencies in each transport.


The respective Transports should have the following objects:

1. Base Objects
a. Info Area
b. Info object catalogs
c. Info Objects


2. Info Providers
a. Info Cubes
b. Multi Providers
c. Info Sets
d. Data Store Objects

e. Info Cube Aggregates


3. Transfer Rules
a. Application Components
b. Communication Structure
c. Data Source replica
d. Info Packages
e. Transfer Rules
f. Transformations
g. Info Source Transaction data
h. Transfer Structure
i. Data sources (Active version)
j. Routines & BW Formulas used in the Transfer routines
k. Extract Structures

l. If the transfer structures and related objects are being transferred without preceding Base Objects transport (e.g. while fixing an error) it is safer to transport the related InfoObjects as well.


4. Update Rules
a. Update rules
b. Routines and formulas used in Update rules

c. DTPs


5. Process Chains
a. Process Chains
b. Process Chain Starter
c. Process Variants

d. Event – Administration Chains


6. Report Objects
a. Reports
b. Report Objects

c. Web Templates

Transport Landscape & Strategy

A typical system landscape consists of a development system, a consolidation system, and a productive system. Transport is done either between source systems  or between BI systems . The communication between the source systems and the BI systems takes place when the metadata is replicated and the data is loaded using an RFC (Remote Function Call).

The following are the transport strategies which can be chosen.

• Standard Transport System: When you create an object, you specify a package for the object and write it to a transport request.
• BI Transport System: When you create an object, it is automatically assigned to a local package. You can subsequently use the BI transport connection to collect all the objects relevant for a scenario, assign them to a package, and write the objects to a request.

Transport Collection and Settings:

When you create/change BW objects like Info Object, Info Provider, Transformations, Info Packages, DTPs,Queries, Web Templates etc. and activate them, then you get a window prompting you to enter the Package. Enter the correct Package Name and click on save. This opens another window which prompts the Transport Request Number. Now enter the correct Transport Request in which your object should be collected.

This is one of the ways to collect the objects in transports.

You can also use Transport Connection from the Administrator Workbench in the Development instance.

You can collect the various BW objects from the Transport Connection as follows:

1. To collect Info Objects in Info Object catalogs, ensure the setting is as follows:

• Grouping = 'only necessary objects'
• Note: If grouping = 'in dataflow before', it would bring in transfer rules.
• Note: If grouping = 'in dataflow afterwards', it would bring in info providers.
• Collection Mode = 'start manual collection'

2. To collect Master data info sources, ensure the setting is as follows:

•  Grouping = 'in dataflow before'
• Collection Mode = 'start manual collection'
• Verify that you see transfer structures, transfer rules and info packages. You may choose not to transport Info Packages and just create them manually in production, or link their transport more closely with that of process chains instead.
• Note: if an info source refers to an info object with its own info source, it will nest the transfer rules.
•  Note: it may show previously collected Info objects in another CTO. That CTO would have to be imported first
• There is no collector for Master Data Info Sources. The best way to collect these is to 

        1) Collect the Info Object normally (Only Necessary).
        2) Later, in another CTO, re-collect it again “In Data Source Before” 

3. To collect ODS/Info cubes and transaction info sources, ensure the setting is as follows:

• Grouping = 'in dataflow before'
• Collection Mode = 'start manual collection'
• Verify that you see ODS, infocube, communication structures, info packages, info source, transfer structure, transfer rules, routines, update rules.\

4. To collect Workbooks/Queries, ensure the setting is as follows:

• Grouping = 'only necessary objects'
• Collection Mode = 'start manual collection'
• Make sure that the transport is created for the appropriate development class (this is only for making changes). When using the collector to collect objects, it doesn't look for a CTO assigned to the right development class. If a table entry already exists for that development class with an old transport #, you must first delete and re-add the development class with the new transport #.
•  Verify that objects (queries, calculated key figures, restricted key figures) are collected.

5. To collect Application Hierarchy,

• From RSA1, go to the drop down menu: 'Tools' --> ' Hierarchy Transport' --> 'Application Hierarchy'

Transporting Objects from Source system (Exporting)

1. Go to the Data warehousing workbench (DWWB) using TCODE RSA1. Click “Transport Connection” on the left hand side.

2. Click “Object Types” under “SAP Transport”.

3. Choose the type of objects to be transported. E.g.: To transport an InfoArea Expand the “Info Area” icon and double click the “Select Objects” and choose the required InfoArea and Click on “Transfer Selections”.

4. The prompt for choosing or changing the package appears if we want to change the package. Choose a new package.

5. Choose the request if it is relevant or create a new request. Here a new request is created. Click on continue once the new request number is shown.

6. Click on the Truck Icon to transport the collected object(s). The transport is now created.

7. Now Go to TCode SE01, give the Username and press enter.

8. Choose the Transport request that needs to be released. Click on the TRUCK icon or press F9. First release the child request and then the parent request. The request is released now.

Receiving Objects in Target system(Importing)

The import queue displays all transport requests flagged for import for a particular SAP System. To check the Import queue Call T-Code STMS in the target system.  It will take you to the TMS screen

Now click on Truck symbol, it will take you to Import Overview. where all the systems defined can be seen. Double click on target system to check the import queue.

Importing requests

Before you import the requests from an import queue into an SAP System, ensure that no users are importing other objects in this SAP System because only one transport request can be imported at a particular instant of time. If multiple transports are imported simultaneously then the transports are imported only one after the other i.e. in parallel. There are three ways to import the request.

     a) Starting the Import for Individual Requests (Single Transport Strategy)

The TMS allows importing individual requests from the import queue. The requests you choose are imported in the order in which they are placed in the import queue.

b)   Starting the Import of All Requests in an Import Queue

When you import all the requests from an import queue, they are imported in the order in which they are placed in the queue. Each import step is performed for all requests. First, all the dictionary objects in the requests are imported, then all the Dictionary objects are activated, and then the main import is performed for all requests

      c) Starting the Import of All Requests in One or More Projects

If you have assigned your transport requests to project, you can import all requests that belong to a single project together. The requests are imported in the order in which they are placed in the import queue. This also applies if you want to import all the requests from multiple projects together. All the requests in one project are not imported first, followed by all the requests in the next project. Instead they are imported in the order in which they are placed in the import queue.

Re-import a transport request

Sometimes there exists a situation where the transport request needs re-import. So the transport request should be moved from history to the import queue. 

Go to History > Extras > Other Requests > Add. 

Now the transport request will be ready in the import queue for importing again

Delete a transport request from the Import Queue

 In exceptional cases, you may have to delete a transport request from the import queue so that the request is not imported into the target system. If you delete change requests from the import queue, inconsistencies may occur during the next import due to shared objects. Suppose you delete request 1 containing a data element which is not imported. In request 2, you transport a table that references this data element. Since the referenced data element does not exist in the target system, there is an Activation error when request 2 is imported.

To Delete a Request from the queue > Select the transport request (F9) > Request (Menu) >Delete

Updating the Import Overview and the Import Queues

You can refresh the display of the import overview and individual import queues. However, it is more convenient to update the import queues periodically in the background.

To update import queues in the background > Enter transaction STMS > Choose The Import Overview appears > Choose Extras > Update all import queues. The dialog box Update All Import Queues in Background appears. > Choose the correct option (from Immediate, At start time, Period) and enter the required data. Use input help to select a period > Choose Continue.

Schedule a periodic update of the import queues, at least in the SAP System where you use TMS the most (default period Daily is recommended).

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