Open Hub Destination Basics

Applies to:
SAP BI Consultants and for those who are dealing with OHD requirements of Customers. For more information, visit the Business Objects homepage.

Summary
The open hub destination is the object that allows you to distribute data from a BI system to non-SAP data marts, analytical applications, and other applications. It ensures controlled distribution across multiple systems. The open hub destination defines the target to which the data is transferred. It is the central object and contains all the important information about a target system for the data to be extracted. Author: Naoman Daulatabad

Company: TCS, Kolkata Created on: 21st September 2010

Author Bio
Naoman Daulatabad is Senior SAP BI consultant with four years of IT experience and mostly involved in implementing Business Intelligent system in Utility Industries for European Clients.

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Open Hub Destination Basics

Table of Contents
Summary............................................................................................................................................................. 1 Definition: ............................................................................................................................................................ 3 Destination type: ................................................................................................................................................. 3 Open Hub Data Source: ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Transformations: ................................................................................................................................................. 4 Data Transfer Process: ....................................................................................................................................... 4 Step By Step Procedure: .................................................................................................................................... 5
Third-Party Tools as Destinations: ............................................................................................................................. 14

Related Content: ............................................................................................................................................... 15 Disclaimer and Liability Notice .......................................................................................................................... 16

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Open Hub Destination Basics

Definition:
The open hub destination is the object that allows you to distribute data from a BI system to non-SAP data marts, analytical applications, and other applications. It ensures controlled distribution across multiple systems. The open hub destination defines the target to which the data is transferred. It is the central object and contains all the important information about a target system for the data to be extracted.

Destination type:
The destination type determines the target in which the extracted data is stored. You can choose between the following two targets: DB tables During the extraction, the data can be stored in a DB table (on the database that supports the SAP BI system). Many non-SAP systems and applications use standard database management systems (such as DB2, Oracle and SQL Server). These platforms provide tools (that are also used by SAP in the DB Connect methodology) that you can use for direct access to the third-party DB tables generated by the open hub service. Likewise, you can use APIs from a third-party tool to extract data from the database to a non-SAP system. CSV files When extracting data to flat files, the only format that is supported is .CSV. You can store the csv files on the SAP BI application server or in a local directory. Note: If you save the file locally, its size

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Open Hub Destination Basics

must not exceed 0.5GB. You should therefore save the file to the application server when transferring mass data. Third-Party Tool You can extract data to non-SAP systems using the open hub service. Different APIs enable you to connect a third-party tool to the BI system to distribute data to other non-SAP systems. Name of the DB Table or CSV file, this aspect will be dealt with in more detail in the following section.

Open Hub Data Source:

Open hub data sources are the BI objects from which data can be extracted: Info Cubes Data Store objects Characteristic Info Objects (attributes/texts)

Transformations:
You can adapt or transform the data of the open hub data source in the data flow using the transformation components before you transfer it to the open hub destination. The transformation connects the fields of the data source with the fields of the destination.

Data Transfer Process:

Using the data transfer process, the data from an open hub data source is written to the target table or target file. Within such a process, the following parameters are available to you (among others). Extraction mode Use extraction mode to determine whether to extract data in full or delta mode. The delta is determined using the request ID for the relevant open hub data source. Delta extraction is possible only for open hub data sources of the InfoCube, DataStore or object type. Packaging You use this parameter to determine the number of rows for each data package, in other words, the size of the package for the data to be extracted. Selection options You can set filters (individual values, intervals and so on) to restrict the amount of data to be extracted. This means that data is requested in accordance with the selection conditions from the open hub data source.

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Open Hub Destination Basics

The open hub service is implemented in three steps. The first step is to define the open hub destination. The second step is to determine the data flow from the source to the destination. This step mainly consists of defining the transformation. To execute the extraction, the third step is to schedule a data transfer process. It is also possible to schedule the extraction process using a process chain. These three steps are dealt with in the following sections. Following sections describes step by step procedure for open hub services for all three destination type discussed above.

Step By Step Procedure:

CSV File : Logon to SAP BI server and go to DWW (Data warehousing Workbench). Go to Modeling Open Hub Destination as shown in the following figure.

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Open Hub Destination Basics

Go to the respective Info Area and select Create Open Hub Destination from the right context menu.

Give technical name and the description for the Open Hub Destination. Select DataStore Object as ObjectType and give the DSO object name.

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Open Hub Destination Basics

In Destination tab select File as Destination Type.

We can select Application Server or Local Directory as a destination. Go to Destination Tab and give the destination path in Directory and ; as Separator.

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Open Hub Destination Basics

Go to Field Def. tab where all the available fileds of selected DSO is listed. We can select the required fields from the list by selecting respective check box. Check and activate the Open Hub Destination.

For the Local Directory can not be used in process chains.

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Open Hub Destination Basics

Now the Open Hub Destination is created under respective InfoArea. Go to recently created Open Hub Destination and select Create Transformation from right context menu.

Select Datastore Object as Object Type and type the DSO name.

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Open Hub Destination Basics

Required transformation can be done in the following screen. Check and activate the transformation.

Go to Open Hub Destination and select Create Data Transfer Process from right context menu.

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Open Hub Destination Basics

Select Extraction Mode as Full. Data can be restricted using Filter.

Check and activate the DTP and Execute.

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Open Hub Destination Basics

Monitor the data.

Two .CSV files are created in the selected path. One for actual data (Open Hub Name) and another for header and meta data (S_ <Open Hub Name>) Observe the data in the following screens. Meta Data and Header File.

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Open Hub Destination Basics

Actual Data

DataBase Table Features Generating Database Tables When you activate the open hub destination, the system generates a database table. The generated database table has the prefix /BIC/OHxxx (xxx is the technical name of the destination). Deleting Data from the Table With an extraction to a database table, you can either retain the history of the data or just store the new data in the table. Choose Delete Data from Table when defining your destination if you want to overwrite the fields. In this case, the table is completely deleted and regenerated before each extraction takes place. We recommend that you use this mode if you do not want to store the history of the data in the table. If you do not select this option, the system only generates the table once before the first extraction. We recommend that you use this mode if you want to retain the history of the extracted data. Note that if changes are made to the properties of the database table (for example, fields are added), the table is always deleted and regenerated. Table Key Fields You can choose whether you want to use a technical key or a semantic key. Technical key

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Open Hub Destination Basics

If you set the Technical Key indicator, a unique key is added that consists of the technical fields OHREQUID (open hub request SID), DATAPAKID (data package ID), and RECORD (sequential number of a data record to be added to the table within a data package). These fields display the individual key fields for the table. Using a technical key with a target table is particularly useful if you want to extract into a table that is not deleted before extraction. If an extracted record has the same key as a record that already exists, the duplicate records cause a short dump. Semantic key If you set the Semantic Key indicator, the system selects all the fields in the field list as semantic keys, if they are suitable. You can change this selection in the field list. However, note that duplicate records may result from using a semantic key Third-Party Tools as Destinations: Extraction to the third-party tool can be executed as follows:
...

1. 2.

You define an open hub destination with Third-Party Tool as the destination type. You create an RFC destination for your third-party tool and enter it in the definition of the open hub destination.

3.

You use API RSB_API_OHS_DEST_SETPARAMS to define the parameters for the third-party tool that are required for the extraction.

4.

You either start extraction immediately or include it in a process chain. You can also start this process chain from the third-party tool using process chain API RSPC_API_CHAIN_START. The extraction process then writes the data to a database table in the BI system.

5.

When the extraction process is finished, the system sends a notification to the third-party tool using API RSB_API_OHS_3RDPARTY_NOTIFY.

6.

The extracted data is read by API RSB_API_OHS_DEST_READ_DATA.

The status of the extraction is transferred to the monitor by API RSB_API_OHS_REQUEST_SETSTATUS

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Open Hub Destination Basics

Related Content:
http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/index?rid=/library/uuid/5092a542-350f-2d10-50bd-fc8cb3902e2e http://wiki.sdn.sap.com/wiki/display/BOBJ/Configuring+SAP+BW+Open+Hub+Destination http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/5092a542-350f-2d10-50bdfc8cb3902e2e?QuickLink=index&overridelayout=true For more information, visit the Business Objects homepage.

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Open Hub Destination Basics

Disclaimer and Liability Notice

This document may discuss sample coding or other information that does not include SAP official interfaces and therefore is not supported by SAP. Changes made based on this information are not supported and can be overwritten during an upgrade. SAP will not be held liable for any damages caused by using or misusing the information, code or methods suggested in this document, and anyone using these methods does so at his/her own risk. SAP offers no guarantees and assumes no responsibility or liability of any type with respect to the content of this technical article or code sample, including any liability resulting from incompatibility between the content within this document and the materials and services offered by SAP. You agree that you will not hold, or seek to hold, SAP responsible or liable with respect to the content of this document. These materials are subject to change without notice. These materials are provided by SAP AG and its affiliated companies ("SAP Group") for informational purposes only, without representation or warranty of any kind, and SAP Group shall not be liable for errors or omissions with respect to the materials. The only warranties for SAP Group products and services are those that are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services, if any. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty.

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