Alert Reporting: used as an example to show the most perplexed customer
challenges with SOA, Business Intelligence, Migration and Upgrade
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As previously agreed in order to sustain the heavy and massive real-time quality of data and
technology, we need to be able to develop the plan as staying alert when it comes to our
Services Management and Business Process Metrologies. This is important for every
organization that utilizes business processes from CORE applications and cross NetWeaver
integration into the BI dashboards or additional mobile platforms or mass-in-memory services.
Business and IT must be capable to manage the types and categories of systems and their users
with all the alerts and error messaging systems in place. The alerting designs should follow the
most efficient data delivery designs based on error message importance, especially when we
think about utilizing frequent Mobile devices, HANA and Cloud, we only want good and quality
data to come across those mass exposed-systems and we need to eliminate unnecessary alerts,
pop-ups, and internal system messages.
The reason why I’ve picked this example is to point out all of the dimensions and values that
business needs to to manage when planning to use the latest technologies such as: Mobility,
SOA, BI, HANA, Cloud, Dashboards, etc…, as we are talking about the real-time BI.
We need to drive this awareness and insight further with the knowledge of how integrated
architecture can directly reflect on our ability to stay present, current and successful in our daily
business, where SAP offers unique single platform, single sign-on, complete Solution Managed
architecture and methodology for best run business potential and not forgetting the real value
of using such innovation in the most practical and pleasant experience.
As most of our clients still don’t utilize the latest technologies or complex switch-framework
architecture or the upgrades that bring this innovation and complexity of design thinking, here
we can see the example that I’ve chosen and created to show how the long-term IT planning is
important and relevant for the business. Since our respectful client had not yet upgraded their
systems to HANA, they were also behind with numerous other NetWeaver and DB upgrades, but
we were still able to bring them closer to the latest technology with creating the “plug-in”
solution with full future capabilities for an easy upgrade. This client also didn’t directly use
Solution Manager nor steps of ALM, VE, or ASAP best practices, but they were obtaining the
results of interfaced data from the Solution Manager system and from the partnering SAP
system which they wanted to incorporate into their BOBJ dashboard reporting via BW.
The resources initially hired for this project which required the multi-CRM/ERP data interface to
feed the data to BOBJ Dashboard reports were mostly BW consultants and BOBJ team. I was the
only core ABAP-BI and BW application architect, but often I’ve heard questions such as “who
needs the ABAP, aren’t we doing this in BW?” Furthermore, the requirements were to produce
a BW Alert Management report and to create the Explorer Dashboard based on the BW query
that yet had to be created. So, reporting the data from the system that did not contain the data
in BW for Alert Management was not so easy to customize in BW given the few weeks’
timeframe expected to complete this project.
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As client continued to view this and other reporting requirements from the perspective of
“Artificial BI Intelligence” where BW reports are planned to be used as an input to the BOBJ
Dashboards, the critical challenge was to innovate this process and to educate the entire team
that major transformation in their BI design should take a place.
- My immediate focus was to integrate the end-to-end architecture where I can demonstrate the
quick interfaces designed with ABAP / Data Services and Explorer Dashboard, or ABAP / Crystal
directly which we were able to accomplish in a few days; and at the same time we were
building the BW data store information, and designing the ABAP program to load the data from
Solution Manager interface and CRM into BW data store.
- While our client still wanted the BW report which was supposed to be designed in several weeks
with 2-3 BW resources, and a few BOBJ resources to continue with Xcelsius, Crystal, or Explorer
graphical presentations of Alert Reporting dashboard, very quickly they were able to realize that
I’ve designed the alternate real-time solution using the ABAP design to Crystal or ABAP – Data
Services – Explorer interface report which can also be used with integration to HANA or other
similar applications.
- Below we see a simple sketch of solutions that I’ve proposed, designed and programmed, so to
demonstrate these multiple perspectives and choices that our client can have as models for any
future BI development.
- The purpose of this report designed with ABAP was to show to our customer how this would be
a quicker and direct option to interface data with BOBJ instead of passing data horizontally to
BW and going thru extra building and customizing to only create the queries that would need to
be replicated again if HANA or other applications are to be integrated in the future.
- With successful testing of ABAP – Data Services – Crystal – Explorer Dashboard report client
agreed that BW steps would be unnecessary and they’ve decided to use this model instead.
- The three BI and SOA scenarios of the Alert Reporting interface and reporting design were
presented in a simple form:
1. Short Term and Long Term Objectives were defined in relation to data challenges and nonexisting interfaces cross two different SAP systems and lack of BW content, all requiring a crossplatform integration: NetWeaver, Unix, Windows.
Step A was a short-term solution with data download via ABAP program and data
written into custom table form where Crystal or BOBJ applications can access the data
directly (similarly HANA can access this data as well for any future reference).
2. Step B demonstrates what would be required to load the Alert Management Data into BW. For
BW, we would need to create the Data Store structure and to continue to provide data by
writing a custom function or ABAP custom feed; and then to create the Open Hub BW process
chain. Once data is in BW we would still need to create the necessary BW custom providers and
to design the BW / Bex Query that Crystal can import directly. Another option would be to use
the Open Hub functionality which we had tested successfully after ABAP program loaded the
data into the custom Data Store designed. Still, that took extra programming and extra data
load and we’ve identified that as more costly. Since we were able to utilize Data Services code
for cross platform data integration purposes, it was easier for us to settle with option C instead
(this was tailored so if one day HANA will be implemented that all of the customizing done in
BW would require to be re-built in HANA ).
3. Step C was decided to be the ultimate model for our Long Term solution. I’ve designed and
programmed this interface in addition to demonstrate that prior prototyped solutions A and B
(based on client’s existing system capabilities and preferences) were most innovative when
using the C model approach. I’ve written the program with automated scheduling of the batch
job created to extract the Alert Management data dynamically based on the dynamic system id
where data was extracted from. This background job and data transfer was executed across the
UNIX and Windows platforms where Data Services job would be activated with event detecting
of a new file arriving from which-ever system was executing this program. Explorer Dashboard
Alert Management report was then further created based on Data Services job completed and
data being available for more creative BOBJ reporting. This process and architecture was
delivering in real-time or close-to the real time data execution. Five different Corporate Portal
reports were designed out of this data::
i)
Alerts Overview
ii)
Alerts by System Component
iii)
R/3 Alerts by Admin Group
iv)
CCMS Alerts by System
v)
All Alerts by Month
Example: Graphic A
4. Solutions as such allow customers to approach the “Self-Service” BI in more dynamic and
flexible and user friendly way. Leveraging free and open form NetWeaver architecture and BOBJ
capabilities this report was empowered by core master data applications and back-end design,
without the need to duplicate any efforts if the later technologies will be used, such as HANA,
Cloud, Mobile reporting delivery, etc...
5. Delivered Short Term solution was a pre-requisite for BOBJ team to learn and comprehend the
SAP framework and end-to-end design better, and also to complete in parallel the designs and
testing of Crystal Graphical prototype, or Explorer views and layouts desired, which would lead
to completely understanding the long-term requirements and resource planning. By delivering
the short-term solution A initially, BOBJ team had to fine-tune the BOBJ configuration and had
opportunity to additionally test and upgrade on their end necessary releases to produce such
reporting. Option B also allowed the team to explore the Open Hub functionality and eliminate
the need for additional BW Queries, duplicated coding, extra complex design and time
constraints designing and loading Data Store, DSO, transformation to Cube and continued
custom data load. Furthermore, they were able to add-on the BOBJ related specific
requirements and extended the integrated architecture. The final design delivered the Explorer
Dashboard reporting with real time delivered and automated data (for their current release and
system landscape). This diversified approach had helped the team to stay productive and to
learn during the short-term phase execution. This also gave management the understanding on
how far from “planned” and “realized”, “understood” and “feasible” they were standing at the
time. In order to replicate this entire process in BW, client management was finally able to
understand that it would require doubling the project efforts, not obtaining the real-time BI but
continuing to use the “Artificial Intelligence” models, and the project duration would be
extended, but no extra value would be achieved based on their existing situation.
6. As we’ve delivered some preliminary BW proof of concepts, and completed our data load into
the BW Data Store with Alert Management data passed from another system, we were able to
show how far this deign would fall behind from the alternate approach. The extended
programming and customizing necessary to overcome BW missing content would be a complete
overhead. As this proved to be a less cost effective method, and less productive solution, we’ve
decided to use models A and C and to eliminate option B, even though a BW solution was a
preferable and fully staffed BW requirement initially. Steps A and C are much easier and faster
to implement, more efficient as demonstrated with these examples, and more valuable also for
re-use and integration of the future releases eliminating any wasted efforts or repetition.
7. In summary: The Long Term Solution for Alert Reporting was realized successfully not only for
the reporting design purposes itself, but also from the data quality and integrity perspective.
Little bit about BTS:
SAP BTS studies continue to place its focus on integrated value delivery by incorporating modern
technologies into old and new methodology and principles derived from the academic aspects of
process deigns and architecture engineering that our clients lead with their innovations as well. BTS
team promotes Business Process Management teachings, ASAP 7.1 and latest Methodologies, ARIS
Modeling, Organizational Change Management aspect and sensitivity to learning, adaptation, and
transformation of SAP new solutions. Methodology delivered with BTS principles has proven methods
for empowered governance and monitoring of the project directives, results and costs. Without the
entire BTS outlook and approach many designs would have taken the wrong direction or too costly
outcome. BTS teams bring Business Process Experts who deliver the enterprise architecture that fits the
best to our customer’s needs.
Little bit about Value Management and its use:
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So what is the true value that we are all trying to obtain by any new design and
architecture? In situations that require a complex BI or SOA scenarios and where customer’s
requirements are not maturely interpreted but they are still driving the innovation,
resources and budgets, having the expert that can recognize the value is the key pointer for
entire project direction and later success. The principles of extended architecture combined
with experience of integrated programming techniques make or break the models of SOA
and BI elegant delivery.
It is also very valuable to obtain the clear definition and to document the true “as-is” model.
Once we are all able to articulate and to understand the requirements of the existing model,
only then we can begin the discussions on “to-be” design. Experts can tell in a matter of
first few days, what should be planned in first project phases, by delivering the initial
roadmap. Experts can also point customers to those areas in their processes and their
system where they could realize the highest value.
A true value scale needs to have more indicators than the few that we are mostly using.
True value is in expert’s advice, hard work and experience and not in the expert’s resume. A
true value is in design thinking which does not require a lot of $$$ spent but a carefully
planned project with multiple options and prototypes to choose from. A true value is in
definition of the true project design and clearly understood business purpose. A true value
is not in competing for something popular but delivering it with full value.
All along I had this picture in my head, and asking myself “why would I pass data horizontally
from one business suite to another when I can aim directly and pass data to BOBJ in a realtime technique?
Respectful and equal contributors to this development were:
ABAP and BOBJ: Volker Wintzheimer volker.wintzheimer@sap.com and Cuen Gower-Winter,
cuen.gower-winter@sap.com
BW innitiatives: Vivek Vellagandula vivek.vellagandula@sap.com
BASIS support and Database Administration : Rakesh Thakkar rakesh.thakkar@sap.com and Larry Bird
larry.bird@sap.com
BOBJ Project Manager: Maureen Tonetta maureen.tonetta@sap.com
BPX Enterprise Architect and ABAP Developer: Alexandra Weber alexandra.weber@sap.com
Alexandra Weber SAP BTS Delivery
BPX Enterprise Architecture Consultant
Alexandra.Weber@sap.com