Best practices for creating
a sound strategy and a
thorough plan for your
SAP NetWeaver Business
Intelligence upgrade
Dr. Bjarne Berg
© 2008 Wellesley Information Services. All rights reserved.
What We’ll Cover …
• Why upgrade
End of support
New support strategy &
NetWeaver
New features and capabilities
• Creating an upgrade strategy for the future
Content Vs.
Technical upgrades
Upgrades with NetWeaver
• Planning and Executing the upgrade
The upgrade plan
The business case
 Staffing, duration and scope
• Examples
• Wrap up
• Bonus material: ideas for the business case
2
Why Upgrade – end of support…
BW
Ve rsion
Re le ase
date
End of mainstre am
mainte nanc e
2.0B
2.1C
3.0A
3.0B
3.1C
3.2
3.3
3.5
8/14/00
12/18/00
11/15/01
5/13/02
11/11/02
3/31/03
8/30/03
3/31/04
12/31/2005
12/31/2005
12/31/2005
12/31/2006
12/31/2006
12/31/2006
12/31/2006
3/31/2010
Many upgrades are driven by end of support for a certain release.
SAP has now created a 5-1-2 maintenance system that consists of:
- mainstream maintenance
- extended maintenance
- customer-specific maintenance
3
The 5-1-2 maintenance strategy
Going forward, SAP will provide five years of mainstream (standard)
maintenance, with the option to extend their maintenance coverage for a
period of up to three years for small premiums over the standard
maintenance rate.
1. Five years of mainstream maintenance at the standard maintenance fee
2. One year of extended maintenance at an additional two percent maintenance fee*
3. Two more years of extended maintenance at an additional four percent maintenance
fee per year*. After these eight years, customer-specific maintenance begins, providing
a program of support and services uniquely tailored to individual customer
requirements.
The plan covers SAP solutions based on the SAP NetWeaver platform
including mySAP SCM, SRM, PLM, CRM, and industry add-ons.
*check with your account executive to see what your fee may be
4
The Bigger Picture – NetWeaver ??
Enterprise Portal
Visual
Composer BI
Kit
KM
Business Explorer Suite (BEx)
Information Broadcasting
BEx Web
BEx Analyzer
BI Pattern
Web
Application
Designer
Web
Analyzer
Report
Designer
MS Excel
Add-in
BI Consumer Services
NetWeaver is a set
of solution
components that
provides a
comprehensive
architecture.
BEx Query Designer
BI Platform
Analytic Engine
Meta Data Mgr
UDI
SAP
JDBC XMLA ODBO
Query
Data Warehouse
DB
Connect
BAPI
Service
API
File
XML/A
All components of NetWeaver can use the same operating system
release, and the same database release. All components can be run
within a single physical server if it is a small configuration, thereby
reducing the management of many systems & databases
5
Why Upgrade to NW BI 7.x?
One of the major reasons for upgrading your BW environment is the
availability of new content and features in the next release. Let us take
a look at some of the major new features of version BI 7.x:












Web Application Designer
BI Accellerator
BEx Broadcaster
BEx Query Designer
BEx Report Designer
ReModeling Toolbox
Security Changes
New ETL Interface
BPS Integrated Planning
PDF print
Real-time data warehousing
BEx Web Analyzer
We will now take a quick
look at these features
6
Web Application Designer is improved
The Web Application Designer is improved with new chart types (Heat Map, GANTT &
Milestone Trend Analysis), as well as new layout elements such as ‘tab strips’.
WAD also has new stepby-step wizards for maps,
command editing to
create Web API
Commands and charts, as
well as a simplified wizard
for layout elements such
as radio buttons, action
buttons etc.
This reduce the amount
of custom coding
required with the help of
Command wizards, Auto
complete and support for
HTML tags.
WAD is a key tool
for all SAP BI shops
and in BI 7.x the
tool is simplified
and more powerful.
New: Integration with
NW BI 7.x BEx Report
7
Designer.
Why upgrade? - BI Accellerator for BI 7.x
SAP
BW
Any
tool
The SAP BI
accelerator makes
query response time
50-10,000 faster.
You use process
chains to maintain
the HPA engine after
each data load
HP, Sun and IBM have standard solutions ranging
from $32K to $250K+ that can be installed and
tested in as little as 2-4 weeks (+ SAP license fees)
8
New Broadcaster features of BI 7.x
New Object Types
You can broadcast BEx query views and
formatted reports (“reports”) in addition to Web
applications, queries and workbooks. Reports
are a new BEx object type developed within the
new BEx Report Designer tool.
New Output Formats
New output formats are based on the
distribution type you select. But, you now can
broadcast web documents as PDF files.
9
New Broadcaster features of BI 7.x
New Distribution Types
You can broadcast to any printer using
Adobe’s PDF, Printer Common Language
(psl) or Post Script (ps). (hint: Set up the
printers under tools CCMS  print).
You to broadcast user-specific information
based on attributes in the master data
attributes using a distribution list in BI
(bursting of emails). The information can be
controlled by the system so that users only
see data related to them.
10
New Broadcaster Features of BI 7.x (cont.)
Exception broadcasting is now available in the
Broadcaster. Create the exceptions in the query
designer and select distribution type in the
broadcaster. You can also use additional
distributions types (subordinate) and create rules
for when the exception report is “monitored”/
executed. Exceptions can be based on single
events or levels of any performance measure.
NOTE: To manage all alerts and workflow tasks
from a single location, an alert is integrated with
the portal’s universal worklist in the “central
alert framework” of NW application server.
You can use multiple distribution types to create
a setting that broadcasts over many channels
(e.g., the printer and the portal).
11
New Broadcaster Features of BI 7.x (cont.)
To increase the performance of key queries, you
can fill the OLAP Cache, or the MDX Cache. This is
useful if you have large numbers of users
accessing a query, or you have a query that
accesses a high volume of data.
The Fill Precalculation Store distribution type
allows you to precalculate Web templates, and the
Precalculate Value Set option allows you to fill
precalculated value set variables with values for
characteristic values. The precalculated value sets
are then available as variable values in BEx queries.
Old Reporting Agent scenarios still run in NetWeaver BI 7.x.
However, the Reporting Agent will not be developed any further and
is removed from the BI 7.x Workbench. You can now only reach the
Reporting Agent using transaction code REPORTING_AGENT
12
Better web printing – leveraging PDF and web controls
PDF based BEx Web printing now
include a variety of functionality,
such as:
1. Fit to page width
2. Repeat column headers
3. Fit to one page
4. Wallpaper
5. Page margins
6. Export Themes (e.g. black &
white)
7. Format & Allignment
8. Additional Headers & Footers
9. Print graphics and tables
10.Batch Printing via Broadcaster
13
BEx Query Designer gets a ‘facelift’
The 3.5x BEx
Query Designer
You can choose if
you want the old or
the new look after
the upgrade
This new property pane makes it
easier to format and control
displays than in the past.
The BI 7.x BEx
Query Designer
Note:
14
Why upgrade? - BEx Report Designer
This new 7.x tool was
created to simplify
the formatting of
reports and fix many
of the printing issues
in previous versions
of BW.
We now get color
control, headerfooter control and
many new features
such as location
control of cells and
integration of
pictures, charts and
fixed text.
Source: SAP AG, 2008
For many, this tool may reduce the need for
3rd party tools to address structured reports.
15
Why upgrade? – The Remodeling Tool Box
In BI 7.x you get a new tool to add characteristics and key figures to your model.
In older BW versions, if you forgot to include a field in your infocube , the rework was
quite substantial and often involved reloading the infocube as well.
In the first releases of BI 7, you
could not transport the new
models, now you can. You can
also:
Remove, exchange, replace, add &
fill dimension characteristics and key
figures.
NOTE: during (dictionary-based)
conversion process, queries are not
possible; aggregates will be
automatically deactivated and must
be rebuilt afterwards
Source: SAP AG, Richard
Brown, Aug. 2008
NW BI 7.x goes a long way to address the complaints that BW is a hard to maintain
environment with ‘forever’ fixed models.
16
Why upgrade? - Better security features
There are many new security features in
NW BI 7.x, and a conversion is needed (all
or nothing).
Role menus are displayed in the portal
and passwords becomes case sensitive.
Authorizations are
fundamental building
blocks of the new
reporting concept and
security contains both
the data value and
hierarchy restrictions.
The new security can be
built using new
“RSECADMIN”
transaction
Source: SAP AG
ASUG Security Upgrade by Eric Dwyer, Nike: http://www.asug.com/client_files/Calendar/Upload/EA1_upgrade_bw_security_2.ppt
17
Why upgrade? - More Authorization Objects
Authorization objects for the Data Warehousing Workbench:
S_RS_DS: For the DataSource or its sub objects (BI 7.x)
S_RS_ISNEW: For new InfoSources or their sub objects (NW BI 7.x)
S_RS_DTP: For the data transfer process and its sub objects
S_RS_TR: For transformation rules and their sub objects
S_RS_CTT: For currency translation types
S_RS_UOM: For quantity conversion types
S_RS_THJT: For key date derivation types
S_RS_PLENQ: Authorizations for maintaining or displaying the lock settings
S_RS_RST: Authorization object for the RS trace tool
S_RS_PC: For process chains
S_RS_OHDEST: Open Hub Destination
You get the ability to
use much lower
Authorization objects for the Business Explorer:
security granularity for
S_RS_DAS: For Data Access Services
developers and users!!
S_RS_BTMP: For BEx Web templates
S_RS_BEXTX: Authorizations for the maintenance of BEx texts
Authorization objects for the Admin of analysis authorizations
S_RSEC: Authorization for assignment and administration of analysis authorizations
S_RS_AUTH: Authorization object to include analysis authorizations in roles
Changed Authorization Objects:
S_RS_ADMWB (Data Warehousing Workbench: Objects):
New sub objects:
CONT_ACT – Installing Business Content; USE_DND - Drag & Drop to InfoAreas and
application components; CNG_RUN - Attribute change run
Source: SAP AG July 2008
18
Upgrading to BI 7.x Security
SAP has created an ABAP migration tool to help you upgrade security in
NW BI 7.x. To access it, goto transaction code SA38, and execute
migration program RSEC_MIGRATION.
About 80% of you security setup is expected to make it using this tool.
i.e. customer exit variables for the object 0TCTAUTHH does not migrate,
and you will have to manually reassign all hierarchy nodes.
While you upgrade, the old security is left intact and you can switch
back if absolutely needed (IMG setting). Plan to test…test..and test…
More Great Details about
the Security Upgrade at :
http://csc-studentweb.lrc.edu/
swp/Berg/Articles/ BI
7.x_Authorizations.pdf
(Source: Amelia Lo, SAP)
19
Why Upgrade? - Better interface for ETL Design
On a typical DW project, 40-60% of project effort will be spent
on data integration, transformation and loads (used to be
higher when tools were more immature).
SAP NetWeaver BI
7.x has a new and
better GUI and
formula editors to
write complex
transfer rules,
update rules and
data mapping.
20
Why upgrade? - BPS Integrated Planning (still supported)
1
InfoProvider
2
3
4
Aggregation Level
Filter
Planning Function
5
Planning Sequence
6
Pattern
You can now create planning templates using the web based planning wizard to create
models using patterns in the data (tool: “Road map Pattern”). Queries based on
aggregation levels can now also write back to the InfoProvider
21
Source: SAP AG, 2008
Why upgrade? –PDF Print
You can also use the PDF to create
reports based on BEx web
applications, queries and reports
using the Adobe DS (comes with BI
7.x).
The PDF options allows companies to
protect reports from changes by
employees by taking a ‘snapshot’ of the
data regardless of subsequent updates
to the data warehouse.
Risks: no link back to SAP BW is
needed and security is not validated.
The only Gotchas.. Your users now
need to install Acrobat Reader
(free at http://www.adobe.com/
products/acrobat/readstep2.html).
The PDF document can also be
Broadcasted through BEx
Broadcaster
22
Why upgrade? - Real-time Data warehousing gets better
NW BI 7.x has more features for updates that does not follow the
typical asynchronomous (batch) updates. This include:
1. We can use XML to fill the PSA directly
2. Daemon-based update from delta queue (BW API)
3. Daemon-based update of the ODS and minimal logging
Note: XML documents
creates many tags that will
slow down large dataloads
due to the size of each XML
record (relatively large)
However, it works great for
smaller streams of data.
23
Why upgrade? - BEx web Analyzer integrates Excel
The Excel integration in the BEx
analyzer is far better.
Source: SAP AG, 2008
Unlike the old days of dynamic
HTML, you can now use the BEx
analyzer more like a real
application without refreshing the
whole page every time you click
on something (this is due to the
Java component in BI 7.x)
News: BEx browser
went away in BI 7.x
24
Why upgrade? - Drag-and Drop in BeX web Analyzer
You can drag a
characteristics into a filter
area and automatically filter
on that value, and you can
also drag it into a column
header or a a row.
BEx web analyzer is a better user tool
than in the past. You now get the best
world of Java & the web instead of
the more ‘clunky’ user experience
related to Dynamic HTML
Building conditions and
activating them was often
confusing in earlier versions
and exception based
reporting was sometimes not
easy to create for beginning
users. BI 7.x has now
simplified this with more
wizards that helps users to
build this step-by-step.
25
What We’ll Cover …
• Why upgrade
End of support
New support strategy &
NetWeaver
New features and capabilities
• Creating an upgrade strategy for the future
Content Vs.
Technical upgrades
Upgrades with NetWeaver
• Planning and Executing the upgrade
The upgrade plan
The business case
 Staffing, duration and scope
• Examples
• Wrap up
• Bonus material: ideas for the business case
26
BW Content Upgrades
The new upgrade strategy from SAP is to provide BW technical
releases as part of NetWeaver and BI content add-ons,
You do not need to perform a technical upgrade to update the
business content.
We now have SAP BI 7.0 and the content releases 7.0.1 and 7.0.2 and
7.0.3 are now available. Planned upgrades should also include the
content release 7.0.3.
Details around each content release is available at http://help.sap.com
The current content (7.0.3) is available at: http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04s/
helpdata/en/ 44/16e6f7a6f30d19e10000000a114a6b/RN_703_en_final.pdf
Apply content when you need it, to the technical release you have!!
27
How can you weigh the choices of Technical or Functional?
Technical
Functional
Less Time
Longer Project
Less Money
Tons of New
Functionality
Less Risk
Increased User
Satisfaction
Less Functionality
Opportunity to Sunset
other BI solutions
Source: SAP AG
28
28
Weighing Towards a Technical Upgrade
• A technical upgrade is
the “safest” way to
proceed
Technical
Functional
• It is also the fastest and
the least expensive
• Your user community will
notice little to no change
UNTIL you start rolling
out the new functionality
Source: SAP AG
29
Weighing Towards a Functional Upgrade
• A functional upgrade (which
includes all the technical
activities) will make the
biggest impression on your
user community
 This will take longer –
and cost more money
Technical
Functional
• You will be able to sunset
other solutions sooner
• You will get the most
benefits – from usability and
management
Source: SAP AG
30
An Upgrade Strategy
Think bigger than BW..
Tip
Apply content as soon as feasible. Especially if you
have on-going development work. This way you can
avoid many “work-arounds”.
You should seriously consider having all NetWeaver
components on the same upgrade strategy instead of
selecting each component for upgrade. This will help in
the shared extractors and also substantially simplify the
upgrade planning and landscape.
Look at SAP’s release strategy for each component you
are using and plan ahead,instead of last-minute “mustdo” projects.
31
Some hints on the upgrade – client, engines and usage types
We are in a transition period,
when some items of BI 7.x are
separate engines, some are
clients, and other are usage
types.
Key question: is you
organization committed to java
and the new BI 7.x direction?
-- if so, go java ‘all the way’..
Note: standard system copy and SAP
migration tools have no standard
support for splitting or merging
systems with different usage types
Source: SAP Installable
software units
32
Some upgrade choices – the architecture
1
2
3
Upgrade
Upgrade
Upgrade
Or
Or
Or
Source: SAP AG May 2006
Note: Depending on your current installation of
SAP BW, you have different upgrade options
33
What We’ll Cover …
• Why upgrade
End of support
New support strategy &
NetWeaver
New features and capabilities
• Creating an upgrade strategy for the future
Content Vs.
Technical upgrades
Upgrades with NetWeaver
• Planning and Executing the upgrade
The upgrade plan
The business case
 Staffing, duration and scope
• Examples
• Wrap up
• Bonus material: ideas for the business case
34
Typical Training Requirements
Technical Upgrade
Basis Training on new solution, if necessary
• Could also be handled via Knowledge Transfer from
Integration Partner
Basic Mgmt of Netweaver Portal (if deploying)
Functional Upgrade
Development Team
Delta Training
(DBW70E)
Report / Presentation
Team Delta Training
(DBW70R)
Integrated Planning
Training (DBW70P)
User Training for new
tools
35
35
Upgrade Pre-planning
It is important to communicate the goals and timings to the technical
team to help them prioritize their research and activity or hardware setup
Communicate goal of having existing content continue to work to
functional test team, so they do not get hung up in testing new features
before the upgrade is in production.
You need to have the SAP solution Manager to generate the key during
the upgrade to NW2004 SR1, and you will need to be on Solution
Manager release 3.2 SP8 or higher to make it work (note: 805390).
36
NetWeaver BI 7.x Upgrade paths
Current Release
BW 3.5 (min. SP04) and ABAP, any content release (3.5.x)
BW 3.1c (min. SP14) content 3.2 or 3.3
BW 3.0B (min SP20)
BW 2.1C (min. SP18)
NW 2004s Release/support
NetWeaver 2004s usage type ABAP,
(usage BI java and EP can be add-ins or
separate systems.
Must be upgraded to SAP BW 3.5 first and
then BI7.0 (upgrade with NetWeaver 2004s
Support release 1)
BW 2.0B (min. SP26 & Basis SP29)
Other
SAP BI 3.5 Java components (i.e. UDI) on WAS-Java
System with usage type SAP AS Java
BW
Ve rsion
Re le ase
date
End of mainstre am
mainte nanc e
Can be upgrade d to
2.0B
2.1C
3.0A
3.0B
3.1C
3.2
3.3
3.5
8/14/00
12/18/00
11/15/01
5/13/02
11/11/02
3/31/03
8/30/03
3/31/04
12/31/2005
12/31/2005
12/31/2005
12/31/2006
12/31/2006
12/31/2006
12/31/2006
3/31/2010
2.1C, 3.0B, 3.1C, 3.50/3.51
3.0B, 3.1C, 3.50/3.51
3.0B, 3.1C, 3.50/3.51
3.1C, 3.50/3.51
3.2 and 3.3 must be applied before 3.5
3.3 must be applied before 3.5
3.5
Still supported…
37
Some hints – Upgrade programs SAPup and SAPjup
You will need to install the NetWeaver Application Server Java and the
specific user type, before you can use all the features of BI 7.x (i.e.
Business planning and analysis services, Enterprise data
warehousing, Reporting and analysis scenarios etc). You can install
this as a separate system or as an add-in to the upgraded ABAP
server.
SAP provides a software program called SAPup to help you upgrade
the WAS (ABAP) and SAP BW. It is called a “system switch upgrade”.
Note: if you already have java installed, you can also use the upgrade
program called SAPjup, to upgrade the WAS-java.
If the WAS-Java was installed on the same system as the WASABAP (as an add-in) you need to run both the SAPup and SAPjup
programs in parallel (see the Master upgrade guide for more details).
38
Some hints on the upgrade - Unicode conversion
G
o
o
d
Unicode has been available since BW version 3.5.1. and is now
highly recommended as part of the upgrade (hint web application
T
h
i
n
g
designer is now also unicode compliant).
Some things to remember and plan for:
Area
Memory
Processing power
Disk space
‫ﻲﻶﻺﻕﻒﻏﻎ‬
Recommended increased capacity
20%
20-25%
20-30%
45-50%
‫תשרחפא‬
39
Planning Your Upgrade – a Hardware Example
Example
Production
12 CPU
96GB RAM
Sandbox
4 CPUs
32GB RAM
Development
Test
4 CPUs
32GB RAM
4 CPUs
32GB RAM
This west coast company reallocated
their Sun-6900 box (on Oracle) and have
3 Appservers on the production box..
More memory allows them to take better
advantage of the parallel load of the BW
system as well as to cache many of the
frequently run queries (BEx Broadcaster)
The hardware also allows them to have a
system where performance between the
boxes are comparable.
Key numbers: 3.1 Terabytes of data; 2810
named users and about 620 active users
40
Resources
Team Lead
Basis
resource
Technical reviewer
BW Developer
Upgrade Support
External
Regression Testers
• A Dedicated team with a technical team lead (100%), a Basis resource
(100%) and a technical reviewer (100% is required).
• In addition, a dedicated “go-to” resource for technical issues is
recommended. This should be an individual that have solid
knowledge about the upgrade and have done his before. SAP
resources should be considered, due to their contact network within
the SAP organization.
• Regression testing is required on behalf or the user community. This
should be coordinated with the Power Users or existing developers.
41
Sample Timeline - complete landscape for large BW implementation
W1
W2
W3
W4
W5
W6
W7
W8
W9 W10 W11 W12
Project startup and Team training
Preparation for upgrade of Sandbox system
and roll out of SAPGui
Upgrade Sandbox system
Test functionality and decide what to
implement in upgrade (What has the best ROI)
Plan upgrade of production landscape
And roll out of new functionality to users
Upgrade development system
Test and validate upgrade
Implement new functionality
Upgrade Test system
(Copy of production if possible)
Test and validate Test system and user training
& roll out of SAPGui
Upgrade Production system
Test and validate Production system
The duration is driven by:
1. The number of BW systems in your landscape.
2. The new functionality your are rolling out
3. The support technology needed
The more content you have
the longer the upgrade
(the more you have to
regression test)
42
Minimum Timeline and Basic events:
Do initial upgrade guide and note research [1-2 days]
Upgrade BW sandbox and do
cursory issues check [1-4 days]
Upgrade a copy of
BW production – have key development leads regression test all
live content (both systems must be connected to other landscape environments –
testing extractors too!) [2-5 days (size/copy/hw depending)]
Once the initial regression test is complete, create
any correctional transports. [3-5
days?]
Post-fix, have full team in for “Upgrade buy-in testing” that all works properly [2-3
workdays]
KEY:
now freeze development and release transports, upgrade development and a
test system, incorporating the fix transports generated from the upgrade regression
test. This should be a clean 2-4 day process.
Plan for regression test glitches – and production cut-over.
43
Move into Landscape
• At this point you have a temporary BW Dev to test patch, and
perhaps static training, production and production support
systems.
• Ideally, you’d migrate the upgrade to these as soon as possible,
but this is a stable point. You will have to decide, based on
content, whether copying a test box to training makes sense (can
preserve user master)
• For production and production support, you’ve already done a dry
run – just do production and copy back to production support
unless the size makes this impractical [~ >500GB]
Don't
Forget
Hardware requirements changed if you also did
unicode conversion (recommended)
44
What We’ll Cover …
• Why upgrade
End of support
New support strategy &
NetWeaver
New features and capabilities
• Creating an upgrade strategy for the future
Content Vs.
Technical upgrades
Upgrades with NetWeaver
• Planning and Executing the upgrade
The upgrade plan
The business case
 Staffing, duration and scope
• Examples
• Wrap up
• Bonus material: ideas for the business case
45
Step -1: Hardware install and BWS Copy
BWX
BWD
BWQ
BWP
3
1
BWS
2
BWX
In this real example, we are also
installing new Hardware. This gives
us lot of flexibility…
4
BWX
BWX
First, we copy the old development
system to the new Sandbox (new HW)
January
21
28
Feb
4
11
March
18
25
3
10
17
April
24
31
7
14
Hardware install
Copy BWD to new BWS
Upgrade DB2 to latest version
Post processing of box
Rename/restore old BWS box
Download latest patches for upgrade
46
46
Step -1: BWS Unicode conversion, Java upgrade & test
BWX
BWD
BWQ
At this stage you should document and
test all work that occurs. Some time
has to be set aside for notes research
and unforeseen issues.
BWP
3
1
BWS
2
BWX
4
BWX
We want to creating a repeatable
process, so no ad-hoc activities are
allowed.
BWX
January
21
Feb
28
4
11
March
18
25
3
10
April
17
24
31
7
14
Start upgrade BWS
Start shadow instance
SPDD start
ICNV start
Start syst. downtime upgrade activity
Complete BWS upgrade
Post processing
Basis and functional testing
Unicode conversion
Java upgrade
47
Step -2: System copies
BWX
BWX
BWX
You now freeze the development and
can take copies of the BWD and BWQ
system and prepare for upgrades.
BWP
3
1
BWS
2
BWD
4
BWQ
The old BWP is still running as the
productive system..
BWX
January
21
28
Feb
4
11
18
March
25
3
10
17
April
24
31
7
14
Copy BWD
Development freeze
Rename BWD
Copy BWQ
Rename BWQ
Copy PDW (no rename yet). It is
still the production system..
48
48
Step -3: BWD upgrade
BWX
BWX
BWX
We now repeat the process. Remember,
you have already upgraded BWD once
(in step-1) and should know the need
for any post processing.
BWP
3
1
BWS
2
BWD
4
BWQ
Don't ignore the need for technical and
functional testing.
BWX
January
21
Feb
28
4
11
March
18
25
3
10
April
17
24
31
7
14
Complete Prepare on BWD
Apply fixes
Start upgrade BWD
Start shadow instance
SPDD start
ICNV start
Start syst. downtime upgrade activity
Complete BWD upgrade
Post processing
Basis and functional testing
Unicode conversion
Java upgrade
49
Step -4: The real test -- BWQ upgrade
BWX
BWX
BWX
Notice, we refreshed the new BWQ
from BWP, so this is really a BWP
upgrade…
BWP
3
1
BWS
2
BWD
4
BWQ
BWX
January
21
28
Feb
4
11
March
18
25
3
10
17
April
24
31
7
14
Complete Prepare on BWQ
Apply fixes
Start upgrade BWQ
Start shadow instance
SPDD start
ICNV start
Start syst. downtime upgrade activity
Complete BWQ upgrade
Post processing
Basis and functional testing
• conversion
Unicode
Java•upgrade
Functional test and go/no-go decision
50
Step -5: The Big One: Cut-Over weekend….
BWX
BWX
BWX
Contingencies should be made. I.e. notice
that is any showstoppers occur on 20th, the
old BWP can be renamed back, or if the
time becomes too short the Unicode can be
done the next weekend.
BWX
3
1
BWS
2
BWD
4
BWQ
BWP
January
21
28
Feb
4
11
18
March
25
3
10
17
April
24
31
7
14
18
19
20
21
Java install
Remove data in new system
Rename BWP
Complete Prepare on BWP
Apply fixes
Start upgrade BWP
Start shadow instance
SPDD start
ICNV start
Start syst. downtime upgrade activity
Complete BWP upgrade
Post processing
Basis testing
Functional test
Unicode conversion (TBD)
51
Lessons learned
Old version
Duration
Scope
Number of environments
Number of core team
members
Hardware switch
Testing
Unicode
Hardware
Lessons Learned
Mfg.
3.1C
10 weeks
Retail
3.5.3
9 weeks
Government
3.5.3
10 weeks
3 Tb/900 users 6 Tb/300 users 1 Tb/80 users
9
5
4
4
No
2 weeks
No
Sun
3
No
2 weeks
Yes
IBM
Have the right
people in place.
Wait until they
are available
and have a core
business team
for short bursts
of testing
Unicode took a
bit longer than
expected. Wait
with rollout of
new
functionality
until you have
a stable
environment
Finance
3.1C
12 weeks
Energy
3.5.3
14 weeks
7 Tb/1,200 users 4 Tb/500 users
4
4
4
5
3
Yes
Yes
No
3 weeks
4 weeks
2 weeks
Yes
Yes
No
Sun
Sun
IBM
If possible,
reload the data
during Unicode Could have done Did not have the
conversion
this faster, if
right technical
(faster).
business people people involved.
Hardware
had been
This added 6
switch removed scheduled for
weeks to an
a lot of risk and testing earlier.
otherwise
made the
Otherwise
straight-forward
upgrade faster. smooth process.
upgrade.
52
What We’ll Cover …
• Why upgrade
End of support
New support strategy &
NetWeaver
New features and capabilities
• Creating an upgrade strategy for the future
Content Vs.
Technical upgrades
Upgrades with NetWeaver
• Planning and Executing the upgrade
The upgrade plan
The business case
 Staffing, duration and scope
• Examples
• Wrap up
• Bonus material: ideas for the business case
53
7 Key Points to Take Home
• Is it cheaper to upgrade to new content or risk reinventing the wheel?
• A BW architecture is part of a larger decision support landscape
• An upgrade strategy should contain all NetWeaver components
• You upgrade strategy must include both release and content upgrades
• Your upgrade time is largely a function of scope, your regression test
strategy and the amount of content in your BW
• The BI 7.x upgrade is an extensive one and you should treat it as so.
• Cross reference new features & functionality with your organization’s
pain points…and ensure the upgrade costs do not exceed the business
benefits
54
What is next?
• do not exceed the business benefits
55
Resources
COMERIT (presentations, articles, accellerators)
www.comerit.net
The document “NW BI 7.x Upgrade master Guide“ is available at
https://websmp108.sap-ag.de/~sapidb/011000358700005412772005E.pdf
“Business content and extractors SAP BI 7.0.3” available at
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04s/helpdata/en/44/16e6f7a6f30d19e10000000a114a6b/
RN_703_en_final.pdf
“Component upgrade guide SAP Netweaver BI 7.x ABAP” available at
http://help.sap.com
56
Your Turn!
How to contact me:
Dr. Bjarne Berg
bberg@comerit.net
57
The Business Case for upgrading – Some ideas
Strategic:
• Timing of releases - BI 7.x is a major BI release - better to absorb it and new technologies now
• Technology like Java and EP usage type is mature and stable enough for productive use
• All included technologies are the future of SAP software development - unicode, java and portal especially - it
is better for the technical team to become experienced in installing and maintaining them in a non critical
application like reporting and data analysis before applying this know-how to mission critical applications like
mySAP ERP 2005/ECC 6.0 (R3)
• While BI 7.x has a lot of new technology, much of which has been tested for over ten months, there is no
requirement to convert to newer features on upgrade - BW 3.x content can be migrated scenario by scenario.
• Integrated Planning features are the best planning approach
Technical:
• Better administration capability thru Netweaver Administrator - and BW load and query statistics have been
redesigned and a cockpit provided which includes better process chain support
• Unicode support
• The GUI component, used by developers even if end users are 100% web based, is in maintenance and SAP
supported past 2010. In addition, the Visual composer component can be used for development, which may
shorten KPI reporting request turnaround time.
• BI capability is integrated into the new ECC - but will likely not be used as an integrated reporting component.
• Utilizing the BI 7.x BI usage type allows early adoption and testing of enterprise services
• BI Accelerator capable - indexes InfoCube data - acts as super fast aggregate to overcome bad modeling or
design or simply huge data volumes. (hardware based, provided separately)
• New additional support for near-line storage of infrequently used data
58
The Business Case for upgrading – Some ideas
Functional:
• Security changes - new model is provider oriented, not the old R3 transactional model - enables
better architecture of security solution for reporting, dashboarding and planning - new security
implementation has enhanced monitoring, auditing and test tools.
• Better linked extract performance - helps with larger volume extracts, consolidated data transfer
• Better now before a larger volume of data, larger user community and more content requires
testing or is affected by downtime
• Allows greater automation and self service capability, freeing business experts for more
strategic and less daily operational workload. (source SAP What's new in BI 7.x)
• Migration towards single user interface (via EP usage type) in place, tested and scalable before
ERP upgrade
• One BI Toolset - Report Design takes place in the new BEx Report Designer
• Specific new components which may drive a component based business justification: (source: SAP
New Developments in SAP BI)
59
The Business Case for upgrading – Some ideas
Modeling new features:
• remodeling toolbox - change InfoCubes without rebuilding them
• enhanced datastore objects (ODS) - write optimized objects
• enhanced InfoSets (can integrate InfoCubes into join with time dependent Master data)
• new, unified datasource definitions
• enhanced remote capability - remote master data access without replication
• better EDW transformation - graphic UI, simplification of transfer rules, new end and expert
routines
• unit conversion - new capabilities during data load and reporting
• streamlined Data Flow control definition and process chain build - includes better real-time
data acquisition
• new Data Transfer Process (DTP) for better transparency, filtering and parallism in staging, and
delta management
• Real time EDW push from XML to PSA vs delta queue
• Completely redesigned Administration Cockpit and Statistics for BI runtime, Data load and new
Data load status stats.
• redesigned BW "Warehousing Workbench"
• Improved Business Content Analysis - overview, search and analysis capability
• New process chain functionality and process types
• Better Data quality thru improved error handling
• Re-partitioning capability - removes drop and rebuild restriction
60
The Business Case for upgrading – Some ideas
Reporting new features:
• Redesigned Business Explorer Suite of tools...
• New Query Designer tool is VB, .NET based unicode compliant, and has enhanced UI features.
• New Query Designer supports multi-selected objects, and has options for BI Integrates planning
• New report designer tool for better formatted reporting
• BEx integrated Web Application Design - more model driven with new layout chart and map wizards
• New Web App designer -new layout elements, web items, chart types (GANTT) and is planning aware
• Improved intuitive ad-hoc design on the web with better drag and drop
• PDF based BEx web printing
• Excel based data entry capability
• New Information Broadcasting features (query views, formatted reports, data bursting, exception
broadcast, alerts etc)
• Visual Composer BI kit for modeling BI applications - can integrate heterogeneous DataSources
(OLAP/relational)
• Planning Improvements - speed of analysis, access to real-time data for forecasting, planning wizard
using roadmap pattern
• Planning capability built into Query designer - ie queries based on aggregation level can write back to
infoprovider
• Planning layouts can be done in Web Application designer - create-configure layout, bind data and
configure interaction
61