Hierarchies in SAP BW
ASAP FOR THE BW ACCELERATOR
BUSINESS INFORMATION WAREHOUSE
Information about and Examples of Using
Hierarchies in the SAP BW
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BUSINESS INFORMATION WAREHOUSE – HIERARCHIES
2000 SAP AMERICA, INC. AND SAP AG
TABLE OF CONTENTS
BUSINESS INFORMATION WAREHOUSE - HIERARCHIES
1 Introduction
This document provides background information on hierarchies used in the SAP Business Information
Warehouse.
1.1
Software Version Supported
This document was written specifically for BW version 2.0B, but should apply to all versions of BW.
1.2



References
Loading InfoSource Data via Flat Files
Multi-Dimensional Modeling with BW
Authorizations and Roles
2 Introduction, Definition and Terms
2.1
Objectives
The aim of this documentation is to explain the various options for modeling data using hierarchies in
the SAP Business Information Warehouse, based on specific examples. This document is written for
software version 2.0B.
2.2
Definition and Properties
A hierarchy models the grouping and structuring of a characteristic by individual evaluation criteria.
A hierarchy in the SAP BW has the following properties:
 Hierarchies are created for base characteristics (characteristics involving master data) in the SAP
BW. One example of a base characteristic is the cost center (InfoObject 0COSTCENTER).
Hierarchies for the cost center can then be applied to both sender and receiver cost centers.
 Hierarchies are saved in special master data tables of a characteristic. They behave the same as
master data, and are therefore valid for all InfoCubes and can be modified.
 Several hierarchies can be defined for a single characteristic.
 A hierarchy can contain a maximum of 98 levels.
 Hierarchies can be loaded from an R/3 System or from a file, or can be manually created and
changed in the BW.
The following diagram shows an example of a hierarchy in the BEx Analyzer:
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Hierarchical structures can also be modeled within an InfoCube, in the dimensions, or as attributes of a
characteristic.
Hierarchical structures that are modeled in dimensions cannot be changed without a comprehensive
realignment, which is not contained in the SAP BW standard (see Chapter 4). As the diagram shows, a
hierarchy also differs from a modeled hierarchical structure in the dimensions and attributes displayed
in the BEx. Hierarchical structures are not the subject of this documentation and will not be mentioned
further.
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2.3
Terminology
2.3.1.1
Nodes
Nodes are objects that form a hierarchy. A node can have children (additional sub-nodes). We
differentiate between two different types of nodes:

Nodes that can be posted to
Nodes that can be posted to are themselves valid characteristic values of the base characteristic.
Accordingly, values can be saved for these nodes in the fact table. When the data is presented in the
BEx Analyzer Workbook, nodes that can be posted to are displayed as leafs containing the facts saved
directly for this characteristic value. They are also displayed as nodes – that is, an aggregation of the
values of all the children of the node that can be posted to.
Examples: customer hierarchy, corporate group with subsidiaries, sales with subsidiaries and
corporate group itself

Nodes that cannot be posted to
An object that does not refer to the characteristic on which the hierarchy is based. We differentiate
between characteristic nodes and text nodes. A characteristic node is defined by a characteristic and
the values of that characteristic. When a characteristic node is presented, the name of this
characteristic node is taken from the master data table (text table, for example, region in the customer
hierarchy). For text nodes, a name must be defined directly as a text.
In general, the characteristic attributes of the characteristic to which the hierarchy applies is located at
the last level in the hierarchy (e.g. characteristic attributes = leaves). A leaf can appear several times in
the same hierarchy, but cannot be allocated several times to the same node. The values of leaves that
appear several times are only taken into account once in the higher-level nodes.
Please note that the value of a node that cannot be posted to is calculated exclusively as the
aggregation of the values from the children of that node.
2.3.1.2
Root
All nodes that do not have parents are called roots. Usually, a hierarchy only has one root.
2.3.1.3
Hierarchy Level
All the nodes that have the same spacing to the roots form a hierarchy level. The roots of the hierarchy
have level 1. The level of a node measures the spacing between that node and its root.
2.3.1.4
Leaf
A leaf is an object that is a characteristic value of the base characteristic, and can therefore have
values in the fact table. In contrast to nodes that can be posted to, however, a leaf cannot have any
children.
2.3.1.5
Interval
Describes a set of leaves through the upper and lower limits. New characteristic values are arranged
automatically. Intervals in hierarchies must be allowed during InfoObject maintenance. Intervals can be
modeled in hierarchies when many leaves (which describe an interval) are assigned to a node.
Examples are cost element hierarchies or quarterly hierarchies that are described by intervals. When
intervals are involved, please note that these intervals are resolved in the presentation hierarchy and
do not have any texts of their own.
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2.3.1.6
Balanced and Unbalanced Hierarchies
Balanced and unbalanced hierarchies
balanced hierarchy
unbalanced hierarchy

A typical balanced hierachy is a geographic hierarchy with levels such as
continent – country – state – region – city

A special type of unbalanced hierarchies might occur if different sources
can provide information only at different levels (for example one source
can deliver data at material level while the other deliver data only at
material group level)
 SAP AG 2000
(Joachim Mette) / 1
Remarks

The fact table contains values exclusively for leaves and the nodes that can be posted to. The
values of all other nodes are determined by aggregating the leaves and nodes that can be posted
to.

A hierarchy is uniquely identified by its name, version, and key date.

Every node (node name, InfoObject) must be unique (on a given key date).
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3 Using Hierarchies in a Query
3.1
Presentation Hierarchy
To use a hierarchy as a presentation hierarchy, have the breakdown in the rows correspond to the
hierarchical arrangement of the characteristic values. The value of a key figure is displayed first, in the
upper-most node of the hierarchy, and is followed by all the children of that node, which you can
expand down to the individual leaf level. The values of the nodes in a level are calculated by
aggregating all the nodes that can be posted to and leaves of the underlying levels. Only nodes that
have values are displayed. The additional breakdown of a further characteristic in the rows is not
possible (with the exception of batch printing).
You select a presentation hierarchy for a characteristic when you define a query. Use the context menu
(right mouse button) to maintain the “Properties” of the characteristic. There are a number of options
for selecting a “presentation hierarchy” at the bottom of the window. You can first select the “Hierarchy
name”, then the “Version”, and then the “Key date” for evaluating the hierarchy. Lastly, you can specify
the “Start expand level”, the number of levels to display when running the query. If you do not want the
presentation hierarchy to start with the root node, you can restrict the expansion in the rows of the BEx
Analyzer workbook by a node in the hierarchy. In this case, the start level is the spacing to this node.
You have to set the “Active” flag for a hierarchy before you can evaluate it in the BEx Analyzer
workbook.
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You can also specify variables when you select a hierarchy. The following technical InfoObjects are
available for this purpose:

0HIER_VERS: Hierarchy version

0DATE: Calendar day
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Starting in BW Release 2.0, you can also change the position of a hierarchy root node in the workbook.
This makes a bottom-up evaluation possible. To select this function, use the context-sensitive menu in
the workbook.
You can define these settings as default values in the hierarchy definition.
Another new feature in BW Release 2.0 enables you to hide nodes that only contain a single leaf.
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3.2
Hierarchy Filter Function
A node in a hierarchy can be used for selection like a characteristic value, as a filter in a query. In the
process, both the node and the hierarchy can be determined through variables.
Example: Sales and order quantity for customers in Asia – that is, selecting the key figures “Sales” and
“Order quantity” with a filter on node “Asia”, and the “Material hierarchy” is displayed as the
presentation hierarchy for the analysis.
The following options are available for restricting a hierarchy node:

Setting a filter in the query

Limiting the characteristic to one hierarchy node in the row/column definition

Limiting a structure element to one hierarchy node

Creating a restricted key figure that is limited to one hierarchy node
You can use a different hierarchy to present the data in all these cases.
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4 Special Properties of Hierarchies
4.1
Node Name
A node is identified by its name (or by the InfoObject that acts as the node). This means the node
name must be unique in the hierarchy. If a node appears several times in a hierarchy, you must set the
“link indicator”. This causes the node to inherit the entire substructure of the original node. If both
nodes appear in the same place in the hierarchy, the aggregation is corrected accordingly.
The hierarchy shown above contains an economic structure in addition to the geographical structure.
The countries USA, Canada, and Mexico are grouped together under NAFTA. These countries are
also assigned to the respective continents, with the corresponding sales figures. Please note that
values from nodes/leaves that are assigned several times are only counted once, and are not added
several times.
4.2
Version
You sometimes have to analyze a characteristic under different hierarchical structures – for example,
the cost center hierarchy in both actual and plan versions – for simulation purposes. From the technical
perspective, you can use two different hierarchy structures with two different names to achieve this.
Alternatively, you can assign one name and use two versions to model the “actual” and “planned”
variants. This enables you, for example, to define a cost center report in which the name of the cost
center hierarchy is predefined and a variable is defined for the “version” (parameter variable for
InfoObject “0HIER_VERS”). Then, when the enduser runs the query, he or she only has to choose a
version in order to select the correct cost center hierarchy.
4.3
Time Dependent Hierarchies
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Time dependent hierarchies were not taken into account in the information above. Until now, the
structure of a hierarchy always represented the present status. If you change the hierarchy, for
example, by moving a leaf to another node, then all the key figures are displayed for the modified
structure. To model the historical view, you either have to model the hierarchy time-dependent or
create a second version.
Please note that there is no link between the temporal component of the data (document date of the
key figure) and the validity interval of a node/leaf within the hierarchy structure. The data is evaluated in
the hierarchy structure for the requested key date chosen for the hierarchy. The key date of the query
(global query properties) and the key date of the hierarchy are completely independent of one another.
Example:
The fact table contains two entries for Sales Rep. #1002 (Greg Hunter):
Sales Rep.
0CALDAY
Currency
Revenue
1002
01.01.1999
USD
400.00
1002
01.01.2000
USD
300.00
In the hierarchy defined with a “time-specific structure”, Sales Rep. Greg Hunter is assigned to sales
region “USA” from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 1999, and to sales region “Canada” from January
1, 2000 to December 31, 9999.
1. Hierarchy key date December 31, 1999
2. Hierarchy key date December 31, 2000
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3. Hierarchy key date December 31, 2000 and filter value for 0CALDAY = January 1, 2000
This means if the time characteristic is not restricted, all the values of a node/leaf in the fact table will
be aggregated under the hierarchy structure that is valid as of the selected key date.
4.3.1
Key Date Evaluation
When time-specific hierarchies are involved, the query definition can include a key date – in addition to
the hierarchy name and version – on which the hierarchy will be evaluated. If you do not define a key
date for a hierarchy, it will be evaluated on the key date that is defined in the query properties (menu
item in the Query Builder). If no key date has been defined in the query properties, then the execution
date of the query applies for the hierarchy.
You can also use a variable to determine the key date. The enables the user to choose a key date for
query analysis (or have the system determine one automatically).
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4.3.2
Time Dependency: Technical Background
For performance reasons, time dependency has been implemented in two different ways. There is no
difference between the two options in the results of the query.
1. Time-specific hierarchy name
The key (identifier) of the hierarchy structure, which consists of the name and version, is extended with
the validity interval. The respectively valid hierarchy structure is determined from the name and the key
date. This type of time dependency is called “time-specific hierarchy name” in InfoObject maintenance.
2. Time-specific hierarchy structure
Each parent-child relationship has a defined time interval for which this relationship is valid. In this
variant, the hierarchy name is used to determine a structure, which is then evaluated with the key date.
This type of time dependency is called “time-specific hierarchy structure” in InfoObject maintenance.
4.3.3
Recommendation for Using Time-dependent Hierarchies
For hierarchy structures that are constant for longer periods of time (such as a month or more), we
recommend modeling the time dependency in the hierarchy name. In this case, aggregates can be
used for the hierarchy. For example, if you extract the hierarchy structure from the OLTP system
monthly, and you want to record a history, you can model the time dependency in the hierarchy name.
When a time-specific hierarchy structure is involved, the structure is evaluated at the query runtime. In
this case, only the aggregates that are grouped by the characteristic values can be used. You cannot
use any aggregates that contain pre-summarized data in the levels.
5 Aspects of Data Modeling
As an alternative to using external hierarchies, you can also model a hierarchical structure in the
dimensions or via the attributes of a characteristic. The following aspects can help you decide which
data model to use:
Hierarchy
Hierarchy in dimension
Hierarchy via attributes

The “as posted” view is not
possible


The “as posted” view is not
possible

Different views of the data –
such as version, key date –
are possible

Different views of the data
are not possible; only the
view that is valid in the
characteristic master record
on the evaluation date

Hierarchy applies to the

InfoObject, and can therefore
be evaluated for the
InfoObject for all InfoCubes
The hierarchy can only be
evaluated in the InfoCube

The hierarchical structure is
modeled in the master data,
and can therefore be
evaluated for the InfoObject
for all InfoCubes

Aggregates must be used to
achieve high-performance
analyses

High-performance analyses
are possible without using
aggregates

Aggregates must be used to
achieve high-performance
analyses

Drill-down path is predefined
by the hierarchy structure

The drill-down path is not

predefined, which means you
can skip levels
Only the “as posted” view is
possible
The drill-down path is not
predefined, which means you
can skip levels
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
Non-leveled hierarchies are
possible

The different attributes of the
dimension correspond to the
levels of the hierarchy, which
means only leveled
hierarchies are possible

The different attributes of the
dimension correspond to the
levels of the hierarchy, which
means only leveled
hierarchies are possible

Duplicate leaves are taken
into account wherever they
appear

Duplicate lesaves are only
taken into account “as
posted”

Duplicate leaves are not
possible

The hierarchy can be
changed quickly

Reorganization is not

possible without reloading the
InfoCube
Reorganization is possible by
selecting additional attributes
6 Performance
6.1
Read Mode for a Query
You can set the read mode per query or for all queries in the transaction RSRT (Query Monitor). BW
supports the following three read modes:

Reading all of the data
When executing the query in the Business Explorer, all of the fact table data, which is needed for
all possible navigational steps in the query, is read in the main memory area of the OLAP
processor. Therefore, all new navigational states are aggregated and calculated from the data of
the main memory.

Reading the data on demand:
The OLAP processor only requests the corresponding fact table data that is needed for each
navigational state of the query in the Business Explorer. Therefore, new data is read for each
navigational step. The most suitable aggregate table is used and, if possible, already aggregated in
the database. The data for identical navigational states is buffered in the OLAP processor.

Reading on demand when expanding the hierarchy:
When reading data on demand (2), the data for the entire – meaning completely expanded –
hierarchy is requested for a hierarchy drilldown. For the read on demand when expanding the
hierarchy (3), the data is aggregated by the database along the hierarchy and is sent to the start
level of the hierarchy (highest node) in the OLAP processor. When expanding a hierarchy node,
the children of the node are then respectively read on demand.
In general, the reading of data on demand (2) provides much better performance than reading all the
data (1). This read mode should especially be considered for queries with many, free characteristics. A
query that contains two or more free characteristics from different dimensions (such as “Customer”
and “Product”), will probably only be efficiently executable in this mode, as the aggregates can only be
optimally used when reading the data on demand. For large hierarchies, aggregates should be created
a middle level of the hierarchy and the start level of the query should be smaller or the same as this
aggregate level. For queries about such large hierarchies, the read on demand when expanding the
hierarchy method (3) should be set.
6.2
Size of a Hierarchy
For performance reasons, a hierarchy should not contain more than 100,000 leaves. If the hierarchy
grows larger, you should add a level that can be used as a navigation attribute or separate
characteristic in the dimension.
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Still, we recommend creating one large hierarchy in the system instead of several small hierarchies. In
this case, you can use variables to restrict the large hierarchy user-specifically.
6.3
Performance Involving Multiple Use of a Hierarchy within a Query
Hierarchy nodes can be used to select any kind of object (restricted key figure, row, ... see chapter
3.2). If you use a characteristic to restrict a structure element in a hierarchy, and then break down the
rows by the same characteristic, this will result in poor performance. In this case, all the nodes have to
be resolved down to leaf level and selected individually from the database.
7 FAQ
. ?.
How can you set a focus on a partial hierarchy?
.!.
If you restrict a characteristic to one hierarchy node in the rows (you can also use a variable to
do this), and the hierarchy is also selected as the presentation hierarchy, only the sub-tree below
the selected node is displayed in the Excel list.
8 Technical Details
8.1
Loading Hierarchies from a File
The loading of hierarchies from files is defined in the Accelerator “Loading InfoSource Data via Flat
Files”.
8.2
Hierarchies and Authorizations
Authorizations involved with hierarchies are described in the Accelerator “Authorizations and Roles”.
8.3
Saving Hierarchy Information in the BW
When you activate a hierarchy, the hierarchy structure is translated to the inclusion table. If a hierarchy
with a time-specific structure is involved, and the hierarchy is not available for the requested key date,
the inclusion table is generated at the query runtime (this information is contained in table
RSRHIEDIR_OLAP).
When you run a query with a hierarchy, in the first step, the inclusion table is used to resolve the nodes
to the extent necessary, and the results are buffered in a temporary table. During the actual reading,
this table is joined with the corresponding dimension (or SIDTab).
Technically, the hierarchy definition is saved in the tables listed below:

/BIC/Hmerkmal: hierarchy table; administration information is contained in table RSHIEDIR:
hierarchy name, version, key date <-> HIEID (Char25)

/BIC/Imerkmal: inclusion table Child - Parent (Succ Pred) in SID ; administration information is
contained in table RSRHIEDIR_OLAP: HIEID, key date, Objvers <-> HIESID, SVER

/BIC/Smerkmal: SID table for leaves (SID >=0)
/BIC/Kmerkmal: SID table for nodes (SID < 0)
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