IP - characteristic relationship/ data slices

Hi Guys,
I am very new to IP and would like to have some help regarding the following with some simple example
1) characteristic relationship
2) data slices
3) locking
Some examples with the above is much appreciated.
where can i get some good document explaining this ?
Thanks in advance...

Hi,
Please find below the examples for characteristic relationship and data slice,
1. Characteristic relationship:
Consider that you have characteristics called "Country" and "Continent" in your report (also in aggreagtion level).
You cannot always expect the end user to enter the correct continent for a country. In this case, you can create a char rel
based on the relastionship between these two characteristics (attribute, hierarchy or relationship data loaded to a DSO),where the source is "Country" and the target is "Continent". So when ever the user enters country and continent the char rel validates the entry based on the reference data (master data, hierrarchy or DSO data) and throws error if it s wrong. Apart from this by creating "With derivation" char rel, you can even derive continent value from country with out the user even entering the value in thye report.
2. Data Slice:
Consider that your planning requirement is you need to plan on a monthly basis which is like during current month you caa plan for the next month. In this case all other months except the next month should not be available for planning. In this case you can create a daat slice of type "Selection" where in you select '0CALMNONTH' and then filter it to the variable '0CMONTH' +1
where in you "Exclude" this selection. So now all the other months except next month at any point of time will be disabled for planning.
You can go through the following links for your reference,
Char rel - [http://help.sap.com/SAPHELP_NW04s/helpdata/EN/43/1c3d0f31b70701e10000000a422035/frameset.htm]
Data slice - [http://help.sap.com/SAPHELP_NW04s/helpdata/EN/43/1c3d0f31b70701e10000000a422035/frameset.htm]
Hope this solves your doubt.
Regards,
Balajee

Similar Messages

Characteristic Relationship - displaying data

Hi All,
I implemented characteristic relationship (through ABAP class) and it is working fine except one thing.
It displays the desired combinations, but also posted data in infoprovider in planning mode, that were suppose to be hidden (according to char. rel. logic).
I set for all the relevant characteristics "characteristic relationship" in query designer....
Any idea what I am doing wrong?
Many Thanks!
Pavel

Hi Pavel,
sorry, maybe your exist does not work in all cases (implementation of the check method).
From your description it seems that you want to control access or maybe only make something not input ready. In the first case use authorization, in the latter use data slices.
When you say 'measures' it is also not clear for me whether you mean 'key figures'. You can not control key figures with characteristics relations, except you are using a characteristic to model key figures (account model). But again, characteristic relationships are a means to control the valid combination in the cube (so to say they define the 'truth' in the cube or what are 'consistent' data records). Data slices are a concept to protect data from being changed (typical example: lock a planning version).
Regards,
Gregor

Characteristic Relationship BI-IP

Hi,
I am trying to create the following characteristic relationship on real time planning cube.
Within the realtime cube I have 0fiscper and 0fiscvarnt being populated.
I also want to calculate 0calquarter and 0halfyear1.
For this I have created a DSO which has 0fiscper and 0fiscvarnt as the key and 0calquarter and 0halfyear1 as the data fields. I am populating 0fiscper and 0fiscvarnt during the upload and calculating 0calquarter and 0halfyear1 via a routine.
I am now trying to create the characteristic relationship, but when I enter the DSO technical name, I get the following error message:
DataStore object '....' does not have a data field from the InfoProvider; this object is invalid here.
Any ideas why this happening, all the fields in the DSO exist in the realtime cube.
Thanks
DJL

Hi
For time characteristics, there are standard characteristic relationships.. dont see why need to create them.
if it is for fiscvarnt-fiscper combination: guess no need for other things.
Also if u r specifying DSO name in planning modeler, I guess u can look up the DSO thru F4 help.
rgds
Deepak

Fields missing in Characteristic Relationship

Hi Experts,
I want to derive Currency Key from Company code using Characteristic Relationship. I am using 'With Derivation' and master data attributes. But in the source fields I see only two fields Cost Center and Controlling Area. Not sure why I am missing rest of the fields from the Cube. Does this mean, I have to have Aggregation levels maintained before I look at Characteristic Relationships??
Thanks,
DV

Hi,
derivation is used to fill characteristic values from other characteristics in the InfoCube. So to derive 'Currency Key' from 'Company Code' means that both characteristics have to be inculded in your InfoCube. I think, Currency Key is an attribute of Company code, so you can create a derivation relation based on characteristic Company Code.
If you don't need 'Currency Key' in the InfoCube, you also may use Currency Key as a navigation attribute. Then you need not characteristic relationship for this, the system automatically know about the link between Company Code and Currency Key.
Regards,
Gregor

Characteristic Relationship Challenges in IP

All,
I'm having a bit of a problem with characteristic relationships in IP.
We have a simple planning cube with no data. It has the characteristics 0CALMONTH, 0MATERIAL, 0SALESORG, 0SALES_GRP, 0SALES_OFFICE, and 0PAYER. We want to build a query which allows us to plan on specifically designated valid combinations of 0SALESORG, 0SALES_GRP, 0SALES_OFFICE, and 0PAYER. However, instead of displaying only the valid combinations we desire, things seem to be showing up as the Cartesian Product of the characteristics.
We thought we could accomplish this through a characteristic relationship and we tried establishing one (first by creating a DSO and then by creating a hierarchy). But all combinations seem to yield only one of the following results:
*Only the first level of the hierarchy
*The Cartesian product
*The 2nd level of the hierarchy (and only the 2nd level) but unfortunately containing ALL options in master data
Has anyone here ever managed to do in IP what I'm trying to do (display only certain valid combinations of characteristics)? If so can you give me a step by step outline of how you did it?
According to SAP hosting we have all of the latest Service Packs.

All, the issue is partially corrected. Instead of fighting with hierarchies, I stepped back and re-attacked this problem by creating a characteristic relationship based on a DSO. (I had tried this initially but it failed for a reason I will explain below.)
We do top-down planning and so I need these valid combinations at each level of granularity. I created a DSO with the key 0SALESORG, 0SALES_GRP, 0SALES_OFFICE, 0PAYER, and populated it with the valid combinations. However, when I tried to create the characteristic relationship it does not allow me to select 0PAYER as a "Source Characteristic". This results the relationship being inconsistent.
So then I created a DSO with the key 0SALESORG, 0SALES_GRP, 0SALES_OFFICE, and populated the valid combinations. It worked perfectly for my query at that level of granularity but not for the higher level of simply 0SALESORG and 0SALES_GRP and so I found myself creating another DSO and characteristic relationship to handle that level.
Now I have the valid combinations down to a certain level of granularity displaying properly, but not all the way to the 0PAYER level. I'm not sure why it has a problem aside from perhaps the fact that 0PAYER is a reference char based on 0CUSTOMER. Does anyone know why it has this problem with 0PAYER?
Additionally I have found that I can no longer execute a simple copy function on my cube because it "cannot find reference data for characteristic combination" in an insistance when I planned on a characteristic with a blank value.

BI IP-Characteristic Relationship- invalid combinations are shown

Dear all,
we need to create a query ready for input but we need to avoid that the invalid combinations of two characteristic on wors are shown.
In fact the system presents the inconsistent combination as not editable.
Could you please suggest how to avoid this?
Many thanks in advance for help!
Stefania

Hi
the link is ueseful, but I try to explane what we really need.
We have in the level two chars (ZC1 and ZC2; ZC2 is attribute of ZC1) and here you can see the values
ZC1               ZC2
PREVAI     AI
GUASAI     AI
PREVBT     BT
GUASBT     BT
The requiremet is that the user can plan by ZC1 and ZC2, but that he has a total row by ZC2 (not editable).
That's why I defined a structure on the rows with restrictions for ZC1 and ZC2, according to the master data relationship, and put the structure on the rows.
I defined a hierarchy for ZC1 where nodes are values of char ZC2 and I set this in the characteristic relationship for the provider. here is the hierarchy.
AI
    PREVAI
    GUASAI
BT
    PREVBT
    GUASBT
The result is that in the best option I see in the query invalid combinations such as BT PREVAI.
Any suggestion?

Characteristic relationship with Exit class is not applied correctly

We are using a characteristic relationship (with derivation) type Exit class. For that we have created class ZCL_RSPLS_ARTICLE_FROM_PLMOD as a copy of the standard class CL_RSPLS_CR_EXIT_BASE.
Target and source characteristics are members of the aggregation level.
We want to generate a list of valid combinations of characteristics planning models and articles which should be planned in the planning query.
For that we are using the method IF_RSPLS_CR_METHODS~CREATE:
Source is characteristic Model ZMATMOD and we determine in the exit class all active articles ZMATART.
We get a list of active (planning relevant) models and articles in our exit class (table e_th_chas).
--> For instance 6 combinations
Until here everything works fine.
The problem is that in the query 8 combinations are displayed.
We have no idea why more than the generated combinations are displayed.
One reason could be that the characteristic article ZMATART is an attribute from characteristic model ZMATMOD.
So from a master data point of view 8 combinations would be relevant.
But we use the exit class in order to reduce the number of combinations to planning relevant items.
If we use the method IF_RSPLS_CR_METHODS~CHECK we could flag the 2 combinations which are not planning relevant to not valid.
But these are then displayed in the query. 6 combinations in change mode; 2 combinations in display mode. This would not help us.
We would like to see only the planning relevant combinations  6 combinations
Can anyone please help me urgently?
Best regards
Martin

Hi,
set a break-point in the factory method get_instance to check whether the class is called. In the planning modeler make sure that you use an external break-point.
Or use rsrt an change a cell value: Derivation is called in the delta buffer to derive from the fields contained in the aggregation level. So check also that the source fields are contained in the aggregation level or can be derived via a a chain of derivations.
Also make sure that all source fields have to be non-initial. The system will not call derivation for initial source fields since in this case there is not unique target, cf. http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw70/helpdata/en/43/1c3d0f31b70701e10000000a422035/frameset.htm
Remark: The attached document of note 994853 is about the disaggregation feature but it also contains a section about the characteristic relationships. Observe also that the template exit classes are documented in SE24.
Regards,
Gregor

Open data slice for data entry and close afterwards

Dear all,
I have created one data slice for a characteristic combination country xy in order to prevent the data entry within the data entry query for the user. But for some reason I have to run a planning function in order to summarize some values and write a total value in the characteristic e.g. country xy.
The planning function brings out an error message because this can not be executed due to the fact that this combination is protected.
Is there a way to open the data slice before the planning function is writing the data in the cube? I have tried to to this in the Data slice exit, but I do not have an idea how to open the DS, save the data and close the DS again.
We are running NW BI 7.0. Any ideas would be great.
Best regards,
Stefan from Munich/Germany

I did something like this by creating an FM and calling that FM from a FOX function. I think you will have to use three commands to execute three functions one after the other (and not combine them in one planning sequence) - first one will switch off the data slice, next will be your planning function containing the logic, and the last will switch it back on.
The FM would be something like below:
FUNCTION Z_SWITCH_DSLICE.
*"*"Local Interface:
*" IMPORTING
*"     REFERENCE(I_INFOPROV) TYPE RSINFOPROV
*"     REFERENCE(I_DSNR) TYPE RSPLS_DSNR
*"     REFERENCE(I_STATUS) TYPE I
*** This function imports the name of a real-time Infoprovider and a Data Slice number
***        and a parameter I_STATUS. If I_STATUS is 1, data slice is activated
***        If I_STATUS is -1, data slice is de-activated
data wa_ds type rspls_ds.
select single * from rspls_ds
        into wa_ds
        where infoprov = I_INFOPROV
          AND objvers = 'A'
          AND dsnr = I_DSNR.
if I_status = 1.
   wa_ds-used = 'X'.
elseif I_status = -1.
   wa_ds-used = ''.
endif.
update rspls_ds from wa_ds.
ENDFUNCTION.
The Fox code will be like below -
CALL FUNCTION Z_SWITCH_DSLICE
    EXPORTING
       I_INFOPROV = <infoprov name>
       I_DSNR = <Data Slice Number>
       I_STATUS = <0 or 1>.

How to use variables in data slices?

Hello,
in BI-IP I have tried to use variables in a data slice.
The user should fill these variables.
How can one use and fill these variables?
Thank you
Daniel

Hello Horst,
data slice is a very strong system lock. It is normally not a good decission to allow users to control this part becuse it sould be in administration of a responsible person.
If you allow users in the web to open or close data slices, this is like a "open period" funtion in financials: Think about what could happen, if anyone else than the responsible person could do that....
This is my point of view.
I would do it in anoter way: Create an User exit and fill a variable like desribed above. You read each line and make a decission whether the user might see this line or not (e. g. period open? yes or no?). The period and the status for the period could be maintained in a table or in a characteristic. table might be easier.
regards
Eckhard

Dynamic creation of data slices by admin users in BPS

hi
Can we create planning function so that administrative users can create data slices as per their timings.
kind regards
Sarah

Dear Sarah,
I donot have any sample code as of now as I am not able to access a BPS system. But let me tell you that this is simple. Create a exit planning function. Then create a FM and assign this FM in exit function INIT FM. In the FM do the following insertions to the data slice tables.
First have a look at the tables UPC_DATASLICE, UPC_DATASLICET and UPC_OPTIOS. Create a 22 character unique GUID. You can use the standard function modules for this. Let this guid be guid_new. Then get the maximum sort id of data slices for your planning area from the table UPC_DATASLICE. Now add 1 to this maximum sort and have it as sort_new. Now insert this guid_new, sort_new, your planning area name as a new row in the table UPC_DATASLICE.
After that insert sort_new, your planning area name, your new data slice name to the table UPC_DATASLICET.
The characteristic value restrictions of the data slices are held in the table UPC_OPTIOS. For the particular GUID each characteristic restriction has one row each. Consider that you are creating data slice for the year 2008 and material 'M'. So in table UPC_OPTIOS there will be 2 records with GUID guid_new. One will be for '0FISCYEAR' and the next record will be for '0MATERIAL'. See table UPC_OPTIOS for the structure of the records. You should use function module 'UPC_OPTIOS_INSERT' to insert into the table UPC_OPTIOS. Goto se37 and have a look at the function module for the structure.
Dynamic refresh of the buffer:
If u are creating only 1 data slice in 1 transaction then you should do the following:
PERFORM BUFFER_DATASLICE_GET
IN PROGRAM SAPLUPC_DATASLICE
USING DS_AREA_NAME "insert your data slice area name here
'E'
CHANGING ES_AREA_SLICE.
PERFORM BUFFER_DATASLICE_UPDATE
IN PROGRAM SAPLUPC_DATASLICE
CHANGING ES_AREA_SLICE.
CALL FUNCTION 'UPC_DATASLICE_COMMIT'.
CALL FUNCTION 'UPC_DATASLICE_SAVE'.
This will refresh the data slice buffer!
I think this is sufficient enough for ur requirement. You should be able to do it easily now! Feel free to ask if u have more doubts.
Regards,
Ares!

Characteristic relationships with derivation. I don't quite understand...

Hi, experts!
I'm trying to figure out all about using derivation in characteristic relationships and even though I seem to generally understand what it's for, some moments are still unclear.
Let me describe the task: I have, for example, 10 item categories, all of them are in the real time info-cube. I have unique combinations for them, which are loaded into the DSO and I'm trying to create char. rel-ps based on that DSO.
In the first aggregation level I'm using only the first 3 levels of item categories. The other 7 are not included.
Let's assume I've planned my key figures for those 3 levels, and saved the plan. I need the system to distribute (disaggregate) the values among the remaining 7 category levels, so when I open another plan, based on an aggregation level that includes all 10 item categories, I would see all the data correctly and all the necessary combinations.
As I understand, in that case I need to have characteristic relationships with derivation.
But SAP demands that all the "target" characteristics should be held in the "Data Fields" section of DSO. And therefore they won't be key fields.
I don't really get it - why should they be "data fields"? If I use them as "Data Fields" in the DSO, I won't be able to load all the possible combinations, because in some cases these 3 item categories that are the keys of the DSO, will match, only the remaining 7 will be different...
How do I solve the described task?
Thanks.
Best regards,
Andrey

Hi Andrey,
derivation is a function, given the source fields the derive functions fills the target fields. In other words, given a relation with two characteristics A, B with A source and B target the derive function F modeled in the relation 'calculates' F(a) = b with a, b members of A,B, respecitvely. Since F is a function for a given a there are not two differen b1, b2 with F(a) = b1 and F(a) = b2.
Using a derivation relation modeled in a data store the function F is defined by the active table of the data store. So A has to be the key and B has to be a an attribute (non-key). If this is not the case and A, B are key fields you can have the combinations
A    B
a    b1
a    b2
and this is by defintion not a derivation relation, but an n:m relation.
On other words derivation fills redundant fields.
It seems that you want to do just the opposite. It is a common problem to plan on a 'higher level' and to disaggregate from the higher level to lower levels, but of course only valid combinations should get values. You can use planning functions or the disaggregation feature in the query. Characteristic relationships are used to model the valid combinations.
An example is as follows: We have Product -> Product Group -> Product line, the arrows indicate a derivation relation. The query uses all three characteristics in the aggregation level but has only Product Line and Product Group in the rows. Using disaggregation in the query changed key figure values will be disaggregated to Product (and maybe other characteristics used in the aggregation level). The system uses characteristic relationships that can be applied for the aggregation level to check the consistency of the records. Observe that a derivation relations can also be used to check the consistency of a combinations if both source and target fields are filled. Observe that for disaggregation of the above mentiond fields are filled and thus can and have to be checked using the derivation relations (and maybe other modeled relations).If 'access mode for result values' based on characteristic relationships is used in the query the relations can also be used to create all valid combinations needed for disaggregation.
So you have to check whether the constraints you need are really of type n:m, then all fields have to be key in the data store or whether you have a derivation relation. By the way, derivations can be combined as in the Product -> Product Group (first relation) and Product Group -> Product Line (secdond relation) example.
Regards,
Gregor

Data Slice depending on drilldown

Hi all,
I have a questions regarding data slice:
The requirement is to have a forecast on materials which have validity periods. The drilldown should be for selected materials but only the periods which have been maintained as valid (the validity differs from material to material and is maintained in the material master) should be ready for input.
The problem is how to set up the data slice as for different materials the respective periods should be locked/opened. So what I need is a data slice depending on the material.
For example:
MATNR 4711 Validity Periods 01.2009 - 06.2009
MATNR 4811 Validity Periods 07.2009 - 12.2009
That means for MATNR 4711 periods 01.2009-06.2009 should be ready for input and for for MATNR 4811 periods 07.2009-12.2009 should be ready for input.
Do you have any ideas? I appreciate your help.
Cheers.

Hi Thomas,
I suggest that you implement data slice of type exit based on the two characteristics MATNR and one time characteristic. In the exist you read the master data value and map the validity period to the time characteristic used in the data slice. Mark all records as protected if the MATNR, time characteristic value combination is not in the validity interval.
Regards,
Gregor

"global" variables for data slices

Hello experts,
Can someone tell me how to create a global variable which can be set for all user of a planning application?
I want to use this variable to be used by one or two users, so that they can lock the planning data by setting the variable. The variable will be used in a data slice and by changing the value of the variable, they are also able to change the range of the data slice. I thought that I found the solution, but in the end I remembered that variables are user specific and therefore has to be set for each user.
I hope that one of you has a solution (not using STS) for this problem.
Kind regards,
Harald van der Meij

Hallo Harald
I see your point and i hope this can help you.
Create a Variable of type exit which get the values for data freezing.
For example: Calmonth.
then in the Function Module, derive Calmonth making the Select from a custom table. give the rights to the two user to maintain the table for lock and unlock the planning.
Based on entries on the tables, then you can have the value for Calmonth. based on it you freeze or unfreeze the data.
of course you can use any Characteristic.
for example:
you want to freezee from 01.2005 to 10.1005. pass these values to the variable making a select from the custome table (Zfreezing) where you maintain 01.2005 to 10.2005.
if you need then to reopen the planning, then cahnge the values in the tables and consequentely to the variables.
the user can maintain entries in the tables.
When you create the table assign an authorization group and then create a role with it and assing these the two users.
Regards
Mike

Effect on Data Slices

Hi Friends,
"If a real-time enabled InfoProvider contains a data slice that includes no characteristic value restrictions at all"
what would be effect of data slice on the Real time cube data in this case/
whether it allow to changes all values of the characterstic or it will restrict the changes.
I gone throuth the documention but i did n't get clear idea.
Please provide ur suggestion on this one.
will assign the ponits.
Thanks
SAP

Hi ,
You use data slices to protect whole areas of data globally against changes (for example, current values or historic values).
Data slices are a concept for protecting the main data of a real-time enabled InfoCube against changes. This protection affects input-ready queries and all planning functions that use this InfoCube.
If you want to ensure that certain plan versions can no longer be changed after a certain point in time, for example, and current data is not overwritten, you can use a data slice that contains these plan versions.
Thanku ,
PSR

Characteristic Relationship Error

Hi
I am deriving 0fiscper by concatenating 0fiscper3 and 0fiscyear. This works perfrectly in BPS. However, when I define the characteristic relationship in IP I get hte following error when checking:
Characteristic relationships for InfoProvider ZSEM_C20 are inconsistent
Relationship 01 is inconsistent
Contains generic time derivation 0FISCYEAR,0FISCPER3 -> 0FISCPER
Not permitted
The code for this is exacthly the same as for another derivation I did in BPS. How do I do this in IP?
L.

Hi,
In IP, their are default characteristic relationships for time characteristics which are always active. This wont show in the properties of the real time infoprovider (char. rel. tab) but this will be active and cannot be overridden; this is different from BPS where no such automatic chal. rel.s were present.
Therefore, you need not code them in an IP implementation.
Hope this clears your issue.
Edited by: Mayank Gupta on Feb 1, 2008 2:52 PM

IP - characteristic relationship/ data slices

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