Data Flow Demystified in BW/4HANA

You are in the right place to understand what a Data flow object is, and its benefits in SAP BW/4HANA. To start with, Data flow in BW/4HANA is an enhanced with rich features and BWMT(Eclipse-based BW modelling tools) which allows you to create, edit, document and analyze data flows and its objects.

To understand better we can say Data flow is a set of SAP BW/4HANA objects, including their relationships and interdependencies.

Data flow Object

A data flow object is a TLOGO object (Transportable object types) in SAP BW∕4HANA, which describes a data flow. Data flow objects are created and edited in a graphical editor. They help you to visualize the SAP BW∕4HANA objects (and their relationships) contained in a data flow. They have no relevance to the SAP BW∕4HANA runtime.

Why Data Flow Object?

The Dataflow object is a way to model your dataflow within SAP BW/4HANA within the Eclipse world.
You can use a Data Flow for Blueprinting by using non-persistent objects, once you are fine with the model, persistent objects can be created out of the Data Flow.
You can create this documentation for the data flow object and nodes of it. It’s like giving information/comment on that data flow and nodes.
You can insert one dataflow object to another by just right-clicking on grid view -> Insert Data flow / Insert Data Flow as Template.
Dataflow objects are transportable
In BW/4HANA, you will not be able to see the Data Flow of an object within Eclipse editor unless you have a Data Flow Object-defined for it. It gives a complete picture of data flows in a functional Area

Creating Data flow object

Let’s create Sales Data flow using Sales Header and Sales Item data sources. You can create by going to the menu bar, File -> New -> Other or by right-clicking the info area.

click next.

It is a graphical feature which enables you to create a dataflow from start to finish.

Toolbar

The toolbar in the Data Flow Editor contains the functions as below:

Drag and drop data source into the editor. Then double click the node and assign the Source system and select the data source 2LIS_11_VAHDR.

Click Next and rename the data source name and give a description.

Click finish and activate the data source. Follow the same, to bring sales order item data source – 2LIS_11_VAITM.

Now drag and drop ADSO and double click and create Sales Order Header ADSO and Sales Order Item ADSO.

Now drag a connection from Data source -> ADSO and then right-click ADSO and create transformation and DTP for both Header and item and activate.

Transformation Creation:

DTP Creation:

Create composite provider by drag and drop and create a connection with ADSO’s.

Select “Activate”.

Documentation

This option can be used to create and attach documentation to the data flow object and its individual nodes.

Example: You can mention the object type like non-persistent objects and why it was created

Documentation can be created by selecting the node -> Right-click -> Show documentation

Documentation

This option can be used to create and attach documentation to the data flow object and its individual nodes.

Example: You can mention the object type like non-persistent objects and why it was created.
Documentation can be created by selecting the node -> Right-click -> Show documentation