SAP BW BI Interview Questions Continued....

By: leela naveen

This are questions I faced. If u have any screen shots for any one of the question provide that one also.
1. We have standard info objects given in sap why you created zinfo objects can u tell me the business scenario
2. We have standard info cubes given in sap why you created zinfo cubes can u tell me the business scenario
3. In keyfigure what is meant by cumulative value, non cumulative value change and non cumulative value in and out flow.
4. when u creating infoobject it shows reference and template what is it
5. what is meant by compounding attribute tell me the scenario?
6. I have 3 cubes for that I created multiprovider and I created a report for that but I didn’t get data in that report what happen?
7. I have 10 cubes I created multiprovider I want only 1 cube data what u do?
8. what is meant by safety upper limit and safety lower limit in all the deltas tell me one by one for time stamp, calender day and numberic pointer?
9. I have 80 queries which query is taking so much time how can you solve it
10. In compression level all requests are becoming zero which data is compressing tell me detail
11. what is meant by flat aggregate?explain in detail
12. I created process chain 1st day it taking 10 min after that 1st week it taking 1 hour after that next time it taking 1 day with a same loads what happen how can u reduce the time of loading
13. how can u know the cube size? in detail show me u have screen shots
14. where can we find transport return codes
15. I have a report it taking so much time how can I rectify
16. what is offset? Without offset we create queries?
17. I told my process chains nearly 600 are there he asked me how can u monitor I told him I will see in rspcm and bwccms he asked is there any third party tools is there to see? Any tools are there to see tell me what it is
18. how client access the reports
19. I don’t have master data it will possible to load transaction data? it is possible is there any other steps to do that one
20. what is structure in reporting?
21. which object based you created extended star schema?
22. what is line item dimension tell me brief
23. what is high cardinality tell me brief
24. process chain is running I have to stop the process for 1 hour after that re runn the process where it is stopped?
in multiprovider can I use aggregations
25. what is direct schedule and what is meta chain
26. which patch u used presently? How can I know which patch that one?
27. how can we increase data packet size
28. hierarchies are not there in bi?why
29. remodeling is applied only on info cube? why not dso/ods?
30. In jump queries we can jump any transactions just like rsa1, sm37 etc it is possible or not?
31. why ods activation fail? What types of fails are there? What are the steps to handle
32. I have a process chain is running the infopackage get error don’t process the error of that info package and then you can run the dependent variants is it possible?

Give me any performance and loading issues or support issues
Reporting errors, Loading errors, process chain errors?

BI Certification Info links

Links and information about the certifications offered by SAP in the BI Space. Common questions regarding BI certification are addressed and relevant links provided.
There are lots of question floating arounds related to BI certification. This Wiki is for those who has already thought of taking the exam. If you are still
doubtfull, check here: https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/weblogs?blog=/pub/wlg/9941.


SAP provides three levels of Certification in BI.
1.C_TBW45_04S
Certification Syllabus SAP Consultant Certification Solution Consultant SAP NetWeaver 2004s - Business Intelligence
For more details, check here :http://www.sap.com/services/education/certification/certroles/certificationtest.epx?context=FFC760B8923D16BB5150DAE63E7C1A6B331AF0B9E3A8F73CE3A9B7046E051044503600C911DBA13DCE978D3AC9057626D2B68111A7CD2D707E2EEC31213097E46EB790DD0106435EE0756F7B22F3FA4B4FF0645C06954BF3A150E023B4164DA2C3943DE02E599735DB9B4334B30B38FF20A1DC779D8F55E5F7A6893BDBFA38B94CF455E2A3E0E6851014966C90C80E173937CF7C2372A6FC%7cDA891B3C877030D9765B85CAE6AC82FC3EB6BC7DA10B7335


2 . C_TBW45_70:- SAP Certified Application Associate- Business Intelligence with SAP NetWeaver 7.0
check here
http://www.sap.com/services/education/catalog/netweaver/certificationtest.epx?context=FFC760B8923D16BB5150DAE63E7C1A6B331AF0B9E3A8F73CE3A9B7046E051044503600C911DBA13DCE978D3AC9057626D2B68111A7CD2D707E2EEC31213097E46EB790DD0106435EE0756F7B22F3FA4B4FF0645C06954BF39AD9826DEEE08116%7cDA891B3C877030D9C4305205DF5BCE39


3. P_BIE_70 - SAP Certified Application Professional - BI Enterprise DataWarehousing with SAP Net Weaver 7.0
checkhere :
http://www.sap.com/services/education/certification/certificationrole.epx?context=%5b%5bROLE_P_BIE_70%5d%5d%7c

These certification exams vary in their level of difficulties and different pattern. For example:C_TBW45_04S will have 80 questions to be answerd in 3 hours whereas C_TBW45_70 will have 90question in 3 hours. Also,
you will get partial credit in the former but no such privilegesin later exam
.There are no better study materials than TBWs. Which all TBWs to be read, check the syallabus here:http://www.sap.com/services/education/certification/certificationtest.epx?context=%5b%5bC_TBW45_04S%5d%5d%7c


These can be downloaded from Internet. Besides these TBWs, there are some important links - which is listed below:
Simulation Test:
http://www.sapbw.info/SAP-BW-Certification-Test-Simulation.html
http://www.hometutorials.com/SAP-BW
Some Important Documents on SDN:
https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/advancedsearch?query=+BI+7.0+documents+&cat=sdn_all
Threads Related to Certification:
1. https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/thread?threadID=857655&tstart=0
2. https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/thread?messageID=5582263#5582263
3. https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/thread?messageID=6053753#6053753
Miscellaneous Links:
http://www.psimedia.ws/
http://www.sap.com/uk/services/education/courses/bw.epx
http://www50.sap.com/useducation/curriculum/print.asp?jc=1&rid=285
http://www50.sap.com/useducation/curriculum/print.asp?jc=1&rid=458
http://www50.sap.com/useducation/certification/examcontent.asp
http://www50.sap.com/useducation/certification/curriculum.asp?rid=506&vid=5
http://www50.sap.com/useducation/certification/curriculum.asp?rid=420
http://csc-studentweb.lrc.edu/swp/Berg/BB_index_main.htm
https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/c27a9990-0201-0010-a393-e6e8bed520fe
https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/79f6d190-0201-0010-ec8b-810a969028ec
https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/servlet/prt/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/620b406d-0601-0010-3b9a-ac51c445860f
https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/servlet/prt/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/5f243d6d-0601-0010-2aae-abe0a4dcfadb
https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/f0d16261-80c0-2910-149a-97b017a900e4
https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/20b0d390-0201-0010-408c-f27f82427e23
https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/9be229f6-0901-0010-8288-824675320301
https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/508d0387-001d-2a10-a394-faa4e57f6751

Differences between BW 3.5 and BI 7.0

Major Differences between Sap Bw 3.5 & sapBI 7.0 version:

1. In Infosets now you can include Infocubes as well.

2. The Remodeling transaction helps you add new key figure and characteristics and handles historical data as well without much hassle. This is only for info cube.

3. The BI accelerator (for now only for infocubes) helps in reducing query run time by almost a factor of 10 - 100. This BI accl is a separate box and would cost more. Vendors for these would be HP or IBM.

4. The monitoring has been imprvoed with a new portal based cockpit. Which means you would need to have an EP guy in ur project for implementing the portal ! :)

5. Search functionality hass improved!! You can search any object. Not like 3.5

6. Transformations are in and routines are passe! Yess, you can always revert to the old transactions too.

7. The Data Warehousing Workbench replaces the Administrator Workbench.

8. Functional enhancements have been made for the DataStore object:
New type of DataStore object
Enhanced settings for performance optimization of DataStore objects.

9. The transformation replaces the transfer and update rules.

10. New authorization objects have been added

11. Remodeling of InfoProviders supports you in Information
Lifecycle Management.

12 The Data Source:
There is a new object concept for the Data Source.
Options for direct access to data have been enhanced.
From BI, remote activation of Data Sources is possible in SAP source systems.

13.There are functional changes to the Persistent Staging Area (PSA).

14.BI supports real-time data acquisition.

15 SAP BW is now known formally as BI (part of NetWeaver 2004s). It implements the Enterprise Data Warehousing (EDW). The new features/ Major differences include:
a) Renamed ODS as DataStore.
b) Inclusion of Write-optmized DataStore which does not have any change log and the requests do need any activation
c) Unification of Transfer and Update rules
d) Introduction of "end routine" and "Expert Routine"
e) Push of XML data into BI system (into PSA) without Service API or Delta Queue
f) Intoduction of BI accelerator that significantly improves the performance.
g) Load through PSA has become a must. I am not too sure about this. It looks like we would not have the option to bypass the PSA Yes,

16. Load through PSA has become a mandatory. You can't skip this, and also there is no IDoc transfer method in BI 7.0. DTP (Data Transfer Process) replaced the Transfer and Update rules. Also in the Transformation now we can do "Start Routine, Expert Routine and End Routine". during data load.

New features in BI 7 compared to earlier versions:

i. New data flow capabilities such as Data Transfer Process (DTP), Real time data Acquisition (RDA).

ii. Enhanced and Graphical transformation capabilities such as Drag and Relate options.

iii. One level of Transformation. This replaces the Transfer Rules and Update Rules

iv. Performance optimization includes new BI Accelerator feature.

v. User management (includes new concept for analysis authorizations) for more flexible BI end user authorizations.

DataFlow of Process Chains in different SAP BW-BI

There are sometimes doubts regarding how to set up processes within the process chains. Process chain is structural and logical grouping of processes , jobs or steps involved within loading of data into BW. Proper design of chain has effects on its performance and consequently on performance of whole BW system. Therefore kind of best practice I can recommend following sequence for designing process chains:

a. Delete Index
b. Data Transfer Process / Execute InfoPackage – optimally in parallel
c. Generate Index
d. Construct Database Statistics
e. Compress cube
f. Delete PSA (aged data requests)
g. Delete Change Log (aged data requests)


DataFlow of Process Chains in different SAP BW-BI
Steps for Process Chains in BI 7.0 for a Cube.
1. Start
2. Execute Infopackage
3. Delete Indexes for Cube
4.Execute DTP
5. Create Indexes for Cube

For DSO
1. Start
2. Execute Infopackage
3. Execute DTP
5. Activate DSO

For an IO
1. Start
2.Execute infopackage
3.Execute DTP
4.Attribute Change Run

Data to Cube thru a DSO
1. Start
2. Execute Infopackage ( loads till psa )
3.Execute DTP ( to load DSO from PSA )
4.Activate DSO
5.Further Processing
6.Delete Indexes for Cube
7.Execute DTP ( to load Cube from DSO )
8.Create Indexes for Cube
SAP BW 3.X

Master loading ( Attr, Text, Hierarchies )

Steps :

1.Start
2. Execute Infopackage (say if you are loading 2 IO's just have them all parallel )
3.You might want to load in seq - Attributes - Texts - Hierarchies
4.And ( Connecting all Infopackages )
5.Attribute Change Run ( add all relevant IO's ).

Start

\/
Infopackge1A(Attr)Infopackge2A(Attr)
\/
Infopackge1B(Txts)Infopackge2B(Txts)
/_____________________
Infopackge1C(Txts)______
\_____________________
_\____________________
__\___________________
___\__________________
_____\________________/
______ _And Processor__ ( Connect Infopackge1C & Infopackge2B )
____________________
Attribute Change Run ( Add InfoObject 1 & InfoObject 2 to this variant )

1. Start
2. Delete Indexes for Cube
3. Execute Infopackage
4.Create Indexes for Cube
For DSO

1. Start
2. Execute Infopackage
3. Activate DSO

For an IO

1.Start
2.Execute infopackage
3.Attribute Change Run

Data to Cube thru a DSO
1. Start
2. Execute Infopackage (Loads till PSA)
3.Activate DSO
5.Further Processing
6.Delete Indexes for Cube
7.Execute Infopackage
8.Create Indexes for Cube

Why DTP and not Infopackage in SAP BI 7.0? or Difference between DTP and Infopackage

Summary
This document will help to understand the basic idea of why DTP replaced IP in BI 7.0 for loading the data to data targets and data marts. This document highlights the main difference between DTP & IP and the significance of DTP over IP.
Author: Balamurugan A.J From SDN.

Introduction
DTP and IP are tools used to load data from external system into BI. In BW3.5 and below versions, IP is
used to load data from source system to end data target. Whereas in BI 7.0, IP is used to load data only till PSA and DTP loads into data target and data mart. This document provides understanding of why DTP
replaced IP in BI 7.0.
First let us understand the basic concept about DTP and IP.


DTP
Data Transfer Process
Data transfer process (DTP) loads data within BI from one object to another object with respect to
transformations and filters. In short, DTP determines how data is transferred between two persistent objects.
It is used to load the data from PSA to data target (cube or ods or infoobject) thus, it replaced the data mart interface and the Info Package.
DTP fundamentals:
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw2004s/helpdata/en/42/f98e07cc483255e10000000a1553f7/content.htm


IP
InfoPackage
The InfoPackage is an entry point for SAP BI to request data from a source system. InfoPackages are tools for organizing data requests that are extracted from the source system and are loaded into the BW system.
In short, loading data into the BW is accomplished using InfoPackages.
IP Basics:
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_bw33/helpdata/en/44/420a3b7a3cf508e10000000a114084/frameset.htm


Reasons behind why DTP is Preferred over IP

Loading
DTP follows one to one mechanism i.e. there is one DTP per data target whereas, IP loads for all data
targets at once. DTP can load Full/Delta load for same target via same DTP which is not possible via same IP.


Delta Mechanism



DTP has separate Source to Target Delta handling mechanism. Thus, it helps in achieving,
•Possibility of having different data selection for one data source via different DTP (Same / Different
target) whereas this concept is not possible in IP.
•No DTP request exists in Reconstruct tab as it has separate delta handling mechanism for each
target.
•No "Repair Full /Full Repair" concept in DTP as it has one to one delta mechanism.
•Deleting the data mart deletes the request itself not just status as in case of IP.


Filter
DTP filter's the data based on Semantic Key which is not possible in IP.
Having filters at IP, filters data before entering into BI i.e. PSA contains filtered data.
Whereas DTP-filter, filters data only at Data Target level thereby keeping all data at PSA.


Debugging
Breakpoint can be set at data packet level at all the stages (Before Extraction, Before Data Transfer and
After Data Transfer.) whereas, breakpoint doesn’t exist in IP.


Error Handling
Temporary Data Storage and Error Stack improve error handling in DTP which doesn’t exist in IP.
(Temporary Storage area contains all the data whereas Error stack will have only erroneous records.
Temporary storage area can be switched On/Off at each stage of process)
•Existence
•Error Handling for DSO is possible only in DTP.
•Reloading Bad Request without deleting request in the Data target is possible only in DTP using
Manual Update option.

Performance
DTP is faster as DTP data loading is optimized by Parallel process.
Data loading through DTP has no TRFC/LUWs generated at run time thus minimizing the loading time.


Migration
It's possible to migrate from IP flow to DTP flow if you are in BI 7.0 or above.
Create a DTP and set the Processing mode Serial Extraction, Immediate parallel processing to switch from IP to DTP without data loss.
Migrating IP flows to DTP
•Note 920644 - Date store with emulated Data Source: InfoPackages/DTP
•http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw2004s/helpdata/en/43/03c035dc7821abe10000000a1553f6/content.
Htm

Doc SDN Link: http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/index?rid=/library/uuid/f0ada4bf-e963-2d10-aa89-abb9eeae7723