Informatica Powercenter using content BW extractors directly?

[Former Member]

Hi,

we've got an integratoin scenario where BW is used purely as an extracting tool from SAP to pass on data without any transformation to downstream systems (including existing DW) using Informatica Powercenter.

The Dataflow is basically:

SAP Platform --> Datasource / Extractor --> BW EDW layer (DSOs) --> OpenHub destination 3rd party --> Powercenter --> downstream systems.

Has anyone got experience or knowledge about the possibility to bypass BW in this scenario? I.e. could Powercenter use its own connectors that allow the integratoin with BAPI / RFC functions to call the extractors on SAP directly, without the staging of data in BW?

Any hints appreciated, even if it's not possible any reasons why it isn't.

Thank you!

Regards

Steffen

[former_member199597]

Hi Steffen,

I can think of some solutions but it depends on the system setup of the tool you mentioned.

1. If it is Java.-Based you could use SAP JCO in order to connect to a BW or ERP system by RFC.

2. Buy a connector software (e.g. ERP Connect)

3. Another possibilty are automated exports from BW (e.g. APD).

4. And last and least - access DB Tables of BW directly.

I believe there are also alternatives to JCO .

Hth - cheers,

Andreas

[Former Member]

Hi Steffen

I'm lokking for the same answer.

Did you get any advice if informatica can use standard business content extractors?

Thanks

[Former Member]

I don't think it's possible.

Why?  Well, the way BW & ECC talk to each other is based on several technologies and tight integration between BW & ECC.

For example delta extraction uses (depending on the extractor) tRFC, timestamps, V3 updates, iDocs etc.

And all in ABAP.

for example try to fill the setup tables for a 2LIS extractor without a linked BW system.

You can't.  Well, not with some 'creative' changes in tables.

I suppose one can write a framework which emulates a SAP BW system, but that will cost a lot.

And SAP probably has built in some nice features to make this very hard.

After all: Business content (so also extractors) is one of the key features of SAP BW.

But theoretically it could be done.  Is it profitable?  Don't think so.

[Former Member]

Hi

Are you saying that setup tables cannot be filled if there's no BW system connected to R/3?

Have you actually try it and it fails?

I'm just curious because I though the setup tables could be filled and also the delta queue will work even without a BW connection. I assumed that delta records will remain in the queue (MCEXzz). Of course BW delta queues won't work (RSA7).

[former_member199597]

Ciao Mariano,

Yes and No.

Check note 914268.

Depends on if on ERP the BW part is installed (Self).

So long,

Andreas

[Former Member]

That's right.  And fyi it was txn RSA3 which did not work.