SAP Business Warehouse (BW / BW4HANA) is SAP’s data warehousing platform: a layered warehouse, an ETL engine and a semantic reporting layer in one product. Every column in it is a globally registered object.
Dawiso catalogues the BW metadata repository over RFC. The scan covers the full estate: the source systems data arrives from, the staging and transformation layers, and the BEx queries people run. It also captures column-level lineage and report usage statistics.
Supported versions
- SAP BW/4HANA — fully supported
- SAP BW 7.x — supported; some object types below exist only in classic BW and are empty on BW/4HANA (for example InfoCubes, which BW/4HANA replaces with DataStore Objects and CompositeProviders)
Metadata is read with two standard function modules, RFC_PING and RFC_READ_TABLE. Nothing is installed in the SAP system. See Prepare for SAP BW integration.
Default hierarchy
In the chart below, you will find the organizational structure of SAP BW objects. Objects are represented in green and folders are in yellow. The InfoArea tree is the main branch, mirroring how BW itself organizes the warehouse. Objects that live outside that tree are grouped into their own top-level folders.
Empty folders are hidden, so a BW/4HANA system shows no InfoCubes folder.
How SAP BW objects map to familiar concepts
Useful when explaining the catalogue to people who do not work in SAP:
| SAP BW | Comparable to |
|---|---|
| InfoArea | A folder or schema — organization only |
| Source System | A connected source database or application |
| DataSource | An extractor definition in the source — an ingestion stream |
| DataStore / ADSO | The physical table where data lands and is layered |
| CompositeProvider | A view that unions or joins several ADSOs for reporting |
| Open ODS View | A federated view directly on a source, with no copy of the data |
| InfoObject | A globally reusable column definition — a characteristic (dimension) or key figure (measure) |
| Transformation | The ETL mapping — field-to-field rules, formulas and routines |
| Data Transfer Process (DTP) | The load job that runs one transformation |
| Process Chain | The orchestration schedule that sequences DTPs |
| BEx Query | The report definition consumed by Excel (Analysis for Office) or Power BI |
| Calculated Key Figure | A calculated measure, reusable across reports |
| Restricted Key Figure | A measure with a filter built in |
| Open Hub Destination | An export target — where BW data leaves for a file, table or third party |
Data lineage
| Edge | Level | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| Source System → DataSource | object | deterministic |
| DataSource → Transformation / DTP | object | deterministic |
| Transformation / DTP → ADSO, CompositeProvider, InfoObject, InfoSource, Open ODS View | object | deterministic |
| ADSO → ADSO (staging chains) | object | deterministic |
| ADSO / Open ODS View → CompositeProvider (composition) | object | deterministic |
| InfoProvider → BEx Query | object | deterministic |
| Calculated / Restricted Key Figure → BEx Query | object | deterministic |
| Transformation / DTP → Open Hub Destination | object | deterministic |
| Process Chain → DTP, Process Chain → Process Chain | object | deterministic |
| InfoProvider Field → InfoProvider Field | column | deterministic |
Column-level lineage is derived from the field-level rules inside each transformation, so a single characteristic or key figure can be traced from the report it feeds back through every staging layer to the DataSource it entered on.
On a reference production system this produced roughly 49,000 objects and 49,000 lineage relationships, of which about 34,500 were column-to-column.
Object types
Dawiso ingests the following objects from SAP BW. All scanned attributes are read-only in Dawiso.
InfoArea
Groups the warehouse into subject areas. InfoAreas nest inside one another.
Maps to InfoArea object type.
| Source Attribute | Target Attribute in Dawiso |
|---|---|
| DESCRIPTION | Scanned Description |
InfoCube
The classic BW multidimensional store. Present only on classic BW systems — empty on BW/4HANA.
Maps to InfoCube object type.
| Source Attribute | Target Attribute in Dawiso |
|---|---|
| DESCRIPTION | Scanned Description |
| CUBE_TYPE | Cube Type |
| OBJECT_VERSION | Object Version |
DataStore / ADSO
The physical store where data is persisted and layered. The BW/4HANA replacement for classic InfoCubes and DataStore Objects.
Maps to DataStore / ADSO object type.
| Source Attribute | Target Attribute in Dawiso |
|---|---|
| DESCRIPTION | Scanned Description |
| VARIANT | Variant |
| OBJECT_VERSION | Object Version |
CompositeProvider
A union or join over several providers, used as the reporting layer.
Maps to CompositeProvider object type.
| Source Attribute | Target Attribute in Dawiso |
|---|---|
| DESCRIPTION | Scanned Description |
| OBJECT_VERSION | Object Version |
InfoObject
The globally reusable column definition — a characteristic, key figure, unit or time characteristic.
Maps to InfoObject object type.
| Source Attribute | Target Attribute in Dawiso |
|---|---|
| DESCRIPTION | Scanned Description |
| IOBJ_TYPE | InfoObject Type |
| DATA_TYPE | Data Type |
| DATA_LENGTH | Length |
| OBJECT_VERSION | Object Version |
InfoProvider Field
A field of a DataStore Object, a CompositeProvider or an InfoCube. This is the object that carries column-level lineage.
Maps to InfoProvider Field object type.
| Source Attribute | Target Attribute in Dawiso |
|---|---|
| DESCRIPTION | Scanned Description |
DataSource
The extractor definition that brings data into BW from a source system.
Maps to DataSource object type.
| Source Attribute | Target Attribute in Dawiso |
|---|---|
| DESCRIPTION | Scanned Description |
| SOURCE_SYSTEM | Source System |
| OBJECT_VERSION | Object Version |
Transformation
The mapping between a source and a target, including its field-level rules.
Maps to Transformation object type.
| Source Attribute | Target Attribute in Dawiso |
|---|---|
| DESCRIPTION | Scanned Description |
| SOURCE_TYPE | Source Type |
| SOURCE_NAME | Source Object |
| TARGET_TYPE | Target Type |
| TARGET_NAME | Target Object |
| OBJECT_VERSION | Object Version |
Data Transfer Process
The Data Transfer Process — the load process that moves data using a transformation.
Maps to Data Transfer Process object type.
| Source Attribute | Target Attribute in Dawiso |
|---|---|
| DESCRIPTION | Scanned Description |
| SOURCE_TYPE | Source Type |
| SOURCE_NAME | Source Object |
| TARGET_TYPE | Target Type |
| TARGET_NAME | Target Object |
| EXTRACTION_MODE | Extraction Mode |
BEx Query
The BEx query: the report definition consumed by Analysis for Office or Power BI. Carries authorship, change history and usage statistics.
Maps to BEx Query object type.
| Source Attribute | Target Attribute in Dawiso |
|---|---|
| DESCRIPTION | Scanned Description |
| COMP_UID | Component UID |
| QUERY_TYPE | Query Type |
| INFO_AREA | InfoArea |
| AUTHOR | Author |
| LAST_CHANGED_BY | Last Changed By |
| CREATED_DATE | Created |
| CHANGED_DATE | Last Changed |
| OBJECT_VERSION | Object Version |
| EXECUTION_COUNT | Execution Count |
| DISTINCT_USERS | Distinct Users |
| LAST_USED_DATE | Last Used |
| AVG_RUNTIME_SEC | Avg Runtime (s) |
| TECHNICAL_NAME | Technical Name |
Query Attribute
A characteristic or key figure placed on an axis of a query.
Maps to Query Attribute object type.
| Source Attribute | Target Attribute in Dawiso |
|---|---|
| DESCRIPTION | Scanned Description |
| AXIS | Axis |
| TECHNICAL_NAME | Technical Name |
| TEXT_LONG | Long Description |
| ORDINAL_POSITION | Position |
Query Filter
A restriction applied by a query.
Maps to Query Filter object type.
| Source Attribute | Target Attribute in Dawiso |
|---|---|
| DESCRIPTION | Scanned Description |
| FILTER_CHARACTERISTIC | Filter Characteristic |
| FILTER_OPERATOR | Operator |
| FILTER_SIGN | Include/Exclude |
| FILTER_VALUE | Filter Value |
Source System
The connected system that data originates from.
Maps to Source System object type.
InfoSource
An intermediate staging structure between a DataSource and its target.
Maps to InfoSource object type.
| Source Attribute | Target Attribute in Dawiso |
|---|---|
| DESCRIPTION | Scanned Description |
| INFO_AREA | InfoArea |
Open Hub Destination
An outbound target where BW data is exported to a file, table or third party.
Maps to Open Hub Destination object type.
| Source Attribute | Target Attribute in Dawiso |
|---|---|
| DESCRIPTION | Scanned Description |
| DESTINATION_TYPE | Destination Type |
Open ODS View
A federated view directly onto a source, with no copy of the data.
Maps to Open ODS View object type.
| Source Attribute | Target Attribute in Dawiso |
|---|---|
| DESCRIPTION | Scanned Description |
| INFO_AREA | InfoArea |
Calculated Key Figure
A reusable calculated measure.
Maps to Calculated Key Figure object type.
| Source Attribute | Target Attribute in Dawiso |
|---|---|
| DESCRIPTION | Scanned Description |
| COMP_UID | Component UID |
| AUTHOR | Author |
| LAST_CHANGED_BY | Last Changed By |
| CREATED_DATE | Created |
| CHANGED_DATE | Last Changed |
Restricted Key Figure
A reusable measure with a restriction built in.
Maps to Restricted Key Figure object type.
| Source Attribute | Target Attribute in Dawiso |
|---|---|
| DESCRIPTION | Scanned Description |
| COMP_UID | Component UID |
| INFO_AREA | InfoArea |
| AUTHOR | Author |
| LAST_CHANGED_BY | Last Changed By |
| CREATED_DATE | Created |
| CHANGED_DATE | Last Changed |
Query Variable
A reusable report parameter or prompt.
Maps to Query Variable object type.
| Source Attribute | Target Attribute in Dawiso |
|---|---|
| DESCRIPTION | Scanned Description |
| COMP_UID | Component UID |
| INFO_AREA | InfoArea |
| AUTHOR | Author |
| LAST_CHANGED_BY | Last Changed By |
| CREATED_DATE | Created |
| CHANGED_DATE | Last Changed |
Process Chain
The scheduled orchestration that sequences DTPs and other steps.
Maps to Process Chain object type.
| Source Attribute | Target Attribute in Dawiso |
|---|---|
| DESCRIPTION | Scanned Description |
| CHAIN_STATUS | Chain Status |
| IS_ACTIVE | Active |
| LAST_CHANGED_BY | Last Changed By |
| CREATED_DATE | Created |
| APPLICATION | Application Component |
| SCHEDULE_TYPE | Schedule Type |
| SCHEDULE_PERIOD | Schedule Period |
| NEXT_START | Next Start |
| STEP_COUNT | Steps |
Report usage statistics
BEx queries carry usage taken from SAP’s OLAP statistics: how many times a report was executed, how many distinct people ran it, when it was last used, and its average runtime. This makes it possible to distinguish reports in active use from those nobody has opened, and to identify slow reports.
Only an aggregated count of distinct users is stored — individual SAP user IDs never enter the catalogue.
Limitations
- Descriptions of DataStore Objects and CompositeProviders are not available. SAP stores them in column types that the RFC table interface cannot return, so these objects show their technical names. The same applies to the literal values of query filters (the characteristic and operator are captured) and to CompositeProvider definitions.
- Lineage does not pass through a CompositeProvider at column level. A CompositeProvider’s union and join definition is stored in a format that cannot be read over RFC, so column lineage is complete below and above it but not through it.
- BEx queries and their elements have labels, not descriptions. SAP stores a short (20-character) and a long (60-character) label for a query, a key figure or a variable — there is no free-text description field behind them. The catalogue shows the long label, so a query’s description repeats its name rather than adding detail. Where a business description is needed, maintain it in Dawiso.
- CompositeProvider fields are not listed under the CompositeProvider. They are scanned, and they carry column-level lineage — on a reference production system 830 CompositeProvider fields feed 8,127 of the field-to-field relationships into DataStore Object fields. What is missing is the placement: the catalogue shows a Fields folder under DataStore Objects and InfoCubes but not under a CompositeProvider, so a CompositeProvider shows its Queries only. The fields stay reachable through search and through the lineage graph.
- The contents of ABAP routines inside transformations are not analyzed. Where a transformation rule is implemented as custom ABAP, the field-to-field relationship is captured but the logic inside the routine is not.
- Objects not catalogued: InfoPackages, analysis authorizations, and BW planning objects (aggregation levels) beyond those listed above.
- Analysis for Office workbooks are catalogued only if they are stored in BW; workbooks saved client-side are not visible to the scan.
- Object types belonging to classic BW (InfoCubes, MultiProviders, classic DataStore Objects, InfoSets) appear only if the system actually contains them.
Setup
- Prepare for SAP BW integration — SAP user, authorizations and the RFC libraries
- Create SAP BW connection
- Create SAP BW data source