1. Load the material master InfoPackage

2. If the load is successful, trigger event E1 (Subsequent Processing button)

3. If E1 is triggered, load the customer master data InfoPackage

4. If the load is successful, trigger event E2

Event chains, called event collectors in BW 3.x, are groups of several events that have been successfully or unsuccessfully completed independently of each other. The result of all the events combined could trigger another event, to which background processing should respond. You can access event chains via transaction code RSA1 and then menu path Tools>Event Chains (or Event Collector in BW 3.x). For example:

1. Define event collector: C1 = both E1 and E2 successful. If true, trigger event E3

2. If E3 is triggered, load sales transactions InfoPackage

For more information about these tools, see https://help.sap.com and go to SAP NetWeaver>SAP Business Information Warehouse>SAP BW 3.1 Content>English>Business Information Warehouse: overview>Administrator Workbench>Administration>Process Control.

Getting back to your question, BW 2.x provides no means to view the relationships among processes linked indirectly by events as a chain. But hope is not lost! With BW 3.0, SAP has replaced event chains with process chains. Process chains (transaction code RSPC) significantly improve automatic process control, and, as shown by Figure 1, will solve your problem. Not only do process chains show you what you want to see, they do so graphically and with much more functionality. For example, failed processes can easily send email alerts.

Figure 1

Process chains show relationships among processes graphically

BW 3.x still supports process control using subsequent processing events and event collectors, but those tools will not be functionally enhanced. SAP recommends that you use process chains whenever you need to redo the methods discussed above.

Ned Falk

Ned Falk is a senior education consultant at SAP. In prior positions, he implemented many ERP solutions, including SAP R/3. While at SAP, he initially focused on logistics. Now he focuses on SAP HANA, SAP BW (formerly SAP NetWeaver BW), SAP CRM, and the integration of SAP BW and SAP BusinessObjects tools. You can meet him in person when he teaches SAP HANA, SAP BW, or SAP CRM classes from the Atlanta SAP office, or in a virtual training class over the web. If you need an SAP education plan for SAP HANA, SAP BW, BusinessObjects, or SAP CRM, you may contact Ned via email.

You may contact the author at ned.falk@sap.com.

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