You cannot directly send data from SAP ERP Central Component (ECC) to SAP HANA. To address this issue, SAP has provided the SAP Landscape Transformation system in which you need to configure connections to both ECC and SAP Landscape Transformation.

I explain how to set up the connection between ECC and the SAP Landscape Transformation system and also how to set up a connection between SAP Landscape Transformation system and SAP HANA. I also discuss the functionality of all finance and controlling accelerators, how to use them, and how to resolve any related issues.

Before you read further, it is important to understand what SAP HANA accelerators are, as well as their purposes. To understand SAP HANA accelerators, review the article "Accelerated Finance and Controlling in SAP ERP with SAP HANA."

With the SAP HANA accelerators, you see the following immediate benefits:

• No disruption: SAP HANA leveraged as a secondary database and no modifications are required
• Performance: Leverage SAP HANA performance advantages, gain experience, and combine with other accelerators and SAP HANA studio reports
• Stability: Often no code changes are required; if they are required you can go back to the primary database any time with a simple setting
• Leverage the best concept for your purpose: The SAP HANA accelerators can be used on one system together with application-specific accelerators (e.g., CO-PA) or SAP HANA Analytics (SAP HANA studio-created reports). This means that the SAP HANA accelerator has to be activated before you can use an application-specific accelerator.

The SAP Landscape Transformation System

Now I discuss the SAP Landscape Transformation system, what it is, and where it is used.

SAP Landscape Transformation provides real-time or scheduled data replication from SAP and non-SAP sources with the option to accomplish complex data transformations on the fly. It works at the database level rather than the application level. Replication technology passes the data from the source system (in my example, SAP ERP Central Component [ECC] tables) to the target system (SAP HANA database tables). Although the source can be either an SAP or non-SAP system, the target system is the SAP HANA system that contains the SAP HANA database. I focus on ECC as the source system.

As shown in Figure 1, you set up two connections in the SAP Landscape Transformation system, one for the SAP source system (or non-SAP source system) and one for the SAP HANA system. The SAP Landscape Transformation Replication Server is embedded as middleware in your landscape and can be deployed without disrupting existing operations. You use the software to feed several target systems with real-time information depending on your business scenarios and requirements.

Figure 1

SAP Landscape Transformation Replication Server: SAP ABAP-based data sources

Set Up an SAP Landscape Transformation Process

The SAP Landscape Transformation Replication Server has three different engines: the read engine, the mapping and transformation engine, and the write engine. Once you set up an SAP Landscape Transformation process, whenever a new transaction is posted in ECC the read engine reads data from the ECC system. After that, the mapping and transformation engine maps and converts that data. The write engine writes that data in SAP HANA system tables. All these tasks happen in a fraction of a second. Before you set up an SAP Landscape Transformation process, make sure that SAP Landscape Transformation service is activated. You can validate this using transaction code SICF in your SAP Landscape Transformation system.

Create an RFC Connection Between ECC and the SAP Landscape Transformation System

In this step you create a Remote Function Call (RFC) connection between ECC and the SAP Landscape Transformation system. RFC is the standard SAP interface for communication between SAP systems. With the help of an RFC connection, the read engine in the SAP Landscape Transformation system reads the data from ECC. You also create an SAP HANA schema. An SAP HANA schema is a logical place for creating and maintaining tables, views, and procedures. The same SAP HANA schema is created for all Finance and Controlling accelerators.

Using the SAPGUI, log on to your SAP Landscape Transformation system and enter transaction code LTRC in the command field as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2

Enter transaction code LTRC

The old transaction code was LTR, but now SAP is recommending you use LTRC because it’s less complicated than LTR. This action displays the screen shown in Figure 3. With the help of transaction code LTRC, you are able to create an RFC connection between ECC and SAP Landscape Transformation system and also to create a new schema.

Figure 3

The LT Replication Server cockpit

After you click the Create New Configuration button in Figure 3, the system opens a new window shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4

Available configurations

Click the create icon in Figure 4. The system now displays a new configuration window shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5

Configuration settings

In the screen shown in Figure 5 enter data in the following fields and sections:

• Configuration Name: Specify a name for the configuration. This name is used for the schema that is created automatically in the target system.
• Description (optional): You can specify a description for the configuration.
• Source System: In the Source System section, you can use either an SAP system or a non-SAP system as a source system. Select one of the buttons in this section (for my example, select SAP System).
• RFC Connection: Specify the RFC connection to the source system.
• Allow Multiple Usage: Select this check box if you want to replicate data from an ABAP source system to multiple target systems.
• Read from Single Client: Select this check box if you want to replicate data only from the client that is specified in the RFC destination.

To connect to the SAP HANA system, supply the relevant in-memory database connection information:

• User Name: Specify the user name that will be used to create the schema in the SAP HANA database. Usually this is the system user in the SAP HANA system.
• Hostname: Specify the hostname of the SAP HANA database. This field is limited to 13 characters.
• Instance: This is the instance number of the SAP HANA database.
• Tablespace: If you chose to configure a separate log table space, you can optionally supply this information.

You can choose one of the following replication options:

• Real Time: The trigger-based data replication method that continuously replicates any data changes to the target system. This is the best option once you are live, but to transfer existing data for previous years, you may want to schedule the load as discussed in the below options.
• Schedule by Interval: You can specify a time and frequency for the replication (for example, every 30 minutes or every 12 hours).
• Schedule by Time: You can specify a specific time for the replication (for example, 22:00). The SAP LT Replication Server then replicates any database changes to the target system every day at 22:00.

Select Real Time as it’s suggested by SAP for standard practice. Now click the save icon.

Create a Source DB Connection

In this step you create a database connection between the SAP Landscape Transformation system and the SAP HANA system as shown in Figure 1. With the help of this database connection, after the mapping and transformation engine transforms the data in SAP Landscape Transformation system, the write engine is able to write this data to the SAP HANA system. This configuration is done by the Basis team, but I have mentioned it for information purposes. After you log in to your SAP Landscape Transformation system, enter transaction code DB02 in the command field shown in Figure 6, and press Enter.

Figure 6

Enter transaction code DB02

This action displays the screen in Figure 7.

Figure 7

Click the Add button to set up database connections

Click the Add button. This action opens the new screen shown in Figure 8.

Figure 8

Set up a database connection between SAP Landscape Transformation and SAP HANA

In this step, you need to specify the following information:

• Connection Name: Specify the SAP HANA database connection name. You can get this information from the Basis team.
• Database System: You need to select SAP HANA database from the drop-down list of options as you are creating a connection between SAP Landscape Transformation and the SAP HANA database.
• User Name: Specify the user name used to create the schema in the SAP HANA database. Usually this is the system user in the SAP HANA system.
• Password: Enter your password
• Connection Parameters: This is your database host name and port.

After you click the save icon, your data looks like the data in Figure 9.

Figure 9

Data entered for a database connection between SAP Landscape Transformation and SAP HANA

Now click the green arrow back button (shown in Figure 8). This action returns you to the main screen of transaction code DB02 as shown in Figure 10. Select your connection and click the Test button. The system then shows you that the connection has been established successfully as shown in bottom part of the screen.

Figure 10

Database connection test

To validate the connection, you can use the ADBC_TEST_CONNECTION program. To run this program in both the ECC and SAP Landscape Transformation systems, execute transaction code SA38. In the screen that appears (Figure 11), enter the program name in the Program field and click the execute icon.

Figure 11

Run the ADBC_TEST_CONNECTION program

This action displays the screen shown in Figure 12. In the DB Connection Name field, select your connection and click the execute icon.

Figure 12

SAP HANA DB Connection Name

After you click the execute icon, you receive the message shown in Figure 13.

Figure 13

Testing log

The success message means all the connections are set up correctly, and now you can proceed with the initial SAP HANA load.

Initializing the Replication

You use this procedure to load data into your table definitions. Depending on your requirements, you can perform:

• Initial load: Load all data from a source SAP ERP system into the SAP HANA database by using a load controller or SAP Landscape Transformation. This is mostly applicable when you are loading data from the source for the first time.
• Data replication: Keep the data of selected tables in the SAP HANA database up to date with the source system tables by using SAP Landscape Transformation.

For both options, you need to log in to SAP HANA studio. SAP HANA studio is an Eclipse-based development and administration tool for working with SAP HANA. With the help of SAP HANA studio, you can monitor all the SAP HANA systems from the same place. You can replicate the data from ECC to the SAP HANA database, for example. The SAP Landscape Transformation Replication Server is integrated into the SAP HANA Modeler. The SAP HANA Modeler is used to create various types of views and analytical privileges. Figure 14 shows the SAP HANA Modeler.

Figure 14

SAP HANA Modeler

The SAP HANA Modeler has the following views:

• SAP HANA Systems view: This view displays all SAP HANA systems such as development, quality, and production. Each system has its own set of schemas, tables, and procedures. You can also view the data from tables by right-clicking a table and selecting the menu option Open Data Preview.

• Quick Launch: With the help of the Quick Launch button, you can select the specific system for which you want to view or change settings. You can select the data provisioning to monitor and replicate tables. If you close the Quick Launch button, you can reopen it by selecting Help > Quick Launch.

• Properties view: A view that consists of all the object properties.

• Job Log view: This displays the information about the job, such as how many records were updated and how long it took. It also shows any errors.

Click the Data Provisioning button to display the screen shown in Figure 15.

Figure 15

Data provisioning

Follow these steps to start replication:

1. Select the source system (SAP ECC)

2. Select the target schema (this is equal to your configuration name shown in Figure 5)

3. Click the Load… button to set up data replication

You then see the Replicate Request window (Figure 16).

Figure 16

SAP HANA replication

Select your tables. (This is test system, so all the main tables are replicated and it only shows the tables that are not replicated.) Click the Add button. That table is then selected on the right side. Click the Finish button at the bottom of the Replicate Request window (not shown in Figure 16). This action displays the screen shown in Figure 17. Here you can select multiple tables as well and replicate them all at once.

Figure 17

Data load management with the status of Scheduled

In Figure 17, you can see the Status as Scheduled.

Click the refresh icon or press F5. After a few seconds the status turns to In Process (Figure 18).

Figure 18

Data load management with the status of In Process

Click the refresh icon again. Now your replication is done, and the status turns to Executed as shown in Figure 19.

Figure 19

Data load management with the status of Executed

Now select the replicated table on the left as shown in Figure 20. Right-click that table and select the Open Data Preview option.

Figure 20

Tables in the schema

After you click Open Data Preview, you see that tables have been replicated from ECC to the SAP HANA database as shown in Figure 21.

Figure 21

Preview showing replicated tables

Other buttons are available for data load management for different purposes, as shown in Figure 22.

Figure 22

Other options

Use the Stop Replication… button to finish replication. Use the Suspend… button to pause replication. Use the Resume… button to continue replication. Use the Jobs… button to schedule the replication.

How to Use Different SAP HANA Accelerators

Table 1 shows the functional scope of Finance and Controlling accelerators. It shows which functions are accelerated for separate applications for the Finance and Controlling accelerators. It also shows that for some applications, data sources and virtual InfoProviders are available for SAP Business Warehouse (SAP BW) reporting.

As stated in Table 1, point 4, new SAP HANA database tables for aggregate reporting are introduced for material ledger reporting. These new HANA DB tables for aggregate reporting are FCML_MAT, FCML_REP, FCML_CCS_REP, FCML_ALT, and FCML_PROC.

Acceleration of BW extraction: The enhanced extractor combines reading data from SAP ERP and reading data from SAP HANA. Review SAP Note 1664155 for more information.

There are two transaction codes for SAP HANA accelerators for ERP and CO-PA.

• SAP HANA accelerators for ERP: transaction code HDBC
• SAP HANA accelerator for CO-PA: transaction code KEHC

I first discuss the SAP HANA accelerators for ERP.

SAP HANA Accelerators for ERP

SAP has provided the new transaction code HDBC to view or change settings for SAP HANA accelerators as shown in Figure 23.

Figure 23

SAP HANA accelerator application settings

Figure 23 lists all the SAP HANA accelerators except CO-PA: Financials, Overhead Cost Controlling, Product Cost Controlling, Material Ledger, Investment Management, Materials Management, and Sales and Distribution. Here you are not seeing CO-PA because you haven’t run function module RKE_HDBC_SAVE. If you run this function module you can see the CO-PA accelerator in HDBC. You have the option to select or not to select a particular accelerator based on your requirement. To save costs, you should replicate only the critical tables that you need rather than all tables.

Global Settings

Now I review the Global Settings for All Applications node in Figure 23. The first section is Connection. Here you can see the DB Connection Name field for SAP Landscape Transformation and you can also see the Status field. If the status is green, that means SAP Landscape Transformation is working. If it is red, then you need to check with the database team as well at the Basis team to find out the root cause.

If you turn on the Global Switch option, all the reports and transactions supported by SAP HANA fetch data from SAP HANA database. If you turn off this switch, all the reports and transactions run from the ECC database. Also this switch shuts off all the SAP HANA accelerators. Make sure this switch is always turned on. If you have an issue with a specific accelerator, you can just turn off that application.

In the User Specific Activation section you can assign SAP HANA access to all users or specific users so that they can run the relevant reports and transactions from SAP HANA. You can give access to specific users at the start of project during testing and validation and then you can give it to all users to perform their daily tasks.

Hierarchy Settings

The next node is Hierarchies. This replicates all the set tables related to cost center groups, profit center groups, account groups, cost element groups, and order groups. As shown in Figure 24, there is also an on-off application switch specifically for just this application. The green status shows that the connection is okay between SAP Landscape Transformation and ECC. It indicates real-time replication between ECC and SAP HANA.

Figure 24

Hierarchies

Now if you click the Replication Tables tab, you see all the tables that are being replicated through the Hierarchies application as shown in Figure 25. If you deselect the Application Switch radio button (Figure 24), the tables shown in Figure 25 will not be replicated. This tab is only for informational purposes. You cannot change anything in the Replication Tables tab.

Figure 25

Hierarchies showing replication tables

The Replication Options tab shows which replication type you are using (SAP Landscape Transformation in this case) and also information about tables that are being replicated, such as HDB (SAP HANA database) status, ERP status, number of records replicated, and the last time stamp of replication, as shown in Figure 26. This tab is also only for informational purposes. You cannot change anything in this tab.

Figure 26

Replication options

Using the Hierarchy Selection tab, you can select which hierarchies you want to replicate as shown in Figure 27. For my example, use Cost Center Groups.

Figure 27

The Hierarchy Selection tab

To add or change the specific cost center hierarchy, click the change icon . This action displays the sceen shown in Figure 28 in which you see all the existing hierarchies that are being replicated.

Figure 28

Add or delete cost center groups

As you can see see in Figure 28, you can easily add or delete a set. Only these sets will be replicated. Now I proceed with the actual SAP HANA accelerators, which have specific functions.

Finance Accelerators

There are different applications under the Finance accelerator as shown in the Financials section of Figure 29. These accelerators are used for different purposes, such as General Ledger Accounting (New), Asset Accounting, Customer Accounts, Vendor Accounts, and Profit Center Accounting. To display the screen shown in Figure 29, execute transaction code HDBC.

Figure 29

Finance accelerators

As shown in Figure 29, an application switch and user-specific activation functions are available at a lower hierarchy level. If you click the Replication Tables tab, the system shows all the tables that are being replicated as shown in Figure 30.

Figure 30

Replication tables

If you click the Replication Options tab, you see all the table details that were listed in Figure 26. Following is one sub-application example. The remaining sub-applications have the same features. Under Financials, click the Line Item Browser sub-application under General Ledger Accounting (New) as shown in Figure 31.

Figure 31

Click the Line Item Browser

As you can see there is an application switch on-off switch. You can specifically turn on or turn off this application only. In the same way you can also activate this application for a particular user or for all users.

If you click the Replication Tables tab, it shows only those tables that are being used for the Line Item Browser application. In the same way the Replication Options tab shows the details about tables. Transactions supported in the Finance accelerator are shown in Table 2.

Note
The Finance accelerator supports the classic General Ledger, SAP General Ledger, classic Profit Center Accounting, and Special Ledger (FXI1).

The Overhead Cost Controlling Accelerator

The Overhead Cost Controlling accelerator supports the functionalities shown in Table 3.

The Overhead Cost Controlling accelerator has an on/off application switch so that you can run reports from SAP HANA and ECC and compare them to validate that both are in sync.

The Product Cost Controlling Accelerator

The Product Cost Controlling accelerator supports the functionalities shown in Table 4.

The Product Cost Controlling accelerator has an on/off application switch so that you can run reports from SAP HANA and ECC and compare them to validate.

The Material Ledger Accelerator

The Material Ledger accelerator supports the functionalities shown in Table 5.

In my article "How to Create Drill-Down Reports for the Material Ledger," I discuss running a material ledger report using transaction code KKML0. If you haven’t implemented the Material Ledger accelerator, then it uses ECC tables by default. However, if you have implemented the Material Ledger accelerator and the application switch is on for the drill-down reporting sub-application as shown in Figure 32, then it uses SAP HANA database tables instead of ECC database tables, which makes this report run much faster than when you use ECC database tables.

Figure 32

The Application Switch selected for drill-down reporting

If the application switch for Period End Closing is on, you can run the Material Selection and Post closing step in the material ledger closing run in transaction code CKMLCP. After you execute transaction code CKMLCP or follow menu path SAP Easy Access > SAP Menu > Accounting > Controlling > Product cost controlling > Actual Costing/Material Ledger > Actual Costing > Edit Costing Run, you can see the screen shown in Figure 33.

Figure 33

The material ledger Costing Cockpit

If you click the parameter icon for the Selection flow step as shown in Figure 33, the system displays the screen shown in Figure 34.

Figure 34

Selection parameter for material selection – Application Switch is off

If you click the parameter icon for the Post Closing flow step as shown in Figure 33, the system displays the screen shown in Figure 35.

Figure 35

Selection parameters for material selection – Application Switch is on

The material ledger closing run is discussed in more detail in the article "Ensure Accurate Inventory Valuation by Using Actual Costing Functionality." If the Application Switch radio button Off is selected, then the SAP HANA DB Used flag is not displayed on the screen as shown in Figure 34. If the Application Switch radio button On is selected, then SAP HANA DB Used flag is displayed on the screen as shown in Figure 35. If you select the SAP HANA DB Used check box, the system uses relevant tables from the SAP HANA database, not from the ECC database. That significantly improves the performance.

The SAP COPA Accelerator

Carsten Hilker has already written an article on the CO-PA accelerator titled "Make Profitability Management More Proactive with the SAP CO-PA Accelerator." So I cover only a few technical aspects of it.

Execute transaction code KEHC to use the CO-PA accelerator as shown in Figure 36. Instead of an on-off application switch, SAP has provided a check box.

Figure 36

The CO-PA accelerator

The CO-PA accelerator supports the functionalities shown in Table 6.

Now that you know how each accelerator is being used, in the next step I focus on issues related to SAP HANA, how to troubleshoot them, and how to resolve them.

Resolve Issues Related to SAP HANA

If there is any connection-related issue, you need to complete these checks. Check the status of each application in the ERP Accelerator: Settings (transaction code HDBC) and CO-PA Accelerator: Settings (transaction code KEHC) transactions. For example, after you execute transaction code KEHC, the screen in Figure 37 appears. Note that the status for the connection must be green as shown in Figure 37. You can drill down to each application and validate. If there is any issue in any connection, that particular application shows the status of red.

Figure 37

Check the SAP HANA connection

Sometimes even though the system status is green, you can see that some tables are not being replicated due to other errors. To validate this, you need to log in to SAP HANA studio and select the system as shown in Figure 38.

Figure 38

SAP HANA studio

After selecting the system, click the Data Provisioning button to open the screen, as shown in Figure 39. One table has an error message. You need to work with the Basis and database teams to find out the root cause so they can fix this issue and reload the data again for that particular table. After that if you click the refresh icon, the status is In Process.

Figure 39

Data provisioning

Sometimes even though there is no issue in the connection, you face a synchronization problem. Sometimes users will complain that a few transactions are not reflected in SAP HANA. To validate that, you have two options.

Option 1 is to check the number of records in ECC and SAP HANA using transaction code SE16H, . a new transaction provided by SAP to check table entries in the SAP HANA database. You can also use the same transaction to check ECC tables, as shown in Figure 40.

Figure 40

SE16H table details

If you provide the database connection, the system gets the information from SAP HANA database tables. If you keep it blank, it gets data from ECC database tables. With the help of this funtionality, you can validate the number of records in ECC and SAP HANA and determine if you are missing a few entries.

Option 2 is to run the report for ECC and SAP HANA individually. For example, if you have the same transaction in SAP HANA and ECC, such as AR01, then you can run transaction code AR01 from SAP HANA when the Asset Accounting switch is on and then you can run it from ECC when this switch is off. After that you can validate the data between ECC and SAP HANA.

If there are missing records in SAP HANA tables, then you again need to contact the Basis and database teams. They will run the stats on particular tables. That loads all the delta tables, which will resolve your issues.

Add new value fields in CO-PA. If you are using the CO-PA accelerator, then adding a value field is not as easy as it looks. You need to perform these steps:

• Create a new value field in ECC using transaction code KEA6.
• Regenerate the Operating Concern using transaction code KEA0.
• Deactivate the CO-PA Accelerator Ac check box shown in Figure 36. Drop all the CO-PA tables from the SAP HANA database (CE1XXXX, CE2XXXX, CE3XXXX, and CE4XXXX). The Basis team can do this.
• Move the transport to the quality or production systems of the newly added value fields
• Regenerate the operating concern
• Activate the CO-PA Accelerator Ac check box as shown in Figure 36. Reload all the CO-PA tables in SAP HANA as discussed in the section on initializing the replication as shown in Figure 16.