Financial Accounting: Procedure for Line Item Extraction

General Comments on Extraction Procedure

 
The consistent data extraction in the delta procedure is possible for line items from General Ledger Accounting (FI-GL) and selected subledgers (Accounts Receivable (FI-AR) and Accounts Payable (FI-AP)) and tax reporting with effect from SAP BW 3.1 Content. The extraction procedure delivered with the business content for SAP BW 2.0B, which is based on the DataSources 0FI_AR_3 and 0FI_AP_3, can be replaced. This is described in note 410797.

The decisive advantage of choosing R/3 line item tables as the data source is that additional fields can be transferred to the BW. These are not available for the transaction figures. This provides more extensive and flexible analysis options in BW. 

To enter a consistent delta dataset, you can use any of the following InfoSources (with the corresponding DataSources and extractors in SAP R/3):
Application    InfoSource        Name    

  
FI-GL            0FI_GL_4        General ledger: Line Items       

FI-AP            0FI_AP_4        Accounts payable: Line Items       

FI-AR            0FI_AR_4        Accounts receivable: Line Items     

 
FI-TX            0FI_TAX_4      General ledger: Data for taxes on sales and   

                                        purchases     

For the General Ledger, selection is made from the tables BKPF and BSEG, while selection for the subledgers is made from tables BSID/BSAD (Accounts Receivable) and BSIK/BSAK (Accounts Payable). InfoSource 0FI_GL_4 transfers only those fields that are relevant for General Ledger Accounting from the Financial Accounting document (tables BKPF and BSEG) to the BW system.

The consistent recording of data from General Ledger Accounting and Subledger Accounting is provided by means of coupled delta extraction in the time stamp procedure. General ledger accounting is the main process in delta mode and provides subsidiary ledger extraction with time stamp information (time intervals of previously selected general ledger line items). This time stamp information can also be used for a loading history: this shows which line items have previously been extracted from the SAP R/3 system.

Delta Method

 
Delta extraction enables you to load into BW only that data that has been added or has changed since the last extraction event. Data that has already been loaded and has not changed is not extracted and does not need to be deleted before a new load. This improves performance compared with periodic extraction of the entire dataset. 

Financial Accounting line items are read by extractors directly from the tables in SAP R/3. A time stamp on the line items serves to identify the status of the delta data. Time stamp intervals that have already been read are stored in a time stamp table. The delta dataset is transferred to BW directly, without records being transferred to the delta queue in SAP R/3 (extractor delta method). 

The Financial Accounting line items are extracted from SAP R/3 in their most recent status (after-image delta method). This delta procedure is not suitable for filling InfoCubes in BW directly. Therefore, firstly, the line items must be loaded in the BW system in an ODS object that identifies the changes made to individual characteristics and key figures within a delta data record. Other data destinations (InfoCubes, ODS objects) can be provided with data from this ODS object.

If the ODS object permits BEx Reporting, queries can be defined directly there.

Time Stamp Method

With Financial Accounting line items that have been posted in SAP R/3 since the last data request, the extractors identify the following delta dataset using the time stamp in the document header (BKPF-CPUDT).
When a delta dataset has been selected successfully, SAP R/3 logs two time stamps that delimit a selection interval for a DataSource in table BWOM2_TIMEST:
 
Field Name             Key       Description       

MANDT                    X         Client       

OLTPSOURCE            X         DataSource       

AEDAT                     X         SYSTEM: Date       

AETIM                      X         SYSTEM: Time       

UPDMODE                            Data update mode (full, delta, delta init)      

TS_LOW                              Lower limit of the time selection (time stamp  

                                          in seconds since 1.1.1990)       

TS_HIGH                             Upper limit of the time selection (time stamp 

                                          in seconds since 1.1.1990)       

LAST_TS                              Flag: 'X' = Last time stamp interval of the  

                                          delta extraction       

TZONE                                Time zone      

DAYST                                 Daylight saving time active?     

The time stamps are determined from the system date and time and converted to the format seconds since 1.1.1990, taking into account the time zone and daylight saving time. To ensure correct and unique reconversion to date and time, the time zone and daylight saving time must be stored in table BWOM2_TIMEST. 

Table BWOM2_TIMEST therefore serves to document the loading history of Financial Accounting line items. It also provides defined restart points following incorrect data requests.

To provide a better overview, the time stamps in the example table are entered in the date format. The columns TZONE and DAYST were omitted:

OLTPSOURCE     AEDAT/AETIM   UPD    DATE_LOW    DATE_HIGH    LAST_TS       
0FI_GL_4    16.05.2004/20:15    Init       01.01.1990   15.05.2004           
                 24.05.2004/16:59    Delta    16.05.2004    23.05.2004           
                 02.06.2004/21:45    Delta    24.06.2004    01.06.2004           
                 15.06.2004/12:34    Delta    02.06.2004    14.06.2004           
                 21.06.2004/18:12    Delta    15.06.2004    20.06.2004      X    

  
0FI_AP_4    18.05.2004/21:23    Init    01.01.1990    15.05.2004           
                 30.05.2004/12:48    Delta    16.05.2004    23.05.2004           
                 10.06.2004/13:19    Delta    24.06.2004    01.06.2004      X      

0FI_AR_4    17.05.2004/18:45    Init    01.01.1990    15.05.2004           
                 04.06.2004/13:32    Delta    16.05.2004    01.06.2004           
                 16.06.2004/15:41    Delta    02.06.2004    14.06.2004      X       

0FI_TX_4    17.05.2004/18:45    Init    01.01.1990    15.05.2004           
                 04.06.2004/13:32    Delta    16.05.2004    01.06.2004           
                 16.06.2004/15:41    Delta    02.06.2004    14.06.2004      X 

  
Constraints

Per day, no more than one delta dataset can be transferred for InforSource 0FI_GL_4. The extracted data therefore has the status of the previous day. For further data requests on the same day, the InfoSource does not provide any data. However, you can change this standard delivery. For more information, see note 485958.

In delta mode, data requests with InfoSource 0FI_AR_4 and InfoSource 0FI_AP_4 do not provide any data if no new extraction has taken place with InfoSource 0FI_GL_4 since the last data transfer. This ensures that the data in BW for Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable Accounting is exactly as up to date as the data for General Ledger Accounting.

Recording Changed Line Items

In the case of Financial Accounting line items that have been changed since the last data request in SAP R/3, there is no reliable time stamp that can document the time of the last change. For this reason, all line items that are changed in a way relevant for BW must be logged in the system. Changed line items, together with the document key and the time of the last change are recorded in table BWFI_AEDAT:
 
Field Name    Key    Description       

MANDT           X       Client       

BUKRS           X       Company code       

BELNR           X       Accounting document number       

GJAHR           X       Fiscal year      

AEDAT                    Date of last document change       

AETIM                    Time of last document change   



MANDT    BUKRS       BELNR          GJAHR       AEDAT            AETIM        

600         1000       1900000010     2001      21.02.2001      10:23:17       

600         1000       1000000016     2001      21.02.2001     10:28:34     

Using the log table and the time stamp procedure described above, the extractors can find a delta dataset from changed Financial Accounting line items. The changed line items are recorded in the following transactions:

•     Manual changing of Financial Accounting line items
•     Clearing line items
•     Changing dunning data for a line item

Prerequisite

To be able to record changed line items, various update programs in SAP R/3 need to be changed. Therefore, the following support packages must be implemented:

Release    Support Package       

 
4.0B           64      
4.5B           42      
4.6B           30      
4.6C           22     

If these support packages are not implemented in your system, see note 401646.

Recording of the changed line items must be started a reasonable amount of time (see notes 401646 and 663539) before the first data request in update mode initialization of the data method. For this purpose, add the following entry in table TPS31 using transaction SM30 (view maintenance):

Process           Lnd              Applic.          Function module       

00005011                                          BWFIP_WRITE_AEDAT_POINTER   

If you delete the last initialization selection in the source system for the InfoSources 0FI_*_4 in the BW system Administrator Workbench, the entry from table TPS31 is also removed. This stops recording of changed line items in table BWFI_AEDAT. Existing data in table BWFI_AEDAT is also deleted. Before a new data request can be made in the update mode initialization of the delta method, the entry must be added again to table TPS31.

Linking InfoSources

 
As of Plug-In 2002.2, it is no longer necessary to have DataSources linked. This means that you can now load 0FI_GL_4, 0FI_AR_4, 0FI_AP_4, and 0FI_TX_4 in any order. You also have the option of using DataSources 0FI_AR_4, 0FI_AP_4 and 0FI_TX_4 separately without 0FI_GL_4. The DataSources can then be used independently of one another (see note 551044).

As soon as DataSource 0FI_GL_4 is loaded, it is the leading DataSource with regard to the time limits – such as maximum time (CPU date) – up to which data extraction is allowed. Therefore, when the transition is made from having data requirements in Delta Init mode to having them in pure Delta operation, the data requirement in delta mode of leading DataSource (OFI_GL_4) must be processed first. 

Linking of DataSources in the delta helps to ensure consistent extraction of FI data with regard to time limits. Consistency with regard to the data extracted has to be ensured via the init selection criteria (see below).

Partioned Initial Data Requests

 
As of Plug-In 2002.2 SAP BW 3.1 Content, selections by company code and fiscal year/period are possible for DataSources 0FI_AR_4, 0FI_AP_4 and 0FI_TX_4. Partioned data requests are therefore possible in Delta Init mode. Selections for data requests in Delta Init mode are then managed separately for each DataSource.

If you want extraction to be consistent, you have to choose the same Init selection criteria (company code and fiscal year/period) for all DataSources. 

Customer Enhancements of the Extraction Structure

 
You can enhance the extraction structures for DataSources 0FI_GL_4, 0FI_AP_4, 0FI_AR_4, and OFI_TX_4 in the SAP R/3 system by creating user-defined include structures or using transaction RSA6. The following customer includes are supported:

Application                DataSource    R/3 Table       Include Structure     

 
General Ledger          0FI_GL_4       BSEG/BKPF       CI_BSIS       

Accounts Receivable   0FI_AR_4       BSIK / BSAK     CI_BSIK       

Accounts Payable       0FI_AP_4       BSID / BSAD     CI_BSID       

Taxes                       0FI_TX_4       BSET               CI_BSET     

•  If all fields in the customer include structure are contained in the above-mentioned R/3 table, no further ABAP programming is required. In this case, the fields in the customer include structure are automatically supplied with data by the DataSource extractor. 

•  If there are fields in the customer include structure that are not contained in the above-mentioned R/3 able, these fields cant be filled using a function module created by the user. For more information see note 410799. Alternatively you can use the BW standard exits for extractor enhancements. Programs from the SAP standard are not modified by this customer interface.

Global Settings

 
For the transferal of line items from Financial Accounting, important global settings can be made in SAP R/3 in table BWOM_SETTINGS. To do this, change the table using transaction SE16 (table maintenance):

OLTPSOURCE     PARAM_NAME    PARAM_VALUE    Default Value      

 
<space>             BWFILOWLIM     YYYYMMDD          19910101      
<space>              BWFISAFETY       <Days>                 1      
<space>             ORGSYSONLY    <space> or X        <space>      
<space>             DELTIMEST        <Days>                  60      
<space>             BWFIOVERLA    <space> or X        <space>      
<space>             BWFITIMBOR        <Time>             020000     

•          BWFILOWLIM

Here, you can set the lower time limit of the time stamp selection for data requests in update mode initialization of the delta method. Together with the selection criteria, this parameter is a decisive factor for the data volume with data requests in this update mode.

•         BWFISAFETY

Here, you can set the upper time limit of the time stamp selection for data requests in all update modes. If the parameter has a value 1, the upper time limit of the time stamp selection is the previous day. Where the parameter values are larger than 1, the upper time limit of the time stamp selection is the corresponding number of days in the past.

Note that you cannot select a parameter value smaller than 1, since this would mean that the delta dataset would not be determined completely.

•          ORGSYSONLY

If your SAP R/3 system is part of an ALE scenario, set this parameter to X. This ensures that only those line items that were originally posted to the BW system will be transferred there from the SAP R/3 system. This prevents line items being transferred several times to BW from various SAP R/3 systems.

•          DELTIMEST

With this parameter, you can set the retention period of entries that are no longer required in time stamp table BWOM2_TIMEST. The default setting for deletion of entries that are no longer required in the time stamp table is 60 days.The minimum retention period for entries in the time stamp table is 15 days. When entries are deleted from table BWOM2_TIMEST, the corresponding entries for the changed line items are deleted simultaneously from log table BWFI_AEDA2.

•          BWFIOVERLA

The logic of this parameter prevents records with the previous day as their CPU date from still being in the update at the time of extraction.

         -   If X is set for this parameter, selection is made up to the previous 

             day if the time limit is not reached.
         -   If <space> is set for this parameter, selection is made up to the 

             day before the previous day if the time limit is not reached.

•          BWFITIMBOR

This parameter designates 02.00 (2 A.M.) as the time limit for extraction. If this limit is not reached, the system uses a security interval of one day to determine the To-value of the selection. If extraction is started before 02:00 therefore, the selection takes place only up to the day before the extraction run.

SAP recommends that you do not change the standard value.