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Case Study: Near-Line Storage System Makes Aged BW Data More Easily Accessible - page 2

NLS Implementation Details
The SAP-developed API for StorHouse is the core software that integrates the various NLS components with Entergy's BW system. SAP developed the API for StorHouse to benefit from Oracle Heterogeneous Services (HS) and IBM's DB2 UDB (Universal Database) Data Joiner features, which extend a BW primary database through SQL routing to remote databases.

BW administrators access the SAP API for StorHouse through a front-end graphical user interface. Using this interface, they can perform three primary functions:

  • Create StorHouse tables that match BW tables
  • Migrate data from the BW primary RDBMS to the StorHouse database
  • Establish the primary RDBMS definitions and links to define StorHouse tables

BW requires no additional modifications to deliver this capability.

Note that the SAP API for StorHouse is not used for query operations. Once the database definitions and links are established, the primary RDBMS (Oracle in the case of Entergy) performs the SQL routing to StorHouse. Figure 1 illustrates the query process using the BW-NLS system.

Figure 1 Accessing data in a StorHouse BW-NLS system using SAP BW OLAP queries

Figure 1 Accessing data in a StorHouse BW-NLS system using SAP BW OLAP queries

Once data has been migrated to StorHouse and the required database links have been established, BW query objects can access StorHouse data the same way they access data in the primary RDBMS. The primary RDBMS determines which portion of the query should be processed by StorHouse and distributes the SQL through the established database link. StorHouse processes the query (direct SQL access to data on all media types with no requirements to restore) and determines the result set, which is distributed to the primary RDBMS. Then, the final result package is delivered to the user.(1)

The SAP API for StorHouse supports the migration of BW ODS objects and InfoCubes to StorHouse (complete or partial migration). If users select partial migration, the interface creates a StorHouse relational table as a unique BW data object with the same characteristics as the original BW table but with a new user-defined name.

The pilot system did not use SAP's Archive Development Kit (ADK). In contrast to the pilot system's direct SQL query approach, ADK users must always reload and re-index archived data before it can be accessed relationally. (See Figure 2.) This process often results in slow response times and high data-management, storage administration, and personnel-related costs. These issues were factors in Entergy's decision to allow a StorHouse BW-NLS pilot system to be built at its site.

Figure 2 The different steps to access data using StorHouse and ADK

Figure 2 The different steps to access data using StorHouse and ADK.

(1) For more information about this process, refer to the Service Marketplace folder (http://service.sap.com/bw):Partner/Complementary Software Partners/archiving/nearline storage.

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Article © 2003 BW EXPERT. All rights reserved.

 

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