This page outlines the steps required to access SAP HANA Views so authorized Boston University employees (currently limited to employees in central departments) can build flexible self-service reports / dashboards.
SAP HANA Views are custom data frameworks based on SAP Business Warehouse (BW) tables available via the HANA Database. These Views are provided in read-only mode and can be accessed using reporting tools like Power BI to enable self-service reporting. Users’ existing SAP roles and authorizations will apply when accessing data via HANA Views.
Keep in mind that the data in the HANA Database is based solely on data in the Business Warehouse. Because the warehouse is always one day behind the SAP transactional system, View data is not real-time.
The instructions below assume you are already familiar with Power BI, at least to the extent that you have decided to explore using it. It is further assumed that you are familiar with BW data. The following steps describe how to request access, what is required to connect to a HANA View, how to load View data, and how to share your results with other Boston University employees who have security permissions sufficient to allow them to view the data in your results.
Get started using Power BI with HANA Views by answering these questions:
How do I access HANA Views?
Prerequisite Steps for Access: completing these onetime steps will enable you to connect to the SAP HANA Database.
How do I find the specific data I need to answer my questions?
Once you have completed the prerequisite steps and your security permissions are in place, you can access the HANA Views that are available to you based on your business role(s). You can then use Power BI to access View data. This Help Guide, Connecting to the HANA Database and loading data, describes how to do that.
How do I work with (analyze & visualize) the data?
Learning Power BI is an individual’s responsibility. There are no instructor-led training sessions for this tool offered at Boston University. However, a diverse range of resources are available to help with this task and include web pages, Help Guides, Whitepapers, Power BI community groups, and Youtube videos. The Resources section below offers some suggestions to help you get started.
How do I share my results?
Once you have developed a report or dashboard, a logical next step is to determine how best to share those results. The Power BI Best Practices document, published on the BU Power BI Community Teams site, provides an overview of sharing options (refer to Sharing Reports at BU).
When deciding how sharing will be accomplished, careful thought must also be given to what will be shared and with whom. The Best Practices Security Considerations section includes a look at what to keep in mind regarding data security.