SAP BI explained: BW, BW/4HANA, FI/CO extraction and transactions

Overview

What SAP BI is, if you have never worked with it

SAP BI is the umbrella for how SAP turns transactions into reports: the data warehouse that keeps history (SAP BW, today SAP BW/4HANA), the analytics built into SAP S/4HANA, and the tools people actually look at, from Excel with Analysis for Office to SAP Analytics Cloud. Business intelligence itself is a generic term; SAP used “BI” as a product name for a few years, which is why BI and BW still mean the same thing on most projects.

This page is for the people around BI who are not BI consultants: finance and controlling key users who live in reports, and FI, CO, SD or MM consultants who keep hearing “why doesn’t BW match the ledger?”. It follows one journal entry from SAP S/4HANA to a dashboard, shows what each step does, lists the transactions worth knowing and answers the questions people ask most.

Runs on

SAP BW 7.5
SAP BW/4HANA
SAP S/4HANA
SAP Datasphere

Main transactionsRSA1RSRTRSA3

Use the User | Consultant switch at the top of the page to show or hide the technical layer: tables, delta settings and the objects behind each step.

A family, not a module
BW loads, transforms and stores the data; BusinessObjects tools such as Web Intelligence and Crystal Reports format and present it without storing it; SAP Analytics Cloud adds dashboards and planning in the cloud. “The BI module” usually means one of them.
Source: Talan, SAP BI vs BW vs BO
Data as of the last load
A data warehouse keeps its own copy, loaded on a schedule, with history and data from other systems. Analytics embedded in S/4HANA read the live data of one system. Knowing which one a report uses explains most surprises.
Source: SAP blog, S/4HANA and BW/4HANA, what to do where
Every journal entry can become a report
In S/4HANA, the standard DataSource 0FI_ACDOCA_10 extracts the universal journal: general ledger, asset accounting, profitability analysis and the material ledger, customer fields included. That is why FI and CO consultants meet BI at every close.
Source: SAP Help, DataSource 0FI_ACDOCA_10

Who BI talks to

BI owns almost none of its data. Every number on a dashboard was posted somewhere else first, which is why a “report problem” so often ends up on an FI, CO or logistics desk.

FI-GLGeneral ledgerJournal entries, balances, financial statements.
COCost centers and ordersActual and plan costs, allocations, variances.
CO-PAProfitabilityRevenue and margins by customer, product and segment.
SD / MMLogisticsOrders, purchasing and stock, through the LO cockpit.
BASISSecurityRoles plus analysis authorizations on the data itself.
NON-SAPOther systemsFiles, databases and cloud sources joined to SAP data.

The BI process

Follow one journal entry to the dashboard

Eight steps from a posting in SAP S/4HANA to a number in Excel, in a BW/4HANA warehouse. Pick a step to see what happens, where you see it, where the data is at that moment and, in the Consultant view, what sits under the hood.

Step 1 of 8 · What happens

A journal entry is posted in S/4HANA

A user posts an invoice, a goods movement or an allocation, and the journal entry lands in ACDOCA, the universal journal. Nothing happens in BI yet: the warehouse only sees the entry once it is extracted.

Who: FI, CO and logistics users: the business.

Where you see it

In S/4HANA itself. Line item reports and embedded analytics see the entry at once.

FB03
FAGLB03

Under the hood

0FI_ACDOCA_10 reads ACDOCA through extraction structure FINS_ACDOCA_BW, with delta method AIMD: after-images with a deletion indicator in the delta queue.

ACDOCA
FINS_ACDOCA_BW

Objects, tables and settings behind this step are in the Consultant view.

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LiveWhere the data is: In ACDOCA, live. Embedded analytics can report on it now; the warehouse cannot yet.

Source: SAP Help, DataSource 0FI_ACDOCA_10.

Step 2 of 8 · What happens

The DataSource hands the change to the delta queue

A DataSource, or a CDS view enabled for extraction, describes what leaves the source. With ODP, new and changed records wait in the operational delta queue until the warehouse asks for them. The first load is full; after that, only deltas.

Who: BW consultants, with the FI or logistics team that owns the source system.

Where you see it

In the source system: activate content DataSources in RSA5, test them in RSA3 and watch the queue in ODQMON.

RSA5
RSA3
ODQMON

Under the hood

Extractor-based DataSources reach BW/4HANA through ODP, not the old S-API. RSA3 does not work for CDS extractors: preview those with RSRTS_ODP_DIS. Retrieved requests are cleaned up after a recovery period of 24 hours by default.

RSA6
RSRTS_ODP_DIS
RODPS_REPL_TEST

Objects, tables and settings behind this step are in the Consultant view.

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In transitWhere the data is: In the operational delta queue (ODQ) of the source system, waiting for the next load.

Sources: SAP Learning, loading data with ODP_SAP; SAP Learning, CDS view based extraction.

Step 3 of 8 · What happens

Raw data lands in the warehouse

The first layer of the warehouse takes the data as it came, before any rule touches it. In classic BW this was the PSA; with ODP, the queue itself or a field-based advanced DataStore object keeps the raw records when you need them.

Who: BW consultants and the process chain that runs the load.

Where you see it

Load requests in the BW/4HANA cockpit, or in RSMON.

RSMON
BW4WEB

Under the hood

Data in the operational delta queue cannot be changed, unlike in the old PSA. LSA++ calls this entry point the Open Operational Data Store layer.

ODQ
LSA++

Objects, tables and settings behind this step are in the Consultant view.

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RawWhere the data is: In the warehouse, raw and not yet harmonized.

Sources: SAP Learning, loading data with ODP_SAP; SAP Learning, LSA++ architecture.

Step 4 of 8 · What happens

Transformations clean and harmonize

A transformation maps source fields to InfoObjects, derives values and harmonizes codes, for example two charts of accounts into one. A data transfer process (DTP) moves the data from one object to the next through that transformation.

Who: BW consultants and developers.

Where you see it

In the BW Modeling Tools in Eclipse, as the data flow of the object.

BW Modeling Tools

Under the hood

The 3.x flow of transfer rules, update rules and InfoPackages became DataSource, transformation and DTP. LSA++ calls the harmonizing step the EDW Transformation layer.

DTP
Transformation

Objects, tables and settings behind this step are in the Consultant view.

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HarmonizedWhere the data is: Moving between layers, with rules applied.

Sources: SAP Learning, comparing SAP BW/4HANA with SAP BW; SAP Learning, LSA++ architecture.

Step 5 of 8 · What happens

Advanced DataStore objects keep the data

The data lands in an advanced DataStore object (ADSO). Each load is a request in its inbound table; activating the request moves it to the active data table, the one queries read, and in a standard object writes a change log for the next layers.

Who: BW consultants; process chains in production.

Where you see it

The object’s requests in the BW/4HANA cockpit.

BW4WEB

Under the hood

Tables /BIC/A<ADSO>1 (inbound), /BIC/A<ADSO>2 (active data) and /BIC/A<ADSO>3 (change log, standard objects only). In a data mart object, activation means compression.

/BIC/A…1
/BIC/A…2
/BIC/A…3

Objects, tables and settings behind this step are in the Consultant view.

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StoredWhere the data is: Persisted in the warehouse, with history. Not reportable until the request is activated.

Source: SAP Learning, administrating DataStore objects (advanced).

Step 6 of 8 · What happens

CompositeProviders combine without copying

A CompositeProvider combines several objects, for example ledger actuals with a plan or with data from another system, without storing them again. Queries are built on it, so the storage underneath can change without breaking reports.

Who: BW consultants.

Where you see it

In the BW Modeling Tools.

BW Modeling Tools

Under the hood

CompositeProviders replace MultiProviders and InfoSets. LSA++ calls this the Virtual Data Mart layer, and it can read practically every other layer.

CompositeProvider

Objects, tables and settings behind this step are in the Consultant view.

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VirtualWhere the data is: No new copy: the CompositeProvider reads the objects below it when a query runs.

Sources: SAP Learning, comparing SAP BW/4HANA with SAP BW; SAP Learning, LSA++ architecture.

Step 7 of 8 · What happens

The BW query defines what users see

A BW query picks characteristics and key figures, filters, variables and calculations. It is the one definition every front end reuses, and analysis authorizations are checked when it runs.

Who: BW consultants and trained key users.

Where you see it

Test it in RSRT, the query monitor, before handing it to users.

RSRT

Under the hood

In BW/4HANA, queries are maintained in the BW Modeling Tools; the BEx Query Designer is not supported. Value authorizations do not act as query filters: a selection wider than the user’s authorization fails with message EYE 007.

RSECADMIN
RSUDO

Objects, tables and settings behind this step are in the Consultant view.

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ReadyWhere the data is: Ready to consume, still as of the last load.

Sources: SAP Learning, comparing SAP BW/4HANA with SAP BW; SAP Learning, creating analysis authorizations; SAP Help, query monitor (RSRT).

Step 8 of 8 · What happens

People see it in Excel, a dashboard or a formatted report

The same query feeds Analysis for Office in Excel, SAP Analytics Cloud and other SAP and non-SAP tools. Users refresh it, and the data is exactly as fresh as the last load.

Who: Business users, controllers, management.

Where you see it

Analysis for Office, SAP Analytics Cloud, BusinessObjects.

Analysis for Office
SAP Analytics Cloud

Under the hood

Process chains (RSPC) schedule the whole flow, usually every night, and RSPCM shows the daily chains and whether they finished.

RSPC
RSPCM

Objects, tables and settings behind this step are in the Consultant view.

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On screenWhere the data is: On the user’s screen: correct as of the last successful load.

Sources: SAP Learning, presenting analytics; SAPSTACK, SAP BI transaction codes.

Three ways a report gets its data

Before you trust or doubt a number, ask which of these the report uses. It decides how fresh the data is and where to look when it is wrong.

LiveRead at run time from S/4HANAEmbedded analytics: CDS views on the operational tables of one S/4HANA system. Real time, no load, no history beyond what the system keeps.
LoadedCopied into a warehouseBW, BW/4HANA or Datasphere: data loaded by process chains, harmonized and kept with history. As fresh as the last load.
VirtualCombined without a copyCompositeProviders and Open ODS views read other objects or sources when the query runs, so the warehouse can mix stored and live data.

Sources: SAP blog, S/4HANA and BW/4HANA, what to do where; SAP Learning, LSA++ and comparing BW with BW/4HANA.

Integration with SAP FICO

How FI and CO data reach BI, and what to compare it with

This is the part FI and CO consultants ask about most. Each area of the ledger leaves the source through its own DataSource, with its own delta rules, and each has an FI or CO report to reconcile against. Pick an area.

DataSource

0FI_ACDOCA_10

Every line of the universal journal: general ledger, asset accounting, profitability analysis (CO-PA) and the material ledger, with all customer fields of ACDOCA, including the CO-PA characteristics ending in _PA.

Delta

Delta-capable: after-images with a deletion indicator (AIMD) in the delta queue, split into packages for very large volumes.

Set up

Activate it in RSA5, check it in RSA3, then replicate it in BW. In BW/4HANA it is loaded through ODP.

Under the hood

Extraction structure FINS_ACDOCA_BW, extractor FINS_ACDOCA_BW_EXTRACT_DATA (method F1), available since SAP Simple Finance 1503.

Tables, extractors and delta settings for this area are in the Consultant view.

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Reconcile withFAGLB03FB03Compare the same company code, ledger, period and currency, after the last load.

Sources: SAP Help, DataSource 0FI_ACDOCA_10; SAP Learning, loading data with ODP_SAP.

DataSource

0FI_GL_140FI_GL_10

0FI_GL_14 brings the line items of the leading ledger; other ledgers need their own DataSources. 0FI_GL_10 brings the balances of the leading ledger.

Delta

After-image delta with a safety interval of one hour: each run re-reads the hour before the last load and overwrites duplicates, so load it into a DataStore object, never straight into a cube.

Set up

New General Ledger Accounting must be active in the source; activate the DataSource in RSA5.

Under the hood

0FI_GL_14 reads FAGLFLEXA, BKPF, BSEG and BSEG_ADD. Both use a generic delta: the field is in ROOSOURCE (GENDELTAFD) and the timestamps in ROOSGENDLM.

Tables, extractors and delta settings for this area are in the Consultant view.

Switch to Consultant

Reconcile withFAGLB03FAGLL03Compare the same company code, ledger, period and currency, after the last load.

Sources: SAP Help, DataSource 0FI_GL_14; SAP Community, FI/CO delta safety interval.

DataSource

0FI_AR_40FI_AP_40FI_GL_4

Customer and vendor line items, open and cleared; for customers they are read from BSID and BSAD. 0FI_GL_4 is the line item DataSource of the classic general ledger.

Delta

After-image delta, stopping at yesterday by default. The FI DataSources can be loaded in any order, but once 0FI_GL_4 is loaded it leads the time limits of the others.

Set up

The delta limits are kept in table BWOM_SETTINGS in the source system.

Under the hood

The FI application delta uses BWOM_SETTINGS (BWFISAFETY, BWFITIMBOR), keeps its timestamps in BWOM2_TIMEST and runs its logic in BWFIT_GET_TIMESTAMPS. Change logs stay in BWFI_AEDAT for the days set in DELTIMEST.

Tables, extractors and delta settings for this area are in the Consultant view.

Switch to Consultant

Reconcile withFBL5NFBL1NCompare the same company code, ledger, period and currency, after the last load.

Sources: SAP Help, 0FI_AR_4 customer line items; SAP Community, FI/CO delta safety interval.

DataSource

0CO_OM_CCA_90CO_OM_CCA_1

0CO_OM_CCA_9 brings actual costs with delta extraction. 0CO_OM_CCA_1 brings plan, target and period-end values, with one InfoPackage per value type, and never actuals.

Delta

0CO_OM_CCA_9 uses the CO application delta, with a safety interval of 120 minutes set in the program. SAP recommends the delta process for actuals.

Set up

In classic Business Content both feed InfoCube 0CCA_C11, cost center costs and allocations.

Under the hood

Do not create InfoPackages with value type 10 for 0CO_OM_CCA_1. The CO delta keeps its timestamps in BWOM2_TIMEST, with its logic in BWOMT_GET_TIMESTAMPS.

Tables, extractors and delta settings for this area are in the Consultant view.

Switch to Consultant

Reconcile withKSB1S_ALR_87013611Compare the same company code, ledger, period and currency, after the last load.

Sources: SAP Help, cost center costs and allocations; SAP Community, FI/CO delta safety interval.

DataSource

1_CO_PA…

CO-PA has no fixed DataSource: you generate one per operating concern in KEB0, costing-based or account-based, choosing its characteristics and value fields.

Delta

Additive delta: a change from 30 to 40 sends 10. Only records at least 30 minutes old are loaded, a safety delta that covers clock differences between application servers.

Set up

KEB0, or SBIW. A generated DataSource cannot be changed: to add fields you delete it and create it again with the same name.

Under the hood

Costing-based reads CE1xxxx (actual line items), CE2xxxx (plan) and CE4xxxx (segments); account-based reads COEP, COBK and the CO totals tables. The upper limit is 1,800 seconds, field DELTASAFE2 of ROOSOURCE. In S/4HANA, 0FI_ACDOCA_10 already carries the CO-PA characteristics.

Tables, extractors and delta settings for this area are in the Consultant view.

Switch to Consultant

Reconcile withKE24KE30Compare the same company code, ledger, period and currency, after the last load.

Sources: SAP Community, CO-PA extraction in detail; SAP Help, DataSource 0FI_ACDOCA_10.

Try it

Posted today, in BW tomorrow: when does an FI posting arrive?

The classic FI line item DataSources, 0FI_GL_4, 0FI_AR_4 and 0FI_AP_4, never extract today’s postings. By default a delta stops at yesterday, and whether yesterday counts depends on a time border. Pick when the entry was posted and when the delta runs.

Result

Not yet

This delta runs before the 02:00 time border and only extracts up to the end of Sunday. The first load that brings the posting is any delta on Tuesday after 02:00.

MonPosted
TueLoad
Wed·
Thu·
Fri·
Sat·

Green days are inside this load. Gold frame: posting day. Navy frame: the day the delta runs.

Other extractors	How they protect the delta
`0FI_GL_14`	Each delta re-reads the hour before the last load; duplicates are overwritten.
`CO-PA (KEB0)`	Only records at least 30 minutes old are loaded.
`0CO_OM_CCA_9`	Safety interval of 120 minutes, set in the program.
`CDS views`	Timestamp delta with maxDelayInSeconds, 1,800 seconds by default.

The upper limit of the FI application delta is the current date minus BWFISAFETY days; a delta that runs before the time border goes back one more day. Sources: SAP Community, FI/CO delta safety interval summary; SAP Help, 0FI_GL_14; SAP Community, CO-PA extraction in detail; SAP Learning, CDS view based extraction. Check BWOM_SETTINGS in your own system: projects change these values.

Quick test

Why doesn’t BW match FI?

Eight calls every BI support team knows by heart. Guess the cause first, then open the card to see it and who acts.

Timing
Loading
Master data
Scope
Security

I posted it this morning and BW doesn’t show itShow the answer
Timing
BW shows data as of the last load, and the classic FI deltas stop at yesterday by default. The posting arrives with the first delta after tomorrow’s time border.
Who acts: Nobody: wait for the next load. For today’s figures, use the reports in S/4HANA.
The numbers stopped at TuesdayShow the answer
Loading
A load failed and everything after it in the process chain waited. A failed delta must be fixed at its cause, or the next extraction fails as well.
Who acts: BW support, in RSPCM and ODQMON.
The new cost center is in FI, not in the hierarchyShow the answer
Master data
New master data and hierarchies arrive inactive and must be activated before reporting sees them, in a hierarchy/attribute change run when aggregates use them.
Who acts: BW support, usually in the nightly process chain.
Lines show # and Not assignedShow the answer
Master data
The characteristic has its initial value, an empty field in the source, and BW shows it as # with the text Not assigned. The label can be changed.
Who acts: The key user, to fix the source data; BW, to relabel it.
BW matches the leading ledger, not my IFRS ledgerShow the answer
Scope
0FI_GL_14 extracts the leading ledger only; other ledgers need their own DataSources. Check which ledger the query reads.
Who acts: BW consultant, with the FI team.
A CO-PA line posted minutes ago is missingShow the answer
Timing
The CO-PA delta loads only records at least 30 minutes old, to cover clock differences between application servers.
Who acts: Nobody: it comes with the next delta.
The query worked yesterday; today “no authorization”Show the answer
Security
Value authorizations are checks, not filters. If the selection goes beyond what you may see, the query stops with message EYE 007 instead of trimming the result.
Who acts: You, by narrowing the selection; BW security, with RSUDO and the authorization log.
“No applicable data found”Show the answer
Scope
The selection returned nothing: filters too narrow, a period with no data, a failed load or a missing authorization.
Who acts: The key user first, by loosening the filters; then BW support.

Sources: SAP Community, FI/CO delta safety interval summary and CO-PA extraction in detail; SAP Learning, loading data with ODP_SAP and creating analysis authorizations; SAP Help, master data activation and 0FI_GL_14; SAP KBA 1988114; ERPLingo, message RSR_WWW006.

Speak BW

The words BI people use in every meeting

“The DTP into the ADSO failed, so the CompositeProvider shows yesterday.” If that sentence needs translating, start here. The last tab decodes the names you see on objects and tables.

Objects 8Loading 8Decode the names 8

BW/4HANA has fewer objects. InfoCubes, classic DataStore objects, MultiProviders and InfoSets were replaced by advanced DataStore objects and CompositeProviders.

Full first, then delta. The first load brings everything (or initializes the delta); every load after that brings only new and changed records, and process chains run it all on a schedule.

0 means SAP. Objects whose names start with 0 come from SAP Business Content; customer objects start with a letter; partners use a namespace of their own, such as /XYZ/.

InfoObjectThe smallest building block: a characteristic such as company code or cost center, or a key figure such as amount or quantity.
ADSOAdvanced DataStore object: the main storage object of BW/4HANA, with an inbound table, active data and, in standard objects, a change log.
CompositeProviderCombines several objects without storing the data again. Most queries are built on one.
Open ODS viewOne of the successors of virtual providers, for reading data that is not stored in BW’s own objects.
DataSourceThe definition, in the source system, of what is extracted and how its delta works.
BW queryThe report definition: characteristics, key figures, filters, variables, calculations. Every front end reuses it.
InfoCubeThe classic multidimensional storage object of BW 7.x. BW/4HANA does not support it.
MultiProvider / InfoSetThe classic objects for combining data, replaced by the CompositeProvider.
DTPData transfer process: moves data from one object to the next through a transformation.
TransformationThe field mapping and rules between a source and a target object.
Process chainA scheduled sequence of loads, activations and checks: the night shift of BW.
DeltaOnly the records that are new or changed since the last load.
RequestThe ID of one load or activation run, used to monitor, delete or reload it.
ODP / ODQOperational Data Provisioning and its delta queue: how SAP systems hand data to BW today.
InfoPackage / PSAThe classic loader and raw-data inbox of BW 7.x; with ODP the DTP extracts directly and the PSA goes.
Setup tablesFilled once in logistics (OLI7BW, OLI3BW) to load the history of the LO cockpit DataSources.
0COSTCENTERA Business Content InfoObject, here the cost center. The 0 says it was delivered by SAP.
/BI0/ and /BIC/Prefixes of the generated database tables: /BI0/ for Content objects, /BIC/ for customer objects.
/BIC/A…1 · 2 · 3Inbound table, active data and change log of an advanced DataStore object.
0FI_…FI DataSources: _GL_ general ledger, _AR_ receivables, _AP_ payables, _ACDOCA_ universal journal.
0CO_OM_CCA_…Overhead management DataSources for cost centers, such as 0CO_OM_CCA_9 for actuals.
1_CO_PA…A generated CO-PA DataSource, created per operating concern in KEB0.
$F $P $T $H $ESuffixes ODP adds to a CDS view name: facts, master data attributes, texts, hierarchies, other.
#Shown for an initial value, with the text Not assigned.

/BIC/A…2

Want to see what a query reads? The active data of an advanced DataStore object sits in table /BIC/A<name>2, next to the inbound table …1 and the change log …3. Objects from SAP Business Content start with 0, and their generated tables use /BI0/ instead of /BIC/. Source: SAP Learning

Reference

The BI transactions people actually use

BI transactions live in two places: in BW itself (most start with RS) and in the source system, where DataSources and delta queues are kept. Start here shows the ones worth bookmarking; Source system and FI/CO bridge collect what FI, CO and logistics people meet; the last column says where each one runs. Type a code or a word to search all of them.

Code or tool	For	What it does	Who opens it	Runs in
`RSPCM`	User	Shows today’s process chains and whether they finished: the first place to check “is the data loaded?”.	Key users, support	BW 7.x + BW/4HANA
`RRMX`	User	Opens BEx Analyzer, the classic Excel front end for BEx queries.	Users of BW 7.x	BW 7.x only
Analysis for Office	Tool or app	Excel add-in on BW and S/4HANA queries: layout, filters, sorting, calculations.	Business users	Excel
SAP Analytics Cloud	Tool or app	Dashboards, stories and planning; takes over from BEx Web in BW/4HANA.	Business users, management	Cloud
Custom Analytical Queries	Tool or app	Fiori app in S/4HANA for building analytical queries on CDS views, without a warehouse.	Key users	S/4HANA
BW Modeling Tools	Tool or app	Eclipse-based tools for data modeling, data acquisition and query definition.	BW consultants	BW/4HANA
BW/4HANA cockpit	Tool or app	Fiori apps for administration and for process chain modeling and monitoring.	BW administrators	BW/4HANA
`RSA1`	Consultant	Data Warehousing Workbench, once called Administrator Workbench: modeling and administration in classic BW.	BW consultants	BW 7.x only
`RSMON`	Consultant	Data Warehousing Workbench administration, for the tasks not yet in the BW/4HANA cockpit.	BW administrators	BW 7.x + BW/4HANA
`BW4WEB`	Consultant	Opens the SAP BW/4HANA cockpit in the browser.	BW administrators	BW/4HANA
`RSPC`	Consultant	Maintains process chains, the scheduled sequences of loads and activations.	BW consultants	BW 7.x + BW/4HANA
`RSRT`	Consultant	Query monitor: runs and debugs a query without a front end and records traces for performance analysis.	Consultants, power users	BW 7.x + BW/4HANA
`RSRV`	Consultant	Analysis and repair of BW objects: consistency checks for master data, objects and more.	BW support	BW 7.x + BW/4HANA
`RSECADMIN`	Consultant	Management of analysis authorizations: create, assign and trace them.	BW security	BW 7.x + BW/4HANA
`RSUDO`	Consultant	Runs a query as another user, to see what they are allowed to see.	BW security	BW 7.x + BW/4HANA
`RSECPROT`	Consultant	Authorization check log, recorded for a chosen user.	BW security	BW 7.x + BW/4HANA
`RSU01`	Consultant	Assigns analysis authorizations directly to a user.	BW security	BW 7.x + BW/4HANA
`RSKC`	Consultant	Permitted extra characters for loads: the classic fix for “invalid character” errors.	BW support	BW 7.x + BW/4HANA
`LISTCUBE`	Consultant	Lists the contents of an InfoCube.	BW consultants	BW 7.x only
`RSA5`	Source system	Installs Business Content DataSources in the source system.	BW and module consultants	ECC + S/4HANA
`RSA6`	Source system	Maintains the activated DataSources and their hierarchies.	BW consultants	ECC + S/4HANA
`RSA2`	Source system	DataSource repository: properties and delta method of a DataSource.	BW consultants	ECC + S/4HANA
`RSA3`	Source system	Extractor checker: runs a DataSource in the source system and shows what BW would receive.	BW and FI consultants	Not for CDS views
`RSA7`	Source system	Classic BW delta queue monitor (S-API).	BW consultants	ECC + S/4HANA
`ODQMON`	Source system	Monitor of the operational delta queue: queues, subscriptions, requests, units.	BW support	ECC + S/4HANA
`RSO2`	Source system	Maintains generic DataSources on a table or view, an InfoSet query or a function module.	BW consultants	ECC + S/4HANA
`SBIW`	Source system	Implementation guide for extraction settings, such as the CO-PA DataSource and the setup tables.	BW consultants	ECC + S/4HANA
`RSRTS_ODP_DIS`	Source system	Previews a CDS view as BW will read it: metadata and data.	BW consultants	S/4HANA
`RODPS_REPL_TEST`	Source system	Program that tests ODP replication. Not a dry run: it creates a real subscription.	BW consultants	ECC + S/4HANA
`DHCDCMON`	Source system	Monitors change data capture for CDS-based deltas.	BW consultants	S/4HANA
`LBWE`	Source system	LO cockpit: activates logistics DataSources and sets their update mode.	BW and logistics consultants	ECC + S/4HANA
`OLI7BW / OLI3BW`	Source system	Fill the setup tables for sales orders and for purchasing before the first load.	BW and logistics consultants	ECC + S/4HANA
`LBWG`	Source system	Deletes setup tables by application, such as 11 for sales.	BW consultants	ECC + S/4HANA
`LBWQ`	Source system	Extraction queue of the LO cockpit, before records reach the delta queue.	BW support	ECC + S/4HANA
`0FI_ACDOCA_10`	FI/CO bridge	DataSource for the universal journal: general ledger, asset accounting, CO-PA and material ledger in one.	FI/CO and BW consultants	S/4HANA
`0FI_GL_14`	FI/CO bridge	Line items of the leading ledger in the new general ledger.	FI/CO and BW consultants	ECC
`0FI_AR_4 / 0FI_AP_4`	FI/CO bridge	Customer and vendor line items, with delta.	FI and BW consultants	ECC + S/4HANA
`0CO_OM_CCA_9`	FI/CO bridge	Cost center actual costs, with delta.	CO and BW consultants	ECC + S/4HANA
`KEB0`	FI/CO bridge	Creates the CO-PA DataSource for an operating concern.	CO and BW consultants	ECC + S/4HANA
`FAGLB03`	FI/CO bridge	G/L account balances: the figure to compare a BW balance query with.	FI key users	ECC + S/4HANA
`FBL5N / FBL1N`	FI/CO bridge	Customer and vendor line items, to reconcile 0FI_AR_4 and 0FI_AP_4.	FI key users	ECC + S/4HANA
`KSB1`	FI/CO bridge	Cost center actual line items, to reconcile 0CO_OM_CCA_9.	CO key users	ECC + S/4HANA
`KE24`	FI/CO bridge	CO-PA actual line items, to reconcile the CO-PA DataSource.	CO key users	ECC + S/4HANA
`/BIC/A<ADSO>1 / 2 / 3`	Table	Inbound table, active data and change log of an advanced DataStore object.	BW consultants	BW/4HANA
`BWOM_SETTINGS`	Table	Settings of the FI and CO application deltas, such as BWFISAFETY; read it with SE16.	FI and BW consultants	ECC + S/4HANA
`BWOM2_TIMEST`	Table	Timestamps of the FI and CO application deltas.	BW consultants	ECC + S/4HANA
`ROOSOURCE`	Table	DataSource header in the source system, including the CO-PA safety limits DELTASAFE1 and DELTASAFE2.	BW consultants	ECC + S/4HANA
`ROOSGENDLM`	Table	Generic delta pointers and timestamps, such as those of 0FI_GL_14.	BW consultants	ECC + S/4HANA
`ACDOCA`	Table	Universal journal, source of 0FI_ACDOCA_10.	FI/CO consultants	S/4HANA
`FAGLFLEXA`	Table	New general ledger line items, source of 0FI_GL_14.	FI/CO consultants	ECC
`BSID / BSAD`	Table	Customer open and cleared items, read by 0FI_AR_4.	FI consultants	ECC + S/4HANA
`CE1xxxx / CE4xxxx`	Table	Costing-based CO-PA line items and segments of operating concern xxxx.	CO consultants	ECC + S/4HANA

Codes cross-checked with the SAPSTACK and SAPLearners BW lists, SAP Learning and SAP Help; FI and CO DataSources from SAP Help and SAP Community. Projects can restrict transactions, so check your own system before you write them into a manual.

Classic to HANA

What changed with SAP BW/4HANA and SAP S/4HANA

The idea is the same as in classic BW: extract, transform, store, report. Almost every object and tool around it changed. If your company is moving from BW 7.x or from ECC, these are the cards to read.

Storing data
BeforeInfoCubes and classic DataStore objects.
NowAdvanced DataStore objects.
SAP BW/4HANA does not support InfoCubes.
Source: SAP Learning, comparing SAP BW/4HANA with SAP BW
Combining data
BeforeMultiProviders and InfoSets.
NowCompositeProviders.
Virtual providers map to Open ODS views, CompositeProviders or BAdI providers.
Source: SAP Learning, comparing SAP BW/4HANA with SAP BW
Loading
BeforeS-API, InfoPackages and the PSA.
NowODP with the operational delta queue; the DTP extracts.
Data in the delta queue cannot be edited, as it could in the PSA.
Source: SAP Learning, loading data with ODP_SAP
Modeling
BeforeSAP GUI, Data Warehousing Workbench (RSA1).
NowBW Modeling Tools in Eclipse and a web cockpit.
SAP GUI stays for tasks not yet in the cockpit, such as defining source systems.
Source: SAP Learning, SAP BW/4HANA tools
Queries
BeforeBEx Query Designer.
NowQuery Designer in the BW Modeling Tools.
BEx reporting is not supported in BW/4HANA.
Source: SAP Learning, comparing SAP BW/4HANA with SAP BW
Front ends
BeforeBEx Analyzer and BEx Web.
NowAnalysis for Office and SAP Analytics Cloud.
BEx broadcasting gives way to SAC publications or scheduling in the BusinessObjects platform.
Source: SAP Learning, comparing SAP BW/4HANA with SAP BW
Database
BeforeA classic database, or SAP HANA.
NowSAP HANA only.
Complex OLAP work is pushed down to the in-memory database.
Source: Wikipedia, SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse
Extracting the ledger
Before0FI_GL_14 and 0FI_GL_4 on FAGLFLEXA and BSEG.
Now0FI_ACDOCA_10 on ACDOCA.
One DataSource covers the general ledger, asset accounting, CO-PA and the material ledger.
Source: SAP Help, DataSource 0FI_ACDOCA_10
Testing extractors
BeforeRSA3 for every DataSource.
NowRSRTS_ODP_DIS and RODPS_REPL_TEST for CDS views.
RSA3 is not available for CDS extractors.
Source: SAP Learning, CDS view based extraction
Reporting on the ERP
BeforeMostly through a separate BW.
NowEmbedded analytics on live S/4HANA data.
A separate warehouse is still the place for history, harmonization and non-SAP data.
Source: SAP blog, S/4HANA and BW/4HANA, what to do where

Key dates

2025 to 2040: the dates every BI team is watching

Few SAP areas are moving as fast as BI. These four dates decide budgets, upgrades and which tools your reports will run on.

October 2025
BEx Analyzer’s last Office
Microsoft ended support for Office 2016 and 2019 on 14 October 2025, and Office 2019 is the last version BEx Analyzer works with. Analysis for Office is its direct replacement.
Source: NTT DATA Business Solutions
2026
ODP closes to third-party tools
SAP Note 3255746 reserves the ODP RFC modules for transfers between SAP applications. According to SAPinsider, a security patch blocks unpermitted calls from June 2026, with a temporary opt-out until the end of 2026.
Source: SAPinsider, SAP Note 3255746
2026 · 2027 · 2030
BI 4.3 and BW 7.5 maintenance
BusinessObjects BI 4.3 mainstream maintenance runs to the end of 2026. SAP NetWeaver 7.5, the base of BW 7.5, ends mainstream maintenance at the end of 2027, with extended maintenance to the end of 2030 at a premium.
Sources: SAP Community; SAPinsider
2040
BW/4HANA, and the cloud path
SAP BW/4HANA is maintained through the end of 2040. For the cloud, SAP Business Data Cloud, launched in February 2025, offers BW private cloud edition to existing BW customers, next to Datasphere and SAP Analytics Cloud.
Sources: SAPinsider; Capgemini

Documented, but little known

16 tips for users and consultants

Each tip comes from SAP Learning, SAP Help, an SAP blog or a published source, linked under the tip.

All tipsFor usersFor consultantsFor FI/CO

01Users
Check the load before you doubt the number
RSPCM lists the day’s process chains and their status. If last night’s chain did not finish, every report on it shows older data, however correct the query is.
- RSPCM
Source: SAPSTACK, SAP BI transaction codes
02Users
# means empty, not wrong
A # key with the text Not assigned is the initial value: the field was empty in the source. The fix is usually in the source data, and BW can change the label.
Source: SAP KBA 1988114, Not assigned in a BW query
03Users
Narrow the selection when you get “no authorization”
Value authorizations do not filter a query. If your selection is wider than what you may see, the query stops with EYE 007; restricting it to your own values usually solves it.
Source: SAP Learning, creating analysis authorizations
04Users
Refresh Excel instead of rebuilding it
Analysis for Office keeps the query live in Excel: change the layout, filter, sort and add calculations, then refresh next month instead of pasting new data.
- Analysis for Office
Source: SAP Learning, presenting analytics
05Users
Need today’s figures? Ask S/4HANA
The classic FI deltas extract up to yesterday by default, so a warehouse report never shows today. Embedded reports in S/4HANA read the live data.
Source: SAP Community, FI/CO delta safety interval
06Consultants
RSA3 shows what BW will get, without BW
The extractor checker runs a DataSource in the source system and shows the records it would send. It works for classic DataSources, not for CDS views.
- RSA3
Source: SAP Learning, loading data with ODP_SAP
07Consultants
Preview a CDS extractor with RSRTS_ODP_DIS
It shows the TransientProvider metadata and a data preview of a CDS view: the quickest way to see what BW will read from S/4HANA.
- RSRTS_ODP_DIS
Source: SAP Learning, CDS view based extraction
08Consultants
RODPS_REPL_TEST is not a dry run
It creates a real subscription in the delta queue, and its delta requests are not cleaned up like the others. Reset the subscription after testing.
- RODPS_REPL_TEST
- ODQMON
Source: SAP Learning, loading data with ODP_SAP
09Consultants
Run the query as the user
RSUDO runs a query as another user and checks their authorizations, without their password if you have S_RSEC; RSECPROT records the authorization log for that user.
- RSUDO
- RSECPROT
Source: SAP Learning, creating analysis authorizations
10Consultants
Invalid characters? Start with RSKC
RSKC holds the permitted extra characters for loads, and function module RSKC_CHAVL_OF_IOBJ_CHECK checks a value against them, handy in a transformation routine.
- RSKC
Source: SAP blog, invalid characters in BW
11Consultants
Empty the setup tables before refilling
LBWG deletes setup tables by application, such as 02 purchasing, 03 inventory or 11 sales, before you fill them again with OLI3BW, OLI7BW or SBIW.
- LBWG
- OLI7BW
Source: SAP blog, LO cockpit data extraction
12FI/CO
0FI_ACDOCA_10 already has your CO-PA fields
It includes every customer field of ACDOCA, including the market segment characteristics ending in _PA, so margin data comes with the journal entry.
- 0FI_ACDOCA_10
Source: SAP Help, DataSource 0FI_ACDOCA_10
13FI/CO
0CO_OM_CCA_1 never loads actuals
Use 0CO_OM_CCA_9 for actual costs with delta. 0CO_OM_CCA_1 is for plan, target and period-end values, one InfoPackage per value type, never value type 10.
- 0CO_OM_CCA_9
- 0CO_OM_CCA_1
Source: SAP Help, cost center costs and allocations
14FI/CO
Load 0FI_GL_14 into a DataStore object
It sends after-images and re-reads the last hour on every delta, so duplicates must be overwritten in a DataStore object before they reach any cube.
- 0FI_GL_14
Source: SAP Help, DataSource 0FI_GL_14
15FI/CO
A generated CO-PA DataSource is frozen
Once KEB0 generates it, it cannot be changed. To add a characteristic or value field, delete it and create it again with the same name.
- KEB0
Source: SAP Community, CO-PA extraction in detail
16FI/CO
Embedded BW is not your enterprise warehouse
SAP does not recommend the embedded BW of S/4HANA for an enterprise data warehouse, and its rule of thumb keeps data persisted there under 20% of the system’s volume.
Source: SAP blog, S/4HANA and BW/4HANA, what to do where

Myths

Things people get wrong about SAP BI

Myth~~SAP BI is a module, like FI.~~
FactIt is a family of products: a data warehouse (BW, BW/4HANA, Datasphere), analytics built into S/4HANA, and front ends such as Analysis for Office, SAP Analytics Cloud and BusinessObjects.
Myth~~BW reports are real time.~~
FactA warehouse shows data as of the last load. Real-time reporting on S/4HANA data is what embedded analytics is for.
Myth~~With S/4HANA we don’t need BW any more.~~
FactEmbedded analytics covers operational reporting on one system. History, harmonized data and non-SAP sources still call for a warehouse, and SAP presents the two as complementary.
Myth~~If BW and FI differ, BW is wrong.~~
FactMost differences come from timing (when the last delta ran), inactive master data, the ledger the query reads or authorizations, not from wrong data.
Myth~~Authorizations filter the report down to my data.~~
FactValue authorizations are checks, not filters. A query that selects more than you may see fails with EYE 007 instead of trimming the result.
Myth~~BEx is the standard front end.~~
FactBW/4HANA does not support BEx reporting. Queries live in the BW Modeling Tools and are consumed in Analysis for Office or SAP Analytics Cloud.
Myth~~SAP BW ends in 2027.~~
FactBW 7.5 mainstream maintenance ends in 2027, extended to 2030 at a premium. BW/4HANA is maintained to the end of 2040, and BW private cloud edition is part of Business Data Cloud.
Myth~~Any tool can pull SAP data through ODP.~~
FactSAP Note 3255746 reserves the ODP RFC modules for transfers between SAP applications; third-party use of them is not permitted.

Evolution

BIW, BW, BI, BW again: one product, many names

If you have ever wondered why the same system is called BI by one person and BW by another, this is why. Gold dots mark the SAP HANA era.

1998BIW 1.2ASAP ships its data warehouse in October as the Business Information Warehouse, built for reporting on SAP R/3 data.
2001BW 3.0ABIW becomes BW.
2005BI 7.0In July the warehouse is renamed BI, part of SAP NetWeaver, with the new data flow of transformations and DTPs.
2007–08Business ObjectsSAP announces the purchase of Business Objects in October 2007, for $6.8 billion, and runs it fully from January 2008. Web Intelligence and Crystal Reports join SAP.
2009–10Back to BWSAP NetWeaver BI is renamed SAP NetWeaver BW, and BW 7.3 follows in November 2010.
2011BW on HANASAP launches BW 7.3 on SAP HANA in November; from support package 5, HANA can be BW’s database.
2016SAP BW/4HANAAnnounced on 31 August and available on 7 September: HANA only, fewer objects, new tools.
2023SAP DatasphereArrives in March as the next generation of SAP Data Warehouse Cloud.
2025Business Data CloudLaunched in February, with Datasphere, SAP Analytics Cloud, SAP Databricks and BW private cloud edition.

BI, BW and BO

BI, business intelligence, is a generic term. BW is the warehouse that stores the data; BO, or BOBJ, the BusinessObjects tools that format and present it. After SAP bought Business Objects, BW was called BI for a while, which is why both names stick.

Source: Talan, SAP BI vs BW vs BO

Who owns a name

Starts with	Means
0	SAP Business Content object
A–Z	Customer object
/BI0/	Tables of Content objects
/BIC/	Tables of customer objects
/XYZ/	Partner namespace, on request

Source: SAP Help, namespaces for BW objects.

Sources: Talan; sapdocs.info; Wikipedia, BusinessObjects; SAP blogs on BW 7.3 on SAP HANA (2012) and BW/4HANA (2016); BigDATAwire; SiliconANGLE.

The questions people ask most

What is the difference between SAP BI, SAP BW and SAP BO?

BI, business intelligence, is the generic term for reporting and analysis. SAP BW is the data warehouse that loads, transforms and stores the data. SAP BusinessObjects (BO or BOBJ) are the reporting and formatting tools, such as Web Intelligence, Crystal Reports and Analysis for Office, which do not store data. SAP called BW “BI” for a while after buying Business Objects, which is why the names get mixed.

Do we still need BW if we have SAP S/4HANA?

It depends on the question. Embedded analytics in S/4HANA reports on live operational data in one system. A data warehouse, BW/4HANA or Datasphere, is for history, harmonized data from several systems and non-SAP data. SAP presents them as complementary, and does not recommend the embedded BW of S/4HANA as an enterprise data warehouse.

Why doesn’t BW match FI?

Usually timing: BW shows data as of the last load, and the classic FI deltas extract up to yesterday by default. Other common causes are a failed process chain, master data or hierarchies not yet activated, a query that reads another ledger, and authorizations. Compare the same company code, ledger, period and currency, and check the last load before anything else.

Why isn’t today’s posting in BW?

For 0FI_GL_4, 0FI_AR_4 and 0FI_AP_4, the upper limit of a delta is the current date minus BWFISAFETY days, one by default, and a delta that runs before the time border goes back one day more. Other extractors keep a safety margin of minutes, such as 30 minutes for CO-PA. For today’s figures, use the reports in S/4HANA.

What does # / Not assigned mean in a report?

The characteristic has its initial value, usually an empty field in the source document. BW shows the key as # and the text as Not assigned. SAP KBA 1988114 explains how to show another text, but the lasting fix is to fill the field in the source.

What should I check when a query says “No applicable data found”?

That the selection can return data at all: loosen the filters, check the period, make sure the last load finished, and check that you are authorized for the values selected. If all of that is fine, ask BW support to look at the query.

Why can’t I see the new cost center or hierarchy node?

New master data and hierarchies are loaded inactive and must be activated before reporting sees them. When aggregates use them, that happens in the hierarchy/attribute change run, usually part of the nightly process chain.

How do I get BW data into Excel?

With SAP Analysis for Microsoft Office, the Excel add-in that navigates BW queries and replaces BEx Analyzer. It needs a BusinessObjects Enterprise named user or a BPC license; an edition for SAP Analytics Cloud also exists. BEx Analyzer stops at Office 2019, whose Microsoft support ended on 14 October 2025.

What is a process chain?

A scheduled sequence of BW steps, such as loads, activations, master data activation and checks, usually run at night. RSPC maintains them and RSPCM shows the daily chains and their status; in BW/4HANA the cockpit has Fiori apps for modeling and monitoring them.

Who owns the DataSource, BW or the FI team?

The DataSource lives in the source system: it is activated there (RSA5, RSA6), tested there (RSA3) and its delta queue sits there (RSA7 or ODQMON). The BW team usually sets it up and the module team confirms the data, which is why FI consultants meet BW at every reconciliation.

Which DataSource brings the general ledger?

In SAP S/4HANA, 0FI_ACDOCA_10, which reads the universal journal ACDOCA and covers the general ledger, asset accounting, CO-PA and the material ledger. In ECC with the new general ledger, 0FI_GL_14 for line items of the leading ledger and 0FI_GL_10 for balances; with the classic ledger, 0FI_GL_4.

Is SAP BW going away?

BW 7.5, on SAP NetWeaver 7.5, ends mainstream maintenance at the end of 2027, with extended maintenance to the end of 2030 at a premium. SAP BW/4HANA is maintained through the end of 2040. In the cloud, SAP Business Data Cloud includes BW private cloud edition for existing BW customers, next to Datasphere and SAP Analytics Cloud.

What is ODP, and why does SAP Note 3255746 matter?

Operational Data Provisioning is how SAP systems hand over data and deltas, through the operational delta queue you monitor in ODQMON. SAP Note 3255746 says its RFC modules are only for transfers between SAP applications, so third-party tools that used them must move to permitted interfaces.

What are InfoObjects, ADSOs and CompositeProviders?

InfoObjects are the building blocks: characteristics such as cost center and key figures such as amount. Advanced DataStore objects store the data, with an inbound table, active data and a change log. CompositeProviders combine several objects without storing them again, and queries are built on top of them.

References

Checked in November 2026. SAP knowledge base articles and SAP Notes need an SAP for Me login. Transaction lists from partner sites can lag behind your release; check names in your own system.

What SAP BI is, if you have never worked with it

A family, not a module

Data as of the last load

Every journal entry can become a report

Who BI talks to

Where the data comes from, where it is kept, where people see it

S/4HANA or ECC

Non-SAP sources

Embedded analytics

SAP BW 7.5

SAP BW/4HANA

SAP Datasphere

Analysis for Office

SAP Analytics Cloud

BusinessObjects

Which one would you use?

Follow one journal entry to the dashboard

A journal entry is posted in S/4HANA

The DataSource hands the change to the delta queue

Raw data lands in the warehouse

Transformations clean and harmonize

Advanced DataStore objects keep the data

CompositeProviders combine without copying

The BW query defines what users see

People see it in Excel, a dashboard or a formatted report

Three ways a report gets its data

How FI and CO data reach BI, and what to compare it with

Posted today, in BW tomorrow: when does an FI posting arrive?

Why doesn’t BW match FI?

The words BI people use in every meeting

The BI transactions people actually use

What changed with SAP BW/4HANA and SAP S/4HANA

Storing data

Combining data

Loading

Modeling

Queries

Front ends

Database

Extracting the ledger

Testing extractors

Reporting on the ERP

2025 to 2040: the dates every BI team is watching

BEx Analyzer’s last Office

ODP closes to third-party tools

BI 4.3 and BW 7.5 maintenance

BW/4HANA, and the cloud path

16 tips for users and consultants

Check the load before you doubt the number

# means empty, not wrong

Narrow the selection when you get “no authorization”

Refresh Excel instead of rebuilding it

Need today’s figures? Ask S/4HANA

RSA3 shows what BW will get, without BW

Preview a CDS extractor with RSRTS_ODP_DIS

RODPS_REPL_TEST is not a dry run

Run the query as the user

Invalid characters? Start with RSKC

Empty the setup tables before refilling

0FI_ACDOCA_10 already has your CO-PA fields

0CO_OM_CCA_1 never loads actuals

Load 0FI_GL_14 into a DataStore object

A generated CO-PA DataSource is frozen

Embedded BW is not your enterprise warehouse

Things people get wrong about SAP BI

BIW, BW, BI, BW again: one product, many names

The questions people ask most

Related pages

References