PBS Nearline Analytic Infrastructure (PBS NAI) For ... - Dolphin

PBS Nearline Analytic Infrastructure (PBS NAI)
For operative SAP systems, including ERP, IS, CRM and others

Table of Contents
PBS NAI Nearline Analytic Infrastructure (Version 1.0)
Introduction ......................................................................................................3
Architecture and Components .........................................................................4
Data Retrieval with NAI Replication .................................................................5
Administration of NAI Processes: The NAI Monitor .........................................6
Access to Archived Data: NAI-AS – the Extended SAP AS ...............................6
Analyzing SAP Application Data with NAI Queries ...........................................7
Evaluation of Data Extracts with the NAI DART Viewer ...................................8
Integration of PBS archive add ons: NAI-compatible PBS Modules .................9
Lowering the TCO ...........................................................................................10
Supported SAP Systems and Platforms, PBS Licensing .................................11
2

Introduction
At a time when data volumes are experiencing enormous
growth at the same time that regulatory requirements are
on the rise, SAP users find themselves caught up in a dilemma:
the costs of storing data continue to increase, databases
are getting larger and larger, the share of archived
data continues to grow, and the runtimes for archiving
data are getting longer and longer. At the same time, being
able to access archive data in an extremely fast and integrated
manner has become quite normal in many applications.
For instance, many international companies often
need to archive up to 500 million documents from SAP
profit center accounting each month.
As a result, users will need to spend more time looking to
find innovative integrated solutions for multi-terabyte systems
that are capable of satisfying a multitude of different
commercial and legislative requirements. PBS has risen
to these challenges by introducing a new solution that is
based on a rather innovative approach: PBS Nearline Analytic
Infrastructure (PBS NAI).
PBS Nearline Analytic Infrastructure addresses customers
who use SAP standard data archiving as well as those
who use SAP data archiving in combination with our PBS
archive add ons.
PBS NAI is a new add-on solution for operative SAP systems,
like ERP, IS, CRM, etc. The important thing about PBS
NAI is that column-based analytics technology that has
mainly been used in data warehouse environments in the
past can now be immediately put to use in operative SAP
systems to process application data. Here, PBS Nearline
Analytic Infrastructure can be operated and administrated
from out of one’s familiar SAP environment. PBS NAI represents
an extension of the SAP Archive Information System
and includes its own tool transferring data from SAP
archives and SAP databases. A DART Viewer for evaluating
data extracts that are generated with the SAP Data Retention
Tool is yet another component of the solution. Furthermore,
PBS Nearline Analytic Infrastructure also includes an
ad hoc reporting tool for operative SAP application data.
Initial results obtained with pilot customers confirm:
With PBS Nearline Analytic Infrastructure
• a multiple of the existing data volumes can be
processed in data archives,
• archives can be indexed much more quickly:
50 million line items from SAP profit center accounting
can be indexed in 30 minutes using parallel
processing,
• access to archived line items is many times faster,
• operative reporting can be performed much more
quickly,
• ad hoc reporting from the SAP system can be performed
much more easily and with greater flexibility,
• considerably more expensive space in databases
can be saved,
• the database servers used with SAP systems can
be effectively relieved,
• the TCO of SAP systems can be reduced rather
substantially.
As an integrated solution, PBS Nearline Analytic Infrastructure
supports the classic PBS archive add ons. Archived
documents from profit center accounting or profitability
analysis can be indexed using PBS Nearline Analytic Infrastructure.
Access to archived documents takes place using
the appropriate NAI-compatible PBS archive add ons.
PBS Nearline Analytic Infrastructure leverages all of the
advantages that the column-based database Sybase IQ
offers for running operative SAP systems. These include,
for instance, high data compression of as high as 90 percent
or more, and, on the other hand, much shorter response
times for database queries on mass data.
3

Architecture and Components
Operative
SAP System
SAP ERP,
SAP ISU,
SAP CRM,
etc.
PBS NAI is a software package that allows for a columnbased
server to be directly used as part of operative SAP
systems. Here, SAP acts as the lead system. The columnbased
analytics server Sybase IQ is used as the NAI database.
Thanks to its high maturity level and large number of
installations, it offers a high degree of stability and scalability.
With the PBS NAI interface, application data from an
SAP system can be transferred to the NAI database and
data can be analyzed directly in SAP using the analytics
server.
PBS NAI
Nearline Analytic Infrastructure
NAI-AS
NAI Archive Information System
NAI-R
NAI Replication
NAI-Q
NAI Query
NAI-M
NAI Monitor
NAI-DART
NAI DART Viewer
NAI Interface
NAI Database
Sybase IQ
Column-based
Analytics Server
Take a close look at the architecture of the
PBS Nearline Analytic Infrastructure and you
will see all the software components that
make up the solution:
• NAI Database Sybase IQ for highly compressed
and column-based data storage and
analysis
• NAI Interface for creating connections between
the SAP system and the NAI database
• NAI Archive Information System as an extension
of SAP AS for storing the indexes on the
NAI database
• NAI Replication for transferring data from an
SAP database or an SAP archive
• NAI Queries for analyzing SAP data
• NAI DART Viewer for quick evaluation of data
extracts from the SAP Data Retention Tool
• NAI Monitor for administration of the NAI
solution
Figure 1:
PBS Nearline Analytic Infrastructure Architecture
NAI-AS for FI:
PBS offers a template for the Financial Accounting that allows
standard SAP users to make use of the NAI Archive
Information System. This FI template allows for standard
archiving processes to be optimized for SAP financial accounting.
Figure 2:
The area menu for NAI
4

Data Retrieval with NAI Replication
When the connection is made between the NAI database and an SAP system, data
is transferred between the SAP database and / or SAP archive and NAI database
through an NAI process.
To facilitate the transfer of data, PBS offers NAI replication that features the
following functionalities:
• Creation of NAI tables on the NAI database
• Transferring of data from an SAP database or SAP archive to an NAI table
• Deletion of an NAI table
Operative SAP system
SAP
DB
NAI
Process
NAI
DB
NAI
Process
SAP
Archive
Figure 3:
Connecting an SAP system to an NAI database
Figure 4:
Transferring data through NAI replication
Separate application-specific solutions are available for
more complex data structures from multiple tables.
5

Administration of NAI Processes: The NAI Monitor
The NAI monitor provides an overview of all NAI processes
inside an SAP system. This means that all of
the activities surrounding the NAI Infrastructure can
be directly monitored inside the SAP system, for instance
the transfer of data between the SAP database
or the SAP archive and the NAI database. The
NAI monitor lists all NAI processes that belong to an
application or table, whereby detailed technical information
can be accessed on each individual process.
SAP administrators can use the NAI monitor to monitor
the entire infrastructure.
Figure 5
Monitoring NAI processes with the NAI monitor
Access to Archived Data:
NAI-AS – the Extended SAP AS
PBS Nearline Analytic Infrastructure is simply ideal for
SAP customers who have consciously decided to go with
the SAP standard for archiving data. For instance, the NAI
Archive Information System represents an extension
of the SAP Archive Information System and offers a major
advantage in that archive indexes no longer need to
be stored on the database of the SAP system. Storage of
the archive indexes takes place in a compressed manner
inside the NAI database and offers all of the advantages of
a column-based database when it comes to accessing archived
data. The NAI-AS only needs to be activated once
in order to be put to use. The next step is to establish the
NAI data connection for the respective archive information
structure and activate it.
Activation of the NAI-AS results in new management of
the status so that the indexes from the database of the
SAP system can be copied over to the NAI database. These
indexes can be deleted from the database of the SAP system
once they have been transferred.
6
Using the NAI-AS does not change how users access archived
data via the Archive Explorer. Operating the NAI-AS differs
only slightly from how to use the SAP solution.
Figure 6:
Activating an archive information structure for use in NAI-AS

Analyzing SAP Application Data with NAI Queries
With NAI Query, PBS offers a tool of its own for performing flexible and fast evaluation of the data stored inside the
column-based database Sybase IQ. This allows for NAI tables to be evaluated on a table-related basis.
It is incredibly simple to start an NAI query:
• Choose the application and table
• Determine the fields and grouping
that are to be put out
You would like to see the line items that belong to the
marked lines of your report No problem: just mark the
line, select the function key ‘Drill Down‘ and you will be
provided with a list of line items:
• Select aggregation
• Execute
An NAI query uses column-based technology to generate
summary reports on large data volumes in a fast and flexible
manner.
You are interested in producing a summary report on
archived FI documents This can be done in a quick and
easy manner. The result could look as follows:
Figure 8
Other functions:
• You will be able to use the report interface to branch
off into an SAP transaction from a line item.
• You will be able to create an NAI query not only for
individual tables or SAP DB views, but will also be
able to analyze the joins between various tables.
• The NAI database is not the only data source you
will have available. You can also perform analysis on
data from the SAP system or analyze a query for the
NAI and SAP database.
• You will also be able to use an NAI query to analyze
key figures that have been calculated.
• You will be able to define access rights based on authorizations.
Figure 7
Here, an aggregation of the line items takes place at the
level of the general ledger account. Possible aggregations
include, for instance, formation of summaries, maximum
and minimum amounts.
• It will also be possible for you to use an NAI query to
search for line items with certain characteristics.
With the help of NAI queries, summary reports that are
based on many millions of data records can be analyzed in
only seconds.
7

Evaluation of Data Extracts with the NAI DART Viewer
You are interested in being able to analyze data extracts that have been produced using the SAP
Data Retention Tool and leverage the advantages that the column-based NAI database offers
SAP DART
DART
Extract
SAP DART
DART
Extract View
Tax Authority
PBS NAI
DART
DART
Extract
NAI Query
DART
Extract View
Figure 9
Column-based
Compressed
Proceed as follows:
Gain an overview of the data extracts.
Figure 10
Export the extracts into the NAI database.
Figure 11
Analyze the data with the help of NAI Query.
Select the view of the data:
Figure 12
Analyze data:
8
Figure 13

Integration of PBS archive add ons:
NAI-compatible PBS Modules
Are you already using PBS archive add ons and now interested in using NAI
In order to make it possible to use PBS archive add ons
together with the Nearline Analytic Infrastructure, PBS is
committed to gradually expanding its range of software
modules to include PBS NAI-compatible modules. The two
PBS archive add ons CPCA (Profit Center Accounting) and
CCOPA (Profitability Analysis) are already available. Now,
archive data from both modules can also be indexed and
searched while using NAI.
Drilling down to a line item delivers the following result for
a specific item:
Let’s take a closer look at an example involving a profitability
analysis that shows the link between a PBS NAI-compatible
module and the Nearline Analytic Infrastructure.
Based on a report that lists the revenues from a sales
office, the goal is now to branch off into the line items.
Many of these documents have already been archived. The
documents have been indexed on the NAI database.
Figure 15
Nearly all of the line items listed in a report come from
the archive. Nevertheless, obtaining fast access to these
line items is still not a problem because these have been
added to the NAI database. This effectively relieves the
load on the operative SAP database.
Other NAI-compatible PBS archive add ons are currently
under development.
Figure 14
9

Lowering the TCO
Companies can use the PBS Nearline Analytic Infrastructure
to lower the TCO of an operative SAP application
system (ERP, IS, CRM, or other) rather considerably: in comparison
to all other known techniques, NAI is capable of
significantly reducing the indexing runtimes for archive
data. This saves valuable time during the batch window.
Because the archive indexes are stored inside the NAI server
in a compressed form, this saves disk space and, at
the same time, relieves the load on the SAP database. NAI
archive indexes from the production system can be read
directly by multiple mirror systems. Accordingly, this multiplies
the savings effect. Much faster response times with
respect to index access to archive data represents yet
another improvement that leads to an increase in user
satisfaction.
NAI-AS for FI:
The following table that PBS provides for use in financial
accounting illustrates how noticeably the SAP database is
relieved.
SAP Standard
PBS NAI
Account Indexes (BSIS etc.)
SAP AS
1 GB 500 MB
NAI-AS for FI (FI Template)
300 MB
Savings 80%
Figure 16
This table illustrates the storage requirements that pertain
to the database of an SAP system in comparison to the
storage requirement when the PBS Nearline Analytic Infrastructure
is used. Altogether, the account indexes on customers,
vendors and G/L accounts as well as the Archive
Information System SAP AS require disk space of 1.5 GB.
Utilization of the FI Template with the Archive Information
System NAI-AS reduces the amount of required disk space
to 300 MB and thus saves 80% of the storage space.
10

Supported SAP Systems and
Platforms, PBS Licensing¹
In principle, the PBS Nearline Analytic Infrastructure can
be used together with all operative SAP systems (ERP,
R/3 Enterprise, CRM, ISU among others) starting with
Release 4.7.
The PBS Nearline Analytic Infrastructure runs on operating
system platforms like IBM AIX, HP-UX, Linux, Sun Solaris
and Microsoft Windows Server².
The pricing model for software from PBS is based on the
number of users of the operative SAP application systems
(ERP, CRM etc.), the so-called ‘named users’ or the number
of contracts or contract accounts for SAP IS solutions. We
offer hotline support for PBS customers who have a maintenance
contract.
PBS concentrates mainly on software development. Our
many consulting partners will be more than happy to offer
you consulting and project management services.
Once you have purchased our PBS Nearline Analytic Infrastructure
with Sybase IQ we will give you the contact
details of a qualified person who can help you with
the complete solution. This means that PBS support will
be happy to assist you even if you have questions on the
Sybase IQ Server.
PBS solutions can be purchased directly from PBS or from
an appropriate authorized partner. To obtain further information
and a complete list of partners, please go to the
‘Buy‘ section of our website.
¹ NAI-compatible PBS modules are not included
in an NAI license.
² PBS NAI can be operated in parallel on one
shared analytics server together with the PBS
nearline storage solutions for SAP NetWeaver
Business Warehouse (CBW).
11

PBS Software GmbH
PBS Software is a leading provider of
add-on software for SAP solutions for
areas like data archiving, extraction and
storage, as well as system closings. The
company has been known to be an expert
on complex, integrated data access
to both archived and nearline data
in SAP applications for many years. In
addition to classical SAP data archiving,
the extensive PBS solutions also support
the SAP BW-specific nearline storage
concept that enables completely
new ILM application scenarios together
with the column-based analytics server
Sybase IQ.
PBS develops pragmatic ILM tools in
close collaboration with SAP and supports
the new SAP ILM solution as an
SAP SOFTWARE SOLUTION PARTNER.
For further information:
www.pbs-software.com.
PBS Software GmbH
Schwanheimer Strasse 144 A phone: +49 (0) 62 51 / 174 - 0 info@pbs-software.com
64625 Bensheim, Germany fax: +49 (0) 62 51 / 174 - 174 www.pbs-software.com
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