Creating Process Chains 

Prerequisites

If you want to include a load process in the process chain, you need to have already created an InfoPackage.

You cannot load flat file data from a client workstation in the background. For this reason, you have stored your data on an application server.

Creating Process Chains

You have the option of creating a process chain in the process chain maintenance screen directly or by using a maintenance dialog for a process:

Creating a Process Chain Directly in the Process Chain Maintenance Screen

You are in the BW Administrator Workbench.

…

       1.      Click on the  Process Chain Maintenance icon in the AWB toolbar.

The Process Chain Selection dialog window appears.

       2.      Choose Create.

       3.      Enter the technical name and a description of the chain, and confirm your entry.

The Add Start Process dialog window appears.

       4.      Create a variant for a start process.

1.     a.       On the Maintain Start Process screen, choose whether you want to schedule the chain directly or whether you want to start it using a metachain.

2.     b.       If you choose to schedule the chain directly, enter the start date value for the chain under Change Selections and save your entries.

The Maintain Start Process screen appears again.

3.     c.       Save your entries, return to the previous screen and confirm your entries in the Add Start Process dialog window.

You are taken to the  Plan View of the process chain maintenance screen.

In the left-hand area of the screen, a navigation area is displayed. In the right-hand area of the screen, the process chain is displayed.

       5.      Use the drag-and-drop function to add the relevant processes into your process chain.

You use the  Process Types function to select the processes. This sorts the process types according to different categories. You can also call up InfoPackages and processes for the data target from the separate  InfoSources and  Data Targets navigation trees.

 

If you insert into the chain a process that is linked to additional processes, the respective process variants are generated and inserted into the process chain automatically. These variants are suggestions and can be changed, replaced or removed from the chain if required.

Only if the attribute realignment run is inserted automatically, do you also arrive at the variant maintenance screen.

If you want to specify yourself the processes that are to be included in a chain, choose Settings ® Default Chains, and select the Do Not Suggest Processes option. As a result, the system does not suggest, generate, or insert automatically any processes into the chain. This setting is user-specific.

If the chain that you create does not correspond to the standard, the system displays a warning. You can ignore these warnings if you are sure that you are creating a chain that meets your requirements. Warnings do not affect how the chain operates during runtime.

Your chain is checked in the checking view and during activation. The system tells you if it discovers any errors.

Creating a Process Chain Using the Maintenance Dialog for a Process

You are in the maintenance dialog of a process that you want to include in a process chain.

…

       1.      Choose the Process Chain Maintenance pushbutton and create a process variant.

       2.      Save the variant and go back to the previous screen.

A dialog window appears in which you enter a technical name and a description of the chain that you want to create.

       3.      Confirm your entries.

The Add Start Process dialog window appears.

       4.      Create a variant for a start process.

1.     a.       On the Maintain Start Process screen, choose whether you want to schedule the chain directly or whether you want to start it using a metachain.

2.     b.       If you choose to schedule the chain directly, enter the start date value for the chain under Change Selections and save your entries.

The Maintain Start Process screen appears again.

3.     c.       Save your entries, return to the previous screen and confirm your entries in the Add Start Process dialog window.

You are taken to the  Plan View of the process chain maintenance screen.

The various process categories, the application processes, and collection processes are displayed in the left-hand area of the screen. In the right-hand area of the screen, the process chain is displayed.

 

If the process that you used to create a chain is linked to additional processes, the respective process variants are generated and inserted into the process chain automatically. These variants are suggestions and can be changed, replaced or removed from the chain if required.

Only if the attribute realignment run is inserted automatically, do you also arrive at the variant maintenance screen.

If you want to specify yourself the processes that are to be included in a chain, choose Settings ® Default Chains, and select the Do Not Suggest Processes option. As a result, the system does not suggest, generate, or insert automatically any processes into the chain. This setting is user-specific.

If the chain that you create does not correspond to the standard, the system displays a warning. You can ignore these warnings if you are sure that you are creating a chain that meets your requirements. Warnings do not affect how the chain operates during runtime.

Your chain is checked in the checking view and during activation. The system tells you if it discovers any errors.

       5.      Use the drag-and-drop function to insert any additional relevant processes into your process chain.

You use the  Process Types function to select the processes. This sorts the process types according to different categories. You can also call up InfoPackages and processes for the data target from the separate  InfoSources and  Data Targets navigation trees.

Additional Steps to Creating a Process Chain

       6.      When you add a process, you need to select a process variant or create a new variant. For collection processes, the system determines the variants.

 

Various functions for working with the process are available from the context menu:

Context Menu Entry for a Process

Function Information

Maintain Variants

With the exception of the variants in the collection process, you can use this function to change all process variants.

Exchange Variants

You can swap the variants for an existing variant or a new variant.

Display Scheduled Jobs

Once the process chain is active, you can use this function to display the jobs that have been scheduled.

Display All Jobs

After at least one run of the process chain, you can display, for a specific process, all of the scheduled jobs for this process and all of the jobs with which this process was run. You arrive at the job overview from where you call up the relevant job log.

Create Message

You can also send messages to an application process of the chain, depending on the success or failure of the process.

1.     1.       From the context menu of a process, create an additional process variant of the Send Message type.

2.     2.       If you maintain a message, first specify whether you want the message to be sent when the process has been completed successfully or unsuccessfully. Then choose Next.

3.     3.       You arrive at a window, in which you can select an existing process variant or create a new one.

4.     4.       If you create a new process variant, edit the document that is going to be sent, and maintain a list of recipients.

5.     5.       Save your process variant and go back a step.

The message process variant is now assigned to your application process. When the message is sent, the status information and the process log can also be sent.

Wait Time

 

You use this function only to debug a process run.

Specify how long (in seconds) you want the delay to be between one event being triggered and the next process starting.

You can capture the process by using transaction SM37 (Job Overview) or SM50 (Process Overview).

Remove Process

You use this function to remove a process from a process chain.

Manage Data Target

You use this function in connection with the following types of process variants

1.     ·         constructing indexes

2.     ·         deleting indexes

3.     ·         constructing database statistics

4.     ·         rolling up filled aggregates

5.     ·         compressing InfoCubes

6.     ·         activating ODS object data

to call up the administration for each of the data targets.

       7.      Hold down the left mouse button to connect the processes through events.

 

Before you do this, select the process underneath the process type row, and position the cursor over the required process. When you select the process type row, the whole process is moved into the plan view.

From the context menu of a link, you can display the event or remove the link again. To do this, highlight the link and right-click with the mouse.

       8.      If necessary, specify whether you want the event to be triggered after the previous process has been completed successfully or unsuccessfully or whether you want the event to be triggered independently of the outcome of the process that precedes it.

       9.      Under Attributes ®Display Components assign a display component to the process chain.

   10.      Maintain additional process chain attributes if necessary.

   11.      Check your process chain in the  Check View and make any necessary corrections.

 

The  Legend explains the meaning of the different colors used to display the processes and links.

From the context menu for a process, you can display the messages resulting from the check.

   12.      Save your process chain if it does not contain any errors.

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