Let us start with what SAP Data Services is.
SAP Data Services is a software application with the primary goal of integrating and transforming data. Users can therefore start systems to extract SAP datafrom various sources. These include, but are not limited to, databases, applications, data stores, and web services. Subsequently, this extracted data may be combined, transformed, and processed by businesses for cutting-edge analytics that help in precise decision-making.
Moreover, SAP data is compatible with the Change Data Capture feature that helps to input data to data warehouses and stream-processing systems. SAP data also supports real-time services whereby applications can query Data Services and get an instant response. However, this reaction depends on a pre-defined workflow and batch processing, which was hitherto the traditional approach to data transformation.
The SAP Extractor Explored
What is the SAP Extractor
As explained earlier, one of the critical functions of the SAP Data Service software application is to integrate and transform data. Through this cutting-edge feature, users can develop and execute workflows to extract SAP data from various sources, such as data stores, databases, web services, and other applications.
Once the process to extract SAP data is done, businesses can carry out real-time analytics after transforming and processing the extracted data to bring it in sync with their requirements. Apart from this function, SAP data may be further used for querying Data Services. This leads to quick responses according to a pre-determined workflow, along with batch processing, which was the previous form of data transformation.
The SAP Extractor, commonly called the BW Extractor in the past, is a very effective data management tool of SAP. It is optimized to extract SAP data from the source systems to be moved to downstream data warehouses and other business intelligence systems.
In short, the goal of the SAP Extractor is to extract SAP data for feeding into SAP BW applications. This function can be further used to integrate data with the SAP Extractor even when the user is an SAP client but not using the BW.
The Function of the SAP Extractor
How does the SAP Extractor work to extract SAP data? The workflow is simple and seamless as the whole process is automated and fully managed by SAP. The Extractor may be in the form of a typical Data Source or one that is customized to provide details of full-load delta processes of different types. The data transfer activity of the program is remotely controlled by SAP BW.
The process to extract SAP data cannot be promptly started and transferred to the input layer of the SAP Business Warehouse. It is necessary to first use an InfoPackage in the scheduler to define the load processes. This action is initiated with a request to IDoc to the source system when the InfoPackage is to be implemented with process chains used for executions.
How to Extract SAP Data
The method to extract SAP data depends on the application used. The Business Warehouse gets access to the BI content after the Extractors are hard-coded for the Data Source. However, it must be ensured that the architecture of the Extractors matches that of the Data Source.
There are several types of Extractors available to extract SAP data and move it to the Business Warehouse. Once the Extractors link up with the Data Source, they can identify the data to be extracted and the tables that have data in read-only format. The process of extracting SAP data is fully automated without the need for human touch at any stage.
A benefit here is that the SAP Extractor can extract SAP data, whatever the application might be. However, for this to happen, the Extractor must contain database views, master data attributes or texts, SAP query functional areas, or transaction data from all transparent tables. For all these types of data, the Data Source can read and transfer data to the BW.
Over the years, the technologically advanced and cutting-edge attributes of the SAP Extractor have made it a leader in the niche of Enterprise Resource Planning products. The SAP Extractor is optimized when compared to other ERP systems like Oracle, Microsoft, Salesforce, and other competitors.
Tool to Extract SAP Data
The most optimized and highly effective tool to extract SAP datais the SAP ETL (Extract, Transform, and Load) tool. The process is as follows: The tool first extracts data from single or several sources and transforms the data to match the data structure of the target system. This processed and formatted data is then loaded into the target location, which may be a data warehouse or a central storage repository.
There are two main benefits of the ETL tool. First, it can extract SAP dataand transform it outside the application. Next, it can handle data in its native form, regardless of whether it is unstructured, semi-structured, or structured. It is for these features that the SAP Extractor from SAP Data Services can meet the special needs of the SAP Business Warehouse.
Types of SAP Data Extractors
There are three types of SAP Extractors to extract SAP data.
# Application Specific Content Extractors to extract SAP data with BW content, FI, HR, CO, SAP CRM, and LO cockpit.
# Application Specific Customer-Generated Extractors to extract data related to LIS, FI-SL, and CO-PA.
# Cross Application Generic Extractors that work exclusively with the DB View, Infoset, and Function Modules.
Organizations use one of the SAP Extractors to extract SAP data that precisely matches their requirements.