A Comprehensive Comparison of SAP SDI vs. BODS for Data Integration

[sreeregha_r]

Smart Data Integration and SAP Business Object Data Services are both essential ETL tools designed to extract, transform, and load data from source to target. Smart Data Integration focuses on the seamless connection of data from diverse sources, enabling the generation of insights that wouldn't be attainable using data from a single source alone. SAP Business Object Data Services (BODS) serves as a versatile ETL tool, serving multiple purposes including data integration, data quality improvement, data profiling, and data processing. It empowers organizations to integrate and transform trusted data into their data warehousing systems, facilitating robust analytical reporting.

Now, let's compare SAP Data Services (BODS) and SAP HANA Smart Data Integration (SDI) using the following key perspectives:

1. Data Replication


2. Data Sources


3. Data Targets


4. Join

1. Data Replication

To replicate data from a remote source into tables in SAP HANA, you can use the Replication Editor in the SAP HANA Web-based Development Workbench.

                1.1 Replication in SDI

In the context of SAP HANA Smart Data Integration (SDI), replicating data from objects in a remote source into SAP HANA tables involves configuring the replication process. This is done by creating an ".hdbreptask" file, which opens a file specific to the Replication Editor. It's important to ensure that proper access rights are in place before utilizing the Replication Editor.

In SAP HANA SDI:

• Select a package from the content pane and right-click on it.


• Choose "New" ➜ "Replication Task."


• Enter a Task Name and then click "Create."


• In the Remote Source section, select the source data from the dropdown list.


• Under Target Schema, choose the schema where the target table should be located.


• In the Virtual Table Schema, select the checkbox for the schema related to the virtual table.


• Decide whether to use the package prefix for the virtual and/or target tables.


• If you need to add one or more tables to the replication task, click on "Add Objects."

                     

                                                              Fig: 1 – Replicating table in SDI

Specify the filtering criteria by choosing from options such as 'Display Name,' 'Unique Name,' or 'Object Description,' and then select whether it should 'Contain,' 'Equal,' 'Start with,' or 'End with' the characters you enter.

• In the Target Name Prefix option, enter a prefix.


• If necessary, you can change the entire name on the main editing page.


• Configure the Replication Behavior for the table. Choose the combination of initial load, real-time replication, and table-level structure replication based on whether CDC is supported and whether you are working with a table or virtual table.


• To create the target table, click Select Target Table in the Target Name column. In the Select Target Table dialog, choose New to create a new table. Select the Truncate table on execution to clear the table before inserting data.


• Click Save, and then click Execute.     

                   1.2 Replication in BODS

BODS enables you to create an exact replication of nearly any object type used in job development. This functionality proves valuable for tasks such as generating new versions of existing workflows or dataflows for testing purposes or creating backups at the object level.

You can replicate a job object using the following steps:

• Navigate to Local Object Library and access the Jobs


• Right-click on the particular job that you want to replicate, then choose Replicate from the context menu.


• A copy of the job with a new name will be generated in the Local Object Library.

                           

                                                Fig 2: Replication

                                             Fig 3: Replicated job

2.Source

                 2.1 Source in SDI

Smart Data Integration, equipped with smart data access adapters, offers the capability to connect with a wide range of traditional RDBMS and unstructured data sources, including platforms like Twitter and Facebook. The remote source provides tables that mirror the content of the CFG files, and these tables can be imported into your SDI environment.

To create a source table in SDI, follow these steps:

• Place the Data Source node onto the screen.


• In the Select an Object dialog, either type the name of the object or browse the object tree to select the desired objects.


• Click OK.These steps guide you in setting up a source table within SDI efficiently.

                                                       Fig: 4 – Select the table from the remote source

                                                      Fig: 5 – Selected table

 

                     2.2 Source in BODS

SAP BODS can connect to a wide range of legacy systems and traditional relational databases (RDBMS) as data sources.

To set up a source in BODS, follow these steps:

• Create a Datastore by specifying the Datastore name, Datastore type, and Database type.


• Import the required table into the Datastore.


• Drag and drop the table onto the screen.

These steps enable you to establish a source in SAP BODS effectively.

                                                   Fig: 6 – Source table placed in the data service screen

  3.Target

                      3.1 Target in SDI

 Since SDI is available as part of SAP HANA, it is compatible only with HANA databases, including cloud-based ones, as its target. In SDI, target tables come in two forms: Data Sink and Target Table.

                     A) SDI – Data Sink

A Data Sink represents a target table that is created to match its input columns.

To set up an SDI Data Sink, follow these steps:

• Place the Data Sink node on the screen.


• In the Select an Object dialog, browse to the required object and click OK.


• In the General tab, provide a Name for the Data Sink.


• Verify the Authoring Schema and specify the Writer Type for insertion.


• Select Truncate Table to clear the table before inserting data.

These steps guide you in creating an SDI Data Sink for your target table.

                             

                                              Fig: 7 – Select the table from the object

                                                   Fig: 8 – Data Sink

                   B) SDI – Template table

A Template Table offers a convenient and quick way to include a target table in a data flow without the need to define a schema.

To utilize an SDI Template Table, follow these steps:

• Drag and drop the target table from the general palette onto the screen.


• Assign a name to the Target Table and establish a connection with the data source.

These steps allow you to swiftly incorporate a target table into your data flow within SDI, without the requirement of schema definition.

                                                        Fig 9: Target Table

 

                    3.2 Target in BODS

SAP BODS can load data into various target systems, including flat files. It allows the creation of template tables within the tool itself, which can later be converted into permanent physical tables within the same datastore.

To create a new template table, follow these steps:

• Drag and drop the Template Table from the palette onto the workspace.


• Enter the desired table name and select the target datastore from the available list.


• The Owner Name corresponds to the Schema Name where the table is intended to be created.


• The table will be added to the local object library with the specified table name.

These steps facilitate the creation and conversion of template tables in SAP BODS for effective data loading.

   

                                              Fig 10: Target table

4.Join

A Join node represents a relational multi-way join operation

                   4.1 SDI Join Operation

To perform a join operation in SDI, follow these steps:

• In the bottom left corner of the screen, locate the Data Source and select the source table you want to join.


• Select the Query Transform and then click and drag it onto the screen.


• Provide a Naming Convention for the Query Transform.


• Map the source table to the query.


• Right-click on the From option, and you'll see Input Schema, Join Pairs, and From Clause in Schema Remapping.


• Choose the option to join.


• Define the join condition.


• After specifying the join condition, connect it to the target table.


• Save your work and then execute the operation.

These steps guide you through the process of performing a join operation in SDI.

                                                   Fig: 11 – Join

                                                   Fig: 12 – Join Condition

                     4.2 BODS Join Operation

To perform a join operation in SAP BODS, follow these steps:

• On the left side of the screen, locate the tables you want to join. Select these tables and drag them into the workspace.


• On the right side of your screen, find the palette, select the Query Transform, and drag it onto the workspace.


• Provide a Naming Convention for the Query Transform.


• Map the source table with the query.


• Right-click the From option, Input Schema, Join Pairs, and From in Schema Remapping.


• Select the option to join.


• Define the join condition.


• After specifying the join condition, connect it to the target table.


• Save your work and then execute.

These steps guide you through the process of performing a join operation in SAP BODS effectively.

                                                       Fig: 13– Join in BODS

                                           Fig: 14 – Join Condition in BODS

Wrapping up

Data integration is a fundamental practice for businesses aiming to thrive in today's competitive market, especially with the increasing demand for data-driven decision-making. SAP Smart Data Integration (SDI) offers a valuable solution for clients seeking to enhance data quality across their organization. SDI facilitates secure data transfer to and from applications, enabling seamless data synchronization and sharing within the business community.

On the other hand, SAP Business Object Data Services (BODS) serves as a powerful ETL tool. It excels in extracting data from diverse systems, transforming it into meaningful insights, and loading it into various types of systems. Both SAP SDI and BODS play vital roles in helping organizations harness the full potential of their data, driving growth and informed decision-making in today's dynamic business landscape.

 

[SameerAliKhan]

Thank you for outlining the steps in SDI and BODS for specific activities, can you also highlight the pros and cons of each of these technologies and what best first in what situation?

[Archana0607]

Nice Blog!