How To... Generate Test Data For SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation 10.0

SAP BusinessObjects EPM RIG How-To Guide
How To Generate Test Data for SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation
Applies to:
SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation for NetWeaver 7.0 SP03 and higher. SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation for NetWeaver 7.5 SP01 and higher. SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation for Microsoft 7.0 SP03 and higher. SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation for Microsoft 7.5 SP01 and higher.
Summary
During the test design phase of the software life cycle, with applications such as SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation (BPC), it can be necessary to generate large volumes of test data to ensure the application will meet the business users key performance indicators (KPIs) in a production environment. The BPC DataGenerator tool, included with this How-To Guide, provides one approach to quickly generate test data to import into a BPC application. Author: Erik Lemen
Company: SAP Canada, Inc. Created on: 21 February 2011
Author Bio
Erik Lemen has been working with and supporting SAP Technologies since 2009. He has experience supporting both the SAP BusinessObjects Business Planning and Consolidation for the Microsoft platform and SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation product for the NetWeaver platform. He is currently employed in the SAP Vancouver, Canada Lab and previously has previously worked with BusinessObjects Enterprise, and also as a C# developer. His hobbies include rock climbing and playing chess.
Version History
Version 1.0 released February 2011 Version 1.1 released March 2013
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How To Generate Test data for SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation
Table of Contents
1. 2. 3. 4. 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 5. 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Business Scenario ................................................................................................................................. 3 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 3 Prerequisites .......................................................................................................................................... 3 Installing BPC DataGenerator ............................................................................................................... 3 Installation Welcome Screen ................................................................................................................. 3 Select Installation Folder ....................................................................................................................... 4 Confirm Installation Options .................................................................................................................. 4 Installation Complete ............................................................................................................................. 5 Running BPC DataGenerator ................................................................................................................ 6 Welcome Screen ................................................................................................................................... 6 Dimension Selection .............................................................................................................................. 6 Member Selection .................................................................................................................................. 7 Output Options....................................................................................................................................... 7
Output file location ......................................................................................................................................... 8 Signed data values......................................................................................................................................... 8 Member Intersections ..................................................................................................................................... 9 Maximum rows ............................................................................................................................................. 10 Random Seed Options ................................................................................................................................. 10
5.4.1 5.4.2 5.4.3 5.4.4 5.4.5
5.5 6. 6.1 6.2 7.
Summary ............................................................................................................................................. 11 Whats New in BPC Data Generator version 1.1 ................................................................................. 14 How to Export BPC NW dimensions to .csv file format ....................................................................... 14 How to browse to a specific folder for .csv or .xml dimension files ..................................................... 14 Test Cases ........................................................................................................................................... 15
Scenario 1 single file, all sequential member intersections, fixed data values .......................................... 15 Scenario 2 single file, all sequential member intersections, random data values ..................................... 18 Scenario 3 multiple files, all sequential member intersections, fixed data values ..................................... 21 Scenario 4 single file, subset of sequential member intersections, fixed data values ............................... 24 Scenario 5 single file, subset of sequential member intersections, random data values .......................... 27 Scenario 6 multiple files, all random member intersections, random data values ..................................... 30 Appendix A BPC DataGenerator installation file ........................................................................................ 32 Copyright........................................................................................................................................................... 33
1. Business Scenario
When designing and creating testing plans, testing scripts and test scenarios it is often not feasible to test an application against actual production data. This could be due to a variety of reasons, such as: the production data does not yet exist; the production data is sensitive and not available to the quality assurance (QA) testers; the production data is physically not accessible to the test server networks. When production data is not available, a common approach is to test the software application against test data. One way to populate a BPC application with data is to use the Import Transactional Data Data Manager package to upload files containing comma-separated values.
2. Introduction
This How-To guide outlines how install the BPCDataGenerator tool, as well as step-by-step instructions showing how to use it to create comma-separated value (.csv) files for use with the BPC Import Transactional data, Data Manager package. The BPC DataGenerator tool is a Microsoft Windows application developed for version 2.0 of the .NET framework.
3. Prerequisites
Required software prerequisites for installing BPC DataGenerator tool: Microsoft .NET framework version 2.0, or later
Required/recommended expertise or prior knowledge: SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation 7.5 Microsoft Office client, version for SAP NetWeaver or Microsoft. SAP BusinessObjects Import Transactional data, Data Manager package.
4. Installing BPC DataGenerator

On a machine with the BPC client installed, run the MSI Windows Installer package, BPCDataGenerator.msi, from Appendix A to install the executable files to run the BPC DataGenerator tool. The following steps and screenshots walkthrough the installation: 4.1 Installation Welcome Screen After executing the BPCDataGenerator.msi, the Setup Wizard is displayed:
Click the Next> button. The Select Installation Folder screen is displayed.
4.2
Select Installation Folder
Choose a folder to install the BPC DataGenerator tool.
Click the Next> button. The Confirm Installation screen is displayed.
4.3
Confirm Installation Options
Confirm that the installation is ready to begin.
Click the Next> button. The installation will begin.
4.4 Installation Complete After a few moments the installation will complete.
Click the Close button to exit the Windows Installation package. The BPC DataGenerator tool is now installed. NOTE: This tool is not officially supported by SAP and is provided solely for the purposes of knowledge sharing. Continue to the Running BPC DataGenerator section for screenshots walking through how to use this tool.
5. Running BPC DataGenerator

After installing the BPC DataGenerator a Windows Start menu shortcut is created to run the tool. From the Microsoft Windows Start menu, choose Programs | SAP BusinessObjects | Planning and Consolidation | BPC Data Generator. The BPC DataGenerator tool is launched. 5.1 Welcome Screen The BPC DataGenerator Welcome screen is shown.
Select a preferred language. Click the Next> button to continue. 5.2 Dimension Selection The Dimension Selection screen is shown. From the Application set drop down box choose your BPC application set, or choose browse to pick a custom folder containing the BPC dimension cached xml files.
After choosing an application set, select the dimensions for one of the BPC applications and move them from the list on the left to the right-hand list, as shown.
Click the Next> button to continue. 5.3 Member Selection The Member Selection screen is shown. For each of the dimensions, represented as tabs on the left, select one or more of the base-level dimension members by placing a check mark next to the member id.
Click the Next> button to continue. 5.4 Output Options The Output Options screen is shown. The following options are available from the Output File(s) Tab: Output file location Signed data values Member intersections Maximum rows
The Options Tab is used providing a custom random seed value when using Random Signed data values, or random member intersections. A screenshot and description for each of the available options follows: 5.4.1 Output file location
Click the ellipse button to have Windows prompt for a file location for the comma-separated import file(s) to be saved. Select the Generate multiple files checkbox to have the output results split across multiple .csv files. When the Generate multiple files checkbox is selected, the max. rows/file value specifies how many rows to put in each of the output files. The output files are automatically suffixed with a number, i.e. Import001.csv, Import002.csv.
5.4.2
Signed data values
The Signed data values option controls the values written to the SIGNEDDATA column of the .csv output file. These values can be positive or negative numbers and supports decimal places. There are three options for the Signed data values: Fixed Sequential Random
Fixed value specifies a single static value to be applied to all dimension member intersections. Sequential values specify a range from a lower bound value (i.e. 100) to an upper value (i.e. 50000). Each signed data value (row) written to the .csv file is sequentially larger than the previous value. When the upper value is reached the sequential counter cycles back and starts again at the lower bound value. Random values specify a range from a lower bound value to an upper value. Each signed data value (row) written to the .csv file is chosen randomly between the lower to upper value inclusively.
5.4.3
Member Intersections
The Member intersections option determines how the Cartesian product of member intersections are written to the .csv output files. There are two options: Sequential Random
This is probably best described using an example. If there were 3 dimensions, CATEGORY, ENTITY and TIME and each had two members there would be a total of 8 combinations (2 x 2 x 2). Assume the Category dimension contains members ACTUAL and PLAN, and that the ENTITY dimension contains members CANADA and USA, and that the TIME dimension contains 2011.MAR and 2011.APR. A sequential file would be generated writing the values directly to file, in order:
CATEGO RY ENTITY SDATA TIME
ACTUAL ACTUAL ACTUAL ACTUAL PLAN PLAN PLAN PLAN
CANADA CANADA USA USA CANADA CANADA USA USA
2011.MAR 2011.APR 2011.MAR 2011.APR 2011.MAR 2011.APR 2011.MAR 2011.APR
100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
A random file would first generate the sequential values in memory, and then randomly choose which ones to write to file.
CATEGO RY ENTITY SDATA TIME
ACTUAL PLAN ACTUAL ACTUAL PLAN PLAN
CANADA USA USA USA CANADA CANADA
2011.MAR 2011.APR 2011.APR 2011.MAR 2011.MAR 2011.APR
100 100 100 100 100 100
NOTE: When choosing random member intersection it is strongly recommended to choose a maximum number of rows that is smaller than the maximum possible rows. It does not make sense to use random generation of member intersections if the intention is generate all possible combinations it is less CPU and memory intensive to simply generate all values sequentially. 5.4.4 Maximum rows
The Maximum rows option restricts the total number of data values written to all output files. This option allows the user to choose to not write the complete set of Cartesian product results to file and to include only the first X number of rows.
5.4.5
Random Seed Options
BPC DataGenerator tool is designed to use a pseudo-random number generator when either the member intersections are chosen randomly, or when the signed data values are generated randomly. Pseudorandom numbers are generated starting from a seed value; each time the program is run a new seed value will be used, which will cause different random numbers to be generated. If there is a requirement to recreate the same random sample data in the future, save the Random Seed number and use that number in a future run of the BPC DataGenerator tool.
Click the Next> button to continue.
5.5 Summary The Summary screen is shown. This provides an opportunity to review the selections chosen from the previous screens.
Click the Finish button to generate the import file(s). A progress bar can be optionally displayed, and when the import files have been generated a message is displayed with the amount of time it took to create the files.
The import files are then available.
The import files are ready to upload into the BPC system to make them available to the BPC Import Transactional data, Data Manager package.
You now have an import .csv file containing test data to upload into your BPC application. The import data matches in structure to the applications dimensions and members, as such no transformation rules or conversion mapping need be specified in the transformation file. Congratulations!
6. Whats New in BPC Data Generator version 1.1

BPC 10 for Netweaver has replaced the thick client Administration with a Flex browser-based Administration interface which no longer caches dimension .xml files locally. BPC 10 for NW users will need to export their dimensions to local .csv files and load them using BPC Data Generator 1.1s new browse feature. 6.1 How to Export BPC NW dimensions to .csv file format
6.2 How to browse to a specific folder for .csv or .xml dimension files
7. Test Cases
The following screenshots are provided as test case scenarios that can be performed against the sample ApShell application set that comes with BPC 7.0 for NetWeaver platform. The purpose of these test scenarios are to confirm that basic functionality for BPC DataGenerator tool is working as expected. Scenario 1 single file, all sequential member intersections, fixed data values This scenario will create a single import file (import.csv) with a fixed signed data value (100) for all of the possible intersections (216 intersections). Those intersections will be written sequentially to the import file.
Scenario 2 single file, all sequential member intersections, random data values This scenario will create a single import file (import.csv) with random signed data values (between 100 and 50000) for all of the possible intersections (216 intersections). Those intersections will be written sequentially to the import file.
NOTE: To generate the same random values, be sure to use the same random seed.
Scenario 3 multiple files, all sequential member intersections, fixed data values This scenario will create multiple import files (import1.csv, import2.csv, import3.csv) with a fixed signed data value (100) for all of the possible intersections (216 intersections). Those intersections will be written sequentially to the import file. Each of the files will contain a maximum of 75 rows.
NOTE: When BPC DataManager upload/downloads data files the operation may time out, see SAP Note 1491655. This is one reason to split large import .csv files into multiple smaller files.
Scenario 4 single file, subset of sequential member intersections, fixed data values This scenario will create a single import file (import.csv) with a fixed signed data value (100) for a subset of all possible intersections (only 100 of the possible 216 intersections will be generated). Those intersections will be written sequentially to the import file.
Scenario 5 single file, subset of sequential member intersections, random data values This scenario will create a single import file (import.csv) with a range of randomly generated signed data values (between 100-50000) for a subset of all possible intersections (only 100 of the possible 216 intersections will be generated). Those intersections will be written sequentially to the import file.
NOTE: The random seed value has been intentionally set to match the value used in Scenario 2. This test confirms that when the same random seed is used the same data values are generated.
Scenario 6 multiple files, all random member intersections, random data values This scenario will create multiple import files (import1.csv, import2.csv, import3.csv) with a range of randomly generated signed data values between 100 and 50000 for all possible intersections. Those intersections will be written randomly to the import file.
NOTE: When choosing random member intersections a Cartesian product of all member intersections are generated in memory first, then the intersections are randomly chosen to write to disk.
For the options chosen in this scenario, these are the import .csv files generated: Appendix Appendix A BPC DataGenerator installation file This MSI installation package will install the BPC DataGenerator tool (Section 4).
Copyright
Copyright 2013 SAP AG. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or for any purpose without the express permission of SAP AG. The information contained herein may be changed without prior notice. Some software products marketed by SAP AG and its distributors contain proprietary software components of other software vendors. Microsoft, Windows, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. IBM, DB2, DB2 Universal Database, System i, System i5, System p, System p5, System x, System z, System z10, System z9, z10, z9, iSeries, pSeries, xSeries, zSeries, eServer, z/VM, z/OS, i5/OS, S/390, OS/390, OS/400, AS/400, S/390 Parallel Enterprise Server, PowerVM, Power Architecture, POWER6+, POWER6, POWER5+, POWER5, POWER, OpenPower, PowerPC, BatchPipes, BladeCenter, System Storage, GPFS, HACMP, RETAIN, DB2 Connect, RACF, Redbooks, OS/2, Parallel Sysplex, MVS/ESA, AIX, Intelligent Miner, WebSphere, Netfinity, Tivoli and Informix are trademarks or registered trademarks of IBM Corporation. Linux is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries. Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat, PostScript, and Reader are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation. UNIX, X/Open, OSF/1, and Motif are registered trademarks of the Open Group. Citrix, ICA, Program Neighborhood, MetaFrame, WinFrame, VideoFrame, and MultiWin are trademarks or registered trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. HTML, XML, XHTML and W3C are trademarks or registered trademarks of W3C, World Wide Web Consortium, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Java is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. JavaScript is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc., used under license for technology invented and implemented by Netscape. SAP, R/3, SAP NetWeaver, Duet, PartnerEdge, ByDesign, SAP Business ByDesign, and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and other countries. Business Objects and the Business Objects logo, BusinessObjects, Crystal Reports, Crystal Decisions, Web Intelligence, Xcelsius, and other Business Objects products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Business Objects S.A. in the United States and in other countries. Business Objects is an SAP company. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. Data contained in this document serves informational purposes only. National product specifications may vary. These materials are subject to change without notice. These materials are provided by SAP AG and its affiliated companies ("SAP Group") for informational purposes only, without representation or warranty of any kind, and SAP Group shall not be liable for errors or omissions with respect to the materials. The only warranties for SAP Group products and services are those that are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services, if any. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty.

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SAP BusinessObjects EPM RIG How-To Guide

Company: SAP Canada, Inc. Created on: 21 February 2011

SAP COMMUNITY NETWORK 2010 SAP AG

SDN - sdn.sap.com | BPX - bpx.sap.com | BOC - boc.sap.com | UAC - uac.sap.com 1

5.4.1 5.4.2 5.4.3 5.4.4 5.4.5

5.5 6. 6.1 6.2 7.

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4. Installing BPC DataGenerator

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Select Installation Folder

Choose a folder to install the BPC DataGenerator tool.

Click the Next> button. The Confirm Installation screen is displayed.

Confirm Installation Options

Confirm that the installation is ready to begin.

Click the Next> button. The installation will begin.

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5. Running BPC DataGenerator

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Signed data values

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ACTUAL ACTUAL ACTUAL ACTUAL PLAN PLAN PLAN PLAN

CANADA CANADA USA USA CANADA CANADA USA USA

2011.MAR 2011.APR 2011.MAR 2011.APR 2011.MAR 2011.APR 2011.MAR 2011.APR

100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

ACTUAL PLAN ACTUAL ACTUAL PLAN PLAN

CANADA USA USA USA CANADA CANADA

2011.MAR 2011.APR 2011.APR 2011.MAR 2011.MAR 2011.APR

100 100 100 100 100 100

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Random Seed Options

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Click the Next> button to continue.

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The import files are then available.

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6. Whats New in BPC Data Generator version 1.1

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