SAP HANA - Information Composer

SAP HANA Information Composer is a self-service modeling environment for end users to analyze data set. It allows you to import data from workbook format (.xls, .csv) into HANA database and to create Modeling views for analysis.

Information Composer is very different from HANA Modeler and both are designed to target separate set of users. Technically sound people who have strong experience in data modeling use HANA Modeler. A business user, who does not have any technical knowledge, uses Information Composer. It provides simple functionalities with easy to use interface.

Features of Information Composer

Data extraction − Information Composer helps to extract data, clean data, preview data and automate the process of creation of physical table in the HANA database.
Manipulating data − It helps us to combine two objects (Physical tables, Analytical View, attribute view and calculation views) and create information view that can be consumed by SAP BO Tools like SAP Business Objects Analysis, SAP Business Objects Explorer and other tools like MS Excel.
It provides a centralized IT service in the form of URL, which can be accessed from anywhere.

How to upload data using Information Composer?

It allows us to upload large amount of data (up to 5 million cells). Link to access Information Composer −

http://<server>:<port>/IC

To upload data this can be done in two ways −

Uploading .xls, .csv file directly to HANA database
Other way is to copy data to clipboard and copy from there to HANA database.
It allows data to be loaded along with header.

On Left side in Information Composer, you have three options −

Select Source of data → Classify data → Publish

Once data is published to HANA database, you cannot rename the table. In this case, you have to delete the table from Schema in HANA database.

“SAP_IC” schema, where tables like IC_MODELS, IC_SPREADSHEETS exists. One can find details of tables created using IC under these tables.

Using Clipboard

Another way to upload data in IC is by use of the clipboard. Copy the data to clipboard and upload it with help of Information Composer. Information Composer also allows you to see preview of data or even provide summary of data in temporary storage. It has inbuilt capability of data cleansing that is used to remove any inconsistency in data.

Once data is cleansed, you need to classify data whether it is attributed. IC has inbuilt feature to check the data type of uploaded data.

Final step is to publish the data to physical tables in HANA database. Provide a technical name and description of table and this will be loaded inside IC_Tables Schema.

User Roles for using data published with Information Composer

Two set of users can be defined to use data published from IC.

IC_MODELER is for creating physical tables, uploading data and creating information views.
IC_PUBLIC allows users to view information views created by other users. This role does not allow the user to upload or create any information views using IC.

System Requirement for Information Composer

Server Requirements −

At least 2GB of available RAM is required.
Java 6 (64-bit) must be installed on the server.
The Information Composer Server must be physically located next to the HANA server.

Client Requirements −