What Is Real Time Cubes

Real-time InfoCubes differ from standard InfoCubes in their ability to support parallel write
accesses. Standard InfoCubes are technically optimized for read accesses to the detriment of
write accesses.

Real-time InfoCubes are used in connection with the entry of planning data.

The data is simultaneously written to the InfoCube by multiple users. Standard InfoCubes are not
suitable for this. You should use standard InfoCubes for read-only access (for example, when
reading reference data).

Structure

Real-time InfoCubes can be filled with data using two different methods: using the transaction
for entering planning data, and using BI staging, whereby planning data cannot be loaded
simultaneously. You have the option to convert a real-time InfoCube. To do this, in the context
menu of your real-time InfoCube in the InfoProvider tree, choose Convert Real-Time InfoCube.
By default, Real-Time Cube Can Be Planned, Data Loading Not Permitted is selected. Switch
this setting to Real-Time Cube Can Be Loaded With Data; Planning Not Permitted if you want to
fill the cube with data using BI staging.

When you enter planning data, the data is written to a data request of the real-time InfoCube. As
soon as the number of records in a data request exceeds a threshold value, the request is closed
and a rollup is carried out for this request in defined aggregates (asynchronously). You can still
rollup and define aggregates, collapse, and so on, as before.

Depending on the database on which they are based, real-time InfoCubes differ from standard
InfoCubes in the way they are indexed and partitioned. For an Oracle DBMS, this means, for
example, no bitmap indexes for the fact table and no partitioning (initiated by BI) of the fact
table according to the package dimension.

Reduced read-only performance is accepted as a drawback of real-time InfoCubes, in favor of

the option of parallel (transactional) writing and improved write performance.
Creating a Real-Time InfoCube

When creating a new InfoCube in the Data Warehousing Workbench, select the Real-Time
indicator.
Converting a Standard InfoCube into a Real-Time InfoCube

Conversion with Loss of Transaction Data

If the standard InfoCube already contains transaction data that you no longer need (for example,
test data from the implementation phase of the system), proceed as follows:

...

1. In the InfoCube maintenance in the Data Warehousing Workbench, from the main menu,
choose InfoCube -> Delete Data Content. The transaction data is deleted and the InfoCube is set
to inactive.

2. Continue with the same procedure as with creating a real-time InfoCube.

Conversion with Retention of Transaction Data

If the standard InfoCube already contains transaction data from the production operation that you
still need, proceed as follows:

Execute ABAP report SAP_CONVERT_NORMAL_TRANS under the name of the

corresponding InfoCube. Schedule this report as a background job for InfoCubes with more than
10,000 data records because the runtime could potentially be long.