Activate SAP BPC in NetWeaver BW 7.5 Guide

Activate BPC in NetWeaver BW

There are a lot of things going on with BPC and EPM as General. SAP already showed their commitment to extend and make BPC a core product of their portfolio. You can check my posts on EPM Roadmaps and Consolidation Feature in BPC Embedded, but certainly a lot of things are going on with it.

Their latest version of BPC is 10.1, and you can install it on NetWeaver BW 7.4. Nevertheless, this post is not about it. This article is about activating BPC in NetWeaver BW 7.5. You heard me right, you will not need to install BPC anymore, but just to activate it in BW 7.5.

According to SAP Note 2252082, all existing BPC 10.1 code is merged in BW 7.5 component. Therefore, you will no longer see CPMBPC and HANABPC components.

Back to the main topic. This object of the guide will be to show you how to enable BPC in NetWeaver BW 7.5. We will start the steps from fresh NetWeaver Install. For most of the part, I will follow the official BPC Installation Guide for BPC 10.1 on NW 7.4, but hopefully, will make it a bit more understandable.

Here it is the right time to acknowledge that I am not a Basis consultant, and instead a BPC Functional Consultant with Accounting background. Please do not use this guide for a production application.

Here are the steps you should follow:

  • Start STMS and confirm creation of Transport Management System
  • Start transaction RSA1 – BW Workbench
  • Start RSTCO_ADMIN to install BI Technical Content
  • Set HTTP Port in RZ10
  • Check ICM service for HTTP/HTTPS port
  • Turn on required services for BPC
  • Fine tune BPC Web Alias for Admin Logon
  • Turn on Planning Application Kit and BPC Embedded for HANA
  • Activate 0TCA* Business Content for BPC
  • Generate Required Authorisation Profiles
  • Modifiable Namespaces for BPC Activation
  • RFC Connection for BW After Import Method
  • Test RFC Connection
  • Assign Authorisation SAP_BW_CONTENT_ADMIN
  • Create BPC Service User
  • Create RFC connection for BPC Service User
  • Assign the RFC Connection in SPRO
  • Activate EnvironmentShell

 

  • Start STMS and confirm creation of Transport Management System

This step is simple. You just have to start STMS so the system can create domain controller for Transport Management. You may be asked for a password for the user related to transport management if this configuration is not done yet.

 

  • Start transaction RSA1 – BW Workbench

Start RSA1 transaction in the SAP Client where BW and BPC will be activated. Because I am using this for learning purposes, I installed it on Client 001. Create Logical System and assign it to the related Client.

 

  • Start RSTCO_ADMIN to install BI Technical Content

This step may or may not be executed with running for the first time RSA1. Start transaction RSTCO_ADMIN and ensure that the status is green. You can check the background job at SM37 (BI_TCO_ACTIVATION).

 

  • Set HTTP Port in RZ10

Run transaction RZ10 to open SAP instance profile configuration which is maintained on OS level. If you are starting it for the first time, you will have to import the files from the OS.

Choose your Instance profile and select Change.

Create or maintain icm/server_port_0 for HTTP or HTTPS protocol. You may try with port 80 which is the default HTTP port. I used 4444 as it is a bit complicated in Linux to bind a port with a number below 1024. For more info about this issue SNote –  421359. TIMEOUT and PROCTIMEOUT parameters are controlling when the system is interrupting the connection to Web or Excel EPM clients. Being over 60 seconds is a must rather than nice to have.

You will need to save and activate the changes in the profile. To take effect, you will need to restart the SAP system, because they are on  OS level.

 

  • Check ICM service for HTTP/HTTPS port

Run transaction SMICM and verify that the ICM service is working by indicating green light. Then proceed with Goto -> Services.

 

Check for your new Port number and whether the service for desired protocol is active.

 

  • Turn on required services for BPC

To switch the necessary services, start transaction SICF and on the selection screen keep the services option.

You will need to activate all services under following folders

  • /sap/EPM_BPC
  • /sap/public/bc
  • /sap/es/ina/
  • /sap/bw/cs
  • /sap/bc/ui5_ui5/sap/bpcwebclient
  • /sap/bw/ina
  • /sap/public/myssocntl

For the EPM Connector activate following.

  • /sap/bw/xml/soap/xmla/

 

  • Fine tune BPC Web Alias for Admin Logon

I assume that this is an optional step, but because I want to use HTTP, I will need to change the protocol for BPC Web Logon. Again start SICF, but on the selection screen, choose ALIAS instead of SERVICES. Find highlighted service shown in the screenshot and enter into the detailed view by double click.

 

Jump to Error Pages tab and switch the radio button to System Logon. Next Select Configuration.

In the configuration screen select the appropriate Protocol, enter Client and Language and select Logon Layout. If you want to suppress any warnings on the Logon screen, choose “Do Not Display Warnings.”

 

  • Turn on Planning Application Kit and BPC Embedded for HANA

With the help of transaction SM30 enter into table maintenance – RSPLS_HDB_ACT.

 

 

Maintain the entries as shown in the screenshot.

 

  • Activate 0TCA* Business Content for BPC

This step we will activate few InfoObjects necessary for BPC activation. To do that, start transaction RSA1 and select from the left pane – BI Content. Jump to Object Types -> InfoObjects -> Select Objects.

Before selecting the necessary InfoObjects, choose “Dataflow Before and Afterwards”.

Select and transfer the highlighted objects.

 

Check all items and click Install.

 

  • Generate Required Authorisation Profiles

Start transaction PFCG and select Utilities -> Mass Generation

 

Make the required selections and execute.

 

After generation, you will have to make Mass Comparison. To go there, return to PFCG main screen and go to Utilities -> Mass Comparison.

 

  • Modifiable Namespaces for BPC Activation

Run transaction SE06 and select “System Change Option”.

 

Confirm following Namespaces and Components are modifiable during this activation:

  • /CPMB/
  • /1CPMB/
  • /B28/
  • /POA/
  • Customer Name Range
  • General SAP Name Range

Software Components:

  • HOME
  • LOCAL

However, for production use, after installation SAP is recommending following components be unmodifiable.

Namespaces:

  • /1CPMB/
  • Customer Name Range
  • General SAP Name Range
  • /CPMB/
  • /B28/

 

 

  • RFC Connection for BW After Import Method

Start transaction RSTPRFC. Here you are creating a destination for After Import Method.

If you don’t have BWREMOTE user, it will help you to create one. When you have user and password, hit save. It will create the necessary connection which you will see in transaction SM59.

 

  • Test RFC Connection

The newly created RFC Connection can be tested via SM59. Double-click on the newly created RFC connection and perform connection and authorization test.

 

  • Assign Authorisation SAP_BW_CONTENT_ADMIN

The user who will install the Content/EnvironmentShell for BPC will have to have SAP_BW_CONTENT_ADMIN role. Enter into SU01 and assign it to the desired user. SAP is recommending SAP_ALL profile to be assigned as well during activation.

 

 

  • Create BPC Service User

Create a BPC Service User. Go to su01 and create the user, i.e.  BPC_SERVICE. Make it “System” type and assign SAP_BPC_SERVICE role.

 

  • Create RFC connection for BPC Service User

Using transaction SM59, create a new RFC type 3 connection maintaining Logon data with the Service User created beforehand.

Make the communication type Unicode. Again do a connection test. Authorisation test most likely will fail unless the BPC_SERVICE user has more rights than the SAP_BPC_SERVICE role.

 

  • Assign the RFC Connection in SPRO

 

Enter in Field Name – RFC_DESTINATION and Value field your RFC Connection ID.

 

  • Activate EnvironmentShell 

Go to transaction SA38/SE38 and type UJS_ACTIVATE_CONTENT. Enter into the report and keep the selection as shown in the screenshot.

 

After successful activation of EnvironmenShell, you should be able to use your BPC system.  To access your web admin, use the following URL. Replace server IP Address and HTTP Port (defined beforehand) with yours.

http://yourIPaddess:port/sap/epm/bpc/web

 

Summary

I hope this guide will help you to enable BPC in NetWeaver 7.5. You can use it as well on NetWeaver 7.4 which has BPC ABAP components imported. For any questions, please use the comments section below. Have fun and enjoy SAP Financials :).

About Emiliyan Tanev

Hello, My name is Emiliyan Tanev. I am SAP BPC Certified Application Associate with a good process understanding of FICO. I am also an experienced accountant and financial controller with 5+ years of diversified responsibilities. I am also a member of Management Accounting Body in the UK - CIMA and CGMA in the US. I love IT and Finance which impacted my career orientation towards SAP FICO and BPC. Follow me and get the latest tips, tricks, tutorials and career guides related to SAP BPC. More about me on My Story.

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50 comments

  1. Very good guide. Thanks!

  2. thank you Emiliyan!

  3. Precious information . Thanks for sharing it. Do we have any changes to the Functions , structures or tables or Classes used in BADIs compare to BW7.4 or there are same. The reason behind this is if we are upgading our servers then it would help us to take the precautions or do we have any program which does the check like HANA.

    • Hi Greeta,

      I don’t know the answer to that question. You have to check the upgrade guides and SNotes related to the topic.

      From what I know, there are two “versions” for NW Bw 7.5 on HANA. First one is like intermediary and the second one is the so-called edition for HANA. The intermediary is used for migration period until the end you move to the new object types, etc. However, I don’t know what is the case with NW 7.5 on AnyDB.

      Regards
      Emiliyan

  4. Rajarshi Muhuri

    Hi Emiliyan

    I installed the Netweaver 7.5 on HANA SP11 , I see that the Components inclusing SAP_BW is 750 and SP-level 0000 . However I dont see the BI Content. I am not sure which version of BI content to install. Can you please point this out.

    rishi

    • Hi Rajarshi,

      It looks like, there’s BI content for BW 7.5. I don’t have access to my server to check it though.

      http://help.sap.com/bicontent

      Regards,
      Emiliyan

      • I found the BI content , they had not had any further update from the earlier versions . So as I write this , I am SPAM ing my system with the BI content . It should be finished in a few hours.

        Your detailed blog with screenshots is really good (earlier the numerous config steps always put me off ). and makes it easy.

        thanks emil

          • With the bare system BW 7.5 , ( in RSA1 ) : I was seeing the infoareas for Business Planning and consolidation ( /CPMB/BPC and also ( Integrated Planning)

            But while doing the config , after a certain point – both these INFO AREAS disappeared . I thought BPC standard and Embedded could co exist.

            Can you please verify if you continue to have the BPC standard namespace in your own system

            further more For the step : Modifiable Namespaces for BPC Activation ( SE06 ) in my system

            I dont see CPMBPC under Software Components but I do it it under Namespace.

  5. Hi Rajarshi,

    Both Standard and Embedded co-exist. Try to use UJS_ACTIVATE_CONTENT.

    I don’t remember about CMBPC whether I had. Usually it is on the top.

    Regards,
    Emiliyan

    • When I actually was trying out the server , I was getting LOGON FAILURE ( Logon attempt failed, contact admin)

      I was still able to log on to the BPC landing page , but after that everything errors out.

      did you come across this situation

      also does ur user have a role called ZBPC_ALL ?

    • Hello Emiliyan,

      We have BW7.5 system which is installed on sybase but BPC components are missing when i checked in System status . Please can you help me how to get the BPC components for SAP BPC 10.0 in SAP BW7.5 system so that i can use the standard models .

      Thanks for help in advance.

      Thanks & Regards,
      Geeta

      • Hi Geeta,

        I guess I am late for this answer, but the BPC components are not in the status as they are on NW 7.4. They are incorporated in NW 7.5. The easiest way is to look the services and alias in transaction SICF.

        Regards,
        Emo

        • I have checked but even in status there are no components listed for BPC hence thought might be for 10.0 in BW7.5 component SAPK-81003INCPMBPC needs to be installed separately whereas 10.1 would be inbuilt. Because when i checked the UJ* tables in data dictionary could not see any tables listed that opens up a question for me.

          Please let me know if my thoughts are not in sync for 10.0 with BW7.5

          Thanks & Regards,
          Geeta

          • Forget to mention i could not see the WEB as service in EPM_BPC folder

            SICF -> default_host->sap->EPM_BPC-> web-> test service.

            For details see OSS Note 1700792 – How to find out BPC 10 Web Page URL Address.

          • Hi Geeta,

            I misunderstood your question at first. Yes, BW 7.5 has 10.1 incorporated. I am not sure if 10.0 can be installed separately.

            So, do you see 10.1 services in SICF?

            Regards,
            Emo

  6. i think the particular build of Netweaver 7.5 had some issues – so I could never make it work . Yesterday I installed S4HANA 1511 , and on that I was able to activate Embedded BPC using your guide and everything worked

  7. I also found a report Z_BPC_INSTALLATION_CHECKER that checks if the BPC was installed correctly and this time it passed .

  8. I m looking for the sap Bpc 10.1 video trainings material , pls let me know if u do .

    • Hi Jay,

      I don’t have video materials, but I have some thoughts of creating one and post them on udemy.com

      Regards,
      Emiliyan

      • Hey Emil

        I had seen some of your FICO video’s and Consolidation videos . Am very much hoping that you get your BPC training videos on Udemy soon . I too had bought the BW-IP in udemy course and seen you comments .

  9. Hi Emiliyan,

    Thanks for the post. I am trying to activate BPC consolidation functionality on BPC 10.1 Embedded on BW 7.5. I followed some SAP Notes, blogs etc. Your blog as well and checked all the settings etc. All seems correct but the Consolidation (tab itself is not appearing in the BPC Web). Is there any thing I am missing in particular to activate the BPC consolidation.
    many thanks

  10. Great post, congrats!

  11. Hello,

    great post, for update, from version SAP_BW 7.50 SP 04 to SP 05 the sap note 2368749 must be taken into account.

    In my case all my BIW landscape was equal but in DEV all works correctly and in QAS the UJS_ACTIVATE_CONTENT failed, the note previously mentioned corrected the problem.

    Regards,

  12. Hi Emiliyan

    Will this be a fully fledged BPC system which can be used to learn BPC for certification purposes?

    Regards

    • Hi Thulani,

      Yes, there is no reason not to. The only difference is that, as far as I know the current certification is on 10.0, not on 10.1 as it is in 7.5.

      However, 10.0 and 10.1 (Classic/Standard) are almost identical apart from the Web interface.

      Regards,
      Emiliyan

  13. great post! Thanks for sharing 🙂

  14. Hi Emiliyan,

    Thanks for creating the post / blog. Very handy. Appreciate your work!

    Kind Regards

  15. Hi Emiliyan

    I need little help. What steps do we follow when activating BPC on BW 7.5 where DB is Sybase ASE. If i rephrase myself i would what steps are different for Sybase ASE from above mentioned ones for HANA.

    Thanks and regards

    Rosh

  16. Great Article about BPC installation in detail.
    Actually SAP also should think like this and should give installation guides like this article.

  17. Great Post and prezise on the topic.
    Perfect!!

  18. Hi – this is great documentation and helped further my understanding of BPC and our BW system. Can you tell me where we might see configuration that tells BPC to use our BW system’s CUA process. We don’t create users or permissions in BPC directly…these are done through our CUA system…..I’m trying to find the configuration that shows me this…..
    thank you so much!!!

  19. Emiliyan, great Post!
    this is our first BPC installation. we create a new environment as a copy form environmentshell.
    we transport it to prod system, but we noticed that no package was assigned.
    we can make changes to the environment even when client is closed and no modification allowed in se06.
    any idea?

    thanks and regards.
    Sil

  20. Hi Emiliyan,

    Thanks for the post !
    I am on BPC 11 (BW/4HANA) and would like to activate BPC standard. Can I follow the same steps or is there an update ?

    Thanks in advance for your help.

    Regards,
    Amir

    • Hi Amir,

      BPC11 is an add-on to BW4HANA. So you will need first to install the package through spam/saint. After that, as far as I know, although I haven’t installed it myself, it should be fairly similar for BPC Standard Environment.

      BPC11 package also contains the BW-IP components as well when it comes to BW4HANA.

      Regards,
      Emiliyan

  21. Hi Emiliyan,

    I am current involved in a new project where we have to implement BPC. Basis team had just installed BW(7.5) system and told us that BPC is already integrated. But I am not sure how to access BPC or to check if BPC is installed. How can we check if BPC is installed or not?

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