Transformation Capabilities of SAP SLT (vs Data Services)

[Former Member]

This blog as Part 1 expounds the capabilities of SLT. The blog can be a easy and quick reference for Solution Architects, Consultants, companies to evaluate the capabilities of transformation supported by SLT. Help the stakeholders while in the process of Strategy documentation during initial phases of the project. Will reduce time to take decisions w.r.t tool selection for transformation while loading data to SAP HANA.

1. Have a table where Address is stored in 4-5 columns as in Address 1, Address 2, Post Code, City, Region. This table needs to be loaded into HANA through SLT so that the target table has only 1 Address field that concatenates Address 1, Address 2, Post Code, City, Region into 1 Column.

- This is possible using SLT.

The relevant article is: SLT - couldn't concatenate source fields into n... | SCN

2. There are 3 tables lying in 3 different systems and want to join the tables using SLT and load to HANA

- This is not possible using SLT. (please refer to Disclaimer notes below)

3. There are 2 tables with Column 1, Column2, Column3 in System1 & Column 1, Column4 in System2. Requirement wants to join the tables as transformation using SLT so that target table is Column1, Column2, Column3, Column4.

- This is not possible using SLT. (please refer to Disclaimer notes below)

All of the above requirements are possible using SAP Data Services.

What is possible in SAP SLT?

• It is possible to change Data Structure, Data Type of a given row

(below are captured from SAP LT Replication Server Overview presentation)

• Filtering by using selective criteria
• Adjustment of tables
• Conversion of data eg. to make sensitive data anonymous
• Reducing number of records by Filter i.e Replicate certain data only like specific years, departments, clients, etc that needs to be used in HANA
• Conversion of data on rows eg To make certain fields anonymous i.e HR Reporting, To fill initial fields, To convert units of currency, recalculate amounts and values using coded rules
• Adjustment of Target Table Structures - i.e extension/reduction/change of table structure and/or adjustment of technical table setting

i.e. Remove fields that are required in the HANA system

i.e. additional fields are required (for example can be calculated/filled during load/replication)

i.e. merging the same table (i.e. BSEG) from different systems (and create an additional field, for example a client field in order to avoid duplicate entries)

In the HA350 material I found this table that provides further clarity.

Background to understand future requirements (my thumb rule):

1. SLT functionality is based on SAP Jobs.
2. So each job is for 1 Table, 1 row at a time.
3. The operations can be on a given row of a given table and hence Concatenation is possible.
4. No join operations are possible between tables in the same system or multiple systems.

Some additional resources are here

http://scn.sap.com/community/replication-server/blog/2014/06/20/overview-how-to-documents

SAP note 1733714 : https://websmp230.sap-ag.de/sap(bD1lbiZjPTAwMQ==)/bc/bsp/sno/ui_entry/entry.htm?param=69765F6D6F6465...

If you have any clarifications, questions, additions or changes in the above article, please do let me know. Glad to update/change/modify/delete article :smile:

Disclaimer: The Fig 36 and related descriptions in the document attached in SAP note 1733714 (titled: Guide for Replication Settings.pdf) states that it is possible with codes. However without ABAP skills I am unable to validate this. In the case of any supporting information I will update this article and still be of help to guys searching for this in the future.