Information Modeler

The SAP HANA Information Modeler is often called as the heart of HANA of the HANA System. This plays a vital role in creating useful reports for analysis by enabling the creation of modeling views and business logic at the top of stored database tables. Information Modeler is comprised of multiple database views that of transactional data stored in the physical tables of SAP HANA Databases. These views are mostly utilized for various Analytical purposes.

What are the features of Information Modeler?

SAP HANA Information Modeler offers multiple views of transactional data stored in physical tables of HANA database for analysis and business logic purpose. However, there is an exception with this Informational modeler that it only works for column based storage tables. (i.e.) Information Modeler only works with column storage tables.

Since the Information modeler works only with column based storage tablets, the Replication Server in the SAP HANA system creates the SAP HANA tables in column store by default. Also, the Data Services in the SAP HANA engine creates target tables in column store as default for SAP HANA database.

What are the SQL commands used for creating and altering column table in SAP HANA databases?

The SQL command used for creating create column table: "CREATE COLUMN TABLE table-Name". Also, the SQL command used for modifying the data stored in the column table is "ALTER TABLE table-Name COLUMN". Here, the table-Name is nothing but the actual name of that particular column table.

Publishing and Consuming SAP HANA Tables

There are four levels of Information Modeler Perspective in SAP HANA Studio using which the data in SAP HANA tables can be consumed and published. They are Analytic View, Analytic Privilege, Attribute View and Calculation View. All of these levels are basically comprised of Attributes and Measures.

These Information Modelling Views in general are manipulated by Java or HTML based applications. However, various SAP like tools or SAP tools such as Lumira, Analysis Office, etc. can make use of this Information Modeling Views for various reporting purpose and thereby extending the utility with external platforms. In addition to this, you can also use third-party applications like MS Excel to integrate with HANA to create reports.

The reporting and analytics are taken to next level with the utilization of SAP HANA modeling Views and the exploitation of its power to a greater extent. There are three different types of Information Modelling Views. They are,

• Attribute View
• Analytic View
• Calculation View