How-to Guide

SAP NetWeaver 2004s

How To…
Create a
Planning
Function in BI
Integrated
Planning that
calls BPS Exits
Version 1.00 – February 2006

Applicable Releases:
SAP NetWeaver 2004s
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1 Scenario
In BW-BPS customers could develop their own planning functions by creating some
function modules in which the business logic was implemented. This How to paper
describes how in the BI Integrated Planning these function modules can be reused
without using the BW-BPS itself.

2 Introduction
In BW-BPS there is one predefined planning function type for implementing customer
defined business logic – the so-called planning functions type exit. Upon creation of such
a planning function one had to specify the function module(s) containing the business
logic and the interface of importing parameters – if necessary. There are two types of
function modules used in a planning function type exit:
- The “exit” function module: this function module is MANDATORY and contains
the business logic itself. Depending on the available data and on which of the
characteristics are marked as “fields to be changed” this function module might
be called several times. The available data is cut partitioned into smaller subsets
or blocks and the function module is called with each of these blocks.
- The “Init” function module: this function module is OPTINAL. It is called once per
execution before the exit module is called. It is used to do preliminary work. No
transaction data can be changed in the init module.

In BI Integrated Planning (we will use BI IP as an abbreviation) this exit technique has
been changed and made more powerful. Customers can now create their own planning
function types that implement their business logic. Each planning function type requires a
class where the business logic is implemented and defines its own parameter input
interface. There is a variety of types that can be used as input parameters: values of
InfoObjects, structures, and even tables. Also conditions can be used.

This paper describes how the predefined and delivered class CL_RSPLFC_BPS_EXITS
can be used to reuse the business logic implemented as a planning function type exit in
BW-BPS in the BI IP.

We want to stress the point here that the exits in BI IP are much more powerful than the
exits in BPS. For example there are ‘Start’ and ‘End’ methods that are called at the
beginning and at the end of the execution of the planning function. Reference data can
be provided by the system automatically and no programming is necessary to read
additional reference data. Also the building of blocks (alias subsets) can be switched off
if it is not necessary. Exits in BI IP thus offer higher flexibility and better performance
than the ones in BPS. Therefore it should always be considered whether it makes more
sense to reuse a BPS exits as described in this paper or to re-implement it in the BI IP
environment.

3 Functionality Implemented in the Class

The class CL_RSPLFC_BPS_EXITS is delivered as an implementation of a planning
function type in BI Integrated Planning. It allows you to reuse function modules of type

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Exit in BI Integrated Planning that were written for planning functions in BW-BPS or
SEM-BPS.

The wrapper class receives the transaction data and information about the selection from
the BI IP, converts these tables to the tables used in the interfaces of the BPS function
modules and passes them on to the specified function modules. After the data has been
changed in the BPS exit function modules the tables are converted back to the BI IP
format. Note that the old BPS planning functions themselves are not called, only the
underlying function modules. This means that BPS objects (for example the BPS data
buffer) are not used. Due to the specific requirements of the interfaces and the fact that
BPS objects are not used, there are certain limitations which have to be taken into
account for the planning function types that are realized. Here are some examples for
situations that can cause problems or unexpected results:
- The BPS exit needs the information from which planning level or with which
planning package it is called.
- The BPS exit reads reference data from the BPS buffer via the BPS API or other
interfaces.
- The BPS exit reads values of BPS variables.
- The BPS exit calls function modules of the BPS API such as “post” or “refresh”.

Note that filter selections in BI Integrated Planning can be formulated more generally
(with exclusions, for example). The selection is passed on to the function module in this
form. If coding is written for this selection in the function module, the coding has to be
modified as appropriate.

Also consider the new software paradigm used in the BI Integrated Planning. No GUI
connections are used and thus sending popups from an exit function module is not
possible anymore.

The class assumes that the names of the function modules are transferred in two
elementary parameters with fixed definitions. The names of the parameters are defined
in constant P_C_NAME_EXIT_PARAM and in P_C_NAME_INIT_PARAM.

There is another fixed optional parameter for filling the importing parameter I_AREA of
the function module(s) - in many function modules, the name of the area is used from
which the module is called. The area is not used in BI Integrated Planning but it may be
the case that an area exists in BPS which only uses the current InfoCube. For this
reason, you can create a parameter with the name specified in constant
P_C_NAME_AREA_PARAM and later fill it with the name of this area. The value of this
parameter is passed on to the function module in the interface as the value of the
importing parameter I_AREA. Note that this technology can generally only be used for
Basis InfoCubes and simple planning areas (not multi- planning areas or MultiProviders).

The class recognizes additional parameters generically - therefore this class can be used
as the implementing class for various planning function types: in addition to the
predefined parameters the planning function types can define additional elementary
parameters; the class recognizes these additional elementary parameters automatically
and passes them on to the exit parameter table IT_EXITP of the function module.

The class is realized in such a way that conditions can also be used - you can even
specify a different set of the function modules for each condition. The function module for
the exit always has to be filled; the function module for the init module is optional.

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4 The Step By Step Solution
In this chapter we will provide a step by step example how you can use the delivered
class to create a planning function type that calls BPS function modules. The planning
function type will have two parameters for the function modules. We assume that we
have a function that needs some value as a revaluation factor and create an additional
parameter for this factor.

4.1 Create the InfoObjects for the Parameters

1. Create an InfoObject that accepts

the name of the function module as
a characteristic value. We
recommend that you create a
characteristic of type character with
length 30 and indicate that this
InfoObject is "Without Master Data".

2. Create a key figure that can be used

for the definition of the parameter for
the revaluation factor.

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4.2 Create the Planning Function Type

3. In transaction RSPLF1, create a new

function type.

4. Choose the "Reference Data" option

and enter the name of the class.
This does NOT imply that reference
data is read automatically, but
results from the requirements for
implementing the class. Enter
CL_RSPLFC_BPS_EXITS as the
name of the implementing class.

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5. On the "Parameter" tab page, create
two parameters - one for the exit
module and one for the init module.
The parameters should be
"elementary". Chose the InfoObject
you created in step one as the
dedicated InfoObject. The names of
the parameters are determined from
the values of constant
P_C_NAME_EXIT_PARAM and
P_C_NAME_INIT_PARAM.

6. Create the additional parameter for

the revaluation factor.

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7. Once you are done you have to
activate the planning function type.
The type can now be used and you
can create a planning function for
that type.

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4.3 Create the Planning Function

8. Use the planning modeler to create

a new planning function using the
type we just defined. Choose the
type of planning function and enter a
name.

9. You can now enter the names of the

function modules and the revaluation
factor. You can test the new
planning function now in a sequence
in the planning modeler.

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