(GLUE-1902) Create a Glue Table

Instructions

Run the transaction /DVD/GL11 to open the Data Dictionary. In the initial screen, enter the name of a new table and click Create.

Under the Attributes tab fill in the following fields:

• Short Description – description of the table
• StorageID (Load) – connection to a storage, which can be a transparent or a binary storage (Binary storage requires setup of additional settings in Binary storage options).
• Storage Management – navigates you to Storage Management setup, where you can see and manage (if your user has the rights to do so) storages. 

• Binary storage options

  After you click Binary storage a pop-up with the following fields appears:

  • Container name – directory where files generated by Glue are stored (obligatory parameter).
  • Delimiter type –  character which separates values in the generated .csv files. This character can be selected from F4 help (obligatory parameter).
  • Use extending escaping – if the checkbox is enabled then escape characters (such as newline, tabulator, backspace, etc.) are replaced by the "space" character.

The following features are optional. For more information, see the chapter Additional Features.

• Enable update – simulates the update operation for tables on storages which don't support the update operation, see Enable update.
• Use meaningful values – transforms original values into more meaningful ones,  see Meaningful values.
• Data enrichment – includes data from SAP master data into transactional data, see Data enrichment.

Under the Fields tab you can either manually insert fields or import them from an existing SAP table. You may define fields (columns) of a new table. 

Each column contains the following attributes:

• Field name
• Key field – if marked, this field is a key field (part of primary key of the table)
• Data element 
• Data type
• Data type length
• Number of decimal places
• Short text (description)

a. Import fields from an existing SAP table

Use Import Fields to generate the field structure of a Glue table based on existing SAP DDIC table, an InfoProvider or a file. The data elements, types, lengths, and descriptions are same as in the source table. 

Use meaningful fields setting helps you to define the fields name. You can use standard SAP field names or "meaningful" ones. For more information, see Meaningful fields.

b. Insert fields manually

If you choose to manually insert fields, fill in:

• Field name
• Key field (choose it the field is a key)
• Data element
• Data Type (is automatically filled according to the Data element or you can set it up manually by clicking Data Type/Element specification),

• Partitioning
  You may set partitioning for fields, based on which data is distributed into blocks during the extraction. This step enables you to modify data grouped in these blocks. By default the partitioning is set on the GLREQUEST field.

You can manually manipulate the table using buttons from the toolbar.

• Append Row: Appends new row at the end of the table
• Insert Row: Inserts new row above the highlighted row
• Delete Row: Deletes the highlighted row
• DataType/Element specification: Helps you to specify the type of this field. You can either manually specify the Data Type, Length, Decimal Places, Short text,  or choose the Data Element according to which all previously mentioned parameters are filled automatically.
  

Save & Activate

You can save the table anytime during your work. If the table was not saved before, the system will ask you to fill the Package.

All the actions made so far are performed on the SAP side and have no effect on Hadoop system.

The table is created on an external storage (for example Hadoop) only after you activate it. The activation of a Glue table doesn't influence other Glue components.