Adding a Cross-Model Copy Step

With a cross-model copy step in SAP Analytics Cloud, you can copy data from one planning model to another. You pick the model and version that contains the source data, add filters as necessary, and define how to copy the data to the target model.

Context

For example, if you have detailed workforce data in a Headcount planning model and you want to add some of the data to a Finance model for further analysis, you can use this feature to quickly copy the data.

Copying across models is easiest when the relevant dimensions are public dimensions shared by each model, but it's not required. You can ignore source dimensions that aren't relevant to the target model, and set default values for target dimensions that can't be mapped to an appropriate source.

If any problems occur while you're creating a cross-model copy step, they are identified by the icon. Hover over this icon to see how to fix the problem.

Note

If data is booked on non-leaf members, you will get an error message. When you dismiss the error message, any data booked on non-leaf members will be ignored in future executions. Be sure to check the results of the data action and confirm that they are correct.

Before getting started on a cross-model copy step, you need to create a data action. For more information, see Create a Data Action.

Note

Cross-model copy steps can't copy data between different types of models. If you need to copy data between a classic account model and a model with measures, use the LINK function in an advanced formulas step instead. For details, see About Script Formulas and Calculations in Advanced Formulas for Planning.

When choosing members for the cross-model copy step settings, you can use a parameter instead of dimension members. Parameters let you create prompts, or update several values from one place. Select Parameter in the member selector to see which ones are available. To learn how to create parameters, see Add Parameters to Your Data Actions and Multi Actions.

Currency conversion is not supported for cross-model copy steps and all values are copied without currency conversion.

Procedure

In the data action page, select (Add Cross-Model Copy Step).
Type a Name and Description for the step.
From the Source Model list, choose the model that contains the data that you want to copy.

The Target Model is the default model for the data action; it can't be changed here.
In the Filter section, select the version dimension to pick the version of the source data that you want to copy. You can also select Parameter to apply a parameter. This filter is mandatory.

The target version for the data action is set by the TargetVersion parameter.
If you want to add additional filters, select +Add Filter and choose a dimension. Then, select the members whose data you want to include, or select Parameter and choose a parameter.

For example, to copy data for a single cost center in 2018, you would filter the Cost Center and date dimensions.

To remove a filter, select the icon beside it.

When you create mappings between source and target members, you won't need to map the members that are filtered out.

You can change the hierarchy of the dimension members in the filter. If the dimension has a parent-child hierarchy, source members in copy rules based on that dimension will usually need to use the same hierarchy used in the filter.

Note

You can filter based on a dynamic parameter. If the parameter has default values, you only need to map those ones to finish creating your step. However, if you want to make sure that the data action will run with any parameter values, you should complete the mapping.
In the Mapping area, set how the data will be mapped from the source model to the dimension members of the target model.

For each of the target dimensions listed in this area, you need to either map a source dimension or select a default value. You don't need to map source dimensions that aren't relevant for the target model. For example, you might choose not to map Gender or Office Location from the Headcount model to the Finance model.
- Set a default value for target dimensions when you don't have an appropriate source dimension to map to them, or when you want to copy all the data to a single leaf member of the target dimension instead of splitting it up according to one of the source dimensions.
  
  For example, if you are mapping data from a model that doesn't use currency conversion to a model that does use currency conversion, you can select the currency of the source model as the default value for the Currency dimension of the target model.
  
  To set a default value for a target dimension, remove any mapped dimension and choose Select default value…, and then choose a single leaf member of the dimension, or apply a parameter.
- Map a source dimension to a target dimension when you want to distribute the data across different members of the target dimension.
  
  The account dimensions are automatically mapped together, and can't be unmapped. The date dimensions used for planning are also mapped. If you want to map a leaf member of a date dimension as a default value, or map a different date dimension, you can select (Delete) next to the source dimension.
  
  Drag a source dimension to a target dimension to map them together. Leaf members with identical names are automatically mapped together, and the bar under the source dimension name shows how many of its members have been mapped.
  
  Hidden accounts are not mapped automatically.
Select the name of a mapped source dimension to configure the mapping.
1. Under Auto-Generated Copy Rules, choose an Auto-Creation Strategy.
  
  Tip
  
  If you want to manually change the mapping, select No Auto-Creation and create copy rules. You can also use auto-mapping but overwrite parts of the mapping by manually adding copy rules.
  - No Auto-Creation: Copy rules are not generated automatically and you must create copy rules manually.
  - Identical Names: Source members are automatically mapped to target members if their names are identical.
  - Identical Names (Including Ancestors): Source members are mapped to target members if the names of the source members, including the names of any of their ancestors, are identical to the names of the target members.
  - First day of time period: This option uses the first day of the source date member as a reference to map to the target date member.
    
    When mapping date dimensions with different time granularities, the first day of the source member will always be used as a point of reference.
    
    For example, this option could be used when copying from a source dimension with month-level granularity to a target dimension with day-level granularity. If a source dimension month starts on January 1st, 2021, this month will be mapped to the day member "January 1, 2021" on the target dimension. This pattern will be repeated for all dimension members.
    
    Using the First day of time period to copy from a model using month-level granularity (1) to a model using day-level granularity (2). The source values on the January member are copied to the first day member in January on the target model.
    
    It is also possible to map date dimensions with different time settings. However, the first day of the source member will still be used as the reference for mapping. For example, if you are mapping a source year that starts on January 1st to a target year that starts on January 4th, the source year will map to the target year that includes January 1st. In this case, you may want to create custom copy rules for the dimension members, or use the Last day of time period to use the last day of the source Date member as a reference instead.
  - Last day of time period: This option uses the last day of the source date member as a reference to map to the target date member.
    
    This option uses the same logic as First day of time period, but with the last day of the source time period as the point of reference.
  Tip
  
  If you are mapping date dimensions with the same time settings and granularities, First day of time period and Last day of time period will result in the same outcome. For example, if you are copying across dimensions using months that don’t have week granularity, the data will just copy to the corresponding month.
2. Choose the hierarchies for the dimensions you want to map together.
  
  Note
  
  Choosing Default Hierarchy uses the current default hierarchy, even if the default hierarchy has been changed in the dimension settings in modeler.
3. Set the Completion Options:
  - Manual: Use this setting when you want to create your own copy rules for the unmapped source dimension members.
  - Fixed Value: Use this setting to specify a default target member or parameter for any unmapped source members. For example, you may want to copy all unmapped data to the Unassigned member. In this case, you can still add your own copy rules, but they don't need to include every source member.
  - Ignore: Use this setting to filter out the unmapped source members. Their data won't be included in the cross-model copy step.
4. Add copy rules by selecting either +Add Copy Rule, or selecting (Add Rule) next to an unmapped source member in the list.
  
  You may need to select and search for member names if the dimension contains many members. You can also select to change the display settings and hierarchy shown for the unmapped source members.
  
  If the account dimension has multiple hierarchies, source members must use the same hierarchy as the source context filter. If there isn't a filter on the account dimension, only the default hierarchy can be used.
5. If necessary, select in the From column and choose a single source member. It doesn't need to be a leaf member, and you can pick a member that was mapped automatically to copy its data to a different target instead. You can also use a parameter to set the source member.
  You can choose calculated accounts or accounts with exception aggregation as source members, but the data action may take longer to execute. For fastest performance, filter out these accounts instead. For more information, see Copy Steps with Calculations and Exception Aggregation.
6. Select in the To column and choose one or more target leaf members, or use a parameter.
  
  You can't pick calculated members as targets.
  
  If you pick multiple targets, the value of the source member is copied to each target.
  
  You can also aggregate data from multiple source members together in a single target member by using the target member in multiple copy rules.
7. Select to complete the rule.
8. To edit the rule, select (Edit). To delete it, select (Delete).
9. Continue to add copy rules as required. You can add rules in the following ways:
  - Selecting +Add Copy Rule.
  - Selecting (Add Rule) next to a source member.
  - Selecting (Duplicate) next to an existing copy rule.
  If you're using the Manual completion option, you must create copy rules that account for all the listed source dimension members. Note that the list does not include members that you filtered out of the cross-model copy step, so you can also change the filters to remove the remaining members.
  
  You also don't need to complete the mapping for the date dimension. For example, if the source and target models have different start or end dates, you can still run the data action without completing the mapping manually. The unmatched time periods will be ignored.
10. When you have finished configuring the mapping, select Done to return to the cross-model copy step.
Continue mapping data to each target dimension. The icon appears on every target dimension that has an incomplete mapping, and you can hover over this icon to see how to complete the mapping.
To switch between appending or overwriting data, select next to Options and choose a setting from the Write Mode list:
- Append (default): The copied data will be added to any existing data for the target members.
- Overwrite: Existing data for the target members will be overwritten by the copied data.
Select Save Data Action.

Results

The copy step is added to the data action. You can continue to add, manage, and reorder steps as required.