Growing data volume and decrea-sing query performance lead a well-known Hewlett-Packard (HP) Enterprise Services customer to implement Nearline Storage So-lution (NLS) DataVard Outboard™.Project time frame was tight and in addition NLS archiving was scheduled during closing of ye-ar-end accounts.

To gain valuable time and mini-mize risk, the joint HP and Data-Vard project team utilized a solu-

tion that would replace manual testing with SAP test automation. DataVard’s Test Automation solu-tion, KATE, generated 320 test ca-ses for 110 queries and made ex-pensive, error-prone manual tests a thing of the past. Successful re-sults speak for themselves as the full implementation was comple-ted within the tight time and bud-get parameters.

Test automation accelerates NLS implementation

Automate Testing & Accelerate NLS Implementations

AT A GLANCE

Challenge:

Growing data volume, decreasing query perfor-

mance

Solution:

• NLS structured data management solution, Da-

taVard Outboard™

• Test automation suite, DataVard KATE

Results:

DataVard Outboard™:

• 2.5 TB archived data volume, compressed to

600 GB

• Query performance improved from 6 to 3 se-

conds

• BW system downscaled from 19 TB to 11 TB

(compressed size)

DataVard KATE :

• Test volume and depth increased: 110 queries

with automated testing in 3 variations

• 100 % data consistency

• 160 hrs manual testing

COLLABORATION REPORT N° 2

“Without DataVard KATE, implementation within the tight time frame would have been impossible. Errors likely wouldn´t have been discovered and therefor copied into the productive system.“

Steffen Herold, Hewlett-Packard GmbH

Upgrade slows down query performance

This internationally operating company runs a central, 24/7 avai-lable Business Warehouse system, which even in compressed volu-me prior to the project compri-sed 19 TB.

„The BW system is very complex. Every reporting of the roug-hly 5000 users with hundreds of queries per day runs on this sys-tem. In addition it accesses a mul-titude of data sources“, Steffen Herold, SAP Solution Architect at HP Enterprise Services explains.„Our customer exploits every pos-sibility the system has to offer. Na-vigational Attributes are utilized on a large scale for dynamic filte-ring of query results.“

With the upgrade to SAP Net-weaver BW 7.31 in 2013 average query performance slowed down from 4 to 6 seconds. Over the ye-ars queries were constantly ex-tended and still growing. Further-more growing data volumes and system utilization added to slo-wer query performance. Imple-mentation of a Nearline Storage (NLS) solution for structured data management and archiving pro-mised relief.

Software and consulting expert DataVard with its´ Nearline Sto-rage (NLS) solution DataVard OutBoard™ was the provider of choice. The SAP certified archiving solution sorts data by business re-levance and stores it with a com-pression rate of up to 95%. The im-plemented solution was further amplified by DataVard which in-tegrats NLS-Writer, enabling the writing of already stored data and the possibility to add Navigational Attributes to the NLS-Archive for easy retrieval.

Solution: Nearline Storage Archiving

PAGE - 02#DVCR COLLABORATION REPORT N° 2

“Another important aspect was DataVard´s flexibility in quickly react to necessary changes and extensions.“

Steffen Herold, Hewlett-Packard GmbH

Steffen Herold, Hewlett-Packard GmbH

before NLS 19 TB

after NLS 11 TB

Tests jeopardize time schedule

Test automation wins you over

The Nearline-Storage project pre-sented quite a few challenges: time allocated for implementation was a mere 5 months and archiving was scheduled without interfering wi-th and during closing of the ye-ar-end accounts. Implementation of NLS software calls for changes in the data models, extensive and complex testing cases with many iterations planned. Earlier chan-ges tested the most important re-ports with the BEX Export-to-Excel function.

„A very time-consuming and er-ror-prone process. A tester would typically pick easy selections with one or two Company Codes ins-tead of hundreds. Divergences are often overlooked“, elaborates Stef-fen Herold.

The tight schedule and the com-plexity of the BW system lead tho-se responsible to select the newly developed testing suite DataVard Kate to accelerate implementation. The solution boasts holistic sup-

port for SAP tests: usage data ana-lysis, automation of both test case and test data generation and the entire test management. „Expec-tations were high. Prerequisites to the solutions were early indicati-on and elimination of software is-sues in the Q/A system and secu-ring of reporting data consistency and query performance “, Steffen Herold said.

Execution of the test was based on three pillars: regression test and data validation, performan-ce tests and testing of data trans-fer processes (DTPs). „As imple-mentation was scheduled to run parallel to closing of year-end accounts, existing logic and da-ta couldn´t be altered“, explains Steffen Herold. Query perfor-mance testing in three variations was also important. „Performance measurability was a great add-on. It allowed us to monitor devia-

tions and instantly adapt parame-ters and optimize queries “, Stef-fen Herold adds. Changes were made in Look-Up-Logic (ABAP-Code) and therefor DTPs needed testing. Repetition of test cases and support with debugging was a great relief to the SAP specia-list. „Once variations are identi-fied, tests can be restarted within seconds.“ Problems can be iden-tified with the support of selec-tions and implementations che-cked step by step. This is how to

verify the productive system runs like the tests in the Q/A system.

Another highlight: automated generation of test cases. The so-lution analyzes which queries are often combined with which selection, then generates a He-atMap and the resulting test ca-ses. „HeatMap is a wonderful way to copy reality, by only using real test cases“, Steffen Herold stres-sing the advantages.

Implementation accelerator DataVard KATE

Test repetition at the touch of a button

PAGE - 03#DVCR COLLABORATION REPORT N° 2

Conclusion

Goals met within schedule

„Our customer is very satisfied wi-th the overall results of this pro-ject – as are we. The NLS-soluti-on was implemented on time, wi-thout interferences, system size significantly reduced and query performance stabilized“, adds Steffen Herold. Everyone invol-ved was fascinated by the possi-bilities DataVard KATE has to of-fer. „We estimate the time savings

in this project at 160 hours. This calculation is only based on one run through of 320 test cases and a manual input of 30 minutes per test case“ said Steffen Herold.

To profit from time and cost sa-vings through test automation even after the project, KATE most likely will be utilized in the com-pany.

Test automation increased test volume and depth. “KATE helped us to conduct extensive test ing of 110 queries in three varia tions, a total of 320 test cases. Manual test ing only allows for top 25 queries to be tested“, estimates Steffen Herold. Automated op era-tion additionally allowed secur-ing 100% data integrity. “In a re-sult set of 100,000 numeric values, manual testing can often neglect single values“, the project leader explains. Time sav ing fascinat-ed every one in volved:“ Without DataVard KATE, implementa tion

would not have been possible within the set time frame.“ The NLS-Project with DataVard Out-Board™ achieved its goals as well: in total the BW system was com-pressed from 19 TB down to 11 TB. DataVard OutBoard™ helped ar-chive 2,5 TB – now compressed to 600 GB stored in NLS-Archive“, the SAP-Specialist states. Further-more the average query perfor-mance significantly improved after thor ough housekeeping, Query- and BW-optimization as well as BWA-tuning and is now down to a stable 3 seconds.

Test expenditure reduced by 160 hours

2,5 TB archived, performance improved

PAGE - 04#DVCR COLLABORATION REPORT N° 2

More informationwww.datavard.com

“The ideas and people behind the products at DataVard particu-larly fascinated me. The employees professionally reacted to last minute changes and requests with impressive agility.“

Steffen Herold, Hewlett-Packard GmbH

Project Information System: SAP NetWeaver BW 7.31, 19 TB compressed system size ante project, 5.000 usersCharacteristics: high-available cen tral system, complex, with many data sour-ces and users. Customer exploits all BW possibilities (e.g. Navigational Attributes)

About DataVard GmbhDataVard was positioned as Visionary for its structured data and archiving OutBoard™ Solution Suite and why they were awarded “Cool Vendor Award” for our Fitness Test tools. The solutions enable you to separate ana-lytical and transactional data, as well as documents according to operational value and store it automatically in up to 12 various database technologies (SAP IQ, Apache Hadoop, Cloud, etc.). You will gain up to 95 percent com-pression.

• Shrink your database by 40 to 50percent

• Boost the performance of yourSAP systems

• Save operating costs• Automatically eliminate unneces-

sary and temporary data withclean up/housekeeping

• Monitor your systems for usagepatterns

• Test system automation

DataVard is an international provider of SAP partner solutions focusing on data management, automated testing, system management and System Landscape Optimization (SLO). Further information can be found at www.datavard.com or on social media at Twitter, LinkedIn and Expert Blog.