SAP BI ABAP Interview Questions

Are you planning to attend an interview for the SAP BI ABAP Developer role but are confused about how to crack that interview also what would be the most probable SAP BI ABAP Interview Questions that the interviewer may ask? Well, you have reached the right place. Tekslate has collected the most frequently asked SAP BI ABAP Interview Questions which are often asked in multiple interviews.

In this article, we will cover the following:

• SAP BI ABAP Interview Questions
• SAP ABAP Interview Questions
• ABAP Interview Questions for Experienced

Most Frequently Asked SAP BI ABAP Interview Questions

What is modelling? What is the Open Hub Service? How do you transform Open Hub Data? What is ODS? What are the extractor types? What is Star Schema? What is the fact table? What is the dimension table? What is the primary index?  What is the data class?

SAP BI ABAP Interview Questions

Q1) What is modelling?

Ans: It is the art of designing the database. The design of DB depends on the schema and the schema is defined as a representation of tables and their relationships.

Q2) What is an info cube?

Ans: Info cube is structured as star schema (extended) where a fact table is surrounded by a different dim table that is linked with DIM-ids. And data-wise, you will have aggregated data in the cubes.

Q3) How would you optimize the dimensions?

Ans: We should define as many dimensions as possible and we have to take care that no single dimension crosses more than 20% of the fact table size.

Q4) What are Conversion Routines for units and currencies in the update rule?

Ans: Using this option we can write ABAP code for Units / Currencies conversion. If we enable this flag then the unit of Key Figure appears in the ABAP code as an additional parameter. For example, we can convert units in Pounds to Kilos.

Q5) Can an Info Object be an Info Provider, how and why?

Ans: Yes, when we want to report on Characteristics or Master Data. We have to right-click on the Info Area and select 'Insert characteristic as data-target. For example, we can make CUSTOMER as an Info Provider and report on it.

Q6) What is the Open Hub Service?

Ans: The Open Hub Service enables us to distribute data from an SAP BW system into external Data Marts, analytical applications, and other applications. We can ensure controlled distribution using several systems. The central object for exporting data is Info Spoke. We can define the source and the target object for the data. BW becomes a hub of an enterprise data warehouse. The distribution of data becomes clear through central monitoring of the distribution status in the BW system.

Q7) How do you transform Open Hub Data?

Ans: Using BADI we can transform Open Hub Data according to the destination requirement.

Q8) What is ODS?

Ans: Operational Data Source is used for the detailed storage of data. We can overwrite data in the ODS. The data is stored in transparent tables.

Q9) What are BW Statistics and what is their use?

Ans: They are a group of Business Content Info Cubes which are used to measure performance for Query and Load Monitoring. It also shows the usage of aggregates, OLAP, and Warehouse management.

Q10) What are the steps to extract data from R/3?

Ans:

• Replicate Data Sources
• Assign Info Sources
• Maintain Communication Structure and Transfer rules
• Create an Info Package
• Load Data

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Q11) What are the delta options available when you load from a flat file?

Ans: The 3 options for Delta Management with Flat Files:

• Full Upload
• New Status for Changed records (ODS Object only)
• Additive Delta (ODS Object & Info Cube)

Q12) What are the extractor types?

Ans:

• Application-Specific
• BW Content FI, HR, CO, SAP CRM, LO Cockpit
• Customer-Generated Extractors
• LIS, FI-SL, CO-PA
• Cross Application (Generic Extractors)
• DB View, InfoSet, Function Module

Q13) What are the steps involved in LO Extraction?

Ans: The steps are:

• RSA5 Select the Data Sources
• LBWE Maintain Data Sources and Activate Extract Structures
• LBWG Delete Setup Tables
• 0LI*BW Setup tables
• RSA3 Check extraction and the data in Setup tables
• LBWQ Check the extraction queue
• LBWF Log for LO Extract Structures
• RSA7 BW Delta Queue Monitor

Q14) How to create a connection with LIS Info Structures?

Ans: LBW0 Connecting LIS Info Structures to BW

Q15) What is the difference between ODS and Info Cube and Multi Provider?

Ans:

• ODS: Provides granular data, allows overwrite and data is in transparent tables, ideal for drill-down and RRI.
• CUBE: Follows the star schema, we can only append data, ideal for primary reporting.
• Multi Provider: Does not have physical data. It allows to access data from different InfoProviders (Cube, ODS, InfoObject). It is also preferred for reporting.

Q16) What are Start routines, Transfer routines, and Update routines?

Ans: Start Routines: The start routine is run for each Data Package after the data has been written to the PSA and before the transfer rules have been executed. It allows complex computations for a key figure or a characteristic. It has no return value. Its purpose is to execute preliminary calculations and to store them in global Data Structures. This structure or table can be accessed in the other routines. The entire Data Package in the transfer structure format is used as a parameter for the routine.

Transfer / Update Routines: They are defined at the Info Object level. It is like the Start Routine. It is independent of the Data Source. We can use this to define Global Data and Global Checks.

Q17) What is the difference between start routine and update routine, when, how, and why are they called?

Ans: Start routine can be used to access Info Package while update routines are used while updating the Data Targets.

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Q18) What is Star Schema?

Ans: In the Star Schema model, the Fact table is surrounded by dimensional tables. The fact table is usually very large, which means it contains millions to billions of records. On the other hand, dimensional tables are very small. Hence they contain a few thousand to a few million records. In practice, the Fact table holds transactional data and the dimensional table holds master data.

The dimensional tables are specific to a fact table. This means that dimensional tables are not shared across other fact tables. When other fact tables such as a product need the same product dimension data another dimension table that is specific to a new fact table is needed.

This situation creates data management problems such as master data redundancy because the very same product is duplicated in several dimensional tables instead of sharing from one single master data table. This problem can be solved in an extended star schema.

Q19) What is a slowly changing dimension?

Ans: Dimensions those changes with time are called slowly changing dimensions.

SAP ABAP Interview Questions

Q20) What is the fact table?

Ans: The fact table is the collection of facts and relations that means foreign keys with the dimension. Actually, fact table holds transactional data.

Q21) What is the dimension table?

Ans: The dimension table is a collection of logically related descriptive attributes that means characteristics.

Q22) How many tables does the info cube contain?

Ans: Actually info cube contains two tables. E table and F (fact) table.

Q23) What is the maximum no. of dimensions in info cube?

Ans: 16(3 are sap defines and 13 are customer-defined)

Q24) What is the minimum no of dimensions in info cube?

Ans: 4(3 Sap defined and 1 customer-defined).

Q25) What are the 3SAP-defined dimensions?

Ans: The 3 SAP defined dimensions are:

• Data packet dimension (P)...it contains 3characteristics.a) request Id (b) Record type (c) Change run id
• Time dimension (T)..it contains time characteristics such as 0calmonth, 0calday, etc
• Unit Dimension (U).it contains basically amount and quantity related units.

Q26) What is the model of the info cube?

Ans: The info cube model is an extended star schema.

Q27) What are the data types for the characteristic info object?

Ans: There are 4 data types:

• HAR
• NUMC
• DATS
• TIMS

Q28) How you'll write a date in BW?

Ans: YYYYMMDD

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Q29) What is the difference between open SQL & native SQL?

Ans: Open SQL allows you to access all database tables known to the SAP system, regardless of the database manufacturer. Sometimes, however, we may want to use database-specific SQL statements called Native SQL in your ABAP/4 program.

To avoid incompatibilities between different database tables and also to make ABAP/4 programs independent of the database system in use, SAP has created a set of separate SQL statements called Open SQL. Open SQL contains a subset of standard SQL statements as well as some enhancements which are specific to SAP.

A database interface translates SAP's Open SQL statements into SQL commands specific to the database in use. Native SQL statements access the database directly.

Q30) What is the primary index? 

Ans: Primary index: the primary index contains key fields of a table and a pointer to non-key fields of the table. The primary index is created automatically when a table is created in the database and moreover, you can further define a reference to the primary index which are known as the Secondary index.

Q31) What is the data class?

Ans: The data class specifies in which tablespace the table is created in the database.

Q32) What is the pooled table in the sap?

Ans: A pool table has many to one relation with the table in the database. For one table in the database, there are many tables in the dictionary. The table in the database has a diff name than in the table in the data dict, it has diff no of fields, and field names are different. A pooled table is stored in the pool at the database level. A table pool is a database table with a special strut that enables the data of many R3 tables to be stored in it. It can hold only pooled tables.

Q33) What is a transparent table?

Ans: A transparent table has a one to one relationship in the database. The table in the dictionary has the same name, same no of fields, and the fields have the same name as in the R3 table defn. A transparent table has application data (Master and Transaction).

Q34) What is a buffer and how many types?

Ans: Buffer is nothing but which stores data temporarily. there are two types of buffers. they are Roll and Page areas.

Pages: it stores the application data.

Roll area: it stores the data on previous pages. Data areas of used programs are created in roll areas for each internal session.

Q35) What is the table maintenance generator and how to create that? What is the transaction code?

Ans: Table maintenance generator is nothing but making a table available for adding records and deleting records. The transaction code used is SM30.

Q36) How to add new fields to a standard sap table?

Ans:

• Appended structures
• Customizing tables

Q37) What are the lock objects?

Ans: Lock objects are nothing but which holds data for a particular field value until you remove a lock.

Q38) What is the use of a start-of-selection event?

Ans: Start-of-selection is called simplicity even if it is not used in the program. start-of-selection is triggered after the standard selection screen has been displayed.

Q39) What is the difference between end-of-page and end-of-selection?

Ans: End-of-page: is the footer of the page. End-of-selection: is triggered At the end of the processing block.

ABAP Interview Questions for Experienced

Q40) How to create a button on the selection screen?

Ans: Using parameters

Q41) Can you call a BDC program from a report? how?

Ans: Yes through Submit and return

Q42) Can you call a transaction from a report? how?

Ans: Yes Using Call transaction and leave to.

Q43) What are the ALV reports? how they are different from normal reports?

Ans: These reports are used to find subtotals and totals in a report. If you want I'll give you an example program

Q44) What is the use of the SLIS-type pool in all reports?

Ans: Silas type pool is a global definition of pool types of catalog structure, table, and layout which we use in ALV reports

Q45) Difference between top-of-page and top-of-page during at-line- selection?

Ans: Top-of-page is a header on the primary list. Top-of-page during line selection is a header on secondary lists

Q46) How many types of internal tables are there?

Ans: Standard, Hashed, Sorted tables

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Q47) What is the difference between hashed & sorted internal tables?

Ans: The sorted internal table works on Binary Search and Hashed internal tables work on hashed algorithms through indexes.

Q48) What is the difference between standard and sorted internal tables?

Ans: Sorted table improve the performance in case of a huge table that has no: records

Q49) When do you need to create an internal table with a header line? and without a header line?

Ans: If we don't want to use any explicit work area then it's better to go for an internal table with a header line.

Q50) Which of these methods can be best used in the background process?

Ans: Batch Input method.

Q51) What is the direct input method? What does an EXEC SQL stmt do in ABAP? What is the disadvantage of using it?

Ans: Exec SQL [Performing [Native SQL statements] indexes. The above is the syntax for the native SQL statements.

Disadvantages:

The syntax check is not done to statements written inside the EXEC SQL statements.

Q52) What are selection texts?

Ans: In the selection screen, you can change the name of the field, title, etc using selection texts. go to text-> text elements-> selection texts in the menu bar to set selection texts.

Q53) What is the client concept in SAP? What is the meaning of the client's independence? How to find the return code of a statement in ABAP programs?

Ans: Through functions.

Q54) What are the steps you follow to improve the performance of a report?

Ans: Use select field statements (not select *) Use views rather than tables Don't use nested Select.

Q55) What is the role of ST05 in performance tuning?

Ans: SQL trace Use select field statements (not select *) Use views rather than tables Don't use nested Select.

Q56) What is the role of ST05 in performance tuning?

Ans: SQL trace