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Bringing Custom CDS Views from SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud to SAP Analytics Cloud

 

SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) integrates seamlessly with SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud through live connections, enabling real-time reporting on CDS-based data models. For many business users and developers, a common need arises to expose a custom CDS view from S/4HANA and consume it directly in SAC. This blog walks you through the end-to-end process of creating and consuming a custom CDS view using standard S/4HANA tools and live data connections.


Overview of the Process

To bring a custom CDS view into SAC, we follow these high-level steps:

  1. Identify a released CDS view or create one with the right structure and annotations

  2. Use the “Custom CDS Views” app to build your own analytic cube or dimension

  3. Use the “Custom Analytical Queries” app to create a query on top of the CDS view

  4. Ensure a live data connection from SAC to S/4HANA is configured

  5. Consume the analytical query in SAC and build stories or models


Step 1: Identify or Create a Released CDS View

Before creating anything custom, check if a standard released CDS view meets your reporting requirements. To find these:

  • Go to “View Browser” in the S/4HANA Public Cloud Fiori Launchpad

  • Filter by:

    • Data Category: Cube or Dimension

    • Cloud Dev. Rel. State = Released

  • You can also filter by name (e.g., I_SalesOrder, I_Product) or by semantic tags (e.g., purchasing, finance, inventory)

The Cloud Dev. Rel. State ensures that the CDS view is released for consumption in external tools like SAC. 

If no standard CDS meets your needs, proceed to the next step. 


Step 2: Create a Custom CDS View Using the App

Use the “Custom CDS Views” app available in S/4HANA Public Cloud. This tool is designed for key users and developers to create CDS views without ABAP development.

Steps to create a CDS View:

  1. Open the “Custom CDS Views” app

  2. Click Create

  3. Enter a name, description, and choose the view type:

    • Choose Analytical Cube for transactional reporting

    • Choose Dimension for master data structures

  4. Primary Data Source: Select a standard released view as the base (from step 1)

  5. Add Associations or Join additional data sources if needed

  6. Select the fields you want to expose

  7. Mark measures and dimensions appropriately

  8. Publish the CDS view

Tip: Only published and released CDS views can be used in Custom Analytical Queries.


Step 3: Create a Custom Analytical Query

Next, use the “Custom Analytical Queries” app to define a query on top of the CDS cube.

Steps to create a custom query:

  1. Open “Custom Analytical Queries”

  2. Click Create

  3. Provide a name and description

  4. Choose your Custom CDS View (Analytical Cube) as the data source

  5. Add the required dimensions and measures

  6. Apply filters or restricted key figures if needed

  7. Use variables or input parameters as required for runtime filtering

  8. Save and publish the query

Important: Only queries created using this app are exposed for live SAC consumption.


Step 4: Live Connection Setup in SAC

Make sure a Live Data Connection from SAC to your S/4HANA Public Cloud tenant is already set up. This is typically done once by the SAC admin.

Steps (usually done by Admin):

  1. Go to System > Administration > Data Source Configuration in SAC

  2. Set up a Live Connection using SAP S/4HANA Cloud as the source system

  3. Provide:

    • System Alias

    • OAuth or Basic Authentication

    • URL of the S/4HANA Public Cloud system

  4. Test the connection

  5. Save and maintain authorizations (via roles in S/4 and SAC)


Step 5: Consume the Query in SAC

Now that the Custom Analytical Query is ready and the live connection is configured, consume it in SAC.

Steps to create a model in SAC:

  1. Go to Modeler > Create Model > Live Data Model

  2. Choose SAP S/4HANA Cloud as the connection type

  3. Select the live connection configured earlier

  4. Browse and search for your Custom Analytical Query

    • Queries will appear with the name you used in Step 3

  5. Select the query and click Create

  6. Optionally rename the model and assign categories

You can now use this model in Stories, Dashboards, and Analytical Applications.


Additional Tips

  • Authorization Check: Ensure the user consuming the query in SAC has access to the relevant CDS view and query in S/4HANA.

  • Data Access Control: You can define data access via Business Catalogs and roles in S/4HANA Public Cloud.

  • Performance Considerations: Minimize joins and filters at runtime by pre-defining them in the CDS view/query.

  • Testing: Use the “Analytical Query Browser” in S/4 to test your query before using it in SAC.


Conclusion

With SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud and SAP Analytics Cloud, creating real-time analytics on custom CDS views has never been more streamlined. Using standard tools like Custom CDS Views and Custom Analytical Queries, even non-ABAP users can build powerful reporting datasets and consume them directly in SAC via live connections and no data replication needed.

By following these structured steps, your custom analytics scenarios can go live quickly and efficiently, aligned with SAP's clean core principles.

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