Tasks
Updated 2 weeks ago
by
Stephanie Krenz
Prior to version 1.14, the Workspace determined whether extraction or analysis tasks could be created within it.
From version 1.14, there is no longer a restriction in the Workspace. Instead, different task types can be created in the same Workspace.
From version 1.16 there is also the Replication Task type.
You can create multiple tasks in a Workspace to perform different analyses. You can schedule these tasks so that they are carried out automatically once, hourly, daily, weekly or monthly.
You have several options when adding a new task:
- Prior to version 1.14: Click on Workspaces at the top and then directly in a workspace on the + Task in Workspace button, or click on Workspaces at the top, then on the name of the Workspace, in the resulting task list you can click on + Task at the top right.
- From version 1.14: click on Workspaces at the top and then on the + Task button at the top right.
Task Creation
As soon as you want to create a task, you have to choose which type of task you want to create.
Analytic Task
Based on the selected steps, an extraction package is created, the data is extracted from the SAP system and written to the SQL database. The analysis is then performed.
Extraction Task
Uses a Custom Package created via the Package Studio to perform the data extraction. No analysis of the data is performed.
Replication Task - from version 1.16
The data extracted from SAP is transferred to the environment selected under Connection. There is no direct saving to the SQL server as with the analysis or extraction task.
In the next steps, you will now see which settings need to be set in the task.
All settings that have an Asterisk * next to their name are mandatory and must therefore be defined.
Workspace & SAP-System
- Workspace: enter the Workspace or change it
- SAP-System & Slots: determine from which SAP-system the data is to be extracted and how many tables can be extracted simultaneously (default: 2 slots)
- Privacy Protection: here you can define whether sensitive data (e.g. usernames, personal names, etc.) should be encrypted (you can also enforce encryption in relation to an SAP system). To do this, activate the Force Privacy Protection option when creating the connection of the SAP-system in dab Nexus via Settings > SAP Systems)
- None: no encryption
- Pseudonymize: sensitive data is encrypted with the salt
- Anonymize: sensitive data is replaced with the value XXXXXXXXXXXX
- Pseudonymize Salt: define the Salt, with which the sensitive data is to be encrypted
Then click on Continue.
Data Strategy
Select a Data Strategy that you have previously created via Settings > Data Strategies.
Data Transformation - from version 1.16
- String Trimming: this allows you to specify whether you want spaces to be removed from each field value. You can either trim before the field value (Start), after the field value (End), before and after the field value (Both), or not at all (None).
- Use Field Prefix: if you enable this option, the table name is also displayed before the field name in the result tables. This means that EKKO_EBELN will be displayed in the table instead of EBELN.
- Use Primary Key Override: if this option is not visible, it must first be enabled in the Settings (follow the steps in this article). Activating this setting in the Task will result in a new column named NEXUS_ID being added to each extracted table as a primary key, bypassing the system's own primary key fields.
Connection (bei Replication Task) - from version 1.16
Here you can select one of three Connection Types:
- Fabric Mirrored Database: you must enter the Fabric Mirrored Database in the selection.
- Snowflake: enter the Snowflake and the database schema here.
- Fabric Lakehouse: enter the Fabric Lakehouse.
- Data Strategy: select Merge (merge existing data with the new data) or Overwrite (delete old data and insert new data).
Scheduling
In this section, you have the option of executing Tasks once or scheduling them repeatedly. The following steps explain all possible settings:
Slider | Interval | Possible Settings | Description |
Once | no repeat | Start Time with Date and Time (including Time Zone) or Run immediately | Run is executed once either at the time entered or immediately after completion of the Task |
Hourly | hourly | Start Time with Date and Time (including Time Zone) 1 to 23 Hours | Specify the hourly interval at which the Task should be executed repeatedly |
Daily | daily | Start Time with Date and Time (including Time Zone) 1 to 6 Days | Specify the daily interval at which the Task should be executed repeatedly |
Weekly | weekly | Weekday selection Start Time with Date and Time (including Time Zone) 1 to 7 Days | Specify on which days of the week the Task should be executed repeatedly |
Monthly | monthly | 1 to 28 Days or last day 1 to 12 Months Start Time with Date and Time (including Time Zone) | Specify on which days of the month the Task should be executed repeatedly (alternatively always on the last day of the month) |
Click on Continue after setting up the schedule.
Parameter
Depending on the type of task (extraction or analytic), you can specify either an extraction package with variant or an analytic group at the top in the middle.
The listed parameters change depending on the selection of the task type and the extraction package or analytic group.
All parameters marked with * (asterisk) must also be filled in here, as this is mandatory information.
Then click on Continue.
Third-Party Services (only for Analytic- & Extraction-Task)
You don't have to add a Third-Party Service. If you want to continue without one, simply click Continue.
With a click on the big + you can add a Third-Party Service if you want to export the extracted and analyzed data directly to Excel, for example
Excel
Select the Excel option in the pop-up and click on Choose & Configure.
The following settings can or must be specified:
- Export Path (with subfolder if required): enter a path where the Excel file should be saved
- Test Path: with this button you can test whether the path you have specified is correct and can be reached
- Copy Full Path: with one click you can copy the file path to the clipboard so that you can then simply paste and search for it in the file browser
- Export Mode:
- File per Result table: one Excel file is exported and saved for each results table
- Sheet per Result table in one File: a new worksheet is opened in the Excel file for each results table, but all results tables from a run end up in a file that is exported and saved
- Data Limit: specify the maximum number of entries to be saved in a file. If this number is exceeded, another Excel file is automatically created
- Add Header: if this option is activated, the column name is written to the first row of the Excel tables
- Create Subfolder per Run: if this option is activated and the task is executed repeatedly, the Excel files of each run are saved separately in their own subfolders
- Result Table & Alias: you can enter an alternative name for each results table here, e.g. to give the tables in the export files more descriptive names
Click on Add Excel Service at the bottom right to complete the settings for the third-party service.
You will now see in the overview that you have created an Excel export as a third-party service for this task. You also have the option of creating several third-party services here in order to export the results tables to CSV files in parallel, for example.
CSV-Export
The CSV export is integrated in the same way as the Excel export. Click on the big +, select CSV and click on Choose & Configure. If desired, you can also adjust the export path (with subfolder), the data limit, the column header in the first row, the storage types and the aliases for the results tables here.
You must also specify the delimiter for the CSV export. The default setting is also read from the Settings > Third-Party Services > CSV export.
You have the following setting options here:
- Comma ,
- Semicolon ;
- Hashtag #
- Pipe |
- Tab (like the Tab key on your keyboard)
Then click on Continue.
Completion
- Name: enter a name for the Task
- Description: you can enter a description for the Task
Then click Finish at the bottom to complete the task creation.
