SAP BI 7.0 Authorization - Part 1: InfoObjects level authorization

New SAP BI 7.0 Authorization concept (analysis authorization) change a lot in accessing, analyzing and displaying BI information. The approach allow to restrict data access on Key figure, Characteristic, Characteristic value, Hierarchy node, and InfoCube levels. It enables more flexible data access management.

Analysis authorization is active by default in SAP BI 7.0 systems and I think it is worth to spend some time to look closer at the new concepts and the features. In part one of this two-article series, I will show you how you can restrict access to SAP BW reports on InfoObjects level.

Initial settings

At the beginning activate business content objects (TCode RSORBCT) related to authorizations:

• InfoObjects 0TCA*
• InfoCubes 0TCA*

and set the following InfoObjects as Authorization-Relevant:

• 0TCAACTVT (activity such as Display)
  
• 0TCAIPROV (InfoProvider authorization)
  
• 0TCAVALID (validity period of authorization)
  
• 0TCAKYFNM (if you want to restrict access to key figure)
  

Characteristics authorization

Use TCode RSA1, go to Modelling -> InfoObjects. Display properties of the characteristic to which you want to restrict access and set it as Authorization-Relevant.

Characteristics values authorization

To authorize characteristics values you need to create new authorization object through TCode RSECADMIN. The following pictures show how allow users to access to specific sale organization (e.g., New York, San Francisco, Dallas).
1. Create new authorization object (e.g., Z_SORG_B).

2. Choose characteristic and press Details button.

3. Select sales organization (e.g., 1612 - New York, 1614 - San Francisco, 1615 - Dallas). Available operators: EQ - single value, BT - range of values, CP - pattern ending with (*) (e.g., abc*). You have also option to Include (I) or Exclude (E) values.

Attributes authorization

To authorize navigational attributes, set them as Authorization-Relevant.

Hierarchies authorization

To grant authorization on hierarchy level edit or create authorization object (e.g., Z_SORG_B), add hierarchy and nodes, and choose type of authorization.

Key figure authorization

To grant authorization to particular key figure, add special object 0TCAKYFNM to authorization object (e.g., Z_SORG_B), and choose the key figure to be authorized.

Summary

InfoObject level authorization gives you a great flexibility, but keep in mind system limitations. Avoid setting too many characteristics as authorization relevant (more than 10 in a query). All marked characteristics are checked for existing authorization if they are in a query or in an InfoProvider that is being used. Too much authorization objects may slow query execution. Exception are characteristics with all (*) authorization. If you want to check which InfoObjects are authorization relevant in your BI system, use TCode RSECADMIN -> Authorization Maintenance and display 0BI_ALL authorization. More about 0BI_ALL you will find in the article on creating and assigning authorization.

Remember that authorization do not work as a filters do. It means that the user who is executing the query, where characteristics are authorization relevant, must have sufficient authorization to the characteristics ("all-or-nothing" rule). Exceptions are hierarchies in the drill down and variables which are dependent on authorization.