Core Data Services (CDS) and Their Integration with SAP Datasphere

Adriana Lopez Fernandez — Fri, 16 May 2025 23:13:03 +0000

CDS is a technology in SAP that allows the definition of semantic data structures directly at the database level, in a richer, reusable, and more efficient way than traditional SQL views.
They enable you to create "smart views" on your tables that not only retrieve data but also add meaning (semantics), relationships, and business logic directly in the data modeling layer.
CDS are mainly used for:
• Declarative modeling of complex data
• Creating reusable views with embedded logic
• Exposing data to tools such as SAP Analytics Cloud, SAP Datasphere, or Fiori applications
• Improving model performance and governance by centralizing business rules

_ Key Characteristics_
• Declarative: Written in a SQL-like language enriched with annotations and relationships.
• Reusable: CDS can be nested to build more complex models.
• Semantic: Add meaning to data through annotations, hierarchies, and associations.
• Optimized for SAP HANA: Efficient execution at the database level, reducing load on the application layer.
• Exposable: Can be published as OData services for consumption by other tools or applications

Practical Exercise: Data Model Definition
In this scenario, we want to query customer invoice details (Sales and Distribution). In SAP, transaction VF03 can be used to view:
• General document data
• Billed customer
• Sales items
• Total amount
• Price conditions
• Related documents (order, delivery, etc.)
• Posting status
• Accounting references (FI)
• Tax information
• Print data
VF03 accesses various standard SD and FI tables. Below is a list of key tables used by VF03 in S/4HANA:

Main SD Invoice Tables
• VBRK: Billing Document Header
• VBRP: Billing Document Item
• VBFA: Document Flow
• VBPA: Sales Document Partners
We will begin by identifying the standard SAP CDS views. This process must be carried out for each of the tables that make up transaction VF03, as previously described.
The following SAP portal can be a valuable resource to streamline this task, as it provides comprehensive documentation on the CDS (Core Data Services) views available in SAP S/4HANA Cloud, version 2408.500.
https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_S4HANA_CLOUD/c0c54048d35849128be8e872df5bea6d/73772e73e49f440f8193004c73603853.html?version=2408.500

Below are the main resources you can find:
CDS View Documentation
• Description of standard CDS views: Includes information about the predefined CDS views provided by SAP for various business areas.
• Structure and fields: Details the structure of each view, including available fields and their data types.
• Relationships and associations: Provides information on how CDS views are related to one another, which is useful for understanding how data is integrated across different modules.

Navigation and Search
• Table of contents: A hierarchical structure that allows you to navigate through the different sections of the documentation.
• Search function: You can search for specific CDS views by name or keyword to quickly access the information you need.
If you wish to explore further details about the available CDS views and how they can be used across various business areas, I recommend visiting the SAP Business Accelerator Hub, where you will find an extensive collection of CDS views categorized by line of business and area.
https://api.sap.com/products/SAPS4HANACloud/onstackextensibility/cdsviews.

Practical Exercise: Identifying CDS Views
The search is carried out for the CDS views corresponding to transaction VF03 (Sales).
tables of transaction VF0

1.- Table VBRK (Billing Document Header)

→ CDS is I_BILLINGDOCUMENTBASIC
2.- Table VBRP(Billing Document Item) CDS is I_BILLINGDOCUMENTITEMBASIC
3.- Table VBFA Document Flow (Delivery → Billing)
the CDS is I_SDDOCUMENTMULTILEVELPROCFLOW
4.- VBPA (Sales Document Partner Functions) the CDS is I_SDDOCUMENTCOMPLETEPARTNERS.

"This is my first content. Soon, I will share important information about Core Data Services and how they can be linked with SAP Datasphere."
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DEV Community: Adriana Lopez Fernandez

Core Data Services (CDS) and Their Integration with SAP Datasphere