Dear BODS guru,
can Data services load data from SAP cluster table ? if not are there another work around to read the SAP cluster table?
raden3547 (BOB member since 2011-05-18)
No not possible. And if you know SAP you also know that behind any cluster table also transparent tables are included.
Have fun looking for them 
Johannes Vink 
(BOB member since 2012-03-20)
Wait a second, the question was about READING from SAP. That is no problem as we do not connect to the SAP underlying database but the ABAP layer.
Werner Daehn 
(BOB member since 2004-12-17)
So we can read cluster table using abab transform? that is what you mean?
raden3547 (BOB member since 2011-05-18)
I have to correct myself.
KONV for example is a cluster table and can be extracted via BODS, via ABAP, via the application layer of SAP.
However, there are certain types of tables that cannot be extracted from SAP, but I cannot remember the type of table at this moment :?
Johannes Vink 
(BOB member since 2012-03-20)
We can read all tables. Why would you not be able to read tables via the ABAP layer?
There are just a few HR tables that contain a logn varchar string which needs to be decoded, but even that can be done with ABAP and hence with DataServices.
Werner Daehn (BOB member since 2004-12-17)
O dear. I stand corrected again. I check transparent, cluster and pooled tables. All can be extracted via BODS.
But when pressing F1 in the GUI and when a table is shown, I was pretty sure that SAP shows sometime a table (type) that cannot be extracted. Then you have to search for the underlying tables.
Found it: structure tables cannot be extracted. As a user you can see the structure of the table in SE11, but SE16 does also not work.
So basically BODS extracts all tables, but not structure tables. And those are tables often reported back from the GUI. So you need to google a bit.
Johannes Vink (BOB member since 2012-03-20)
Structures are not tables, these are memory structures that are filled with data when the screen is opened. Just like a C++ struct has no data, it is a memory structure.
Werner Daehn (BOB member since 2004-12-17)
True, but most of the time I get a vague spec because not many people now how data is exactly stored in SAP. So often I go in to the transactions it self and with F1 and the technical data often SAP returns a structure. Google, DD3L, SQL Trace, consultants + expercience and then you have the underlying tables for that structure.
Funny enough by the way: BODS can import structures, but you cannot drag en drop it in to an R/3 flow
Johannes Vink (BOB member since 2012-03-20)
True. I just wanted to make sure no reader would assume a structure can be read from. You clarified it nicely.
Werner Daehn (BOB member since 2004-12-17)
Johannes, you explained it nicely. How do you manage to get the underlying tables?
I am trying to do some metadata identification and need to extract data from D021S which of course is not possible.
I also tried the function Import_Dynpro but as the output parameter is a table with lots of columns I am getting the Unknown SAP Output Data error.
I am hoping that I can use underlying tables so I don’t have to use the structure or the function.
johann_cornelius (BOB member since 2009-09-02)
Apologies to kick an old thread, but I’m also facing issues with the notorious KONV table.
See below image for the error that I get when I want to import it into DS.
Could it be that the datatype DF34_DEC is not supported in BODS?
This is the datatype for field KAQTY.
Any help would be appreciated. 
ScSi 
(BOB member since 2013-10-08)
Correct, Data Type DF34_DEC is not supported by Data Services per SAP note:
2251024 - Cannot import the metadata table <(><<)>name=KONV>. Unknown data type detected BODI-1112339 - SAP Data Services 4.x
https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2251024
However there is no correction or work-a-round resolution.
A work-a-round option:
In SAP transaction SE11
Create a view on table KNOV, with all fields except KAQTY.
In Data Services, import the view & load data from the view.
Hope that works.
JDRoble (BOB member since 2009-06-22)