SAP BW tried opening existing report ending with Object referenc not set to an instance of an object

[nitinc13]

Hello Expert,

I tried opening an existing SAP BW Bex Report through SAP.Net connector having version 3.0.26 giving me the below issue -

Product Version:

2.138.1203.0 (24.11) (x64)

Error message: The object reference is not set to an instance of an object. I can open other reports, but the issue only occurs with one report.

please advise the needful.

thanks, Nitin

[FarhanJeelani · Accepted solution]

Hi @nitinc13 ,

The error message "Object reference not set to an instance of an object" generally indicates that the application is attempting to access an object or property that has not been properly initialized. Since this issue is specific to one SAP BW BEx report, here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and resolve the problem:

1. Check the Report in BEx Analyzer

• Open the problematic report directly in the SAP BEx Analyzer to see if it works there.
• If it fails to load in BEx Analyzer, there may be an issue with the query or underlying data source.

2. Validate the Query in SAP BW

• Go to the Query Designer in SAP BW and open the query used by the report.
• Check for any inconsistencies, missing objects, or broken references (e.g., deleted InfoObjects or invalid filters).

3. Test Other Reports Using the Same Data Source

• Determine if other reports using the same InfoProvider, query, or data source are working as expected.
• If they fail, the issue might be with the underlying data source or its connection.

4. Update SAP.Net Connector

• Verify that version 3.0.26 of the SAP.Net Connector is compatible with your SAP BW version.
• If possible, update to a more recent version of the SAP.Net Connector to address potential bugs or compatibility issues.

5. Analyze the SAP BW Logs

• Check the SAP BW backend logs (ST22 for dumps or SM21 for system logs) to identify any specific errors triggered when running the report.
• Look for entries corresponding to the time of the report execution.

6. Check User Authorizations

• Ensure that your user ID has the necessary permissions to execute the specific query and access the required InfoObjects or data.

7. Clear Cache

• Clear the metadata and query cache in both BEx Analyzer and SAP BW to rule out any caching issues.

8. Recreate the Report

• If the issue persists, consider recreating the report in BEx Analyzer using the same query or copying the existing report and testing it.

9. Debug the Code

• If the report is being accessed programmatically via the SAP.Net Connector, check the code for proper object initialization and handling of null values.

If none of these steps resolves the issue, providing additional details (such as the specific query name, InfoProvider, and any recent changes made to the BW system) could help pinpoint the root cause.

Let me know how it goes!

Please mark this as solution if it helps. Appreciate Kudos.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Hi, @nitinc13 

SAP users need access to specific BAPI function modules to get metadata and retrieve data from SAP BW's InfoProviders. These modules include:

• BAPI_MDPROVIDER_GET_CATALOGS
• BAPI_MDPROVIDER_GET_CUBES
• BAPI_MDPROVIDER_GET_DIMENSIONS
• BAPI_MDPROVIDER_GET_HIERARCHYS
• BAPI_MDPROVIDER_GET_LEVELS
• BAPI_MDPROVIDER_GET_MEASURES
• BAPI_MDPROVIDER_GET_MEMBERS
• BAPI_MDPROVIDER_GET_VARIABLES
• BAPI_IOBJ_GETDETAIL

To solve this issue, verify that the user has access to the various MDPROVIDER modules and . To further troubleshoot this or similar issues, you can enable tracing. Select File > Options and settings > Options. In Options, select Diagnostics, then select Enable tracing. Attempt to retrieve data from SAP BW while tracing is active, and examine the trace file for more detail. 

Here is the document for your reference: SAP Business Warehouse connector troubleshooting - Power Query | Microsoft Learn

Best Regards,

Community Support Team _Charlotte

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[FarhanJeelani · Accepted solution]

Hi @nitinc13 ,

The error message "Object reference not set to an instance of an object" generally indicates that the application is attempting to access an object or property that has not been properly initialized. Since this issue is specific to one SAP BW BEx report, here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and resolve the problem:

1. Check the Report in BEx Analyzer

• Open the problematic report directly in the SAP BEx Analyzer to see if it works there.
• If it fails to load in BEx Analyzer, there may be an issue with the query or underlying data source.

2. Validate the Query in SAP BW

• Go to the Query Designer in SAP BW and open the query used by the report.
• Check for any inconsistencies, missing objects, or broken references (e.g., deleted InfoObjects or invalid filters).

3. Test Other Reports Using the Same Data Source

• Determine if other reports using the same InfoProvider, query, or data source are working as expected.
• If they fail, the issue might be with the underlying data source or its connection.

4. Update SAP.Net Connector

• Verify that version 3.0.26 of the SAP.Net Connector is compatible with your SAP BW version.
• If possible, update to a more recent version of the SAP.Net Connector to address potential bugs or compatibility issues.

5. Analyze the SAP BW Logs

• Check the SAP BW backend logs (ST22 for dumps or SM21 for system logs) to identify any specific errors triggered when running the report.
• Look for entries corresponding to the time of the report execution.

6. Check User Authorizations

• Ensure that your user ID has the necessary permissions to execute the specific query and access the required InfoObjects or data.

7. Clear Cache

• Clear the metadata and query cache in both BEx Analyzer and SAP BW to rule out any caching issues.

8. Recreate the Report

• If the issue persists, consider recreating the report in BEx Analyzer using the same query or copying the existing report and testing it.

9. Debug the Code

• If the report is being accessed programmatically via the SAP.Net Connector, check the code for proper object initialization and handling of null values.

If none of these steps resolves the issue, providing additional details (such as the specific query name, InfoProvider, and any recent changes made to the BW system) could help pinpoint the root cause.

Let me know how it goes!

Please mark this as solution if it helps. Appreciate Kudos.