How To Fix BRAIN401 - Characteristic &1 must be contained in the navigation.

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: BRAIN -

• Message number: 401

• Message text: Characteristic &1 must be contained in the navigation.

What causes this issue?

Characteristic &V1& is not used or not used correctly in the Query
Designer.

System Response

The query cannot be executed.

How to fix this error?

In the maintenance of the InfoObjects, characteristic &V1& (technical
name = &V2&) is set so that it must appears in the navigation area and
that it cannot be aggregated somewhere else (CHASEL = &V3&, CHANAV =
&V4&).
Characteristic &V1& is not in the navigation area in the query in use
here.
Either check the query or check the settings for characteristic &V1&.

Error message extract from SAP system. Copyright SAP SE.

Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message BRAIN401 - Characteristic &1 must be contained in the navigation. ?

  The SAP error message BRAIN401 indicates that a specific characteristic (denoted as &1) must be included in the navigation of a query or report. This error typically arises in the context of SAP BW (Business Warehouse) or SAP BI (Business Intelligence) when working with queries in BEx (Business Explorer) Analyzer or similar tools.
  Cause:
  The error occurs when:
  
  A query is designed to use a characteristic that is not included in the navigation area of the query definition.
  The characteristic is required for the execution of the query but has not been added to the navigation pane, which is necessary for filtering or drilling down data.
  
  Solution:
  To resolve the BRAIN401 error, follow these steps:
  
  
  Open the Query Designer:
  
  Access the Query Designer tool in SAP BW.
  
  
  
  Locate the Query:
  
  Find and open the query that is generating the error.
  
  
  
  Check the Navigation Area:
  
  In the query definition, look for the "Rows" and "Columns" sections where you can add characteristics.
  Ensure that the characteristic mentioned in the error message (&1) is included in either the Rows, Columns, or Free Characteristics sections.
  
  
  
  Add the Characteristic:
  
  If the characteristic is not present, add it to the appropriate section (Rows, Columns, or Free Characteristics).
  You can drag and drop the characteristic from the available list into the navigation area.
  
  
  
  Save and Test the Query:
  
  After making the necessary changes, save the query.
  Execute the query again to check if the error has been resolved.
  
  
  
  Related Information:
  
  Characteristics: In SAP BW, characteristics are attributes or dimensions that describe the data (e.g., Customer, Product, Time).
  Navigation Area: This is where users can filter, sort, and drill down into the data based on the characteristics included in the query.
  Query Execution: Queries in SAP BW are executed based on the characteristics and key figures defined in the query. Missing characteristics can lead to incomplete or erroneous data retrieval.
  
  If the issue persists after following these steps, consider checking for any additional dependencies or settings related to the characteristic in question, or consult with your SAP BW administrator for further assistance.