How To Fix BRAIN506 - Illegal combination of bucket with compounding for characteristic &1

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: BRAIN -

• Message number: 506

• Message text: Illegal combination of bucket with compounding for characteristic &1

What causes this issue?

If you get this error message, it means that the system has already
tried to explode one ore more of your buckets (precalculated value sets)
and to process the indivdiual values.
The purpose of these buckets is actually to reduce the selected value
set already on the database (or in TREX/BWA). (Technically, by a join
against the facts in the InfoCube).
It appears that this reduction cannot be performed for one of the
participating providers on the database or in TREX. The value sets are
therefore exploded.
As well as poor performance, this can also cause untreatable and
unsupported situations to arise.
This can happen if multiple buckets participate in a query that was
created for a compounded characteristic. Compounding is always m
ultidimensional, while buckets are only one-dimensional.
The system will try to process this at least in part by calculating the
average number of buckets involved. If this average is not empty
(without taking into account the compounding parents), processing will
be terminated at this point.

System Response

The system issues an error message and will not allow you to continue with this transaction until the error is resolved.

How to fix this error?

Modify your scenario so that the buckets can already be processed at the
database level or in TREX. Alternatively, only use buckets without
compounding.

Procedure for System Administrators

Error message extract from SAP system. Copyright SAP SE.

Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message BRAIN506 - Illegal combination of bucket with compounding for characteristic &1 ?

  The SAP error message BRAIN506, which states "Illegal combination of bucket with compounding for characteristic &1," typically occurs in the context of SAP BW (Business Warehouse) or SAP BI (Business Intelligence) when working with queries, especially when dealing with characteristics and key figures in a query definition.
  Cause:
  This error usually arises due to the following reasons:
  
  
  Incompatible Characteristics: The characteristic specified in the error message is being used in a way that is not compatible with the compounding settings. For example, if a characteristic is compounded with another characteristic, it may not be allowed to be used in certain types of queries or aggregations.
  
  
  Query Design Issues: The query might be designed in such a way that it tries to combine characteristics that cannot be aggregated together due to their compounding relationship.
  
  
  Incorrect Bucket Settings: If you are using a bucket (like time buckets) in your query, and it is not compatible with the compounded characteristic, this error can occur.
  
  
  Solution:
  To resolve the BRAIN506 error, you can take the following steps:
  
  
  Check Characteristic Settings: Review the characteristics involved in your query. Ensure that the characteristic mentioned in the error message is not incorrectly compounded with another characteristic that is causing the issue.
  
  
  Modify Query Design: If you are using a compounded characteristic, consider redesigning your query to avoid using incompatible characteristics together. You may need to separate the characteristics or adjust the way they are being used in the query.
  
  
  Review Bucket Configuration: If you are using buckets, check the configuration of those buckets. Ensure that they are compatible with the characteristics you are using in your query.
  
  
  Consult Documentation: Refer to SAP documentation or help resources for specific guidelines on using compounded characteristics and buckets in queries.
  
  
  Test Changes: After making adjustments, test the query again to see if the error persists.
  
  
  Related Information:
  
  Compounding in SAP: Compounding allows you to create a hierarchy of characteristics, which can be useful for reporting and analysis. However, it can also lead to complexities in query design.
  SAP BW Query Designer: Familiarize yourself with the Query Designer tool in SAP BW, as it provides functionalities to visualize and manage characteristics and key figures effectively.
  SAP Notes and Community: Check SAP Notes for any known issues or patches related to this error. The SAP Community forums can also be a valuable resource for troubleshooting and finding solutions shared by other users.
  
  If the problem persists after trying the above solutions, consider reaching out to your SAP support team for further assistance.