Introduction to SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.

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Hello Everyone,
One of the main reason to maintain a Data Warehousing system by any organization is to
have a quick look at what is going at an organization level and at different areas from
summary to the least minute details. We have lot of companies in the market that delivers
reporting solutions which can be used on a Data Warehouse to build simple to complex
reports.
Examples: SAP, Tableau, IBM, ORACLE, Microsoft, Qlick View and so on.

If we have to choose Enterprise level Reporting solution with excellent flexibility and
multiple reporting options, then SAP Business Intelligence (earlier SAP BOBJ) is one of the
main competitor in the market.
This reporting platform was initially built by company Business Objects which got acquired
by SAP in 2007. After acquisition SAP named the solution as SAP Business Objects Business
Intelligence (BOBI) which is now called as SAP Business Intelligence. The latest version of
SAP Business Intelligence as of Jun 2015 is 4.1 SP6.
SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence (BOBI) platform is a flexible, scalable, and
reliable solution for delivering powerful, interactive reports to end users via any web
application. As an integrated suite for reporting, analysis, and information delivery, the BI
platform provides a solution for increasing end-user productivity and reducing administrative
efforts.
The below diagram shows the architecture of SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
Platform.

Some of the main components of SAP BOBI Platform are

Central Management Console

Server Intelligence Agent

Central Configuration Manager

Central Management Servers

Semantic Layer Tool

Client Tools.
Now lets have a look at each of these components and what they are used for?
Central Management Console:
The Central Management Console (CMC) is the main web interface to perform administrative
tasks in the SAP BOBI platform, including user security, content and server management. It
also allows us to publish and organize content, and configure security settings.
New Features in 4.1:
From version 4.1, the CMC features a new System Configuration Wizard, which allows
administrators to more easily and effectively configure deployment without need to
manually modify multiple server settings.

Proceed to the next page to continue reading

Server Intelligence Agent:
A Server Intelligent Agent (SIA) manages and monitors all of the servers on a node
ensuring they operate properly.
Note:

A node is group of SAP BOBI Platform servers that run on the same host. All of the servers
on a node run under the same user account. One machine can contain many nodes, so you
can run processes under different accounts.
Central Configuration Manager:
The Central Configuration Manager (CCM) is a server troubleshooting and node
management tool provided in two forms. In a Microsoft Windows environment, the CCM
allows to manage local and remote servers through its graphical user interface (GUI) or
from a command line. In a UNIX environment, the CCM shell script (ccm.sh) allows to
manage servers from the command-line.
The CCM also allows us to create and configure Server Intelligence Agent (SIA) nodes and
start or stop a web application server. On Windows, it also allows to configure network
parameters, such as Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption. These parameters apply to all
servers within a node.
Note:
Most server management tasks are now handled through the Central Management Console
(CMC), not through the CCM. The CCM is now used for troubleshooting and node
configuration.
Central Management Server:
The Central Management Server (CMS) maintains a database of information about SAP BOBI
platform (in the CMS system database) and audited user actions (in the Auditing Data
Store). All platform services are managed by the CMS. The CMS also controls access to the
system files where documents are stored, and information on users, user groups, security
levels (including authentication and authorization), and content.
New Features in 4.1:
From version 4.1, the default and bundled CMS system database is Sybase SQL Anywhere.
This database is easy to install and leaves a small install footprint. It can be installed on
Windows OS, as well on UNIX.
We can also say Central Management Console (CMC) is frontend for Central Management
Server (CMS).
Semantic Layer tools:
Some of the Reporting tools we have in SAP BOBI can be directly connected to source
systems to build the reports while few of them need semantic/business layer in between.
The semantic/business layer which is also known as Universe in SAP BOBI environment can
be created using either Information Design Tool (IDT) or Universe Design Tool (UDT).
Note:
IDT was released as part of SAP BOBI 4.0 version and universes created using IDT will
have .unx extension. UDT was part of SAP BOBI 3.x platform and universes created using
UDT will have .unv extension.
Information Design Tool:

The Information Design Tool (IDT) is an SAP BusinessObjects metadata design environment
that enables a designer to extract, define, and manipulate metadata from relational and
OLAP sources to create and deploy UNX universes. Universes are a semantic layer that hides
database complexity from end users. It abstracts the complexity of data by using business
rather than technical language to access, manipulate, and organize data.
New Features in 4.1: From version 4.1,
The IDT includes a new Welcome page, which provides quick access to the most

1.

frequently-used commands.
A new cheat sheet has been added to provide step-by-step guidance to the process

2.

of creating an OLAP universe.

A Universe Wizard has been added to streamline the end-to-end process of creating

3.

a universe, from defining the project and connection through to developing the data
foundation and business layer.
Additional right-click context sensitive commands are available to speed up the

4.

process of creating your universe.

We can now open local resources in Windows Explorer from the secondary menu for

5.

easy access.
Custom display formats that you create for business objects are now re-usable, and

6.

can be applied to multiple objects at the same time.

We can now apply index awareness to attributes in the same way that you would for

7.

dimensions.
Additional shortcut commands have been added to make it easier to change the

8.

object type of objects in the business layer.

Query stripping was already available in previous releases for SAP BEx queries, but in

9.

4.1 query stripping is also supported for relational data sources.

A new data federation layer has been added in the 4.1 release, which enables us to

10.

perform simple transformations on multi-source universes by creating data flows using

federated tables. Several agnostic data sources have been introduced in the 4.1 release,
including XML, web services, Oracle Exadata, Teradata 14, Hive on Amazon EMR, Sybase
ASE 15.7, Oracle via ODBC, PostGreSQL 9, MS SQL Server 2012, and Greenplum 4.1 and
4.2.

In addition, we can now create relational connections for OData, which is

an open data protocol created by SAP in conjunction with Microsoft and IBM to query and
update web data. Single-Sign-On (SSO) support has also been added for SAP HANA
(through SAML), Teradata, and Sybase IQ.
11.

We can also now create an OLAP connection to SAP HANA views, which can be used
to provide direct access to HANA for Crystal Reports for Enterprise without creating a
universe. In the business layer, business objects are now automatically created when the

data foundation contains SAP HANA views, where the modelling has already been done in
SAP HANA Studio.
12.

Changes have also been made to improve performance and reduce errors when
reporting tools access SAP BW connections. For example, there are now fewer interactions
with the BW backend when reports are refreshed. Also, the member selector for SAP BW
hierarchy node variables can now be based on depth, while selection for SAP BW
hierarchy variables can be based on level.

13.

Universe landscape migration is an add-on that enables you to copy universes based
on third-party databases into universes that point to SAP HANA.

Proceed to the next page to continue reading

Universe Design Tool:
Universe Design Tool (formerly Universe Designer) allows data designers to
combine data from multiple sources in a semantic layer (UNV universe) that hides database
complexity from end users. It abstracts the complexity of data by using business rather than
technical language to access, manipulate, and organize data.
Universe design tool provides a graphical interface to select and view tables in a database.
The database tables are represented as table symbols in a schema diagram. Designers can
use this interface to manipulate tables, create joins between tables, create alias tables,
create contexts, and solve loops in a schema.
We can also create universes from metadata sources. Universe design tool is
used for the universe generation at the end of the creation process.
BI Launch Pad: BI launch pad (formerly InfoView) is the main web interface for business
users to view, schedule, and keep track of published business intelligence (BI) documents.
BI launch pad can access, interact with, and export, any type of business intelligence
including reports, analytics, dashboards, scorecards, and strategy maps. It simplifies
information delivery and delivers secure access to BI content and tools, such as BI
workspace, SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence, SAP BusinessObjects Explorer, and SAP
BusinessObjects Analysis, edition for OLAP.
New Features in 4.1: From version 4.1,
1.

We have the option to replace existing document when uploading 3rd party
document (e.g. .xls or .pdf) and maintain its CUID (internal pointer). This for example
allows to facilitate data refresh for Explorer Information Space based on Excel file.

2.

In BI Launchpad we can now preview Design Studio (Analysis Application) objects.

4.1 supports UI layout for Arabic language (right-to-left). Layout direction is dynamically
adjusted when user changes its locale setting.

Analysis Office Edition for OLAP:

SAP BusinessObjects Analysis, edition for OLAP (formerly Voyager) is an online
analytical processing (OLAP) tool for working with multi-dimensional data. It provides access

to a range of OLAP data sources, and can also combine information from different OLAP data
sources within a single workspace.
New Features in 4.1: From version 4.1,
1.

The SAP BW Prompts dialog has been reconfigured to handle multiple prompts better.
A report variant allows us to save the values that we entered into the variable (prompt)
fields on a report. Once the variant is saved, it can be used every time the report is run.

2.

In 4.1 we can save values for SAP BW prompts as private or public variants. If we
have multiple queries that share a prompt, we can merge the prompts so that we can
select a value only once for all queries. Conditional formatting that has already been
defined within an SAP BEx query is now displayed in the Analysis workspace based on the
query.

3.

Analysis, edition for OLAP now supports Arabic language with a mirrored user
interface, bi-directional text, and right-to-left rendering.

4.

A waterfall chart type is now available, which can support both hierarchical and nonhierarchical axes.

5.

We can export selected sheets and components from an Analysis workspace to

Design Studio as a new application.

6.

More data sources are now supported, including Oracle Essbase, Oracle OLAP 11g,
and Teradata OLAP using the XML/A driver. Note that the support for Microsoft SSAS 2005
has been dropped.

Crystal Reports 2013:

SAP Crystal Reports 2013 is a Windows-based report design tool used to create
powerful reports that can be published in the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
platform.
New features in 4.1: From version 4.1, the name has been updated to Crystal Reports
2013 (earlier Crystal Reports 2011).
Crystal Reports for Enterprise:
SAP Crystal Reports for Enterprise is a Java-based report design tool used to
create and integrate powerful reports in the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
platform.
New Features in 4.1: From version 4.1,
1.

Freehand SQL command is available to enable users to optimize queries to relational

data sources.

2.

Sub reports are no longer restricted to the same data source type as the main
report. For example, it is now possible to create a report based on a BEx query with a sub
report based on a UNX universe.

3.

Many improvements have been made to better support working with SAP BW data.
Variable selection now occurs before a query is loaded if there is at least one mandatory
variable that does not have a default value.

Level-based member selection is available for BEx queries with BW hierarchy

4.

variables. Level-based selection based on relative depth is available for BW hierarchy

node variables.
There is now direct OLAP access to SAP HANA analytic and calculation views.

5.

Dashboards:
SAP BusinessObjects Dashboards (formerly Xcelsius) is a tool for data
visualization and the creation of dynamic, interactive dashboards. Data can be updated
dynamically from the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence platform, and exported to a
variety of different formats that can be viewed by data consumers in standard formats, such
as PowerPoint, PDF, or Flash.
New Features in 4.1: From version 4.1,
We can include Bubble Plot and Waterfall charts in our mobile dashboards, as well as

1.

display data labels for all supported chart types.

Query as a Web Service (QaaWS) is supported as a data source for both online and

2.

offline mobile dashboards. In addition, Flash Variables can be used to pass parameters
between mobile dashboards and other business intelligence documents. Note that mobile
dashboards also now run on Android devices, and the existing Add-On packager in the
SDK has been extended to support JavaScript, so that custom HTML5-compliant
components can be added to mobile dashboards.
To increase accessibility, dashboard users can now navigate Input Text, Combo Box,

3.

Scorecard, and Button components using the keyboard.

A new option is available under Document Properties that enables dashboard users to

4.

right-click a Flash-based dashboard and download it with its current data to a local drive.
Proceed to the next page to continue reading
Explorer:
SAP BusinessObjects Explorer is an information-discovery tool that empowers
everyone in an organization with fast, easy access to information, so they can explore data,
spark new ideas, and find new insights.
New Features in 4.1: From version 4.1,
We can now access UNV universes as a data source. We can also access BW data

1.

hosted in an SAP HANA database.

We can now change the data source for an information space, allowing you to

2.

connect to a new data source, if the original has been moved, changed or deleted.
When we are managing spaces, a new preference node is available on the Objects

3.

tab, allowing you to hide the facet panel when opening an information space. This option
speeds up loading time, particularly when exploring big data.
For real-time data sources, a Refresh Data button has been added on the Explore

4.
tab.

Web Intelligence (Desktop):

SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence is an ad-hoc reporting tool for business

users with access to the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence platform. It allows
business users to access and combine data from relational, online analytical processing
(OLAP), spreadsheet, or text file sources, using familiar business terms in a drag-and-drop
interface. Workflows allow very broad or very narrow questions to be answered, and for
further questions to be asked at any point in the workflow.

New Features in 4.1: From version 4.1,

1.

Administrator in the CMC can customize the Web Intelligence interface for different
user groups. Interface elements can be hidden on an element-by-element basis or entire
features set can be hidden from end users.

2.

In reading mode, row and column headers can be frozen to ensure that they remain
visible while scrolling.

3.

We can create and edit custom color palettes to manage chart colors. Custom
palettes are stored within the document in which they are created and cant be applied to
other documents.

4.

Handling of the delegated measures has been enhanced and it is now possible to
avoid seeing #TOREFRESH #UNAVAILABLE messages when the required level of
aggregation is not available in the query.

5.

We can now add an object to or remove an object from a merged object using the
right-click menu, and merging is enabled for objects containing hierarchies.

6.

An Edit Query button has been added to the quick access toolbar. When a document
contains multiple queries, in the query panel we can now select a specific query to run
rather than being required to run them all.

7.

The Web Intelligence Rich Client and Rich Internet interfaces now offer right-to-left
reporting, enabling support for Arabic language.

8.

A number of enhancements have been made to better support SAP BW and ECC
data. In BEx queries, variable selection now occurs before a query is loaded if there is at
least one mandatory variable that does not have a predefined value.

9.

In the query panel, we can now perform member selection based on depth for BEx
hierarchy node variables.

10.

You can also perform member selection based on levels for BEx hierarchy variables.
When working with ECC data, optional parameters with no default values are now
supported as optional prompts.

11.

In OLAP UNX universes, the data connection can now be overloaded by a user or
group data security profile.

12.

When working with data from SAP HANA, Web Intelligence now supports single-signon through Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML). SAML must be configured on the
SAP HANA database. Query stripping is now supported for relational data sources.

Web Intelligence (Web Client):

SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence is an ad-hoc reporting tool for business
users with access to the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence platform. It allows
business users to access and combine data from relational, online analytical processing
(OLAP), spreadsheet, or text file sources, using familiar business terms in a drag-and-drop
interface. Workflows allow very broad or very narrow questions to be answered, and for
further questions to be asked at any point in the workflow.
New Features in 4.1:
Same features for Web Intelligence Desktop client applies here.
Proceed to the next page to continue reading
Mobile (Mobile Client):
SAP BusinessObjects Mobile allows users to remotely access the same business
intelligence (BI) reports, metrics, and real-time data that are available to desktop and web
clients, all from a mobile device.
New Features in 4.1: From version 4.1,
1.

SAP BusinessObjects Mobile (version 5.0 and later) adds support for Explorer, Design
Studio, and Lumira to the existing support for Web Intelligence, Crystal Reports and
Dashboards.

Lumira:
SAP Lumira is a self-service solution that allows analysts and decision makers to access,
transform, and visualize data.
We have two version available for SAP Lumira
1.

SAP Lumira Desktop

2.

SAP Lumira Server

Lumira Desktop:
The SAP Lumira desktop experience is used to prepare data from multiple
sources, visualize it, and then compose stories from those visualizations that can be shared
with other decision makers using the SAP Lumira server and cloud platforms which provide
browser and mobile based experiences to further analyze data and collaborate with
colleagues on datasets, stories, and other business intelligence artifacts.
Lumira Server:
SAP Lumira, server for Business Intelligence (BI) Platform brings your SAP
Lumira content into your SAP BusinessObjects BI platform deployment, thus allowing you to
utilize the security, scalability, and ease of use the BI platform provides. The SAP Lumira
viewer is integrated into the SAP BusinessObjects BI platform as a web application, enabling
users to have the same experience viewing and exploring stories in the BI launch pad as

they do in SAP Lumira desktop. The SAP BusinessObjects BI platform enforces security on
Lumira documents, and allows access and categorization in the same manner as other BI
platform content, allowing you to seamlessly adopt SAP Lumira within your organization.
Design Studio:
SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio enables application designers to create
analysis applications and dashboards based on SAP NetWeaver BW, SAP HANA and
universe data sources for browsers and mobile devices (iPads, for example). It is the
product of choice when full support for SAP NetWeaver BW and SAP HANA data models and
engine capabilities is required. The product offers a design tool that allows you to create
applications easily and intuitively without the need for native HTML and iPad UI
programming skills.
SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio can be used locally and integrated in the following
platforms:

SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence (BI platform)

SAP NetWeaver

SAP HANA
Besides analysis applications, application designers can also create planning applications
that support both manual and automated data entry and changes to data.
Thus we have looked at introduction and overview of SAP BusinessObjects Business
Intelligence (BOBI) 4.1 platform.
Ref Links:
Tools Details: http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/index?rid=/library/uuid/408b0e9f-cccf-3010b2ae-a9c87b1efe3d&overridelayout=true
Architecture: http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-43663
Thank you for reading and hope this information is helpful. Please do share with your friends
if you feel the information is useful.
Happy Learning.