BI Launch Pad (Formerly InfoView)

With a brand new name and a change to the look and feel, BI Launch Pad offers a redesigned interface and new functionality that builds upon InfoView and includes the following:

• Tabbed Browsing that works and feels much like a web browser
• Accordion Menu (or drawers as SAP calls them) for My Documents, Folders, Categories and Search
• Dialog boxes for scheduling, properties, preferences, etc. much like the look and feel of the CMC for 3.x
• Session Notifications that count down the time you have left before your session times out!!!!
• Easier more intuitive access to web-applications
  • Modules / BI Workspace
  • Advanced Analysis
  • Interactive Analysis

Central Management Console

Two new additions to the Central Management Console stand out like a sore thumb. First, an administrator will no longer have to drill into every SAP BusinessObjects job, event, processing and cache server to turn on auditing. This all will be done on a centralized auditing page and will have a default auditing profile when installed.  Second, a monitoring page  allows an administrator to view how the system is performing live or how it has performed historically.

Information Design Tool (New and Improved Universe Designer Tool)

While the Designer application still does exist and is available as a client tool, a new universe design application called the Information Design Tool is now available to offer new and exciting features when it comes to designing your metadata layer. When building a universe (.unx) using Information Design, you have 3 different files that need to be created:

• Connection (.cnx)
• Data Foundation (.dfx)
• Business Layer (.blx)

While that is a big change on how the universe development process is currently done, the biggest addition has to be the best piece of functionality that we have found to date. With the Information Design Tool universe developers will be able to define multiple sources in the connection file. This will allow universes to be developed utilizing multiple relational databases!

Dashboard Design (Formerly Xcelsius/Crystal Dashboard Design)

Dashboard Design is adding new functionality that is geared toward making it more efficient for developers to build dashboards. The biggest addition to the application has to be the ability to create queries directly in Dashboard Design and allow developers to map data directly to components without having to go through the excel model. One thing to note, the Query as a Web Service application is still available as a client tool and will have to be used when referencing legacy universes due to the fact that the built in query tool in Dashboard Design seems to only  acknowledge 4.0 universes (.unx).

Interactive Analysis / Web Intelligence

Web Intelligence may have been the biggest transformation in the whole 4.0 release. The name is still up in the air from what I understand so when the full release comes out it may be Interactive Analysis or Web Intelligence. Besides the pending name change, WebI has been completely reworked and has a whole new look and feel when it comes to developing and viewing reports.

On the development side, the toolbars are now in ribbon form like Office 2007 and above. Once getting to know where everything was, it was just like riding a bike. The second thing that is really helpful is  the query panel now incorporates a data view that lets you see the raw data before ever putting it onto the report. The last thing I want to share is the ability to add a web service as a data source.

For report viewers, the visualization of the report for charts and tables has been greatly enhanced. This should help developers be able to create meaningful and elegant reports that meet any report viewers request.

Desktop Intelligence

The last thing I wanted to touch on was the fact that with the 4.0 release Desktop Intelligence will have reached the end of it’s life.  Anyone who utilizes DeskI and wants to move up to Enterprise 4.0 will have to convert their existing DeskI reports over to either Crystal Reports or Interactive Analysis / Web Intelligence

Don’t forget to check back often for more information on SAP BusinessObjects 4.0.

Related posts:

1. SAP BusinessObjects 4 Teaser
2. BusinessObjects Enterprise XI 3.1 Service Pack 2 Now Available!
3. Exploring 4.0: Information Design Tool

Create a New Connection (QaaWS)

To create our QaaWS connection, in Xcelsius, we will need to go to Data > Connections to open the Data Manager.

Data Manager

Once in Data Manager we can click on Add > Query as a Web Service to add a new connection.

Add a New QaaWS Connection

* Note: There are many other connections that we can choose, but for the purposes of the blog we will just be using QaaWS. I will keep in mind the other connections for a future blog!

Configuring your New Connection

Once you add your new connection, there will be a couple of different aspects of it that will need to be configured and are as follows:

• Name
• Web Service URL
• Input/Output Values
• Refresh Options

Import your Web Service URL (WSDL)

After you specify a name for your connection, you can go ahead and import the WSDL that was generate from the QaaWS that we created using our Client Tool. To access the WSDL, log into QaaWS and navigate to the QaaWS you wish to import into Xcelsius and click To Clipboard.

QaaWS Copy to Clipboard

Once you have the WSDL URL you will copy and paste that into the connection and click the Import button. Importing the WSDL will allow you to see the Input and Output values of the QaaWS that you created and get you one step closer to showing your data in Xcelsius.

Import QaaWS

Map your Input and Ouput Values

After importing your WSDL, you now have to map your values to your excel model in Xcelsius. The input objects consist of a user id and password for Business Objects (if you leave these blank, the user will be prompted for a user id and password when running the dashboard) and any prompts that you might have defined in your QaaWS. At the bottom of the Input Values dialog box click on the icon next to read from to map your values. Same method applies for your output values, which are your objects being brought back by your QaaWS as well as some canned objects that are in every QaaWS connection. Click the icon next to insert in to map your output values to your excel model.

Input/Output Objects

Mapping Objects to Excel Model

* Note: When returning rows in a QaaWS, make sure that your Excel Options under File > Preferences > Excel Options is set for the number of rows that you will be returning with the QaaWS. The default number of rows returned is 512 and any after that will be truncated off the end. As a best practice, I try not to return more than 1500 rows per QaaWS. Anything over that degrades performance to the point where it loses its functionality as a dashboard.

Set your Refresh Options

Now it is time to turn on our data. With every QaaWS connection that you create, you have the option of setting up when the data gets refreshed. We have a couple of different options to choose when it comes to refreshing.

We can set up our dashboard to refresh on load, refresh every couple seconds, minutes, hours, and also set up to refresh on a trigger cell. For a trigger cell, as users click through the dashboard, the data will be updated with the value that the user has chosen. The connection can be set to refresh when the trigger cell changes or becomes a specific value. I am crossing my fingers for a dependency refresh in a future release! i.e. kick off QaaWS 2 when QaaWS 1 finishes loading. This can be done now with loading/idle messages but can be tedious and a huge undertaking when multiple QaaWS are being used.

Refresh Options

Set your Message Options

On the Usage tab we also have the option of setting up Messages. These messages will update a specific cell in your excel model to let the user know if the connection is getting refreshed or not.  You can hard code the loading/idle messages directly into the connection or you can pull it from your excel.

Two other options are enabling load cursor and disabling mouse input on load. Respectively, these options let the user know that the data is loading and will disable the user from clicking on the dashboard while it is loading. I like to use the loading/idle messages do this for me instead of these two options. With a background, label, and dynamic visibility, I can quickly create a loading screen that lets the user know the data is refreshing and also prohibits them from clicking on any other items on the dashboard.

Message Options

Map your Xcelsius Components

Now that we have data mapped into our excel, we need to go ahead and manipulate the data as needed and then map it to a component. Here is where we can utilize excel and its functions such as vlookup() and sumif(). Just a heads up, not all excel functions are currently supported with Xcelsius.

After getting our data into the right format we can go ahead and map the component to our data. In my the screen shot below, I am mapping a line chart to some data from the eFashion universe. Mapping for the component and mapping for our QaaWS is the same. Click the Title, Subtitle, Series, etc. mapping icon and select a range or cell in your excel model.

Mapping Xcelsius Components

Preview and Export your Dashboard

Got our components mapped and everything seems like it is ready to roll. We need to check to make sure that all out connections are working and our data is fueling our visualizations. To take a quick look at what your dashboard will look like, click on the Preview button in the quick links tool bar. The SWF will be generated and the dashboard will initialize. Click through and make sure everything is to user specifications.

Preview Mode

Once everything looks up to par, you can then go ahead and publish your dashboard. Go to File > Export  to choose the format you wish to use to export your dashboard. We are going to export it out as a .swf but you can also choose HTML, AIR, Business Objects Repository, etc. After exporting, you can now deliver this information to your end users!

Exporting to SWF

Wrap Up

With QaaWS and Xcelsius you can create custom dashboards that get your users the live information they need in the way that they want to see it. Check out the dashboard I created for this blog below and look for more Xcelsius blogs coming in the near future!

Related posts:

1. Quick and Dirty Guide to Creating a QaaWS
2. Crystal Dashboard Design (Xcelsius 2008) Tips and Tricks ep1: Adding a Select All to your Selector
3. Crystal Dashboard Design (Xcelsius 2008): Tips and Tricks ep5: Parent and Child Dashboards from InfoView using Doc Download!

*Note: This guide has been created using SAP Business Objects XI 3.1. Older versions of Query as a Web Service may look and function differently.

Getting Started

To get started we will need to first have the QaaWS Client Tool installed and have access to your SAP Business Objects (BOBJ) repository information. The client tool can typically be found in the following path: Program Files > Business Objects XI 3.1 > Client Tools > QaaWS.

When launching the tool for the first time, you will be prompted to set up a host definition. To do this you will need the following information: Server name, Central Management System (CMS) name and your BOBJ login information.

Adding a Host

As you see above, when you enter in the Host name / Server name the  URL will be automatically populated and should look something like this: http://<Server Name>:8080/dswsbobje/services/Session. Once you entered the Server name, the URL that gets generated will be validated against the server to make sure that it is responding. Enter in the CMS Name and your BOBJ user id and your host definition will be complete. Now you can provide your BOBJ login credentials and sign into QaaWS.

Creating a QaaWS

After logging in, you now can go ahead and create your QaaWS.  The steps to create and publish your QaaWS are as follows:

• Add a New QaaWS
• Name your QaaWS
• Select a Universe <– Click for more information on Universes
• Create a Query
• View Example Set of Data
• Publish your QaaWS

Adding a New QaaWS

There are two ways that you can create a new QaaWS. The first is to click Query and choose New -> Query. The second is to right click on any folder and click New Query.

Adding a New QaaWS

* Note: You can Add Folders and Edit, Duplicate, Delete, Rename, Cut, Copy, or Paste your QaaWS/Folders.

Name Your QaaWS

After Creating your QaaWS you will need to provide a name for it on this screen to continue.

Name Your QaaWS

Also on this screen, you can enter a Web Service Description or look at advanced properties to change the base Web Service URL, Session Time-out, and Authentication mode as shown in the image below.

Advanced Properties

Universe Selection

Select the Universe that accesses the data you want to use in your QaaWS.

Select a Universe

Query Creation

Now it is time to select the data you want to have available in your QaaWS. This page should look familiar to anyone who has used Web Intelligence or pulled data into a Crystal Report using a Universe as a Data Source. Just like in WebI you can select the Objects you want to display and select filters or create prompts to limit your data set.

Create a Query

A couple other functions that are available on this page pointed out by the red arrow are: Adding a Ranking, Defining a Sort and,  options such as Duplicate Rows, Fetch Time and Rows Retrieved.

* Note: If you have a prompt in your query filter, you will need to provide values to move on to previewing your data. See Image Below.

Answer a Prompt

Preview Your Data

Once you have selected your data and filters, a preview of this data will show up so you can see what will be provided in the QaaWS.

Preview Your Data

* Note: Data preview is limited to 50 rows

Publish Your QaaWS

After you preview your data, you can click on Publish and make your QaaWS available to any application that can consume a Web Service.

Published Web Service

Wrap Up

In a couple of steps, we were able to go ahead and make our data available as a Web Service. This live connection can be used in fueling apps such as a Xcelsius Dashboard or even a Crystal Report.  We will be diving into both of these topics in upcoming blogs. Check them out when they become available!

Related posts:

1. Using QaaWS to drive your Xcelsius Dashboards
2. What is Query as a Web Service (QaaWS)?
3. Crystal Dashboard Design (Xcelsius 2008) Tips and Tricks ep1: Adding a Select All to your Selector

Web Service

A Web Service is a software system that supports  interoperable interaction over a network from one computer or machine to another but is more commonly defined as a client and a server communicating data over the Web using the HTTP Protocol. Using Web Services along with Business Objects allows a live connection of data to be used in applications such as Xcelsius and Crystal Reports through a semantic layer called a Universe.

For more information on what a Web Service is visit the Web Service Wiki.

Query as a Web Service (QaaWS)

The two main components in QaaWS are the Client Tool and the Server.  The QaaWS Client Tool gives the end user an easy to use wizard that allows them to create Universe queries and publish them as Web Services.  Once the QaaWS is published, any user can securely access the data that the Web Service contains as long as they have access to that server. Check out the image below that shows the information flow to and from the server via the client.

QaaWS Information Flow

Some Advantages to QaaWS:

• Very easy to use and intuitive interface
  • Familiar look and feel for people who have used WebIntelligence
• Leverages existing Business Objects Universes
  • Shares metadata with WebIntelligence, Desktop Intelligence and Crystal Reports
• Maintains Business Objects Enterprise Security
• Allows live data feeds to be incorporated into Xcelsius Dashboards and Crystal Reports

If you want to know more about how to create a QaaWS check out my Quick and Dirty Guide for Creating a QaaWS.

Related posts:

1. Quick and Dirty Guide to Creating a QaaWS
2. Using QaaWS to drive your Xcelsius Dashboards
3. Crystal Dashboard Design (Xcelsius 2008) Tips and Tricks ep1: Adding a Select All to your Selector