Business Intelligence with IBM Alphablox www.keysoft.co.in Copyright Keysoft Solutions

What is Alphablox? Alphablox is the reporting application from IBM It is primarily used by those organizations where Business Intelligence/ Data warehousing is implemented. Alphablox was acquired by IBM in 2004. It is also bundled as part of the IBM DB2 Data warehouse Edition www.keysoft.co.in Copyright Keysoft Solutions

Alphablox is the reporting application from IBM

It is primarily used by those organizations where Business Intelligence/ Data warehousing is implemented.

Alphablox was acquired by IBM in 2004.

It is also bundled as part of the IBM DB2 Data warehouse Edition

It's major advantage is that through programming, we can deliver almost any GUI/functionalities/features for the end users Its major disadvantage, if at all, unlike traditional reporting tools, is that it requires extensive programming skills especially J2EE. Advantage Disadvantage www.keysoft.co.in Copyright Keysoft Solutions

It's major advantage is that through programming, we can deliver almost any GUI/functionalities/features for the end users

Its major disadvantage, if at all, unlike traditional reporting tools, is that it requires extensive programming skills especially J2EE.

BI with Alphablox www.keysoft.co.in Copyright Keysoft Solutions All BI projects would require one or more reporting/analysis tool and Alphablox is one among the many that is available to customers. Alphablox is a reporting tool from the IBM stack, which can be used as a front end in BI projects. It can work with most popular back ends such as Oracle, DB2, SQL Server etc.

BI with Alphablox www.keysoft.co.in Copyright Keysoft Solutions Organizations who use Alphablox as their reporting tool in BI projects, prefer the same because of the need for very high level of customization, as well as the need to create own analytical applications within the customers existing business applications If you want to be successful in using Alphablox, make sure you are familiar with the J2EE framework.

What is an Alphablox Application ? For End-users: A collection of web pages for reporting applications Provides relevant, business critical information Integrated with business logic Allows analytical tasks on business data via an easy-to-use interface www.keysoft.co.in Copyright Keysoft Solutions

For End-users:

A collection of web pages for reporting applications

Provides relevant, business critical information

Integrated with business logic

Allows analytical tasks on business data via an easy-to-use interface

Alphablox Application For Application developers: It is a collection of components managed by Alphablox Analytics JSP pages with Tags HTML Java script Java script lets Graphics, etc www.keysoft.co.in Copyright Keysoft Solutions

For Application developers:

It is a collection of components managed by Alphablox Analytics

JSP pages with

Tags

HTML

Java script

Java script lets

Graphics, etc

What are Blox? Blox are reusable components Added to a JSP page using custom JSP tags They are built upon JavaBeans You specify: The data source and query to extract the data How to present the data How you want your audience to view, manipulate, analyse, share, collaborate or comment on the data Not all Blox are visible www.keysoft.co.in Copyright Keysoft Solutions

Blox are reusable components

Added to a JSP page using custom JSP tags

They are built upon JavaBeans

You specify:

The data source and query to extract the data

How to present the data

How you want your audience to view, manipulate, analyse, share, collaborate or comment on the data

Not all Blox are visible

www.keysoft.co.in Copyright Keysoft Solutions

Alphablox Analytics Architecture www.keysoft.co.in Copyright Keysoft Solutions

Data Tier: Supported Multidimensional Data Sources Essbase 6.5.x,6.2.x,6.1 patch 5 or greater Showcase Strategy 4.1.050 or greater DB2 OLAP Server 7.1 Essbase FP6 or greater Hyperion Essbase – Hybrid Analysis 6.5.3 Hyperion Essbase Enterprise Services 6.5.3 Hyperion Essbase XTD Integration Services 6.5.4 (drill through support) Microsoft Analysis Services SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services SP3 IBM DB2 OLAP 8.1 (or greater); 7.1 (Fix Pack5 or Later) Micro strategy 7.2.2 Alphablox Cubes www.keysoft.co.in Copyright Keysoft Solutions

Essbase

6.5.x,6.2.x,6.1 patch 5 or greater

Showcase Strategy 4.1.050 or greater

DB2 OLAP Server 7.1 Essbase FP6 or greater

Hyperion Essbase – Hybrid Analysis 6.5.3

Hyperion Essbase Enterprise Services 6.5.3

Hyperion Essbase XTD Integration Services 6.5.4 (drill through support)

Microsoft Analysis Services SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services SP3

IBM DB2 OLAP 8.1 (or greater); 7.1 (Fix Pack5 or Later)

Micro strategy 7.2.2

Alphablox Cubes

Data Tier: Supported Relational Data Sources Oracle 9i, 8i (8.1.7.1 or Later) Microsoft SQL Server (SQL Server 2000 Enterprise/Standard Edition SP3) IBM DB2 Universal (8.1.2 Fix Pack 2; 7.2) Sybase Adaptive Server (12.5; 12) www.keysoft.co.in Copyright Keysoft Solutions

Oracle 9i, 8i (8.1.7.1 or Later)

Microsoft SQL Server (SQL Server 2000 Enterprise/Standard Edition SP3)

IBM DB2 Universal (8.1.2 Fix Pack 2; 7.2)

Sybase Adaptive Server (12.5; 12)

J2EE and Application Servers J2EE (Java 2 Enterprise Edition) is the standard platform for developing multi-tiered enterprise applications based on Java programming language J2EE simplifies enterprise applications by: Basing them on standardised, modular components Providing a complete set of services to those components Handling many details of application behavior automatically without complex programming www.keysoft.co.in Copyright Keysoft Solutions

J2EE (Java 2 Enterprise Edition) is the standard platform for developing multi-tiered enterprise applications based on Java programming language

J2EE simplifies enterprise applications by:

Basing them on standardised, modular components

Providing a complete set of services to those components

Handling many details of application behavior automatically without complex programming

Services Used by Alphablox The J2EE security model Used by Alphablox for user authorization JNDI lookup services Provides a unified interface to multiple naming and directory services. Application components can access these services JDBC 2 Data Access Model Allows access to connection pooling www.keysoft.co.in Copyright Keysoft Solutions

The J2EE security model

Used by Alphablox for user authorization

JNDI lookup services

Provides a unified interface to multiple naming and directory services. Application components can access these services

JDBC 2 Data Access Model

Allows access to connection pooling

Supported J2EE Application Servers IBM’s Websphere v. 4.0.4 – Advanced Edition BEA’s WebLogic v.7 (SP 2 or higher); 8.1.1 Standalone solution: Tomcat v. 3.2.4 Tomcat is SUN’s reference JSP and Servelet implementation www.keysoft.co.in Copyright Keysoft Solutions

IBM’s Websphere v. 4.0.4 – Advanced Edition

BEA’s WebLogic v.7 (SP 2 or higher); 8.1.1

Standalone solution: Tomcat v. 3.2.4

Tomcat is SUN’s reference JSP and Servelet implementation

For Training on BI visit: http:// www.keysoft.co.in/training.htm or mail us at [email_address] For BI Services mail us at: [email_address] www.keysoft.co.in Copyright Keysoft Solutions About Keysoft

For Training on BI visit:

http:// www.keysoft.co.in/training.htm

or mail us at

[email_address]

For BI Services mail us at:

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