The document outlines the features and capabilities of SAP BusinessObjects, focusing on its use for business intelligence and data reporting, including ETL processes, interactive dashboards, and various reporting tools like Crystal Reports and Web Intelligence. It discusses the pros and cons of different reporting tools, detailing their functionalities, limitations, and integration with other SAP systems. Additionally, it provides an overview of security models, user access levels, and the architecture of SAP BusinessObjects, touching on future developments in BI and data services.

1. Tuesday, March 04, 2014

2. Business Objects is a tool primarily supports
Data Warehouse
Business Intelligence
Data Services ETL
(Extraction, Transformation and
Loading)
Ad hoc /Analysis Reports
Data Quality
(Data Cleansing, data scrubbing, )
Interactive Dashboard
Data Federator
(Abstraction Process)
Data Profiling
(Pre-processing of data, meta data
Management )
Canned Reports
Scorecards
Publications, Mobile Reports
Polestar, Data Lineage Analysis,
Flex Based interactive reporting.
Rapid Marts
Note – Business Objects delivers standard Business Content for SAP and Non-SAP in the form of
Rapid Marts.

3. BusinessObjects Enterprise Framework
CORBA communication framework enables servers to interact
with each other.
Web Client
Also part of Crystal Reports, OLAP Intelligence, Business View
Manager, Universe Designer, Central Configuration Manager,
Publishing Wizard and Import Wizard enabling these
applications to also connect to BusinessObjects Enterprise
Windows-based Tools and Applications
Business
Views
Manager
Universe
Designer
Web Server
OLAP
System
Audit
Desktop
Intelligence
Web
Application
Server
Web
Component
Adapter
(WCA)
Central
Management
Server (CMS)
Event Server
Crystal Reports
Cache Server
Input File
Repository
Server (FRS)
Output File
Repository
Server (FRS)
OLAP
Intelligence
Designer
Import
Wizard
Desktop
Intelligence
Cache Server
Crystal
Reports
Designer
Publishing
Wizard
BusinessObjects Enterprise™ Infrastructure
Program Job
Server
Destination
Server
List of
Values (LOV)
Job Server
Crystal
Reports Job
Server
Crystal
Reports Page
Server
Report
Application
Server (RAS)
Web
Intelligence
Job
Server
Web
Intelligence
Report Server
Connection
Server
Universe / Business View
Reporting
Desktop
Intelligence
Job
Server
Desktop
Intelligence
Report Server

5. - Intuitive zero foot print reporting.
- Slice and Dice capability.
- Multidimensional analysis on data cubes like
from SAP BI Infocube.
- Multiple data providers.
- Ability to change data representation on Fly.
- More useful for BI reports not suitable for
operational reports.

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Can't copy objects from one report to another even if the query/universe/context is
identical.
Must resize the formula editor every time you use it (no minimize/maximize
buttons on the window, no comments permitted and no word wrapping allowed.
No search/replace either.)
Very low resolution on graphs when exported (optimized for screen display only and
no easy way to optimize for printing)
Can only export to Excel or PDF and no other format
Can't open more than one report at a time otherwise the instability becomes
intolerable.
Conditions and exceptions can’t be used from query directly.
Text variables /Replacement variables from query don't work directly in WebIntelligence
User exit variables are not able to work directly in Web-Intelligence
No picture perfect reporting as in crystal reports used for operational reports.

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Crystal Report Can copy objects from one report to another when the
query/universe/context is identical.
Must resize the formula editor every time you use it (no minimize/maximize buttons
on the window, no comments permitted and no word wrapping allowed. No
search/replace either.)
Crystal reports can have Very high resolution on graphs when exported (optimized
for screen display only and no easy way to optimize for printing)
Crystal Report be export to Excel or PDF or any other format
Crystal can open more than one report at a time.
Conditions and exceptions reporting is quite flexible in Crystal Report.
Text variables /Replacement variables from query don't work directly in WebIntelligence but can work in Bex–Analyzer and Web dynapro which is tightly
integrated with SAP BI modules.
User exit variables are not able to work directly in Web-Intelligence but work fine
with Bex Analyzerand Web Dynapro.
No picture perfect reporting as in crystal reports used for operational reports.

9. •
Single edition and smaller installation footprint
•
used for operational reporting requirements more structured reporting
Balance Sheet, trail balance, daily close PNL (profit and loss reporting).
•
•
Flexible Report Layout and Page Orientation Options with Interactive Sorting, Saved
Data Selections.
Formula/Field find and Duplicate Enhancement
•
Custom Cross-Tab Rows, Columns and Summaries (Earlier it was a limitation)
•
Dynamic interactive reporting using Flash/Xcelsius/Flex Integration (Flash animation
objects to be embedded directly in the Crystal Reports)
•
Improve XML Export . Improve support for SAP as data source.
•
Enhance Support for Web-Based Data Sources and Crystal reports.com (Allowing for
direct connection to your Sales force CRM data, XML Web services as Data Sources)
•
Hyper linking Wizard And many more…
like

10. Connects to

11. - Non Intuitive reporting.
- Less dynamic slice and dice capability.
- Less intuitive representation of hierarchical
data.Level of hierarchy.
- Less suitable for multi-dimensional reporting
- Band based reporting structure header, footer,
summary and detail section. New non band
based reporting structure have emerged.
- More later….

12. What can replace Crystal Reports
2008 Limitations?
• Unlike crystal WebI has intuitive reporting.
• WebI has better dynamic Slice and dice
capability.
• Bex-Analyzer has better support for User Exits
, replacements and text variables.
• Web-dynapro better support for fetching CRM
data.
• Xcelcius has more dynamic interactive
reporting.

13. Query Level
• Synchronize multiple data
providers
• Utilization of @ variables
@prompt , etc.
• Cooked Tables , use of
Aggregate awareness.
• More later..
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Report Level
# multi-value
multiple value for break
Fold option in WebI
#error, #sync,
Formatting issue with
graphs like drill down
hierarchy in Graphs.
More later…

14. Use Aggregates
for measures
Index Awareness
Use Partitions for
high volume fact
tables

15. • More intuitive interactive dynamic Flex/Flash
based reporting.
• Can be created integrated with Excel/crystal
report interfaces.
• More intuitive controls like slider for data
input, linked graphs, maps etc.
• Offline interactive capability.

16. Connects to

17. Limitations of Xcelsius

18. What can replace Xcelsius
Limitations?

22. Note - According to SAP , we can overcome the limitations of S AP
Universes by integrating Business Objects with Information Management
(Data Services) .

24. •
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@ variables
Aggregate awareness
@user, @prompt at universe level
Cooked table
Context and duplicate
better tuned SQL query like equal to instead
of like in formed SQL.

25. (Bringing SAP Roles to BO environment as groups)
SAPR3
SAPBW
View
Standard
Integration
BO- Central Management
Console
Authentication
Full
View on
Demand
Schedule
Access
Levels
Content
SAP
Manually
Custom
General
Role Import
Application
SAP ROLES
BO GROUPS
System

27. • SAP BO uses
 Enterprise
 LDAP
 Windows NT
 Windows AD
 SAP Authentication
• SAP BO converts SAP Roles into BO groups.
• SAP BO has standard access levels
Full
Schedule
View
View On Demand
• SAPBO also gives a facility to create Custom Access Level using General, System,
Application, Content .
Security Mode
ApplicationUser SecurityGroupAccess level
Pre Requisites
• User should be created and mapped to group.
• Create Access level and provide restriction to Access level.

28. SAP BO uses
•  Enterprise
•  LDAP
•  Windows NT
•  Windows AD
•  SAP Authentication
SAP BO converts SAP Roles into BO groups.
SAP BO has standard access levels
• Full
• Schedule
• View
• View On Demand
SAPBO also gives a facility to create Custom Access Level using General, System, Application, Content .
Security Mode:
ApplicationUser SecurityGroupAccess level
Pre Requisites:
User should be created and mapped to group.
Create Access level and provide restriction to Access level.

29. How SAP BO Security Model is
associated with Business Warehouse?

32. SAP Business Objects Business Intelligence Landscape - ERP system (SAP / non SAP) with
Non SAP DWH & SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse

34. Import Wizard
Development
Import Wizard
Staging
.BIAR
Production
.BIAR
• System Repository (SR) Contains Semantic Layer, Reports, Users,
Groups, etc
• Audit Repository (AR)  Contains Metadata
• Performance Management repository(PR)Contains metrics for the
scorecard
Note - Import Wizard

37. Data Federator
Data Services
Data Quality
Business Planning and Consolidation
Predictive analysis etc.

38. Data Federator
Data Services
Data Quality
Business Planning and Consolidation
Predictive analysis etc.

39. SAP BO Data Services

40. Data Services
Advantages
Limitations

41. Data Federator

42. Data Federator
Advantages
Limitations

46. Future Face of SAP Business Objects
with OLAP-MDX-BWA
• SAP HANA
• In-Memory BI.

47. SAP Business Objects , BI More
details in other presentations
•
•
•
•
Universe Design issues.
BO Administration and deployment.
BO Server Architecture Design.
Each 16 reporting flavour in detail, Webi,
Crystal, xcelsius, polestar, quaas, voyager,
Dynapro, Bex analyser,
• Business Planning Simmulation SAP-BPS,
Business planning and consolidations SAP BPC.