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Girish Menon
Business Objects
One powerful platform for reporting, analysis, and performance management.
http://www.businessobjects.com
The Business Objects product line consists of data integration; integrated query, reporting and analysis; an analytic application framework; and a suite of packaged analytic applications.
Onix
BO Tools
ADMINISTRATION REPORTING
Supervisor
Designer
Business Objects
Web Intelligence
PORTAL
DW ANALYSIS
BO Broadcast Agent
InfoView
Set Analyzer
Business Query
Business Miner
BO Main Components
Supervisor
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Define secured connection. Set/Manage User/Password combination Define Groups, Users and assign appropriate access rights. Set up permissions to the various components of the universes Control the exchange and distribution of documents of all Business Objects users.
Designer
1. 2. Create Universe with entities, attributes, and measures named using terms that the end user is familiar with. Exported Universe to the Business Objects repository
BO Main Components
BO Reporter
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
contd1
Generate new/ Enhance existing reports (using Wizards) based on the universes Save a frequently used report as a template for reuse. Save related reports as a document. Save documents in a central repository and assign access rights for different users. Submit documents for scheduled processing. Various Data accessing methods are : Free-hand SQL, Stored Procedures in the Database, Personal Data files (e.g., Excel sheets, ASCII text files, etc.).
BO Main Components
BO Explorer
contd2
This is used for Online Analytical Processing (OLAP). The end user can do the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Explore data by different dimensions Drill down, across, and up a dimension and define the scope of analysis Create a report based on multiple sources Synchronize data from two different Microcubes and display in a single report Group, filter, and sort data. Insert summary calculations.
BO Main Components
BO Document Agent
contd3
Document Agent provides scheduled or batch processing of documents. It is installed on a document server that resides on the network between the database server and client PCs. It supports the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. Receives requests from end users, processes them locally or in client/server mode, and then distributes the processed documents to the appropriate users. Sends processed documents to a worldwide web server Processes documents sent by Business Objects users at scheduled off-peak hours. Monitors requests from the Document Agent console and allows the administrator to modify their scheduling, priority, or distribution list.
BO Main Components
BusinessMiner
contd4
BusinessMiner is a powerful data mining tool that finds useful information hidden in business data (relational databases, data warehouses, or personal files). It is usually termed as a DDM product 1. 2. 3. 4. Discovers trends in the hidden data and displays the same as decision trees. Allows to perform a what-if analysis. Is fully integrated with Business Objects Can be used as an add-in to Business Objects or as a standalone product.
BO Main Components
WebIntelligence
contd5
It is similar to BO reporting except that, this can be deployed in the web. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. It is a multi tier, thin client system. Provides end users access to data in the data warehouses/data marts and various business applications. Allows users to access databases without knowledge of SQL or relational database concepts. Allows users to create custom pages which will have the point of entry into the system Supports Hyperdrill. Optimizes network traffic and provides high security Runs against any existing Universe Interfaces with Oracle APPs, SAP R/3, and PeopleSoft.
Scope
Inclusions Designer, Classes, Universe, Joints, VBA Programming (basic)
Introduction
Designer is the Business Objects Module for creating Universes. Universe is a Business-Oriented mapping of the data structure found in databases.
Design Methodology
Planning Analysis Design Implementation Maintenance
- from Business Intelligence Group
Planning
Break down the information system into Functional areas. For example in a Manufacturing industry we can break the information systems into functional areas of Sales, Finance, Production,Inventory and Shipping.
Analysis
This will provide the baseline for designing. Analyze the information needs of the users. The information needs will be the reporting fields required in each of the functional areas.
Designer
Design Universe
The Universe Design can be done using the Quick Design Wizard
Define the Universe Parameters Universe name Creating connection Choosing Network layer Login Parameters Testing the Connection Click OK to complete the connection
Universe is Created
Joins
It is a relational operation that causes two or more tables with a common domain to be combined into a single table.
Rule of thumb : (n-1) joins for n tables. Supported Joins : Equi-joins Outer Joins Ways to Create joins : Detect join command Edit Join Dialog Box Theta Joins Shortcut Joins Tracing manually Formula Bar
Tracing manually 1. Position the mouse pointer over the column of the table which is to be the source of the join. The pointer appears as a hand symbol. 2. While keeping the left mouse button pressed, drag the join that begins to appear away from the source column toward the destination column. 3. The pointer is transformed into a pencil. 4. Position the pencil over the column to be the destination of the join. 5. When the second column is highlighted, release the mouse button. 6. The join between the two tables is created.
Formula Bar
Creating Classes
Class is a logical grouping of objects within a universe. In general, the name of a class reflects a business concept that conveys the category or type of objects. Insert Class button OR From the menu, Insert => Class. Fill in the class name and the description In a similar way, a subclass can be inserted in a class.
Creating Objects
Object is a component that maps to Data or a Derivation of Data in the database. For the purposes of multidimensional analysis, an object can be qualified as one of three types: a Dimension, Detail, or Measure. Objects are grouped into classes. Insert Object button From the menu, insert Object. 1. Choose the name of the object. 2. Choose type. 3. Write some description for user friendliness, then define the object. Definition can be made by using the SQL Editor
Properties of an Object
Set/Modify the properties of an object An object can be qualified as a dimension, a detail, or a measure. DIMENSION object is the object being tracked; ie: it can be considered the focus of the analysis. MEASURE object is derived from one of the aggregate functions. Statistical info DETAIL object provides descriptive data about a dimension object. However, a detail object cannot be used in drill down analysis.
Integrity Checking
This is used to check the anomalies of the Universe. As you create and modify classes and objects in the universe, this check from time to time will make sure that integrity of universe intact. Click on the Check Integrity icon Check all the required check boxes If everything is okay, then we get the following screen.
Country
Orders
Customer
Alias
1. An Alias is an alternative name for a table. 2. The first step in creating an alias is to identify the LOOKUP table having more than one purpose in the database structure. 3. In this case, it is the COUNTRY table which is used to look up both the customers country of residence and the shipment destination. 4. This situation is referred to as a shared lookup table. We add an alias Destination to the Schema, Note that the three original joins still exist but that the loop has been broken. Country Destination Orders
Customer
This automatically detects and indicates the tables causing loops in the active universe.
Contexts
A situation which commonly occurs is a transactional database with multiple FACT tables that share LOOKUP tables.This situation can cause loops to be formed . The only way to resolve this loop is to ensure that queries answer questions for one transaction or the other.This is done by Contexts in BO. A context is a rule by which BUSINESSOBJECTS can decide which of two paths to choose when more than one path is possible in the database. Orders Products
Customer
Loans
Contexts
For each of these paths, we can define a context by assigning a Label to it and identifying the set of joins it comprises. Orders Products Orders Context Products
Customer
VBA Programming
Approach/Solution
Retrieve the data Concatenate(if reqd:) the message string for the required condition Parse out the diagnosis code for each test Populate a new table with the data in the new format
VBA
Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is a standard feature in BusinessObjects. It is used to extend the features and capabilities of BusinessObjects. Business Objects comes with its own set of object models that conform to Microsofts Component Object Model (COM) specifications. This means the application is exposed and can be accessed by VBA. Each object has a set of properties and methods that can be used to control the BusinessObjects program behavior.
VBA Options
Macros
1. 2. Series of commands and functions which perform a task. Attached to a Business Objects document.
Add-Ins
1. 2. 3. 4. Provide added functionality. Not specific to one report. Stored in a file with a .REA extension. Other users can load these Add-Ins and use them in their own reports.
Reporter contains a Visual Basic editor which can be used for developing macros, add-ins, and VBA data providers
Define the number of columns in the VBA data provider based on the number of columns in the original data provider
varNumColumns = ActiveDocument.Dataproviders(1).Columns.Count varColumns.SetNbColumns(varNumColumns)
Summary
1. 2. 3. 4. Business Objects COM interface allows end users to extend the capabilities of the tool VBA data providers allows for accessing data in ways not available via SQL VBA data providers support the re-formulating of malformed data VBA data providers behave just as other data providers in Business Objects
Thank you ..
References :
The trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owners. BO 5.1.3 was used to validate some portions.