Data Connectivity Series

@ Everything Xcelsius.com 2009

Presented by: Mico Yuk & Ryan Goodman

Date: May 13th, 2009

When to Utilize SAP Business Objects Enterprise foryour Dashboard?

Xcelsius Gurus: Data Connectivity Series Part 1


Mico YukFounder – EverythingXcelsius.com (popular weblog)

Founder - Xcelsius Guru Network

Xcelsius Trainer / Developer / Architect / Blogger

Ryan GoodmanFounder – CentigonSolutions.com (SAP Software Solution Partner)

Xcelsius Evangelist / Blogger (ryangoodman.net/blog)

SAP BOBJ Alumni

Who are We?

@ Everything Xcelsius.com 2009Slide 3

Data MangerHouses Xcelsius 12 live data connectivity options. Userswith Engage and Enterprise licenses are allowed to mixconnection types in a single dashboard!

Xcelsius Data Manager


Xcelsius 12 Connectivity Options

BO Enterprise Non-BO EnterpriseQuery as a Web Service

Live Office

Crystal Report DataConsumer

Flash Variables

FS Commands

Web Service Connection

XML Data

Portal Data

LCDS Connection (Adobe)

External InterfaceConnections

Excel XML Maps

ADD ON-GoogleSpreadsheet Connector

BOE vs. Non BO Enterprise


Architecture

Developer Caveats

Live Office vs. QaaWS

Sometimes I wish that QaaWs could connect to Reports…- Mico Yuk, Found of Xcelsius Gurus


Data Source PublishedClient DevelopmentBOE

Live Office vs. QaaWS – Design Time

Xcelsius SWF

Live Office

CrystalReports

WebI

Uni

vers

e

QaaWSClient

QaaWSService

BOE

Web

Ser

vice

s


Data Source PublishedBOE

Live Office vs. QaaWS - Runtime

SWF

CrystalReports

WebI

Uni

vers

e

QaaWSService

BOE

Web

Ser

vice

s


Live Office vs. QaaWS - Caveats

Developer CaveatsUse Fiddler for trouble shooting queries

During Preview Mode: Live Office requires login/pw each time| QaaWS you can hard code

Relative paths work the same

Cannot view SQL in QaaWS

Cannot use Universe Objects as operands in QaaWS


Example Connecting to Webi Report

Benefits

DO’s / DONT’s (Scenarios)

Ryan discusses Live Office …





Live Office Example - Webi

RG

Screenshot of Webi Report w/ CrossTab

Multiple Slides





















Live Office Benefits

8 Reasons to use Live Office1. Intuitive what you see is what you get interface with Excel

2. Shows up as simple Excel toolbar (familiarity)

3. Scheduled reports (faster performance, does not hit data base)

4. Utilization of cross tabs (gain control over data formatting and layout)

5. Use sub/combined queries and multi-cubes in Universe

6. Fetch data from multiple reports and Universe within single dashboard

7. Crystal Reports can be utilized when there is no Universe

8. Crystal Reports can connect directly to SAP R3


Live Office DO’s

9 Scenarios1. DO think through queries before building to avoid redoing

the connection in Xcelsius

2. DO use separate tabs for each data source

3. DO use query prompts to break up large data sets andreturn only what is needed

4. DO use the latest version (as of 5/14 its 12.1.5.1096)

5. DO build reports specifically for Xcelsius

6. DO disable Add-ons when using Live Office

7. DO send multiple input values to prompts using a “,”

8. DO use Excel 2007 vs.. 2003

9. DO bind relative paths to make migration easy


Live Office DON’Ts

7 ScenariosX DO NOT fetch all report data at once

X DO NOT trigger all queries to “Refresh on Load”

X DO NOT use reports as a data source when the reportstructure constantly changes

X DO NOT connect to queries that take a long time to refresh

X DO NOT bind Live Office parameters to cells with formulas

X DO NOT leave Live Office enabled in Xcelsius when using BexQueries

X DO NOT never Run Excel when running Xcelsius


Example – Connecting to eFashion Universe

Benefits

DO’s / DONT’s (Scenarios)

Mico discusses QaaWS …




























Query as a Web Service Benefits

5 Reasons to use Query as a Web Service …1. Connect to multiple Universe(s)

2. Universe contains ALL Logic

3. Document & manage queries

4. Filter data to display ONLY what is needed

5. Better for Universe developers vs. Business Analyst


Query as a Web Service DO’s

9 Scenarios …1. DO place all Logic in Universe

2. DO write out queries before building

3. DO use well named folders & queries

4. DO document queries in QaaWS client

5. DO refresh queries after updating the Universe(s)

6. DO implement sorting for individual queries

7. DO use separate Excel tabs for each data source

8. DO filters data to break up large data sets

9. DO utilize relative paths for seamless environment migrations


Query as a Web Service DON’Ts

7 Scenarios …1. DO NOT use Universe SubQueries or Combined Queries

2. DO NOT use Universe Multicubes

3. DO NOT create an excessive amount of queries

4. DO NOT trigger all queries to “Refresh on Load”

5. DO NOT place formulas in data output cells

6. DO NOT return more than 1,000 rows of data at a time


SAP BO Enterprise Integration

Antivia XWIS

SAP BO Enterprise Integration



Important Integration Points

Dashboard (SWF) WebI/ Crystal /SWFOpenDoc.jsp

Additional Features to take advantage of…

1. SSO - Row Level Security Remains the same

2. Use of Infoview / Dashboard Builder (SSO) and home

3. Link to reports from Xcelsius (OpenDoc)

4. SAP Integration kit allows use of SAP security for Login

5. Storing global variables- Flash Variables

6. Dashboard Manager Integration1. Xcelsius-WebI portlet communication- FS Command “queryparams”

2. Xcelsius-Xcelsius portal communication- portal connectors


Xcelsius Web Intelligence Integration Suite

What is it?Interactive components build with Xcelisus 2008 SDK

Access information from your extensive Web Intelligencelibrary

Deliver drill capabilities from your Universe layer directlyto your dashboard

Data Connections direct to your reports

SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence

Antivia Xcelsius Web Intelligence Integration Suite

Xcelsius 2008antivia.com



antivia.com



Benefits

XWIS predominantly works against cached Webi datawith no limitations to data volume

Point and click integration

No building Xcelsius specific reports

Full support for report instances and prompts andalso handles refresh on demand and drill off thecube

antivia.com


Stay connected…

For more Guru tips, tricks, news, videos, etc.Visit: http://EverythingXcelsius.com

Mico YukEmail: [email protected]

Company: Everything Xcelsius

Ryan GoodmanEmail: [email protected]

Company: Centigon Solutions

http://www.centigonsolutions.com

http://www.twitter.com/XcelsiusGurus

Join our popular Xcelsius Guru social communities…

http://www.youtube.com/XcelsiusGurus

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1847619&trk=hb_side_g

http://EverythingXcelsius.com/

http://www.centigonsolutions.com/

http://www.twitter.com/XcelsiusGurus

http://www.youtube.com/XcelsiusGurus

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=18


Appendix

Additional Slides


Flash Variables

HTMLFLASHVARS=“abc123”

Dashboard (SWF)

abc123

CMC

Pass parameters to a SWF during runtime


Storing Global Variables

Screenshot (Flash Variables Definition)


Storing Global Variables

Screenshot1 (CMS Object with Flash Vars)


Dashboard Builder

Dashboard Builder Page

WebI

FSCommand

Dashboard (SWF)

Pass Parameters from Xcelsius to WebI

FS Command name is always“XYZ”.

Works for WebI only

Great for using intuitive andsleek UI with powerful drill,adhoc, and export features thatWebI provides Connect to liveweb services for additional data

SWF retains completeinteractivity.


SWF to SWF Communication

Dashboard Builder Page

Dashboard (SWF)

PortalConnection

Dashboard (SWF)


Xcelsius & Crystal Report Integration

Embed SWFs inside of aCrystal Report

Consume fields insideof the RPT and usewithin the dashboard(only in CrystalReports viewer).

Connect to live webservices for additionaldata

SWF retains completeinteractivity.

Tip: When viewed as aPDF the SWF will notconsume reportfields.

Crystal ReportsFLASHVARS=FieldA

Dashboard (SWF)

1 2 3A B C

Documents

Data Connectivity Series