How to Move an SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform System Database and Audit Database

Technology Used

SAP BI Platform 4.1 (this includes SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise 4.1, SAP

BusinessObjects Edge 4.1 and SAP Crystal Server 2013)

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2

Microsoft SQL Server 2012

Background Our Support Team at DSCallards are regularly asked how to move the SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 4.1 Central Management System database and its Auditing database. The Central Management System (CMS) database is the database that sits behind the SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 4.1 application. It has information about users, groups, Filestore locations of Business Intelligence content stored within the application, and plays a critical part to the platform. The Audit Database stores usage and activity related to the SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 4.1 system, with information such as who logs on, who runs what reports and when and more. I thought I would share the steps I took to do this.

Steps Performed

1) Remote Desktop to the Server where the SAP BI Platform 4.1 is installed

2) Open the Central Configuration Manager

3) Once opened right click on the Server Intelligence Agent and select stop

4) Take a backup the SAP BI Platform 4.1 Central Management System database and Audit

database

5) Take the backup of the Audit Database and restore the audit Audit database to new SQL

Server

Ensuring that all the same database owner and permissions are taken across with it

6) Add a new 64-bit ODBC connection on the same server as the SAP BI Platform 4.1 server to

the restored Audit database

a) To access the 64-bit ODBC database administrator: C:\Windows\System32\odbcad32.exe

b) Select the system DSN tab

c) Click add

d) Select the database driver for SQL Server, and click Finish

e) Give the data source a name and enter all the relevant details, but remember to select the

new database created when asked in the new data source creation screens

f) Click finish once all the steps have been done and you have tested the connection the

data source is correct

7) If during the SAP BI Platform 4.1 installation and setup you installed the Auditing Universe and

Reports which can be obtained from here: http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-6175 you will need

to update any auditing connections used by the auditing universe using the Information Design

Tool

Follow these steps to update the auditing connection

a) Open the Information Design Tool (this tool is part of the SAP BI Platform 4.1 client tools installation)

b) Go to File > New > Project

c) Call the Project Auditing or a different name to one that maybe there already and click finish

d) Right click on the auditing project you created above > select new > relational connection

e) Give the relational connection a new name and description if required and click next

f) Select the relevant database driver that corresponds to the new auditing database version, in the next screen enter the details for the connection such as connection name, username and password, then click finish

Note: you will need to either create or update 64-bit and 32-bit ODBC connections to the auditing database so the universe can use this. Dependent if you have updated to a newer version of SQL Server, both 64-bit and 32-bit ODBC connections have to have the same name and using the same SQL Server database driver to the auditing database. (See below screen for example)

Please do not try and re-use the auditing ODBC connection updated in the previous steps as the SAP BI Platform uses this to write data into the database, you need a separate one for reporting.

g) the connection will appear under the project with a .cnx (local connection) and also appear as a tab on the right side of the application (as below)

h) the new .cnx local connection needs to be published back to the SAP BI Platform in order to save the connection back to repository, right click on the Auditing-new.cnx under the project workspace and select ‘Publish Connection Object to a Repository’

i) it will then ask you to connect to the SAP BI Platform Repository

j) once the details are entered click connect, this should take you to the next screen

k) define the folder where the connection will be published, recommendation to place it in a new

folder or in the root, then select finish

System: enter the SAP BI Platform

Servername

Username: valid login for the SAP BI

Platform that allows administrations

tasks

Username: password for the valid login

l) the application will inform you that it has successfully published a connection, and do you wish

to create a connection shortcut, select yes

m) this will create a .cns (connection shortcut) under the project workspace

n) the next step is to update the data foundation layer, in order to do this you will need to retrieve

the existing auditing universe already published

Right click on the project workspace title under local projects and select Retrieve a Published Universe > From Repository

It will ask you to connect to the repository again to retrieve the auditing universe. This will re-use the connection you made earlier so you don’t need to enter the details again

o) Find the auditing universe and select this, and click finish

The universe files are pulled down locally into the project

p) Double click on the .dfx (data foundation) file and this will open to the right, ensure you have

the connection tray selected (like below)

q) In the top left of that window find this icon (change connection) and click it

r) Select the new Auditing-new.cns secured connection you published earlier and select finish

s) Final step re-publish the .blx (audit.blx) to the repository by right clicking on the .blx > Publish

> To a Repository…

t) It will ask you to save the .dfx resource before publishing the .blx select this and click ok

u) If it asks you to log in and connect please do so, if it stays logged in the publish universe

screen pops up, select Next (and don’t check the integrity) > navigate to the folder or place

where the original auditing.unx universe is published and select finish, this will ask you do you

want to overwrite select yes

8) Create a blank CMS database on new SQL Server with same permissions

9) Add a new 64-bit ODBC connection to the blank CMS database, following the same steps as

point 6 when the new auditing was done, but with a new connection name

10) Open the Central Configuration Manager

11) Right click on the Server Intelligent Agent and select properties

12) Then once open select the Configuration Tab

13) Select the Specify.. button

14) The CMS Database setup window pops up, select the middle radio button ‘Copy data from

another data source’

15) The Specify Data Source window pops up

Firstly specify the ‘Get Data From’ option – this will be the original CMS database

Please ignore anything else that may have already been specified automatically as this could be wrong

16) Select SQL Server (ODBC) from the database driver

17) Select the original CMS database ODBC machine data source from the list

18) Specify the SQL Server login details when prompted

Below uses a Windows Authentication user with SQL Server, in order to use this select the check box Use Trusted Connection If our using SQL Server Authentication don’t tick the Use Trusted Connection Box, and type the relevant username and password Select OK when the details have been entered

19) Specify the Cluster Key – this should have been documented during the installation process

Then click ok

20) The Get Data From box should be filled as below

The next step is to specify the ‘Copy to the following data source:’ by clicking Browse

21) Specify the SQL Server (ODBC) database driver

22) Specify the new CMS database ODBC connection created

23) Specify the Cluster Key again and click OK

24) The From and Copy to data source should be specified like below

25) Click ok and the Pop up below message appears checking the operation you want to perform

Select Yes 26) This will the copy the CMS database and migrate this ti the new one, the progress bar will

appear as it is doing this

27) Once completed the message should appear telling you it has been completed

28) Click ok and the Server Intelligent Agent properties configuration screen will update with the

new CMS

29) Click ok to come out of the Properties screen

30) Right click on the Server Intelligent Agent in the Central Configuration Manager and select

start

31) In the Central Configuration Manager click the Manage Servers icon along the toolbar

32) Login with an administrator user, and select connect

33) In the manage servers window you will see each server starting up, if a server doesn’t start up

use the SAP Support Portal or forums to find out why

34) Once everything has started up, log into the CMC with an administrator account

http://<servername>:8080/BOE/CMC

35) Navigate to Auditing in the CMC

36) There will be an auditing warning message letting you know that auditing will be unavailable

37) Type in the new connection name to match that of the 64-bit ODBC connection for the auditing

database

38) Click Save in the bottom right of that screen

39) It warns you that you will have to restart the Central Management Server in order for the

changes to effect

40) The quickest way to do this is restart the Server Intelligent Agent using the Central

Configuration Manager

41) Once restarted test that your system is all working as it should be and troubleshoot any issues

42) Take the old CMS and Auditing database Offline in SQL server, and remove if required

43) Remove any old 64-bit/32-bit ODBC connections from the relevant ODBC data source

administrator

Written by Rebecca Middleton, Senior Business Intelligence Consultant, DSCallards

Visit: www.thebusinessobjectspeople.com Telephone: 0800 652 4050