Welcome to the Technical Stream

Welcome to the Technical

Stream

Extend Your BI Toolkit with the SAP SDKs

John Weikert

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Agenda

• Sulis Systems

• Build a virtual SDK Application • Useful Resources

• BI 4.1 SDKs

Sulis Systems

• Consultancy, Training and Development • BusinessObjects Specialists since 1997

• Created first SDK courses for Business Objects SA • SDK Experience

– BusinessObjects Documenter – Universe Documenter

– BI Warehouse - Auditing solution – Webi Documenter

Why Use Software Development Kits?

• Software customisation

• Fill functional gaps

BI Product Range

• 1997

– BusinessObjects, Designer, Supervisor – PC Based, client server

• Now

– Desktop Intelligence, Web Intelligence, Universe Designer, Information Design Tool, CMC, InfoView, BI Launch Pad, Crystal Reports, Xcelsius etc, etc

1. Define Your Application Parameters

• Decide on the functional requirement

• Which product to utilise? - Webi, Deski, BOE?

• Company Platform standards – Windows/Linux etc • Programming Standards - .Net, Java

• Firewall issues?

• Deployment issues – No. users, remote or local • User interface – browser or desktop?

2. Which SDK?

• BO Enterprise SDK – Java/.Net

• Report Engine - Java/.Net – Webi Documents • Web Services – Java/.Net – SOAP over HTTP • Desktop Intelligence - COM

• Universe Designer - COM • Data Access – Java

Which SDK?

Choosing the Right Business Objects SDK for Your Needs Robert Horne, SAP

3. Accessing Repository Data

• Development is likely to involve retrieving data from CMS • CMS Data stored in System Database

• Not relational – need to use Query Language or URI Path • Data exposed as three main virtual “Tables”

– InfoObjects – Folders and documents etc

– SystemObjects – Users, Groups, roles, Servers etc

– AppObjects – Universe Folders, Universes, Connections etc • Using Query Language –

– String queryString = “Select * from CI_InfoObjects where SI_ID Between 700 and 800”

• Using URI Path –

Some Key Properties

• SI_ID – Systems unique identifier • SI_CUID – Cluster unique identifier

• SI_KIND – Type of object, FullClient, Webi etc • SI_NAME – Object name

• SI_INSTANCE – true, false • SI_PARENT_FOLDER – SI_ID

BO SQL Limitations

• Some of the SQL limitations include: • Cannot Join Tables

• No Sub-queries • No Distinct

• No Aliases

• No Group By or Having • Aggregates – Only Count • Order of columns

• 1,000 Records by default- use Top • Order By is OK

4. Java Code - Login & Retrieve Objects

• Create Session Manager

– ISessionMgr sm = CrystalEnterprise.getSessionMgr();

• Create User Session

– IEnterpriseSession enterpriseSession = sm.logon(username, password, cms, authentication);

• Get Infostore service

– IInfoStore infoStore = (IInfoStore) enterpriseSession.getService("InfoStore");

• Create objects collection based on query

– IInfoObjects infos = infoStore.query(queryString);

• Get the first object in the collection

– IInfoObject info = (IInfoObject) infos.get(0);

• Get the objects Kind

Useful Resources

Web Intelligence REBean BI 4.0

BI 4.1 SDKs - RESTful Web Services

• Web Intelligence RESTful Web Services SDK

– BI 4.0 Limited functionality viewing and refreshing – Fuller SDK from BI 4.0 SP6 onwards

• Used from multiple development platforms

– Data called from Web Service – Returned as XML or JSON

• BI Platform RESTful Web Service

BI 4.1 Java, .Net etc

• BI Platform SDK – Java, .Net • Web Services – Java, .Net

• Crystal Reports – RAS – Java, .Net • Crystal Reports Viewers

• Crystal Reports for Visual Studio • Webi Report Engine - Java

Semantic Layer BI 4.1

• Universe Design Tool (unv) – Com still supported • Semantic Layer SDK (unx) 4.0 SP4+ – Java

Case 1 – Document Backup/Restore

• Requirement

– Backup/restore documents and universes – Fast

– Multiple backup increments – Scheduled

BI Content Assistant

• Backup to industry standard Database • Public and personal documents

• Uses BOE Scheduling

• Unlimited backup points

• View folders/documents/universes at any point • Universe to interrogate backups

• Move documents between clusters • Medical Appliance Company

– 3 clusters America, Australia, Europe

– 3000+ reporting customers generating over 2000 reports daily. – Backup to single BICA database

Case 2 - Business Intelligence?

Finance Data Operational Data

Classic BusinessObjects V5/6

• Deployment data held in BO Repository

– Details of universes, documents, users, schedules etc – Relational Database

– Access Via SQL and universe

BO Repository

System Database File Store XI “Repository”

BOE XIR3/BI 4

Case 2 – Data Extraction from CMS

• Requirement

– Extract data from CMS Repository (security database) – Store in XML or Database format

– Expand property bags automatically – Schedule extracts

QBXcell

• Extracts data to industry standard Database • Any BO SQL query can be used

– Data on users, connections, documents, servers etc

• Automatically creates table definitions on the fly • Uses BOE Scheduling – build history

• Also extracts security, rights and limits info. • BI for your BI!

Summary

• Wide Range of SDKs to choose from • Powerful capabilities

• Help available online • Enjoy!

Questions?

Contact: John Weikert

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +44 (0) 1225 832105 Mobile: +44 (0) 7885 210230