nw2008 bi tool guide v7 2nd ver

7/27/2019 NW2008 BI Tool Guide v7 2nd Ver

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A comprehensive guide to

SAP NetWeaver BusinessIntelligence query and

report development tools



1

In This Session ...

This is a comprehensive guide to SAP NetWeaver

Business Intelligence presentation tools

We will take an overview tour of the Analysis ProcessDesigner (APD), SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC),

Web Application Designer (WAD), Report Designer, Webpublishing, Java Server pages (JSP) and the new SAPNetWeaver BI Query Designer.

We will look at the strengths and limitations of each tool

and see how they can be used independently or collectively in a SAP BI environment.



2

In This Session ...

We will examine which tool is suites for each user community and how they can empower your end usersby giving them increased capabilities.

Leave this session with a thorough understanding of

how to use SAP NetWeaver BI query and reportdevelopment tools to make your system more flexibleand adaptive to the needs of end users.



33

What We‟ll Cover …

• The SAP BI Tool Revolution

SAP NetWeaver BI Query Designer Analysis Process Designer (APD),

SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC)

Web Application Designer (WAD)

Report Designer

Web publishing Java Server pages (JSP) and the old Business Server Pages (BSP)

• Using more than one tool together

• Empowering the users – a mind shift

• Who Should get access

• Wrap-up



4

The BW Toolset

BW is an enterprise-wide

comprehensive decisionsupport (DSS) system for

analytical needs of an

enterprise.

BW can also support some

degree of operational

reporting

Therefore it has manypresentation tools and

options for companies to

leverage.



55






Report Designer





• Wrap-up



The BEx Query Designer in BW 3.5

The BEx query designer

is a simple tool that you

use to develop queriesfor users.

While the Query

Designer defined thequery, you have many

options on how you

deploy the queries

You can deploy the

queries through web

templates, broadcasted

emails, portals, Excel

and more.



BEx Query Designer gets a needed „facelift‟ in BI 7.0

The 3.5x BExQuery Designer

Note:

The NW2004s BExQuery Designer

This new property pane makes it

easier to format and controldisplays than in the past.



BEx - Workbooks

1. BEx Workbooks is Excel 'on steroids'.

2. BW queries can be opened in Excel

3. Queries can be refreshedand standard Excel functions canbe used

This is a great tool for financialanalysts and power users.

To use this tool you

need BEx install ed



BEx web Analyzer integrates Excel

The Excel integration in the BEx

analyzer is far better.

Unlike the old days of dynamicHTML, you can now use the BExanalyzer more like a real

application without refreshing thewhole page every time you clickon something (this is due to theJava component in NW2004s)Source: SAP AG, 2006

News: BEx browser

goes away in NW2004s








Report Designer





• Wrap-up



APD – Analysis Process Designer and data mining

• SAP BW Analysis Process Designer (APD) is for Knowledgediscovery and exploration of large sets of data.

• APD has been available in BW since version 3.0 and can be used todo complex analysis without having to restructure the data andcreate hundreds of specialized data marts.

•

You can read from a variety of sources such as Flat files Database tables Data Store Objects (new name for ODS) Infocubes BW queries

Image: SAP, UK

Since BW 3.5, APD has

been integrated with the

Data Mining Workbench.

You can access it though

the transaction code

“RSDMWB”



12

DW version 2.0

• In Data warehousing v2.0 (Bill Immon’s new terminology), we areusing BI applications to create new data that needs to be fed to thedata warehouse, and /or the transactional system

• Tools are now available to build association data sets that createsupdates based on BI findings (i.e. customer segmentation, risk,profitability flagging etc).

Images: Bhanu Gupta, ASUG 2005 Illinois chapter



13

Complex scenarios can be

built for structured analysissuch as risk modeling,

customer segmentation,

market basket analysis,

predictive modeling and

much more

Image: SAPImage: SAP

APD – Analysis Process Designer and data mining

“New data” based on the

findings can be loaded

back into data targets and

used by others for reporting

i.e. CRM analysis.



1414






Report Designer





• Wrap-up



15

Visual Composer

A Visual Composer is a tool to visualize the data. It is a browser-basedmodeling and design tool for rapid application development & prototypingin a code-free development environment.



16

Visual Composer for Complex cockpits

Modeling of BI applications using the BI kit of the Visual

Composer allows business users to create analytical contentfor SAP portal. It offers the integration with BI infoproviders,views, BEx web applications, PDF and more via WEB API asaccess to

other datasources suchas OLAP andrelational data

sources) viaJavaconnectors

Image source: Cubeserv



17

Details about Visual Composer Cockpits

•Delivered as part of Enterprise Portal in SAP NetWeaver 2004s Usage

Type (SPS8 and higher)

•Different options available for rendering Visual Composer output

Flash

Web Dynpro (HTML)

•Flash provides high-end visualization of Visual Composer models

Since a cockpit may havemany different DataSources(queries), it can take quitesome time to execute themif the memory cache is not

used consistently



18

Visual Composer Data Methods

• Can integrate data from multiple data sources, including

SAP and non-SAP systems, into one model• Different options available for data access include:

BI Extension Kit

Remote Function Call (RFC)

Web services• BI Extension Kit allows access

to the following DataSources SAP NetWeaver 2004 BI

(BW 3.5 Support Package 14) SAP NetWeaver 2004s

JDBC

XMLA



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Visual Composer DataProviders

• You can use BI queries and views as DataProviders for

Visual Composer models• You also can use BI query functionalities for exceptions and

variables along with Visual Composer models

• Visual Composer

allows access to BI

history, favorites,and roles



20

Visual Composer is Easy for Power Users to Learn

Visual Composer is a power user tool that is simple to learn for someone with a little bit of technical background (i.e. controllers,

report writers, analysts).

Source: SAP

Take advantage of prebuiltanalytic business packages

No coding required tocreate great-lookingWeb-based cockpits



21






Report Designer





• Wrap-up



22

BEx Web Application Designer (WAD)

OLAP Processor

BEx Web Application Designer BEx Analyzer/

Query Designer

Web Service

Charting Engine

Web Browser

HTLM Templates InfoProvider

WAD is an intuitivetool to build powerful

web applications andto interact with portalsand custom templates.

BW queries can bemanipulated in WAD

for better display



23

Web Application Designer for custom applications

WAD can also incorporate other non-SAP web items into

powerful cockpits and customreport centers.

While WAD can be used by developers

without extensive HTM L and Java

scri pting knowledge, these ski l ls will be

useful on most projects.

OLAP Processor OLAP Processor

BEx Web Application Designer

BExAnalyzer/

QueryDesigner

Web ServiceWeb Service

Charting EngineCharting Engine HTLM Templates InfoProvider

Source: SAP AG



24

Web Application Designer gets better

The Web Application Designer is improved with new chart types (Heat Map, GANTT &

Milestone Trend Analysis), as well as new layout elements such as „tab strips‟.

WAD also has new step-

by-step wizards for maps,

command editing to

create Web API

Commands and charts, aswell as a simplified wizard

for layout elements such

as radio buttons, action

buttons etc.

This reduce the amount

of custom coding

required with the help of

Command wizards, Auto

complete and support for

HTML tags.

WAD is a key tool for all SAP BI shops and in NW2004s the tool is

simplified & more powerful.

New: integration with NW 2004s BEx Report Designer.



25

SAP NetWeaver 2004s Web AD New Features

Web Items: Tab Pages, Button, Script Item (SAP NetWeaver 2004s

Support Package Stack 7) Drag and drop using Analysis item

New chart types (heat map, Gantt, milestone trend analysis)

Export BI Web applications in PDF format

Command Wizard for generating Web

API commands

Integration with SAP NetWeaver 2004sBEx Report Designer for formatted

reports



26

BI Web API Commands

• You can use BI Web API commands for carrying out certain actions in

BI Web Applications. Export to Excel, PDF etc.

OLAP functions: Apply Filter values, remove drill downs

• Command Wizards guide you through the steps for creating a BI Web

API command• Commands appear together for easy access

Data Provider

Web Items

Web Templates

Reduces the amount of customcoding required with the help of Command wizards, Auto complete,

and support for HTML tags



27

Command Wizard and JavaScript

• Use Command Wizard for generating JavaScript code for the

Script Item to use in custom cockpit applications

This is a great feature for building custom features into

your cockpits based onstandard JavaScript



2828






Report Designer





• Wrap-up



29

BEx Report Designer is here!!

This new tool was created to

simplify the formatting of reports and fix many of the

printing issues in previous

versions of BW.

Source: SAP AG

We now get color control, header-footer control and many new features suchas location control of cells and integration of pictures, charts and fixed text.



31

Crystal Report is still available

• With BW you get access to Crystal reports. In fact you have many

pre-developed reports that comes with SAP-BW. Currently, you canmodify, or develop and deploy a few Crystal reports without

additional licensing cost.

• Crystal is a great tool for batch reporting of "pixel controlled'

formatted reports.



33

Web Cockpit in the Portal

You can integrate queriesand Web applications intothe portal throughpublishing, broadcasting,

or Web calls

The portal can either receive designed pages

passively or activelycreate communities, Webpages, collaborationrooms, or cockpits

Broadcast ing

Publ ishing



34

Web Cockpit in the Portal (cont.)

• The SEM-CPM cockpits are

already part of the portal, soyou can access them there

• iViews can build custom

portal cockpits with iViewsfrom many data sources (Web

AD, BW, SEM, R/3, Web) and

in many formats (graphs,

pictures, figures, tables)

• iViews can also be interactive



35

Web AD Cockpits in SAP Enterprise Portal 6.0

You can directly publish BI Web cockpits to Portal Content

Catalog using the Publish option from Web AD

Portal and BI system connection shouldbe set up as per OSS note 917950

C



36

Broadcast Cockpit Views and Templates Using WAD

• In SAP NetWeaver 2004s, use Information Broadcaster to broadcast BI

Web applications (i.e., cockpit views) to Enterprise Portal KM foldersand via email in various formats (PDF, MHTML, HTML)

• Information Broadcaster/Reporting Agent (BI 3.x) can precalculate BI

Web applications to enhance performance

Wh t W ‟ll C



3737






Report Designer





• Wrap-up

BI J SDK B d C k it i SAP BI 7 0



38

BI Java SDK-Based Cockpits in SAP BI 7.0

• BI Java SDK can be used for custom applications based on SAP BI

and non-SAP data.• BI Java SDK provides access to relational and OLAP data sources

using JDBC, XMLA, ODBO etc.

• Access to 200+ data sources using the JDBC drivers.

Source: SAP AG, 2005

Java programmers willrecognize the

standard development

kit's (SDK) mainlibraries such as theabstract windowing

toolkit (AWT) and theGUI-oriented Swingobject library as well

BI J SDK B d C k it ( t )



39

BI Java SDK-Based Cockpits (cont.)

• SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio can develop BI Java SDK-based

applications

• Can use along with SAP Java Web Dynpro

Interesteddevelopers should

familiarizethemselves withSAP NetWeaver

Developer Studio

Tip

Wh t W ‟ll C



40






Report Designer





• Wrap-up

BE R t D i d WAD



41

BEx Report Designer and WAD

You can also let your SAP BI users do basicnavigation on the formatted reports by either

integrating navigation, or adding this in the Web

Application Designer (WAD)

Vi l C 7 0 P t l P bli hi



42

Visual Composer 7.0 Portal Publishing

• Visual Composer

Design time deploysVisual Composer

models directly as

iViews to Portal

Content Catalog

• You can then use

Visual Composer iViews in portal pages,

roles, etc.

Wh t W ‟ll C



43






Report Designer

Web publishing

Java Server pages (JSP) and the old Business Server Pages (BSP)




• Wrap-up

Deciding hich reporting tool is right for o



44

Bex Broadcaster

Deciding which reporting tool is right for you

Web

reportsWorkbooks

Fixed

format

Web

Applications Models

Ad-hoc query designer Query Designer

Analysis Process

Designer

Crystal Reports

Broadcaster -wizard

Visual Composer Web Application

Designer

O t h e r t o o l s

W e b T o o l

s

Q u e r y t o o l s

-

- - -

- - /

- /

- - -

-

*

Vizuali-

zation

Distrib-

ution

- /

- /

- /

- - -

- - -

- - -

- -

- -

- /

- / -

--

--

--

-

-

-

-

* Through embedded Bex Broadcaster

Who gets to do what?



45

Who gets to do what?

The major decision for a SAP BI driven enterprise is to determine whogets access to each tool.

There is often a temptation for the IT community of wanting to keep thetools under their domain – That is a mistake

The IT community should actively work with the power and casual users

to improve human capabilities and thereby teach them to become moreproductive employees.

Chinese Proverb

Tool Access Who should do what



46

Bex Broadcaster

Tool Access – Who should do what…..

Power users

Regular users

Authors DevelopersBW

Admins

Ad-hoc query designer Query Designer

Analysis Process

Designer

Crystal Reports

Broadcaster -wizard

Visual Composer Web Application

Designer

O t h e r t o o l s

W e b T o o l s

Q u e r y t o o l s

- /

- /

-

-

- - -

- - /

There are many options and decisions to be made

on who should be able to access all the different

tools.

- /

- /

- - -

- - /

- /

- /

What We‟ll Cover



47






Report Designer

Web publishing

Java Server pages (JSP) and the old Business Server Pages (BSP)




• Wrap-up

nw2008 bi tool guide v7 2nd ver

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