student guide sap businessobjects xi 30 - universe design

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Student Guide

SAP BusinessObjects XI 3.0 –

Universe Design


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SAP BusinessObjects – Universe Design XI 3.0/3.1

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Table of Contents—

Learner ’s Guide iii


C O N T E N T S

Lesson 1

Understanding BusinessObjects Universes Lesson introduction.......................................................................................................1

BusinessObjects universe concepts.............................................................................2

What is a universe?................................................................................................2

The Semantic Layer................................................................................................3

What type of database schema is used?..............................................................4

Classes and objects ................................................................................................5

How universes are used .......................................................................................5

Advantages of a universe .....................................................................................5

BusinessObjects Universe Designer components .............................................6

Starting Universe Designer ..................................................................................6

Using the Quick Design Wizard..........................................................................8

Using Universe Designer module commands ..................................................8

Saving and exporting a universe.......................................................................11

Importing a universe ..........................................................................................12

Universe file names as identifiers .....................................................................12

Saving a universe definition as PDF .................................................................13

Giving all users access to a universe ................................................................13

Activity: Viewing a universe in Designer.........................................................14

The Universe Development Cycle.............................................................................15The Universe Development Cycle process ......................................................15

Preparation phase ................................................................................................16

Analysis phase......................................................................................................17

Planning phase.....................................................................................................19

Implementation phase.........................................................................................20

Implementation phase 1: schema design..........................................................20

Implementation phase 2: building the universe..............................................22

Testing phase........................................................................................................23

Deployment phase...............................................................................................24

Updating/maintenance.......................................................................................25

Prepackaged solutions.........................................................................................25Activity: Planning a universe.............................................................................26

Quiz: Understanding BusinessObjects universes...................................................27

Lesson summary..........................................................................................................28

Lesson 2

Creating the Course Universe Lesson introduction.....................................................................................................29

The course database and universe ...........................................................................30


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Course database description...............................................................................30

Creating the universe .................................................................................................32

Creating a new universe......................................................................................32

Defining universe parameters ...........................................................................33

Identifying the universe......................................................................................33

Setting the database connection.........................................................................34

Data access drivers...............................................................................................34ODBC connection drivers...................................................................................36

More about connection types.............................................................................38

Viewing, modifying, and deleting available connections..............................38

Universe parameters............................................................................................40

Definition tab........................................................................................................41

Summary tab.........................................................................................................42

Strategies tab.........................................................................................................43

Controls tab...........................................................................................................44

SQL tab...................................................................................................................44

Links tab................................................................................................................45

Parameters tab......................................................................................................46Activity: Creating a new universe and defining its connection....................47

Quiz: Creating the course universe...........................................................................48

Lesson summary..........................................................................................................49

Lesson 3

Building the Universe Structure Lesson introduction.....................................................................................................51

Populating the universe structure.............................................................................52

Designing a schema ............................................................................................52

Schema design and the universe creation process..........................................52

Adding tables .......................................................................................................52

Manipulating tables in the universe structure.................................................55

Activity: Populating the universe structure.....................................................58

Defining joins in a universe........................................................................................60

About joins and SQL WHERE clauses .............................................................60

Creating joins........................................................................................................61

About join properties...........................................................................................63

Editing the join expression .................................................................................64

Using the Join SQL editor ..................................................................................64

Detecting joins .....................................................................................................65

Setting join cardinalities......................................................................................66

About cardinality.................................................................................................66

Setting cardinality manually or with the automatic detection tool..............67

Displaying cardinalities ......................................................................................69

Detecting cardinality automatically..................................................................71

How is cardinality detected?..............................................................................71

Detect cardinality for all joins.............................................................................72

Best practice for setting join cardinality ...........................................................73

Join types ..............................................................................................................74

Equi-joins ..............................................................................................................74


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Outer joins ............................................................................................................75

Theta joins.............................................................................................................77

Shortcut joins........................................................................................................78

Self-restricting joins .............................................................................................79

List Mode...............................................................................................................81

Checking integrity ...............................................................................................83

Activity: Defining joins in a universe................................................................83Quiz: Building the universe structure......................................................................86

Lesson summary..........................................................................................................87

Lesson 4

Creating Dimension Objects Lesson introduction.....................................................................................................89

Classes and objects ......................................................................................................90

Classes....................................................................................................................90

Objects....................................................................................................................91Creating classes and objects ......................................................................................93

Creating classes....................................................................................................93

Automatically creating classes and objects from a table ...............................95

Defining a new object as a detail object............................................................95

Working with classes and subclasses................................................................96

Editing the object properties...............................................................................97

Edit Properties: Properties................................................................................100

Edit Properties: Advanced................................................................................101

Edit Properties: Keys..........................................................................................102

Edit Properties: Source Information................................................................103

Copying and pasting objects.............................................................................104

Find and replace ................................................................................................104

Checking object integrity .................................................................................105

Viewing parent tables........................................................................................106

Testing objects ....................................................................................................107

Activity: Creating and testing classes and objects.........................................107

Quiz: Creating dimension objects...........................................................................113

Lesson summary........................................................................................................114

Lesson 5

Creating Measure Objects Lesson introduction...................................................................................................115Measure object concepts...........................................................................................116

Defining measure objects .................................................................................116

How a measure infers SQL ..............................................................................116

The Query Process .............................................................................................118

Aggregation at SELECT level...........................................................................119

Aggregation at projection level........................................................................119

Setting selection and projection aggregates...................................................120

Creating measure objects..........................................................................................121

Measure objects .................................................................................................121


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Testing measure objects.....................................................................................122

Activity: Creating and testing measure objects.............................................123

Delegated Measures..................................................................................................126

What is a delegated measure?..........................................................................126

How does the delegated measure work?........................................................127

Using a delegated measure as a weighted average.......................................127

Best practices for using delegated measures..................................................130Activity: Creating and using a delegated measure.......................................130

Quiz: Creating measure objects...............................................................................132

Lesson summary........................................................................................................133

Lesson 6

Using Lists of Values Lesson introduction...................................................................................................135

Creating a list of values ............................................................................................136

What is a list of values?.....................................................................................136Using a list of values (LOV)..............................................................................136

Working with LOVs in Universe Designer ...........................................................137

Associating an LOV with an object..................................................................137

Setting options for generating LOVs ..............................................................139

Editing the LOVs for the entire universe .......................................................141

Adding data to the list by adding columns ...................................................142

Creating a cascading LOV .......................................................................................143

Setting up a cascading LOV ....................................................................................143

Activity: Using a cascading LOV in Web Intelligence Rich Client.............145

Quiz: Using lists of values .......................................................................................147

Lesson summary........................................................................................................148

Lesson 7

Resolving Loops in a Universe Lesson introduction...................................................................................................149

Understanding loops ................................................................................................150

Recognizing loops..............................................................................................150

Problems caused by loops ................................................................................150

Loops in a universe schema and not in the database ...................................151

What is the loop doing?.....................................................................................151

Resolving loops ..................................................................................................152Resolving loops using aliases ..................................................................................153

About aliases ......................................................................................................153

Detecting loops and inserting aliases .............................................................153

Redefining objects .............................................................................................156

Listing and renaming aliases ...........................................................................157

Choosing which alias method to use ..............................................................157

Resolving self-join loops using aliases............................................................157

Resolving loops using shortcut joins .....................................................................160

Using a shortcut join..........................................................................................160

Activity: Resolving loops with aliases............................................................161


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Resolving loops using contexts ...............................................................................164

About contexts....................................................................................................164

Detecting and creating contexts ......................................................................167

Creating objects for each context ....................................................................170

Editing a context ................................................................................................170

Testing contexts .................................................................................................171

Updating contexts .............................................................................................172Activity: Resolving loops using contexts........................................................173

Quiz: Resolving loops in a universe .......................................................................178

Lesson summary........................................................................................................179

Lesson 8

Resolving SQL Traps Lesson introduction...................................................................................................181

Understanding SQL traps and universes ..............................................................182

About SQL traps ................................................................................................182Detecting and resolving chasm traps .....................................................................183

Chasm traps .......................................................................................................183

Detecting chasm traps ......................................................................................184

The chasm trap scenario ...................................................................................184

Resolving chasm traps ......................................................................................186

Using multiple SQL statements for each measure to resolve chasm

traps......................................................................................................................187

Drawbacks to the multiple SQL statements for each measure

method.................................................................................................................189

Using contexts to resolve chasm traps ...........................................................190

Activity: Resolving chasm traps.......................................................................191

Detecting and resolving fan traps ..........................................................................195

Fan traps .............................................................................................................195

The fan trap scenario ........................................................................................196

Resolving fan traps.............................................................................................197

Using aliases and contexts to resolve fan traps.............................................198

Solving a fan trap with two tables in a one-to-many relationship..............200

Avoiding fan traps altogether .........................................................................201

Activity: Resolving fan traps............................................................................203

Quiz: Resolving SQL traps ......................................................................................207

Lesson summary........................................................................................................208

Lesson 9

Applying Restrictions on Objects Lesson introduction...................................................................................................209

Restricting the data returned by objects ................................................................210

Defining data restrictions .................................................................................210

Methods of restricting data in end-user modules ........................................211

Drawbacks to applying restrictions to objects ..............................................212

An alternative to applying restrictions to objects .........................................213

Restrictions using condition objects ...............................................................215


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Applying restrictions using the tables button ...............................................216

Applying each type of restriction ...................................................................218

Activity: Applying restrictions.........................................................................218

Quiz: Applying restrictions on objects ..................................................................221

Lesson summary........................................................................................................222

Lesson 10

Using @functions with Objects Lesson introduction...................................................................................................223

Using @functions.......................................................................................................224

Defining @functions ..........................................................................................224

@prompt .............................................................................................................224

@prompt syntax .................................................................................................225

@select..................................................................................................................227

@where.................................................................................................................229

@aggregate_aware..............................................................................................233Activity: Using @functions...............................................................................233

Quiz: Using @functions with objects.....................................................................235

Lesson summary........................................................................................................236

Lesson 11

Using Hierarchies Lesson introduction...................................................................................................237

Understanding hierarchies and universes ............................................................238

Hierarchies..........................................................................................................238Working with hierarchies ........................................................................................240

Default hierarchies ............................................................................................240

Custom hierarchies............................................................................................243

The effect of custom hierarchies on default hierarchies ..............................245

Time hierarchies ................................................................................................247

Testing automatic time hierarchies .................................................................250

Advantages and disadvantages of automatic time hierarchies ..................250

Time hierarchies based on database functions .............................................251

Advantages and disadvantages of database function time

hierarchies...........................................................................................................252

Table-based time hierarchies ...........................................................................252Advantages and disadvantages of table-based time hierarchies ...............254

Activity: Using hierarchies................................................................................254

Quiz: Using hierarchies ............................................................................................256

Lesson summary........................................................................................................257

Lesson 12

Derived Tables and Indexes Lesson introduction...................................................................................................259


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Learner ’s Guide ix


Using derived tables .................................................................................................260

What is a derived table?....................................................................................260

Adding derived tables ......................................................................................260

Derived tables as lookup for multiple contexts.............................................261

Nested derived tables........................................................................................262

Creating nested derived tables.........................................................................262

Activity: Adding derived tables.......................................................................264Applying index awareness ......................................................................................266

What is index awareness?.................................................................................266

Setting up index awareness..............................................................................266

What happens behind the scenes?...................................................................268

Avoiding joins in tables.....................................................................................270

Multiple foreign key entries.............................................................................271

SQL Editor dialog box ......................................................................................273

Using an index awareness WHERE clause.....................................................273

Activity: Setting up index awareness..............................................................274

Quiz: Derived tables and indexes ...........................................................................275

Lesson summary........................................................................................................276

Appendix A

Relational and Dimensional Modeling Understanding the metadata...................................................................................283

Data warehouses........................................................................................................284

Online Transactional Processing systems..............................................................285

Data Marts...................................................................................................................286

Dimensional Modeling..............................................................................................287

Appendix B

Alternative SQL syntaxes for other RDBMS SQL syntaxes for other RDBMS...............................................................................289

Answer Key Quiz: Understanding BusinessObjects universes.................................................295

Quiz: Creating the course universe.........................................................................296

Quiz: Building the universe structure....................................................................297Quiz: Creating dimension objects...........................................................................298

Quiz: Creating measure objects...............................................................................299

Quiz: Using lists of values .......................................................................................300

Quiz: Resolving loops in a universe .......................................................................301

Quiz: Resolving SQL traps ......................................................................................302

Quiz: Applying restrictions on objects ..................................................................303

Quiz: Using @functions with objects .....................................................................304

Quiz: Using hierarchies ............................................................................................305

Quiz: Derived tables and indexes ...........................................................................306


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Agenda—

Learner ’s Guide xi



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Understanding BusinessObjects Universes—

Learner ’s Guide 1


Lesson 1

Understanding BusinessObjects Universes

Lesson introduction

To design effective and efficient universes for your business users, you need a general

understanding of their structure and application. It is also important to become familiar with

the process involved in building a successful universe.

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

• Define BusinessObjects universe concepts

• Use the Universe Development Cycle


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2 Universe Design—

Learner ’s Guide


BusinessObjects universe concepts

This lesson gives a general introduction to universes.

After completing this unit, you will be able to:

• Describe a universe• Describe BusinessObjects Universe Designer interface elements

• Save, export and import universes

What is a universe?

The BusinessObjects universe is the semantic layer that isolates business users from the technical

complexities of the databases where their corporate information is stored.

For the ease of the end user, universes are made up of objects and classes that map to data in

the database, using everyday terms that describe their business environment. This means that

by using a universe to create a query, users can retrieve exactly the data that interests themusing their own business terminology.

A BusinessObjects universe is a file that contains the following:

• Connection parameters to a single data source.

• SQL structures called objects that map to actual SQL structures in the database such as

columns, tables, and database functions. Objects are grouped into classes.• A schema of the tables and joins used in the database. Objects are built from the database

structures that you include in your schema.

Note:

You associate data to universes by mapping to a data source. Data is not stored in the .unv file.


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End users select the universe they are authorized to access in order to build queries. They build

a query by selecting objects defined in the universe, and in this way, they are not required to

see or know anything about the underlying data structures in the database.

BusinessObjects Designer XI Release 2 gives universe designers the ability to build universes

from OLAP and metadata sources. It also offers the ability to build universes against Unicode

databases and run reports that display data in one of many available languages.

BusinessObjects Universe Designer XI 3.0 offers the following additions:

• Personal file universe creation wizard - universes have supported access to csv and xls files

through generic ODBC.

• JavaBean - the JavaBean driver provides the ability to expose data returned by a JavaBean

class and model it through a universe.

• Java database connectivity (JDBC) - access to a standard JDBC connection and JDBC support

to all major sources is provided.

• Microsoft Analysis Services 2005 - Microsoft Analysis Services 2005 support for OLAP

universes is provided.

Universes are used to query the database

The role of the universe is to present a business-focused front end to the SQL structures in the

database. The data used in a universe schema depends greatly on the end user requirements.

It needs to provide an easy-to-use interface for end-users to:

• Run queries against a database

• Create reports

• Perform data analysis

The Semantic Layer

Universe Designer can be seen as the tool which creates the Semantic Layer.

Metadata is imported into Universe Designer, and then the tables structure can be changed

(using Derived Tables) or data can be changed before it is presented to the user (by manipulating

objects). However, the source data essentially remains the same. This is what separates the

Semantic Layer from Data Integrator.

Data Integrator is an ETL Tool which can change the structure of the data, and also cleanse it

from data errors.

The semantic layer is also used for the Performance Management product suite. When building

a Dashboard Manager or Set Analysis Metrics universe, the approach is slightly different to

creating a normal ad hoc reporting universe:

• the Dashboard Manager or Set Analysis Metrics universe requires to have custom tags

embedded within it (which can be considered a form of code), which are used by Dashboard

Manager and Set Analysis products

• a mandatory self join is placed in the Dashboard Manager or Set Analysis Metrics universe

to ensure that calculated metrics apply to one time period granularity in a time dimension,

for example, daily, weekly, or monthly.


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• custom filters are placed into the Dashboard Manager or Set Analysis Metrics universe to

be able to compare sets (Joiner Filter, Leaver Filter, and so on), and to build metrics.

This is why it is advisable not to use the same ad hoc reporting universe as your Dashboard

Manager or Set Analysis Metrics universe.

Information on building a Dashboard Manager or Set Analysis Metrics universe can be found

in the Creating universes for use as metrics chapter of the BusinessObjects XI 3.0 Designer's Guide.

What type of database schema is used?

Before developing a universe you must familiarize yourself with the underlying data. Which

type of database schema is going to be used for the universe? Will this be a Data Warehouse

model, an Online Transactional Processing system (OLTP), or a Data Mart? How can you best

implement the metadata into a universe schema to meet the end user requirements?

Star Schemas

The star schema is the simplest data warehouse schema. It is called a star schema because thediagram resembles a star, with points radiating from a center. The center of the star consists

of one or more fact tables and the points of the star are the dimension tables.

A star schema consists of fact tables and dimension tables:

• Fact tables

A fact table typically has two types of columns: numeric facts and foreign keys to dimension

tables. Facts can become measure objects in a BusinessObjects universe file.

• Dimension tables

Dimension tables contain the qualitative descriptions that can be applied to the facts.

Hierarchies may also be built into dimension tables. Dimension table data can becomedimension or detail objects in a BusinessObjects universe file.

Snowflake schemas

The snowflake schema is a variation of the star schema used in a data warehouse. It is more

complex than the star schema because the tables which describe the dimensions are normalized.


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Data modeling

The traditional entity relationship (ER) model uses a normalized approach to database design.

Database normalization is a technique for designing relational database tables to minimize

duplication of information and to avoid data anomalies. Higher degrees of normalization

typically involve more tables and create the need for a larger number of joins, which can reduceperformance.

Denormalization is the process of taking a normalized database and modifying table structures

to optimize the performance by keeping a minimum relationship between tables; one dimension

table versus one fact table. Another method is to use prebuilt summarized data in the schema.

Classes and objects

A universe contains the following structures:

• Classes

• Objects

As the universe designer, you use Universe Designer to create objects and classes that represent

database structures. The objects you create in the universe must be relevant to the end user‟s

business environment and vocabulary.

Classes

A class is a logical grouping of objects within a universe. It represents a category of objects.

The name of a class should indicate the category of the objects that it contains. A class can be

divided hierarchically into subclasses.

Objects An object is a named component that maps to data or derived data in the database. The name

of an object should be drawn from the business vocabulary of the targeted user group.

How universes are used

A universe defines the connection to the database. By selecting a universe when creating new

documents or editing existing documents, the business users automatically receive access to

the data. The access to data, in turn, is restricted by the objects that are available in the universe.

These objects have been created by you, the universe designer, based on the needs profile for

a defined user group.

Advantages of a universe

The advantages of a universe are:

• Only the universe designer needs to know how to write SQL and understand the structure

of the target database.


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• The interface allows you to create a universe in an easy-to-use graphical environment.

• Data is secure. Users can see only the data exposed by the universe. Users can only read

data, not edit it.

• The results are reliable and the universe is relatively easy to maintain.

• Users can use a simple interface to create reports.

• All users work with consistent business terminology.

• Users can analyze data locally.

BusinessObjects Universe Designer components

You create, modify, and update universes with Universe Designer. Universe Designer provides a

connection wizard that allows you to connect to your database middleware. You can create

multiple connections with Universe Designer, but only one connection can be defined for each

universe. This database connection is saved with the universe.

Universe Designer provides a graphical interface that allows you to select and view tables ina database. The database tables are represented as table symbols in a schema diagram. You can

use this interface to manipulate tables, create joins that link the tables, create alias tables,

contexts, and resolve loops in your schema. Users do not see this schema.

Universe Designer provides an object explorer view. You use the explorer tree to create objects

that map to the columns and SQL structures that are represented in the schema view. Users

select these objects to run queries against a database.

Starting Universe Designer

Universe Designer can only be used with a BusinessObjects repository. You must log onto therepository before starting Universe Designer.

After you start Universe Designer, you can open a universe in one of the following ways:

• Create a new universe.

• Import a universe from the repository.

• Open a universe directly from the file system.

A universe is available to end users once it has been exported to the repository. Importing a

universe, making changes, then exporting the updated universe to the repository is the most

common way of working with Universe Designer.

Note: You can save a universe to the file system. You do this when you are in the process ofdeveloping the universe locally and when you want to share the universe with other users who

may not have connection rights to the target repository.

Note: You can lock and secure a universe before importing it from or exporting it to the Business

Objects repository for maintenance.


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To start Universe Designer

1. Click the Start button on the taskbar.

2. Select the Programs menu.

3. Select the BusinessObjects XI 3.0 menu.

4. Select the BusinessObjects Enterprise menu.

5. Select the Designer menu.

The login dialog box for the repository appears.

Login information

System name of the repository server

User Name your repository user name

Password your repository password

Authentication authentication method

Note: This information is normally provided to you by the Business Objects administrator.

Note: You can also use Designer standalone. Use the authentication method Standalone

(No CMS).

6. Click the OK button.

The Universe Designer start-up screen appears, and an empty Universe Designer session

opens. The user name and repository name appear in the title bar.

Note: Depending on options set for Universe Designer, the Quick Design Wizard can start

automatically when you start in Universe Designer. Click Cancel to close the wizard.


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Using the Quick Design Wizard

When you start a Universe Designer session for the first time, the QuickDesign Wizardappears

by default. You can use the wizard to quickly create a universe or to familiarize yourself with

Universe Designer. However, unless your data source is a very simple model, it is not an

appropriate tool for creating a complete universe that responds to end-user reportingrequirements.

Once you are familiar with Universe Designer, you will probably decide to disable the wizard

and not use it to design universes. All the universe design, building, maintenance information,

and procedures in this training manual are structured with the assumption that you have

disabled the Quick Design Wizard.

To deactivate the Quick Design Wizard

You can prevent the wizard from appearing automatically when you create a new universe as

follows:

1. Select Tools ➤ Options . Select the General tab.

2. Clear the Show Welcome Wizard check box, and click OK.

Note: This check box is already cleared if you have cleared the Run this wizard at startup

check box from the Startup Wizard Welcome page.

Note: You can activate the Quick Design Wizard at any time by selecting the above check

boxes from the General page of the Options dialog box.

Using Universe Designer module commands

There are three ways to issue commands in Universe Designer:

• Menu options

• Toolbar buttons

• Right-click menus

Menu options

You can perform most tasks by choosing options from the menu. The Universe Designer menu

bar looks like this:

Toolbar buttons

The toolbar gives you quick access to many tasks. Universe Designer has three toolbars: the

Standard toolbar, the Editing toolbar, and the Formula Bar toolbar.


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Right-click menus

Right-click menus display on your screen when you click the right mouse button. These menus

usually give you access to options related to the task you are currently performing. For example,

if you right-click in the Universe pane, a drop-down menu for creating classes and objects is

displayed:

Universe Designer window

The Universe Designer window is made up of two segments.

• On the right-hand side is the pane in which you insert the database tables and then view

the universe structure that infers the FROM and SELECT clauses into a Select statement.

This is known as the Structure pane.

• On the left-hand side is the pane in which you create the classes and objects that users will

see when they build queries using this universe. The objects physically point to the tables

you see in the Structure pane.

This is known as the Universe pane.

Manipulating the structure view

There are three ways to manipulate the Structure pane in the Universe Designer window:

toolbar buttons, drag and drop, and by using the Options panel.

Zoom

Often it is not possible to view the entire schema at normal magnification due to its size. Zoom

in or out using the drop-down list on the toolbar to choose your percentage view for the schema.

Arrange tables

You can select this button to have Universe Designer automatically organize your tables

sequentially and horizontally.


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Note: You can undo only the last command. If you do not like the arrange tables results, choose

Undo from the Edit menu.

Drag and Drop

Different views of the universe structure can be achieved by selecting items and applying a

command using one of the following methods:• Double-clicking

• Dragging and dropping

• Right-clicking

For example:

Procedure Action

To mark a single table Click the header of the table.

To mark a join Click it.

To mark more than one table or joinCtrl-click the header of each table (or join) you

want to highlight.

To mark all tables and joins Ctrl-A.

To move a tableClick the header of the table and drag and drop

the table to the desired position.

To roll up a table

To view the columns of a table

To view the remaining columns

By default, the table header and a specified

number of its columns are shown for all tables

contained in the universe structure segment.

This view can be altered for an individual table

by double-clicking the table header.

Double-click once to roll up a table so that only

the header is shown. Double-click twice so that

only the table header and key columns are

shown. Double-click three times to return to

an unrolled view of the table.

If the view of a table does not show all thecolumns contained within that table, this is

signified by three dots at the bottom of the

table.

Click the header of the table; a scroll bar

appears on the right of the table. Alternatively,


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Procedure

To gain a partial view of the data content of

the table

Action

place the pointer on the bottom margin of the

table and a double-headed arrow appears. You

can then drag the bottom margin down to

expand the number of columns shown in the

table.

To achieve this the table header must not be

highlighted.

Right-click the table header and choose the

View Table Values option.

Right-click the column required and choose

the View Column Values option.

To view the data values for a single column

By default, data is only displayed for the first

100 rows of the table. This number can be

expanded or reduced using the Tools ➤

Options ➤ Database tab.

To view the number of rows for a table in the

database

Right-click the table header (or structure

segment background if you want the number

of rows for all tables) and then choose the

Number of Rows in Table option.

If you are front ending a large database, this

may not be advisable due to the time it takes

to process.

Saving and exporting a universe

Regularly save your universes during a work session. When you save a universe, Universe

Designer stores it as a file with a .unv extension in your local file system. This is usually a

universe folder in the BusinessObjects installation path. Any changes you have made to the

universe file are saved locally but are not propagated to the universe version in the repository

until you choose to export it.

When you export the universe, the updated version is saved on the local file system, but it is

copied to the BusinessObjects repository as well. This version is then available to end usersconnecting to the universe.

It is also made available to other universe designers who are authorized by the BusinessObjects

Administrator to access it.

Regularly save your changes to a universe locally. When you have finished updating the

universe, export the latest saved version to the repository.


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If you choose to browse to a copy of that universe file on your local file system and open itdirectly in Universe Designer, the file may not be the latest version of the universe. If you want

to make changes to a universe that has already been exported to the repository, do not open a

universe file directly using File ➤ Open menu. Instead, use File ➤ Import to ensure that you

are viewing the most recent version. Make your modifications and export your universe againto make your changes available in the repository.

Importing a universe

When you import a universe, you import the latest version of the universe from the repository.

The universe is copied to the local file system, and this file is opened in Universe Designer.

You can import one or more universes stored in a universe folder in the repository.

To import a universe

1. Select the Import command from the File menu.The Import Universe dialog box appears.

2. Select a universe folder from the drop-down list.

Note: You can also import a universe by clicking the Browse button to select the universe

you would like to import.

Note: If you want to lock the universe, double-click the universe name. A locked universe

appears with a padlock symbol. Locking a universe prevents other designers from importing

or exporting this universe. The locked universe can still be read by users and other designers.

To unlock a universe, double-click it again.

3. Click the universe name.

This is the universe that you want to import.

4. Verify the file path for the import folder in the Import Folder box.

This points to the location where the universes are exported.

5. Click OK.

Universe file names as identifiers

Do not change the universe file name after reports have been created based on that universe.If you change the file name, any report built on the universe with the old name does not point

to the universe after its name has been changed.

The universe name can be different from the .unv file name.

When you use Save As to save the universe under a new name, the new universe is not

associated in the repository. You must export the new universe to the repository to create a

version of the new universe.


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You can use the following methods to save a universe:

1. Select File ➤ Save from the menu bar.

2. Click the Save icon.

3. Press CTRL+S on the keyboard.

Do not save two different universes with the same file name. This leads to conflicts when youattempt to export these universes to the repository.

Saving a universe definition as PDF

You can also save the universe information in Adobe PDF format. This allows you to save to

a PDF file with the same attributes that are defined for printing purposes.

Note: You can view the default attributes by selecting the Tools ➤ Options menu and selecting

the Print/PDF tab. The Options dialog box will be presented in detail in a later lesson.

The attributes that you can print or save to a PDF file include:

• General information - parameters, linked universes, and the graphical table schema.

• Component lists - lists of components in the universe including objects, conditions,

hierarchies, tables, joins, and contexts.

• Component descriptions - descriptions for the objects, conditions, hierarchies, tables, joins,

and contexts in the universe.

Saving these attributes as a PDF file may be helpful for troubleshooting or maintenance purposes.

To save universe information as a PDF file

1. In Universe Designer, open the universe you want to save as PDF.

2. Select File ➤ Save As.

3. Select Portable Document Format (PDF) from the Save As type drop- down list.

4. Click Save.

Giving all users access to a universe

If you want to make a universe available to universe designers who may not have access to

your Central Management Server, you must save the universe with an unsecured connection.

To make a universe accessible to all Universe Designer users

1. Verify that the universe that you want to make available to all users does not have a secured

connection.

Secured connections are required to export universes to the repository. If a universe has a

secured connection, select or create a new personal or shared connection.


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Note: Creating connections is discussed in detail in a later lesson.

2. Select File ➤ Save As.

3. A File Save dialog box appears.

4. Select the Save For All Users check box.

5. Click OK.

Activity: Viewing a universe in Universe Designer

Objective

• Open a universe and identify universe elements in Universe Designer

Instructions

1. Open Universe Designer.

2. In Universe Designer, click File➤ Open. Browse to the eFashion.unv file found in the

default installation folder:

C:\Program Files\Business Objects\BusinessObjects Enterprise

12.0\Samples\en\UniverseSamples

Or, find the same file on the Resource CD for this course.

3. Explore the menu options, toolbar buttons, and right-click drop-down menus.

4. Select View ➤ Toolbars, and ensure that all three toolbars are selected.

5. Zoom to 125% (type directly into the field instead of using the drop-down list).

6. Click View ➤ Arrange Tables to automatically organize tables.

7. Click View ➤ List Mode to list all Tables, Joins, and Contexts.

8. Click the Article_Color_Lookup table in the Tables list and to see it highlighted in the

structure below.

9. Select Tools ➤ Options and click on the Graphics menu tab.

10. Select the Show row count check box, and click OK.

11. Right-click the Article_Color_Lookup table to view the number of rows in the table (Refresh

row count for all tables).

12. Right-click the Article_Color_Lookup table to view a sample of the table values.

13. Open the Product class to view the objects it contains.

14. Double-click the Color object (notice the name, description, and select fields).

15. Select Parameters on the File menu and change the universe long name to New eFashion.

16. Close the universe.


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The Universe Development Cycle

Universe development is a cyclical process that includes planning, designing, building,

distribution, and maintenance phases. Use Universe Designer to design and build a universe.

However, the usability of any universe is directly related to how successfully the other phases

in the development cycle interact with each other.After completing this unit, you will be able to:

• Use the Universe Development Cycle

The Universe Development Cycle process

This unit presents an overview of a universe designing methodology that you can use to plan

and implement a universe development project.

The diagram below outlines the major phases in a typical Universe Development Cycle:

The analysis of user requirements and design are the most important stages in the process.

Users must be heavily involved in the development process if the universe is going to fulfill

their needs both with the business language used to name objects and the data that can be

accessed.

Implementation will be successful if the first three stages are carried out properly. It is advisable

to spend 80% of the time allocated to the development of a universe on the first three stages:

• preparing

• analyzing

• planning


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If you have spent the appropriate amount of time in laying the foundation for your universe,

the remaining 20% of the time spent actually using Universe Designer to build your universe

will be much more productive.

Preparation phase

During the preparation phase, the scope of a BusinessObjects universe is defined. The production

and development architectures are identified and reviewed. Project teams are assembled and

the initial task plan is defined.

Identify universe scope

The definition and communication of project scope eliminates risk associated with deploying

the universe to pilot users during the Implementation phase. The scope is defined in terms of

intended functionality of the universe. Identification of target users of the universe also helpscreate a shared understanding of project objectives.

Key managers should be involved in the scoping process. Once formulated, the objectives of

the project are communicated to everyone involved, directly or indirectly.

Build a project team

In designating the team members, individuals must be chosen to fill the following roles. One

person may fill multiple roles.Role Task

Sponsor

Usually the individual funding the project. The project

sponsor makes any final decisions regarding scope or

unresolvable issues.

Project LeaderThe project leader develops the project plan, assigns

resources, tracks, and reports on progress.

AnalystIndividual who gathers requirements in the form of

candidate objects.

Data Expert An individual familiar with the data structures.

Key UserProvides ongoing “business” perspective for

developers.

Pilot UsersUsers who will work with the universe during the

universe build and development phase.

QA Reviewer

An individual with BusinessObjects experience who

is not part of the development process will perform a

technical review of the final product.


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In most cases, a single person will be responsible for the bulk of the work, filling the roles of

Analyst, BusinessObjects Administrator, and Data Expert.

In designing and building the universe, this person will maintain a relationship with the Key

User, who should also be one of the Pilot Users.

This developer usually reports to a Manager or IS Director, who serves as Project Leader. The

Leader maintains a close relationship with the Sponsor.

Other roles that will be impacted by the project include the Database Administrator, the System

Administrator, and the Data Administrator.

Adopt standards

Standards for the components of a BusinessObjects universe will help to guarantee consistency

and stability in the final product. During preparation, the team adopts a set of standards for

BusinessObjects components. Standards can be specified for:• Universe names

• Object definition guidelines

• Names for objects

• Class names

• Alias names

• Help text

The standards may be revised during the course of the first universe development project as

the team becomes more familiar with the product.

Conduct a meeting

Communicate the preparation phase strategy in a meeting. This is your opportunity to gather

all interested parties (developers, users, the sponsor) to ensure that everyone understands the

scope of the endeavor.

You can use this meeting to demonstrate BusinessObjects products and to help set expectations

of the user community.

Analysis phase

The primary objective of analysis activities is to identify user requirements for the ad hoc query

environment.

These requirements are captured in the form of candidate classes and objects.


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Identify candidate objects

There are many places to look for candidate objects. The best way to identify them is by talking

to the end users. When interviewing end users, the type of questions to ask are: “What type of

information do you need to do your job?”, “How do you know you are doing well?”, “How

does your boss know you are performing well?”, or “What kind of information do others ask

you for?”

As users answer these questions, document their answers in terms of class and object

requirements. For example, if a user states, “We require to retrieve information on employees

by department and hire date” you have identified a potential class (“information about

employees”) and an object or two (“department” and “hire date”). When you identify a potential

class, probe for objects. For example, “What kind of information about Employees do they

want?”

Candidate classes and objects can also be identified by reviewing existing reports.

Document your classes and objects. For example:

Type

Class

Name

Customer

Description

Information on a customer, including location,

credit ratings, and shipping preferences.

Source

Interview #1

Object

(Measure)

Total

Revenue

This object can be combined with date ranges,

customers, and/or products to provide

meaningful measures.

Interview #3, #4

You should also try to document the qualification of objects (dimension/detail/ measure) andany potentially identified hierarchies.

Relational modeling versus multi-dimensional modeling

The questions asked during BusinessObjects interviews are similar to those asked in the

development of OLTP applications. What is done with the answers is very different.

When conducting Analysis for an OLTP application, analysts document data requirements in

entity relationship diagrams. Rules of normalization are applied to the items that users request,

breaking them down to an atomic level, or eliminating calculated objects. These activities

optimize the data for storage in a relational database.

By contrast, requirements for an ad hoc query environment should be expressed in terms that

are optimized for retrieval of the information.

A successful BusinessObjects universe presents information to a business person using user

specific business terminology. The developer must “unlearn” analysis techniques used for the


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development of application systems. User requirements must be taken at face value, remaining

in business terms.

Basic rules of thumb:

• Do not normalize

• Do not eliminate objects that can be derived from other objects

• Do not try to figure out where this data can be found in the database

For example: in an interview, a user states “I need to look at annual sales figures by region.”

Document this at face value; identify the requirements, but do not attempt to transform them

in a manner appropriate for storage in a relational database. You can identify three candidate

objects: “Year of Sale,” “Sales Amount,” and “Region”. Do not eliminate “Year of Sale” because

you have already documented a “Date of Sale” object. Do not reduce “Sales” to the components

from which it is calculated (perhaps “quantity” multiplied by “price”). Instead of normalizing

object requirements, identify how they will support on-line analysis by end users.

Identifying candidate objects as dimensions, details or measures will facilitate end user reporting

and analysis flexibility. You can also plan for scope of analysis (drill-down and drill-up options)

by identifying dimensional hierarchies.

Once you have gathered and documented requirements in the form of candidate objects, you

are ready to begin to plan the BusinessObjects universe requirements.

Planning phase

The planning phase will be used to identify a project strategy and determine resource

requirements.

Create a project plan

The project plan is the key to timely implementation. For each task, the plan should assign

responsibility and target dates. Creation of the plan and the tracking of progress against the

plan are the primary responsibilities of the project leader.

Plan the BusinessObjects architecture

Technical architecture requirements may have been looked at in general in the preparation

phase. A review of the technical architecture should take place during the planning phase of

the project. Items to review include:

Development

environmentIdentify resources required to support a universe development

environment.


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Production

environment Identify resources required for a universe production environment.

Computers Review required computing resources for developer and user workstations.

Connectivity

Ensure infrastructure is in place to support connectivity between users/developers

and the repository and data stores, including appropriate middle-ware to support

communication between clients and servers.

ConfigurationIdentify planned configuration for client software. Ensure appropriate resources are

available.

Security Initiate a first look at security requirements.

Support plan Develop support policy for when the universe goes into production.

Change management

plan

Identify procedures for the request, review, approval, and implementation of changes

to the universe when in production.

Training plan Plan for a user training program.

Implementation phase

The implementation phase can be split up into two stages:

1. Designing the schema

2. Building the universe

Implementation phase 1: schema design

The first task during schema design is to determine and document the data source for each

candidate object. If requirements were gathered in a tabular format, add a column to the table

where you can indicate the SQL fragment and source tables that will be used to retrieve the

object.

Type

Class

Name

Customer

SQL fragment Description

Information on a customer,

including location, credit ratings,and shipping preferences.

Source

Interview

#1


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Type Name SQL fragment Description Source

Object

(Measure)

Total

Revenue

SQL:

sum(order_lines.quantity*

products.price)

Source Tables: Order_Lines,Products

This object can be combined with

date ranges, customers, and/or

products to provide meaningful

measures.

Interview

#3,4

Any candidate classes that were captured as general requirements without specific objects

must be expanded now. For example, suppose there was a candidate class called “Customer”

and the specific objects within this class were not identified. During the schema design stage,

the developer must “fill out” this class. The developer might fill it out based on knowledge of

the business by including all columns from one or more tables, or the developer might go back

to users for more detail.

There are several ways that objects can be mapped to enterprise data. Simple objects map back

to a single column in the database. An example would be “Customer First Name,” which mapsback to the First_Name column in the Customers table. Complex objects make use of SQL to

manipulate data that comes from one or more columns. For example, a Customer Full Name

object might connect the First_Name and Last_Name columns from the Customers table.

Aggregate objects involve SQL GROUP functions. Counts, sums, and averages are all aggregate

objects. The Total Revenue object is an aggregate object; it uses the SQL SUM function.

Plan for object qualifications and drill-down functionality

As you design the universe, you must complete the process you began during analysis. Identify

each object as a measure, a dimension or a detail. For each detail object, identify the dimension

it is associated with.

Similarly, you need to identify hierarchies within your dimensions. These hierarchies will later

enable users to “drill-down” and “drill-up”.

Design a table diagram

Now that the objects are mapped back to data sources, the developer reviews all the objects

and produces a table-diagram of the database objects that will support the universe. Joins

between the tables are then added to the diagram. The table diagram is a valuable tool for

resolving loops and SQL traps in the model. It will also become an important reference for

developers.

Note: This diagram design is usually done on paper, however this can be created directly in

the BusinessObjects Universe Designer software.

Tip: If you find that you have documented a vast amount of classes and objects based on user

requirements you may consider designing schemas that can be used to build:

1. Multiple universes which cater to a specific function within the business, reducing the

complexity and amount of classes and objects.

2. Multiple universes specific to a business function, as this will prevent users from creating

queries that can span the spectrum of the business.


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Revise objects and table diagram

Once loops and SQL traps are resolved, the design of some objects will require modification.

Any object based on a table that was replaced by an alias must be updated. Consult your table

of objects created in the preparation phase for such objects.

Note: If you are already using Universe Designer for the schema design you can view a table‟sassociated objects to identify which objects require changes.

Some objects may be applicable in the context of more than one of the aliases; these objects will

be split into multiple objects. Make sure that object names make it clear what each one represents.

Review join strategy

Where table relationships are optional, the type of join to use must be chosen carefully. The

use of standard (or inner) versus outer joins will impact the results of user queries. Using the

wrong type of join may provide results that are not what users expect.

In SQL, a standard join between two tables will return only rows where both tables meet the

join criteria. If one of the tables has no corresponding row in the second table, its data will notbe returned.

An outer join tells the database processing the SQL query to substitute a “null” row if one of

the joined tables has no corresponding row in the other table. With an outer join, information

in one table that does not have corresponding data in the second table is returned with “blanks”

in columns from the second table.

The developer must review join possibilities with a key user wherever optional relationships

exist. The chosen solution should produce results that users are most likely to expect.

Identify allowable object usage

The developer may identify certain objects that should not be used in qualifications by endusers. Certain complex objects may not be usable in qualifications for technical reasons, or there

may be performance considerations.

Determine security approach

Security requirements must also be addressed during the Implementation phase. Solutions to

security requirements may involve complex object definition, reliance on database-level security,

use of BusinessObjects access levels (public, private, controlled), restriction sets or the

development of multiple universes. Chosen solutions may impact the database administrator

and developers.

Implementation phase 2: building the universe


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Once the schema design stage is complete, the development team is ready to begin using the

BusinessObjects Universe Designer software to build the universe.

Tip: Remember that it is better to have several smaller less complex universes than one large

universe. This will reduce maintenance, avoid potential security impacts and will improve

overall usability.

Pilot users then begin to use the universe. They provide feedback to developers who refine the

universe until build is completed.

Build the universe

The BusinessObjects Universe Designer software is used to actually build the universe. The

developer must:

• Name the universe.

• Set up the universe parameters and connect to the relevant data source.

• Create aliases and contexts as identified in the schema design.

• Create joins as identified in the schema design.

• Create classes, subclasses and objects as identified in the schema design.

• Define objects as dimensions, details, or measures.

• Define hierarchies.

• Define lists of values and help text.

• Define conditions and implement user security, where applicable.

Supply prebuilt queries and reports

During the build stage, the team may identify certain queries and reports that will be of value

to the entire enterprise. Created at anytime throughout the build, these queries and reports are

re-checked after the universe is finalized to ensure that objects used have not been renamed or

removed. They are then exported to the repository so that they are available to all users.

Testing phase

The pilot testing and refinement phase follows universe design implementation.

Once an initial universe is built, it is deployed to the pilot users. These users work with the

universe and provide feedback to the developers.

Types of feedback include:• Better names for classes and objects.

• Objects not in the universe that should be added.

• Objects that can be removed.

• Better ways to organize objects (for example, move an object from one class to another,

reclassifying a dimension as a detail, and so on).

• Objects or queries that do not behave as expected.


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Based on this feedback, the universe is modified. The modified universe is made available to

the pilot users for further evaluation. The testing phase can also address potential performance

issues. As a developer you can look at implementing performance enhancements to the universe.

Quality assurance

After the build is finalized, the universe is reviewed for quality assurance.An independent reviewer makes the following checks:

• Corporate standards for universe, object, class, and alias naming are followed.

• Objects are only defined with tables that are referenced in the select text or Where condition.

• Objects return results without syntactic error.

• Objects return intended business results.

• Objects are correctly classified as dimensions, details or measures.

• Defined hierarchies make sense.

• Objects have help text.

• Aliases are used appropriately.

• Join syntax and foreign keys are accurate.• Standard and outer joins are used appropriately.

These checks are best made by an individual who was not part of the development of the

universe, guaranteeing an objective perspective. Any issues that are identified are reported to

the developers for correction and review.

Deployment phase

The universe has been built, and has passed all quality assurance checks. It is now ready for

deployment.

The final deployment of the universe cannot begin until any architectural issues identified

during planning phase have been addressed. These issues include the establishment of user

connectivity, planning the installation configuration, preparation of a training program, and

identification of support and change management processes.

Architecture

Architectural considerations identified during the planning phase are reviewed. Any issues

that have not been resolved will delay the deployment phase.

Production environment

The production environment has been set up in accordance with the architecture and security

plans identified during preparation and planning. The universe is modified to access data from


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production systems, rather than from development systems and is exported to the production

repository.

Granting user access

Any database accounts that will be required for BusinessObjects users should be created by

the database administrator. These accounts should be given appropriate access privileges to

the data objects used by the universe.

Users are also added to the Central Management System (CMS) and granted access to the

universe.

Conduct training

The release of the BusinessObjects universe to production users is coordinated with system

and database administrators as appropriate. The user training program is executed in conjunction

with the roll-out of the universe. Without appropriate training, users will not derive benefits

from BusinessObjects, regardless of the quality of the universe.

Updating/maintenance

student guide sap businessobjects xi 30 - universe design

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