web intelligence 4.1 what's new

Web Intelligence 4.1, what’s new?

ASUG webcast

Gregory Botticchio / Sylvain Riboud - SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence

March 06, 2013

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Introduction


Session highlights

Web Intelligence 4.1, what’s new? :

Developer Support

Core Capabilities Enhancements

Data Source Support Enhancements

From Desktop Intelligence to Web Intelligence

Web Intelligence 4.1 Stability Improvements

Wrap-Up

Developer Support


Web Intelligence 4.1, what’s new? Developer Support

Provide RESTful Web services API and UI customization options

RESTful Web services APIs

Consumption workflows of Web Intelligence document

Data sources and data providers workflows

Document authoring workflows

Scheduling workflows

UI customization

Personalized Web Intelligence clients

Customization per user group in CMC

Customization of UI elements and actions


Developer support RESTful Web services APIs

New RESTful Web Services introduced in 4.0 SP5

Goal to provide same scope than previous SDK - Report Engine Java SDK in XI 3.1

Incremental delivery with next set of APIs in BI 4.1

Technology agnostic

Can be used from any languages (Java, .Net, etc.)

Can be used from any computer or mobile device

Consistency

Plugged to CYPRESS – BOE Platform REST Web Services which offers the necessary

infrastructure to connect and authenticate user to BOE platform

Consistent with SAP strategic directions for SDK


Developer support Consumption workflows of Web Intelligence document (1/4)

Browsing and Life Cycle Management

List all Web Intelligence documents in CMS repository

Get Web Intelligence Document details

Open / Save / Close Web Intelligence document

Access and Export Document [xls(x), pdf, xml]

Access and Export Report [xls(x), pdf, xml, html]

Get Page of a report in listing or paginated mode [xls(x), pdf, xml, html]

Access and Export Report Element [xls(x), pdf, xml, html]

Document Refresh

Refresh document with support of Text, Numeric, optional/mandatory prompts

Prompting and resolution of multiple contexts

Refresh document with support of Date and Date-Time

List of Values management (included hierarchical) in prompt workflows

Manage Prompt on SAP variable (including optional/mandatory, key dates)

Nested prompts support

Already possible in 4.0 SP5

New in 4.1


Developer support Data sources and data providers workflows (2/4)

Data provider

Get list of data providers of a Web Intelligence document

Get details of a data provider of a Web Intelligence document

Rename, sort or delete a data provider from a document

Export data (data provider) as CSV or XML

Purge document

Get query statement generated by query on universes (SQL or MDX)

Change data provider source workflow UNV UNV

UNV UNX

UNV OLAP BW BEX

UNX UNX

BEX BEX

Data source

Get list of universes stored in the CMS

Get basic information about a universe

Enhanced detailed information about a universe

Browse list of BEx connections and BW BEx queries

Get details of a Bex query

Get data source query capabilities


New in 4.1


Developer support Document authoring workflows (3/4)

Query authoring Get the query specification associated to a data provider

Update the query specification associated to a data provider

Document authoring Create a blank document

Add a report in a document and set its report specification

Delete a report from a document

Get/Create/Delete/Update Track Data Change

Get/Create/Delete/Update Alerters

Get/Create/Delete/Update Styles

Get/Create/Delete/Update Skins (background images)

Get/Create/Delete/Update Variable expression

Manage drill and create drill snapshot

Manage document state through storage token (snapshot)

Get custom format number from the document

Get from server default document configuration Get font mappings, CSS styles, format numbers, default skins, supported operators


New in 4.1


Developer support Scheduling workflows (4/4)

Scheduling Properties

Main recurrences (Once, Hourly, Daily, Weekly, Monthly, …)

Support of server group

Get details of a schedule

Add new schedule

All possible destinations and format

All possible options except for scheduling to FTP or file server where default

server setting are used

New in 4.1: Scheduling with prompts is supported


New in 4.1


Developer support Specific restrictions in 4.1 REST APIs

Following workflows are not delivered or supported in Web Intelligence 4.1

REST APIs

Using Analysis Views as data source for a new data provider

Using Custom Data Provider as data source for a new data provider

Changing data source when based on Analysis Views and Custom Data Provider

Universe detailed information describes only default perspective

Retrieving & setting fold/unfold state of a document report

Retrieving & setting collapse/expand state of a hierarchy displayed in a document report

Management of Input Controls for a document report

Text search in a document or report

Management of auto save & auto recovery configuration


Developer support Graphical user interface customization

IT can choose what part(s) of the graphical

user interface to hide

Associated to a group of users in the CMC

IT can hide part of the graphical user interface

elements

– By selecting individual elements

– By selecting one of the 5 features

o Hidden feature will hide all elements linked to it in all

part of the Web Intelligence interface

Works for all Web Intelligence clients: desktop,

applet or HTML

Not a security feature but a customization

feature

How to: In CMC select a User Group and right click to select « Customization » to display the customization UI.


Web Intelligence 4.1, what’s new? Core capabilities enhancements

Enhanced user experience in reporting capabilities

Freeze header

Keep table rows or columns visible while scrolling

User defined number of first rows or columns to freeze

Custom color palettes & color assignment

Creation and edition of custom palettes to manage chart coloring

Color assignment improvements

Measure delegation

Auto-refresh option at server & document level

Reduce #unavailable by delegating measure calculation when

given against a simple formula

Merged objects

Can add/remove object to a merged object

Allow merged objects with hierarchy

Usability enhancements

Report header/footer properties re-organization

Fold/unfold on table in reading mode in HTML

List of value (LOV) selector in formula editor

Single query execution in query panel

Freeze header


Measure delegation

Merged objects


Globalization enhancements


Core capabilities enhancements Freeze Table Headers when viewing reports

In WebI 4.1, the user can freeze the table headers when viewing a report

Table header stays on top when navigating through its content:

New menu item in Reading mode:


Core capabilities enhancements Freeze Table Header in few clicks


Creation, edition, deletion and use of custom color palettes in charts

Core capabilities enhancements Custom palettes


Core capabilities enhancements Color assignment control

New “Series Colors” sub-menu, with 2 commands

“Set as Default Colors”: to “freeze” the current colors on the selected chart, like a global

manual assignment on the chart

“Clear Color Assignment”: to reverse to the automatic color assignment mode

Benefits

Avoids automatic chart colors assignment loosing chart colors after a filter was

applied to the data, or after a drill or a refresh-on-open


Core capabilities enhancements Measure delegation workflow improvement

Auto-Refresh option at server &

document level

To avoid the delegated measures to return

#TOREFRESH when the required

aggregation is not available in the query

User will no longer have to click “refresh” to

get the expected result (and remove

#TOREFRESH)

Two new settings have ben introduced:

– Enable/disable by administrator from CMC

– Enable/disable at document level (disable

recommended in case of long query refresh)

New setting in CMC

New setting at document level

Note : Activating this feature will proceed with query refresh behind the scene. In case the refresh-time becomes no longer acceptable for end-users, it is recommended to turn off the feature at document level.


Web Intelligence returns in BI 4.1 expected calculation result instead of

#unavailable when a delegated measure is given against a dimension based

on a formula.

Ex: hyperlink on dimension and delegated measure

Before Now:

Core capabilities enhancements Reduce #unavailable for delegated measure

Other use cases

FormatDate

Blank removal on text (Trim)

If then else

text concatenation


Core capabilities enhancements Edit merged objects

User can edit merged object to add/remove an object participating to the

merged object

Available from the contextual menu on the “available object list” from all Web

Intelligence clients.

ADD workflow

Select merged object & object to add

“Add to Merge”

REMOVE workflow

Select object to remove from the merged object

“Remove from Merge”


Core capabilities enhancements Allow usage of merged object with hierarchies (1/4)

User can use in reports a merged object based on hierarchies



When merging same hierarchy, the merged object replicates the hierarchy



A hierarchy merged with a flat dimension gives a hierarchy as the merged

object:



Members with different parents in different merged hierarchies are replicated

for each different parent in the merged object with their descendants

The measure value associated with a member value is based on this association

from the originated hierarchy (no duplication)


Core capabilities enhancements Report header/footer properties re-organization

New specific property panel for report header/footer including border settings

Before Now


Core capabilities enhancements Fold/unfold on table in reading mode in HTML

User can fold/unfold on table and

break in table, in reading mode when

viewing in HTML

A table selection is now possible in this

viewing mode


Core capabilities enhancements List of values in formula editor

Easier formula writing

Select first your object

Double clic on “Values…”

Make your choice in the list of values

Clic OK and get your values inserted in your formulae


Core capabilities enhancements Additional usability enhancements

New edit query button in quick access toolbar

Single query execution in query

panel

Users can choose to execute only one

query from the query panel


Core capabilities enhancements Globalization enhancements

New support of international environments :

Bidirectional language enabled: RightToLeft (RTL)

support for Arabic language

Web Intelligence Rich Internet Application and Web

Intelligence Rich Client

Mirrored interface

Right to left reporting

Bi-directional text support

New language support

Arabic support

Slovene support


Web Intelligence 4.1, what’s new? Core capabilities enhancements

Enhanced user experience in reporting capabilities

Freeze header

Keep table rows or columns visible while scrolling

User defined number of first rows or columns to freeze


Creation and edition of custom palettes to manage chart

coloring

Color assignment improvements

Measure delegation

Auto-refresh option at server & document level

Reduce #unavailable by delegating measure calculation

when given against a simple formula

Merged objects

Can add/remove object to a merged object

Allow merged objects with hierarchy


Report header/footer properties re-organization

Fold/unfold on table in reading mode in HTML

List of value (LOV) selector in formula editor

Single query execution in query panel

Globalization enhancements

Bidirectional language enabled

RightToLeft (RTL) support for Arabic language

Mirrored interface

New language support


Web Intelligence 4.1, what’s new? Data source support enhancements

Enhanced workflow for HANA, BW and others data sources

BW Variable Management

Member selection based on depth for BW Hierarchy Node

Variable

Member selection based on levels for BW Hierarchy Variable

Variable selection before query panel display

Enhancements for HANA support

SSO support through SAML

Query stripping

Enhancements for other sources through universes

Support ERP optional parameters with no default value

OLAP Connection Overload


Data source support enhancements BW variable management

Hierarchy Node Variable: member

selection based on depth.

Defining depth in the Query Panel:

Enabling member selection based on depth

New UI dialog in the Query Panel to enable

user to set a depth at design time

User can set different depth value for each

Hierarchy Node variable



Hierarchy Node Variable: member selection based on depth.

Selecting a node at Run Time

Report returns all descendents of selected

node until the specified relative depth

Depth=3

Descendents down to 3

levels below EMEA node EMEA node is

selected at run time



Hierarchy Variable: member selection

based on levels

Defining level selection in the Query

Panel:

Level based member selection on default

hierarchy can now be defined in case of

Hierarchy Variable

However, the hierarchy has to be set in the

variable manager, otherwise no levels are

available

Only levels of selected hierarchy are displayed:

no merge, no max of levels from all hierarchies

Same restrictions as for a defined hierarchy:

– Levels must start from the root

– No level skipping

Levels of hierarchy:

Country Hierarchy 02



Hierarchy Variable: member selection

based on levels

Returned results of a level selection with

hierarchy variable:

If user selects a different hierarchy at refresh

time, the level selection still applies on the new

hierarchy and returns nodes/values of the new

hierarchy, down to the selected level

Nodes/members of

Country Hierarchy 02 until

Level 3

End user changes value of

variable to:

Country Hierarchy 01

Nodes/members of

Country Hierarchy 01 until

Level 3



Variable selection before query panel display

In BI 4.1, the variable manager shows up before the query panel if there is at

least one mandatory variable that does not have a predefined default value


Data source support enhancements Enhancements for HANA support

Query stripping option indicates if

objects included in the query, but not

used in the report, should be removed

from the query

Query stripping option is now

available for

OLAP-based universes (UNX)

Relational universes including HANA

– Requires “Allow query stripping” option to be set

in the universe for relational universes

Note : Removing objects from a relational query may change results depending on the data source model and data quality. See example in the documentation.


Data source support enhancements Enhancements for HANA support

Query stripping option has to be activated

at document level

and per query

Note : Those settings are activated by default by require for relational data sources to be allowed at universe level (see previous slide).


Data source support enhancements Enhancements for other sources through universes

ERP support enhancements in universes

In BI 4.1, ERP parameters can be consumed within Web Intelligence reports as

optional prompts

OLAP Connection Overload in universes

In BI 4.1, OLAP UNX universes can have their connection overloaded by Business

Security Profile. Web Intelligence reports created on this kind of universe takes into

account this overload

Example

User A has a connection to cube A and User B has a connection to cube B.

Refreshing the report using User A will then get the data from the cube A and refreshing the

report using User B will then get the data from the cube B

From Desktop Intelligence to

Web Intelligence


Desktop Intelligence Catch Up Features

Free-Hand SQL;

Custom GROUPING;

EXCEL DP for Web Intelligence Applets;

Export to HTML;

Schedule with Export To HTML;

Schedule with Export to TXT;

Planned for (i.e subject to change):

BI4.2

End of 2013

End of 2013

End of 2013 via REST API

End of 2013 via REST API

End of 2013


Desktop Intelligence Compatibility Pack

DESKI IS NOT BACK



DeskI documents can now be moved to BI

4.1 using Upgrade Management Tool (UMT)

4.1

RCT will now also be able to connect to a BI

4.1 CMS as source for .rep document for

conversion

DeskI documents will be listed in the Central

Management Console (CMC) for

administrative purposes ONLY

Users can view DeskI report output in the BI

Launchpad and CMC which are in agnostic

output format (.pdf/.xls/.txt/.rtf)

XI 3.x

XI R2

Upgrade

Manager 4.1

BI 4.1

Report Conversion

Tool 4.1



Desktop Intelligence Compatibility Pack (DCP)

Will be delivered in SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise 3.1

Fix Pack 6.1 and later Fix Packs and Service Pack

The DeskI Client can now connect to a SAP

BusinessObjects Business Intelligence 4.1 CMS, in both

2-tier and 3-tier

DeskI documents will be listed ONLY in the Central

Management Console (CMC) for administrative

purposes ONLY

Only Client side consumption of .rep content

Minimum deprecation of DeskI Client functionality

Introduce a Light Schedule functionality which will use

the windows scheduling functionality

BI 4.1

Fix Pack

6.1 (with

DCP)

DeskI

XI 3.1 SP6

Web Intelligence 4.1 Stability

Improvements


Web Intelligence 4.1 stability improvements

Forward Fit content in the BI4.1 RTC :

SP4 up to Patch4.9

SP5 up to Patch5.3

Wrap-Up


Sum-Up

Web Intelligence 4.1, what’s new? :

Developer Support



From Desktop Intelligence to Web Intelligence

Web Intelligence 4.1 Stability Improvements


Next Steps Planned timelines

BI4.1 (RTC) •Start Ramp-Up

•Planned May 2013

BI4.1 SP1 •Planned Q2 2013

BI4.1 SP2 (GA) •End Ramp-Up

•Planned Q3 2013

•KPIs dependent


Next Steps Customer Connection program for Web Intelligence

KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

The Customer Connection program for Web Intelligence is limited in time:

– The collect phase has started on the 01/31/2013 and will end on the 03/22/2013

Experienced customers on Web Intelligence XIR2 or XI3.x or BI4.0 are more than

welcome.

This program is customer driven, with clear responsibilities on both sides:

– Customers propose ideas, and/or;

– Customers subscribe to already proposed ideas;

(minimum 5 subscribers per idea in order to be considered by SAP!)

– SAP will select N customer requests (depending on criteria) and scope those for

development;

– SAP will provide transparency regarding scoped and rejected requests;

The scope of the Customer Connection for Web Intelligence is: BI4.1 SPx (x>1)

– The features selected must not change past behavior, or apply by default;

More details here

http://scn.sap.com/community/businessobjects-web-intelligence/blog/2013/02/06/you-want-to-help-in-improving-web-intelligence-here-is-how


Next Steps http://www.sapandasug.com/asug-preconference.html

http://www.sapandasug.com/asug-preconference.html




Thank you Contact information:

Gregory BOTTICCHIO

SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence Solution Manager

[email protected]

Sylvain RIBOUD

SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence Area Product Owner

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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