A comprehensive guide to SAP NetWeaver Business Intelligence query and report development tools

A comprehensive guide to
SAP NetWeaver Business
Intelligence query and
report development tools
Dr. Bjarne Berg
© 2008 Wellesley Information Services. All rights reserved.
In This Session ...
This is a comprehensive guide to SAP NetWeaver
Business Intelligence presentation tools
We will take an overview tour of the Analysis Process
Designer (APD), SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC),
Web Application Designer (WAD), Report Designer, Web
publishing, Java Server pages (JSP) and the new SAP
NetWeaver BI Query Designer.
We will look at the strengths and limitations of each tool
and see how they can be used independently or
collectively in a SAP BI environment.
1
In This Session ...
We will examine which tool is suites for each user
community and how they can empower your end users
by giving them increased capabilities.
Leave this session with a thorough understanding of
how to use SAP NetWeaver BI query and report
development tools to make your system more flexible
and adaptive to the needs of end users.
2
What We’ll Cover …
•
The SAP BI Tool Revolution







SAP NetWeaver BI Query Designer
Analysis Process Designer (APD),
SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC)
Web Application Designer (WAD)
Report Designer
Web publishing
Java Server pages (JSP) and the old Business Server Pages (BSP)
•
Using more than one tool together
•
Empowering the users – a mind shift
•
Who Should get access
•
Wrap-up
33
The BW Toolset
BW is an enterprise-wide
comprehensive decision
support (DSS) system for
analytical needs of an
enterprise.
BW can also support some
degree of operational
reporting
Therefore it has many
presentation tools and
options for companies to
leverage.
4
What We’ll Cover …
•
The SAP BI Tool Revolution







SAP NetWeaver BI Query Designer
Analysis Process Designer (APD),
SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC)
Web Application Designer (WAD)
Report Designer
Web publishing
Java Server pages (JSP) and the old Business Server Pages (BSP)
•
Using more than one tool together
•
Empowering the users – a mind shift
•
Who Should get access
•
Wrap-up
55
The BEx Query Designer in BW 3.5
The BEx query designer
is a simple tool that you
use to develop queries
for users.
While the Query
Designer defined the
query, you have many
options on how you
deploy the queries
You can deploy the
queries through web
templates, broadcasted
emails, portals, Excel
and more.
6
BEx Query Designer gets a needed ‘facelift’ in BI 7.0
The 3.5x BEx
Query Designer
This new property pane makes it
easier to format and control
displays than in the past.
The NW2004s BEx
Query Designer
Note:
7
BEx - Workbooks
1. BEx Workbooks is Excel 'on steroids'.
2. BW queries can be opened in Excel
3. Queries can be refreshed
and standard Excel functions can
be used
This is a great tool for financial
analysts and power users.
To use this tool you
need BEx installed
8
BEx web Analyzer integrates Excel
The Excel integration in the BEx
analyzer is far better.
Source: SAP AG, 2006
Unlike the old days of dynamic
HTML, you can now use the BEx
analyzer more like a real
application without refreshing the
whole page every time you click
on something (this is due to the
Java component in NW2004s)
News: BEx browser
goes away in NW2004s
9
What We’ll Cover …
•
The SAP BI Tool Revolution







SAP NetWeaver BI Query Designer
Analysis Process Designer (APD),
SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC)
Web Application Designer (WAD)
Report Designer
Web publishing
Java Server pages (JSP) and the old Business Server Pages (BSP)
•
Using more than one tool together
•
Empowering the users – a mind shift
•
Who Should get access
•
Wrap-up
1010
APD – Analysis Process Designer and data mining
•
SAP BW Analysis Process Designer (APD) is for Knowledge
discovery and exploration of large sets of data.
•
APD has been available in BW since version 3.0 and can be used to
do complex analysis without having to restructure the data and
create hundreds of specialized data marts.
•
You can read from a variety of sources such as





Flat files
Database tables
Data Store Objects (new name for ODS)
Infocubes
BW queries
Since BW 3.5, APD has
been integrated with the
Data Mining Workbench.
You can access it though
the transaction code
“RSDMWB”
Image: SAP, UK
11
DW version 2.0
•
In Data warehousing v2.0 (Bill Immon’s new terminology), we are
using BI applications to create new data that needs to be fed to the
data warehouse, and /or the transactional system
•
Tools are now available to build association data sets that creates
updates based on BI findings (i.e. customer segmentation, risk,
profitability flagging etc).
12
Images: Bhanu Gupta, ASUG 2005 Illinois chapter
APD – Analysis Process Designer and data mining
Complex scenarios can be
built for structured analysis
such as risk modeling,
customer segmentation,
market basket analysis,
predictive modeling and
much more
Image: SAP
“New data” based on the
findings can be loaded
back into data targets and
used by others for reporting
i.e. CRM analysis.
13
What We’ll Cover …
•
The SAP BI Tool Revolution







SAP NetWeaver BI Query Designer
Analysis Process Designer (APD),
SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC)
Web Application Designer (WAD)
Report Designer
Web publishing
Java Server pages (JSP) and the old Business Server Pages (BSP)
•
Using more than one tool together
•
Empowering the users – a mind shift
•
Who Should get access
•
Wrap-up
1414
Visual Composer
A Visual Composer is a tool to visualize the data. It is a browser-based
modeling and design tool for rapid application development & prototyping
in a code-free development environment.
15
Visual Composer for Complex cockpits
Modeling of BI applications using the BI kit of the Visual
Composer allows business users to create analytical content
for SAP portal. It offers the integration with BI infoproviders,
views, BEx web applications, PDF and more via WEB API as
access to
other data
sources such
as OLAP and
relational data
sources) via
Java
connectors
16
Image source: Cubeserv
Details about Visual Composer Cockpits
•Delivered
as part of Enterprise Portal in SAP NetWeaver 2004s Usage
Type (SPS8 and higher)
•Different options available for rendering Visual Composer output
Flash
Web Dynpro (HTML)
•Flash provides high-end visualization of Visual Composer models
Since a cockpit may have
many different DataSources
(queries), it can take quite
some time to execute them
if the memory cache is not
used consistently
17
Visual Composer Data Methods
•
•
Can integrate data from multiple data sources, including
SAP and non-SAP systems, into one model
Different options available for data access include:



•
BI Extension Kit
Remote Function Call (RFC)
Web services
BI Extension Kit allows access
to the following DataSources




SAP NetWeaver 2004 BI
(BW 3.5 Support Package 14)
SAP NetWeaver 2004s
JDBC
XMLA
18
Visual Composer DataProviders
•
•
You can use BI queries and views as DataProviders for
Visual Composer models
You also can use BI query functionalities for exceptions and
variables along with Visual Composer models
• Visual Composer
allows access to BI
history, favorites,
and roles
19
Visual Composer is Easy for Power Users to Learn
Visual Composer is a power user tool that is simple to learn for
someone with a little bit of technical background (i.e. controllers,
report writers, analysts).
No coding required to
create great-looking
Web-based cockpits
Take advantage of prebuilt
analytic business packages
20
Source: SAP
What We’ll Cover …
•
The SAP BI Tool Revolution







SAP NetWeaver BI Query Designer
Analysis Process Designer (APD),
SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC)
Web Application Designer (WAD)
Report Designer
Web publishing
Java Server pages (JSP) and the old Business Server Pages (BSP)
•
Using more than one tool together
•
Empowering the users – a mind shift
•
Who Should get access
•
Wrap-up
21
BEx Web Application Designer (WAD)
BEx Analyzer/
Query Designer
BEx Web Application Designer
WAD is an intuitive
tool to build powerful
web applications and
to interact with portals
and custom templates.
OLAP Processor
Web Service
Charting Engine
Web Browser
HTLM Templates
InfoProvider
BW queries can be
manipulated in WAD
for better display
22
Web Application Designer for custom applications
WAD can also incorporate other
non-SAP web items into
powerful cockpits and custom
report centers.
BEx Analyzer/
Query Designer
BEx Web Application Designer
OLAP
OLAP Processor
Processor
Web
Web Service
Service
Charting
Charting Engine
Engine
HTLM Templates
InfoProvider
Source: SAP AG
While WAD can be used by developers
without extensive HTML and Java
scripting knowledge, these skills will be
useful on most projects.
23
Web Application Designer gets better
The Web Application Designer is improved with new chart types (Heat Map, GANTT &
Milestone Trend Analysis), as well as new layout elements such as ‘tab strips’.
WAD also has new stepby-step wizards for maps,
command editing to
create Web API
Commands and charts, as
well as a simplified wizard
for layout elements such
as radio buttons, action
buttons etc.
This reduce the amount
of custom coding
required with the help of
Command wizards, Auto
complete and support for
HTML tags.
WAD is a key tool for all SAP BI shops and in NW2004s the tool is
simplified & more powerful.
New: integration with NW 2004s BEx Report Designer.
24
SAP NetWeaver 2004s Web AD New Features

Web Items: Tab Pages, Button, Script Item (SAP NetWeaver 2004s
Support Package Stack 7)

Drag and drop using Analysis item

New chart types (heat map, Gantt, milestone trend analysis)

Export BI Web applications in PDF format

Command Wizard for generating Web
API commands

Integration with SAP NetWeaver 2004s
BEx Report Designer for formatted
reports
25
BI Web API Commands
•
•
•
You can use BI Web API commands for carrying out certain actions in
BI Web Applications.
 Export to Excel, PDF etc.
 OLAP functions: Apply Filter values, remove drill downs
Command Wizards guide you through the steps for creating a BI Web
API command
Commands appear together for easy access
 Data Provider
 Web Items
 Web Templates
Reduces the amount of custom
coding required with the help of
Command wizards, Auto complete,
and support for HTML tags
26
Command Wizard and JavaScript
•
Use Command Wizard for generating JavaScript code for the
Script Item to use in custom cockpit applications
This is a great feature for
building custom features into
your cockpits based on
27
standard JavaScript
What We’ll Cover …
•
The SAP BI Tool Revolution







SAP NetWeaver BI Query Designer
Analysis Process Designer (APD),
SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC)
Web Application Designer (WAD)
Report Designer
Web publishing
Java Server pages (JSP) and the old Business Server Pages (BSP)
•
Using more than one tool together
•
Empowering the users – a mind shift
•
Who Should get access
•
Wrap-up
2828
BEx Report Designer is here!!
This new tool was created to
simplify the formatting of
reports and fix many of the
printing issues in previous
versions of BW.
Source: SAP AG
We now get color control, header-footer control and many new features such
as location control of cells and integration of pictures, charts and fixed text.
29
BEx Report Designer is new in BI 7.0
•
Customizable font styles (i.e.
bold, italic), colors, etc.
•
Group-level changes with
individual formatting
•
Layout options, e.g.: Height
of rows, width of columns
•
Multi-line column headers
•
Flexible field positioning
•
Merging cells
•
Support for hierarchies
•
Rules for the presentation of
special characteristic values
•
Integration of text, pictures,
and charts
•
Header and footer for
reports
For many, this tool may reduce the
need for 3rd party tools to address
structured reports.
30
Crystal Report is still available
•
With BW you get access to Crystal reports. In fact you have many
pre-developed reports that comes with SAP-BW. Currently, you can
modify, or develop and deploy a few Crystal reports without
additional licensing cost.
•
Crystal is a great tool for batch reporting of "pixel controlled'
formatted reports.
31
What We’ll Cover …
•
The SAP BI Tool Revolution







SAP NetWeaver BI Query Designer
Analysis Process Designer (APD),
SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC)
Web Application Designer (WAD)
Report Designer
Web publishing
Java Server pages (JSP) and the old Business Server Pages (BSP)
•
Using more than one tool together
•
Empowering the users – a mind shift
•
Who Should get access
•
Wrap-up
3232
Web Cockpit in the Portal
You can integrate queries
and Web applications into
the portal through
publishing, broadcasting,
or Web calls
Publishing
The portal can either
receive designed pages
passively or actively
create communities, Web
pages, collaboration
rooms, or cockpits
Broadcasting
33
Web Cockpit in the Portal (cont.)
•
The SEM-CPM cockpits are
already part of the portal, so
you can access them there
•
iViews can build custom
portal cockpits with iViews
from many data sources (Web
AD, BW, SEM, R/3, Web) and
in many formats (graphs,
pictures, figures, tables)
•
iViews can also be interactive
34
Web AD Cockpits in SAP Enterprise Portal 6.0
You can directly publish BI Web cockpits to Portal Content
Catalog using the Publish option from Web AD
Portal and BI system connection should
be set up as per OSS note 917950
35
Broadcast Cockpit Views and Templates Using WAD
•
•
In SAP NetWeaver 2004s, use Information Broadcaster to broadcast BI
Web applications (i.e., cockpit views) to Enterprise Portal KM folders
and via email in various formats (PDF, MHTML, HTML)
Information Broadcaster/Reporting Agent (BI 3.x) can precalculate BI
Web applications to enhance performance
36
What We’ll Cover …
•
The SAP BI Tool Revolution







SAP NetWeaver BI Query Designer
Analysis Process Designer (APD),
SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC)
Web Application Designer (WAD)
Report Designer
Web publishing
Java Server pages (JSP) and the old Business Server Pages (BSP)
•
Using more than one tool together
•
Empowering the users – a mind shift
•
Who Should get access
•
Wrap-up
3737
BI Java SDK-Based Cockpits in SAP BI 7.0
•
•
•
BI Java SDK can be used for custom applications based on SAP BI
and non-SAP data.
BI Java SDK provides access to relational and OLAP data sources
using JDBC, XMLA, ODBO etc.
Access to 200+ data sources using the JDBC drivers.
Java programmers will
recognize the
standard development
kit's (SDK) main
libraries such as the
abstract windowing
toolkit (AWT) and the
GUI-oriented Swing
object library as well
38
Source: SAP AG, 2005
BI Java SDK-Based Cockpits (cont.)
•
•
SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio can develop BI Java SDK-based
applications
Can use along with SAP Java Web Dynpro
Tip Interested
developers should
familiarize
themselves with
SAP NetWeaver
Developer Studio
39
What We’ll Cover …
•
The SAP BI Tool Revolution







SAP NetWeaver BI Query Designer
Analysis Process Designer (APD),
SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC)
Web Application Designer (WAD)
Report Designer
Web publishing
Java Server pages (JSP) and the old Business Server Pages (BSP)
•
Using more than one tool together
•
Empowering the users – a mind shift
•
Who Should get access
•
Wrap-up
40
BEx Report Designer and WAD
You can also let your SAP BI users do basic
navigation on the formatted reports by either
integrating navigation, or adding this in the Web
Application Designer (WAD)
41
Visual Composer 7.0 Portal Publishing
•
Visual Composer
Design time deploys
Visual Composer
models directly as
iViews to Portal
Content Catalog
•
You can then use
Visual Composer
iViews in portal pages,
roles, etc.
42
What We’ll Cover …
•
The SAP BI Tool Revolution







SAP NetWeaver BI Query Designer
Analysis Process Designer (APD),
SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC)
Web Application Designer (WAD)
Report Designer
Web publishing
Java Server pages (JSP) and the old Business Server Pages (BSP)
•
Using more than one tool together
•
Empowering the users – a mind shift
•
Who Should get access
•
Wrap-up
43
Web Tools
Query tools
Deciding which reporting tool is right for you
Workbooks
Web
reports
Fixed
format
Web
Applications

-
-
-
-/
-/
*
-/


-
-
-

-/

-
-
-/
-



-
-


-/
-
-
-
-

Bex Broadcaster
-
-
-
-
-
-

Crystal Reports
-
-/

-

-
Query Designer
Ad-hoc query designer
Web Application
Designer
Visual Composer
Analysis Process
Designer
Other tools
Broadcaster -wizard
Models
-
Vizualization
Distribution
* Through embedded Bex Broadcaster
44
Who gets to do what?
The major decision for a SAP BI driven enterprise is to determine who
gets access to each tool.
There is often a temptation for the IT community of wanting to keep the
tools under their domain – That is a mistake
The IT community should actively work with the power and casual users
to improve human capabilities and thereby teach them to become more
productive employees.
Chinese Proverb
45
Tool Access – Who should do what…..
Other tools
Web Tools
Query tools
There are many options and decisions to be made
on who should be able to access all the different
Regular
Power
BW
tools.
Authors
Developers
users
users
Admins
Query Designer
Ad-hoc query designer
Web Application
Designer
Visual Composer
-/
-
-/
-/
-





-


-/
-
-/



-
-


Broadcaster -wizard





Bex Broadcaster
-
-/
-/


Crystal Reports
-
-/



Analysis Process
Designer
46
What We’ll Cover …
•
The SAP BI Tool Revolution







SAP NetWeaver BI Query Designer
Analysis Process Designer (APD),
SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC)
Web Application Designer (WAD)
Report Designer
Web publishing
Java Server pages (JSP) and the old Business Server Pages (BSP)
•
Using more than one tool together
•
Empowering the users – a mind shift
•
Who Should get access
•
Wrap-up
47
Resources
•
SAP Documents - Interfaces for Enterprise Reporting,
Query, and Analysis, May 2007,

•
Presentantions and Tutorials

•
www.COMERIT.net
SAP BI - Netweaver2004s - what is New? SDN
presentation

•
https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/servlet/prt/portal/prtroot/docs/library
/uuid/f52e9cc1-0d01-0010-d88b-d808b69391a4
http://cscstudentweb.lrc.edu/swp/Berg/articles/NW2004s_what_is_new.ppt
SAP Business Intelligence (BI) by Norbert Egger, JeanMarie Fiechter, Sebastian Kramer, Ralf-Patrick Sawicki,
and Stephan Weber.

Galio Press - Hardcover, 653 pages, ISBN 978-1-59229-082-6
48
7 points to take home
1. Pick the right tools based on what you want to accomplish.
“everything in the world is a nail, when you only have a hammer”…
2. The BW tool set has evolved substantially over the last 2 years
–have you?
3. Today’s presentation developer is much more than a query developer.
More than one skill set is needed.
4. Work hard on empowering your end users. You are not doing your
organization any ‘favors’ by keeping BI in the IT organization
5. Consider integrating more than one tool for you analytical needs
6. You may want to consider to split your backend BI operations and
create a new reporting group focusing on the front-end.
7. Budget ‘real money’ to get your organization proficient in the new
tools. This is not done overnight, nor cheaply.
49
Your Turn!
How to contact me:
Dr. Bjarne Berg
[email protected]
50