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.

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.

What Well 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
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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.
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What Well 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
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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

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:

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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.

Tip
To use this tool you need BEx installed

BEx web Analyzer integrates Excel

The Excel integration in the BEx analyzer is far better. 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)
Source: SAP AG, 2006

News: BEx browser goes away in NW2004s

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What Well 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
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APD Analysis Process Designer and data mining

SAP

BW Analysis Process Designer (APD) is for Knowledge discovery and exploration of large sets of data. 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.

APD

You

Flat files Database tables Data Store Objects (new name for ODS) Infocubes BW queries

can read from a variety of sources such as

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

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DW version 2.0

In Data warehousing v2.0 (Bill Immons 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).

Images: Bhanu Gupta, ASUG 2005 Illinois chapter

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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

New data based on the findings can be loaded back into data targets and used by others for reporting

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What Well 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
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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.

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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 data other API as access to sources such as OLAP and relational data sources) via Java connectors

Image source: Cubeserv

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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

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Visual Composer Data Methods

Can integrate data from multiple data sources, including SAP and non-SAP systems, into one model Different options available for data access include:

BI Extension Kit Remote Function Call (RFC) Web services

BI Extension Kit allows access to the following DataSources

SAP NetWeaver 2004 BI (BW 3.5 Support Package 14) SAP NetWeaver 2004s JDBC XMLA

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Visual Composer DataProviders

You can use BI queries and views as DataProviders for Visual Composer models You also can use BI query functionalities for exceptions and variables along with Visual Composer models Visual Composer allows access to BI history, favorites, and roles
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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 greatlooking Web-based cockpits

Visual Composer is Easy for Power Users to Learn

Take advantage of prebuilt analytic business packages

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Source: SAP

What Well 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
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BEx Web Application Designer (WAD)

BEx Analyzer/ Query Designer

BEx Web Application Designer

Web Browser

OLAP Processor Web Service Charting Engine HTLM Templates InfoProvider

WAD is an intuitive tool to build powerful web applications and to interact with portals and custom templates. BW queries can
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WAD can also incorporate other nonSAP web items into powerful cockpits and custom report centers.

Web Application Designer for custom applications

While WAD can be used by developers without extensive HTML and Java scripting knowledge, these skills will be useful on most projects.

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Web Application Designer gets better

The Web Application Designer is improved with new chart types (Heat Map, GANTT & Milestone Trend Analysis), as well as new layout elements such as tab strips. WAD also has new step-by-step wizards for maps, command editing to create Web API Commands and charts, as well as a simplified wizard for layout elements such as radio buttons, action buttons etc. This reduce the amount of custom coding required
WAD is a key tool for all SAP BI shops and in NW2004s the tool is simplified & more powerful. New: integration with NW 2004s BEx Report Designer. 25

SAP NetWeaver 2004s Web AD New Features

Web Items: Tab Pages, Button, Script Item (SAP NetWeaver 2004s Support Package Stack 7) Drag and drop using Analysis item New chart types (heat map, Gantt, milestone trend analysis) Export BI Web applications in PDF format Command Wizard for generating Web API commands Integration with SAP NetWeaver 2004s BEx Report Designer for formatted reports

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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

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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

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What Well 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
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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

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BEx Report Designer is new in BI 7.0

Customizable Group-level Layout

font styles (i.e. bold, italic), colors, etc. changes with individual formatting options, e.g.: Height of rows, width of columns column headers field positioning cells for hierarchies

Multi-line Flexible Merging Support Rules

for the presentation of special characteristic values and charts of text, pictures,

Integration Header

and footer for reports

For many, this tool may reduce the need for 3rd party tools to address structured reports.
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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. is a great tool for batch reporting of "pixel controlled' formatted reports.

Crystal

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What Well 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
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Web Cockpit in the Portal

You can integrate queries and Web applications into the portal through publishing, broadcasting, or Web calls The portal can either receive designed pages passively or actively create communities, Web pages, collaboration rooms, or cockpits
Broadcasting
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Publishing

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

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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

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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

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What Well 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
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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
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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

TipInterested

developers should familiarize themselves with SAP NetWeaver

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What Well 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
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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)

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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.

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What Well 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
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Deciding which reporting tool is right for you

Web Workbooks reports Fixed Web format Applications Models Vizualization Distribution

Web Tools Query tools

Query Designer

Ad-hoc query designer Web Application Designer Visual Composer Analysis Process Designer Broadcaster -wizard

-/ -

-/

-/ -/

-/ -/

-/ -

Other tools

Bex Broadcaster

Crystal Reports

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* Through embedded Bex Broadcaster

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

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Tool Access Who should do what.. 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 Admins users users
Web Tools Query tools
Query Designer Ad-hoc query designer Web Application Designer Visual Composer Analysis Process Designer Broadcaster -wizard

-/

-/ -/ -/

-/

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Other tools

Bex Broadcaster

-/ -/

-/

Crystal Reports

What Well 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
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Resources

SAP Documents - Interfaces for Enterprise Reporting, Query, and Analysis, May 2007,

https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/servlet/prt/portal/prtroot/do cs/library/uuid/f52e9cc1-0d01-0010-d88b-d808b69391a4

Presentantions and Tutorials

www.COMERIT.net

SAP BI - Netweaver2004s - what is New? SDN presentation

http://cscstudentweb.lrc.edu/swp/Berg/articles/NW2004s_what_is_ new.ppt

SAP Business Intelligence (BI) by Norbert Egger, Jean-Marie Fiechter, Sebastian Kramer, RalfPatrick Sawicki, and Stephan Weber.

Galio Press - Hardcover, 653 pages, ISBN 978-1-59229082-6

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7 points to take home

1.Pick the right tools based on what you want to accomplish.
hammer

everything in the world is a nail, when you only have a

2. The BW tool set has evolved substantially over the last 2 years
have you?

3. Todays 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
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Your Turn!

How to contact me: Dr. Bjarne Berg bberg@comerit.net

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