BusinessObjects and SAP Part 10 – Xcelsius with Universe and Query-as-a-WebService

In the previous blog I described how you could leverage Crystal Reports and Live Office to connect Xcelsius to SAP data source. This time I will try to describe how you can leverage  OLAP Universes on top of SAP NetWeaver BI and use Query-as-a-WebService to leverage the data inside of Xcelsius.

I will assume that you are familiar with the creation of a Universe on top of a BI Query. In case this is new to you feel free to look at the previous blog:

BusinessObjects and SAP Part 5

In the next step we are going to create a Query-as-a-WebService and we will expose the universe as a webservice which we then can use in Xcelsius.

I am starting the Query as a Web Service  tool and because I have not setup my system I need to first add my system definition.

For the “Name” entry I enter the name of the server where I deployed the web services from the BusinessObjects Enterprise system and the URL part will automatically getting filled in. I also enter the name of my Central Management Console (CMS) and the user account that I want to leverage to logon to my BusinessObjects Enterprise system.

After logging on I can now create a new Query-as-a-WebService.

As the first step I need to setup the name of my web service and to configure the Advanced parameters.

… where I can configure the web service to use the SAP Authentication (secSAPR3) mechanism so that later on I can use my SAP credentials when refreshing the Xcelsius dashboard.

In the next step I select the Universe I created previously.

After this I am presented with the query panel which allows me now to select the elements of the universe that I want to expose via my web service.

In my example I am using a very simple universe with a characteristic Region and some keyfigures.

I am adding the Region and the Order Amount to my query panel and moving to the next step where I am presented with a resultset to show what the resultset of the web service will look like.

Now I can click on Publish, which brings me to the last step and provides me with the URL for my web service.

I am copying the URL to a textfile so that I have quick access for the next step where I will use the URL in the Xcelsius Designer.

Now I start the Xcelsius Designer and call the menu Data > Connectionsas first step.

I click on the button Add and select the entry “Query as a WebService” and select the newly created connection.

Now I paste the URL from the created QaaWS web service into the field WSD URL and click Import.

The web service returns the data in a table format and shows that each row in this example returns a value for the characteristic Region and a value for the keyfigure Order Amount.

Now I need to configure where the resultset of the web service is being returned. To do so I click on the row folder of the Return  Values and click the icon next to the range.

I then mark a range in the Excel spreadsheet which fits the resultset – in my example I need 2 columns and several rows.

Then I select the Usagetab of my connection

And set the Refresh on Load property.

Now I can drag and drop a pie chart onto the canvas and configure the properties of my new chart.

I select the icon next to the Data Values and mark the complete range for the values – which in this example is identical to the range I marked as the target area for the column Order Amount of my web service. After this I do the identical step for the labels.

Now I can click Previewand after I authenticated myself with my SAP credentials I can see my new chart.

Now I go to the menu File > Export > BusinessObjects Platform to save the Xcelsius file as SWF File to BusinessObjects Enterprise

Now I can use InfoView and my SAP credentials to view the Xcelsius object in BusinessObjects Enterprise.

At the SAP Comunity at the TechEd in Las Vegas (Community Day Schedule) I will do a 2 hour hands-on session and during the TechED you can win some cool prizes by taking part in the Business Objects Community Xcelsius Challenge. Look at Xcelsius Challenge – more details for Las Vegas TechEd for the great prizes.

Hope to see you all at the Community Day in Las Vegas