What is new with BI4.1 with SAP HANA – ASUG Webcast

On Thursday this past week  SAP’s Pierpaolo VEZZOSI provided this update to ASUG.  He also goes by “PPaolo”.

These are my notes and please note that SAP’s usual legal disclaimer applies that things are subject to change.

Figure 1: Source: SAP

Figure 1 shows a “A world without HANA”, says PPaolo

He said it is a lot of steps to get data to your users.

Figure 2: Source: SAP

Figure 2 shows that you can place “data created immediately for use” according to PPaolo

Figure 3: Source: SAP

HANA works closely to where data is sitting, and the features shown in Figure 3 reflect the customer value.

HANA is a good database for BI as it is in BI – it is fast, and it compresses the data

You don’t have to pre-aggregate models

Data is not cached outside of SAP HANA

Figure 4: Source: SAP

BI4 tools all support HANA with additional optimizations in BI4.1

With HANA you can do real-time analysis against operational data

You can connect a Universe to HANA as a relational database or you can connect to HANA Information models

You can use HANA Extended SQL to connect HANA Information Models.

You can automatically generate a universe against a HANA information model as well.

Figure 5: Source: SAP

Figure 5 shows Crystal Reports can connect directly to SAP HANA using Freehand SQL and you can fine-tune the request.

Figure 6: Source: SAP

Figure 6 shows the tools which has direct access to HANA, including Design Studio , Lumira,  SAP BusinessObjects Analysis, edition for OLAP , SAP BusinessObjects Analysis, edition for Microsoft Office and SAP Crystal Reports for Enterprise.

The direct access may use different technologies.

The end user does not have to care how it connects to HANA – no universe, just open client tool and connect directly to HANA (information models).

Figure 7: Source: SAP

No universe required in BI4.1 for Crystal Reports Enterprise; you can connect directly to a HANA model. It is a dimensional connection meaning you can use hierarchies.

Figure 8: Source: SAP

Pierpaolo demonstrated Figure 8

I can use aggregate awareness meaning it will take the best view at run-time.

Figure 9: Source: SAP

Figure 9 shows that if you have universe on Oracle or SQL Server you can migrate it to HANA along with your reports.  This migration is provided in the Information Design Tool.

Figure 10: Source: SAP

Figure 10 shows that HANA trusts BI server for authentication

You have to exchange a security certificate so it is secure.

PPaolo said there is no need to do anything complex

The name of the user in HANA and BI Platform must be the same.

Question & Answer:

Q: Are there any plans to have Web Intelligence access HANA data directly?

A: Yes, working with Web Intelligence team on this

________________________________________________________________

Q: Why have direct connection for Crystal reports but not for Webi?

A: Lack of team bandwidth to do Web Intelligence; working on this and planning for the future

________________________________________________________________

Q: Do we have a definite GA date for BI4.1 yet ?

A: No but soon.

________________________________________________________________

Q: can we have hierarchy in WEBI using SAP HANA

A: No

You can meet PPaolo in person at the ASUG BusinessObjects User Conference.  His session is Advanced SQL in Universes: the Mysterious Analytic Functions

Related Links:

SAP TechEd BusinessObjects Sessions

ASUG SAP TechEd Pre-conference BI4.1 Tools In a Day (includes SAP HANA BW