How to add Categories in Ipad/iphone devices when using BO XI 3.1 or BI 4.0/4.1

Hi Everyone,

Yet another topic, which was discussed many a times, however i myself was a lil confused about the same

The story goes something like this

Pre requistes: You are familiar with  connecting mobile client device with SAP Business objects server. If any refresher needed, click on the link below

How to connect mobile to SAP BO servers

Now, moving ahead we know that, we have Mobile and MobileDesigned as default categories avaialble with us.

We have to create those two categories under CMC>Categories and list our reports accordingly.

However, you feel the need to add multiple other categories, like Finance, Marketing, Sales etc

Its easy…

1. Go to Categories under CMC, create a category called Finance.
2. Stop Tomcat
3. Add the same under the mobi.properties file present under Tomcat/webapps/MobileBIService/WEB-INF/config/default
4. Start Tomcat

EXAMPLE:

The mobi.properties file

#default

1. default.corporateCategory=Mobile,Finance
2. default.personalCategory=MobileDesigned
3. default.category.mobileDesigned=MobileDesigned
4. default.category.secure=Confidential
5. default.category.featured=Featured

#iphone

1. iphone.corporateCategory=Mobile,Finance
2. iphone.personalCategory=MobileDesigned

Please note from BI 4.1 onwards, the mobi.properties file will not be present under Mobile14 folder. To configure the above required, go to CMC>applications> SAP Business Objects Mobile>properties

The above listed categories should then be valid to assign reports to them.

Now, log back to CMC , go to concerned category and assign reports to the same

Once done, login to the ipad and see that the reports are seen, however the list of categories are not!!!

and this happens because…………

For IPAD / IPHONE

‘Finance’ acts as technical category. i.e. only those documents assigned to this category will be listed in MOBI iPAD.

the actual Cateogry name is a technical name, hence it wont be listed. Instead all reports under the Finance category will be placed under All, as seen above.

I hope this clears some misconceptions regarding Mobile Categories.

If you want to show Categories that you created in CMC on your IPAD, then you will have to do the following:

1. Login to CMC
2. Go to Categories
3. Create a Category, for example TEST
4. Assign a report to that category
5. Do not make any changes in the mobi.properties file. As in , do not add TEST category under the default.corporatecategory
6. Login to ipad and Voila,,, Category can be seen on the left panel

Why did the above happen??

This happened because, when you do not add the category name under mobi.properties, it does not become a technical name, hence it is viewed on ipad or iphone.

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CATEGORIES

Available on the Mobile Device

The Categories section available is to create categories which are specific to the device only and are neither replicas nor do they sync from the Server ( i.e CMC> Categories)

To Create Category on Ipad, click on the settings gear and select Edit Categories

Create Category Sales

Categories can be deleted as and when required. They do not sync with your BO server, hence even if a same Sales cateogry exists under CMC>Categories, it wont be affected.

Now, assign any report to this Category

Now you can select the particular category that you would like it to be in

There you go, your report is under the Sales Category

Now you can choose to work offline to view this report, when you are not logged in

The above was just to show that, the Category behaviour is different on the SERVER and on the MOBILE device

Please leave your feedback or raise posts, in case of any concerns

Till then…

Regards,

Atul B

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