Today I attended this webcast provided by SAP's Alexander Peter.
Please note the usual SAP disclaimer applies:
Figure 1: Source: SAP
Figure 2: Source: SAP
Figure 2 shows the familiar consolidation of tools slide. Alex said the name will stay Analysis Office, even with converging the two clients
Figure 3: Source: SAP
Analysis Office works with BW/HANA
EPM add-on came from acquisitions of Outlooksoft / Cartesis
Live Office covers the universes (only UNV today) - UNX support is in the pipeline
Figure 4: Source: SAP
The plan is to add UNX to Live office very soon
Discussions have started on Live Office convergence but no long term strategy defined
Figure 5: Source: SAP
Figure 5 shows the Unified model; at "the end of day" they want "one single client"
Today you cannot run both clients in parallel
Figure 6: Source: SAP
The plan is to have a single license for one tool
Those with an EPM license can use the Analysis tool but this is only true for frontend piece
The will still expose as separate ribbon tabs with a common refresh all
They plan to release in 1 month in ramp-up
Analysis Office
Figure 7: Source: SAP
Figure 7 shows you can deploy to BI platform or NetWeaver; note that variants are supported only in a NetWeaver deployment
Figure 8: Source: SAP
Analysis 2.0 went GA last week
SAP worked on architecture for convergence of add in, making configuration files changes without additional authorizations
The new table design feature allows the adding of empty lines/rows in crosstab
There is a new enhanced side panel to change properties/measures
SAP changed the SAP HANA connection that used to be ODBC SQL to HTTP – don’t have to set up an ODBC driver on each client and limitations with hierarchy handling and SSO – all replaced with HTTP protocol
The quick ribbon delays the load of the add-in
Smart Copy & paste views within Analysis allows you to copy a datasource from 1 workbook to another one or to Analysis for PowerPoint
You can save query views
Figure 9: Source: SAP
The main theme for next release (ramp up end of May) is convergence with EPM add-on
A
nalysis Office 2.1 will contain EPM add-on
Formula editor will be enhanced; today it offers only quick calculations
It contains more complex formulas – coming is a state of the art formula editor
The next release will allow you to define restrictions on HANA
Complete API will be available for table design – when you want to read specific formatting of crosstab
Coming also is the notation concept for charts/table (Prof Hichert) with actuals in black, planned in lighter – use table design API to format a column / row based on name of measure
Precalculation couldn’t be covered in 2.0; will close gap in 2.x worksbooks on BI Platform
Plan to schedule workbooks that contain HANA content; not possible before due to missing SSO
Message handling (bottom left corner) – controlled by API
Logon / Logoff will be in 2.1; this was heavily asked in Idea Place
System remap will allow you to change the system from test system to production system – change connections
For the future they plan to add HANA as a platform when get right services to store in HANA
The future will look at enhancing the Comments framework and closing the gaps in PowerPoint framework (formatting options)
Table design to have more flexibility – define in an empty column to create your own calculated measure in Excel
Question & Answer
Q: Scheduling – limitation – can’t do that without BIP- any plans on NW platform?
A: Yes, heard that; no short-term plan to do it
Variants not available on BIP; still need BW platform for that
Q: Will version 2.1 will allow scheduling with prompts?
A: scheduling in 2.0 need to save as 1.4 – in 2.1 yes
Q: See any performance between BIP/BW?
A: Constantly working – can downport opening from BIP (20 callbacks) – have improved, continuing improve
Q: Timeline for UNX in Live Office?
A: doing enhancements for Live Office – no plan to offer UNX for Analysis Office as it doesn’t fit relational sources
Looking at moving Live Office into the converged client – evaluating now – no clear timing
Q: NonSAP OLAP sources – any plans?
A: EPM add-on allows MDX and MS Analysis Services – no plan to go beyond that
Q: Since 2.1 rampup is starting end of May, when do we expect it to be GA? Still Q2?
A: I can’t give timing for end of ramp-up- guess GA in 3 months
ASUG Annual Conference Resources:
ASUG BI/BW/HANA Schedule with session links
Add these sessions to your schedule
Meet Alex in person at his session BI70 Analysis Office Convergence
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