SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.2 SP04 Deployments – Guidelines for BI Platform Add-on Installations with BI 4.2 SP04
Prerequisites:
- You are an existing customer of BI Platform with version prior to BI 4.2 SP04, also have Add-ons in your landscape, looking forward to update the platform version to BI 4.2 SP04
- You have already performed a fresh BI Platform 4.2 SP04 version installation and now are trying to perform a fresh installation of BI Platform Add-ons on top of BI Platform BI 4.2 SP04
Expected Behavior:
- You update your current BI landscape with BI 4.2 SP04 and cannot wait until the corresponding BI platform add-ons are released. Alternatively, you perform a fresh installation of BI 4.2 SP04 on a new machine.
- You then try to install any of the currently available add-on versions of Lumira Server for BI Platform, Design Studio BI Platform Add On and Analysis for Office BI Platform Add On after the BI 4.2 SP04 platform update.
- You expect the add-ons to be installed successfully.
Actual Behavior:
- When you try installing any of the currently available add-on versions of Lumira Server for BI Platform, Design Studio BI Platform Add On and Analysis for Office BI Platform Add On after the BI 4.2 SP04 platform update/fresh installation, the installation of the add-ons does NOT proceed ahead.
Let us explore more on this topic in the subsequent sections and provide you guidelines for successful BI 4.2 SP04 installations with add-ons.
About SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.2 SP04 Release
The SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.2 Support Package 04 (SP04) release comes with several key advancements for all, including designers and analysts using Web Intelligence, Crystal Reports and SAP Lumira 2.0, IT administrators responsible for managing and optimizing the platform, ecosystem and development partners looking to extend the value and capabilities of the integrated BI Platform. Some key enhancements include Fiori styled BI Launchpad, CMS database driver for better administration, exclusive server group at runtime and WEBI Unified Viewer.
SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.2 SP04 – Compiler version upgrade and Impact on Add-ons
Guidelines for installing BI platform add-ons with BI 4.2 SP04 version
Some general points for consideration irrespective of the release:
- It is always recommended to install/update the BI platform version to start with/FIRST and then proceed with the add-on installations.
- It is always recommend to use the compatible versions of the add-ons for the corresponding BI platform version especially for the tightly coupled add-ons – Lumira Server for BI Platform, Design Studio BI Platform Add On and Analysis for Office BI Platform Add On.
The guidelines to keep in mind when considering update of your BI platform to v4.2 SP04 and installation of BI platform add-ons on top of v4.2 SP04 are as follows:
You have Existing Installations of BI 4.x with add-ons
- The already installed versions of BI Platform Add-ons (AO 2.x, DS 1,x, Lumira 1.x) in BI Landscape will continue to work even after the BI Platform is updated to BI 4.2 SP04.
- If you upgrade your BI Platform version to SP04 and try to install any of the currently available add-on versions in the market, installation will not proceed ahead. (refers to the versions lower than the ones indicated in Table: Timelines for Availability of Compatible Add-ons for BI 4.2 SP04) However, the base SP04 system will NOT be impacted and will be usable including the already installed add-ons.
- All upcoming add-on releases will be compatible with SP04. The release of these compatible add-ons is planned in next 4- 8 weeks. (please refer the release schedule in Table: Timelines for Availability of Compatible Add-ons for BI 4.2 SP04)
- The compatible versions of add-ons are installable on lower versions of the BI platform as well and possess backward compatibillity.
Fresh Installation of BI 4.2 SP04 with add-ons
- If you perform a fresh installation of the BI Platform 4.2 SP04 and try to install any of the currently available add-on versions in the market on top of BI 4.2 SP04, the installation will not proceed ahead.
- All upcoming add-on releases will be compatible with SP04. The release of these compatible add-ons is planned in next 4- 8 weeks. (please refer the release schedule in Table: Timelines for Availability of Compatible Add-ons for BI 4.2 SP04)
Table: Timelines for Availability of Compatible Add-ons for BI 4.2 SP04
| Add-Ons | Release Version | Planned Release Date |
| Analysis Office 2.4 | 2.4 SP03 Patch1 | Refer SAP Note 1518359 |
| Analysis Office 2.5*** | 2.5 SP01 | Planned for CW 30- 2017 |
| Design Studio 1.6** | 1.6 SP05 Patch1 | Patch1 planned for CW 26- 2017 see release note 1760372 |
| Lumira 1.x | 1.31.6 RTC | 2nd June 2017 |
| Lumira 2.0** | 2.0 SP02 | Refer SAP Note 2465894 |
Note: The above mentioned dates are as per currently planned release timelines. They may be subjected to updates owing to changing market conditions and internal constraints.
The above timelines have a reference to the SAP Note 2467541 and hence would go hand in hand with the timelines, dates and versions mentioned in the note.
** – Compatibility with BI 4.2 SP04 for both Design Studio 1.6 and Lumira 2.0 Add-ons starts from Patch 01 of BI 4.2 SP04.
*** – Analysis Office 2.5 is currently in Ramp-up
Illustration of some Scenarios of Fresh Installation/Update of BI Platform
Note: The add-ons that are referred to in the following scenarios are Lumira Server for BI Platform, Design Studio BI Platform Add On and Analysis for Office BI Platform Add On. Explorer and IOMS add-ons are not impacted.
Scenario 1: Add-ons are already installed and YOU are updating the platform with BI 4.2 SP04.
Expected Behavior – The add-ons work as expected without surprises.
Note: If the add-ons have to be updated after BI 4.2 SP04 update, their respective versions must be compatible with BI 4.2 SP04
Scenario 2: YOU are updating the platform with BI 4.2 SP04 and install the compatible versions of the add-ons (with BI 4.2 SP04)
Expected Behavior – The add-ons work as expected without surprises.
Scenario 3: YOU are updating the platform with BI 4.2 SP04 and install the add-on versions compatible with previous version of the platform (below BI 4.2 SP04)
Expected Behavior – The installation of the add-ons will not work due to incompatibility.
Scenario 4: YOU are trying to perform a fresh install of BI 4.2 SP04 + Add-ons
Expected Behavior – YOU can install Explorer and IOMS add-ons without any impact/waiting period however YOU need to wait till the add-on version compatible with BI 4.2 SP04 is released for DesignStudio, Lumira and Analysis for Office.
Additional Resources:
A Simple Guide to Updating/Upgrading Your SAP BusinessObjects BI platform
Thanks Narayan
Good Blog!!
Could you please share SAP BOBJ 4.2 SP04 PAM
sure, here you go https://support.sap.com/content/dam/library/ssp/infopages/pam-essentials/SBOP_BI_42.pdf
Hi Henry,
Above link is giving 4.2 SP03 PAM.
sorry.. you're quite right ! i'll ask internally @ SAP
it needs to be updated to this area :
https://apps.support.sap.com/sap/support/pam?hash=pvnr%3D73555000100900000046%26pt%3Dg%257Cd&v=i
for info, i had a good look around the documentation (help) area - it just refers back to the above
https://help.sap.com/viewer/product/SAP_BUSINESSOBJECTS_BUSINESS_INTELLIGENCE_PLATFORM/4.2.4/en-US
Regards, H
Hi, i've been informed that there is a slight delay in the replication process. but please rest assured that it is being delt with. regards, Henry
Hi Bharath,
Please find below link SAP BOBJ 4.2 SP04 PAM,
https://support.sap.com/content/dam/library/ssp/infopages/pam-essentials/SBOP_BI_42.pdf
Thanks,
Chandra
Glad to be of help here. Thanks for your comments.
Please refer to this related blog https://blogs.sap.com/2017/05/12/a-simple-guide-to-updating-upgrading-your-sap-businessobjects-bi-platform-the-rules/
Thanks Matthew. I have added your blog as a part of my additional resources. Again appreciate your help in educating the SAP ecosystem.
Hi Mathew,
We are on DS 1.6 SP02 and Lumira 1.31 and followed the deployment guidelines for BI 4.2 SP04 for existing add-ons:
You have Existing Installations of BI 4.x with add-ons
Somehow, we are not able to view design studio documents on new Fiori styled BI Launchpad even though they work fine on the old Launchpad. We tested webi and Lumira docs and they seem to be opening fine.
Any idea if Design Studio works fine with the new BI Launchpad?
Regards,
Daniel
Hello Danial
This is expected behaviour. Please refer to my blog https://blogs.sap.com/2017/05/12/a-simple-guide-to-updating-upgrading-your-sap-businessobjects-bi-platform-the-rules/
Regards Matthew
Hi Mathew,
We didn't update our DS and Lumira add-ons after updating the platform to 4.2 SP04. The add-ons were already installed on the platform(4.2 SP02) and later on the platform was updated to 4.2 SP04. And so as per your blog, this is supported, please correct me if I am wrong.
Regards,
Daniel
4. BI 4.2 Support Pack 4 special rules for some add-ons
Because we’ve improved our software, we have two ‘gotchas’ regarding BI 4.2 Support Pack 4 when in comes to updating.
Gotcha 1: install technology change
The installer program in the existing add-ons (that where released prior to BI 4.2 SP4) can’t be used with BI 4.2 SP4 or later. So, you either need to update your add-on before applying BI 4.2 SP4, or wait until the next release of your add-on. The KBA 2467541 provides the official status.
---------
KBA 2467541:
Scenario 1: Add-ons are already installed and Customers are updating the platform with BI 4.2 SP04.
Expected Behavior – The existing Add-ons will continue to work as expected.
But you've only considered gotcha 1 and not gotcha 2. My blog (not this blog) provides the details for both gotchas. This blog covers only gotcha 1. Regards Matthew
So technically, none of the design studio add-ons available as of today will work with BI 4.2 SP04
That is perfectly correct.
once new compatible 4.2sp04 addon are available , will we be able to install it on top of existing addon , there seems to be some problem uninstalling addon after BI4.2SP04 update
Hi Jing Zhang,
It is recommended not to uninstall the add-on. After the 4.2 SP04 update, please update/upgrade the existing add-on to the version compatible with SP04. This should work fine.
Regards
Samarth