Product Information
SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.3 Now Available
Delivering for the On-Premise BI Community
SAP has released SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.3 in general availability. This follows the successful completion of the beta program announced at TechEd in 2019. It delivers on SAP’s commitment at SAPPHIRE NOW 2018 to a new release of the SAP BusinessObjects BI suite for our on-premise customers.
SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.3 is designed to help enhance and build upon the on-premise mission critical enterprise reporting use cases that it supports today. It further enables the optimization of existing resources by leveraging on-premise universes, documents and assets in conjunction with the innovations provided by SAP Analytics Cloud. In turn, it supports the acceleration of digital transformation to enable and deliver the intelligent enterprise.
Many organizations are operating in a mixed landscape with on-premise and cloud or multi-cloud technologies and data. With the new release of SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.3, SAP supports customers with on-premise needs while enabling cloud interoperability, further enabling organizations to manage all types of analytics across their business.
Reinforcing our commitment to our on-premise customers, SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.3 will be supported through at least 2027, making it the longest announced supported on-premise BI suite timeline in the industry.
Focus Innovation Areas
Three key areas of focus and emphasis make up the SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.3 release. The “What’s New Guide for SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.3” provides some great information as well.
Enhanced Hybrid Capabilities
More and more organizations are looking to use SAP BusinessObjects BI suite and SAP Analytics Cloud together. SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.3 provides a tighter integration between SAP BusinessObjects BI and SAP Analytics Cloud, including:
- Consumption of SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence data models with SAP Analytics Cloud*
- Reuse of SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence documents to build new reports and assets*
- Improved live connectivity between SAP Analytics Cloud, SAP BusinessObjects BI universes, and SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence documents
- Simplified single sign-on (SSO) configuration and user replication and synchronization across on-premise and cloud
- Improved integration with SAP Analytics Hub, allowing SAP BusinessObjects BI content to automatically appear as SAP Analytics Hub assets
Check out these Hybrid videos and demos that are a part of the SAP BusinessObjects BI Virtual Tour for more information.
- Presentation: SAP Hybrid Analytics
- Presentation: SAP Analytics Cloud Overview and Strategy with Iver van de Zand
- Demo: SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.3 Hybrid Features
- Demo: BI Universe Live Connection with SAP Analytics Cloud
Improved User Experience
Harmonize the user experience and foster BI adoption with an experience similar to using the SAP Fiori® UX, including
- A single touch-ready HTML5 SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence client, removing the need for Java and presenting a rejuvenated user experience for use with the Web and desktop
- New BI launchpad offering a modernized user experience with 100% functionality and compatibility with existing content and authorizations
- New SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence data model that enables reuse of existing Web Intelligence documents to build new reports, to create, and share business semantics, and associated results sets*
Check out these SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence 4.3 and Crystal Reports 4.3 videos and demos that are a part of the SAP BusinessObjects BI Virtual Tour for more information.
- Presentation: SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence 4.3: What’s New with your Favorite Reporting Tool
- Demo: SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence 4.3 Innovations
- Presentation: SAP Crystal Report 4.3: What’s New?
Enterprise Readiness
Delivering enhanced ease of deployment and support for the latest industry standards, including:
- Updates to administrator tools like BI admin cockpit, monitoring, promotion management, and auditing functionalities
- Consolidation of tools like BI Admin cockpit, monitoring and visual difference into a single application
- Integration of the BI Admin console into the Central
- Improvements to installer, cache removal, deployment scenarios etc.
- New versions of data sources, applications and OS support
- Security enhancements including SAML 3.0, simplified SAML configuration and setup, and enhanced credential mapping
- Improved scheduling and publishing functionalities with new enhancements
- New enhancements into the Semantic Layer, notably when accessing SAP HANA, SAP BW and cloud data sources
Check out these SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.3 videos that are a part of the SAP BusinessObjects BI Virtual Tour for more information.
- Presentation: SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.3: Discover the latest Innovations
- Demo: SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.3 Highlights
If you want to get a bit more in-depth, check out SAP’s Christian Ah-Soon’s blog entitled SAP BI 4.3: What’s New In Web Intelligence and Semantic Layer, and the blog, SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.3 – What’s New, from Venkat Guptha. Both really provide another level of information that many will find useful.
What is Included?
SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.3 is composed of the elements that you see below. For more details, check out SAP Note: 2936923.
- SBOP BI Platform 4.3 Server
- SBOP BI Platform 4.3 Client Tools (now only in 64-bit)
- SBOP BI Platform 4.3 Live Office
- SBOP BI Platform 4.3 Integration for SharePoint
- SBOP BI Platform 4.3 NET SDK Runtime
- SBOP BI Platform 4.3 Crystal Reports for Enterprise
- SAP Crystal Server 2020
- SAP Crystal Reports 2020
Check out the Product Availability Matrix (PAM) for additional important information. It’s a great single point of information, which includes end of maintenance dates, upgrade paths, landscapes, related product versions and technical release information, database platforms, Java platforms, operating systems, and so on. You may also want to visit the SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.3 page on the SAP Support Launchpad.
Notable Elements to Remember
License Key
- You must get a new license key for your BI 4.3 installation. It will not work with your previous BI 4.2 license key.
Deprecation of products using Adobe Flash
- Based on the announcement by Adobe to discontinue support of Adobe Flash, SAP BusinessObjects Explorer, SAP BusinessObjects Dashboards, and BI Widgets have been deprecated and are not available with SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.3.
These solutions will officially reach End of Life (EoL) on December 31, 2020. Check out SAP Note: 2801797 for details and associated information.
There are options and next steps for SAP BusinessObjects Explorer and SAP BusinessObjects Dashboards (Xcelsius). To learn more, read: “SAP BusinessObjects Explorer and SAP BusinessObjects Xcelsius End of Life. Considerations as your plan next steps using SAP Analytics Cloud”. Check out the presentation: SAP BusinessObjects Explorer and Xcelsius: Next Steps Using SAP Analytics Cloud
SAP Lumira Server version requirements
- SAP Lumira Server for BI Platform 2.3 and lower versions are NOT supported on SAP BI Platform 4.3. SAP recommends upgrading to SAP Lumira Server for BI Platform 2.4 to enable Lumira functional features on SAP BI Platform 4.3.
Check out SAP Note: 2903302 for details and associated information.
How Do I Make the Move?
Next steps here depend on the version of SAP BusinessObjects BI you are currently using. For detailed information, check out the Business Intelligence Platform Upgrade Guide on the SAP Help Portal.
Here is a quick snapshot of potential routes that you might consider.
If currently on the BI 4.x Platform
You have a couple of options for consideration and it depends on your IT policy and/or preference:
- Update directly on top of your current BI 4.x installation, –or–
- Update by installing on a fresh BI 4.3 server, then move the objects.
If currently on SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise XI 3.1 Platform or earlier
There are a couple of steps required:
- Step 1: Migrate from SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise XI 3.1 to SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.2; Check out this SAP BusinessObjects BI Pattern Book for details.
- Step 2: Update your new SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.2 installation to SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.3
Help Us to Better Help You
Spare us three quick minutes and share anonymously your thoughts in this short survey. We are trying to better understand the SAP BusinessObjects BI world you work in today and how SAP Analytics Cloud might help meet our customer BI needs and objectives in the future.
More Information Available – Check Out These Resources
Join us on the SAP BusinessObjects BI Virtual Tour website and check out the Agenda page. It features On-Demand video presentations and demos on all things BI 4.3 plus a Community page with additional resources, forums, FAQs and the opportunity to ask questions and get answers from our product experts.
Also check out SAP BusinessObjects BI Suite on SAP.com as well. Get started on your SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.3 journey today and explore the possibilities as to how it can help your organization moving forward.
*Note: These features will become actively available with the release of Live Data Connect 3.1 currently scheduled for Q3 2020 release. Read this blog for additional information.
Hello,
just one question:
Is version 2.4 of SAP Lumira Server for BI platform also supported like BO 4.3 until 2027?
We read in SAP Note 2902872 that it is bound to BO 4.2 and mainstream maintenance only runs until 2022?
Thanks,
Best regards
Tobias
Hi Tobias,
As said in SAP Note 2902872, end of mainstream support in 2022 applies to SAP Lumira 2.x, including 2.4.
Eric
Hi Eric,
thanks for the information.
That would mean, that we must migrate our Lumira Dashboards to the SAC until end of 2022? There is no Lumira 3.x planned?
Thanks
Tobias
Hello Tobias,
Lumira is following the maintenance strategy that is described in note 2902872. After Lumira 2.4 we are planning patches or service packs . Unfortunately no further main releases after 2.4 is planned.
thank you
Jie Deng
Hello Tobias,
Please see my blog released few days ago about the SAP BI 4.3 Release: https://blogs.sap.com/2020/06/13/sap-businessobjects-bi-4.3-sap-bi-4.3-released/
You will find in there a lot of information including "Lumira Server 2.x support on SAP BI Platform 4.3": SAP Note: 2903302
Solution: SAP recommends to upgrade to SAP Lumira Server for BI Platform 2.4 to enable Lumira functional features on SAP BI Platform 4.3
It's only part of your question I know but I hope it helps.
Thanks.
What’s the difference between BOBI 4.3 Edge edition and BOBI 4.3 Enterprise edition? I remember Edge edition has limitation on number of concurrent users, and cannot run multiple instances as a load balancing cluster. Is this correct? Any other differences?
Is there an edition comparison table for easy reference?
BI Edge edition is limited to a single server, max 100 NULs and 50 CALs.
BI Enterprise has no server restrictions or usage cap.
I hope it helps
Mike
edge Vs Ent
regarding BusinessObjects Mobile for 4.3 is there any update when will be available (update for android) ?
Hi
Good news is that’s it’s already available - see https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sap.mobi&hl=en&gl=US
Hope that this helps.
Mike
hi Mike,
I really Appreciate your immediate response.
the link you mentioned above is link for "SAP BusinessObjects Mobile" last update October 2020. Few days ago I tried to install this app, and tried to open sap bobj 4.3 sample reports on it (ZZ_sales analysis dashboard). unfortunately some page said "content is not supported".
My Expectation actually something new as described in https://events.sap.com/sap-businessobjects-bi-43-virtual-world-tour/en/session/53537, in minute of 30. so the user can display dashboard / report and take benefit of new feature of BOBJ 4.3 on mobile device seamlessly. any enlightment for this ?
Thank you.
Bob
Hi Bob
I’ve just done some research and the SAP BusinessObjects Mobile application for Android supports the following SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence (BI) content types:
No Crystal Reports.
See here for more help and info. https://help.sap.com/viewer/product/SAP_BUSINESSOBJECTS_MOBILE_FOR_ANDROID/6.3/en-US
Hi mike,
have you tried this mobile app and tried to access to newly bobj 4.3 ?
because I previously check the feature I mentioned in my previous question and the app not able to show some report (“content is not supported”.). to make sure we are on same page , please try to open same report ( (ZZ_sales analysis dashboard))
Im afraid if I might miss some setting or configuration. If you can display the report perfectly, please kindly inform me the result.
thanks,
Bob
hi, can you email me directly mike.o-gorman@sap.com thanks
Hi Mike ,
I'm facing same issue. tried to mail you but unfortunately the mail rejected and cannot reach your mail. is there any clarification on how to display webi 4.3 on mobile apps on android ?
thank you.
Hi Bob,
I believe, what Gregory mentioning in that virtual world tour video is about accessing the BI Launchpad directly on the mobile device like IPad or Android tablet via the browser, so that end user can get the same experience as in Laptop, as the BI 4.3 BI Launchpad is full HTML 5 ready and also with no gaps when compared to the classic BI Launchpad.
Gregory BOTTICCHIO Warehouse Business
Regards, Venkat.
hi Venkat,
Many thanks for your response.
I double check the recoding ( https://events.sap.com/sap-businessobjects-bi-43-virtual-world-tour/en/session/53537), and if Im not mistaken you can check on minute as listed below :
30.25 : issue for existing SAP BI mobile only support some of webi's chart type
30.50 , 32.00 : in future release (together with 4.3 release), sap BI mobile will support all webi chart feature.
in this slide I think it clearly stated that the user will access the webi using sap bi mobile apps.
slide screenshot BI mobile Apps for webi
we are facing user everyday and one of their request is the the ability to consume the report using mobile (mobile app). so please help me to clarify whether it is possible or not ?
hopefully Gregory can help us to clarify this issue or please do let me know if I missed something from the recording or I misinterpreted the video.
regards,
Hi Bob,
Yeah, lets hear from Gregory.
Regards, Venkat.