Remember to join SAP and Guy Kawasaki for next week’s Data to Outcome event.  It is open to all.

Figure 1 Source: SAP

 

This was an ASUG webcast earlier this month given by Maheshwar Singh

Special thanks to Ingo Hilgefort for setting up this webcast for ASUG.

Figure 2 Source: SAP

Need new license keys for BI4.3

Figure 3 Source: SAP

SAP has released SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.3 in general availability. 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. As per our commitment to our on-premise customers, the maintenance will be extended to at least 2027. Source: SAP

 

Beta this year; SAP thanks beta partners/customers

Tentatively BI4.3 SP1 is planned for this year

Incremental SP’s for 4.3 release

 

Figure 4 Source: SAP

Hybrid – SAC live connectivity

SSO

Did implement top enhancements voted at influence.sap.com

 

Figure 5 Source: SAP

Hybrid topics

Figure 6 Source: SAP

SAC is an application in BI platform

Link is to the trial tenant

If you are already a customer, you can change it already to the tenant you have

 

Figure 7 Source: SAP

This was formerly known as Live Data Access 3.0 for Universes (compatible with BI4.3 release)

Introduced in BI4.2

Improvements in deployment

 

Figure 8 Source: SAP

New functionality introduced in BI4.3

Leverage existing CR report as a source in SAC

Use Crystal as a source for SAC

Data has to be acquired

 

Figure 9 Source: SAP

In 4.2 and earlier, either the admin or the user had to create empty asset, enter opendoc name

It was a time consuming process

 

Automated in 4.3:

1. Select and identify BI platform content to be pushed to automatically appear as Analytics Hub content (need to assign to a category)
2. Remain synchronized and up to date

With BusinessObjects BI 4.3 you can now:

1. Push content to automatically appear as Analytics Hub content from central management console or the BI Launch Pad Update and synchronize content

2. Supports SAML configuration (source: SAP)

 

User Experience

 

Figure 10 Source: SAP

Original classic BI Launchpad is no longer shipped with BI 4.3

All content, authorizations, are there – there is no update – it works

 

Scheduling and Publication enhancements

 

Figure 11 Source: SAP

Source: https://blogs.sap.com/2020/06/15/sap-bi-4.3-whats-new-in-web-intelligence-and-semantic-layer/

One application section – tiles, governed by security

Preference page with options

 

Appearance has out of the box themes

If you want to create a corporate standing, see skinning/theming – introduced Theme Designer tool (BI4.2 SP7) – updated in BI4.3

 

 

Figure 12 Source: SAP

 

Was in earlier release; enhanced in 4.3; a dropdown

Source: https://blogs.sap.com/2020/06/30/sap-businessobjects-bi-4.3-whats-new/

 

Figure 13 Source: SAP

 

Changed user experience

Notification introduced in 4.3

Recurrence – new option, business hours – decide day, interval for schedule

 

Figure 14 Source: SAP

Enhanced with UI experience

It has an additional summary tab

 

Figure 15 Source: SAP

Updated user experience – can’t customize home page

 

Old workspace in 4.2 and earlier can be edited – some modules not supported, will show empty space

 

Enterprise Readiness

Figure 16 Source: SAP

Many wanted silent installer enhanced

 

Figure 17 Source: SAP

Had not been used extensively

In 4.3, enhanced – user can have multiple credentials – multiple user name password combinations

Security Enhancements include Support for SAML 3.0, simplified SAML configuration and setup, and enhanced credential mapping, supported by: OLAP, Web Intelligence, Crystal Reports 2020, Crystal Reports for Enterprise (source: SAP)

 

Figure 18 Source: SAP

Several enhancements, consolidation

New studio

Integrates BI admin cockpit with monitor app with visual difference into 1 tool

 

Figure 19 Source: SAP

Now use JDBC connectors

Removed Derby database as part of the monitoring experience

Connect to audit database to store

 

Version management – remove ClearCase support; introduced support for Git, Local and HTTP mode

 

Promotion management – rollback support for promotion management job in the command line tool

 

Figure 20 Source: SAP

4.2 SP5 – admin console, separate URL – customers complained, so in 4.3, removed BI admin console, integrated as an application in CMC

 

Enhanced workflow assistant

 

Updated templates

 

Figure 21 Source: SAP

Auditing enhanced to capture additional information

 

Integration between auditing and monitoring – e.g. who turned off auditing

 

Figure 22 Source: SAP

 

Figure 23 Source: SAP

Connections can be based on http, Bex queries are not required

 

Figure 24 Source: SAP

New native data sources, with Snowflake being highly requested

 

Client Updates

 

 

Figure 25 Source: SAP

Client: Crystal Reports 2020 Designer (CR2020) 64 bit for client & server

Crystal Reports for Enterprise Designer (CR4E) – client 64 bit

Crystal Reports Viewer 2020

Figure 26 Source: SAP

One client for web and desktop

 

Parity with Web Intelligence Java Applet and Web Intelligence Rich Client 4.2 SP07 HTML5 (no Java), touch ready, Fiori like Light Dashboards

 

 

Figure 27 Source: SAP

OUT :

BOBJ EXPLORER

DASHBOARDS (Xcelsius)

BI Widgets

Lumira 1.x

Design studio

 

IN:

Lumira Discovery 2.x

Lumira Designer 2.x

Webi Rich Client

UDT/IDT

Live Office

Analysis Office

Crystal Reports

 

Figure 28 Source: SAP

For Cloud Extension Policy, customers can contact their SAP Account Executive.

 

Sources: https://blogs.sap.com/2019/08/29/sap-businessobjects-explorer-and-sap-businessobjects-xcelsius-end-of-life.-considerations-as-your-plan-next-steps-using-sap-analytics-cloud/

 

https://blogs.sap.com/2019/09/02/journey-to-the-cloud-for-sap-businessobjects-explorer-and-sap-businessobjects-dashboardaka-xcelsius-customers/

 

Figure 29 Source: SAP

DeskI – convert in 4.2 and move to 4.3

 

Link: https://blogs.sap.com/2020/06/30/sap-businessobjects-bi-4.3-whats-new/

 

Q&A:

Can you now schedule a webi and then use the latest instance in a publication using dynamic recipients to use the latest instance so that the publication performance is approved by not having to refresh the source webi?

please see this blog which has a link to scheduling https://blogs.sap.com/2020/06/15/sap-bi-4.3-whats-new-in-web-intelligence-and-semantic-layer/

Is there a limit of concurrent session numbers per BOBJ user ?

Hopefully the answer can be found in this blog from SAP: https://blogs.sap.com/2020/06/30/sap-businessobjects-bi-4.3-whats-new/

Is it possible to add trending lines in charts in this 4.3 version?

Yes

For hybrid user management, do we need to purchase the SCP IPS, or is it included with SAC license ?

Check with your AE

So in Webi, can I add a trending line in 4.3?

yes

Will there be a 4.4?

TBD

is there an administrative setting that could still allow classic BI launchpad as an option?

No

How can you display a visualization in the default launchpad if BI workspaces can no longer be used as home page? Are we resigned to view a grid of tiles? And these tiles are not intelligent, we are not able to add a KPI to them?

Settings, select document open by default

Is Microsoft Sharepoint or Onedrive included as new datasources?

no

___________________________

What do you think? Have you downloaded BI4.3?  What are your impressions?

Thanks again to Maheshwar and Ingo for this session