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TammyPowlas
Active Contributor

patrice.lebihan presented this ASUG webcast this past week.  Patrice Le Bihan is part of the SAP Analytics Solution Management team and currently responsible for the SBO Analysis products as well as the SAP NetWeaver BW and SAP ERP integration topics.  BI4.1 is in ramp-up.  Note that the usual disclaimer applies that things are subject to change.


The previous blog covered how connect directly to BI ERP What is new with SAP Integration BI4.1 and SAP ERP?

This blog discusses how to connect directly to BW and will be in two parts.

Figure 1: Source: SAP

Over a year ago SAP published a statement of direction regarding Dashboarding where SAP will make Dashboards and Design Studio converge.

When it comes to BW, Design Studio is the favored tool.

New functionality for Dashboard 4.1 in BW is direct access to BEx Queries using variable values.

Figure 2: source: SAP

This is not part of the BI4.1 ramp-up but in SP1.  You have the option to bind variable values to cells.

Figure 3: Source: SAP

Web Intelligence improvements include better performance when working with BEx variables, member selection from a hierarchy based on relative depth, and reduction of #TOREFRESH and #UNAVAILABLE errors.

Significant performance improvements include report creation or edit an existing report with Web Intelligence or Crystal Reports for Enterprise on BEx queries, and refresh report with Web Intelligence or Crystal Reports for Enterprise on BEx queries with variables, said Patrice.

Figure 4: Source: SAP

BI4.0 starts with selecting the BEx query, then you see the query panel and this is where the response time can be longer than expected.  The select your objects, build query, click next/run, then it would display the variable screen, set the values, and then get to the report.

Figure 4 shows the changed BI4.1 sequence.  Select the BEx query, next you will see screen with mandatory variables, then see the query panel.  It allows SAP to retrieve the variables differently and less RFC calls to BW.

Figure 4 shows improved response time in BI4.1 but it depends on BW patch level, type of BEx queries, number of objects, hierarchies.

Figure 5: Source: SAP

Figure 5 shows the run-time improvements for Crystal Reports.

Users using reports with variables – when open the report, you are prompted for variables to run the report.

Patrice said they have seen performance improvements.

Figure 6: Source: SAP

In BI4 Web Intelligence, you open the query panel, then the variable screen is shown.

This has changed in BI4.1 with the variable screen shown first.

Figure 6 shows faster improvements on a BW 7.30 system.

Figure 7: Source: SAP

Similar to Crystal Reports, Figure 7 shows Web Intelligence leverages the run-time improvements with BEx Variables in BI4.1

Figure 8: Source: SAP

Another area for improvement is selection of members from a hierarchy.

SAP has added member selection based on relative depth – when you drag a hierarchy on the report – you can choose to select all descendants or only select 1, 2, 3 levels down.

Figure 9: Source: SAP

Figure 9 shows an example of relative depth

Figure 10: Source: SAP

Figure 10 shows the same is true for hierarchy variables; you define how many levels in the hierarchy and at run-time the user decides to run a different hierarchy, the report leverages the same depth

Figure 11: Source: SAP

Figure 11 shows an example of how 3 levels are kept even if a user sets a different hierarchy.

Relative depth to the member selection has been added to BI4.1

To be continued…more in another blog.

Now, for a related  ASUG advertisement :smile:

Join ASUG at SAP TechEd

A     ALL DAY | HANDS-ON:

  SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.1 with SAP BW and SAP ERP – Everything You Need in One Day

   (includes BW on HANA)

  Monday, October 21st

  8:30 am to 5:00 pm

  Cost: $595 ASUG members $695 non-ASUG Members


Join SAP Mentor Ingo Hilgefort for this pre-conference session.  It includes some exercises with BW on HANA.  Register today


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