Business Objects Administration – Security Rights migration from SAP BO 3.x and BI 4.x

Hi Readers,

In this blog we are going to see the security rights migration from SAP BO 3.x and BI 4.x and the challenges we could encounter while doing BO content migration from 3.x to 4.x.

This post describes security settings as they correspond to the new interface and functions. The structure of the interface has been redesigned and security settings changed in certain cases. This means that some 3.x security settings are not directly compatible with the new interface. Where equivalents exist, these are used.

This document will guide you in the changes you might need to make when migrating content from 3.x to 4.x. Certain rights have been renamed, others are unaffected, and some rights are not supported in 4.x, and will require unsetting before resaving and migrating those reports.

Below are some of the known general Issues.

• Rights are not supported in 4.x and exist in 3.x
• Rights that are renamed in 4.x and exist in 3.x

Let us see each case in detail.

• Rights are not supported in 4.x

The typical example for this category would be Desktop intelligence application and redesign of      BI launch pad interface.

• Desktop intelligence

As Desktop Intelligence is removed in 4.x all the corresponding rights are not supported.

• Interface

In 3.x we are allowed to hide the toolbar based on the user rights. But in case of 4.x it is replaced by toolboxes in which we can disable the individual component.

Some of the rights come under this category:

Right	Migration status
Enable drill mode	No longer maintained in 4.x
Extend scope of analysis	No longer maintained in 4.x
Interactive: General – Ability to hide / show toolbars	Toolbar is replaced with toolbox
Enable HTML Report Panel	HTML viewer is removed in 4.x
Desktop Intelligence Application level rights	Desktop Intelligence Application is removed

How to resolve this?

We need to remove these rights in 3.x before migration so that they will not be migrated to the new version.

• Rights that are renamed in 4.x

The right “View SQL“in 3.x has been renamed to “Query Script – Enable Viewing” in 4.x.

Similarly below are some of the rights that belong to this category in my knowledge.

Rights in 3.x	Rights in 4.x
Create document	Documents – enable creation
Data Tracking: Enable for users	Data – enable data tracking
Data Tracking: Enable format display changes by users	Data – enable formatting of changed data
Edit SQL	Query script – enable editing (SQL , MDX…)
Enable Auto save for this user	Documents – enable auto save
Enable formula and variable creation	Reporting – create formulas and variables
Enable Java Report Panel	Interfaces – enable Rich Internet Application
Enable Publish and Manage Document Content for this user (did not exist)	Documents – enable publish and manage content as web service
Merge dimensions for synchronization	Reporting – enable merged dimensions
View SQL	Query script – enable viewing (SQL , MDX…)
Web Intelligence Rich Client : Save a document locally on the file system	Desktop interface – save documents locally
Web Intelligence Rich Client: Allow local data providers	Desktop Interface – enable local data providers
Web Intelligence Rich Client: Export a document	Desktop interface – export documents
Web Intelligence Rich Client: Import a document	Desktop interface – import documents
Web Intelligence Rich Client: Install from Info View	Desktop interface – install from BI launch pad
Web Intelligence Rich Client: Print a document	Desktop interface – print documents
Web Intelligence Rich Client: Remove document security	Desktop interface – remove document security
Web Intelligence Rich Client: Save a document for all users	Desktop interface – save document for all users
Web Intelligence Rich Client: Send by mail	Desktop interface – send by mail

How to overcome this?

We need to remap these rights in 4.x after migration by comparing them against 3.x rights.

• Special cases

The below rights are added in XI3 SP4 and are not included till 4.0.3.

i.    Import from BI On Demand

ii.   Export to BI On Demand

Resolution

SAP recommends not to migrate to XI 3.4 or later to BI 4.0.3.x or a previous release as some of the rights that are added in these versions are not replicated in till BI 4.0.3.x.

Hope the post was useful for those considering 4.x migration.

Thanks for reading.  Read More About  Business Objects Administration

Business Objects Mobile – Architecture and Deployment

Hello All,
As a continuation of my previous blog, we are going to see more in detail about BO Mobile Architecture, Deployment scenarios, Server side and client side requirements in this blog.

The diagram below shows Mobile Installation on top of Business Objects Enterprise Framework

And the Business Objects Mobile Architecture will be like

Three deployment scenarios are supported for SAP Business Objects Mobile. You can choose to deploy based on your User community.

• BlackBerry devices registered on a corporate BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES)
• Non-BlackBerry devices and/or BlackBerry devices not registered on a corporate BES. This requires a proxy server or firewall to ensure security.
• User population that includes BlackBerry devices registered on the BES and other devices. This requires a BES and a proxy server or firewall.

Based on the above deployment scenarios the common architecture of BO Mobile would be like

Server side requirements

The following components need to be deployed on top of SAP Business Objects Enterprise Installation.

• The Mobile server composed of an authentication server (VAS) and a processing server (VMS).
• A mobile database that logs the user activity and provides information on synchronization of data between the SAP Business Objects Enterprise server and the mobile devices.
• A BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES), if you are deploying the application to BlackBerry device users (Deployment type 1).
• A proxy server, if your deployment to BlackBerry devices does not include a BES server or if your deployment includes non-BlackBerry devices (Deployment type 2 and 3).
• To deploy client application to devices through OTA provisioning, you need to install and deploy the OTA web application, delivered with SAP Business Objects mobile, on a web application server.

Client side requirements

Based on deployment scenario, SAP Business Objects mobile application can be delivered to users via

• Over-The-Air to BlackBerry devices using the push capability in the BlackBerry Enterprise Server.
• Over-The-Air (OTA) via a secured web site page. This requires you to deploy the OTA web application delivered with SAP Business Objects Mobile to a secured web application server.
• Manually on each device using the client desktop application supplied by device manufacturer.

I Hope this blog gives a good understanding on Business Objects Mobile architecture and deployment.
In our next blog we will see configuration of BO Mobile using Blackberry simulators.

Keep reading!

Business Objects Mobile – Introduction

Hello BOgglers,

Just a change from series of BO Administration series to emerging trends in SAP Business Objects.SAP BO Mobile is going to be the topic of discussion in my upcoming blogs starting from this.

The shift from a wired world to a wireless world of connectivity with the advantage of smart phones and handheld devices has lead to a new era of mobile computing, especially in the field of BI. BO Mobile allows to access favorite BI reports, metrics and right-time data with a single click from a mobile device with the following advantages

• Make informed decisions with instant access to personalized information on the move, can be alerted about changes to critical business data instantly.
• Leverage existing BI investments & skills to quickly reach mobile users.
• Users can intuitively access familiar reports without a need for additional training.

Devices Supportability

BO Mobile supports broad range of mobile devices including BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Symbian OS and any J2ME 2.0-compatible devices.

Supported document types

• Web Intelligence documents
• Crystal Reports documents
• Limited gauge analytics (speedometers, barometers and thermometers)

Functionalities Supported

• Save documents locally and consult them offline, to mitigate network interruptions and minimize communication costs.
• Receive alerts when a document is modified, a condition is met or a schedule is run.
• Follow-up actions by clicking on report cells to launch an SMS, phone call or email.
• Set up a default document that opens automatically whenever log into application.
• Refresh reports to retrieve the most up-to-date data.
• View results using zoom and navigational shortcuts.
• Navigate to related documents via hyperlinks on reports.
• Drill on results to analyze detailed or summary data.
• Track data changes via customizable highlighting set up by the document creator.

Target Audience

Information executives: Users who needs to know a few high-risk KPIs at the right time, no matter where they are. A business case for this could be a sudden fall in sales or inventory levels brought to the attention of the respective director.
Field workers: Users of this segment work in the field and need specific information at specific times. A sales representative, while finding an unexpected opportunity, can browse for required historic information such as price negotiation, contract tenure to give immediate feedback to the customer.
Business analysts: Business analysts need a few strategic KPIs in addition to static reports.
Clerical member staff: This people occasionally need reports while they are on the move.

Limitations

• BO Mobile is not guaranteed to work on all mobile devices and operating systems.
• Report data sets can be large and can theoretically saturate available device memory. The unsatisfactory display of large data sets can be mitigated by designing smaller report views.

We will see more in detail about Mobile Architecture and installation and configuration in upcoming blogs.

Thanks for reading! Happy Blogging!  Read More about  Business Objects

AUTOMATION OF BW QUERIES USING WEB BROWSER

In the fiercely increasing competition amongst corporations it has become mandatory to make quick and sound crucial business decisions based on analysis of business critical data. This is the point where SAP BW comes into play. BW Queries are the core of the reporting and analysis functionality in SAP BW. They provide a flexible and intuitive platform for data analysis that can be developed using the SAP Business Explorer (BEx) Query Designer.


AUTOMATION OF BW QUERIES – OVERVIEW


The Automation of queries in SAP BW is require where the data from BW is extracted by reporting analyst using the BW queries and send to business frequently on a regular basis for their analysis for example monthly or weekly.


Queries using web browser can be configured to be run:
Only Once: We can schedule the BW queries to be run on a specific day or time to be refreshed and sent to the email id of the recipients.
Scheduled Basis: We can schedule the BW queries to be run on a regular basis i.e. every day, specific day of a week or monthly basis.


This document outlines a set of guidelines to automate a query for a given scenario.


PROCEDURE TO AUTOMATE THE QUERIES USING WEB BROWSER:


Step 1: Log in SAP BW using the User Name and Password. Enter the RRMX as transaction code into the transaction window and hit the Enter. New Excel window will open with the additional BEx (Business Explorer) tool bar.

Step 2: Open a query which you want to automate through BEx and refresh the same.

Step 3: Launch the query in web browser.

Tool Button –> Launch in Web Browser –> Query (Default View)

When you click on the Query (Default View) it will pop up the message box asking the user name and password.

While you enter the user name and password it will populate the query in web browser.

Step 4: Modify the output structure of the query according to your requirement using the Variable screen at the left side of the window

Applying filters


If you want to apply any filter on the query then you can do that using filter icon against the characteristics. (Ex. If you have to produce the report for particular business unit only then click on the filter icon in front of Master Cost Centers it will pop up another window. Select the Business unit as per your requirement and click on transfer at the bottom left.)

If you want to set the properties of any characteristic then right click on that it will pop up window and select the properties. It will pop up another properties window that will allow you to change the properties of the characteristics.

Step 5: Information Broadcasting: When you are done with the formatting of the query click on the Information Broadcasting and mention the email addresses of the recipients whom the report needs to be sent then click on Create new Setting with the Wizard.

Step 6: Select on the check box as Zip File, it will create the Zip file for the report then click on continue at the bottom.

Step 7: Enter the subject line for the report and enter the E-mail content in the content window and continue at the bottom.

Step 8: Insert the technical name and description for the automated report.

Step 9: Schedule the report: Select the Create New Scheduling and Periodic All and enter the date which you want to schedule the report for and the schedule as weekly or monthly. Mention the date and time on which you want the report to be sent in front of Next Start at and click on the transfer below.

If you want to execute the report at the time of creation then click on the Execute button at the bottom otherwise close that. Now the report is scheduled for the period you mentioned this will automatically refresh the query in the same format you created on the scheduled date and E-mail this report to the recipients with the report attached in Zip format.
MODIFICATION IN SCHEDULE OF AUTOMATED QUERIES:-
If you want to make changes in the schedule then select the query and click on the Schedule button at the bottom it will pop up the window just create the new schedule and delete the old as well and click on transfer.

The BEx Web query automation is a standalone, comfortable Web application for data analysis that the user can call up using an URL or as an iView in the Enterprise Portal. The Open a query which you want to automate through BEx and offers a wide range of functions for data analysis via various tab pages and the associated view-specific toolbars.
SAP query automation is an information modeling tool which can be used to analyze business data. To help analyze data in a more user friendly manner, SAP BW used to describe any kind of numeric information from a business process level. There are various ways to describe key figures in SAP BW.
Essentially, a query is a database research action with interesting additional functionality like currency scenarios, complex calculation options, and analysis functions. However, analyses born out of queries can be applied flexibly to a multitude of areas in a multidimensional dataset of an SAP BW Info Provider. This is enabled by combining analytical functionality with the provided drilldowns and filter options. Therefore, one query or few queries can often map an entire analytical application.

ARIS FOR SAP NETWEAVER

Business process management (BPM) allows you to continuously adapt your business processes to new business strategies – modeling processes with different users performing different roles and tasks, and optimizing communication between process owners and IT experts. SAP and IDS Scheer offer a comprehensive BPM solution – SAP NetWeaver and ARIS for SAP NetWeaver. This joint application provides essential elements of a closed-loop BPM solution, from design and configuration, to implementation and execution, to evaluation of the overall process.
There are lots of Business Process Management tools available in market, then why should we choose ARIS for modeling our business processes. Here are some of the features and benefits of ARIS which make this tool different from others.

• ARIS Platform is Highly Scalable and hence complete solution for the Entire Business process Lifecycle – From Web Based Description, analysis, and optimization of business processes and software engineering to SAP Netweaver integration and continuous process controlling.
• ARIS is not just for SAP NetWeaver. ARIS can be used for all SAP initiatives — to design, implement, and monitor SAP, non-SAP and manual processes in an organization.
• The system architecture of the ARIS Platform allows globally active companies to set up distributed scenarios for designing, analyzing and optimizing process, IT and software architectures.
• Business Process Management with SAP NetWeaver and ARIS for SAP NetWeaver provides procedure models, methods, technologies and reference content for modeling, configuring, executing and monitoring these business processes.
• With ARIS Implementation Platform, gap between business and IT is closed. ARIS for SAP Netweaver helps design the process architecture for SAP Solutions that have been optimally adapted to the company’s business process.
• Adds functions to SAP NetWeaver for graphically modeling processes at various levels. At the highest level (Process Architecture Model), the process architecture of a company is built from a purely business perspective, that is, without technical details.

User-Friendly Functionality:

ARIS Business Architect and ARIS Business Designer Web Based Solution enable shared, company wide modeling, analysis, and optimization of business processes, as well as IT Architecture set up via the Internet. With its user-friendly functionality that allows even unskilled occasional users to perform modeling. ARIS Business designer quickly paves the path to professional BPM.

Synchronization between ARIS for SAP Netweaver and SAP Solution Manager:

You can use ARIS for SAP NetWeaver as a modeling environment to import predefined process models as reference content from SAP Solution Manager. You can enhance these models and synchronize them with SAP Solution Manager.
Process models and other configuration elements can be exchanged (synchronized) between ARIS for SAP NetWeaver and SAP Solution Manager. In addition to scope information, structural information is also transferred.
The SAP Solution Manager provides you with the relevant SAP reference models. You can create an implementation project using ARIS for SAP NetWeaver and then synchronize it using the SAP Solution Manager. This enables you, for example, to make SAP reference models available in ARIS for SAP NetWeaver, and adapt and enhance them as required. Finally, you can make the implementation project available again in the SAP Solution Manager, where you can then configure the processes and adapt them to your specific system landscape. The SAP Solution Manager also provides you with an extensive range of functions for monitoring your solutions.

Upload of ARIS Processes to SAP XI:

With the ARIS BPEL export, ARIS BPEL models can be transferred to SAP XI. The elements to be exported must be exported from ARIS Business architect for SAP Netweaver. ARIS creates ZIP files, which can be imported into SAP XI.

Interfaces and development of Add-ons:

ARIS UML Designer is included in the Implementation Platform as a tool for;
Developing add-on functions and interfaces during the implementation. With the addition of classic UML methodology to ARIS, a consistent and uniform visual representation of the requirements of the business world can be obtained. The UML models created in ARIS can be sent via XML to other development tools integrated in Eclipse, which are then available as source code or as J2EE software components from ARIS. This means that software developers can work with (UML) data from ARIS directly in the development environment.

Globally Distributed Process Design with ARIS:

The system architecture of the ARIS platform allows globally active companies to set up distributed scenarios for designing, analyzing and optimizing process, IT and software architectures.
Web-based products such as ARIS Business Architect, ARIS Business Designer and ARIS UML Designer access a centrally set up and managed ARIS Business Server from locations around the world via three-tier architecture. These products are designed for use beyond firewall limits, with a very low bandwidth (e.g. ISDN).

Next Generation of BPM: ARIS embedded in SAP NetWeaver:

In the next SAP NetweaverTM release, the design, modeling and model based configuration will take place in a technically integrated solution, a unified modeling environment as part of the ESR in SAP NetWeaver. There, on the basis of a unified metamodel, users will be able to perform various different role-specific tasks in a unified modeling environment.
SAP AG and IDS Scheer AG leverage the strength of their technologies together to cover the whole business process lifecycle. SAP NetWeaver today offers a comprehensive BPM solution that will be enhanced in future releases providing a unified modeling environment and a powerful combination of Business Process Management and Business Activity Monitoring.

ARIS for SAP NetWeaver contains a consistent description of the process architecture-from enterprise process models to implementation of the processes by SAP Solution Manager, the integration of executable processes in SAP XI, and the applications with SAP Business Workflow.

Some of the key benefits of using ARIS at a glance would be :-

• Get a clear understanding of your process architecture as a starting point for SAP ESA.
• Alignment of business, configuration and service process in one common repository.
• Intuitive and user friendly user interface
• Decentralized Design For centralized optimization
• Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and in all locations due to the Web Based Front end.
• Proven , extendable methods for various areas of application
• Highly scalable architecture.

SAP TAO and Panaya – Complementers and not competitors

Panaya is new Software as a Service solution that reduces the cost and risk of making changes to ERP systems. The tool was founded in 2005 by Yossi Cohen, an expert in the field of application management.


It is designed for business users, from CIOs to business analysts, Panaya automatically analyzes the impact of pending business process changes and informs all stakeholders on a need to know basis. Panaya can be used during implementation, maintenance and upgrades.


Utilizing a SaaS model, Panaya can be deployed within a few hours to instantaneously lessen the risk of business disruption and reduce ERP maintenance costs.


What Panaya provides?

• Effective Test Management
• Shows you what will break
• Tells you exactly what to test
• Automatic code corrections
• No more test maintenance: test scripts always stay up-to-date
• Creates test scripts for you, as you go
• Tests can be run manually or automatically
• Test results are documented for you

What can be achieved by using Panaya?

• Cut 70% of your SAP upgrade cost and Effort.
• Cut 50% of your planning and development costs.
• Enable companies that use SAP to save up to 50% of their application lifecycle costs.
• Minimize the risks associated with system changes.
• Utilizing cloud-based simulation to analyze the impact of pending changes, Panaya automatically pinpoints which custom programs will break as a result of an upgrade or support package implementation.
• No Installation required.
• Reduce risk of post go-live downtime.

How it complements SAP TAO?

• The main pre-requisite for automation using SAP TAO is availability of manual test cases in a standard format. Panaya provides manual test cases as you go saving lots of time and effort.
• SAP TAO has high reusability and ease maintenance – minimal effort is required during maintenance phase – Panaya can really help TAO when SAP Upgrade happens.