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SAP BusinessObjectsTips and Tricks

Michael Welter

PS Consultant

Claraview

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Who am I?

Michael Welter: PS Consultant

Company: Claraview, a division of Teradata

Joined Claraview in March, 2011

Prior to that I worked for Westbay Solutions Group/Idhasoft for8 years

Over 11 years experience with BusinessObjects

BusinessObjects Certified Professional

> BusinessObjects Enterprise

> Web Intelligence

Can I helpwith your BO

issues?

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Agenda

Universe Date Prompt: Default to Yesterday Web Intelligence Merge Dimension Tips

Query Performance Tuning

> Query Stripping

> Schedule Purging> Index Awareness

> Pushing Transformations

Security Tips

But first . . .

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Universe Date Prompt: Default to Yesterday

This problem has plagued humanity since the beginningof time (Or at least the beginning of BusinessObjects)

> I need to create date prompt in the universe, and I need itto default to today.

Ive seen some convoluted solutions, but havent beenimpressed.

Of course, universe prompts are based around the@prompt function, so lets review the syntax.

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@Prompt(message,'type,[lov],Mono|Multi,free|constrained|primary_key,persistent|not_persistent,[

default_values])

Message: The text of the prompt Type: A (Alphanumeric), D (Date), N (Numeric)

LOV: List of Values (Hard coded, or from an object)

Mono|Multi: Allow 1 value, or multiple

Free|Constrained|Primary_Key: Enter a value, orselect only from the LOV. Optional: Use Index Awareness

Persistent|Not_persistent: Keep last value selected

Default_Values: Enter a default value

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Example@Prompt('Enter start date','D',,mono,free,not_persistent)

In this example, the user may type in a date, or select a

date from the calendar.

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Final Solution, based on DB2 database:

CALENDAR_TABLE.CAL_DATE = (CASE WHEN@Prompt(Enter date or

Today,'A,,mono,free,not_persistent,{Today})=TodayTHEN CURRENT_DATE ELSE @Prompt(Enter date orToday,'A,,mono,free,not_persistent,{Today}) END)

For Oracle, replace CURRENT_DATE with

TRUNC(SYSDATE)

For SQL Server, replace CURRENT_DATE with GetDate()

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Web Intelligence Merge Dimension Tips

Merging Dimensions continues to be the topic of muchtrouble, based on topics I see on BOB.

Tip 1: Adding Incompatible dimensions to the block

> Convert Dimension to a Detail using a variable Formula: =[Dimension]

Detail must be a detail of a Merged dimension

> Detail object can be added to the block

Tip 2: Auto-Merge dimensions only works within auniverse

> Only between the same object used in multiple queries

> Not based on object name

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Tip 3: Values displayed depend on which object is used> Query 1 object displays values from Query 1

> Query 2 object displays values from Query 2

> Merged dimension displays all values from all queries

Tip 4: Extend merged dimension values has a similareffect of using the merged dimension.

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Rules of Merging Dimensions: Only dimensions defined in the universe can be merged

Objects must have the same datatype

Any number of queries can be merged

Any number of dimensions can be merged Values are cases sensitive

Values that do not match exactly will be seen as differentvalues

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Query Stripping As reports get reused, they become cluttered with

unused objects and queries

This can cause extra work by the database

Which can cause the refresh to take longer Most important items to remove:

> Unused queries

> Unused measures

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Query Stripping

The good news: XI 3.1 SP3 has automatic querystripping

> When enabled, it automatically removed objects andqueries from the SQL that dont contribute to the report

The bad news: Automatic query stripping only works withOLAP data sources

The good news: BI 4.0 will have automatic query

stripping for all data sources Until then . . . Do it manually.

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Schedule Purging

This should seem obvious but . . .

Remove scheduled jobs that are no longer needed

They are running queries unnecessarily Use Auditor to capture usage stats

Also, take a look at Publications

Please dont burden the database with extra queries.

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Index Awareness

Can be used to speed up query performance

Leverages indexed columns in a database

Can remove joins from the query Can remove tables from the query

How does it work?

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Index Awareness

Without Index Awareness:

With Index Awareness:

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Index Awareness

When to use Index Awareness:

> OLTP based universes

> Snowflake schemas> Use with objects that have LOVs

Note: If users dont select from the LOV, the index will notbe used!

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Pushing Transformations

Do your universes have complex SQL Transformations?

Example: 'FY' || substr(trim((

FISCAL_CALENDAR.FISCAL_YEAR*100+FISCAL_CALENDAR.FISCAL_QUARTER)),3,2) || 'Q' || substr(trim((FISCAL_CALENDAR.FISCAL_YEAR*100+FISCAL_CALENDAR.FISCAL_QUARTER

Can this transformation be pushed down to the ETL

process? In a recent test, removing this from the query reduced

query time by 14% (Your mileage may vary)

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Security Tips

SAP BusinessObjects XI 3.x uses an Object OrientedSecurity Model

Everything is an object to which rights can be granted

> Universes

> Folders

> Documents

> Users

> Groups

> Servers

Try not to get confused by this: In the CMC, the UserSecurity screen of a users profile has nothing to do withthat users rights.

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Security Tips

Starting at the root: How do you deny access by default without creating too

much work?

> Go into User Security for the root folder (All Folders)

> Go into Advanced Settings

> Set the View Objects right as follows:

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Security Tips

Beware of Everyone!

Remember: Everyone is a member of the Everyonegroup

Any rights you grant, or deny, to the Everyone group,applies to you, too

As a rule, the Everyone group should have access tonothing

> This means using Not Specified

> Never use Denied

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Security Tips

Dual-ing with Security

Use a Dual Security Model

> Avoids duplicating security settings

Content Groups: Have rights to folders> Determines what access each group has to each folder

> Tends to mirror organizational structure

Application Groups: Have rights to Applications

> Determines which applications members can use

> And what they can do in those applications

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Security Tips

Back Away From The Users

Never set security for an individual user!

Set security only for groups, then add members to the

groups Never set security for an individual user!

Even if one user has special security needs, create agroup for that one user

This applies to documents, too!

Questions?

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Questions?

Michael WelterPS [email protected]: MichaelWelter.Wordpress.comFollow me on Twitter: @UniversePro

Claraview

> Business Intelligence

> Various Platforms
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]