Business Objects BI Server Getting
Started Guide
Business Objects BI Server
Patents
Business Objects owns the following U.S. patents, which may cover products that are offered
and sold by Business Objects: 5,555,403, 6,247,008 B1, 6,578,027 B2, 6,490,593 and
6,289,352.
Trademarks
Copyright
Third-party
contributors
Business Objects, the Business Objects logo, Crystal Reports, and Crystal Enterprise are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Business Objects SA or its affiliated companies in the
United States and other countries. All other names mentioned herein may be trademarks of
their respective owners.
Copyright © 2006 Business Objects. All rights reserved.
Business Objects products in this release may contain redistributions of software licensed
from third-party contributors. Some of these individual components may also be available
under alternative licenses. A partial listing of third-party contributors that have requested or
permitted acknowledgments, as well as required notices, can be found at:
http://www.businessobjects.com/thirdparty
Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction to Business Objects BI Server 7
What is Business Objects BI Server? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Who is Business Objects BI Server for? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
About this help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Who should read this help? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
BusinessObjects Enterprise documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Business Objects and Linux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Business Objects information resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Chapter 2 Administering Business Objects BI Server 11
Before you begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Administration Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Additional documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Managing Business Objects BI Server applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Managing the Central Management Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Managing InfoView . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Managing Web Intelligence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Managing license information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Adding a license key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Viewing current account activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Chapter 3 Working with Web Intelligence documents 17
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Creating and editing Web Intelligence documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Overview of the Web Intelligence document creation tools . . . . . . . . . 18
Using the HTML Report Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Creating documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Editing existing documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Using Web Intelligence Query – HTML . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide 3
Contents
Creating documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Editing the queries in existing documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Using the Java Report Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Creating new documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Editing existing documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Saving Web Intelligence documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Understanding queries and universes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
How queries are based on universes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
What does a universe contain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
What different types of objects can you use in a query? . . . . . . . . 32
Additional information on Universes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Setting Web Intelligence preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Selecting Web Intelligence view formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Selecting report panel formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Selecting your Drill options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Selecting MS Excel formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Selecting a locale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Selecting a default universe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Viewing Web Intelligence documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Web Intelligence toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Displaying the navigation map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Displaying user prompts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Finding text in documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Drilling documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Chapter 4 Working with Crystal reports 43
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Publishing Crystal reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
What is publishing? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Method 1: How to publish reports using the Publishing Wizard . . . . . . . . . 45
Connecting to Business Objects BI Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Selecting reports to publish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Specifying a publishing location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
4 Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
Contents
Duplicating a folder hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Choosing a scheduling option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Refreshing repository fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Publishing with saved data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Finalizing the reports to be published . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Method 2: How to publish reports using the Central Management Console 52
Method 3: How to save reports directly to the CMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Viewing Crystal reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Crystal Reports viewer toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Chapter 5 Scheduling Web Intelligence and Crystal reports to Business Objects BI
Server 57
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Scheduling objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
About the scheduling options and parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Recurrence patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Run options and parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Scheduling objects using object packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Scheduling an object with events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Setting the scheduling options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Setting notification for an object’s success or failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Determining an object’s success or failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
About notification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Specifying alert notification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Selecting a destination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Default destination support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Unmanaged Disk destination support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
FTP support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Email (SMTP) support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Inbox support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Choosing a format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Selecting cache options for Web Intelligence documents . . . . . . . . . . 85
Scheduling an object for a user or group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide 5
Contents
Managing instances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Managing and viewing the history of instances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Viewing an instance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Pausing or resuming an instance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Deleting an instance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Setting instance limits for an object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Chapter 6 Business Objects BI Server Product Information 93
Business Objects BI Server and BusinessObjects Enterprise . . . . . . . . . . 94
Licensing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Business Objects BI Server components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Appendix A Business Objects Information Resources 99
Documentation and information services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
What’s in the documentation set? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Where is the documentation? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Documentation from the products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Documentation on the web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Documentation on the product CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Send us your feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Customer support, consulting and training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
How can we support you? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Online Customer Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Looking for the best deployment solution for your company? . . . . . . . 102
Looking for training options? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Useful addresses at a glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Index 105
6 Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
Introduction to Business Objects BI Server
chapter
Introduction to Business Objects BI Server
1
What is Business Objects BI Server?
What is Business Objects BI Server?
Business Objects BI Server is an intuitive and easy to use tool for creating
and analyzing business intelligence data over the web. It is built on
BusinessObjects Enterprise technology and includes the ability to create and
publish Web Intelligence documents. Web Intelligence delivers a unique,
single web environment for both querying and analyzing information.
Business Objects BI Server also includes a report publisher and a web portal
interface that is used to view reports.
Business Objects BI Server may be installed on a single machine for end
users to access, view, and interact with Web Intelligence and Crystal Reports
documents. It allows you to store documents in a central database for security
and data integrity. Users then access the documents through a web portal.
With Business Objects BI Server, you can set up security to control which end
users can access specific folders and documents. You can also specify the
rights for users or groups such as who can schedule and publish documents.
Who is Business Objects BI Server for?
Business Objects BI Server is ideal for organizations that need to deliver Web
Intelligence and Crystal Reports documents over the web to smaller
audiences. It does not require that you deal with multiple servers and
complicated configurations. Everything is installed on a single server for quick
installation and setup.
The quick setup allows you to start using the software to increase your
document development productivity and data security almost immediately.
About this help
This help provides you with information and procedures for using Business
Objects BI Server and InfoView.
InfoView runs within your web browser and is your main interface for working
with Web Intelligence documents and Crystal reports in Business Objects BI
Server. Your administrator may deploy different types of objects, such as
Crystal reports, Web Intelligence documents, and other objects that are
created from Business Objects BI Server plug-in components. InfoView
allows you to view these objects, organize them, and work with them to suit
your needs.
8 Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
Introduction to Business Objects BI Server
Who should read this help?
This help is intended for users who work with documents and reports over the
Web through Business Objects BI Server and InfoView. It is also intended for
administrators who configure and manage objects through the Central
Management Console and Central Configuration Manager.
For more information about InfoView and other BusinessObjects Enterprise
products, consult the BusinessObjects Enterprise InfoView User’s Guide and
the BusinessObjects Enterprise Administrator’s Guide. Online versions of
these guides are included in the Business Objects BI Server Document
Roadmap found in the
docs directory of your product distribution.
BusinessObjects Enterprise documentation
Business Objects BI Server is built on the BusinessObjects Enterprise
framework. Therefore, you can refer to the BusinessObjects Enterprise
guides for more information on Business Objects BI Server features. While
you are referring to the BusinessObjects Enterprise guides, you may
encounter some information that does not apply to Business Objects BI
Server. To help you differentiate between the information that applies to
Business Objects BI Server and the information that does not, review the
Business Objects BI Server Document Roadmap found in the
of your product distribution.
Business Objects and Linux
docs directory
1
Business Objects and Linux
Business Objects BI Server is supported on Windows and Linux. For more
information about Business Objects products on Linux, go to http://
www.businessobjects.com/linux/
Business Objects information resources
For more information and assistance, see Appendix A: Business Objects
Information Resources. This appendix describes the Business Objects
documentation, customer support, training, and consulting services, with links
to online resources.
Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide 9
Introduction to Business Objects BI Server
1
Business Objects information resources
10 Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
Administering Business Objects BI Server
chapter
Administering Business Objects BI Server
2
Before you begin
Before you begin
Make sure you have Business Objects BI Server installed on your system.
For information on how to install Business Objects BI Server, refer to the
install guides included with this product in the
distribution.
Administration Overview
The regular administrative tasks associated with Business Objects BI Server
can be roughly divided into three major categories: user management,
content management, and server management. This section briefly
introduces new administrators to some of the available management tools.
Note: The word ‘Object’ in this guide is a generic term for items represented
in the Repository. Business Objects BI Server supports many types of objects
including reports, Web Intelligence documents, programs, Microsoft Excel
files, Microsoft Word files, Microsoft PowerPoint files, Adobe Acrobat PDFs,
rich text format files, text files, hyperlinks, and object packages.
You will typically use the following applications to manage Business Objects
BI Server:
• Central Management Console (CMC)
This web application is the most powerful administrative tool provided for
managing a Business Objects BI Server system. It offers you a single
interface through which you can perform almost every task related to
user management, content management, and server management.
• Central Configuration Manager (CCM)
This server administration tool is provided in two forms. In a Windows
environment, the CCM allows you to manage local and remote servers
through its Graphical User Interface (GUI) or from a command line. In a
Linux environment, the CCM shell script (
servers from a command line.
• Publishing Wizard
This application allows you to publish your reporting content to Business
Objects BI Server quickly. It also allows you to specify a number of
options on each report that you publish. Although this application runs
only on Windows, you can use it to publish reports to Business Objects BI
Server that are running on Windows or on UNIX.
/docs/en/ directory of your
ccm.sh) allows you to manage
12 Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
Administering Business Objects BI Server
Managing Business Objects BI Server applications
Additional documentation
For more information on administration related Business Objects BI Server
features, you can refer to the BusinessObjects Enterprise Administrator’s
Guide or to the “Administering Business Objects BI Server” section of the
Business Objects BI Server Document Roadmap found in the docs directory
of your product distribution.
Managing Business Objects BI Server
applications
You can use the BusinessObjects Applications area of the Central
Management Console to make changes to the appearance and functionality
of web applications such as the Central Management Console and InfoView,
without doing any programming. Note that some applications provide more
flexibility than others.
You can also control user and administrator access by changing the rights
associated with each application.
This section includes information about the following topics:
• “Managing the Central Management Console” on page 13
• “Managing InfoView” on page 14
• “Managing Web Intelligence” on page 15
2
Managing the Central Management Console
From the Business Objects Applications area of the Central Management
Console, you can grant or deny users access to the Central Management
Console. You can also change the following Central Management Console
settings:
• Query size threshold
By default, when you go to the Objects, Folders, Groups, or Users
management areas of the CMC, a list of objects in that management area is
displayed. Because Business Objects BI Server loads each of the objects
in the list, if you have numerous objects this can heavily tax your system
resources. You can adjust this list using the Query size threshold setting.
Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide 13
Administering Business Objects BI Server
2
Managing Business Objects BI Server applications
You can modify the number of objects displayed by setting the Query size
threshold in the Business Objects Applications management area of the
CMC. By default, the Query size threshold value is 500. This means that
Business Objects BI Server prompts users to use the search function of
the CMC if the return size exceeds 500 objects.
• CMC Access URL
Specifying the Central Management Console Access URL allows other
applications, such as Crystal Reports, to get this URL from the Central
Management Server in order to call pages in the CMC. Crystal Reports,
for example, needs to call these pages in order to support the previewing
of reports and to enable administration tasks to be performed from
Crystal Reports.
To manage settings for the Central Management Console
1. Go to the BusinessObjects Enterprise Applications management area
of the CMC.
2. Click the BusinessObjects Enterprise Central Management Console
link.
The Properties page appears.
3. In the Prompt for search if the return size exceeds field, type the
maximum number of objects you want to be returned in searches and on
the initial pages of the Objects, Folders, Groups, and Users management
areas.
4. In the CMC Access URL field, type the URL for the CMC.
5. Click Update.
Managing InfoView
In the BusinessObjects Enterprise Applications area of the Central
Management Console, the Properties tab for the InfoView allows you to
change several display options.
You can also control user and administrator access by changing the rights
associated with each user and group on the Rights tab.
To change display settings for InfoView
1. Go to the BusinessObjects Enterprise Applications management area
of the CMC.
2. Click InfoView.
3. On the Properties tab, select the options that you want.
14 Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
Administering Business Objects BI Server
Managing Business Objects BI Server applications
• Header and style: You can change the colors of the header and the
logo displayed in the header. If you have a cascading style sheet for
your intranet, you can specify it here to format InfoView with the
same styles.
• Display: Choose the functionality that your users can see. You can
choose whether or not to display the Preferences button, the Type
list, and the Filters tab. You can also choose a default navigation
method for your users (folders or categories), and you can specify
the maximum number of pages of objects to show at a time.
• Object Listing: Choose whether to display the original object or the
latest instance of the object.
• Viewers: You can also configure settings that control which viewers
are available to users.
When users view a report using the Advanced DHTML viewer, the
report is processed by the Report Application Server.
If you are using the Java version of InfoView and want users to be
able to use the Active X or Java viewers, you must enter the context
path of the Web Component Adapter. Consult the BusinessObjects
Enterprise Installation Guide for more information.
4. Click Update.
2
Managing Web Intelligence
For the Web Intelligence application, you can control which interactive
features your users have access to for Web Intelligence documents by setting
Web Intelligence rights in the Central Management Console.
Note that in order for users to be able to use the Interactive view format and
use the Query HTML panel, you must grant access to the “Allows interactive
HTML viewing (as per license)” option. The user can select this view format
and report panel option in the Web Intelligence Document Preferences tab in
InfoView.
To set rights for Web Intelligence features
1. Go to the BusinessObjects Enterprise Applications management area
of the CMC.
2. Click Web Intelligence.
3. Click the Rights tab, and click Web Intelligence to expand the list of
available rights.
4. Select the options that you want, and then click Apply.
Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide 15
Administering Business Objects BI Server
2
Managing license information
Managing license information
The License Keys tab identifies the number of concurrent, named, and
processor licenses associated with each key.
To view license information
1. Go to the License Keys management area of the CMC.
2. Select a license key.
The details associated with the key appear in the Licensing Information
area. To purchase additional license keys:
• Contact your Business Objects sales representative.
• Contact your regional office. For details, go to:
http://www.businessobjects.com/company/contact_us/
Adding a license key
Note: If you are upgrading from a trial version of the product, be sure to
delete the Evaluation key prior to adding any new license keys or product
activation keycodes.
To add a license key
1. Go to the License Keys management area of the CMC.
2. Type the key in the Add Key field.
Note: Key codes are case-sensitive.
3. Click Add.
The key is added to the list.
Viewing current account activity
To view current account activity
1. Go to the Settings management area of the CMC.
2. Click the Metrics tab.
This tab displays current license usage, along with additional job metrics.
16 Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
Working with Web Intelligence documents
chapter
Working with Web Intelligence documents
3
Overview
Overview
Web Intelligence is easy to use and flexible for building and analyzing reports
on corporate data over the web, on secured intranets, and extranets.
To use Web Intelligence from your desktop computer, you can log into the
business intelligence portal InfoView from your Internet browser. Then,
depending on your security profile, you can work with reports in corporate
documents or build your own documents from the Web Intelligence report
panel or query panel.
This section explains the following topics:
• “Creating and editing Web Intelligence documents” on page 18
• “Saving Web Intelligence documents” on page 27
• “Understanding queries and universes” on page 29
• “Setting Web Intelligence preferences” on page 33
• “Viewing Web Intelligence documents” on page 39
Creating and editing Web Intelligence documents
This section provides an overview of the Web Intelligence document creation
tools. It includes information about the following methods of creating and
editing Web Intelligence documents.
• “Using the HTML Report Panel” on page 21
• “Using Web Intelligence Query – HTML” on page 23
• “Using the Java Report Panel” on page 24
Overview of the Web Intelligence document creation tools
You can create or edit Web Intelligence documents using one of several tools:
• HTML Report Panel
• Query – HTML
• Java Report Panel
This section explains the differences between each tool.
18 Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
Working with Web Intelligence documents
Creating and editing Web Intelligence documents
Web Intelligence HTML Report Panel
Designed for users who need to build basic reports, the HTML Report Panel
provides query and report features in a simple wizard-like interface. Each
document is based on a single data source and can contain multiple reports,
displaying different subsets of information.
3
In addition, the HTML Report Panel is 508 compliant and can be customized
for specialized deployments.
Note: The Web Intelligence HTML Report Panel is only available, if your
administrator has deployed Web Intelligence in JSP mode.
Web Intelligence Query – HTML
Designed for users requiring a pure HTML environment to build queries, Web
Intelligence Query – HTML offers the ability to define the data content of
documents on multiple data sources. You can use Query – HTML to create
new documents or edit the queries in documents created using any of the
other Web Intelligence tools.
Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide 19
Working with Web Intelligence documents
3
Creating and editing Web Intelligence documents
Used together with On-Report Analysis, Query – HTML provides a complete
solution for building queries and designing powerful reports in a pure HTML
environment. Once you have run the queries to generate a standard report,
you can leverage Web Intelligence On-Report Analysis features to format
multiple reports, add formulas, and create variables.
Note: Web Intelligence Query – HTML and On-Report Analysis in
Interactive view format are only available, if your administrator has deployed
Web Intelligence in JSP mode.
Web Intelligence Java Report Panel
The Java Report Panel is designed for users who need more flexibility with
designing report layout and defining formulas and variables. A graphical
Formula Editor enables you to build formulas rapidly using drag-and-drop.
20 Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
Note: The Web Intelligence Java Report Panel is available if your
administrator has deployed Web Intelligence in ASP mode and if your
administrator has deployed Web Intelligence in JSP mode.
Using the HTML Report Panel
Working with Web Intelligence documents
Creating and editing Web Intelligence documents
3
Creating documents
You can create Web Intelligence documents by selecting a universe in
InfoView. Each universe maps to a database that stores corporate business
information. When you connect to a universe, Web Intelligence launches a
report panel automatically. You can use the report panel to define the data
and the reports you want to include in the new document.
Note: When you connect to a universe, the report panel you have selected
on the Web Intelligence Document Preferences page in InfoView is launched.
Before you can edit or create a Web Intelligence document using the HTML
Report Panel, you need to verify that the HTML Report Panel is selected on
the Web Intelligence Document Preferences page in InfoView. To find out
how to do this, see “Setting Web Intelligence preferences” on page 33.
To select a universe
1. On the InfoView Home page, click the arrow next to New on the top
toolbar.
A drop-down list appears.
2. Click Web Intelligence Document.
Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide 21
Working with Web Intelligence documents
3
Creating and editing Web Intelligence documents
The list of universes appears. Each universe maps to a different data
source.
3. Click the title of the universe on which you want to create a document.
The Web Intelligence report panel specified on your Web Intelligence
Document Preferences page on InfoView opens.
Editing existing documents
Depending on your security profile, you can edit how results appear on report
tables and charts or edit the queries that make up the data definition of
documents.
To edit a Web Intelligence document
1. Make sure you are logged into InfoView.
2. On the InfoView home page, navigate to the document you want to open.
You can do this by clicking the folders in My Folders or Public Folders,
or by entering a keyword or the title of the document in the Search box
on the InfoView home page.
3. Click Modify below the document name.
The document opens in the HTML Report Panel, as selected on your
Web Intelligence Document Preferences page in InfoView.
For more information on setting your Web Intelligence Document
Preferences, see “Setting Web Intelligence preferences” on page 33.
22 Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
Creating and editing Web Intelligence documents
Using Web Intelligence Query – HTML
You can create Web Intelligence documents by building one or more queries.
The queries define the data content of the document and its reports. You can
edit the queries upon which a document is based at any time.
Note: Make sure the Query – HTML is selected on the Web Intelligence
Document Preferences page in InfoView. To find out how to do this, see
“Setting Web Intelligence preferences” on page 33.
Creating documents
You can create Web Intelligence documents by first selecting a universe in
InfoView. Each universe maps to a database containing corporate business
information. When you connect to a universe, Web Intelligence automatically
launches the document editor selected on the Web Intelligence Document
Preferences page in InfoView.
To select a universe for a new document
1. On the InfoView Home page, click New and select Web Intelligence
Document.
2. Click the title of the universe on which you want to create a document.
Working with Web Intelligence documents
3
This icon indicates a universe
Web Intelligence Query – HTML opens.
Editing the queries in existing documents
You can edit the queries upon which documents are based at any time. This
enables you to modify the data definition behind reports as your corporate
data and business needs evolve.
This section tells you how to switch to Edit Query mode while viewing reports.
To switch to Edit Query mode while viewing reports
1. Make sure you are logged into InfoView.
2. On the InfoView home page, navigate to the document you want to open.
You can do this by clicking the folders in My Folders or Public Folders,
or by entering a keyword or the title of the document in the Search box
on the InfoView home page.
Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide 23
Working with Web Intelligence documents
3
Creating and editing Web Intelligence documents
The list of documents appears.
3. Click the document title.
4. If the document contains any prompts that need to be refreshed, you
need to select the value(s) you want returned to the document, and then
click Run Query.
The results appear on the reports.
5. Click Edit Query.
Query – HTML appears and displays the queries defined for the
document.
Using the Java Report Panel
You can create and edit reports in Web Intelligence documents by launching a
Web Intelligence report panel from InfoView. This section tells you how to
create and edit documents using the Java Report Panel.
Note: Before you can edit or create a Web Intelligence document using the
Java Report Panel, you need to verify that the Java Report Panel is selected
on the Web Intelligence Document Preferences page in InfoView. To find out
how to do this, see “Setting Web Intelligence preferences” on page 33.
Creating new documents
You can create Web Intelligence documents by selecting a universe in
InfoView. Each universe maps to a database containing corporate business
information. When you connect to a universe, Web Intelligence launches a
report panel automatically. You use the report panel to define the data and the
reports you want to include in the new document.
To select a universe and launch a report panel
1. On the InfoView Home page, click New and select Web Intelligence
Document.
24 Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
2. Click the title of the universe on which you want to create a document.
The Web Intelligence report panel opens.
Note: The first time you use the Java Report Panel, Web Intelligence
automatically downloads a Java applet to your computer. If your
computer is using Microsoft Windows 2000 as its operating system, you
must be logged into your computer as Administrator to download the
applet.
You can define the data selection and the report structure for the new
document using the Web Intelligence report panel selected on the Web
Intelligence Document Preferences page in InfoView. For more
information, see “Setting Web Intelligence preferences” on page 33.
Editing existing documents
You can open and edit Web Intelligence documents from InfoView, the
corporate business intelligence portal.
Web Intelligence documents can be opened two ways:
• view the document first and then switch to Edit mode
• switch to edit mode directly without viewing the document contents first
Working with Web Intelligence documents
Creating and editing Web Intelligence documents
3
To view a document and then switch to Edit mode
1. Make sure you are logged into InfoView.
2. On the InfoView home page, navigate to the document you want to open.
On the InfoView home page, to find the document you want to open, click
the folders in My Folders or Public Folders, or enter a keyword or the
title of the document in the Search box on the InfoView home page.
The list of documents appears.
3. Click the document title.
4. If the document contains any prompts, you need to select the value(s)
you want returned to the document, and then click Run Query.
Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide 25
Working with Web Intelligence documents
3
Creating and editing Web Intelligence documents
The Java Report Panel launches and displays the document.
To edit a Web Intelligence document directly
1. Make sure you are logged into InfoView.
2. On the InfoView home page, navigate to the document you want to open.
You can do this by clicking the folders in My Folders or Public Folders,
or by entering a keyword or the title of the document in the Search box
on the InfoView home page.
The list of documents appears.
3. Click Modify below the document name.
4. If the document contains any prompts, you need to select the value(s)
you want returned to the document, and then click Run Query.
26 Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
Working with Web Intelligence documents
Saving Web Intelligence documents
The Java Report Panel launches and displays the document.
Note: To edit Web Intelligence documents using the Java Report Panel,
the Java Report Panel needs to be selected on the Web Intelligence
Document Preferences page in InfoView. To find out how to do this, see
“Setting Web Intelligence preferences” on page 33.
3
Saving Web Intelligence documents
When you save a Web Intelligence document, it is saved to InfoView, the
enterprise business intelligence portal. You can save documents to personal
or public folders, depending on whether you want exclusive access to
documents or want to share them with other users.
Note: Before you can save a document, you need to run the query at least
once. To do this, click Run Query or Refresh. The results are displayed on
the report(s).
This section explains how to do the following tasks:
• save a new document
• save updates to a document that has already been saved
• save a document that has already been saved with a different name or to
a different InfoView category
To save a new Web Intelligence document in InfoView
1. If you haven’t run the query, click Run Query or Refresh.
Before you can save a document, you need to run the query at least
once.
Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide 27
Working with Web Intelligence documents
3
Saving Web Intelligence documents
2. With the document open, click Save on the main toolbar above the
displayed reports.
The InfoView Save page opens.
3. In the Title box, type the title of the document.
4. In the Description box, type a meaningful description of the document
(optional).
5. In the Keywords box, type keywords that you or other users can use to
search for the document in the future (optional).
By default, the document is saved to the current location displayed in the
Location box.
6. To save the document to the displayed location, leave the Location box
unchanged.
Or
To save the document to a different location, click Change, and on the
Select Folders page select the folder where you want to save the
document, and then click OK.
7. Adjacent to Categories, click the Public or Personal folder that you want
the document to be stored in InfoView, and click OK.
8. Click OK.
The document is saved in InfoView.
To save updates to a document that has already been saved
• With the document open, click Save on the main toolbar above the
displayed reports.
The document is saved with the same name and to the same category in
InfoView as the first time the document was saved.
To save a document with a new name or to a new InfoView category
1. With the document open, click the arrow next to Document on the main
toolbar above the displayed reports.
2. Click Save As
The InfoView Save page opens.
3. In the Title box, type the new title you want to give the document.
4. In the Description box, type a meaningful description of the document
(optional).
5. In the Keywords box, type keywords that you or other users can use to
search for the document in the future (optional).
28 Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
Working with Web Intelligence documents
Understanding queries and universes
By default, the document is saved to the current location displayed in the
Location box.
6. To save the document to the displayed location, leave the Location box
unchanged.
Or
To save the document to a different location, click Change... then, on the
Select Folders page, select the folder where you want to save the
document, and then click OK.
7. Next to Categories, select the Public or Personal folder where you want
to document to be stored in InfoView.
8. Click OK.
The document is saved in InfoView.
Understanding queries and universes
You can access data in a database by running queries using objects in a
BusinessObjects universe. A universe is a business representation of the
data on a database.
The objects on a universe represent information such as names of products
or customers, addresses, reference numbers for invoices or employees, as
well as standard measures such as revenue, profit, and margins. Once you
have defined the data you want to include in the query by selecting the
appropriate objects, you run the query to return the information to a report.
A query is one or more statements that request data from a database. A
request can be very simple; for example: give me total sales in California for
the first quarter of last year; or more complicated, for example: give me an
average age of customers who bought sweaters during the spring television
promotion in Paris.
If the data is available, then the requested data is returned in the form of a
table which contains rows and columns. If no data is currently available for an
object, the table rows and columns appear empty.
This section includes information on the following topics:
• How queries are based on universes
• What does a universe contain?
• Additional information on Universes
3
Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide 29
Working with Web Intelligence documents
3
Understanding queries and universes
How queries are based on universes
You can build queries in the HTML Report Panel using objects in a universe.
A universe is a business representation of the information available in a
database. For example, a corporation may have a universe that maps to data
for human resources and other universes that map to data for sales or
investors.
This information is presented in everyday terms that describe your business
situation. The universe appears in the Universe Objects pane on the left of the
browser window.
Queries are sent to the databases in a language called SQL. However, when
you use the HTML Report Panel you do not have to know any SQL. When
you build a query by selecting objects from a universe, Web Intelligence
translates the objects presented in your business language to SQL and then
sends the request to the database.
The data you specified in the query is returned to a report in a table or chart.
By default, if you are creating a new document, the data returned to the report
is displayed in a vertical table.
The column headers have the same names as the objects that you selected
for the query. The data for each object is displayed in the body cells of each
column.
30 Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
Working with Web Intelligence documents
Understanding queries and universes
If appropriate, you can then apply a different template to the table to display
the same data in a different table, form, or chart format.
3
What does a universe contain?
Universes are made up of objects and classes. These are described below:
Universe Component Description
Object Named component that maps to data or a
Class Logical grouping of objects. Each class has a
Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide 31
derivation of data in the database. You use objects
in a query to retrieve data for your reports. For
example, some of the objects in a human
resources universe would be Names, Addresses,
and Salaries.
Each object maps to data in the database, and
enables you to retrieve data for your reports.
meaningful name, for example; the class Store
contains the objects State, City, and Store name.
Working with Web Intelligence documents
3
Understanding queries and universes
Classes and Objects are presented in a tree structure. Objects are grouped
into folders called classes. The role of classes is to organize the objects into
logical groups. Each class can also contain one or more subclasses.
Subclasses contain objects that are a subcategory of the objects in the upper
level of the class.
Each folder represents a class
Each icon within a class represents an object
The
Store details subfolder is a subclass of
Store
When you select an object, a description of the selected object appears in the
status bar at the bottom left of the Query pane. This helps you understand the
data that each object represents. These descriptions are created by your
administrator on the universe.
What different types of objects can you use in a query?
Objects can represent different types of information.
32 Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
Working with Web Intelligence documents
Setting Web Intelligence preferences
Object Examples Description
Dimension
This image shows
the icon for
dimensions
Detail
This image shows
the icon for details
Measure
This image shows
the icon for
measures
Retrieves the data that provides the basis
for analysis in a report. Dimension
objects typically retrieve character-type
data.
For example: names of customers,
product lines, or locations, and
information on dates (such as year and
quarter).
Provides descriptive data about a
dimension. A detail is always attached to
a dimension for which it provides
additional information.
For example: Age is a detail object that is
associated with “Customer dimension”.
Address provides additional information
on customers.
Retrieves numeric data that is the result
of calculations on data in the database.
For example: Revenue is the calculation
of the number of items sold, multiplied by
item price.
Measure objects are often located in a
class called “Measures”.
3
Additional information on Universes
For additional information on how to create Universes, refer to the Universe
Designer Guides: BusinessObjects Universe Builder Guide and Designer’s
Guide available on the Business Objects Customer Support website at http://
www.businessobjects.com/support/
Setting Web Intelligence preferences
Before you access your Web Intelligence documents through InfoView, it is
recommended that you set the Web Intelligence preferences to suit your
query and reporting needs.
Note: The functionality described in this section is available through InfoView
if you have appropriate Web Intelligence licenses. For information about
licensing, contact your sales representative.
Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide 33
Working with Web Intelligence documents
3
Setting Web Intelligence preferences
This process includes the following tasks:
• “Selecting Web Intelligence view formats” on page 34
• “Selecting report panel formats” on page 35
• “Selecting your Drill options” on page 35
• “Selecting MS Excel formats” on page 38
• “Selecting a locale” on page 39
• “Selecting a default universe” on page 39
Selecting Web Intelligence view formats
You can choose different view formats to correspond with how you interact
with information in Web Intelligence documents through InfoView.
To select a view format for Web Intelligence documents
1. Log on to InfoView.
2. On the Header panel toolbar, click Preferences.
The Preferences appears.
3. Click the Web Intelligence Document tab.
4. In the “Select a view format” area, select the format that you want to use
when you view your Web Intelligence documents:
• If you want to be able to view the documents, respond to prompts,
and/or perform drill analysis, then choose HTML.
• If you want to be able to apply filters to the documents, do sorts and
calculations, modify the format of the data in tables and charts, and/
or perform drill analysis, then choose Interactive.
Note:
• This option is available only if you have Web Intelligence
deployed in JSP mode.
• To be able to use the Web Intelligence HTML Query panel to
create documents and/or edit queries, it is recommended that
you select this option. If you do not select the Interactive view
format, you can still use the HTML Query panel to define your
documents, but you will not be able to format them.
• If you want to be able to view and print the documents, then choose
Portable Document Format (Adobe Reader required).
5. Click OK.
34 Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
Selecting report panel formats
The report panel provides several tools that enable you to create and/or edit
Web Intelligence documents. Depending on how your system is configured or
how you want to interact with Web Intelligence documents, a specific report
panel format may be more suited to your needs.
To select a report panel
1. In the “Select a report panel” area, select the report panel that you want
to use when you create or edit Web Intelligence documents:
Note: These options are available only if your administrator has
deployed Web Intelligence in JSP mode.
• If you want to work with queries in an HTML environment, then
choose Query – HTML.
Query – HTML allows you to define the content of documents from
multiple data sources. You can use Query – HTML to create new
documents or modify the queries on which existing Web Intelligence
documents are based.
• If you want to use a graphical editor to build formulas, then choose
Java Report Panel.
This option enables you to use the Formula Editor, which lets you
drag and drop variables to create formulas.
• If you want to use a wizard-like interface to build your documents,
then choose HTML Report Panel.
The HTML Report Panel allows you to build query and report
features through a simple interface. Each document that you create
is based on a single data source and can contain multiple reports
that display different subsets of information. The HTML Report Panel
can be customized for special deployments.
2. Click OK.
Working with Web Intelligence documents
Setting Web Intelligence preferences
3
Selecting your Drill options
Before you begin a drill session, you must specify how your Web Intelligence
documents change when you perform a drill.
To set your drill options
1. In the “Select a view format” area, ensure that either HTML or Interactive
is selected.
Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide 35
Working with Web Intelligence documents
3
Setting Web Intelligence preferences
2. In the “For each new drill session” area, select the option that you want to
apply to your drill sessions:
• If you want to retain a copy of the original document so that you can
compare the drilled results to the data in the original document, then
choose Start drill on a duplicate report.
InfoView creates a duplicate of the original report. When you end drill
mode, both the original report and the drilled report remain in the
document for you to view.
• If you want to drill on the report so that the report is modified by your
drill actions, then choose Start drill on the existing report.
When you end drill mode, the report displays the drilled values.
3. In the “General drill options” area, select the general options that you
want to apply to your drill sessions:
• If you want Web Intelligence to prompt you whenever a drill action
requires a new query to add more data to the document, then select
Prompt if drill requires additional data.
For example, when you drill the results that are displayed on a Web
Intelligence document, you may want to drill to higher or lower-level
information that is not included in the scope of analysis for the
document. In this situation, Web Intelligence needs to run a new
query to retrieve additional data from the data source. You can
choose to be prompted with a message whenever a new query is
needed.
The prompt message asks you to decide whether or not you want to
run the additional query. In addition, the prompt may allow you to
apply filters to the extra dimensions that you include in the new
query. As a result, you can restrict the size of the query to just the
data that is necessary for your analysis. Note, however, that you
need permission from your administrator to drill out of the scope of
analysis during a drill session.
• If you want Web Intelligence to synchronize drilling on all report
blocks, then select Synchronize drill on report blocks.
Each table, chart, or free-standing cell in a report represents a
specific block of data. There are two ways to drill on a report with
multiple report blocks:
• Synchronize drill on report blocks.
36 Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
Working with Web Intelligence documents
Setting Web Intelligence preferences
• Drill on only the selected block.
The following examples show how each option affects a report as
you drill down on a table to analyze detailed results per service line.
In the first example, Synchronize drill on report blocks is selected, so
both the table and the chart display the drilled values:
In the second example, Synchronize drill on report blocks is not
selected, so only the table displays the drilled values:
3
Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide 37
Working with Web Intelligence documents
3
Setting Web Intelligence preferences
• If you want Web Intelligence to hide the Drill toolbar when you switch
to drill mode, then select Hide drill toolbar.
When you start drill mode, the Drill toolbar automatically appears at
the top of the drilled report. The toolbar displays the value(s) on
which you drilled. These values filter the results that are displayed on
the drilled report.
For example, if you drill on year 2001, the results that are displayed
on the drilled table are the Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 for year 2001. This
means that the quarterly values to which you drilled to are filtered by
2001. The Drill toolbar displays “2001”, the value that filters the
drilled results.
The Drill toolbar allows you to select other values to filter the results
differently. For example, if you use the Drill toolbar to select “2002”,
then the results that are displayed on the drilled table will be Q1, Q2,
Q3, and Q4 for year 2002.
If the drilled report includes dimensions from multiple queries, a
tooltip appears when you rest your cursor on the value that is
displayed on the filter. The tooltip displays the name of the query and
the dimension for the value.
You can choose to hide the Drill toolbar when you start drill mode.
This is useful if you do not want to select filters during your drill
session.
4. Click OK.
Selecting MS Excel formats
This option determines the appearance of the data in instances of Web
Intelligence documents if you schedule the documents to run in MS Excel
format.
To select an MS Excel format
1. In the “Select MS Excel format” area, select the Excel format that you
want to use:
• If you want to display the data in a format that is similar to working in
Excel, then choose “Prioritize the format of reports in the Excel
document”.
• If you want to display the data in a text format, then choose “Prioritize
easy data processing in the Excel document”.
2. Click OK.
38 Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
Selecting a locale
The locale setting determines the language set and date format that Web
Intelligence uses when you work with your documents.
To select a locale
1. From the “Select a format locale” list, select your current location.
2. In the “When viewing a document” area, choose one of the following
options:
• If you want to use the locale setting that was specified when the Web
Intelligence document was created, then choose Use the document
locale to format the data.
• If you want to use the locale setting that you specified in InfoView,
then choose Use my formatting locale to format the data.
3. Click OK.
Selecting a default universe
You can specify a universe to be used as the default data source for your
Web Intelligence documents.
Working with Web Intelligence documents
Viewing Web Intelligence documents
3
To select a universe
The Preferences appears.
1. Click the Web Intelligence Document tab.
2. In the “Select a default Universe” area, click Browse, and choose one of
the following options:
• If you want to select a default universe for Web Intelligence to use
when you create documents, then select a universe from the list.
• If you do not want to set a default universe, then choose No default
universe.
3. Click OK.
Viewing Web Intelligence documents
When you click to view a Web Intelligence document, the document appears
in a viewer. Depending on the type of viewer that is deployed and the
functions that are enabled by your administrator, you can perform a number of
different activities. The following sections provide information about the Web
Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide 39
Working with Web Intelligence documents
3
Viewing Web Intelligence documents
Intelligence toolbar and give instructions on how to work with the navigation
map, display user prompts, find text, and drill down data in your Web
Intelligence documents.
Web Intelligence toolbar
Option Description
Document actions
Allows you to edit or save the document.
View
Allows you to choose a view mode and show/hide the
left panel.
Save
Saves the document.
Find
Allows you to search for text in the document.
Undo
Reverses the previous action.
Redo
Reverses the undo action.
Zoom
Allows you to zoom in or out on the document.
Navigation
Allows you to move through the pages of a document.
Go to Next Page, Go to Previous Page, Go to First
Page, and Go to Last Page are available options.
Refresh
Obtains the most up-to-date data from the document’s
data source. You must have the necessary rights, and
the document must contain the necessary data source
information before you can refresh the document.
Start/End Drill mode
Allows you to drill to data beneath charts.
Snapshot
Takes a picture of the screen during Drill mode. The
picture is saved on a tab for you to view at a later time.
40 Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
Displaying the navigation map
The navigation map allows you to navigate to the reports that are contained in
your Web Intelligence document.
To display the navigation map
1. Open the document that you want to view.
2. Click View, and select Left panel.
3. From the left panel list, select Navigation Map.
Displaying user prompts
Prompts ask users to enter information. For Web Intelligence documents, this
information may determine what data appears in the document. For example,
in a document that is used by sales, there may be a prompt that asks the user
to choose a region. When the user chooses a region, the document displays
the results for that specific region instead of displaying the results for all of the
regions in the document.
To display user prompts
1. Open the document that you want to view.
2. Click View, and select Left panel.
3. From the left panel list, select User Prompt Input.
Working with Web Intelligence documents
Viewing Web Intelligence documents
3
Finding text in documents
You can search for text in your documents.
To find text
1. Open the document that you want to view.
2. Click Find.
The Find options appear in the left panel.
3. In the Find field, type the text you want to locate.
4. Select Match whole word and/or Match case.
5. Select the direction of the search: Up or Down.
6. Click Find Next.
Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide 41
Working with Web Intelligence documents
3
Viewing Web Intelligence documents
Drilling documents
You can drill down on document data to show the data beneath charts and
summarized groups.
To drill document data
1. Open the document that you want to view.
2. Click Start Drill mode, and then click links in the document to drill down
to more information.
3. Click Add Drill Filter.
Filter options appear in a list.
4. Select a filter to apply to your drill session.
5. Click Snapshot to take a picture of the drilled view.
The snapshot is saved as a tab in the viewer.
6. Click the tab to view the snapshot.
7. Click End Drill mode to end the drill session.
42 Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
Working with Crystal reports
chapter
Working with Crystal reports
4
Overview
Overview
This chapter describes how to publish, view, and work with Crystal reports in
InfoView. It includes information about the following topics:
• “Publishing Crystal reports” on page 44
• “Viewing Crystal reports” on page 55
Publishing Crystal reports
This section explains the publishing process and provides tutorials on three
different ways of publishing Crystal reports.
What is publishing?
Publishing is the process of adding objects such as Crystal reports to the
Business Objects BI Server environment and making them available to
authorized users. Once an object is published, it appears in the folder that
you specified in InfoView (or your customized web desktop) and in the
Objects management area of the Central Management Console (CMC).
Several types of objects can be published and viewed in Business Objects BI
Server:
• reports (from Crystal Reports)
• programs
• Microsoft Excel/Word/PowerPoint files
• Adobe Acrobat PDFs
• text files
• rich text format files
• hyperlinks
• object packages (which consist of report and/or program objects)
This tutorial will guide you through three different methods of publishing
Crystal reports to Business Objects BI Server:
• “Method 1: How to publish reports using the Publishing Wizard” on
page 45.
• “Method 2: How to publish reports using the Central Management
Console” on page 52.
• “Method 3: How to save reports directly to the CMS” on page 54.
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Working with Crystal reports
Method 1: How to publish reports using the Publishing Wizard
The scenarios provided for each method focus only on how to publish reports.
For detailed information about publishing other object types, see “Publishing
Objects to BusinessObjects Enterprise” in the BusinessObjects Enterprise
Administrator’s Guide.
Note:
• Depending on the rights that are assigned by your administrator, you may
not be able to publish reports by using the Publishing Wizard. Contact
your administrator for more information.
• Business Objects BI Server supports reports that are created in versions
6 through XI of Crystal Reports. However, once a report is published to
Business Objects BI Server, it is saved, processed, and displayed in
version XI format.
Method 1: How to publish reports using the
Publishing Wizard
The Publishing Wizard consists of a series of dialog boxes; only the dialog
boxes that are applicable to the reports/folders that you are publishing
appear. When you use the wizard, you first connect to Business Objects BI
Server, and then you select the reports/folders you want to publish, the
publishing location, and the schedule.
You can use the Publishing Wizard to publish one or more reports, or an
entire directory of reports, to Business Objects BI Server.
4
Connecting to Business Objects BI Server
When you use the Publishing Wizard, you are prompted to log on to the
Business Objects BI Server system where you want to publish your reports.
1. On Windows, click Start > Programs > Business Objects > Business
Objects BI Server > Publishing Wizard.
The Welcome to the Publishing Wizard dialog box appears.
2. Click Next.
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Method 1: How to publish reports using the Publishing Wizard
The Please Log On dialog box appears.
3. Enter your logon information.
a. In the System field, type the name of the CMS where you want to
publish objects.
b. In the User Name and Password fields, type your Business Objects
BI Server logon credentials.
c. From the Authentication list, select the appropriate authentication
type.
4. Click Next.
The Select Files dialog box appears.
46 Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
Selecting reports to publish
1. In the Select Files dialog box, click Add Files or Add Folders.
2. Select the file/folder that you want to publish.
Tip:
• Ensure that the file type is .rpt.
• If you are publishing a folder, you can also publish its subfolders by
selecting the Include Subfolders option.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each of the files/folders that you want to publish.
4. Click Next.
The Specify Location dialog box appears.
Note: If the Specify Object Type dialog box appears, it means that the
Publishing Wizard does not recognize the file type. Choose a file type for
each unrecognized object, and then click Next.
Working with Crystal reports
Method 1: How to publish reports using the Publishing Wizard
4
Specifying a publishing location
To publish the selected reports, you must create or select a folder on the host
CMS. Only the folders to which you have access appear in the Specify
Location dialog box.
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Method 1: How to publish reports using the Publishing Wizard
1. In the Specify Location dialog box, select the folder where you want to
publish the reports.
Tip: To add a new folder to the CMS, select a folder and then click New
Folder.
Note: From the wizard, you can delete only new folders. (New folders
are green; existing folders are yellow.)
If you are publishing multiple reports, and you want to place them in
separate directories, see “Duplicating a folder hierarchy” on page 49.
2. Click Next.
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Method 1: How to publish reports using the Publishing Wizard
The Confirm Location dialog box appears.
3. Verify the publishing location of the report:
• You can move reports to folders by selecting each object, and then
clicking Move Up or Move Down.
• You can drag reports to place them where you want, and you can
right-click objects to rename them.
Tip: By default, the titles of the reports are displayed. You can display
the local file names of the reports by clicking the Show file names button.
4. Click Next.
4
• If you are publishing a single report, or multiple reports from the
same location, the Publishing Wizard proceeds directly to the Specify
Categories dialog box. Go to steps 2 and 3 of “Duplicating a folder
hierarchy” on page 49.
• If you are publishing multiple reports from different directories and
subdirectories, the Specify Folder Hierarchy dialog box appears.
Duplicating a folder hierarchy
The Specify Folder Hierarchy dialog box allows you to duplicate the folder
hierarchy of your selected reports on the CMS as it appears on your hard
drive.
1. In the Specify Folder Hierarchy dialog box, choose one of these folder
hierarchy options:
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4
Method 1: How to publish reports using the Publishing Wizard
• To place all of the reports in a single folder, select Put the files in the
same location.
• To recreate all of the folders and subfolders on the CMS as they appear
on your hard drive, select Duplicate the folder hierarchy. Choose the
topmost folder that you want to include in the folder hierarchy.
2. Click Next.
The Specify Categories dialog box appears.
If you want to add the selected reports to a category, you can select or
create a category on the host CMS; reports can be added to more than one
category. However, for the purposes of this tutorial, you will skip this step.
For more information about categories, refer to the BusinessObjects
Enterprise Administrator’s Guide. This information can be found in the
chapter called Publishing Objects to BusinessObjects Enterprise under
the section Adding objects to a category.
3. Click Next.
The Specify Schedule dialog box appears.
Choosing a scheduling option
The Specify Schedule dialog box allows you to schedule reports to run at
specific intervals.
1. In the Specify Schedule dialog box, select the report that you want to
schedule.
2. Select one of three intervals:
• Run once only
Selecting the “Run once only” option provides two more sets of options:
• when finished this wizard
This option runs the report once when you finish publishing it.
The report is not run again until you reschedule it.
• at the specified date and time
This option runs the report once at a date and time you specify.
The report is not run again until you reschedule it.
• Let users update the object
This option does not schedule the report. Instead, it leaves the task
of scheduling up to the user.
• Run on a recurring schedule
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Method 1: How to publish reports using the Publishing Wizard
Once you have selected this option, click the Set Recurrence button
to set the scheduling options.
The Pick a recurrence schedule dialog box appears.
The options in this dialog box allow you to choose when and how
often the report runs. Select the appropriate options and click OK.
3. Click Next after you have set the schedule for each report you are
publishing.
The Specify Repository Refresh dialog box appears.
Refreshing repository fields
The Business Objects BI Server Repository is a central location in which
shared elements such as text objects, bitmaps, custom functions, universes,
and custom SQL commands are stored.
You can choose to refresh the repository fields of a report if the report
references the repository. This choice does not affect your ability to publish
the report, only how the report will behave once it is published. To refresh
repository fields, the Publishing Wizard needs to connect to your Business
Objects BI Server Repository database from the local machine. For more
details, see the BusinessObjects Enterprise Administrator’s Guide.
1. In the Specify Repository Refresh dialog box, select a report, and then
select the Use Object Repository when refreshing report check box if
you want to refresh it against the repository.
Tip: Click the Enable All button if you want to refresh all of the reports
that reference the repository; click the Disable All button if you want to
refresh none of the reports.
2. Click Next.
Working with Crystal reports
4
Publishing with saved data
If you publish a report that includes saved data, you are prompted by the
Specify Keep Saved Data dialog box.
Note: If you choose not to keep saved data, ensure your ODBC logon
credentials are correct. Otherwise, when you try to view or refresh the report,
an error message saying “Failed to open the connection.report” will appear.
Here, the term report represents the name of your report. Consult your
database administrator if this happens.
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Method 2: How to publish reports using the Central Management Console
1. In the Specify Keep Saved Data dialog box, select a report, and then
select the Keep saved data when publishing report check box if you
want to keep the report’s saved data.
Tip: Click the Enable All button if you want to keep the saved data for all
of the reports; click the Disable All button if you do not want to keep
saved data for any of the reports.
2. Click Next.
The Change Default Values dialog box appears.
You can publish reports without changing any of the default properties,
which is what you will do for the purposes of this tutorial. For more
information, refer to the BusinessObjects Enterprise Administrator’s
Guide. This information can be found in the chapter called Publishing
Objects to BusinessObjects Enterprise under the section Changing
object properties.
3. In the Change Default Values dialog box, click Publish without
modifying properties, and then click Next.
Finalizing the reports to be published
After you provide the required information for the reports, the Publishing
Wizard displays a list of all the reports that you chose to publish.
1. Ensure that all of the reports that you want to publish are on the list, and
click Next.
The reports are published to the CMS, scheduled, and/or run as
specified. Afterwards, you return to the final screen of the Publishing
Wizard.
2. To view the details of a report, select it from the list.
3. Click Finish to close the wizard.
Method 2: How to publish reports using the
Central Management Console
If you have administrative rights to Business Objects BI Server, you can
publish reports over the Web from within the Central Management Console
(CMC). Use the CMC to publish single reports or to perform administrative
tasks remotely.
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Method 2: How to publish reports using the Central Management Console
To publish a report with the CMC
1. On Windows, click Start > Programs > Business Objects > Business
Objects BI Server > .NET Administration Launchpad.
Tip: Alternatively you can use the Java Administration Launchpad.
The Administration Launchpad appears.
2. Click Central Management Console.
3. On the CMC Log On page, enter your logon information.
a. In the System field, type the name of the CMS where you want to
publish reports.
b. In the User Name and Password fields, type your Business Objects
BI Server logon credentials.
c. From the Authentication Type list, select the appropriate
authentication type.
4. Click Log On.
5. On the CMC Home page, click Objects to go to the Objects management
area.
6. Click New Object.
The New Object page appears.
4
7. On the left side of the page, click Report.
8. Specify the properties of the report:
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Method 3: How to save reports directly to the CMS
• File name
Type the full path to the report, or click Browse to perform a search.
• Generate thumbnail for the report
Select this option if you want users to see a thumbnail preview of the
report in Business Objects BI Server.
Note: To be able to display thumbnails for a report, open the report
in Crystal Reports and, on the File menu, click Summary Info. Select
the Save preview picture option, and click OK. Preview the first page
of the report and save your changes.
• Use Object Repository when refreshing report
Select this option if you want to refresh the repository fields of a
Crystal report against the repository every time the report runs.
• Keep saved data
Select this option if you want to keep your report’s saved data.
9. Ensure that the correct folder name appears in the Destination field.
Tip: To change the destination, select a folder from the list below the
Destination field, and click Show Subfolders.
10. Click Submit.
When the report is published to Business Objects BI Server, the CMC
displays the Properties screen. If necessary, you can modify properties such
as title, description, database logon information, scheduling information, user
rights, and so on for the report.
Method 3: How to save reports directly to the
CMS
If you have the Crystal Reports software installed on your system, you can
use the Save As command to publish reports directly to Business Objects BI
Server from within the designer.
1. After you design a report in Crystal Reports, click Save As on the File
menu.
The Save As dialog box appears.
2. Click the Enterprise icon on the left of the Save As dialog box.
The Log on to Business Objects BI Server dialog box appears.
3. Enter your logon information.
54 Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
a. In the System field, type the name of the CMS where you want to
publish the report.
b. In the User Name and Password fields, type your Crystal Reports
Server logon credentials.
c. From the Authentication list, select the appropriate authentication
type.
4. Click OK.
5. Specify the folder where you want to save the report, and click Save.
Viewing Crystal reports
When you click to view a Crystal report, the report is displayed in a viewer.
Depending on the type of viewer that is deployed and the functions that are
enabled by your administrator, you can perform a number of different
activities. The following section provides information about the Crystal reports
viewer toolbar and gives instructions on how you can use it to work with your
reports.
Crystal Reports viewer toolbar
Working with Crystal reports
Viewing Crystal reports
4
Option Description
Export this report
Exports the Crystal report to your local machine or to a
location on a network.
Print this report
Prints the report.
Show/Hide Group Tree
Shows/hides the group tree. When the group tree is
displayed, you can use it to navigate through the data in
your report.
Navigation
Allows you to move through the pages of a report. Go to
Next Page, Go to Previous Page, Go to First Page, and
Go to Last Page are available options.
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Viewing Crystal reports
Option Description
Refresh Page
Obtains the most up-to-date data from the report’s data
source. You must have the necessary rights, and the
report must contain the necessary data source
information, before you can refresh the report.
Search for text
Allows you to search for the specific instance of a text.
Zoom
Allows you to zoom in or out on a report.
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Scheduling Web Intelligence and Crystal reports to Business Objects BI Server
chapter
Scheduling Web Intelligence and Crystal reports to Business Objects BI Server
5
Overview
Overview
Scheduling an object lets you run it automatically at specified times. You can
schedule report objects, Web Intelligence documents, publications, program
objects, and object packages.
When the system runs the object, it creates an output instance for the object
(for example, a report or program instance). A report instance contains actual
data from the database. A program instance is a text file that contains the
standard output and standard error produced when the program object was
run. Output instances also appear on the History page of an object and have
a status of Success or Failed.
This chapter contains the following sections:
• “Scheduling objects” on page 58
• “Managing instances” on page 87
• “Setting the scheduling options” on page 68
Scheduling objects
When you schedule an object, the system creates a scheduled instance for
the object. A scheduled instance contains object and schedule information. It
does not contain any data yet. Scheduled instances appear on the History
page of the respective object and have a status of Recurring or Pending.
Scheduled instances use the settings that are presently configured for the
object in CMC.
For end users to schedule and run objects, they must use a web-based client
such as InfoView or a custom web application. InfoView is designed primarily
to schedule objects and view reports, whereas CMC enables you to manage
and administer objects in addition to scheduling objects and viewing reports.
Note: If a Web Intelligence document has been set to “refresh on open” then
the system will access the database to obtain the latest information each time
a user views the document. Therefore, it may not be advantageous to
schedule Web Intelligence documents that are set to “refresh on open”,
because running the document at scheduled times will not reduce the number
of database hits.
To schedule an object
1. In the Objects management area of the CMC, select an object by clicking
its link.
2. Click the Schedule tab.
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Scheduling objects
The Schedule page appears, showing the default settings for the object.
3. Select the recurrence pattern you want. For example, select Weekly.
For a list and descriptions of the recurrence patterns, see “Recurrence
patterns” on page 60.
4. Specify the Run option and parameters that you want. For example,
select “Every week on” and then specify Monday, Wednesday, and
Friday.
For a list and descriptions of the Run options and parameters, see “Run
options and parameters” on page 61.
5. Set any of the other schedule options and parameters as required. For
details, see “Setting the scheduling options” on page 68.
6. Click Schedule.
The system creates a scheduled instance and it will run the instance
according to the schedule information you just specified. You can view
the scheduled instance on the History page for the object. See also
“Managing and viewing the history of instances” on page 88.
Note: To save the schedule settings as the new default setting for the
object, click Update. The new settings on the Schedule tab for the object
are saved.
5
About the scheduling options and parameters
When you schedule an object, you choose the recurrence pattern that you
want. For example, you select Daily or Weekly, and then the run option (for
example, “Every week on”). You then specify additional parameters to control
exactly when and how often the object will be run.
The recurrence patterns appear on the left of the Schedule page. The Run
options list and related parameters appear to the right of the recurrence
patterns.
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Scheduling objects
Which run options and parameters are available depends on the recurrence
pattern you selected. In many cases the same parameters appear, such as
start and end dates. The names of the recurrence patterns, options, and fields
are generally self explanatory, but for a complete description, see:
• “Recurrence patterns” on page 60
• “Run options and parameters” on page 61
Recurrence patterns
When scheduling an object, you can choose from the following recurrence
patterns:
• On demand—The object will be run only when a user request it to be
run.
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• Once—The object will be run only once. It can be run now or in the
future, or when a specified event has occurred.
• Daily—The object will be run every day. It can be run once or several
times a day. You can specify what time as well as a start and end date.
• Weekly—The object will be run every week. It can be run once a week or
several times a week. You can specify which days, what time, and a start
and end date.
• Monthly—The object will be run every month or every several months.
You can specify on which days of the month, what time, and a start and
end date you want it to run.
• Calendar—The object will be run on the dates specified in a calendar.
You can specify which calendar.
Run options and parameters
This section describes the Run parameters for scheduling an object. Not all
parameters apply in all cases, but when they apply, their function is the same.
• Run
This list always appears, but the options vary depending on which
recurrence pattern you select.
For example, if you select Daily, you can select to run the object “Once
each day” or “Every X day(s).” If you select Monthly, you can select to run
the object “On the Nth day of the month” or “On the first Monday of the
month.” To see all the Run options for a recurrence pattern, refer to the
software.
• X and N variables
Applies to certain Daily and Monthly recurrence patterns only. When you
select a Run option that contains these variables, the system displays
their default values. You can then changes these values as needed.
For example, if you select the “Daily” recurrence pattern and the “Every X
hour(s), N minute(s)” Run option, you could specify to run the report
every 4 (X) hours and 30 (N) minutes. If you don’t change the X or N
value, the system will run the report every hour.
• Start Date
Applies to most, but not all recurrence patterns and Run options. The
default is the current date and time. The system will run the object
according to the schedule that you specified, as soon as it can, after the
Start Date has passed.
Scheduling objects
5
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Scheduling objects
For example, if you specify a start date that is three months into the
future, the system won’t run the object until the start date has passed,
even if all the other criteria are met. After that, the system will run the
report at the specified time.
• End Date
Applies to most, but not all, recurrence patterns and Run options. The
default is the current time and a date in the distant future, to ensure an
object will be run indefinitely. Specify a different End Date if required.
Once the End Date has passed, the system no longer runs the object.
• Available Events
Applies to all Run options that include “with events.” Select an event and
click the Add button to move it to the “Events to wait for” box. You can
select one or several events. The system will run the object only when
those events have been successfully completed. See also “Scheduling
an object with events” on page 64.
• Available Schedule Events
Applies to all Run options that include “with events.” Select an event and
click the Add button to move it to the “Events to trigger on completion”
box. You can select one or several events. A successful run of the object
will trigger the events that you specified. This list of events contains
schedule events only. You cannot trigger file or custom events.
• Number of retries allowed
Always applies. The number of times the system attempts to process an
object if the first attempt is not successful. By default, the number is zero.
• Retry interval in seconds
Always applies. The period, in seconds, that the system will wait before it
attempts to process the object again if the first attempt is unsuccessful.
Scheduling objects using object packages
You can schedule objects in batches using the object packages feature.
Object packages function as distinct objects in Business Objects BI Server.
They can contain any combination of objects that can be scheduled, such as
report and program objects, and Web Intelligence documents. Using object
packages simplifies authentication. In terms of reports and Web Intelligence
document, it allows users to view synchronized data across instances.
This procedure describes how to use the CMC to schedule objects by using
object packages.
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Scheduling objects
First you publish an object package. Then, you copy existing objects into the
object package. Finally, you schedule the object package as you would any
object. Alternatively, you can publish objects directly to an object package,
and then you can schedule that object packages as you would any object.
Note: You must configure the processing information of each of the
components of an object package individually. For example, if you want a
report object in an object package to print when scheduled, you must
configure it through the Print Setup link available on the report object’s
Process tab.
To schedule objects using object packages
1. Go to the Objects management area of the CMC.
2. If the object package already exist, skip this step. Otherwise:
a. Click New Object, and then click the Object Package tab.
b. Type the package name and a description.
c. Select a destination for the object package.
d. If you want, assign the object package to a category.
e. Click Submit.
f. Go to the Objects management area of the CMC again.
3. Select the check boxes associated with each object you want to place in
the object package.
4. Click Copy/Move/Shortcut.
The Copy/Move/Create Shortcut page appears.
5
5. Select Copy to.
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Note: Existing objects cannot be moved into an object packages; they
must be copied to the object package.
6. Select the object package you created as the Destination for the objects,
and then click OK.
Tip:
• Object packages are indicated by [square brackets].
• To expand a folder, select it and click Show Subfolders.
• To search for a specific folder or object package, use the Look For
field.
7. Schedule the object package.
See “Scheduling objects” on page 58.
Scheduling an object with events
When you schedule an object with events, the object will be run only when the
additional condition (that is, the event) occurs. You can tell an object to wait
for any, or all of the three event types: file-based, custom-based, and
schedule-based. If you want a scheduled object to trigger an event, you must
choose a schedule-based event.
Note: A file-based event is triggered upon the existence of a specified file. A
custom-based event is triggered manually. A schedule-based event is
triggered by another object being run.
Scheduling objects based on an event
When you schedule an object that waits for a specified event, the object will
run only when the event is triggered, and only when the rest of the schedule
conditions are met. If the event is triggered before the start date of the object,
the object will not run. If you have specified an end date for this object, and if
the event is not triggered before the end date occurs, the object will not run
because not all of the conditions will have been met. Also, if you choose a
weekly, monthly, or calendar schedule, the object will have a specified time
frame in which it can be processed. The event must be triggered within this
specified time for the object to run. For example, if you schedule a weekly
report object that runs every Monday, the event must be triggered within the
24-hour period on Monday; if the event is triggered outside of the 24-hour
period, then the report will not run.
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Scheduling objects
Scheduling objects to trigger an event
You can also schedule an object which triggers a schedule-based event upon
completion of the object being run. When the object is run, Business Objects BI
Server will trigger the specified event. For a schedule-based event, if the event is
based on the instance being run successfully, for example, the event won’t be
triggered if the instance fails.
To schedule an object to run based on events
1. In the Objects management area of the CMC, select an object by clicking
its link.
2. Click the Schedule tab.
3. Select the recurrence pattern you want. For example, select Weekly.
For a list and descriptions of the recurrence patterns, see “Recurrence
patterns” on page 60.
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Scheduling objects
4. In the Run list, select a run option that contains the words, “with events.”
5. Select and complete the schedule parameters for your object (scheduling
option, Start Date, End Date, and so on).
For a list and descriptions of the Run options and parameters, see “Run
options and parameters” on page 61.
6. In the Available Events area, select from the list of events, and click Add.
For example, the report object above is set to wait for a Custom-based
event to occur before the report is processed.
7. To update the default scheduling information, click Update.
If you don’t click Update, any changes you made to the scheduling
information are not saved.
8. Click the Schedule button to schedule the object.
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Scheduling objects
To schedule an object to trigger an event
1. In the Objects management area of the CMC, select an object by clicking
its link.
2. Click the Schedule tab.
3. From the list on the left of the page, select a recurrence pattern: Once,
Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or by Calendar.
For a list and descriptions of the recurrence patterns, see “Recurrence
patterns” on page 60.
4. In the Run list, select a run option that contains the words, “with events.”
5. Select and complete the schedule parameters for your object (scheduling
option, Start Date, End Date, and so on).
5
6. In the Available Schedule Events area, select from the list of events and
click Add.
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Setting the scheduling options
For example, the report object above is set to trigger a Schedule-based
event only if the report is successfully processed.
Note: You can only select schedule-based events in this list.
7. To update the default scheduling information, click Update.
If you don’t click Update, any changes you made to the scheduling
information are not saved.
8. Click the Schedule button to schedule the object.
Setting the scheduling options
Business Objects BI Server allows you to control the process and schedule
settings for an object. Setting the scheduling options includes the following
tasks:
• “Scheduling objects” on page 58
• “Setting notification for an object’s success or failure” on page 68
• “Specifying alert notification” on page 71
• “Selecting a destination” on page 73
• “Choosing a format” on page 84
• “Scheduling an object for a user or group” on page 86
• “Selecting cache options for Web Intelligence documents” on page 85
Setting notification for an object’s success or failure
You can set scheduling options that automatically send notification when an
object instance succeeds or fails. You can send notification using audit or
email notification. You can also combine multiple notification methods, and
provide different notification settings for successful and failed instances.
For example, you may have a large number of reports that run every day. You
need to check each instance to make sure it ran properly, and then send out
emails to the users who need to know that the new report is available. With
thousands of reports, it would take too much time to manually check the
reports and contact the users who need the information. Using notification
settings in Business Objects BI Server, you can set each object to notify you
automatically when the report fails to run properly, and you can automatically
inform users when new report instances run successfully.
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Determining an object’s success or failure
When you schedule an object, the scheduled instance either succeeds or
fails. The conditions required for an instance’s success or failure depend on
the type of object you schedule:
• Report objects, and Web Intelligence document objects
A report instance or document object instance runs successfully if it
doesn’t encounter any errors while processing the object or accessing
the database. An instance may fail if the user does not provide the
correct parameters or logon information.
• Program objects
For program objects, the program must run in order to succeed. If the
program does not run, the instance is considered a failure. If the program
runs, but does not perform the tasks it is supposed to, it is still considered
a successful instance because the program object ran. Business Objects
BI Server does not monitor problems with the program object’s code.
• Object packages
An object package may fail if one of its components fails. To change this
setting, click the object package’s Properties tab and clear the
“Scheduled package fails upon individual component failure” option.
You can also set scheduling options for individual objects within an object
package.
Note: You cannot set audit or email notification for object packages, but
you can set any type of notification for the individual objects in the object
package.
Setting the scheduling options
5
About notification
You can set notification at the object level. You can select unique notification
options for each object, sending different types of notification for different
conditions. For object packages, you can set only event notification, which will
trigger an event based on success or failure of the object package. To monitor
object successes and failures from a more general perspective, use the
auditing functionality within Business Objects BI Server.
If notification fails, then the object instance fails. For example, if an email
notification sends a message to an invalid email address, then the notification
fails and the object instance is recorded as a failure in the object’s history.
You can choose to notify using:
• Audit notification
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To use audit notification, you must configure the auditing database and
enable auditing for the servers. If you use auditing to monitor your
Business Objects BI Server system, you can use audit notification. For
more information about configuring the auditing database and enabling
auditing, see the BusinessObjects Enterprise Auditor’s Guide.
When you select audit notification, information about the scheduled
object is written to the auditing database. You can choose to have a
notification sent to the auditing database when the job runs successfully,
when it fails to run, or both.
Note: For the job servers you can also set audit notification on the
Auditing tab.
• Email notification
You can send an email as a notification of an object instance’s success or
failure. You can choose the sender and recipients of the email message.
You can send an email when the instance fails and when it succeeds. For
example, you could send your administrator an email if the report fails,
but when the report succeeds you can automatically send a notification to
everyone who needs the report to let them know it is now available.
Note: To enable email notification, you must have the Email SMTP
destination enabled and configured on the job servers.
Note: Notification of a scheduled object’s success or failure is not the same
as alert notification. Alert notification must be built into the design of the
report. For example, alert notification can send an email to you whenever a
specific value in the report exceeds $1,000,000. In this case, the notification
has nothing to do with the contents of the report — it’s just about whether or
not the report object instance has failed or succeeded.
To set notification for an instance’s success or failure
1. Select an object in the Objects management area of the CMC.
2. Click the Schedule tab, then click the Notification link.
3. Click the notification type (or types) you want to use.
Note: If the notification type is already being used, it will be labelled
“Enabled”. If not, it will be labelled “Not in use”.
4. Choose the specific settings for the notification.
• Audit notification
To send a record to the auditing database when the job succeeds,
select “A job has been run successfully.”
To send a record when the job fails, select “A job has failed to run.”
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• Email notification
Choose whether you want to send a notification when the job fails or
when it succeeds.
To specify the contents and recipients of the email notification, select
“Set the vales to be used here” and provide the From and To email
addresses, the email subject line, and the message.
5. Click Update.
Specifying alert notification
Note: This feature does not apply to Web Intelligence document objects.
Alerts are custom messages, created in Crystal Reports, that appear when
certain conditions are met by data in a report. Alerts may indicate actions to
be taken by the user or information about report data. If the alert condition (as
defined in Crystal Reports) is true, the alert is triggered and its message is
displayed.
In Business Objects BI Server, you can choose to send alert notification when
scheduling a report. If you enable alert notification, messages are sent
through an SMTP server. You can configure email delivery options, specify
the “To,” “Cc,” and “From” fields for the email, add subject and message
information, set a URL for the viewer you want the email recipient to use, and
set the maximum number of alert records to send.
Note:
• The Alert Notification link is available only if the report object contains
alerts.
• Alerts are triggered in the report object even if you disable alert
notification.
• To enable alert notification, you must have the Email SMTP destination
enabled and configured on the job servers.
Setting the scheduling options
5
To set alert notification
1. In the Objects management area of the CMC, select a report object by
clicking its link.
2. Click the Schedule tab, and then click the Alert Notification link.
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Setting the scheduling options
The Alert Notification page appears.
3. Select the Enable alert notification check box if you want to send an
alert notification.
4. Select either Use the Job Server’s defaults or Set the values to be
used at schedule time here.
If you select the first option, Business Objects BI Server will deliver the
alert notification using the Job Server’s default settings.
If you select the second option, you can specify the email settings:
• From:
Type a return address or distribution list.
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• To :
Type the addresses or distribution list that you wish to send the
report to.
• Cc:
Type the addresses or distribution list that you wish to send a copy of
the alert notification to.
• Subject:
Complete the subject field.
• Message:
Type a short message, if required.
Note: Separate multiple addresses or distribution lists using semicolons.
5. Type the URL for the viewer in which you want the email recipient to view
the report. Alternatively, you can select the default viewer by clicking Use
default.
The viewer URL appears in the hyperlink that is sent in the alert
notification email. You can set the default URL by clicking Object Settings
on the main page of the objects management area of the CMC. For more
information, see the developer documentation available on your product
CD.
Note: You must use World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) URL encoding
when typing the viewer URL. For example, replace spaces in the path
with %20. For more information, see http://www.w3.org/
6. Type the maximum number of alert records to be included in the alert
notification.
The hyperlink in the alert notification displays a report page that contains
the records that triggered the alert. Use this field to limit the number of
records displayed.
Tip: The Alert Name and Status fields are set in Crystal Reports.
7. Click Update.
5
Selecting a destination
Using Business Objects BI Server, you can configure an object or instance for
output to a destination other than the default Output File Repository Server
(FRS). When the system runs an object, it always stores the output instance
on the Output FRS. Being able to choose an additional destination gives you
the flexibility to deliver instances across your Business Objects BI Server
system or to destinations outside your Business Objects BI Server system.
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For example, you can set an object to have its output automatically delivered
by email to other users.
When you specify a destination other than “Default”, Business Objects BI
Server generates a unique name for the output file or files. To generate a file
name, you can use a combination of ID, name or title of the object, owner
information, or the date and time information.
The following destinations are available:
• “Default destination support” on page 74
• “Unmanaged Disk destination support” on page 75
• “FTP support” on page 77
• “Email (SMTP) support” on page 79
• “Inbox support” on page 82
Note: You can change the destination setting for an object or instance either
in the Central Management Console (CMC) or in InfoView. When you specify
the destination settings through the CMC, these settings are also reflected in
the default scheduling settings for InfoView.
For most objects you can specify any of the available destinations. However,
for object packages and Web Intelligence documents you cannot do this,
because the recipients must have access to the Business Objects BI Server
system to be able to open these types of objects. For example, you cannot
specify Unmanaged Disk as a destination for a Web Intelligence document.
The following table summarizes which destinations you can configure for
which types of objects.
Object type Unm.
DIsk
Report - - ----
Object Package No No No No - -
Program - - ----
Web Intelligence
document
NoNoNo---
FTP File Link File Link
Default destination support
By default, object instances are saved to the Output File Repository Server
(FRS). If you want to save instances to the FRS only and not to any other
destinations, select that option.
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To set your destination to default
1. In the Objects management area of the CMC, select an object by clicking
its link.
2. Click the Schedule tab, then click the Destination link.
3. The Destination page appears.
4. Select Default from the Destination list.
5. Click Update.
Unmanaged Disk destination support
When scheduling objects, you can configure the objects for output to an
unmanaged disk. In that case, the system will save an output instance to both
the Output File Repository Server and the specified destination.
If the object is a Web Intelligence document or an object package, you cannot
specify Unmanaged Disk as a destination. However, for an object package
you can configure the individual objects in the object package for output to
Unmanaged Disk.
Note:
• To use a destination, you must have the destination enabled and
configured on the job servers.
• The location must be a local or mapped directory on the processing
server. For servers using Windows, the location can also be a Universal
Naming Convention (UNC) path.
• The processing server must have sufficient rights to the specified
location.
Setting the scheduling options
5
To set your destination to unmanaged disk
1. In the Objects management area of the CMC, select an object by clicking
its link.
2. Click the Schedule tab, then click the Destination link.
The Destination page appears.
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Select Unmanaged Disk from the Destination list.
3. If you want, select the Clean up instance after scheduling option.
When that option is selected, the system automatically deletes the report
or program instance from the Output File Repository Server to keep the
number of instances on the server to a minimum.
4. Select either Use the Job Server’s defaults or Set the values to be
used at schedule time here.
If you select the first option, Business Objects BI Server will schedule an
object using the Job Server’s default settings. You can change these
settings in the Servers management area.
If you select the second option, you can set the file name properties and
enter user information:
• Destination Directory:
Enter a local location, mapped location, or a UNC path.
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• Default File Name (randomly generated)
Select this option if you want BusinessObjects Enterprise to
generate a random file name.
• Specified File Name:
Select this option if you want to specify a file name—you can also
add a variable to the file name. To add a variable, choose a
placeholder for a variable property from the list and click Add. When
the instance is run, the variable will be replaced with the specified
information from the instance. For example, if you add the variable
“Owner,” when you schedule an object, its file name will include the
object owner’s name.
• User Name:
Specify a user who has permission to write files to the destination
directory.
• Password:
Type the password for the user.
Note: You can specify a user name and password only for servers using
Windows.
5. Click Update.
5
FTP support
When scheduling objects, you can configure the objects for output to a File
Transfer Protocol (FTP) server. To connect to the FTP server, you must
specify a user who has the necessary rights to upload files to the server. If
you specify an FTP destination, the system will save an output instance to
both the Output File Repository Server and the specified destination.
If the object is a Web Intelligence document or an object package, you cannot
specify FTP as a destination. However, for an object package you can
configure the individual objects in the object package for output to FTP.
Note: To use a destination, you must have the destination enabled and
configured on the job servers.
To set an FTP server as the destination
1. In the Objects management area of the CMC, select an object by clicking
its link.
2. Click the Schedule tab, then click the Destination link.
The Destination tab appears.
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Setting the scheduling options
3. Select FTP from the Destination list.
4. If you want, select the Clean up instance after scheduling option.
When that option is selected, the system automatically deletes the report
or program instance from the Output File Repository Server to keep the
number of instances on the server to a minimum.
5. Select either Use the Job Server’s defaults or Set the values to be
used at schedule time here.
If you select the first option, Business Objects BI Server will schedule an
object using the Job Server’s default settings. You can change these
settings in the Servers management area.
If you select the second option, you can set the FTP and file name
properties:
• Host:
Enter the FTP host information.
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• Port:
Enter the FTP port number (the default is 21).
• FTP User Name:
Specify a user who has the necessary rights to upload an object to
the FTP server.
• FTP Password:
Enter the user’s password.
• Account:
Enter the FTP account information, if required.
Account is part of the standard FTP protocol, but it is rarely
implemented. Provide the appropriate account only if your FTP
server requires it.
• Destination Directory:
Enter the FTP directory that you want the object to be saved to.
• Default File Name (randomly generated)
Select this option if you want Business Objects BI Server to generate
a random file name.
• Specified File Name:
Select this option if you want to enter a file name—you can also add
a variable to the file name. To add a variable, choose a placeholder
for a variable property from the list and click Add.
6. Click Update.
5
Email (SMTP) support
With Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) mail support, you can choose to
send the instances of an object, for example, a report instance, to one or
more email destinations. After it has run the object, the system will send a
copy of the output instance as an attachment to the email addresses you
specified.
When you select the Email (SMTP) destination, the system will save the
instance to the Output File Repository Server as well as email it to the
specified destinations. Business Objects BI Server supports Multipurpose
Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) encoding.
Note:
• To use a destination, you must have the destination enabled and
configured on the job servers.
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• If the object is a Web Intelligence document, you cannot specify Email
(SMTP) as a destination.
To send an object by email
1. In the Objects management area of the CMC, select an object by clicking
its link.
2. Click the Schedule tab, then click the Destination link.
The Destination page appears.
3. Select Email (SMTP) from the Destination list.
4. If you want, select the Clean up instance after scheduling option.
When that option is selected, the system automatically deletes the report
or program instance from the Output File Repository Server to keep the
number of instances on the server to a minimum.
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Setting the scheduling options
5. Select either Use the Job Server’s defaults or Set the values to be
used at schedule time here.
If you select the first option, Business Objects BI Server will schedule an
object using the Job Server’s default settings. You can change these
settings in the Servers management area.
If you select the second option, you can specify the email settings and
the file name properties:
• From:
Enter a return address.
• To :
Enter an address or addresses that you wish to send the object to.
Separate multiple addresses with semicolons.
• Cc:
Enter an address or addresses that you wish to send a carbon copy
of the object to.
• Subject:
Complete the subject field.
• Add placeholder for a variable property:
Select Title, ID, Owner, or DateTime, and click Add, to create a
placeholder in the subject for the property that you selected.
• Message:
Type a short message, if required.
• Add placeholder for a variable property:
Select Title, ID, Owner, DateTime, or Viewer Hyperlink, and click Add
to create a placeholder in the message body for the property that you
selected.
Note: Select Viewer Hyperlink to add the URL for the viewer in
which you want the email recipient to view the object. You can set the
default URL by clicking Object Settings on the main page of the
Objects management area of the CMC.
• Attach object instance to email message:
Clear this check box if you do not want a copy of the instance
attached to the email.
• Default File Name (randomly generated)
Select this option if you want Business Objects BI Server to generate
a random file name.
5
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• Specified File Name:
Select this option if you want to enter a file name—you can also add
a variable to the file name. To add a variable, choose a placeholder
for a variable property from the list and click Add.
6. Click Update.
Inbox support
When scheduling objects, you can configure objects for output to the inboxes
of users. In this case, the system will save the instance to both the Output File
Repository Server and the inboxes you specified. Instead of sending the
actual file to the inboxes, you can choose to send a shortcut.
Note: To use a destination, you must have the destination enabled and
configured on the job servers.
To send an object to inboxes
1. In the Objects management area of the CMC, select an object by clicking
its link.
2. Click the Schedule tab, then click the Destination link.
The Destination tab appears.
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3. Select Inbox from the Destination list.
5
4. If you want, select the Clean up instance after scheduling option.
When that option is selected, the system automatically deletes the report
or program instance from the Output File Repository Server to keep the
number of instances on the server to a minimum.
5. Select the processing option that you want:
• Use the Job Server’s defaults
Business Objects BI Server will schedule the object with the job
server’s default settings.
• Set the values to be used at schedule time here:
Business Objects BI Server will schedule the object with the
parameters you specify.
6. If you selected Set the values to be used at schedule time here:, set
the following parameters:
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Setting the scheduling options
Send Document as:
Shortcut: The system will send a shortcut to the instance, rather
than send a copy of the instance itself.
Copy: The system will send a copy of the instance.
Send List:
Click Add/Remove, and specify the groups to receive the instance.
Tip:
• Select Add Users to add users to the list.
• Select Remove Users to remove users from the list.
7. Click OK.
8. Click Update.
Choosing a format
You can select the format that the document or report instance will be saved
in when it is generated. This format will be saved to the destination you have
selected. For more information on destinations, see “Selecting a destination”
on page 73. You can select from the following formats:
Web Intelligence document formats
For Web Intelligence documents, you can choose from the following formats:
• Web Intelligence
• Microsoft Excel
• Adobe Acrobat
Crystal report formats
For Crystal report instances, you can choose from the following formats:
• Crystal Report
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Excel (Data Only)
• Microsoft Word (RTF)
• Adobe Acrobat
• Rich Text
• Editable Rich Text
• Plain Text
• Paginated Text
• Tab-Separated Text
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• Tab-Separated Values
• Character-separated Values
For Excel, Paginated Text, Tab-separated Values, and Character-separated
Values, you specify certain formatting properties for the report. For example, if
you select Character-separated Values, you can enter characters for the
separator and delimiter; you can also select the two check boxes: “Same
number formats as in report” and “Same date formats as in report.”
Note:
• If you choose to print the report when it is scheduled (by checking the
“Print in Crystal Reports format using the selected printer when
scheduling” check box on the Print Setup page), the report instance is
automatically sent to the printer in Crystal Reports format. This does not
conflict with the format you select when scheduling the report.
• The difference between Excel and Excel (Data only) is that Excel
attempts to preserve the look and feel of your original report, while Excel
(Data only) saves only the data, with each cell representing a field.
• The Tab-separated Values format places a tab character between values;
the Character-separated Values format places a specified character
between values. Each of these two formats produce data lists. In
contrast, the Tab-separated Text format attempts to preserve the
formatting of the report.
5
To select a format for the report
1. In the Objects management area of the CMC, select a report object by
clicking its link.
2. On the Schedule tab, click the Format link.
The Format page appears.
3. Select a format from the Format list.
4. Complete any fields that appear below the list and select (where
appropriate) the check boxes that appear.
5. Click Update.
Selecting cache options for Web Intelligence documents
When the system runs a scheduled Web Intelligence document it stores the
the instance it generates on the Output File Repository Server. In addition,
you can choose to have the system cache the report on the Web Intelligence
Report Server by selecting a cache format for the document. If you don’t
select a cache format, then the system won’t cache the document when it
runs the document.
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Setting the scheduling options
Note: To select a cache option, the format you specified on the Schedule tab
for the object must be Web Intelligence. If you select a different format, the
Cache Options link is disabled for the object.
To select a cache format for Web Intelligence documents
1. In the Objects management area of the CMC, select Web Intelligence
object by clicking its link.
2. On the Schedule tab, click the Caching Options link.
The Caching Options page appears.
3. Select the format you want.
4. Select the locale(s) with which to pre-load the cache.
When you schedule the document, Business Objects BI Server
generates cached versions of the document in the locale(s) that you
specify.
5. Click Update.
Scheduling an object for a user or group
The Schedule For feature allows you to generate reports that contain data for
specific users only. It is intended to be used for either of the following object:
• Web Intelligence documents that use Universes
Using the Schedule For feature you can schedule an object and specify for
which users you want the system to run the object. The system will run the
object and generate multiple instances of the report or document. Each
instance will contain data that is relevant to the individual user only.
For example, you can schedule a sales report and on the Schedule For page
you can specify the users names for all your sales representatives. At the
specified time, the system runs the report object and generates the individual
report instances. Each instance would contain sales information for the
individual sales representative only.
To change the Schedule For settings for an object
1. In the Objects management area of the CMC, select a report object by
clicking its link.
2. On the Schedule tab, click the Schedule For link.
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Managing instances
The Schedule For page appears.
3. Select who you want to schedule the object for.
• Schedule only for myself
• Schedule for specified users and user groups
4. If you selected Schedule for specified users and user groups, click
Add/Remove.
5. Select one or more users or groups and add them to the “Groups to be
added to the scheduling list” by using the arrow buttons.
Tip:
• Select Add Users to add users to the list.
• Select Remove Users to remove users from the list.
6. Click Update.
5
Managing instances
To view or manage instances, go to the History page for the object. That page
lists the scheduled instances and the output instances for an object:
• Scheduled instances will have a status of Recurring or Pending. The
system has not yet run these instances, and the instances do not contain
any data yet.
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Managing instances
• Output instances, that is, actual report or program instances, will have a
status of Success or Failed, which indicate whether they were run
successfully:
• A report instance contains actual report data.
• A program instance stores the program’s standard out and standard
error in a text output file.
From the History page, you can also choose to delete, run, pause, and
refresh instances. See “Managing and viewing the history of instances” on
page 88.
To manage storage space, it is good practice to limit the number of possible
instances for an object, or to provide a time limit for the instances. See
“Setting instance limits for an object” on page 90.
Managing and viewing the history of instances
The History page displays all of the instances for a selected object. The
Instance Time column displays the title of the instances and the date of the
last update for each instance. The Status column displays the status of each
instance. The Run By column indicates which user scheduled the instance.
For report objects, the Format column displays which format the report is, or
will be stored in and the Parameters column indicates what parameters were
or will be used for each instance. For program objects, the Arguments column
lists the command-line options that were or will be passed to the command
line interface for each instance.
Business Objects BI Server creates instances from objects. That is, a report
instance is created when a report object is scheduled and run by the Job
Server. Essentially, a report instance is a report object that contains report
data that is retrieved from one or more databases. Each instance contains
data that is current at the time the report is processed. You can view specific
report instances on the History page of the report object.
Business Objects BI Server creates a program instance each time that a
program object is scheduled and run by the Program Job Server. Unlike
report instances, which can be viewed in their completed format, program
instances exist as records in the object history. Business Objects BI Server
stores the program’s standard output and standard error in a text output file.
This file appears when you click a program instance in the object History.
Managing instances includes the following tasks:
• “Viewing an instance” on page 89
• “Pausing or resuming an instance” on page 90
• “Deleting an instance” on page 90
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• “Setting instance limits for an object” on page 90
To manage instances
1. In the Objects management area of the CMC, select an object by clicking
its link.
2. Click the History tab.
The History tab appears.
3. Select an instance or instances by selecting the appropriate check boxes.
To select all instances, click the check box in the column heading.
4. To refresh the list, click Refresh. In this case you don’t need to select an
instance first.
5. Click either Run Now, Pause, Resume, Send to, or Delete.
If you click Run Now, the system schedules the object to be run
immediately. The scheduled job will have a status of Pending.
Viewing an instance
To view an instance
1. Select a object in the Objects management area of the CMC.
2. Click the History tab.
The History page appears.
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3. In the Instance Time column, click the instance you want to view.
You can also use the Instance Manager tool to view a list of instances by
status or by user. Access the Instance Manager by clicking its link in the
Administrative Tools area of the Administration Launchpad.
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Managing instances
Pausing or resuming an instance
You can pause and then resume an instance as needed. Pause and resume
can be applied to scheduled instances only (that is, instances that have a
status of Recurring or Pending).
For example, if a job server is down for maintenance reasons, you may want
to pause a scheduled instance. This prevents the system from running the
object, and the object from failing because the job server is not running.
When the job server is running again, you can resume the scheduled object.
To pause an instance
1. Go to the History page for an object.
2. Select the check box for the scheduled instance you want to pause.
3. Click Pause.
To resume a paused instance
1. Go to the History page for an object.
2. Select the check box for the scheduled instance you want to resume.
3. Click Resume.
Deleting an instance
You can delete instances from an object as needed. You can delete both
scheduled instances, which have a status of recurring or pending, and report
or program instances, which have a status of success of failed.
To delete an instance
1. Go to the History page for an object.
2. Select the check box for the instance or instances you want to delete.
3. Click Delete.
Setting instance limits for an object
In the Limits page, you can set the limits for the selected object and its
instances. You set limits to automate regular clean-ups of old Business
Objects BI Server content. At the object level, you can limit the number of
instances that remain on the system for the object or for each user or group;
you can also limit the number of days that an instance remains on the system
for a user or group.
In addition to setting the limits for the objects from the Objects management
area, you can also set limits at the folder level. When you set limits at the
folder level, these limits will be in effect for all objects that reside within the
folder (including any objects found within the subfolders)
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Managing instances
Note: When you set the limits at the object level, the object limits will override
the limits set for the folder; that is, the object will not inherit the limits of the
folder.
To set limits for instances
1. In the Objects management area of the CMC, select an object by clicking
its link.
2. On the History tab, click the Limits link.
The Limits page appears.
5
3. Make your settings according to the types of limits you want to set for
your instances. The options are as follows:
• Delete excess instances when there are more than N instances
of an object:
To limit the number of instances per object, select this check box.
Then, type the maximum number of instances that you want to
remain on the system. (The default value is 100.)
• Delete excess instances for the following users/groups
To limit the number of instances for users or groups, click Add/
Remove in this area. Select from the available users and groups and
click OK. Then, type the maximum number of instances in the
Instance Limit column. (The default value is 100.)
• Delete instances after N days for the following users/groups
To limit the number of days that instances are saved for users or
groups, click Add/Remove in this area. Select from the available
users and groups and click OK. Then, type the maximum age of
instances in the Maximum Days column. (The default value is 100.)
4. Click Update.
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Managing instances
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Business Objects BI Server Product Information
chapter
Business Objects BI Server Product Information
6
Business Objects BI Server and BusinessObjects Enterprise
Business Objects BI Server and
BusinessObjects Enterprise
Business Objects BI Server is built on the BusinessObjects Enterprise
framework. This section contains information about the following topics:
• “Licensing” on page 94
• “Business Objects BI Server components” on page 95
Licensing
When you purchase Business Objects BI Server, your package includes the
following services:
• Five concurrent access licenses for end user report viewing via the web
• One year of technical support and maintenance
Note: For complete details on licensing terms and conditions, consult the
End User License Agreement (license.pdf) located in the
of your program installation.
InfoView
InfoView has five concurrent access licenses (CAL). These licenses accept a
maximum of five concurrent logons per package purchased. This means that
five people can simultaneously connect to the Business Objects BI Server
system for report viewing.
If you require more than five simultaneous connections, you may purchase
additional Business Objects BI Server packages. These additional packages
may be used within a single deployment. The maximum deployment size for a
single system is 20 concurrent users.
If you receive a License Key Error message such as “An unknown error has
occurred in the license key system. Please confirm that you have not
exceeded the maximum number of licenses for this product", this means you
have reached the maximum number of 20 allowed licenses on a single
system.
Server Licenses
Each Business Objects BI Server system may be installed on a single server
machine with a maximum of four processors.
For complete details on licensing terms and conditions, please consult the
End User License Agreement (license.pdf) located in the
directory of your program installation.
/docs/en directory
/docs/en/
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Business Objects BI Server Product Information
Business Objects BI Server components
Business Objects BI Server components
This section provides a brief overview of the Business Objects BI Server
components with details about where to find more information about them.
Business Objects BI Server includes the following components:
• InfoView
InfoView is a web application that provides a window to Web Intelligence
documents and Crystal reports published to Business Objects BI Server.
InfoView allows you to view, schedule, export, and save Web Intelligence
documents and Crystal reports.
For more information, see the BusinessObjects Enterprise InfoView
User’s Guide.
• Central Configuration Manager
The Central Configuration Manager (CCM) is a server-management tool
that allows you to configure each of your Business Objects BI Server
components. This tool allows you to start, stop, enable, and disable
servers, and it allows you to view and to configure advanced server
settings. For more information, see Administering BusinessObjects
Enterprise in the BusinessObjects Enterprise Administrator’s Guide.
• Central Management Console
The Central Management Console (CMC) is a web application that
provides a way to manage the Business Objects BI Server environment.
It can be used to manage users, content, and servers. You can also use
the CMC to stop, enable, and configure servers.
For more information, see Administering BusinessObjects Enterprise in
the BusinessObjects Enterprise Administrator’s Guide.
• Universe Designer
Universes are created by a universe designer using Designer. Business
Objects Designer is a software tool that allows you to create universes for
Web Intelligence users.
For more information, see the Designer’s Guide available from the
Business Objects Customer Support web site at: http://
support.businessobjects.com/documentation/.
• Scheduling
You can run Web Intelligence documents and Crystal reports
automatically at set times such as daily, weekly, hourly, or on any
predefined business calendar. The report that is created is saved by the
system and can be viewed by users at any time.
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Business Objects BI Server Product Information
6
Business Objects BI Server components
For more information, see BusinessObjects Enterprise Security Concepts
in the BusinessObjects Enterprise Administrator’s Guide.
• Security
Business Objects BI Server allows you to set security so that you can
avoid unauthorized access to the system. It contains it’s own Enterprise
authentication method and also supports third-party Windows NT, LDAP,
and Active Directory authentication.
For details about security, see BusinessObjects Enterprise Security
Concepts in the BusinessObjects Enterprise Administrator’s Guide.
• Viewers
Report Viewers display Web Intelligence documents and Crystal reports
pages in users’ web browsers. There are different Report Viewers
available.
For more information, see Report Viewers in the BusinessObjects
Enterprise Administrator’s Guide.
• Import Wizard
The Import Wizard is a locally installed tool that allows administrators to
import users, groups, folders, and reports from an existing
BusinessObjects Enterprise, Crystal Enterprise, or Crystal Info
implementation to Business Objects BI Server.
For more information, see Importing Objects to BusinessObjects
Enterprise in the BusinessObjects Enterprise Administrator’s Guide.
• Publishing Wizard
The Publishing Wizard is a locally installed tool that allows administrators
and users to add Crystal reports to Business Objects BI Server.
For more information, see Publishing Objects to BusinessObjects
Enterprise in the BusinessObjects Enterprise Administrator’s Guide.
• Repository Migration Wizard
The Repository Migration Wizard is a tool that allows you to copy the data
from an existing repository database into another data source. The
source data is not removed.
For more information, see Managing BusinessObjects Enterprise
Repository in the BusinessObjects Enterprise Administrator’s Guide.
• Data Source Migration Wizard
The Data Source Migration Wizard is a tool that allows you to migrate
Crystal reports that are based on Crystal queries, dictionaries, and
Business Views to Business Objects BI Server.
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Business Objects BI Server Product Information
Business Objects BI Server components
Consult the BusinessObjects Enterprise Administrator’s Guide and the
BusinessObjects Enterprise User’s Guide for more information about using
Business Objects BI Server. While you are referring to the BusinessObjects
Enterprise guides, you may encounter some information that does not apply
to Business Objects BI Server. To help you differentiate between the
information that applies to Business Objects BI Server and the information
that does not, review the Business Objects BI Server Document Roadmap
found in the
docs directory of your product distribution.
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6
Business Objects BI Server components
98 Business Objects BI Server Getting Started Guide
Business Objects Information Resources
appendix
Business Objects Information Resources
A
Documentation and information services
Documentation and information services
Business Objects offers a full documentation set covering its products and
their deployment. Additional support and services are also available to help
maximize the return on your business intelligence investment. The following
sections detail where to get Business Objects documentation and how to use
the resources at Business Objects to meet your needs for technical support,
education, and consulting.
Documentation
You can find answers to your questions on how to install, configure, deploy,
and use Business Objects products from the documentation.
What’s in the documentation set?
View or download the Business Objects Documentation Roadmap, available
with the product documentation at http://www.businessobjects.com/support/.
The Documentation Roadmap references relevant Business Objects guides
and lets you see at a glance what information is available, from where, and in
what format.
Where is the documentation?
You can access electronic documentation at any time from the product
interface, the web, or from your product CD.
Documentation from the products
Online help and guides in Adobe PDF format are available from the product
Help menus. Where only online help is provided, the online help file contains
the entire contents of the PDF version of the guide.
Documentation on the web
The full electronic documentation set is available to customers on the web
from support web site at: http://www.businessobjects.com/support/.
Documentation on the product CD
Look in the docs directory of your product CD for versions of guides in Adobe
PDF format.
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