SAP Business objects Extended Analytics 4.1 Extended Analytics Architecture and recommendations
BusinessObjects Extended Analytics
Architecture and recommendations
BusinessObjects Extended Analytics 4.1
Copyright
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Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction 3
About this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Intended audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Document conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Typefaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
What’s new in this version? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
BusinessObjects Extended Analytics version 4.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Cartesis Analytics version 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Chapter 2 Technical architecture 7
Key Concepts of the Software Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Architecture Overview with SSAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Architecture Overview with star schema . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Detailed software components in the BusinessObjects Extended Analytics
architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Server components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
BusinessObjects Finance platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Deployer for Finance server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
SAS Server & Datapump component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Reporter Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
BusinessObjects Extended Analytics Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Client components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Designer client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Analyzer client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Reporter client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
BusinessObjects Extended Analytics Web Dashboard client . . . . 20
BusinessObjects Extended Analytics Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
BusinessObjects Extended Analytics for PowerPoint . . . . . . . . . . 21
Architecture and recommendations 1
Contents
Recommended Architecture Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Recommended Architecture Implementation with Star Schema . . . . . .22
Protocols Used in the BusinessObjects Extended Analytics Software
Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
OleDB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
ADO.NET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
DCOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
SOAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
XMLA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Security implementation in BusinessObjects Extended Analytics . . . . . . . .25
Security implementation overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Deployer server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Reporter client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Analyzer client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Internal implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Reporter Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
SSAS Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Datapump server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Chapter 3 Hardware and software recommendations 31
General recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Reporter client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Analyzer client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Designer client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Web dashboard and PowerPoint clients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Desktop client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Deployer for Finance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Configuration Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
SSAS server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Microsoft Data Pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Reporter server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Analytics server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
2 Architecture and recommendations
Introduction
chapter
Introduction
2
About this guide
About this guide
The BusinessObjects Extended Analytics architecture and hardware and
software recommendations guide contains the following:
• The key concepts of the BusinessObjects Extended Analytics software
architecture.
• The hardware and software recommendations for this version.
Intended audience
This document is intended for architects in charge of the technical setup for
BusinessObjects Extended Analytics. Architects should be experienced in
systems and networks and be familiar with the technology used by this
application.
To find out more about how to use this product, please refer to the
BusinessObjects Extended Analytics user guide. The user guide is available
in PDF format on the installation CD or in HTML format in the Help menu after
installation.
Document conventions
Typefaces
The table below presents the different typefaces used in the guide:
Typeface Meaning Example
Bold Names of windows,
dialog boxes, menus,
menu commands and
buttons
Menu > Command Menu command Select New > Data source.
Code Command line
Code on gray
background
4 Architecture and recommendations
All or part of a
configuration file to be
checked or changed
The Installation Directory dialog box will
appear.
C:\>iisreset /restart
<add key="CompressionLevel"
value="Normal" />
Typeface Meaning Example
Numbered list Procedure or series of
steps to be performed
< > Value to be set
_ Compulsory space
between settings
" " To be inserted if
spaces are used in a
setting
[ ] Optional setting
1. Right-click to select New > Virtual
Directory.
2. The following dialog box will appear:
3. Click on Next.
4. Open a Command Prompt dialog box.
5. Run the
command line.
<datasource_name>_
CtStartServer.vbe_<datasource_manager
>
<"datasource_password">
<"datasource_password">_[<server>]
C:\>iisreset /restart
Introduction
About this guide
2
Architecture and recommendations 5
Introduction
2
What’s new in this version?
What’s new in this version?
BusinessObjects Extended Analytics version 4.1
Platform evolution
• Microsoft Excel 2000 is no longer supported
Cartesis Analytics version 4.0
New server component: Configuration Manager
This new server component is a web site that helps you to deploy, configure
and test your BusinessObjects Extended Analytics platform.
Architecture
It is now recommended to install the Configuration Manager, Deployer and
data pump components on the SSAS server.
Platform evolution
• All servers components (except BusinessObjects Extended Analytics
server) now support Windows 2003 64 bits.
• Oracle BusinessObjects Finance database and Oracle star schemas
databases can now be hosted on different Oracle instances.
• The Designer client does not rely on BusinessObjects Finance client
anymore.
• Cartesis Magnitude V9 is no longer supported.
• Only BusinessObjects Finance 10 SP2 and BusinessObjects Finance
10.5 are supported.
Documentation
• A new chapter on deploying a data source with the Confiduration
Manager component has been added. To find out more, see the
Installation guide.
• A new chapter on Configuring BusinessObjects Extended Analytics with
firewalls has been added. To find out more, see the Administration guide.
6 Architecture and recommendations
Technical architecture
chapter
Technical architecture
3
Key Concepts of the Software Architecture
Key Concepts of the Software Architecture
BusinessObjects Extended Analytics uses a multi-tier client/server
architecture.
The presentation layer, the functional layer and the data layer have been
developed as independent modules for Windows Intel 32 bit in a Microsoft
.NET 2.0 environment in C# and C++ languages.
Its architecture relies on the Microsoft SSAS 2005 and SSRS 2005
technologies and on the BusinessObjects Finance environment.
All user interfaces are written in Windows Forms 2.0 and have a "look & feel"
similar to Microsoft Office 2003.
All server components use multi-thread mechanisms. The application can
thus simultaneously and automatically use all of the processors available on
the servers (scaling-in, i.e. increasing the number of processors on a single
server).
Architecture Overview with SSAS
BusinessObjects Extended Analytics architecture consists of 7 main server
components:
• The SSAS server, which hosts the cubes and the Microsoft SSAS 2005
engine
• The Data Pump server, which ensures the link between the SSAS server
and Analyzer and Reporter clients
• The Reporter Server, which hosts Microsoft SSRS 2005 services and
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 (SQL Server can be hosted on a different
server)
• The BusinessObjects Extended Analytics server, which hosts the
BusinessObjects Extended Analytics service and the BusinessObjects
Extended Analytics dashboard website (IIS and Microsoft SQL Server
2005 (Microsoft SQL Server can be hosted on a different server)
• The BusinessObjects Finance Web Services, which manages security
and provides Finance metadata to Designer
• The BusinessObjects Finance platform, which collects data
• The Deployer for Finance server, which handles cubes creation and
deployments
There are also 5 main client components:
• The Reporter client, which uses Internet Explorer for consulting reports
8 Architecture and recommendations
Technical architecture
Key Concepts of the Software Architecture
• The Analyzer client, which uses Microsoft Excel to create reports and to
browse data
• The Designer client running on a Windows client platform, which defines
cubes
• The BusinessObjects Extended Analytics Web Dashboard client, which
connects to BusinessObjects Extended Analytics server
• The BusinessObjects Extended Analytics Desktop is a thick client, which
connects to BusinessObjects Extended Analytics server to build reports
• The BusinessObjects Extended Analytics for PowerPoint client, which
connects to the BusinessObjects Extended Analytics server
3
Architecture and recommendations 9
Technical architecture
3
Key Concepts of the Software Architecture
10 Architecture and recommendations
Key Concepts of the Software Architecture
Architecture Overview with star schema
BusinessObjects Extended Analytics architecture with BusinessObjects
Finance consists of 3 main components:
• The BusinessObjects Finance platform, which collects data
• The Deployer for Finance component, which handles cubes creation and
deployments
• The star schema database, which handles star schemas
There is also 1 main client component:
• The Designer client running on a Windows client platform, which defines
cubes
BusinessObjects Finance database and star schemas database (SQL Server
or Oracle databases) can be installed on separated servers.
Technical architecture
3
Architecture and recommendations 11
Technical architecture
3
Detailed software components in the BusinessObjects Extended Analytics architecture
Detailed software components in the
BusinessObjects Extended Analytics
architecture
Server components
BusinessObjects Finance platform
Requirements:
• The BusinessObjects Finance Web Services component must be
deployed on the BusinessObjects Finance platform.
The BusinessObjects Finance Web Services are mandatory because
BusinessObjects Extended Analytics uses it in order to interface with
BusinessObjects Finance. If these Web Services are not installed, Analytics
will not function. To find out more about the installation procedure of
BusinessObjects Finance Web Services, see the BusinessObjects Finance
installation guide, Installing and configuring BusinessObjects Finance Web
Services.
Note: BusinessObjects Finance web is not mandatory.
• Supported BusinessObjects Finance versions:
• Cartesis Finance 10 SP2 with patch 57 and higher
• BusinessObjects Finance 10.5
Function:
BusinessObjects Extended Analytics connects directly to the web API for
security purposes and to the database for data extraction.
12 Architecture and recommendations
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