businessobjects-1
The user profile determines by default what products a user can use:
• General Supervisor (all products)
• Supervisor (all products)
• Designer (all products but SUPERVISOR)
• Supervisor-Designer (all products)
• User (all products but DESIGNER and SUPERVISOR)
• Versatile (configurable)
A Business Objects repository is a set of data structures stored on a database. A repository makes it possible to share the resources necessary for client/server architecture.
To ensure security and manage user resources, a repository comprises three types of domains:
• a security domain, which contain the definition of the other domains as well as the definition of users
• universe domains, which are meta-models of related databases, containing a description of the data to be accessed
• document domains, which contain the structures for storing shared documents and for executing tasks according to a time stamped definition.
The Universe Domain
The universe domain is a set of data structures containing universes created with DESIGNER. In order for a universe to be shared, it must be exported to the universe domain by the designer or supervisor.
The Document Domain
The document domain is a set of data structures containing documents. Documents stored in the document domain can include those created by end users with Business Objects products, or any other file format. In order to share documents or cause them to be refreshed during scheduled processing, end users must send them to the document domain. To submit documents for scheduled processing, end users send them to the BROADCAST AGENT.
What’s New in Version 5.1?
BUSINESSOBJECTS 5.1 offers new features, improvements, and enhancements. SUPERVISOR 5.1 is fully compatible with version 5.0, ensuring a seamless upgrade for existing users. The main enhancements in version 5.1 are described below.
Document Agnosticism
In previous versions, only BUSINESSOBJECTS or WEBINTELLIGENCE documents could be stored and distributed via the repository. You can now view, send, publish, upload or download files of any format via the repository or via Personal Documents, using WEBINTELLIGENCE INFOVIEW. The feature does not concern BUSINESSOBJECTS. These files are protected with Business Objects security.
Importing/Exporting Universes from SUPERVISOR
With Version 5.0, you could import and export universes from SUPERVISOR as long as the universe was created with a secure connection stored in the target repository. In effect, you could use SUPERVISOR to move universes from one universe domain to another in the same repository. BUSINESSOBJECTS 5.1 lets you choose the connection with which to store the universe when you export it. This means you can export universes to a repository which were created without reference to that repository: from one repository to another, for example. This feature lets you fully manage universes in a production environment that does not include DESIGNER.
Print to Table Format
SUPERVISOR now lets you print full information on the definition and properties of users and resources to comma-separated values (CSV) files which can be used as a data source to create a BUSINESSOBJECTS report. You can then format the report to optimize the way the data is presented.
Purging Inbox Documents
Inbox documents are documents sent from user to user via the repository, either directly or by means of BROADCAST AGENT, and cached there until the recipients download them. SUPERVISOR now lets you purge all Inbox documents older than a given number of days from the repository with a single command. This lets you recover the server space taken up by documents sent but not yet collected by users. This feature can be especially useful when regularly scheduled documents are sent using the "refresh according to the profile of each recipient" option.
Defining Repository Access
The key file contains the address of the repository’s security domain. All users of Business Objects products who will be using this repository must therefore have a copy of this file.
User names are unique within the repository. No two users may have the same name. However, the same user can belong to more than one group and appear in each in the User Pane. These are considered as different instances of a single user.
BROADCAST AGENT is a product that can be integrated into a Business Objects deployment to provide scheduled document processing. You can create one BROADCAST AGENT per group, for one document domain to which that group has access. The BROADCAST AGENT and its schedule of tasks exist in the Business Objects repository.
BROADCAST AGENT receives requests from end users, processes them at user defined times, and then distributes the processed documents to the appropriate users. The benefit from an administrator’s point of view is that users can schedule document processing at off-peak hours, thus dramatically reducing network
traffic at peak times.
Resource Overview
The resources that you can manage using SUPERVISOR include:
• Business Objects products: The supervisor grants or denies access to Business Objects products including: BUSINESSOBJECTS, SUPERVISOR, DESIGNER, BUSINESSQUERY and WEBINTELLIGENCE. (The supervisor grants WEBINTELLIGENCE access to users of INFOVIEW, which provides the core functionality of WEBINTELLIGENCE, whether or not they also use the optional WEBINTELLIGENCE modules, REPORTER and EXPLORER.
• Repository domains: The repository is a set of data structures stored on a database. The repository makes it possible to share the resources necessary for client/server architecture. The repository is made up of three types of domains, which allow all users to share resources:
• The security domain, which contains all the characteristics of the other domains as well as the definition of users
• the universe domain, which is a meta-model of the database containing a description of the data to be accessed
• the document domain, which contains the structures for storing shared documents.
• Connections: A Business Objects universe is linked to a database via a connection. This connection defines the path to the RDBMS, as well as the network layer.
• Universes: A universe is a mapping of the data structure found in databases: tables, columns, joins, etc. It is the semantic layer that isolates end users from the technical issues of the database structure. Universes are created by designers, assigned to one or more groups, and then exported to the universe domain of the repository. It is from here that they are accessible by end users and other designers.
• Documents: Documents and templates are created by end users with BUSINESSOBJECTS or WEBINTELLIGENCE:
• A BUSINESSOBJECTS or WEBINTELLIGENCE document contains one or more reports that present the data obtained from a query. End users can store documents as files, with a .rep extension
• A template is a special type of document that is used to apply report layout and formats to other documents. End users can store templates as files, with a .ret extension. End users can assign documents or templates to specific users or user groups, and can then export them to the document domain of the repository. Users of other Business Objects products create documents in their specific formats.
• Lists of values: A list of values (LOV) is a file that contains the data values associated with an object. LOV files allow end users to set conditions on objects, since they can see the exact format of the corresponding data values. LOV files are created by a designer with DESIGNER. When a designer exports
a universe to the universe domain, he or she can also export all the related LOV files to the document domain.
• Scripts: A script is a set of commands, written in VBA, that is used to automate tasks. Scripts are created and executed by end users from BUSINESSOBJECTS. End users can store scripts as files with an .spt extension, or can export them to the document domain of the repository. Scripts are automatically assigned
to the root group. Only a general supervisor can manage repository domains. A general supervisor can also create new domains on different data accounts.
Managing Connections
Business Objects products let end users work with business data without having to know the techniques of relational database management systems. This is possible thanks to universes, which map to the data in databases to provide the semantic layer end users can work with easily. The connections that give universes and stored procedures access to corporate databases can be defined in SUPERVISOR. They are stored in the repository and can be used by universe designers.
Once you have created your list of users and user groups , you can proceed to assign resources to them. The resources that can be assigned to users are as follows:
• Business Objects products
• Universes
• Documents
• Stored procedures
• Repository domains
Creating a BROADCAST AGENT for a group
BROADCAST AGENT is a product that can be integrated into a Business Objects deployment to provide scheduled document processing. You can create one BROADCAST AGENT per group, for one document domain to which that group has access. The BROADCAST AGENT and its schedule of tasks exist in the Business Objects repository. BROADCAST AGENT receives requests from end users, processes them at user-defined times, and then distributes the processed documents to the appropriate users. The benefit from an administrator’s point of view is that users can schedule document processing at off-peak hours, thus dramatically reducing network traffic at peak times. The integration of BROADCAST AGENT into the Business Objects deployment requires a new type of user - a BROADCAST AGENT administrator. It is this administrator’s role to monitor and manage scheduling requests and distribution lists, using the BROADCAST AGENT Console. To launch BROADCAST AGENT, the administrator must have a general supervisor profile.
BUSINESSOBJECTS and INFOVIEW users who belong to a group with a BROADCAST AGENT can send documents to it with a task schedule attached. Users who belong to more than one group with a BROADCAST AGENT can choose the BROADCAST AGENT to which to send the document from among those associated with their groups.
Objects are components in Business Objects universes that make data accessible to users. Their security level is defined by the designers who create them. By default, their security level is Public, meaning any user can work with them. If they are given a higher security level, only users granted the corresponding Object Security Level have access to them. The levels are, from highest to lowest:
• Private
• Confidential
• Restricted
• Controlled
• Public
Designer
DESIGNER is a Business Objects product intended specifically for you the universe designer. With DESIGNER, you can create universes, the semantic layer that isolates end users from the technical issues of the database structure. Universes can be dedicated to specific groups of end users in your company or organization.
The Tasks of the Universe Designer
As universe designer, you are responsible for the following tasks:
• designing, creating, and maintaining universes
• distributing the universes.
As designer, you are responsible for creating universes, the Business Objects products metadata layer. This metadata layer is based on the paradigm of universes, classes, and objects.
Classes
A class is a logical grouping of objects within a universe. In general, the name of a class reflects a business concept that conveys the category or type of objects. A class can be further divided into subclasses. As designer, you are free to define hierarchies of classes and subclasses into a model that best reflects the business concepts of your company.
Objects
An object is the most refined component in a universe. It maps to data or a derivation of data in the database.
Dimension objects are the parameters for the analysis. Dimensions typically relate to a hierarchy such as geography, product, or time. Detail objects provide a description of a dimension but are not the focus of the analysis.
Measure objects convey numeric information by which a dimension object can be measured.
For example, Sales Revenue is a measure object, Last Name and City Id are dimension objects, and Phone Number is a detail object.
Definitions:
An object maps to data or a derivation of data in the database. For the purposes of multidimensional analysis, an object can be qualified as one of three types: a dimension, detail, or measure.
A class is a collection of objects based on business categories.
A universe is a set of classes and objects intended for a specific application or group of users.
DESIGNER can support any type of database schema including all those illustrated below. There is no need to redefine or optimize your database prior to using the product.
: Star Schema, SnowFlake Schema, Multistar Schema, Normalized Production schemas and Datawarehouse with aggregates.
Definitions
A secured connection is used to centralize and control access to sensitive or critical data. It is the safest type of connection.
A shared connection is used to access shared resources.
A personal connection is specific to one user on one computer.
Specifying strategies
A strategy is a script that automatically extracts structural information from a database or flat file.
DESIGNER provides a number of built-in strategies you can use. These are default strategies for extracting joins, detecting cardinalities, and creating classes and objects.
you can specify how DESIGNER is to handle a Cartesian product, a situation in which a query includes two or more tables that are not linked by a join. If executed, this type of query retrieves all the possible combinations between each row of each table and may thus lead to inaccurate results.
What Are Strategies?
A strategy is a script that reads structural information from a database or flat file. In DESIGNER you can specify two types of strategies: built-in strategies and external strategies.
External Strategies
External strategy files are declared in the STG section of .PRM files located in the various RDBMS folders.
Here is an example from the Ora7en.prm file:
STG= stora7en
where stora7en is the external strategy file for Oracle. All external strategy files contain a number of existing strategies delivered with Business Objects products. For example, a file may contain one object strategy, one join strategy, and one table browser strategy, or multiple strategies of each type. In this file you can customize an existing strategy or create your own. Each external strategy file is specific to one RDBMS.
Types of Joins Supported
DESIGNER supports the following types of joins:
• equi-joins
• theta joins
• outer joins
• shortcut joins
Definitions
An equi-join is based on the equality between the values in the column of one table and the values in the column of another. Because the same column is present in both tables, the join synchronizes the two tables.
A theta join links tables based on a relationship other than equality between two columns.
An outer join links two tables, one of which has rows that do not match those in the common column of the other table.
Shortcut joins can be used in schemas containing redundant join paths leading to the same result, regardless of direction.
Cardinality expresses the minimum and maximum number of instances of an entity B that can be associated with an instance of an entity A. The minimum and the maximum number of instances can be equal to 0, 1, or N. Because a join represents a bi-directional relationship, it must always have two cardinalities.
Join problems often arise from the limited way that lookup and fact tables are related in a relational database.
The following types of join paths can produce incorrect results:
Type of Join Path Returns Description
Loop Too few rows Joins form multiple paths
between lookup tables
Converging many to one
Joins
Too many rows Many to one joins from two fact tables converge on a single lookup table. This type of join convergence is called a Chasm trap.
Serial many to one joins
Too many rows A one to many join links a table which is in turn linked by a one to many join. This type of fanning out of one to many joins is called a Fan trap.
Loops
However, if a query includes more than one path, the information returned can be incorrect. The rows that are returned are an intersection of the results for each path, so fewer rows are returned than expected. It is also often difficult to determine the problem when you examine the results.
DESIGNER provides three features, which guide you in the loop resolution process:
• Detect Cardinalities
• Detect Aliases
• Detect Contexts
Following type of tables creates Loops
• Shared lookup tables
• Shared flexible lookup tables.
• General Supervisor (all products)
• Supervisor (all products)
• Designer (all products but SUPERVISOR)
• Supervisor-Designer (all products)
• User (all products but DESIGNER and SUPERVISOR)
• Versatile (configurable)
A Business Objects repository is a set of data structures stored on a database. A repository makes it possible to share the resources necessary for client/server architecture.
To ensure security and manage user resources, a repository comprises three types of domains:
• a security domain, which contain the definition of the other domains as well as the definition of users
• universe domains, which are meta-models of related databases, containing a description of the data to be accessed
• document domains, which contain the structures for storing shared documents and for executing tasks according to a time stamped definition.
The Universe Domain
The universe domain is a set of data structures containing universes created with DESIGNER. In order for a universe to be shared, it must be exported to the universe domain by the designer or supervisor.
The Document Domain
The document domain is a set of data structures containing documents. Documents stored in the document domain can include those created by end users with Business Objects products, or any other file format. In order to share documents or cause them to be refreshed during scheduled processing, end users must send them to the document domain. To submit documents for scheduled processing, end users send them to the BROADCAST AGENT.
What’s New in Version 5.1?
BUSINESSOBJECTS 5.1 offers new features, improvements, and enhancements. SUPERVISOR 5.1 is fully compatible with version 5.0, ensuring a seamless upgrade for existing users. The main enhancements in version 5.1 are described below.
Document Agnosticism
In previous versions, only BUSINESSOBJECTS or WEBINTELLIGENCE documents could be stored and distributed via the repository. You can now view, send, publish, upload or download files of any format via the repository or via Personal Documents, using WEBINTELLIGENCE INFOVIEW. The feature does not concern BUSINESSOBJECTS. These files are protected with Business Objects security.
Importing/Exporting Universes from SUPERVISOR
With Version 5.0, you could import and export universes from SUPERVISOR as long as the universe was created with a secure connection stored in the target repository. In effect, you could use SUPERVISOR to move universes from one universe domain to another in the same repository. BUSINESSOBJECTS 5.1 lets you choose the connection with which to store the universe when you export it. This means you can export universes to a repository which were created without reference to that repository: from one repository to another, for example. This feature lets you fully manage universes in a production environment that does not include DESIGNER.
Print to Table Format
SUPERVISOR now lets you print full information on the definition and properties of users and resources to comma-separated values (CSV) files which can be used as a data source to create a BUSINESSOBJECTS report. You can then format the report to optimize the way the data is presented.
Purging Inbox Documents
Inbox documents are documents sent from user to user via the repository, either directly or by means of BROADCAST AGENT, and cached there until the recipients download them. SUPERVISOR now lets you purge all Inbox documents older than a given number of days from the repository with a single command. This lets you recover the server space taken up by documents sent but not yet collected by users. This feature can be especially useful when regularly scheduled documents are sent using the "refresh according to the profile of each recipient" option.
Defining Repository Access
The key file contains the address of the repository’s security domain. All users of Business Objects products who will be using this repository must therefore have a copy of this file.
User names are unique within the repository. No two users may have the same name. However, the same user can belong to more than one group and appear in each in the User Pane. These are considered as different instances of a single user.
BROADCAST AGENT is a product that can be integrated into a Business Objects deployment to provide scheduled document processing. You can create one BROADCAST AGENT per group, for one document domain to which that group has access. The BROADCAST AGENT and its schedule of tasks exist in the Business Objects repository.
BROADCAST AGENT receives requests from end users, processes them at user defined times, and then distributes the processed documents to the appropriate users. The benefit from an administrator’s point of view is that users can schedule document processing at off-peak hours, thus dramatically reducing network
traffic at peak times.
Resource Overview
The resources that you can manage using SUPERVISOR include:
• Business Objects products: The supervisor grants or denies access to Business Objects products including: BUSINESSOBJECTS, SUPERVISOR, DESIGNER, BUSINESSQUERY and WEBINTELLIGENCE. (The supervisor grants WEBINTELLIGENCE access to users of INFOVIEW, which provides the core functionality of WEBINTELLIGENCE, whether or not they also use the optional WEBINTELLIGENCE modules, REPORTER and EXPLORER.
• Repository domains: The repository is a set of data structures stored on a database. The repository makes it possible to share the resources necessary for client/server architecture. The repository is made up of three types of domains, which allow all users to share resources:
• The security domain, which contains all the characteristics of the other domains as well as the definition of users
• the universe domain, which is a meta-model of the database containing a description of the data to be accessed
• the document domain, which contains the structures for storing shared documents.
• Connections: A Business Objects universe is linked to a database via a connection. This connection defines the path to the RDBMS, as well as the network layer.
• Universes: A universe is a mapping of the data structure found in databases: tables, columns, joins, etc. It is the semantic layer that isolates end users from the technical issues of the database structure. Universes are created by designers, assigned to one or more groups, and then exported to the universe domain of the repository. It is from here that they are accessible by end users and other designers.
• Documents: Documents and templates are created by end users with BUSINESSOBJECTS or WEBINTELLIGENCE:
• A BUSINESSOBJECTS or WEBINTELLIGENCE document contains one or more reports that present the data obtained from a query. End users can store documents as files, with a .rep extension
• A template is a special type of document that is used to apply report layout and formats to other documents. End users can store templates as files, with a .ret extension. End users can assign documents or templates to specific users or user groups, and can then export them to the document domain of the repository. Users of other Business Objects products create documents in their specific formats.
• Lists of values: A list of values (LOV) is a file that contains the data values associated with an object. LOV files allow end users to set conditions on objects, since they can see the exact format of the corresponding data values. LOV files are created by a designer with DESIGNER. When a designer exports
a universe to the universe domain, he or she can also export all the related LOV files to the document domain.
• Scripts: A script is a set of commands, written in VBA, that is used to automate tasks. Scripts are created and executed by end users from BUSINESSOBJECTS. End users can store scripts as files with an .spt extension, or can export them to the document domain of the repository. Scripts are automatically assigned
to the root group. Only a general supervisor can manage repository domains. A general supervisor can also create new domains on different data accounts.
Managing Connections
Business Objects products let end users work with business data without having to know the techniques of relational database management systems. This is possible thanks to universes, which map to the data in databases to provide the semantic layer end users can work with easily. The connections that give universes and stored procedures access to corporate databases can be defined in SUPERVISOR. They are stored in the repository and can be used by universe designers.
Once you have created your list of users and user groups , you can proceed to assign resources to them. The resources that can be assigned to users are as follows:
• Business Objects products
• Universes
• Documents
• Stored procedures
• Repository domains
Creating a BROADCAST AGENT for a group
BROADCAST AGENT is a product that can be integrated into a Business Objects deployment to provide scheduled document processing. You can create one BROADCAST AGENT per group, for one document domain to which that group has access. The BROADCAST AGENT and its schedule of tasks exist in the Business Objects repository. BROADCAST AGENT receives requests from end users, processes them at user-defined times, and then distributes the processed documents to the appropriate users. The benefit from an administrator’s point of view is that users can schedule document processing at off-peak hours, thus dramatically reducing network traffic at peak times. The integration of BROADCAST AGENT into the Business Objects deployment requires a new type of user - a BROADCAST AGENT administrator. It is this administrator’s role to monitor and manage scheduling requests and distribution lists, using the BROADCAST AGENT Console. To launch BROADCAST AGENT, the administrator must have a general supervisor profile.
BUSINESSOBJECTS and INFOVIEW users who belong to a group with a BROADCAST AGENT can send documents to it with a task schedule attached. Users who belong to more than one group with a BROADCAST AGENT can choose the BROADCAST AGENT to which to send the document from among those associated with their groups.
Objects are components in Business Objects universes that make data accessible to users. Their security level is defined by the designers who create them. By default, their security level is Public, meaning any user can work with them. If they are given a higher security level, only users granted the corresponding Object Security Level have access to them. The levels are, from highest to lowest:
• Private
• Confidential
• Restricted
• Controlled
• Public
Designer
DESIGNER is a Business Objects product intended specifically for you the universe designer. With DESIGNER, you can create universes, the semantic layer that isolates end users from the technical issues of the database structure. Universes can be dedicated to specific groups of end users in your company or organization.
The Tasks of the Universe Designer
As universe designer, you are responsible for the following tasks:
• designing, creating, and maintaining universes
• distributing the universes.
As designer, you are responsible for creating universes, the Business Objects products metadata layer. This metadata layer is based on the paradigm of universes, classes, and objects.
Classes
A class is a logical grouping of objects within a universe. In general, the name of a class reflects a business concept that conveys the category or type of objects. A class can be further divided into subclasses. As designer, you are free to define hierarchies of classes and subclasses into a model that best reflects the business concepts of your company.
Objects
An object is the most refined component in a universe. It maps to data or a derivation of data in the database.
Dimension objects are the parameters for the analysis. Dimensions typically relate to a hierarchy such as geography, product, or time. Detail objects provide a description of a dimension but are not the focus of the analysis.
Measure objects convey numeric information by which a dimension object can be measured.
For example, Sales Revenue is a measure object, Last Name and City Id are dimension objects, and Phone Number is a detail object.
Definitions:
An object maps to data or a derivation of data in the database. For the purposes of multidimensional analysis, an object can be qualified as one of three types: a dimension, detail, or measure.
A class is a collection of objects based on business categories.
A universe is a set of classes and objects intended for a specific application or group of users.
DESIGNER can support any type of database schema including all those illustrated below. There is no need to redefine or optimize your database prior to using the product.
: Star Schema, SnowFlake Schema, Multistar Schema, Normalized Production schemas and Datawarehouse with aggregates.
Definitions
A secured connection is used to centralize and control access to sensitive or critical data. It is the safest type of connection.
A shared connection is used to access shared resources.
A personal connection is specific to one user on one computer.
Specifying strategies
A strategy is a script that automatically extracts structural information from a database or flat file.
DESIGNER provides a number of built-in strategies you can use. These are default strategies for extracting joins, detecting cardinalities, and creating classes and objects.
you can specify how DESIGNER is to handle a Cartesian product, a situation in which a query includes two or more tables that are not linked by a join. If executed, this type of query retrieves all the possible combinations between each row of each table and may thus lead to inaccurate results.
What Are Strategies?
A strategy is a script that reads structural information from a database or flat file. In DESIGNER you can specify two types of strategies: built-in strategies and external strategies.
External Strategies
External strategy files are declared in the STG section of .PRM files located in the various RDBMS folders.
Here is an example from the Ora7en.prm file:
STG= stora7en
where stora7en is the external strategy file for Oracle. All external strategy files contain a number of existing strategies delivered with Business Objects products. For example, a file may contain one object strategy, one join strategy, and one table browser strategy, or multiple strategies of each type. In this file you can customize an existing strategy or create your own. Each external strategy file is specific to one RDBMS.
Types of Joins Supported
DESIGNER supports the following types of joins:
• equi-joins
• theta joins
• outer joins
• shortcut joins
Definitions
An equi-join is based on the equality between the values in the column of one table and the values in the column of another. Because the same column is present in both tables, the join synchronizes the two tables.
A theta join links tables based on a relationship other than equality between two columns.
An outer join links two tables, one of which has rows that do not match those in the common column of the other table.
Shortcut joins can be used in schemas containing redundant join paths leading to the same result, regardless of direction.
Cardinality expresses the minimum and maximum number of instances of an entity B that can be associated with an instance of an entity A. The minimum and the maximum number of instances can be equal to 0, 1, or N. Because a join represents a bi-directional relationship, it must always have two cardinalities.
Join problems often arise from the limited way that lookup and fact tables are related in a relational database.
The following types of join paths can produce incorrect results:
Type of Join Path Returns Description
Loop Too few rows Joins form multiple paths
between lookup tables
Converging many to one
Joins
Too many rows Many to one joins from two fact tables converge on a single lookup table. This type of join convergence is called a Chasm trap.
Serial many to one joins
Too many rows A one to many join links a table which is in turn linked by a one to many join. This type of fanning out of one to many joins is called a Fan trap.
Loops
However, if a query includes more than one path, the information returned can be incorrect. The rows that are returned are an intersection of the results for each path, so fewer rows are returned than expected. It is also often difficult to determine the problem when you examine the results.
DESIGNER provides three features, which guide you in the loop resolution process:
• Detect Cardinalities
• Detect Aliases
• Detect Contexts
Following type of tables creates Loops
• Shared lookup tables
• Shared flexible lookup tables.
posted by dwhfaq | 1:40 PM
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