Universe Design with SAP BusinessObjects BI

Christian Ah-Soon has worked for SAP BusinessObjects for 13 years as a program manager on transversal areas like administration, security, internationalization, and installation. For the last major release, SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.0, he worked on the Semantic Layer team. Christian holds a Ph.D. in computer science and graduated from TELECOM Nancy.|Didier Mazoué works for SAP as a member of the SAP BusinessObjects platform team, where he is the product owner for the semantic layer. He has years of experience with the SAP BusinessObjects product offerings. Pierpaolo Vezzosi works at SAP as a member of the SAP BusinessObjects platform team, where he is the director of solution management for the semantic layer. He has years of experience with the SAP BusinessObjects product offerings.

Preface
Acknowledgments ... 27 1. ... Introduction to the Semantic Layer ... 29 1.1 ... What Is a Semantic Layer? ... 291.2 ... A Well-Designed Semantic Layer ... 331.3 ... Semantic Layer Components ... 351.4 ... Deploying the Semantic Layer in SAP usiness Objects BI 4.0 ... 421.5 ... SAP Business Objects BI Applications that Consume the Semantic Layer ... 441.6 ... Summary ... 53 2. ... Introduction to Information Design Tool ... 55 2.1 ... Installing Information Design Tool ... 562.2 ... Getting Started ... 582.3 ... Information Design Tool Interface ... 622.4 ... Help ... 672.5 ... Preferences ... 712.6 ... Data Preview ... 772.7 ... Summary ... 83 3. ... Local and Shared Projects ... 85 3.1 ... Authoring Resources in Local Project ... 863.2 ... Managing Local Projects ... 913.3 ... CMS Repository ... 963.4 ... Managing Sessions ... 1023.5 ... Shared Projects ... 1063.6 ... Managing Shared Resources ... 1093.7 ... Summary ... 115 4. ... Connecting to Data Sources ... 117 4.1 ... Data Sources Typology ... 1174.2 ... Connection Persistence ... 1234.3 ... Authentication Modes ... 1274.4 ... Client and Server Deployment ... 1334.5 ... Connection Parameters ... 1374.6 ... Managing Connections ... 1414.7 ... Data Preview ... 1504.8 ... Summary ... 155 5. ... The Data Foundation ... 157 5.1 ... Creating a Data Foundation ... 1595.2 ... Identifying Tables, Columns, and Keys ... 1625.3 ... Identifying Joins, Keys, and Cardinalities ... 1695.4 ... Derived Tables ... 1845.5 ... Calculated Columns ... 1915.6 ... Solving Loops (Alias Tables, Contexts, Shortcut Joins) ... 1945.7 ... Chasm Traps and Fan Traps ... 2065.8 ... List of Values ... 2125.9 ... Parameters ... 2185.10 ... The SQL Editor ... 2235.11 ... Built-in Functions ... 2265.12 ... Families, Comments, and Data Foundation Views ... 2315.13 ... Data Foundation Search Panel ... 2385.14 ... Data Foundation Editor ... 2435.15 ... Checking Integrity ... 2605.16 ... Previewing Data ... 2675.17 ... Data Foundation Refresh Structure ... 2695.18 ... Showing Dependencies ... 2745.19 ... Data Foundation Parameters ... 2775.20 ... Summary ... 282 6. Multisource Data Foundations ... 285 6.1 ... The Federation Technology ... 2866.2 ... Multisource Data Foundations ... 2906.3 ... Working with a Multisource Data Foundation ... 2946.4 ... Federated Tables ... 3016.5 ... Multisource Scenarios ... 3346.6 ... Data Federation Administration Tool ... 3446.7 ... Optimization Techniques ... 3496.8 ... Summary ... 358 7. The Business Layer ... 361 7.1 ... The Business Layer Objectives ... 3617.2 ... Creating the Business Layer ... 3637.3 ... Objects ... 3767.4 ... Folders ... 3787.5 ... Dimensions ... 3797.6 ... Attributes ... 3877.7 ... Measures and Calculated Measures ... 3917.8 ... Calculated Members ... 3997.9 ... Named Sets ... 4037.10 ... Analysis Dimensions ... 4067.11 ... Hierarchies ... 4087.12 ... Levels ... 4107.13 ... List of Values ... 4117.14 ... Parameters ... 4237.15 ... Filters and Mandatory Filters ... 4317.16 ... Navigation Paths ... 4357.17 ... Index Awareness ... 4397.18 ... Aggregate Awareness ... 4417.19 ... SQL and MDX Editors ... 4477.20 ... Object Common Properties ... 4537.21 ... Object Formatting ... 4617.22 ... Business Layer Queries ... 4647.23 ... Built-in Functions ... 4667.24 ... Business Layer Views ... 4737.25 ... Business Layer Functionalities ... 4767.26 ... Check Integrity ... 4867.27 ... Show Dependencies ... 4927.28 ... Business Layers Built on Multisource Data Foundations ... 4957.29 ... Multidimensional Business Layer Refresh Structure ... 4977.30 ... Business Layer Parameters and Query Governors ... 5007.31 ... Recommendations for Building a Business Layer ... 5077.32 ... Summary ... 508 8. Universe Query Panel ... 511 8.1 ... The Query Panel Interface ... 5128.2 ... Creating Queries ... 5168.3 ... Setting and Answering Prompts ... 5308.4 ... Setting the Query Properties ... 5368.5 ... Advanced Functionalities ... 5388.6 ... Summary ... 546 9. Publishing and Retrieving Universes ... 547 9.1 ... Publishing a Universe Locally ... 5489.2 ... Publishing a Universe in a CMS Repository ... 5519.3 ... Retrieving a Local Universe ... 5569.4 ... Retrieving a Universe from the CMS Repository ... 5589.5 ... Information Design Tool Workflows ... 5629.6 ... Summary ... 569 10. Securing Universes ... 571 10.1 ... Rights ... 57210.2 ... Object Access Level ... 57710.3 ... Security Profiles ... 57910.4 ... Data Security Profiles ... 58110.5 ... Business Security Profiles ... 58710.6 ... Security Profiles Aggregation ... 59810.7 ... Managing Security Profiles in Information Design Tool ... 60410.8 ... User Attributes ... 60610.9 ... Running a Secured Query ... 60810.10 ... Summary ... 609 11. Working in Multilingual Environments ... 611 11.1 ... Languages and Locales ... 61211.2 ... Translation Management Tool ... 61511.3 ... Translating Universe Metadata ... 62211.4 ... Multilingual Data in Relational Universes ... 62711.5 ... Multilingual and Multidimensional Universes ... 63211.6 ... Summary ... 634 12. Connecting to SAP ERP, SAP NetWeaver BW, and SAP HANA ... 635 12.1 ... Access to SAP NetWeaver BW ... 63612.2 ... Access to SAP ERP ... 65212.3 ... Access to SAP HANA ... 66412.4 ... Migrating a Universe to SAP HANA ... 68112.5 ... Summary ... 685 13. Comparing the Universe Design Tool and Information Design Tool ... 687 13.1 ... General ... 68713.2 ... Connections ... 68913.3 ... Data Foundation ... 69213.4 ... Business Layer ... 69313.5 ... List of Values and Parameters ... 69513.6 ... Security ... 69713.7 ... Miscellaneous ... 70413.8 ... Universe Conversion ... 70513.9 ... Converting Universes in Information Design Tool ... 71213.10 ... Summary ... 715 The Authors ... 717 Index ... 719