Information Design Tool and SAP BICS

[Former Member]

Hi all!

I create olap connection SAP BICS but when i create business layer and choose my bics connection :

Error occured during connection selection

The connection is not supported.

SAP GUI and BeX Addon 720, SAP NW 7.0 sp23.

Or this connection work if SAP NW 7.0 ehp1 sp 6 ?

Thanks!

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi All,

hier ist the official answer from SAP:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In IDT , you are getting the message "the connection is not supported" because the BAPI connection feature has been removed from BI4.0 SP01 it will not be possible anymore to create dimensional universes (UNX) using

the BAPI connection onto SAP BW. Now the best way would be through a BICS connectivity created in IDT , to be used directly from the reporting tools.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you have succesfully create the BICS connction, this connection should then be used directly in the reporting tools, either in In teractive Analysis or in WebIntelligence, but a BICS connection cannot be used to create a Business Layer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Regards,

Stan

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Ingo/Stan,

Can you please clarify on this? I have some questions based on this thread.

1) Does it mean going forward users will NOT use BO Universe to create reports on SAP BI instead they will just use the BICS connector to directly go against the BeX Query? Is it possible to create multi source Business Layer (universe using) XI 4.0 SP1 which goes against Relational DB like SQL Server and OLAP Data source like SAP BW?

2) Also, is there a document that can tell what are the InfoProviders supported by BICS?

3) I see an SAP relational connection "JCO". What is that user for? What are some of the scenarios where we would like to use it?

Thanks,

Abhi

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

1) Does it mean going forward users will NOT use BO Universe to create reports on SAP BI instead they will just use the BICS connector to directly go against the BeX Query? Is it possible to create multi source Business Layer (universe using) XI 4.0 SP1 which goes against Relational DB like SQL Server and OLAP Data source like SAP BW?

(1) Correct. Universes are no longer needed going against a SAP BW server (unless of course you're using Dashboards or Crystal Reports 2011). (2) I believe that is the case. You can however create a relational mapping against an InfoProvider. So you can actually create a mapping against a standalone Oracle DB and a BW InfoCube and combine them on the fly. Although to be honest, for performance reasons I'm not sure why you would want to do this.

2) Also, is there a document that can tell what are the InfoProviders supported by BICS?

As far as I know...no. Pieter Verstraeten wrote a nice post about how things connect:

http://www.pieterverstraeten.com/blog/how-to-create-connections-with-bi4-information-design-tool-ste...

However the BICS connection is normally consumed via a query (in Webi's case...in the case of Advanced Analysis you can go against a specific InfoProvider). When actually creating a BICS connection the following options are available:

DSO

INFOCUBE

MULTIPROVIDER

QUERY

If you created a query on a InfoSet you can reach an InfoSet then.

Very confusing...I know...

3) I see an SAP relational connection "JCO". What is that user for? What are some of the scenarios where we would like to use it?

JCO is Java Connector. The way SAP BW currently works is like this:

BW ABAP has function modules under BICS (BI Consumer Services) which are exposed to the BW JAVA stack via the Java Connector (Jco). The relational connection just exposes this same JCO connection.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Experts,

An excellent thread indeed for new commers to BO4.0, just to share a unique problem we are facing is when we go for relational connection in IDT i do not get the JCO as an option. Can any one guide us for the way forward to solve the above problem !!!

egarly awaiting your reply...

Regards,

Ankeet Pujara

Edited by: ankeet_dp on Oct 1, 2011 9:33 AM

[Henry_Banks · Accepted solution]

Hi,

You need to create your Relation Connection directly from "Repository Resources" (as a .cns).

The BW-SQL (data federation) JCO connection option is not available from a "Local Project".

Regards,

H

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Many thanks for response and apologies for late reply... i made it through with your comments.. My DashBoard is up and runnning...

Regards,

Ankeet Pujara

[IngoH]

Hi,

there is no need to create a Universe on top of the BICS connection. the connection can be leveraged directly from the BI Client tools.

see here:

/people/ingo.hilgefort/blog/2011/02/01/sap-integration-update-part-1--crystal-reports-for-enterprise-and-sap-netweaver-bw

Ingo

[Former Member]

Hi,

I found out the following facts:

1. There was SAP BAPI OLAP-connection after SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 4.0, Clients Win (32B)(51040484_1) was installed, but it disappeared after patches was installed.

2. Solution Manager 7.0 EHP1 SR1 contains sort of BW (Actual for NW Demo), but there is not any information inside.

3. File "xi4_data_acs_en" contains following text:

"Connections to SAP NetWeaver BW do not use Connection Server. These connections go through a

dedicated connector and use a specific facade in SAP NetWeaver BW.

For details on how to configure and tune connections to SAP NetWeaver BW, refer to the Data Federation

Administration Tool Guide."

but i do not find out connection via data federation in Information Design Tool

Please, could you tell me how i can connect Business Objects 4.0 to BW ?

[former_member136842]

Hi,

thats right - the connection was there prior to SP01 for 4.0 - but it didnt work. After applying SP01 the connection should be gone.

You have to logon to a CMS in your IDT -> right klick than on your BO Server in IDT -> New -> Relational connection.

Than you can choose the SAP BW connector.

Regards

-Seb.

[Former Member]

Sebastian,

thanks a lot for your advice.

Everything is ok, connection and universe were created, requests are working.

Now, i need to connect to BW, which contains data.

Regards,

Evgeny

[former_member136842]

Hi,

what do you mean with connecting to BW with the Data?

Do you mean running a report off from the created universe?

Regards

-Seb.

[Former Member]

Hi,

Solution Manager 7.0 EHP1 SR1 contains sort of BW (Actual for NW Demo), but there is not any information inside.

Evgeny

[Former Member]

Hi Ingo,

I understand that we don't need to create Universe on top of BICS connection as the connection can be leveraged directly from the Client tools.

But for using SAP Business Objects Explorer on BEx query the only connectivity option is through a Universe. So again I came to the same question as Alexander.

I try to create a olap connection using SAP BICS and when i try to create business layer and choose my bics connection I get the error:

Error occured during connection selection

The connection is not supported.

So the question is there a work around to create a universe on BEx query and use it for Exploring data using SAP Business Objects Explorer.

Any insights will be greatly appreciated.

--

Thanks & Regards.

[Former Member]

hi all,

I also have same doubt.

I am creating the Explorer on sap BO queries.But i am not able to create Universe.Is there any suggestion?

thanks,

Piyush Gahlot

[Former Member]

Ingo,

Indeed, to use Explorer on top of BW data, you need to create a UNX.

Is it correct to state that currently only UNX can be based on BW through a relational connection?

In my opinion, using a relational connection has several disadvantages but correct me if I'm wrong:

-Existing BEx queries can not be leveraged

-Performance issues, since the whole cube is addressed instead

-What about BEx hierarchies?

-What about restricted/calculated keyfigures

kind regards

[Former Member]

Hi ingo ,

Can it be possible to create Olap connections in IDT if BW version is 3.5 ? I know as per the PAM , it is not possbile without BI 7.x but still is there any way around?

Thanks

Rajib