Client Tools and SAP HANA

[Jonathan_Haun]

Does anyone have a link to a listing of SAP BusinessObjects tools or Microsoft tools and the query language and driver they use to access SAP HANA? Specifically I am looking for something similar to the following. I tried filling it out but was not sure on several items in the list.

Tool	Driver	Language
Analysis for Office	ODBO, ODBC, JDBC ??	MDX / SQL ??
Analysis for OLAP	ODBO, ODBC, JDBC ??	MDX / SQL ??
Crystal Reports 2011	ODBC / JDBC	SQL
Crystal Reports 2008	ODBC / JDBC	SQL
Crystal Reports for Enterprise	ODBC / JDBC / Universe (.UNX)	SQL
Web Intelligence 3.1	ODBC / JDBC via Universe (UNV or UNX), MDX via BWpbHANA	SQL
Web Intelligence 4.0	ODBC / JDBC via Universe (UNV or UNX), BICS via BWpbHANA	SQL
Microsoft Excel	ODBO, ODBC, JDBC	MDX / SQL ??
Explorer 4.0	ODBC / JDBC / (Optional Universe but not advised)	SQL
Dashboards 4.0	ODBC / JDBC via Universe (UNX), BICS via BWpbHANA, QaaWS or BIWS via WebI or Universe	SQL
Xcelsius 2008	QaaWS or BIWS via WebI or Universe	SQL
?

If no such lists exists, this might be a good place to start one.

Thanks,

Jonathan

[Jonathan_Haun · Accepted solution]

Tool	Driver	Language
Analysis for Office	ODBC	SQL
Analysis for OLAP	JDBC	SQL
Crystal Reports 2011	ODBC / JDBC	SQL
Crystal Reports 2008	ODBC / JDBC	SQL
Crystal Reports for Enterprise	ODBC / JDBC / Universe (.UNX)	SQL
Web Intelligence 3.1	ODBC / JDBC via Universe (UNV)	SQL
Web Intelligence 4.0	ODBC / JDBC via Universe (UNV or UNX)	SQL
Microsoft Excel	ODBO / ODBC	SQL / MDX
Explorer 4.0	JDBC / (Optional Universe but not advised)	SQL
Dashboards 4.0	ODBC / JDBC via Universe (UNX) QaaWS or BIWS via WebI 4.0 or Universe (UNV)	SQL / XML via SQL
Xcelsius 2008	QaaWS or BIWS via WebI or Universe (UNV)	XML via SQL
Visual Intelligence	JDBC / (Optional Universe) Online and Offline Mode	SQL
Predective Analysis	JDBC / (Optional Universe) Online and Offline Mode	SQL
Design Studio	JDBC / ODBC	SQL

This table outline the connection options and query language used by the SAP BusinessObjects tools when connecting to SAP HANA standalone. Connectivity to BW on HANA is not included.

If it needs updating, let me know.

[pavan_kumaryanmanagandla]

Hello All,

Latest BI release is BI 4.2 and new tools have been introduced like Design Studio and Lumira. Can someone give the same table for the consolidated list of tools now (new as well as old tools).

Regards,

Pavan

[pavan_kumaryanmanagandla]

This message was moderated.

[Former Member]

Hi Jonathan: Your last item in the table, Design Studio can connect to HANA via ODBC. You may like to add that for general benefit

BR - Arpan

[Jonathan_Haun]

Thanks.

[Former Member]

I have all the connection set up but not able to see HANA view either on Excel or analysis for MS.

What could be the reason. can you please advice.am using 2007 and HANA SP5

thanks.

[Former Member]

Hi,

In order to make Excel working on SAP HANA, you need to install SAP HANA client 32 bits. The installation includes ODBC, JDBC and OLEDBO.

Then you are ready to use Excel with SAP HANA using MDX language.

Pay attention that Excel does not prompt you enter values for HANA variables or HANA input parameters. So if there are default values it could work otherwise it won't work.

Didier

[venu_katamneni]

Hi Sree,

Are you able to get past the issue of connecting to the views from EXCEL? I am also facing the same issue.

[Former Member]

hi jonathan, can you explain further when you differentiate ODBC, and ODBC for HANA Native. Thanks. G

[Jonathan_Haun]

Glen,

Both of the analysis tools can also use BW on HANA connections. (Along with others as well). I was trying to indicate that the tools can use ODBC as well when connecting to SAP HANA directly. I can see how that was confusing so I will remove the text from the list.

Thanks,

[Former Member]

hi jonathan, i was hoping to keep BW out of the equation. it's all around ODBC. from what i know, there is only one way of connecting to HANA via ODBC, and that is the with the client drivers SAP provide. both 32 and 64 bit. they are setup with the ODBC windows programs. this is what i think you indicated by using the "HANA native", was it ?

now i see you have mentioned another way of creating a connection. "...An SAP HANA provider OLAP connection implies direct connectivity to the SAP HANA Analytic Views and Calculation Views..."

so do you have to still have to have the HANA client drivers on your machine for this ?

ta

[Jonathan_Haun]

Glen,

In the context of directly connecting to SAP HANA, there are two tools in the SAP BusinessObjects portfolio for interacting with OLAP sources. The first is Analysis for OLAP. Analysis for OLAP is a web based tool that is started via the BI Launch Pad. Its core connectivity engine runs on the BOBJ Platform under the Adaptive Process umbrella which is called the Multidimensional Analysis Service. It uses an embedded JDBC driver to connect directly to a SAP HANA appliance. The second tool is Analysis for Microsoft Office. It runs as a plugin for Excel. In order to connect this desktop based client tool to SAP HANA, you must first install the SAP HANA client and configure an ODBC DNS within Windows desktop. It too connects directly to SAP HANA using the ODBC driver.

I hope this helps.

[Former Member]

hi jonathan, i think i am getting it now.

JDBC connection is performed, embedded in the application to access HANA. Any parameters would be inside the app itself, whereas, ODBC connection is configured outside the app, then chosen from within the app to access HANA.

is that about right ?

ta

[Jonathan_Haun]

In the context of the two Analysis products, this is true.

[IngoH]

Hi,

you are missing a couple of items and it seems that you now have the connectivity towards BW, HANA as standalone system, and BW on HANA here.

All the BI Clients with the exception of Explorer and Visual Intelligence can leverage the BICS Layer to connect to SAP BW. For the BI clients it does not make a different is BW runs on a relational RDBMS or on SAP HANA - interface wise - with the exception of Visual Intelligence and Explorer.

Visual Intelligence and Explorer connect to the HANA system for BW on HANA.

If you trying to show the connection for HANA as standalone I would separate the BW on HANA from that.

regards

Ingo Hilgefort

[Jonathan_Haun]

Thanks Ingo. It was wise to remove the BW connectivity from this table. Do you have any presentations or posts outlining the connectivity options from BOBJ to BW 7.x ? I would like to add a link if possible.

[rama_shankar3]

Jonathan,

Ravi's diagram is the closest you can get to. Let us know if you have a specific question.

Regards,

Rama

[Jonathan_Haun]

My questions is this: How do you compare / contrast the BICS layer for a BW system to the BICS layer for a HANA system? Are they the same technologies or is the diagram using BICS as a generic terms to describe an XMLA style connection to SAP HANA?

[rama_shankar3]

BICS layer is only specific to SAP BW. BICS connect can access a BW info provider ( multi-cubes or cubes or master data directly) OR BEx queries.

The new technique which is an alternative to BICS to access BW data in certain complex scenarios is a Relational or an OLAP connection directly to BW.

Hope this helps.

Rama

[Jonathan_Haun]

That's what I thought. So Analysis for MS Office and analysis for OLAP can connect via BICS to BW powered by HANA or via ODBC / JDBC using a
relational connection as well. The diagram seemed to imply that Analysis could connect directly to SAP HANA using a BICS connection. That is only true if you have BW running over HANA. Otherwise you can use a relational driver to connect directly to the information views on SAP HANA using these tools. Is this a correct statement.

[rama_shankar3]

Yes, that is correct. You got it.

[Former Member]

I am not sure if this is entirely correct. From the below slides (both taken from TechEd slide pack), it appears that Analysis for MS, OLAP and Design Studio all use direct BICS connect to stand-alone or rather native HANA. This makes me think BICS has now been enhanced with capabilities to connect directly to HANA native for select reporting tools - happy to be proven wrong!

[Jonathan_Haun]

According to a discussion in this thread that is only true when connecting to BW on HANA. Otherwise, Analysis uses either JDBC or ODBC depending on the client. I know you can connect analysis directly to HANA as I have working examples and have implemented it on customer sites. Analysis for Office uses ODBC (not sure if JDBC is an option) and Analytis for OLAP uses JDBC.

[Former Member]

Well this presentation below shows that you can set up a BICS connection to HANA native for Analysis for OLAP via the CMC.

http://events.asug.com/2012BOUC/0811_Using_Analysis_Edition_for_OLAP_with_SAP_HANA.pdf

[Jonathan_Haun]

I think this is a great question. Why do the presentations say BICS for native HANA connectivity? That was the basis of some of my questions in this posting. When I setup the connectivity in my environment I use ODBC or JDBC. Tracing reveals that SQL statements are being sent to the SAP HANA information views. Why would this be called BICS?

[henrique_pinto]

Well, searching for "bics" in the HANA Bluebook does not return any entries...

[Jonathan_Haun]

Anooj,

I had a look through the presentation. The instructions were for creating an OLAP connection using the SAP HANA provider (Direct). To me BICS implies a connection to a NW BW application server. An SAP HANA provider OLAP connection implies direct connectivity to the SAP HANA Analytic Views and Calculation Views.

Creating a BICS connection within Analysis for OLAP (Assuming BW on HANA)

Creating an OLAP Connection to SAP HANA

[former_member184768]

Hi Jonathan,

Not sure if you had a chance to look at the following document, but it explains the BO tools connectivity to SAP HANA in details.

http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-32902

Regards,

Ravi

[Jonathan_Haun]

Thanks for the document.

Is it safe to say that none of the BOBJ tools use MDX or ODBO to access SAP HANA? Do they all use ODBC / JDBC and send SQL statements to HANA?

[Former Member]

Hi Jonathan,

My understanding is the following.

I still need to add;Visual Intelligence and Design Studio

Excel	ODBO
Crystal 2008	JDBC, ODBC
Crystal 2011	JDBC,ODBC
Explore	JDBC
Analysis for Office 1.1	BICS,ODBC
Analysis for OLAP	BICS JDBC
Crystal Reports for Enterprise	Semantic Layer JDBC,ODBC
Dashboards	Semantic Layer JDBC,ODBC
Web Intelligence	Semantic Layer JDBC,ODBC

[former_member184768]

Hi Jonathan,

A couple of SAP documents depict the following connectivity options:

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Ravi

[Jonathan_Haun]

I understand what BICS is in the context of BW, but what does it
mean in the context of SAP HANA? Is this being used as a generic term to
describe a type of proprietary protocol to connect to a data source?