Creating a Webi Report with excel as automated process

[former_member530232]

Hi All,

Need your inputs here. I am using SAP BO 4.1 reporting tool. My requirement is to create a Webi report with Excel as source.

The challenging part here is that the whole process should be automated. I have to place an excel file in some shared location and the webi report should pick up that excel file automatically.User can only update the data in the excel and the headers and all will remain same.So when user refreshes the webi report the report should populate automatically the updated data.

Can any one please suggest me how to achieve this.

Thanks in advance.

Thanks

Faizan

[james_batchelor2 · Accepted solution]

We currently do this with Webi now that you can point to an Excel file that lives on BI Platform.

We have the owner of the Excel file upload to the BI Platform.  The Webi is setup to look at this Excel file on the platform. 

As you noted, as long as the format stays the same, all you have to do is refresh the Webi to pull in the updated Excel data.

This was new for us as we were on 4.0SP4  and now 4.1SP4.  In the old version Excel had to be local to the PC Webi Client tool to refresh.

james

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Does anyone know if data can be sent as output to an unmanaged Excel file?  Specifically to add new rows to the end of it every day.  I am thinking this is not possible but I just had to ask.

Thanks,

Tory Bennetsen

[former_member530232 · Accepted solution]

Hi James

Just one quick question.You mentioned that the owner has to upload the file in BI platform.So how would the end user be able to upload the file in BI platform.Can you please elaborate more in this?If suppose i place an excel file in sharepoint repository and provide the URL in source file location  while creating the webi report .So when i update the excel uploaded in the Sharepoint and then refresh the webi report, so will it not work?

Thanks

Faizan

[james_batchelor2 · Accepted solution]

If you want to use the platform as the repository.  Yes.  You can upload files.  Once there, there is an option to Replace the existing file. 

I set user restrictions for writing to certain folders... so I grant access to the Excel data owner to do the upload.  Other consumers only have read access to that folder.

[james_batchelor2 · Accepted solution]

Webi can output as Excel...   then FTP..or File System..  neither of which are unmanaged..  maybe some work around from there?  

[former_member530232 · Accepted solution]

Got it. Thanks a lot James!

[former_member530232 · Accepted solution]

Hi James,

I tried the way as you explained. But not sure getting the below error every time.I tried restarting the Connection Server but still getting the below error.

Can you please help me in getting over this error.

Thanks

Faizan

[james_batchelor2 · Accepted solution]

I have had issues with .XSLX formatted files.   I resorted to using .XLS as the source file format.  Not ideal... 

I am assuming creating the connection from the locally stored file works but this connection to Platform stored file is causing the issue.

Are you using the Server/Web based rich client  or the local rich webi client to build?

james

[former_member530232 · Accepted solution]

I tried using .XLS format also but still getting the same issue. Yes it seems like connection to the Platform stored file is causing the issue.For locally stored file it works fine.

Not sure how to get out of it.I am using Web based rich client.

I tried placing an excel file in share point repository and used the URL in Source after choosing Excel as data source but not sure BO is not picking up that file from the repository.

PLease let me know if there is any other way way of implementing it.

Thanks

Faizan

[former_member530232 · Accepted solution]

Hi James,

Can you please let me know which Version and service pack of BO you used when used xls as source. I am using 4.1 SP1 .I guess this error is handled in the upper support pack.

Thanks

Faizan

[james_batchelor2 · Accepted solution]

Hi,

We are running 4.1 SP4

james

[Former Member]

Hi Faizan,

Take a look at

Regards,

Rogerio

[former_member530232]

Thanks Rogerio.This is what i was looking for.This is awsome .