For multidimensional analysis, BusinessObjects categorizes three types of
objects--dimension, detail, and measure. Dimension
objects are the parameters for the analysis; they typically relate to a
hierarchy such as geography, product, or time. Detail objects describe a
dimension but aren't the focus of the analysis. Measure objects convey numeric
information for measuring a dimension object. Dimensions, details, and measures
are all predefined parts of the BusinessObjects universes, and the program
shields their implementation from the user.
Users can create new reports and report templates. To create a new report,
users must specify which types of data provider (data source) they will use and
whether the report will be based on an existing template (templates typically
contain a user- or company-defined look and feel, including logos and
formatting). The four types of data providers are
- a predefined query associated with a universe
- a stored procedure associated with a SQL database (and stored as part of
the database management system)
- a freehand SQL query typed into the SQL editor or run from a text file
containing the SQL file
- a personal, local data file (ASCII, XLS, or DBF only)
BusinessObjects reports aren't set up like standard banded reports. They're
more object oriented than a standard report and contain title, data, and summary
blocks. The data blocks can contain two-dimensional tabular data, crosstabs, or
graphical data (pie, bar, line, area, or scatter charts). BusinessObjects'
master/ detail reports are data blocks with subsections. The BusinessObjects
Reporter module lets users sort, set up subtotals, and use dozens of built-in
functions such as AVG or MAX. Now that you know a little about how users can
create, access, and run BusinessObject reports, let's look at how designers
create BusinessObjects universes.
Designing Universes
BusinessObjects divides its user universe into four categories: designers,
who set up the database connectivity and mappings (universes) and distribute the
mappings to users; supervisors, who set up users, groups, and the
BusinessObjects Repository, which contains universe metadata; administrators,
who set up and schedule document processing with the optional Document Agent;
and users. These four groups can exist in combinations. For example, large
organizations often have several designers and supervisors who oversee different
universes, whereas the database administrator at a small organization is often
both the designer and supervisor. Let's look at a simple example that
illustrates what's involved in setting up BusinessObjects universes and users so
an end-user can create reports from Microsoft's familiar Access Northwind
database.
1. Install a standalone version of BusinessObjects 4.0 under NT. I
installed standalone versions on my beta box, which runs NT 3.51, and on a
Windows 95 box. The standalone version is convenient for evaluators and
developers. Large installations will generally choose to install a master
(shared) network version.
2. Launch the Designer module and run the four-step Quick Design Wizard by
clicking the Quick Design icon (in the middle of the toolbar), as you see in
Screen 1.
3. Click the New Connection button in the Quick Design Wizard to define a
database link. With standalone versions of BusinessObjects 4.0, you can directly
access ASCII, DBF, or XLS files or set up an Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)
connection. I set up the ODBC connection and selected an existing ODBC data
source for the Microsoft Access Northwind database. Users can license
BusinessObjects native drivers for Oracle, Sybase, Informix, DB2, Microsoft SQL
Server, or Teradata databases.
4. Set up the BusinessObjects classes by clicking the list of tables or
views, as you see in Screen 2. You can rename them now or later. For this
example, I selected Northwind's tables--categories, customers, employees,
invoices, orders, products, shippers, and suppliers.
5. Set up BusinessObjects measures (aggregates) by clicking on data items
and the calculation you want to perform. These aggregates (predefined values)
can be counts, sums, minima, or maxima. I set up aggregates with counts of
employees, customers, and orders on a given date, and a sum on invoice totals.
Once you've set up your aggregates, BusinessObjects reports how many classes,
objects (fields from the tables), and joins now populate your universe.
6. Examine your universe in Designer, as you see in Screen 3. As you can
see from the icon bar, BusinessObjects provides several tools--for everything
from adding tables, columns, aliases, classes, and subclasses, to manipulating
joins and adding conditions to your classes. You can add user-created objects
and update universes to reflect changes in their structure on the server. After
you add the final touches to your universe, save it.
7. Run the BusinessObjects Supervisor, as you see in Screen 4. Sign in with
the username General and password Supervisor the first time you log on. This
combination of username and password starts the five-step Administration Setup
Wizard, where you define the general supervisor, create the repository (with its
user, document, and security domains), and make the repository accessible to
users. I chose to create a default monolithic repository (you can view and save
the script that creates the repository) as an Access database using the same
ODBC connection, but you can store the repository in any relational database to
which you have write privileges. The final step is to have BusinessObjects
create the important BOmain.key file and specify how BusinessObjects will
distribute it to users. When you use the Administration Setup Wizard, you can
select one of three radio buttons to specify the physical destination of the
BOmain.key file: on the installation kit (you provide a diskette), in a default
shared folder, or locally so the supervisor can distribute the file manually
from the LocData folder of the Supervisor folder.
8. Use the BusinessObjects Supervisor to define users, groups, and
permissions.
9. Distribute the universe to users by giving them access to the BOmain.key
file. You can share personal (local) universes and repository-based universes.
10. Run BusinessObjects Reporter to create reports. Add them to the
repository by selecting File, SendTo Repository.
These steps give you a general idea about the process of setting up
BusinessObjects universes. Beyond this simple example, you can use all kinds of
options including the Document Agent and BusinessMiner (as you see in Screen 5)
modules. Make no bones about it, BusinessObjects is a sophisticated, powerful
decision-support tool from a firm with vision.