SAP Business Objects Interview

1. Whats your role I am working as a developer where I am involved in creating reports using deski, webi, and creating universes and part of administration. Involved in deploying the xir3 environment 2. What is diff between xir2 and xir3 it is the same architecture. But they have clubbed all the servers into one server called BI server in xir3. In xir2 if you look at the central configuration manger the servers are mentioned individually. You have webi rich client and in xir3 you have more integration with sap tool 3. What is the join related problems and how did you solve it talk about loops and traps and how you solve them. Advantages and dis advantages of alias and context. For loops you can u se either alias or context. For alias you need to create alias table. When you have one end of join you need to create alias to solve loop. If you have more than one fact table you go for context. It is nothing but creating a path to query. In this advantage is that you do not have to add tables. Dis advantage is it will ask the use to choose the context to run the query. Dis advantage with alais is you need to create table which wll increase size of universe. 4. What is diff between thick and thin client for thin cliet you do not need to install software.. you need to have ip address of the webserver and you can access the application. For full client for example if you want to open or edit desktop intelligence reports and webi rich client you need to installlsoftware on your desktop 5. What is aggregate awareness and steps involved In it first you need to have the summarized tables created at the back end. Then you have to identify the objects that are there in the summarized tables and them make them as aggregate aware, for that you need to use the @aggegateware function like @aggregateaware(first object, second object ..). when you create aggregate aware you have to mention the objects from summary table objects to details. If not query will not go to summary tables in case if you are generating summary report. Once ou create aggregate aware you have to declare what objects compatible and what are in compatible. 6. what are steps involved in bo enterprise deployment you need to have database to create database connection, then you need to install the enterprise software where you need to install either any of the webservers available like tomcat, iis, websphere or you can use the existing webserver already there on the server where you are trying to install the software. by default you have mysql Installed , but if you have database already you can use the existing database by giving user id , pwd, and instance name of the database to create and install the repository, it will automatically install the software enterprise . 7. What is zabo application if you do not have desktop intelligence on your desktop and you are trying to open it from the infoview portal it will automatically get the requirement components from the bo server and enable to open the desktop intelligence i.e full client report. BUSINESSOBJECTS is an integrated query, reporting and analysis solution for business professionals that allow them to access the data in their corporate databases directly from their desktop and present and analyze this information in a BUSINESSOBJECTS document. Universe provides a semantic layer between you and the database. It consists of classes and objects named in business terms. It is basically a mapping of table and the columns in the database to classes and objects respectively in the query panel.

What are Lookup and Fact Tables? Lookup tables: A lookup (or dimension) table contains information associated with a particular entity or subject. Fact Tables: A fact table contains statistical information about transactions. What Types of Join Paths Return Incorrect Results? 1. Loops (Too few rows) 2. Fan Trap (Too many rows) 3. Chasm Trap (Too many rows) What is Fan trap and Chasm Trap? How do you resolve? Fan Trap: occurs when a One to Many join links a table which is in turn linked by another One to Many join. There are two ways to solve Fan trap: Creating an alias and applying aggregate awareness function. This is the most effective way to solve the Fan trap problem. Using Multiple SQL statements for each measure. Chasm Trap: occurs when two Many to one joins from two Fact tables converge on a single Lookup table. Can be solved by: Creating a Context. Using Multiple SQL statements for each measure Creating multiple universes (WEBINTELLIGENCE only). How do you publish BO report? There are 2 ways of publishing BO reports on website 1) User who has publishing rights for a document can publish that document for other users. 2) Documents can be published via a scheduler for Business Object known as Broadcast Agent. What is derived table derived table is smilar to view but it can be used in designer and you can create objects based on derived table columns and use the objects in reports. How do you do restrict access to applications, objects, data-row level you can do that in universe for row,objects, arond data level, for application you need to do it from cmc, What project you are working mention it is banking project What is your role in project- currently I am migrating from xir2 to xir3. What is team size -4 What Phase Phase Phase is the typical strategy employed in developing/maintaining/distributing Universes? 1: Break down the informational system into functional areas. 2: Analyze the information needs of users. 3: Design a conceptual schema Design the specification of the user. Phase 4: Create a Universe with designer. Test the Universe with the Business Objects module. Distribute the Universe. Repeat the other steps for other Universes. Phase 5: Update and maintain the Universe. Notify end users of changes. Can we have a report with multiple data providers? Yes. We can add a new data provider to an existing report, where it asks for the source either it may be a universe or other(Freehand SQL, Personal Data files, VBA , Stored Procedures) Which are the different types of data providers? Queries on Universes, Stored Procedures, Free-hand SQL, Personal Data files, VBA Procedures, OLAP Servers, SAP

Snowflake Schema: A common form of dimensional model. In a snowflake schema, different hierarchies in a dimension can be extended into their own dimensional tables. Therefore, a dimension can have more than a single dimension table. Can you combine data from different sources in one report? Absolutely. With BUSINESSOBJECTS, you can build powerful reports with data from corporate databases which you can access using queries on universes, freehand SQL, etc., and data from your own spreadsheets, text files etc. Can all BusinessObjects users build data providers? You can build data providers only if you have purchased the REPORTER module of BUSINESSOBJECTS. Star Schema: A common form of dimensional model. In a star schema, each dimension is represented by a single dimension table. Various Business Objects products? User Module, Designer, Supervisor, Auditor, Set Analyzer, Info View (Web Intelligence), Business Objects Software Development Kit (SDK), Broadcast Agent etc. What is Incompatibility? The set of incompatible objects you specify determines which aggregate tables are disregarded during the generation of SQL. With respect to an aggregate table, an object is either compatible or incompatible. Users in Business Objects? General Supervisor, Supervisor, Designer, Supervisor-Designer, End User, Versatile User What is a macro? A macro is a series of commands and functions that are stored in a Visual Basic for Applications module and can be run whenever you need to perform the task. If you perform a task repeatedly, you can automate the task with a macro. You create macros using the Visual Basic Editor. What is scope of analysis? Analysis means looking at data from different viewpoints and on different levels of detail. In reports, you can use scope of analysis to ensure that the data included in your report can be displayed at the appropriate level of detail for your analysis. What is a break? A break does what its name implies. It breaks up the data in a table or crosstab by grouping the data according to a selected value. This allows you to display all the data for each value of a dimension variable together, and more importantly, it allows you to display subtotals. What is drill mode? Drill mode is a BOs analysis mode that allows you to break down data and view it from different angles and on different levels of detail to discover what is the driving factor behind a good or bad result. How to hide the table s in webi?can any one tell me plzzz In webi there is no pivot option available and there is no standard method to hide the table. You hav to do workaround. Select the table or column 1. Borders-none 2. Font-white 3. Background-white If you r hiding any column then you have to do this reduce d width of d column. Minimum 4pixels. Purging and Deleting Data Providers Whats the difference between purging and deleting a data provider? Purging means emptying a data provider of its results, whereas deleting means getting rid of the data provider for good - an action which cannot be undone. So, why purge or delete a data provider? Purging reduces the size of a document, so is useful when you want to send the document to other users, or save it on a diskette, for example. You should only delete a data provider, however, if you are certain that you and other users no longer need it.

Tip: You can populate a purged data provider by selecting the Refresh Data command on the Data menu. Note that this command refreshes all the data providers in the active document. 89.What functions are supported? Designer provides four types of functions: Number, Character, Date and @Functions. Refer to your database guide for further details on the first three types of functions. Functions beginning with the @ character are BusinessObject functions that render the definition of objects dynamic and databaseindependent. @Function Purpose @Aggregate_Aware is used to enhance the performance of SQL transactions; i.e. it determines which tables to use in SQL generation: either aggregate tables or detailed tables. @Prompt is used to create an interactive object. In the Query Panel, this type of object causes a message to appear that prompts the end user to enter a specific value. @Script is used to recover the results of an executed macro created with the Visual Basic Editor in the BusinessObjects User module. @Select lets you re-use the Select statement of an existing object @Variable is used to reference the value assigned to a name or variable. @Where lets you re-use the Where clause of an existing object. How many breaks I can use on the report? One group can have a maximum of 9 breaks. Can a Universe have more than 1 fact Table? Yes. Typically a universe can have more than 1 fact table and numerous aggregated tables. Loop is a situation that occurs when more than one path exists from one table to another. Loops result in ambiguity in the design of a universe You can use one of three approaches when linking universes: The kernel approach The master approach The component approach There are 2 ways of publishing BO reports on website 1) User who has publishing rights for a document can publish that document for other users. 2) Documents can be published via a scheduler for Business Object known as BCA or Broadcast Agent. 1. Explain detail objects? -Detail objects are attached to dimensions, one cannot drill on details nor link on details when linking multiple data providers. While Customer ID would be a dimension, customer name, address, phone and soon should be details. 2. What is BOMain.Key? - BoMain.Key file contains the information about the repository site i.e it contains the address of the repository security domain. 3. What is Business objects Repository? - it is nothing but metadata. 4. What is domain? How many are there in a basic setup? What are they? - Domain is nothing but logical grouping of system tables, There are three domains usually in a basic setup, They are Secure, Universe, Document. Business objects are sometimes called domain objects (where the word domain means the business), and a domain model represents the set of domain objects and the relationships between them. 5. When is the Repository created? - In 5i/6i versions after installing the software, whereas in Xi version a repository is created at the time of installation. 6. Can we have multiple domains? - Yes. (Security domain can not be multiple).

7. How do you restrict access to rows of a database? - In XI version it can be done by using row-level security in designer module whereas in 5i/6i it is done by supervisor. 8. What is a category? - It is nothing but grouping of certain entities. 9. What is a Universe? - It is a semantic layer between Database and the designer used to create objects and classes. (It maps to data in Database). 10. What is an Object? - It is an instance of class, its nothing but an entity. 11. What do you mean by Object qualification? - Object qualification represents what kind of object is that, usually we have three types of object qualifiers they are measure, dimension, detailed. 12. What is the size of data base? - In general it will be anything between 4-8 Terabytes. 13. What is a loop? How can we overcome? - Loop is nothing but a closed circular flow; it can be overcome by making use of Alias and Context. 14. What is a join? Explain diff types of joins? -Join is used to link to tables depending upon the data requested by d user, Usually we have Inner Join, Outer Join, Left Join, Right Join, Full Outer join. 15. What are Linked Universes? - If the data provided is from two different data providers then we can link those two universes, such type of universe is called Linked Universe. 16. What are Alerter, Filters, Breaks and Conditions? Alters are nothing but they are used to draw attention to a block of data by highlighting. Breaks are nothing but grouping the data without any change in the format. Condition is used to retrieve data which meets certain criteria. Filters are used to get necessary data. 17. What is the difference between master-detail and Breaks? - In break common fields are deleted (here in this case the table format is not changed) whereas in master-detail , we declare certain entity as a master to get the detailed information or report in this case the table format is changed. 18. What is metrics? - Metrics are a system of parameters or ways of quantitative and periodic assessment of a process that is to be measured; these are used to track trends, productivity. 19. What is a Set? - Its nothing but grouping of users. 20. What is the use of AFD? Where it can be stored? - used to create dashboards. It can be stored in repository, corporate or personal. 21. What is the source for metrics? - measure objects. 22. Why do we need metrics and sets? - Metrics are used for analysis and Sets are used for grouping. 23. Is there any bug in 6.x? - In earlier version of 6.0 they had, but 6.5 is the best version with out any bugs. 24. What are the general issues in migration process? - Alignment, performance.

25. What is the use of BO SDK? Bo SDK main use is to suppress no data to fetch using Macros. 26. How can we improve performance? - By making use of Aggregate tables. 27. Analysis in BO? - Slice-Dice and Drill analysis. 28. How can you check the integrity? - By making use of Check integrity button. 29. What are Universe parameters? - Name of the universe, description and RDBMS connection, size and rights. 30. Types of Universes? - Simple and Complex. 31. What is the use of BCA? - BCA is used to refresh and schedule and export and save as.html,.rtf,.xls ,.pdf. Domains Secure, Universe, Document Connection Personal, Shared, Secured. Objects Types measure, dimension, detail Preparation Analysis- Planning Implementation Testing Deployment Updating/Maintenance CMS Default Port: 6400 6410 Connection Port 8080

Performance tuning of Universes: using derived tables, short cut joins, removing unwanted tables, using aggr awareness functions, using global funs..... Derived Tables: creating a new table from one or more table. its done only at the universe level Creating Universes using Cubes: by using olap cubes, $infocubes, standard and custom cubes Can one create a report having two Data Provider each pointing to different Universes? Yes. Can I add some html tags in the report? Yes. In the format/properties one has to set the option read as html. Can I drill through from one report to another? Yes. Using some html coding in the parameters to be passed while drill through one can drill thru from one BO report to another in the same BO document.

What is Slice-and-Dice Mode? Ans: Slice-and-dice mode enables: to switch the position of data in a report. move data from columns to rows Work with master/detail reports Display and remove data Rename, reset and delete blocks Turn tables and crosstabs into charts, and vice versa Apply, edit and delete breaks, filters, sorts, rankings and calculations