Attended BO 4.

0 Beta Training from SAP UK

Just attended the formal BO 4.0 training from SAP. Product looks excellent and happy to see
"designer" changing finally !!! Hope the product is launched soon.

By the way following are the changes to the product names :

1) Universe changed to "Information Design Tool)
2) Xcelcius changed to "Dashboard Design )
3) Infoview changed to "BI Launch Pad"
4) Webi changed to "Interactive Analysis Tool"
5) Voyger changed to "Advanced analysis Tool"
(Please note that the product name might change again during launch)

Some noteable changes in the new product:

1) Universe design has changed a lot (really needed a uplift for the last 10 years :).
2) Xcelcius can report from universe.
3) You can directly report from Bex . No need to have a universe.
4) Interactive analysis tool looks dazzling (oh i mean webi) . However haven't seen a
fundamental change to the product.
5) A few new options in CMC (like all auditing stuff grouped together in one service) . Again
did not see any fundamental change.
6) I love this one -- You can create crystal report on enterprise version of the product through a
Universe only. You have another version of the product in 4.0 can connect to different systems. (
I always thought we should bansih crystal :) except using their back end architecture) . This will
be resolved in 4.1 (so they say).
7) Deski (oh my good old deski) is not there any more. (I am sure they will bring it back once
customer starts shouting).

What i uderstood from the training is the product will be launched somewhere in Q2 of 2011.
They might come up with BO 4.1 duing the actual launch.

Hope we get hands on the product soon !!!!!

Shamanth - Following are the changes i found in the designer module -

1) Designer is called ''Information Design Tool now"
2) The file extension has been changed to .unx from .unv
3) There are 4 modules in designer -
a) Project
b) Connections
c) Data Foundation
d) Business Layer.

a) Project is where you craete a universe.

b) Connection is where you create a connection to the BO universe. You can also use a connection from
data federation.
c) Data foundation is is where you set up the tables and joins (much like the right hand place of the
existing designer module).
d) Where you create folder (what we know as classes) and objects (dimensions and measures).

How it will help ? -- One example will be a user can create a data foundation layer (with all tables and
joins) and different users can create different folders and objects structure for their part of business.
Previously you could have done part of it in linked universe but this looks like a much better way to do it.
Also object level securiy helps a user to see , let's say, one business layer out of many created on the same
data foundation.

When you export a universe the datafoundation layer, connections and business layer gets embedded in
the unx file and you export only one file in the repository.

4) You can use a universe direclty over a BO Dashboard Designer (i.e. our very dear xcelcius.. Good they
have change the name..i could never spell it correctly !!! ). However you have to use .unx version of
universe and not the old .unv version. However there is a tool to change the .unv 's to .unx.
5) You can directly create a webi report on Bex query . There is no need of designer to directly report on
bex in BO 4.0
6) The menu option has changed a lot. Now it a "Menu Ribbon". i.e. it's structured. Initially i had a lot of
difficulty finding the options from the menu ribbon. However with time i think we will be comfortable.
7) In the universe you have an option of a "query panel" by which you can quickly create a report and test
your universe. Previously you had to open a deski session to create a report for testing OR export the
universe to the repository and do your reporting through webi.Now its much easier with the query panel.
8) The "crow feet" to show one to many relation is not there anymore. I loved the crow feet. Similarly the
detailed object has a weird picture and not the old green triange we are accustomed to.

All in all i did not find any fundamental change apart from point 3, 4 and 5. However i might be missing
some point . I will add to the list if i remember it.

@ Anupama - BO has provided me 3 books . Unfortunately i cannot provide you any slides because of
copywrite infringement. However if you have any specific questions feel fee to ask.

@ Shamanth - Good point about Crystal report. I am not a crystal expert . However i understood from the
training that they are going to have one version from BO4.X which is going to be released immediately
after the new product launch (in Q2) .
I am participating in a Ramp Up program with Business Objects somewhere in in Q1. If you can frame
the question i can ask the BO managers in that program.

Regards
Sanjit
BusinessObjects 4.0 brought so many new changes in names and in
functionalities....

New BusinessObjects 4.0 suite is very cool with so many functionalities and user friendly
features.
There is some name change too in new BOBJ 4.0.
Universe Designer is called Information Design tool – (I think there is more info now that is
why)
WebI (Web Intelligence Document) is called Interactive Analysis – (There are various tabs and
is more interactive)
Voyager is called Advanced Analysis Tool – (Now Analysis is easier then BEx)
Last but not least InfoView is called BI Launch Pad – (I think since it is SAP Business
Intelligence tool that is why it is BI Launch Pad)

Here is little more what these tools bring:

1. Universe Designer (Information Design Tool) is no more black and white and it is also color
coded. Multiple sources / Tables from different Aliases are shown in different colors.
2. The tool bar now includes toggle icons that show navigation view:
Local Project, Project Synchronization, Repository Resources, Integrity Problems, Security
Editor…
3. Create New connection Window is changed and more user friendly with
Edit, Change Driver, and Test Connection Buttons…
4. Business Layer View has more visual stuff with Summary, Advanced, Parameters, Comments
Buttons…
5. Query View has Edit Query and Execute Query button with Result Object for Query # 1 and
Query Filters for Query # 1 areas…
6. Parameters and list of values views let you create values associated with business layer objects
and parameters that prompt user in their reporting tool with two tabs – Options and Custom
Properties…
7. Navigation View deals with hierarchy... a cool feature and more users friendly…
8. Data Foundation view is also very user friendly with Connection, Data Foundation, Aliases
and Contexts, Parameters, List of Values and Properties options…

WebI (called Interactive Analysis Tool) has turned to be very cool tool. Few to mention below
It is also more user friendly with tabs on the top...
1. Navigation interface has changed.... Now templates are shown on the top as tabs...
2. Here is the list of tabs shown on the report:
a. File, Properties.
Report Element,
b. Table, Cells Section, Chart, Others, Tools, Position, and Linking…
c. Format,
Font, Border, Cell, Style, Numbers, Alignment, Size, Padding…
d. Data Access,
Data Providers (New, Edit, Purge), Data Objects (New Variable, Merge)…
e. Analysis,
Filters (Filter, Ranking, and Control), Data Tracking, Display, Conditional, Interact (Drill, Filter
Bar, and Outline)…
f. Page Setup,
Report (Add Report, Duplicate, Delete) Rename, Move, Page, Header, Footer, Scale to Page,
Margins, Display…
g. Reading, Design, and Data Button are for you to choose your desired interface mode…
Formula bar is the same...