Questions and Answers: Migrating Universes to SAP Business Objects 4.

Applies to:
SAP Business Objects 4.0, SAP Business Objects Enterprise XI 3.x, Universe Designer, and its latest versions called universe design tool and information design tool. For more information, visit the Business Objects homepage.

Summary
This document summarizes frequently asked questions around the universe migration questions for the latest release of SAP Business Objects 4.0. We welcome your feedback, comments and additional questions. Authors: Frank Prabel, Christian Ah-Soon, Elizabeth Imm Varin-Bernier

Company: SAP Created on: 18 October 2010

Authors Bio
Frank Prabel leads Semantic Layer Product Management in the SAP Business Objects Enterprise Information Management group. Frank has held many positions in his long career with the company, from marketing, solution expert, migration champion and operations manager. He currently resides in France after recently returning from three years in the SAP Palo Alto office. Christian Ah-Soon is a Senior Program Manager responsible for the software specifications in the semantic layer with a focus on migration, security and internationalization. Elizabeth Imm Varin-Bernier is a product owner on Franks team. She has a background in semantic layer knowledge management and global project management.

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Questions and Answers: Migrating Universes to SAP Business Objects 4.0

Table of Contents
Questions and Answers on migrating universes to SAP Business Objects 4.0 ................................................. 3 How Do I Convert a Universe (UNV) from an SAP Business Objects Enterprise XI R2 or XI 3.x CMS to SAP Business Objects 4.0 (BI 4)? .................................................................................................................. 3 How many Universe Authoring Tools are Delivered with bi 4? ....................................................................... 3 Can I Still Create UNV Universes with BI 4? .................................................................................................. 3 How Many Universe File Types are there in BI 4? ......................................................................................... 3 What is the Difference between a Data Foundation and a Business Layer? ................................................. 4 Do I Need to Create a Data Foundation for OLAP Sources? ......................................................................... 4 Why would I want to Create UNX Files Instead of UNV Files?....................................................................... 4 A Powerful new universe design tool called the information design tool; In addition, most BI client tools delivered with BI 4 only support UNX files. ..................................................................................................... 5 Does Web Intelligence 4.0 support UNV and UNX files? ............................................................................... 5 Do other BI tools support UNV and UNX files? .............................................................................................. 5 Can I save a universe as UNX with the universe design tool? ....................................................................... 5 How can I convert a UNV to UNX? ................................................................................................................. 5 Do I lose any features when I convert a UNV to UNX? .................................................................................. 5 Is a UNV automatically converted to UNX when I bring it over from an XI R2 or XI 3.1 CMS? ..................... 5 Related content ................................................................................................................................................... 6 Copyright............................................................................................................................................................. 7

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Questions and Answers: Migrating Universes to SAP Business Objects 4.0

Questions and Answers on migrating universes to SAP Business Objects 4.0

How Do I Convert a Universe (UNV) from an SAP Business Objects Enterprise XI R2 or XI 3.x CMS to SAP Business Objects 4.0 (BI 4)? To move a universe from a prior release CMS to a BI 4 CMS, use the upgrade management tool that is provided with BI 4. How many Universe Authoring Tools are Delivered with bi 4? SAP Business Objects 4.0 BI 4 includes two universe authoring tools: The universe design tool, which is an upgraded release of the Universe Designer tool you are familiar with if you are an existing Business Objects customer. The information design tool (IDT), which is the new universe authoring tool provided with BI 4. Can I Still Create UNV Universes with BI 4? Yes, use the universe design tool included with BI 4 to create classic UNV files, no change there. How Many Universe File Types are there in BI 4? There are two universe file types in BI 4: UNV files (the classic universe type), created by the universe design tool UNX files (the new universe type), created by the information design tool.

A UNX universe file is published on the CMS. It is a merge of three components that are designed in the information design tool.: CNX files for connections DFX files for data foundations BLX files for business layers A UNX is the result of CNX + DFX + BLX.

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Questions and Answers: Migrating Universes to SAP Business Objects 4.0

What is the Difference between a Data Foundation and a Business Layer? What is a Data Foundation (DFX) Description

A data foundation contains a schema of relevant tables and joins from one or more relational databases that are used as a basis for one or more business layers. You reference relational connections in the data foundation. You insert tables and joins from the databases referenced in the connections.

Business Layer (BLX)

A business layer is a collection of metadata objects that map to SQL or MDX definitions in a database, for example, columns, views, database functions, or pre-aggregated calculations. The metadata objects include dimensions, hierarchies, measures, attributes, and predefined conditions. Each object corresponds to a unit of business information that can be manipulated in a query to return data. Business layers can be created directly on an OLAP cube, or on a data foundation that is built on a relational database. You can build any number of business layers on the same data foundation. In this case the data foundation becomes the basis for multiple universes.

Do I Need to Create a Data Foundation for OLAP Sources? No. OLAP sources are already built as dimensional cubes of data, therefore the business layer reads the structure of the OLAP source automatically. Why would I want to Create UNX Files Instead of UNV Files? The new semantic layer (based on UNX files) available in BI 4 brings major new benefits over and above the classic universe benefits: Multisource-enabled universes. With the information design tool, you can create universes that span across multiple data sources, for example Oracle and MSFT SQL Server or Oracle and SAP BW. Multi-dimensional universes. With You can create dimensional universes off OLAP cubes that enable OLAP-style analysis through hierarchy display and expand and collapse reporting in BI client tools such as Web Intelligence and Crystal Reports.

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Questions and Answers: Migrating Universes to SAP Business Objects 4.0

A Powerful new universe design tool called the information design tool; In addition, most BI client tools delivered with BI 4 only support UNX files. Does Web Intelligence 4.0 support UNV and UNX files? Yes. Web Intelligence users can create queries with UNV files and UNX files. However, only with UNX files will they enjoy the major new BI 4 benefits such as multisource enabled universes and multidimensional universes. Do other BI tools support UNV and UNX files? Here are the details of which BI 4 tools support UNV and which tools supports UNX:

BI TOOL File type UNV UNX

Web Intelligence 4

Crystal Reports Enterprise (*)

Dashboards (Xcelsius)

Explorer

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

(*) This is the Java version of Crystal Reports. The C++ version of Crystal Reports only supports UNV universes. Can I save a universe as UNX with the universe design tool? No. the universe design tool can only save universes as UNV files. Use the information design tool to convert a UNV to UNX. How can I convert a UNV to UNX? To convert a UNV file to UNX, open it with the information design tool. Go to the File menu and select the Convert UNV universe command. A UNX file saves a copy of the original UNV file (and the UNV file still exists). Do I lose any features when I convert a UNV to UNX? When you convert a UNV to a UNX, all the features and definitions (tables, joins, object definitions, security, options, etc.) are converted. There are, however, a few limitations with the UNV to UNX conversion: IDT cannot convert OLAP universes created with prior releases. SAP recommends making a direct connection to the OLAP source to then take advantage of the dimensional modeling capabilities built in to IDT. IDT cannot convert universes based on stored procedures of JavaBeans. Linked universes. Although IDT can convert linked universesthey are not supported in BI 4. When you convert a linked UNV, IDT copies the core universe into the converted universe. The core universe factorization is lost. Is a UNV automatically converted to UNX when I bring it over from an XI R2 or XI 3.1 CMS? No. UNV files remain UNV files when you move them over with the upgrade management tool. You still need to perform the UNV to UNX conversion step with IDT in order to convert them to UNX.

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Questions and Answers: Migrating Universes to SAP Business Objects 4.0

Related content
For the latest information on updates to this document, please visit Business Objects Articles. For more information, visit the Business Objects homepage.

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Questions and Answers: Migrating Universes to SAP Business Objects 4.0

Copyright
Copyright 2010 SAP AG. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or for any purpose without the express permission of SAP AG. The information contained herein may be changed without prior notice. Some software products marketed by SAP AG and its distributors contain proprietary software components of other software vendors. Microsoft, Windows, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. IBM, DB2, DB2 Universal Database, System i, System i5, System p, System p5, System x, System z, System z10, System z9, z10, z9, iSeries, pSeries, xSeries, zSeries, eServer, z/VM, z/OS, i5/OS, S/390, OS/390, OS/400, AS/400, S/390 Parallel Enterprise Server, PowerVM, Power Architecture, POWER6+, POWER6, POWER5+, POWER5, POWER, OpenPower, PowerPC, BatchPipes, BladeCenter, System Storage, GPFS, HACMP, RETAIN, DB2 Connect, RACF, Redbooks, OS/2, Parallel Sysplex, MVS/ESA, AIX, Intelligent Miner, WebSphere, Netfinity, Tivoli and Informix are trademarks or registered trademarks of IBM Corporation. Linux is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries. Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat, PostScript, and Reader are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation. UNIX, X/Open, OSF/1, and Motif are registered trademarks of the Open Group. Citrix, ICA, Program Neighborhood, MetaFrame, WinFrame, VideoFrame, and MultiWin are trademarks or registered trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. HTML, XML, XHTML and W3C are trademarks or registered trademarks of W3C, World Wide Web Consortium, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Java is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. JavaScript is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc., used under license for technology invented and implemented by Netscape. SAP, R/3, SAP NetWeaver, Duet, PartnerEdge, ByDesign, SAP Business ByDesign, and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and other countries. Business Objects and the Business Objects logo, Business Objects, Crystal Reports, Crystal Decisions, Web Intelligence, Xcelsius, and other Business Objects products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Business Objects S.A. in the United States and in other countries. Business Objects is an SAP company. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. Data contained in this document serves informational purposes only. National product specifications may vary. These materials are subject to change without notice. These materials are provided by SAP AG and its affiliated companies ("SAP Group") for informational purposes only, without representation or warranty of any kind, and SAP Group shall not be liable for errors or omissions with respect to the materials. The only warranties for SAP Group products and services are those that are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services, if any. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty.

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