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IngoH
Active Contributor

In Part 1 we created an analytical model in SAP HANA by populating the model from our SAP BW system.

In Part 2 we created a snapshot in SAP HANA based on a BEx Query.

So what's left now is to:

  • Leverage the information with SAP Lumira (former Visual Intelligence)
  • Leverage the information with SAP BusinessObjects Explorer.

Technically you can leverage the generated models with all the SAP BusinessObjects BI tools, so those are just examples.

The following steps outline how to connect to the SAP HANA source, I won't focus on how to use the BI tools here.

Configuring SAP Lumira (former Visual Intelligence) to SAP HANA

  • Start SAP Lumira by following the menu Start > All Programs > SAP Business Intelligence > SAP Visual Intelligence > SAP Visual Intelligence.
  • Click on New Document.
  • Click HANA Offline (or SAP HANA Online)

  • Enter the server details for your SAP HANA system.
  • Click Connect HANA Instance.

 

  • On the right hand side navigate to the package and select the SAP HANA model.
  • Click Acquire.

In the second part we will setup the connectivity for SAP BusinessObjects Explorer. SAP BusinessObjects Explorer can either use a connection that is configured in the Central Management Console (CMC) or a connection that was setup using the Information Design Tool (IDT).  A lot of customers are "forgetting" the second option. The option to setup a connection using the IDT tool is important, as it allows you to setup more than one connection to SAP HANA, meaning you can have SAP BusinessObjects Explorer connect to multiple SAP HANA environments.

Configuring the SAP HANA connectivity for SAP BusinessObjects Explorer in the CMC

  • Logon to the Central Management Console (CMC) via the menu Start > All Programs > SAP Business Intelligence > SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 4 > SAP BusinessObjects Bi Platform Central Management Console
  • Logon with your SAP credentials using the SAP Authentication
  • Click Log On.
  • Select the entry Servers.
  • Select the entry Explorer Services.

  • Select all services on the right hand side.
  • Select the menu Actions > Stop Server.
  • Select the entry Applications in the top level menu for the Central Management Console (CMC).

  • Select the entry Explorer.

  • Use a right-click and use the menu option Properties.
  • In the Advanced Configuration panel you can now fill in the required details:

Parameter Name

Description

newdb.system.alias

The name of the New DB System name as it will appear in the "Manage Spaces" tab

newdb.url

The JDBC url that will be used to connect to the New DB System. This URL contains the System host name and port as follows:

newdb.url=jdbc:sap//<server name>:<port>

newdb.authentication.mode

DatabaseMapping:
activates the use of the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence platform "Database Credentials".

ConfiguredIdentity:
allows the specification of a "fixed" user name / password.

With this authentication mode, two extra parameters are required:


• newdb.user

• newdb.password

 
 

  • Enter the details according to your system.
  • Select the entry Servers in the main menu for the CMC
  • Select the entry Explorer Services.
  • Select all services on the right hand side.
  • Select the menu Actions > Start Server.

You should now be able to create an Information Space using SAP BusinessObjects Explorer pointing to the SAP HANA system.

Configuring the SAP HANA connectivity for SAP BusinessObjects Explorerusing the IDT

  • Start the Information Design tool by following the menu Start • All Programs • SAP Business Intelligence • SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 4 Client Tools • Information Design Tool.
  • Select the menu File • New • Project to create a new project for your Universe.
  • Enter a name for the new project and click Finish.
  • Select your new project in the list of Local Projects.
  • Select the menu Window and make sure the window Repository Resources is shown.
  • Select the menu Insert Session in the Repository Resources to establish a session to your SAP BusinessObjects system.

  • Logon to your SAP BusinessObjects BI system.
  • Click OK.
  • Open the context menu of your established server connection in the area Connections.

  • Select the menu item Insert Relational Connection
  • Enter a name for the connection.
  • Click Next.

  • Select the connection type JDBC Drivers in the category SAP HANA database 1.0.
  • Click Next.

  • Enter the necessary details of your SAP HANA system:
  • Click Next.
  • Leave the default values in the next screen and click Finish.


You should now be able to use this connection with SAP BusinessObjects Explorer as well.

The previous steps showed how you can establish a connection to the SAP HANA model using SAP Lumira and SAP BusinessObjects Explorer.

For further details on the technical pre-requisites and known limitations of the integration of SAP NetWeaver BW on SAP HANA and the option to leverage a SAP NetWeaver BW InfoProvider or BEx query as SAP HANA model, you should also look at this PDF available on SCN.