Part 1: Comparing Online Web Intelligence Editors Many of the Business Objects WebI report developers that I have talked to have had trouble at one time or another with the default Java applet for modifying and creating Web Intelligent reports. This Java applet, also known as the Java Report Panel, isn’t necessarily trouble by itself, […]
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Tips and Tricks
Why Does the Java Report Panel / Web Intelligence Applet Take So Long Load
After switching from Business Objects XI 3.1 to BO BI 4.1 I noticed one difference which I did not like at all. The Web Intelligence Java Applet (the default report editor, also formerly known as the Java Report Panel) takes forever to load. Why is this? WebI Java Applet Isn’t Caching When I start using […]
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Tracking Concurrent Users with Query Builder and Auditing Data
Today I received the following request via email: “Do you have any pointers for me where I can find a lot of useful [Query Builder] queries? One in particular I am looking for is where I can see what is the max concurrent users on our environment by today, week, month and all historical dates…” […]
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Import Wizard, Life Cycle Manager, UMT, & Promotion Management, Oh My…
Hey Import Wizard, Good Job! Anyone who has spent some time around Business Objects before BI 4 should be familiar with Import Wizard. It has a little clunky and hard to control, but once you learned to follow and few rules and respect its limits Import Wizard became a powerful tool in your hands. I […]
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Hot Backup & Restore of BusinessObjects XI3/BI4 Content
Background Backing up a BusinessObjects Enterprise system is not the easiest of tasks and normally requires the database and cluster to be taken down to ensure the system database and file store are correctly synchronised. Retrieving a single document from the backup can involve restoring a clone system to access the single document or overwriting […]
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QBXcell – Unlock Your System Database
Analyse BusinessObjects users, documents, connections, servers, scheduling, security, which documents use which universes etc. Background Originally the BusinessObjects repository held all the deployment information for your BOE system. As the repository was a standard relational database the information could be queried via a universe or directly from SQL. Since BusinessObjects XI the repository has been […]
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BusinessObjects is Windows 8, Win Server 2012, & Internet Explorer 10 Compatible
If you have tried to use BusinessObjects XI 3.1 or BI 4.0 with Internet Explorer 10 than you already know that there are issues, especially with Web Intelligence. The problems range from being unsupported to being completely unusable. The most common complaint is that a user running IE 10 cannot view, edit, or create any […]
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Learning Business Objects: Where to start?
I was recently asked the following very pertinent question: “I want to learn the Business Objects reporting tool. Where can I start to learn and gain experience?” from Orkun K. Yuna While I try to answer all questions I receive, some are so basic that I don’t really know where to start. This one was […]
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SI_LASTLOGONTIME Updates Every Other Time
Sometimes people bring issues to me that exceed my knowledge and experience (or time to investigate). Business Objects is a complex tool now and there are always new nooks and crannies full of “features” that frustrate BO administrators and users. Alan Miles brought this latest one to my attention; I hope that we can collectively […]
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Clearing Previously Used Folders from Designer’s Import/Export Dialog
Occasionally we receive emails sharing Business Objects tips and tricks with us. These are our favorite kinds of emails, OK, second favorite, just below guide purchase inquiries. Today I received a great tip from a friend that goes by the name “dopple“. I liked the tip and dopple was kind enough to agree to publish […]
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How Can I Detect a Server’s Exact Version of Business Objects?
It is great when everything works and nothing needs to be changed or updated. In my world, these moments are rare, but I suppose that is a good thing or I might not have a job. I hope that this is not true, but I guess that is the way things work. I mean, if […]
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Counting Holidays between Two Dates
Dear BusinessObjectsTips.com visitors, the following article was written by Rogério Goulart who has kindly offered to share his knowledge with all of us. Thank you very much Rogério! Hi Everyone, I came up with a solution to count the number of holidays between two dates. In conjunction with http://www.dagira.com/2009/10/23/calculating-business-days-between-two-days-via-report-functions/ it’s possible to calculate the amount […]
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Bypassing the Universe – Using Custom SQL
The Downfall of Business Objects? Sometimes the wonderful drag and drop functionality of BusinessObjects can be its downfall as well. When report writers do not have access to Designer or edit access the universes that they must use there exists an opportunity for this downfall. If any object in the world of SAP BusinessObjects follows […]
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Subscribing to SAP BusinessObjects Notifications
Recently a new Knowledge Base article was published on the SAP Service Marketplace. Actually many useful new Business Objects KBs have been published, but this one has broad appeal. KB 1553034 (link) describes the process by which we can subscribe to what they call SAP BusinessObjects Notifications. This service allows “customers to be notified when […]
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Migrating Business Objects Enterprise from Windows to Linux
The Linux operating system has established itself as an industry standard for enterprise applications. However, not all flavors of Linux are supported for running Business Objects Enterprise systems. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (more or less version 4 and 5 of the server) and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (version 9 and 10) are supported as of […]
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Business Objects XI 3.X’s Server Intelligence Agent (SIA)
Business Objects XI 3.0 introduced us to an entirely new architectural concept called the Server Intelligence Agent (SIA). The SIA takes over Business Objects service/server management from the Central Configuration Manager of XI Release 2. When you start a SIA you can configure all, some, or none of the servers contained in/managed by the SIA […]
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CMS Tuning: ndbqthreads or Number of Requested Database Connections
If you are interested in maximizing the performance of your system please review this article and also its companion: CMS Tuning: maxobjectsincache and MaximumObjectsToKeepInMemory. Observing/Measuring Tuning Impacts The parameter discussed in this article requires more tuning and closer observation than other CMS Tuning technique may require. I highly suggest that you do a load test […]
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CMS Tuning: maxobjectsincache and MaximumObjectsToKeepInMemory
I think all Business Objects administrators and developers share at least one goal; they all want their XI system to perform at the best of its ability to realize its full potential. If you have this goal keep reading and please share any comments you might have as well. Observing/Measuring Tuning Impacts Tuning is a […]
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Annoying Tomcat Error: “secLDAP security plugin not available”
Deploying Tomcat with Business Objects is so easy and convenient that I almost always do it on at least one server in every Business Objects Enterprise XI cluster that I build. It is a quick way to get in to CMC, an awesome backdoor, and an excellent debugging tool when you main Java Application Server […]
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BO XI Patching, An Introductory Deep Discussion
Patching your Business Objects XI Enterprise system can be a daunting and confusing endeavor. I hope that this little article can help dispel some of the confusion surrounding the topic. For your reference all Business Objects XI base version and patch installation files can be found here: http://service.sap.com/bosap-downloads/ Let me first establish some fundamentals to […]
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Login Taking Long? Blame Java’s DNS Look-up
The other day I answered a different article’s comment with a very brief mention of what I’ve been told by SAP-BO was a common tweak. The potential benefit of this simple tweak is large enough to merit its own article. Thank you MarcV for making this apparent. I would like to answer his questions here. […]
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Hard to Find CMC Settings Revealed
I imagine that the Business Objects development team had some heated debates about where to put various settings within the CMC application. However, I suspect that when planning out Business Object XI 3.0 and 3.1 some of the decisions were made by a single sleepless product manager with a grudge. I offer the following points […]
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BOXI Grooming: Prune Your Input and Output FRS
Origin of a Cluttered FRS Business Objects XI has a way of making more sub-folders than files. Seriously, take a close look at your Input and Output File Repository Servers, or rather your FRS on the disk. You will notice a crazy number of folders. As objects get deleted in Business Objects XI their corresponding […]
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Common BO-WebLogic Issues
Oracle-BEA WebLogic is not a technology I want to dive deeply into with this web site; however, it is often the Java Application Server of choice for many Business Objects XI environments because of its scalability and it tends to be preferred by other business technologists within companies. I personally work/struggle with it a lot […]
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Java App Server and CMS On Different Machines, Edit “hosts” File Now
If you have deployed your Business Objects XI Central Management Server(s) and your Java Web Application Servers are on the same single machine then this article does not apply to you. If your Java Web Application Server ever needs to run applications (such as InfoView or CMC) that will connect to any CMS that is […]
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BO XI Distributed Environment: The Standalone Java Application Server
When you are building a small sandbox it is great to put everything all in one place and create a Business Objects solution that is a one-stop shop (a.k.a. putting all of your eggs in one basket). This works for lots of small-to-medium sized BO systems, but sometimes you want to do a little more. […]
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The Over-Credited Destination Job Server
Would you get a little upset if someone else kept taking all the credit for the work you do. Would you get down right furious when that person couldn’t fix any issues relating to their ill-earned reputation when a real problem came along and then you had to come along and save the day without […]
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What is a Business Objects PAR Document?
If you are a veteran of Business Objects then you probably have heard of a PAR document. If you are a stickler for details then you may know that PAR stands for “Product Availability Report”. But the rest of us are scratching our heads now, and maybe you guys are too, when we ask ask […]
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What Are the Differences Between Breaks and Sections?
Meridianblues asked us all what the difference was between breaks and sections. I started to answer the question where it was asked, but then I thought the answer might be of value if exposed more broadly in its own article: What are Web Intelligence Sections? In Business Objects XI Web Intelligence sections are easily created […]
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New Query Builder Guide Version Published – Includes XI 3.x Updates and Relationship Functions
I have finally completed my nearly 3-month long update to our Query Builder Guide. Like most things I do, the deeper I got into it the more I found that needed work. What kept me going, and delaying my previously promised delivery time, was the realization that aside from Ted Ueda‘s famous blog entries on […]
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To Split Mode or Not to Split Mode, That is the Question?
Wishlist Item: A Distributed Business Objects Enterprise Environment We all want our BOE environment to perform to the best of its ability. We want to be certain that no particular component of our environment’s architecture is a weak point or bottleneck. As a result, given the time and the hardware, most of us would love […]
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Tips for Installing FixPacks in Business Objects XI 3.1
Lately I have been faced with the need to install a FixPack on one of my Business Objects Enterprise XI 3.1 systems. Doing so has reminded me of some key points and tips that I wanted to share with the Business Objects community. FixPacking BO 3.1 is truly a different experience: Not Your Father’s BO […]
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Denying Security Access Explicitly in Business Objects XI 3.1
Maybe I am the only one, but I have struggled twice with this topic and so I thought that I would write this short article to make sure I remember the correct workflow and hopefully help someone else out too. Sometimes You Just Want to Say “Stay Out” There are times when you may want […]
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Web Intelligence Hangs, Allocate More Memory to Java
Myth: Business Objects XI Web Intelligence Requires No Software Install Business Objects IX’s Web Intelligence is a light client. You may think that it does not require you to install anything on your PC, but then you would be wrong. Firstly, obviously WebI requires that your PC have a browser. Secondly, Web Intelligence Java Report […]
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What is a Universe Overload?
What a cool and confusing name! I have to admit that the name “Universe Overload” tends to send my imagination going to exciting science-fiction worlds and different dimensions. I think the person that coined the phrase must have chosen it for that reason, because for me it does not seem to represent. To calm my […]
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Fixing the Business Objects XI “destination DLL disabled. CrystalEnterprise.Smtp:” Error
One of the most helpful error messages (sad very sarcastically) in Business Objects XI is “destination DLL disabled. CrystalEnterprise.Smtp:”. You get this one usually after recently configuring a new job server or setting up your first scheduled job in a Business Objects XI environment. This error exists in XI R2 and it is definitely present […]
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Understanding and Suppressing the Report Message “No data to retrieve”
Receiving the dreaded “No data to retrieve in …” or “There is no data corresponding to this query…” pop-up boxes can be confusing and disorienting for many end users. Heck, it even bewilders me sometimes when it pops up unexpectedly. The truth is that there are many occasions when this “error” is quite valid and […]
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Possible Recovery from Business Objects Error WIJ77778 and WIJ20003
Business Objects WebI report development is challenging enough already, session timeouts in BO XI R2 are mostly annoyances to the report developer, often causing the developer to lose work and time (and money of course). I have found a few ways to recover from a couple errors some of the time. These tips have saved […]
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Business Objects Tips and Tricks for Web Intelligence Reports – October 2009
Happy Halloween to all. I am going to try to start publishing short to medium length lists of my favorite tips. These have helped me a lot over the years and I think if I just try to jot them down as I use them I can end up with a fairly decent list of […]
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Cleanly Stopping and Starting Business Objects Servers
I really cannot explain why it is that I have NEVER seen any documentation that advises Business Objects XI administrators on how to stop and start Business Objects properly. For those of us running part of our business on BO XI we are very concerned about minimizing errors for users and scheduled jobs while we […]
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Advanced Web Intelligence Reporting Questions, Randomly Selected
I appreciate the questions that are emailed directly to me; many of them are good ideas for articles that fill a topic gap on the site. Others deserve equal attention, but they don’t exactly require their own article. This article is intended to capture and answer such questions related to Web Intelligence reporting. My report […]
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CMS Cluster Summary and the CMSClusterMembers Registry Key
A “CMS Cluster” is a group of Business Objects XI Central Management Servers (abbreviated CMS, which is a BO service\daemon) that are interrelated and connected so that they may work in conjunction to manage the various other BO servers and provide most of the basic functionality of Business Objects. Clustering them allows for greater capacity […]
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Sizing Limits to Web Intelligence Report Server Maximum Simultaneous Connections
In Business Objects XI R2 newly created Web Intelligence Report Servers default to 50 “Maximum Simultaneous Connections” (editable in the Central Management Console, or CMC). In Business Objects XI 3.X the “Maximum Simultaneous Connections” setting is defaulted to 100! Can we read anything in to these changes in default settings? Do the default settings mean […]
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How to Backup a BO Universe and Maintain its CUID
Backing Up and Restoring Universes While Maintaining CUIDs Import Wizard BIAR File – The ultimate backup The sections that follow this one will tell you how to create a backup of a universe on your machine from which you are running Designer. The steps in those sections are “tricks” that allow you to maintain the […]
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TRUTH: Business Objects Does Not Create an Excel File, Help!
A couple weeks ago we received the best email question so far. Not only did it ask for more details with regards to one of the articles, but it provided insights worthy of making it its very own standalone article. Truthfully, I would like to publish it here to share the knowledge contained inside (this […]
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Archiving Historical Object Instances in Business Objects
I like to answer the really good and broad-focused emailed questions through articles on this site. The following is one such emailed question: In Business Objects is there any way to archive historical object instances? We need to keep objects for several years, but don’t want to keep so many objects available on the server […]
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@Prompt Functions: The Next Step – Optional Prompts
For most of us the @Prompt function syntax can be a bit confusing at first. Sure we catch on quickly, however, we often need to review the business objects @Prompt syntax available online or refer to a previously created @Prompt. After we get comfortable with the @Prompt and the available options such as custom list […]
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In Business Objects how can I get a list of reports using a specific universe?
I have been asked the following related questions a few times in the past months and I thought it would be a good idea to post a public answer to them. First the questions: Is there any way to get a list of reports that are using a specific universe? If I change this universe […]
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Have You Heard of Path Queries in Query Builder?
Did you know that there is a tweak that you can do to your Business Objects server’s Query Builder main page “query.jsp” so that it can handle “Path Queries”? Do you know what a “Path Query” is? Do you know why you should care about “Path Queries”? I was originally introduced to Path Queries by […]
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The Little Known Business Objects Program Object
Most people are only familiar with the various reporting tools in Business Objects. Of course, these are the reasons organizations set up a Business Objects instance in the first place. However, Business Objects XI has managed to include some additional functionality that goes beyond reporting. For example, BOXI can be used to publish “agnostic” documents, […]
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Clearing the Browser and Java Cache: Do This First!
There are certain rules, tried and true practices, that you always try first before you call someone. In IT the first one is restarting an application and the second one is rebooting the computer. After those two, the order becomes debatable. Unfortunately, many of us know folks that call us before even trying one and […]
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WebIntelligence Report’s Save As CSV Has a Problem?
Like a good obedient BO disciple I switched from using BO 6.5’s “full client” (now called Desktop Intelligence) to using BOXI’s Web Intelligence tool (also called WebI). To Business Objects’ credit, they have put much of Desktop Intelligence’s functionality in to WebI. But there is one disorienting difference. BOXI Web Intelligence “Save to CSV” Is […]
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What is an Unbound Report and Why Should I Care?
You may have read something on this web site or in one of our guides that mentioned “unbound reports” in a less than favorable light. Hopefully this article explains what we mean by this. What is an unbound report? With the migration to the Business Objects XI platform many things changed. One of these changes […]
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Can I Connect/Use Oracle 11g Database with Business Objects XI?
The answer is “Yes”, but it depends on which version of BOXI you are running. Business Objects Enterprise XI Release 2 Any version of BOXI R2 equal to or greater than Business Objects XI R2 Service Pack 5 includes an Oracle 11g driver. However, if you find your instance is still lurking below SP5 you […]
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What do the values of AUDIT_EVENT.ERROR_CODE mean?
If you have spent some time with your Business Objects XI auditing data then you have probably asked yourself what significance is of the the error code values for the AUDIT_EVENT table’s ERROR_CODE property. If you haven’t yet pondered this then I suspect you haven’t looked closely at your data, OR you don’t have enough […]
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Querying the Busines Objects XI CMS InfoStore Database Tables
The question has come to my mind many times over the years and this month it has come to my inbox. Thanks to Pluto for inspiring me to write this article. The question: Is it possible to peer into the Business Objects XI CMS InfoStore (a.k.a. database repository) without Query Builder or the BOXI SDK???? […]
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Business Objects Classic Logging and Standard Tracing
If you have ever had a serious issue with your Business Objects environment that wasn’t easily fixed by a service pack, fix pack, or limited availability fix then you probably have had to enable logging on some or even all of your BusinessObjects servers. This is also frequently referred to as “tracing”. I’d like to […]
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Using BO Query Builder to Detect Report-Universe Binding Status
The loss of binding between reports and universes is a common problem experienced by BO XI users. Often the issue can go unnoticed for quite a while, but like a dormant disease it can spontaneously begin to demonstrate severe symptoms that can result in the loss of your report. Sound serious enough? It is! The […]
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OpenDocument – An Introduction to a Powerful Tool
If you are not yet using the OpenDocument function in your reports you might want learn a bit more about it and see if it could not meet some of your current business requirements, or better yet allow you to amaze your business partners by giving them something they didn’t yet know that they needed! […]
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A Favorite from Query Builder – Active User List
Sometimes you can’t get Business Objects’ Central Management Console (CMC) to return the “Metrics” page and you need to know how many users are logged in to the system. Other times the CMC “Metrics” page works, but in the case of system administration, you may want to know who is logged in to your Business […]
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Business Objects Query Builder Functions: Max, Min, and Sub-Queries
If you have spent some time with Business Object’s Query Builder you may have arrived at the conclusion that the SQL that it supports is rather simplistic. I don’t blame you, when I first started using Query Builder I felt the same was after spending just a few hours struggling with the tool. Most of […]
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How Do I Run a Report Against a Specific Job or Report Server? Easy!
There will come a time when for some unforeseeable reason you will want to run a particular report against a particular report server or job server, or both. When that time comes I hope you know how to make it happen or that you can easily find this article. Why Would You Want to Run […]
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Officially Released: The Best Business Objects XI Query Builder Guide Ever Written!
Perhaps a few visitors to BusinessObjectsTip.com have already noticed that we posted a new guide for BO XI Query Builder on the site last month. Due to some technical difficulties and lots of other lame excuses there was trouble finding and ordering the guide. These obstacles have been overcome now and I would invite you […]
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Which Business Objects Auditing Activities or Events Capture BO Universe Name?
Some of us in the in the wide world of BO use universes as a method to segregate our reporting. This is logical since a universe is usually tied to a single database connection. Therefore little groups of reporting users tend to congregate around universes. Some of us have picked up on this little fact […]
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Selective Operators: Allowing Users to Decide Which Operator to Use
Everyone once in a while you come across something that makes you say, “that is great, now why didn’t I think of that?”. Recently I came across such a thing: an idea of how to make operators in the WHERE clause of a query definable by the user at the moment of report refresh through […]
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The Best Way to Stop a Business Objects Server
Minimal Impact of Administrative Actions on BOXI I would like to think that I am unique in many ways, but I think that I am very similar to others when it comes to my desire to minimize the impact of my administrative actions on my Business Objects XI instances. One way that I accomplish this […]
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Business Objects XI – Changing BO Report / Universe Relationships
Common Ground – Terminology Firstly, let me lay down some terminology in order to make this concept easier to discuss. “Classic BO” refers to any version of Business Objects between 5.X and 6.X. “BOXI” or “BO XI” refers to the Business Objects XI Release 1, 2, or 3 (R1/R2/R3), the injection of BO to the […]
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Business Objects Support Portal, What Happened!?!?
The SAP AG Acquisition of Business Objects If you don’t know yet that SAP AG purchased Business Objects for a mere 4.8 billion Euro in a friendly takeover then you must have been too busy creating universes and reports; you really need to get out more often or at least surf the web a little […]
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Time Saver – Set Preferences for “My Initial View Is…”
Often we find ourselves returning to the same folder within Business Objects’ InfoView. The clicks and waits to get there came be rather annoying and time consuming when they occur repeatedly throughout the day and week. I have a suggestion that can save you some annoyance and time and allow you to focus on your […]
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Use Web Intelligence (WebI) Java Report Panel Structure View
Many new BO WebI users, especially former “full-client” users, complain about how slow and inefficient it is to develop reports on WebI. Most of the time when I hear these complaints I come to discover that the complainer is missing some basic knowledge about WebI report editor. First the Basics of BO WebI Client Server […]
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BO InfoView WebI Session Timeout = Developer’s Worst Enemy
Business Objects has been encouraging report writers/developers to stop using the “full-client” and start using WebI. There are quite a few obstacles to overcome to be able to make the switch to WebI (training, functionality adjustment, server capacity planning, etc.), but perhaps the most difficult adjustment is learning to development under a timed session. For […]
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Business Objects XIR2 SP4 Bug: Schedules Pending, Job Server Scheduling Dead
Breaking News I have some breaking news, a scoop perhaps, on a new bug that may only impact some (not all) innocent Business Objects XIR2 SP4 shops. Apparently, my contacts tell me that within the last week, Business Objects has internally identified and even resolved a bug that can wreak havoc on the unknowing BO […]
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Solving Business Objects XI R2 CMS Security Viewer’s Crashes
Business Objects XI R2 CMS Security Viewer is a useful administrative tool provided freely by Business Objects. It allows one to analyze your security models without having to actually alter user group membership or login as different users. The tool should not be need in Business Objects XI Release 3.0; however, it can be very […]
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Query Builder: Improving Query Performance
Business Objects Query Builder is a free application provided with Business Objects Enterprise XI (BOXI). It is uses the BOE SDK to provide a simple web user interface for submitting queries against the CMS InfoStore and returning their results. Query Performance Concerns: Indexed Properties As you begin to experience the wonders of Query Builder you […]
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Business Objects Enterprise: Java or .NET?
There are a lot of factors that will come into play in deciding how to deploy your Business Objects XI R2 application, that is to say in the decision whether to deploy InfoView in the Java (Apache Tomcat, WebLogic) or .NET (IIS) flavor. There will be many reasons such as available skillsets, technical familiarity, web […]
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Extended @Prompt Syntax: Default Value, Purge Values
During my report development efforts the other day I knew that I needed a business objects universe-level prompt, but I also knew that it was mandatory to “purge” the prompt values. Like a good little Business Objects developer I always purge all of the data from my reports and reports’ prompts before I publish them […]
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