Automating a Dashboard export to Flash File

[Former Member]

Hi,

We are creating a Dashboard in SAP BO 4.1 SP1 that will be based on live office connector to fetch data from the latest instance of a WebI report.

What we would want to do is :

1. Automate the refresh of the dashboard data in Enterprise.

2. Automate the export process of the refreshed dashboard into a .swf file.

3. Mail the .swf file to specific users.

As per my understanding, the ability mentioned in point 2 above doesn't exist. However are there any other options that can be explored to achieve this?

Is it possible to create a script for this purpose using the SDK and schedule it in the enterprise? If yes, then are any samples for such scripts available, as I haven't delved into the SDK part as yet.

Any suggestions on the same are welcome including the possibility to embed the file into crystal reports and then send it out in the required format.

Thanks,

Ashish K.

[Former Member]

Thanks Runali. I'll definitely take a look at Infoburst.

Amit,

My question was a result of a need expressed by a customer, who wants to send the refreshed dashboards as swf files to certain users' malbox. That way they could view the flash file on their mobile device without logging into the BOE system. Though this can be done manually, the stress was to remove manual intervention and at the same time satisfy management users by not asking them to connect to the system.

Having said that, considering that we do not do the SWF file push to the users and have them access the dashboard from BI Launchpad, is there a way that the user can save a snapshot of the dashboard with data?

The reason I'm asking is that the dashboard uses Live Office Connection to the Latest Instance of the underlying WebI report. So, if the dashboard on Day 1 has the relevant data and on Day 10 will have the summed up data till then, what does a user do if he/she needs to refer to a previous copy of the dashboard?

[former_member194862]

Hi Ashish,

There is no need to schedule dashboards or send the dashboard to the users automaticaaly using the SDK.The users just need the swf file or a link for the dashboard and thats it ,the users will see the data whateever is there in the webi

Cheers,

Amit

[former_member190855]

Hi Ashish

You can do all of that using InfoBurst - http://www.infosol.com/solutions/infoburst/

You can also see a brief preview here InfoBurst Overview - YouTube

For more reading InfoSol Blog | InfoBurst

Let me know if you have any questions.

Runali

[Former Member]

Hi Runali,

Can you elaborate little bit on each point how infoburst does it, I am a little interested to learn the infoburst capabilities..

I went through the video that you suggested and looks like infoburst in being only used for report burst and publication..There was no specifics on dashboard..

[former_member190855]

Sure, I will look for a video that explains on dashboards as well. Considering only dashboards area - this is primarily a caching and bursting tool - it has the capability to cache data from direct SQL or WebI and serve as a fast datasource to dashboards...

You build your xcelsius dashboard using custom connectors(comes with the product) to use the data. Then you schedule the refresh of this data based on a time interval or a database trigger.

You can either consume the cached data blocks as it is or can pass parameters to get subset of the cached data - but its faster because you are not hitting the prod database.

Then you can deliver the dashboard in two ways - either by hosting it in a portal and upon user interaction it refreshes the data according to how you set it up.

The other capability is what Ashish is looking for - you can send a swf file(or other format) to specific user/ BO at a certain frequency again with the latest data - you can also send an offline swf if user needs.

Here is a good read http://www.infosol.com/dynamic-business-intelligence-dashboard-creation-and-bursting/and there is a video as well.

Thanks

Runali

[Former Member]

For point 1

What exactly you mean by automate refresh of dashboard? If you schedule the live office based report periodically the dashboard should fetch the latest data..

Point 2 :  Not possible even in dashboard SDK. As dashboard SDK is to develop new component or chart and not to automate any specific process..

Point 3 : Why you want to send SWF every time to user. Once the dashboard is send and is available in the repository they can get the latest data from dashboard after logging in to the BOE..