Business Objects XI - Crystal

[Former Member]

We're working with BI 70 NetWeaver 2004s. We will be using the Business Objects XI capabilities instead of the Bex Query designer. I was able to find information about how Business Objects XI Crystal can read the BI tables and has the look and feel similar to the Bex Query Designer (drag and drop of InfoObjects), but I am not able to find any information about Variable User Exits and the Cell Editor capabilities and other capabilities such as RKFs, CKFs, Structures, Workbooks, Selection Screen to allow user to enter dates, etc.

Has anyone worked with the Crystal Business Object XI Frontend Interface to advise me the flexibilities that it has similar to BI BEx Query Designer.

It seems that BO XI Crystal is mainly used to expedite the dashboard development. Is it also static reporting?

How does it handle dynamic date selection? Is there a technical implementation documentation somewhere that I can do a comparison between this and the BEx Query Designer?

[IngoH · Accepted solution]

Hi Edna,

Crystal Reports is using a BW Query has the underlying datasource. You can connect directly to a cube without a query as well but you would loose functionalities like the SAP server side variables and navigational attributes.

You can use Crystal Reports on top of a underlying SAP BW query to create Enterprise style reports and for sure it allows you to create static reports.

Perhaps you can give me some more background and I will see what kind of documentation and whitepapers would fit.

regards

Ingo Hilgefort

Business Objects

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Ingo,

Thanks for replying to this post.

We have a requirement from our users to use the Business Objects XI Crystal to retrieve data directly from the InfoProviders and create reports from this tool. My observation was that the users were more familiar with this tool and would want to leverage this part to implement their reporting; essentially to replace the BEx Query Designer and Excel completely. I would think retrieving data directly from the InfoProviders would produce static reporting. I had explained to the users that the BI system has provided the BEx query designer to query the data from the InfoProviders.

It would not be effective to skip the Excel interface to display the results. All reporting requires rows and columns. I had imagined that the BW query would be the underlying datasource for Web reporting and Crystal reporting in this case. It would be great if there was a whitepaper that had the comparison of what Business Objects XI Crystal and the BEx Query Designer could provide when choosing to implement one or the other. I am sure that Business Objects XI Crystal can complement the reporting implementation but can't be the main or standalone reporting interface to the InfoProviders.

Regards.

[IngoH · Accepted solution]

Hi Edna,

its not Bex Query Designer vs Crystal Reports. These are 2 different tools. Crystal Reports is made for Enterprise reporting and Bex Query Designer is created to provide a view on top of an InfoProvider.

You can access the cube directly with Crystal Reports but you would loose functionality like SAP Variables, which are created in the Query Designer.

You can access our product documentation on :

http://support.businessobjects.com/documentation/product_guides/default.asp

Look for the SAP Integration Kit version XIR2

regards

Ingo Hilgefort

Business Objects

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Ingo,

What exactly is Enterprise reporting per Crystal Reports? It seems that what BI 7.0 can provide can be Enterprise reporting.

Enterprise Reporting.

https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/0901c9bb-0601-0010-49ab-c1770c52...

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04s/helpdata/en/a4/1be541f321c717e10000000a155106/content.htm

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04s/helpdata/en/e3/e60138fede083de10000009b38f8cf/frameset.htm

https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/bi

Thanks

[IngoH · Accepted solution]

Hi Edna,

Crystal Reports can provide formatted reporting capabilities, static reporting.

examples would be your typical sales report, items like a balance sheet, income statement.

If you look up Crystal Reports on our website it should give you a pretty good idea.

Ingo

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Ingo

I have installed the Business Objects Designer which - as far as I understand - is only used to build universes that one can use as the basis for reporting afterwards.

But what if I want my reports to be based upon SAP BW queries? If I enter a SAP BW Query as datasource in the Business Objects Designer, the query is ignored and I'm given access to the entire cube (with no calculated key figures!).

1) Will I then have to install Crystal Reports XI R2?

2) Does a Crystal Reports XI R2 license come with a Business Objects XI Release 2 license?

Please help me out with this question.

Kind regards,

Martin Søgaard

[IngoH · Accepted solution]

Hi Sogaard,

when you build a universe with the BusinessObjects Designer on top of a cube you will not have access to restricted keyfigures, calculated keyfigures, navigational attributes and variables.

these items are only available when you use a SAP BW query as datasource.

1) the difference is not about Crystal Reports - its about Cube access vs BW query access

2) I think you get one license for Crystal Reports when you buy a set of licenses for BusinessObjects Enterprise but I am not 100% sure (not a sales person)

hope this helps

regards

Ingo Hilgefort

Business Objects

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Ingo,

Can BO XI Crystal and the BW query designer exist in tandem; that is can the users use the BEx query designer and the BO XI Crystal at the same time or would they have to turn off one or the other? I would imagine they can use both at the same time.

I think it alll has to do with the user's requirements and their familiarity of the tools. Users tend to use what they are familiar rather than venture into some thing that they will have to learn. Before that Crystal was only made to format the BW query reports but now with the BO XI Crystal it is able to acces the data directly from the InfoProviders.

Certainly, if the users have the requirements to access the cube without the BEx capabilities, then may be all they require is to use the BO XI Crystal and not have to use the BEx query designer. It all depends on the requirements. I am sure the users want to have a choice.

Thanks

[IngoH · Accepted solution]

Hi,

both tools can be used at the same time.

you are correct saying that CR is able to access the InfoProvider but be aware of the different features / fucntions you get from a SAP BW query vs a direct cube access.

Ingo

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Ingo

Thank you very much for your answer.

Now I'm aware of the fact that with the BusinessObjects Designer on top of a cube I will not have access to restricted keyfigures, calculated keyfigures, navigational attributes and variables. And I understand this is because I will be using Cube access instead of BW query access. But my questions are now:

1) How do I setup / use the BW query access instead of the Cube access?

2) What is the recommended way of using calculated key figures, variables, etc? What are the advantages / disadvantages of placing the calculated key figures, variables, etc. on the SAP BW side (on the multiprovider) instead of placing them on the BO side?

Thanks!

Best regards,

Martin Søgaard

[IngoH · Accepted solution]

Hi Sogaard,

when using the BusinessObjects Universe Designer you have two entries to provide : a cube and a query.

when you want to have direct cube access you need to choose the entry $INFOCUBE for the cube and then the list of queries will become a list of cubes.

the recommendation is to use BW queries because you will use the underlying server side processing.

regards

Ingo

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Ingo

Thank you very much for your help.

Could you please take a look at another question by me here:

I have created a new thread so I can award you points.

Thank you!

Best regards,

Martin Søgaard