Export and import a Universe

[Former Member]

Hi,

I need to make changes to an existing Universe. I haven't done this before. I need to export the latest version of the universe from Production and import it into Designer and then make changes. How do I do this? We use Business Objects Enterprise XI Release 2 and our OS is Sun Solaris. Where can I find the universe stored on the server so that I can export it?

Please reply to this email as soon as possible, your help is very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Uma.

[Former Member]

Hi,

Do you have any backup of the universe?

Any other copy which works in your test environment?

If you have a local copy then you can just export and import it back..

Otherwise, the best possible way to retain your lost job done in the universe is from a backup.

What we can do is we can just open a local copy, and export it..

If it still does not work we can copy paste the objects into a new universe and then try to export and import the universe. (if you are able to open your existing universe).

-Shreyash.

[Former Member]

Hi Uma,

I am pretty sure that your universe is corrupt.

If you have any backup copy, you can export it back to the repository.

_shreyash

[Former Member]

Hi Uma,

Can you confirm what is happening

1) Do you have access to write to the Universe default directory?

2) You mentioned when copying the universe to that directory, you could not. What error did you get?

3) Have you copied the universe from FRS to a local directory, and then opened it from that directory?

4) Have you got a backup of the universe?

5) Can you access other universes?

Regards

Alan

[Former Member]

Hi Alan,

Sorry for my late reply. I was in a training the whole day.

1) Yes, I have write access to the Universe default directory under Tools>Options i.e.

C:\Documents and Settings\F014796\Application Data\Business Objects\Business Objects 11.0\universes

I tried copying the universe to the default directory and also to my local directory. When I opened I get the message "The file is corrupted and cannot be opened (FRM0003)". I am getting the same message when I try to open the other universes too. Even if I copy the Activity Universe to my local directory and open it, I get the same message.

I am trying to think of all the possibilities. Will there be anything to do with the Registry values under the Business Objects directory? As I am getting the same message for all the universes it makes me think that. .....Any suggestions?????

Thanks for your help and time, really appreciate it.

Uma.

[Former Member]

Hi Uma,

If all universes are corrupted then I would think your best bet would be to raise a bug with SAP. It may be something to do with the file systems differences, but i am not aware of any registry settings.

Sorry I can't be more helpful

Regards

Alan

[Former Member]

Hi Alan,

How to raise a bug with SAP? Is there any Technical Support number I could call and open a case? If anybody from the Tech Support could remotely log in to my machine they would be able to find exactly what the issue is. Could you please let me know the number I could call?

Thanks so much!!!!!

Uma.

[Former Member]

Hi Uma,

You need to go to

[BO SAP Support|https://websmp208.sap-ag.de/bosap-support]

There under incident management you should see create a message link. Click on this and you will be brought to the SAP Message Wizard.

Note you will need to log in to this system

Regards

Alan

[Former Member]

Hi Alan,

Thanks so much for the information. I just called the BO Support and created a new message. The information you provided was very useful.

Thanks again,

Uma.

[Former Member]

Hi Uma,

When you do get an answer can you update the forum - i would like to know what the issue is.

Regards

Alan

[Former Member]

Hi Alan and Shreyash,

The issue is resolved. The problem was with the version of Business Objects. Our server was Business Objects XI R2 and the client I had installed was Business Objects XI. So it is not backward compatible. I had to install the XI R2 CDs.

Thanks to both of you for your responses.

Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Holidays!!!!

Regards,

Uma.

[Former Member]

Hi Uma,

Great news. Thanks for the update.

Happy holidays

Alan

[Former Member]

Hi Uma,

In the CMC, under the Universes section, find the universe, click on the Universe.

In the filename, and then go to that folder in the FRS, and copy and paste it onto your windows environment, and then double click and open it.

If it opens up, export it, and then, when you want to work on it in the future, you can Import it up.

Regards,

Shreyash.

[Former Member]

Hi Shreyash,

Thanks for your reply. I logged on to the CMC and got the folder and the universe filename. You had asked me to copy and paste in the Windows environment, where do I need to paste it?

Is there anything to do with the security/firewall something like that? I try to import from Dev and also from Prod, I am getting the same error message, so I doubt if anything is due to security. Any suggestions?

Thanks for your help,

Uma.

[Former Member]

Hi Uma,

You can past it anywhere, however, the best place would be your designer directory location. This is in Tools options.

Regards

Alan

[Former Member]

Hi Alan,

We have Business Objects on a Unix server. If I copy and paste the directory and file name and give it in the Designer directory location, it doesn't accept. As I had mentioned in my previous email will there be any firewall issues that I need to check? Pleaseeee help me resolve the issue asap, as I have a deadline next week I am very much concerned......

Appreciate all your help.

Thanks,

Uma.

[Former Member]

Hi Uma,

I think access to the Designer directory is the problem. Sheyrash instructions are a manual version of importing the universe, so if you cannot create items in that folder manually then you will not be able to do it using the import wizard.

Can you check the permissions on the folder? Do you have write access

Can you check the space on the drive? Is there enough space.

You might try changing the directory path in tools, options to a path that you are sure you can read and write from. When you import then it should work

Regards

Alan

[Former Member]

Hi Alan,

I checked the permissions and tried creating a text file in the directory. I don't have any permission issues.

As I had mentioned earlier, when I select a universe from the list of universes and then click OK, the first message I get is "Failed to open Universe file". So in addition to checking the write permissions on the import folder, will it be any read permission issue from the universes folder? But I am logged on as an 'Administrator'....so I am not sure exactly what is happening???????

Thanks for your prompt response,

Uma.

[Former Member]

Uma,

You will need the Universe Designer tool. Open that and it will ask you to log on to the server

Choose import. It should list all universes. These van be in folders, so you might have to look for the one you need to change.

Once you have found it hightlight it and click okay.

From there you can make your changes.

After your changes are complete you need to save the universe and export it back to the system.

Regards

Alan

[Former Member]

Hi Alan,

Thanks for your immediate reply. I opened Business Objects Designer. I tried to import a universe by selecting one from the list of available universes, I got an error message "Failed to Open Universe file', I clicked OK, it gave me another message 'Could not import the universe'.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Uma.

[Former Member]

Hi Uma,

The most likely cause is permission. Are you logged in as user who has sufficient priviledges on the Universe?

Other than that a Universe will not import if the Input File Respository service is not running. You can check this in the CMC

Regards

Alan

[Former Member]

Hi Alan,

I am logged on as an Administrator. I checked the CMC, the Input File Repository server is running.

If there any other option I could try? Is there any way I could ftp the universe file from the Production Unix directory and then try importing that into Designer? It doesn't allow me to open/import. I need to get this resolved asap. Please let me know if I could try anything else?

Thanks for your response,

Uma.

[Former Member]

Hi Uma,

Does the Universe have a little lock icon beside it in the Import dialog? If so double clicking it may unlock it.

Failing that then it may be that the local copy of the file is locked.

The path where the file is located can be found at Tools\Options in the Save tab. You should be able to delete/copy the universe from there and try import again.

Regards

Alan

[Former Member]

Alan,

I tried but nothing works, still getting the same error message. As I am logged on as an Administrator it should not be an access issue. I am not getting any clue of why I am getting the error. Do you want me to try any other option Alan?

Thanks again,

Uma.

[Former Member]

Hi Uma,

No I have no other ideas - the only thing I would do is try, if it is possible, is reboot the server and see if that makes a difference.

Have you checked the local file path?

Sorry, I can't be more help

Alan