Business Objects

How many modes are there in BO & Designer? There are 2 types: Enterprise Mode, Workgroup Mode.

What are Enterprise and Workgroup modes? Designer lets you save universes in either enterprise or workgroup mode. Enterprise mode means that you are working in an environment with a repository. Workgroup mode means that you are working without a repository. The mode in which you save your universe determines whether other designers are able to access them. By default, a universe is saved in the mode in which you are already working. For example, if you launched a session in enterprise mode, any universe you save is automatically in that mode.

What is a macro? A macro is a series of commands and functions that are stored in a Visual Basic for Applications module and can be run whenever you need to perform the task. If you perform a task repeatedly, you can automate the task with a macro. You create macros using the Visual Basic Editor.

What is an add-in? Add-ins are programs that add optional commands and features to BUSINESSOBJECTS. Add-ins are usually created by those responsible in your company for adding customized features to BUSINESSOBJECTS. All you probably need to do is install and uninstall add-ins that are sent to you.

What is a universe? Universe provides a semantic layer between you and the database. It consists of classes and objects named in business terms. It is basically a mapping of table and the columns in the database to classes and objects respectively in the query panel. Alternatively, It is logical mapping of data in business terms. In the BusinessObjects User module, universes enable end users to build queries from which they can generate and perform analysis. Universes isolate end users from the complexities of the database structure as well as the intricacies of SQL syntax.

What is a database connection? A connection is a set of parameters that provides access to an RDBMS. These parameters include system information such as the data account, user identification, and the path to the database. Designer provides three types of connections: secured, shared, and personal.

What is Designer? Designer is a BusinessObjects IS module used by universe designers to create and maintain universes. Universes are the semantic layer that isolates end users from the technical issues of the database structure. Universe designers can distribute universes to end users by moving them as files through the file system, or by exporting them to the repository.

What are the components of the Designer interface? In Designer, you create a universe using three areas: the Universe pane, the Structure pane, the Table Browser. The Universe pane displays the components of the universe from the point of view of BusinessObjects; that is the classes, objects, and conditions. The Structure pane reflects the underlying database structure of the universe including the tables, columns, and joins. The Table Browser is the component that lets you create the classes and objects of the universe from the tables and columns of a database.

What are classes? A class is a logical grouping of objects within a universe. In general, the name of a class reflects a business concept that conveys the category or type of objects. For example, in a universe pertaining to human resources, one class might be Employees. A class can be further divided into subclasses. In the human resources universe, a subclass of the Employees class could be Personal Information. As designer, you are free to define hierarchies of classes and subclasses in a model that best reflects the business concepts of your organization.

What are objects? An object is the most refined component in a universe. It maps to data or a derivation of data in the database. Using objects, end users can build queries to generate reports. The name of an object suggests a concept drawn from the terminology of a business or discipline. For a human resources manager, objects might be Employee Name, Address, Salary, or Bonus, while for a financial analyst, objects might be Profit Margin, Return on Investment, etc. For the purposes of multidimensional analysis, objects are qualified as one of three types: dimension, detail, or measure.

What is a hierarchy? Groups of related dimension objects are referred to as dimension hierarchies. An example of a dimension hierarchy is Geography, which can consist of City, Region, and Country.(Hierarchy is an ordered series of related dimensions, which can be used, in multidimensional analysis) Good examples of hierarchy are geography and time

Typically a universe can have more than 1 fact table and numerous aggregated tables.

What is Aggregate Awareness? Aggregate awareness is a feature of DESIGNER that makes use of aggregate tables in a database. These are tables that contain pre-calculated data. The purpose of these tables is to enhance the performance of SQL transactions; they are thus used to speed up the execution of queries. Of course, the reliability of the technique depends on the accuracy of the aggregate tables. In fact, they must be refreshed at the same time as all fact tables. A universe that is "aggregate aware" has one or more aggregate objects with alternative definitions based on these tables. These definitions correspond to levels of aggregation. For example, a Profit object can be aggregated by month, by quarter, or by year. Queries built from such a universe return information aggregated to the appropriate level at optimal speed. Aggregate awareness is a feature that makes use of predefined aggregate tables to enhance the performance of SQL transactions. It is used to improve the speed by which aggregates are calculated in the database. To set up aggregate awareness in a universe, you define one or more objects using the @Aggregate_Aware function. The syntax for this function is as follows: @Aggregate_Aware(aggregate_table_1, ... aggregate_table_n) The arguments of this function are all the names of alternative aggregate tables. When you formulate the syntax, you should be aware of the order of the arguments. The precedence is from left to right; this means that BusinessObjects determines the aggregate to use beginning from the leftmost argument. As a general rule, you should enter the most aggregate table as the first argument, the next most aggregate table as the second argument, and so on. You must then use the Aggregate Navigation editor to set up a list of incompatible objects and/or incompatible conditions for each aggregate table in your universe. These are the components that cannot be used with an aggregate table. You can either set up these lists manually, or cause the list of objects to be detected by Designer.

What is Incompatibility? The set of incompatible objects you specify determines which aggregate tables are disregarded during the generation of SQL. With respect to an aggregate table, an object is either compatible or incompatible. The rules for compatibility are as follows: When an object is at the same or higher level of aggregation as the table, it is compatible with the table. When an object is at a lower level of aggregation than the table (or if it is not at all related to the table), it is incompatible with the table.

What is the typical strategy employed in developing/maintaining/distributing Universes?

1. Phase 1: Break down the informational system into functional areas.
2. Phase 2: Analyze the information needs of users.
3. Phase 3: Design a conceptual schema Design the specification of the user.
4. Phase 4: Create a Universe with designer. Test the Universe with the Business Objects module. Distribute the Universe. Repeat the other steps for other Universes.
5. Phase 5: Update and maintain the Universe. Notify end users of changes.

What are strategies? A strategy is a script that automatically extracts structural information from a database or flat file.

What are the different types of Strategies? In Designer we can specify two types of strategies: 1) Built-in strategies and 2) External strategies Built-in Strategies: Designer provides a number of default strategies which we can use. These are strategies for extracting joins, detecting cardinalities, and creating default classes and objects. Options for indicating default strategies are located in the Database tab of the Options dialog box. External Strategies: We can also create our own strategies. Such strategies are referred to as external strategies. With an external strategy, we can specify the exact way that objects and joins are to be extracted from the database structure. The strategy we use, for example, can be a script generated from a CASE Access tool. An external strategy is specific to one RDBMS.

How do you specify external strategies? With an external strategy, you can specify the exact way that objects and joins are to be extracted from the database structure. All external strategies are contained within the same text file. The name of this text file is indicated in the .prm file specific to your RDBMS. In the .prm file, the strategy file is declared as follows: STG=[StrategyFileName] where StrategyFileName is the name of the strategy file. An external strategy, whether for objects or for joins, is made up of the following sections: a name and description (These are visible in the Strategies tab of the Universe Parameters dialog box.) a type parameter: object or join an SQL parameter or file parameter an optional parameter that points to a connection other than the universe connection. An external strategy can be based on SQL or a file.

What are the visualization options available? Designer contains a variety of features for organizing and viewing the tables and columns in the Structure pane. Among these features are: List Mode, which adds three panes to the Structure pane. These panes are for viewing the names of tables, joins, and contexts. When you click a component in a pane, its corresponding graphical representation in the schema is highlighted. Graphic options, which let you customize the shape or appearance of the tables, columns, joins, and cardinalities in the Structure pane. Arrange tables, a feature that reorganizes the tables in the Structure pane so as to produce an orderly display. Gridlines, a command that displays a grid, which you can use to align tables in the Structure pane. Table (Column) Values, commands that display the data values associated with a particular table or column.

What are aliases?

An alias is a logical pointer to an alternate table name. The purpose of an alias is to resolve loops in the paths of joins. In some cases, more than one alias may be necessary for a given table. As you create aliases, Designer may prompt you to create other aliases. This occurs when the new aliases result in the need for additional aliases; in other words, creating such aliases entails the propagation of other aliases. In such a situation, two options are available to you:
1. You can cause only the first table proposed to be aliased
2. You can alias all the tables listed (i.e. propagate the aliases) Designer displays an alias in the Structure pane as a table. It links an aliased table to existing tables, re-arranging joins, as necessary.

How do you resolve the loop? You can resolve loops in two ways: o Using aliases o Using contexts DESIGNER provides three features, which guide you in the loop resolution process: o Detect Cardinalities o Detect Aliases o Detect Contexts The first step in resolving loops is to detect the cardinalities of the tables.

What is LoV? A list of values contains the data values associated with an object. These data values can originate from a corporate database, or a flat file such as a text file or Excel file. In Designer you create a list of values by running a query from the Query Panel. You can then view, edit, purge, refresh, and even export this file. A list of values is stored as an .lov file in a subfolder of the UserDocs folder.

How many types of join are available? Designer supports the following types of joins: equi-joins, outer joins, theta joins, and shortcut joins.

What functions are supported? Designer provides four types of functions: Number, Character, Date and @Functions. Functions beginning with the @ character are BusinessObject functions that render the definition of objects dynamic and database-independent.

1. @Aggregate_Aware is used to enhance the performance of SQL transactions; i.e. it determines which tables to use in SQL generation: either aggregate tables or detailed tables.
2. @Prompt is used to create an interactive object.In the Query Panel,this type of object causes a message to appear that prompts the end user to enter a specific value.
3. @Script is used to recover the results of an executed macro created with the Visual Basic Editor the BusinessObjects User module.
4. @Select lets you re-use the Select statement of an existing object
5. @Variable is used to reference the value assigned to a name or variable.
6. @Where lets you re-use the Where clause of an existing object.

What is meant by object qualification? The qualification of an object reveals how it can be used in multidimensional analysis. An object can be qualified as a dimension, a detail, or a measure. In the Universe pane, the symbol beside each object indicates its qualification.

What is multidimensional analysis? Multidimensional analysis is a technique for manipulating data in order to view it from different perspectives and on different levels of detail. In Business Objects, multidimensional analysis involves drill mode and slice-and-dice mode, and is enabled by the Analyzer and Explorer components of the User module. To set up a universe for multidimensional analysis, you must define hierarchies and dimensions that determine how users view and analyze the data. A dimension is simply the object to be tracked. A dimension can be an object such as Country, Region, and City. A hierarchy is an ordered series of related dimensions. An example of a hierarchy is Geography, which may group dimensions such as Country, Region, and City.

1. What are cardinalities? Cardinality expresses the minimum and maximum number of instances of an entity B that can be associated with an instance of an entity A. The minimum and the maximum number of instances can be equal to 0, 1, or N. Because a join represents a bi-directional relationship, it must always have two cardinalities.
   There are two main methods for detecting or editing cardinalities:
   1. the Detect Cardinalities command
   2. the Edit Join dialog box

If you selected the Detect cardinalities in joins options in the Database tab of the Options dialog box, Designer detects and retrieves the cardinalities of the joins. If you do not use this option, you can still retrieve the cardinalities for one or all joins in the universe.

How do you test the integrity of a universe? With the Check Integrity command, you can test the structure of your active universe. This means testing to determine whether its components are accurate and up-to-date. Check Integrity serves the following purposes: It detects any inconsistencies in the objects, joins, conditions, and cardinalities of your universe. It detects whether there are any loops in the joins.