SAP BI Connections Using IDT (Information Design Tool) / BICS Connection

Click Here to watch the BO Demo1 and Click Here to watch the BO Demo2

Hi,
Thanks for seeing this blog. This post is divided into
three chapters:

1. Overview Information Design Tool
2. Create a BICS connection
3. Create a relational multisource connection on SAP BW 7.x

In each chapter you will find screenshots and explanation.
If you have any questions or suggestions, don’t hesitate to contact me!

Regards,

Praveen

1. Overview Information Design Tool

With the Information Design Tool you are able to create universes in the new UNX format. The main

features of this tool are:

• Create connections to databases and publish these connections to the SAP BO repository
• Create data foundations (tables and joins)
• Create a Business Layer and publish these layers to the SAP BO repository

When opening the Information Design Tool (first you need to connect to the Central Management

System), you’ll see a screen like this:

 1. The local projects area is used for creating and editing all resources (except secured connections and security profiles)

2. In the repository resource area you’ll find universes and connections that have been secured

in a repository on the SAP BusinessObjects Central Management System.
3. If you want to edit your local connection or a connection from the repository resource, you

can do it here. You can simultaneously edit multiple connections separated by tabs.

2. Create a BICS connection

When SAP BW 7.x is your source, BICS connections are recommended by SAP. You can connect

directly to a SAP BEx query or a SAP BW InfoProvider. In the next steps you can see how to create a

BICS connection to a SAP BEx query.

The first step is to create a simple SAP BEx query. Don’t forget to tick the setting “Allow external

Access”, otherwise queries can’t be selected in SAP BusinessObjects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 1: Right click with your mouse on a folder and select “Insert OLAP connection”.

 

Note: BICS connections can be created in the local projects and in the repository resource. If you add

the connections in the local project, don’t forget to publish the connection to the enterprise

repository, otherwise you cannot access the BICS connection with Interactive Analysis, Crystal Report or Advanced Analysis.

 

Step 2: Enter a resource name. Description is not required. Click Next.

 

Step 3: Select the driver “SAP BICS Client”. Click Next.

  



 

Step 4: Enter your parameters for connecting to SAP BW 7.x. The name you entered in the “User

name” field is the name you can see in the process overview in SAP BW (via transaction SM50). The

username and password are usually arranged through SSO. Click Next.

Note: If you click “Finish”, all InfoProviders and query’s can be selected in the frontend tool.

 

Step 5: Select a query. Click Finish.

  

 

Step 6: Your first BICS connection to a SAP BW 7.x has been successfully created.

Note: With this BICS connection you’re able to create a new report with Crystal Reports, Interactive

Intelligence or Advanced Analysis. Dashboards are not supported with this connection method.

 

3. Create a relational multisource connection on SAP BW 7.x

 

When you have multiple sources and one of the sources is SAP BW 7.x, you can create a relational

multisource connection. In my example I’m using only a SAP BW InfoCube as source.

 

Step 1: First we will create a local project. In this project the shortcut to the Relational connection,

the data foundation and business layer will be saved.

Enter a name for your project and click Finish.

 

Step 2: Right click with your mouse on a folder and select “Insert Relational connection”.

  



 

Step 3: Enter a resource name. Description is not required. Click Next.

 

Step 4: Select the driver “SAP Java Connector (JCO)”. Click Next.

 

Step 5: Enter your parameters for connecting to SAP BW 7.x. Now we need to select an InfoProvider,

click “…”. To be sure you can test the connection.

 

Step 6: Select an InfoProvider, in my case I’ll select the InfoCube “SAP Demo Sales and Distribution: Overview”. Click OK. You return to the previous screen, click Finish.

 

Step 7: A message will appear, click YES to create a shortcut for the connection. This shortcut will be placed in the local project area. When this is OK, you see “The connection shortcut was created

successfully.”. Click Close.

 

 

Step 8: Select your local project. Right click with your mouse and select New Data Foundation.

 

Step 9: Enter a name. Click Next.

 

  

Step 10: Select “Multisource-Enabled”. Click Next. Use your current session for the authentication and click Next.

 

Step 11: Select the shortcut to your relational multisource connection. Click Next.

  

 

 

Step 12: In this screen you can enter a short name and choose a color for the table headers. Use

different colors for different sources. In this case we have one source, SAP BW 7.x. Click Finish.

 

Step 13: A relational schema is created by SAP. In this screen you can join tables with other sources.

One of the last steps is to create the business layer. Select your local project. Right click with your

 

mouse and select New Business Layer.

 

Step 14: Select “Relational Data Source”. Click Next.

  

 

Step 15: Enter a name. Click Next.

 

Step 16: Click “…” and select your data foundation layer and click OK. Click Finish. The business layer has been created.

 

Step 17: Now it’s necessary to publish the business layer to the Enterprise repository. Select your business layer. Right click with your mouse and select Publish To a Repository.

 

Step 18: Select “Check all” and click “Check Integrity”. Your universe will be checked by SAP. When it’s ok, you can click Next.

 

Step 19: Select a folder in the repository. Click Finish.

 

Step 20: Your universe is published successfully!

Note: You can use this universe in the following frontend tools: Interactive Analysis, Advanced

Analysis, Crystal Reports and Dashboard Design.