Resolve: could not reach the CMS.CMC was stopped due to critical error (FWM 20031) or Failed to retrieve the cluster name from the database/Error: FWB (00090)

There can be several reasons to cause this issue. Some of the below methods to resolve this issue.

Check the log files in the <installation directory path> SAPBusinessObjects\SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise XI 4.0\logging.
Check for SvcMgr log for any errors.

• Check if the CMS DB password has been expired.

            Open Administrative Tools-> Local Security Policy-> Account Policy->Password Policy status.

• Open Central Configuration Manager-> Select Server Intelligence Agent(SIA)-> Stop the SIA

Go to properties-> Select Configuration Tab. If you see the below error.

Click on OK

Go to the <Installation directory path>\SAPBusinessObjects\SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise XI 4.0\Install Data\Install Cache\..\.. Location may vary based on the version and patch upgrade.

Try to search for sqlrule.dfa & sqlrule.llr

Copy those file to <Installation directory path>\SAPBusinessObjects\SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise XI 4.0\win64_x64

Open Central Configuration Manager-> Select Server Intelligence Agent (SIA)-> Properties->
Configuration Tab-> Click Specify

Select the Update data source settings

Select your ODBC Driver

Select Machine Data Source. Select your ODBC Connection.

Provide the credentials. .

Select OK then Start the SIA.

Then you can successfully login to the CMS. I hope this document will help you out.

Regards,

Akhileshkiran.

Recently while working on a requirement where I had to add multiple users in BI 4.1 SP04, I sort of missed the Import Wizard and I am sure most of us still do.

Neverthless we now have a new functionality with loads of doubts and not much detailed documentation. So let me jot them down for us here:

BI 4.0 SP6 - How to import users in bulk from Central Management Console -  http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-41540

This is a good document for starting, so I strongly recommend going through the above document and the comments as well. However I noticed that there were several problems that most of Administrators faced, while adding bulk users. So before we start, I would like to collate a list of things to be careful about:

We would revisit these points again, still its best to know issues first and keep the warning in mind:

Always take backup of CMS database and FileStore before attempting and major changes to the repository.

IMPORTANT POINTS TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT:

1. This functionality is case sensitive, hence before you start using it, decide whether you would like your user id's to be in uppercase / lower case / one upper and rest in lower case. So ensure the CSV you are planning to upload has objects in either upper case or lower case for user ids. My suggestion would be to use lower case for login id's and make that as a standard practice as that worked well in my case and helps in future too.
2. In the CSV, ensure that the column which has your user id, does not have any space at the end or starting. Example: "abc " and "abc" are not the same  and BI 4.x treats both as different IDs while creation and login.
3. This functionality also allows the CSV to be used with function "Remove" in place of "Add", that makes this utility more dangerous because this functionality allows modification to existing users. Example: You have a user "abc" already there in the repository belonging to group "xyz" and now you want to add it to a new group "uvw" then fill the CSV in the required format and it would add new group in the membership.
   • However if you use "Remove" for some reason and your CSV contains some pre-existing critical users. Then you would end up using loosing these key users, so its best to use "Remove" with caution.
4. If you run this utility, then there is no such status as "Partial Success" so if your utility has done the job partially, still it would show "Success". Therefore its always better to click on "Success" status and confirm what went under the hood.
5. In the CSV, while adding / modifying user membership to groups. If you have specified a group, which does not exist in the repository, then this utility would create a new group by that name for you. As this utility can also be used to just add new groups.
   • Having said the above point, I would again like to stress on "case sensitivity" here. If your CSV contains a group: "SAP Users" and in the repository you have a group "Sap Users", then the utility would fail with a "Success" status but nothing would happen and you would be left stranded with several users added, which would be just a member of "Everyone" group.
   • If this happens, then dont panic and use the "Remove" switch in the CSV, as you might get stuck with the problem mentioned in Point 3 above. Instead correct your CSV and use it with "Add" again.
6. Password: As BI 4.x is pretty stringent about password standards and though you do have an option to create users with blank passwords, however its best to use a default password, since that works really well in future with this functionality. (Incase you plan to use this functionality to modify pre-existing users to add them to new groups.)
   

LIMITATIONS & HOW TO GO PAST THEM:

1. Users created via this functionality are by default of type "CONCURRENT", so what if you just have the license for "NAMED" users.
   • There is no workaround for this limitation with me at the moment, however I have some plans for testing, therefore I would request our rich user community to pool in some ideas here.
2. Users created via this functionality are initially disabled.
   • In CMC Right click on the group to which you have added user and select "Account Manager". (apparently if you have multiple groups modified from CSV, then its better to do this step on "Everyone" group)
   • Navigate to the section "Enable / Disable User Aliases" and select Enterprise, check the check box. Hit save and close. So in single go, all your users would be enabled.

SOME UNEXPLORED FUNCTIONALITIES & CAPABILITIES

A. How to add new groups with description

For this purpose, you CSV should look something like this:

Here's a snapshot of the CSV for your reference:

Now follow the same method and upload this CSV via the CMC > Users & Groups > Import > User/Group/DBCredentials.

The result would be something like this:

B. How to add Database Credentials to already existing users:

For this purpose, you CSV should look something like this:

Here's a snapshot of the CSV for your reference:

Now follow the same method and upload this CSV via the CMC > Users & Groups > Import > User/Group/DBCredentials. However this time on Import Page remember to select "User Database Credentials" :

The result would be something like this:

With above I tried to wrap up and put together the missing pieces of the puzzle. Now its time to revisit the points of caution and the problems they cause.

COMMON PROBLEMS CAUSED AND HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM:

1. Issues caused by case-sensitivity:

The above problem happened because of below reasons:

• I already had a user in my repository: "abc" , however in my CSV file, I gave the user ID as "ABC", thus you need to be careful about case-sensitivity.
• If you are adding lets say 10 users and the issue is with the case sensitivity of only 1 ID, then the rest 9 would be committed to the repository but they would not be added to the group you have specified in the CSV. So be ready to correct the problem and run the Import process again.
• Do not use "Remove" action in the CSV or you might end up having the problem I have mentioned above in the Caution point no. 5

     2. Issues caused by Password:

The above problem happened because of below reason:

• I already had a user created in my repository with blank password. Since the BI 4.x requires users to have password, hence in the CSV, I was supposed to specify a password, but I gave blank while modifying an existing account.

With above I sum up this document, I hope you would find it useful and it makes things easier for the Administrators.

This document emphasizes on Configuring Sybase with native client in DSN which is used by Reposcan tool for identifying the inconsistencies in the infoobjects with in the CMS repository.

When Sybase is configured with odbc connectivity, Reposcan command throws an error and hence it is recommended to use Sybase with native client in DSN for Reposcan run successfully.

We need to remember for Sybase Database,  use the native client instead of the ODBC connectivity. Install Sybase native client on the server machine and establish a connection to Sybase server using ‘Open Client Directory Service Editor’

The below are the steps to be followed 

1. Launch ‘Open Client Directory Service Editor’ from Sybase Client
2. Select a Directory Service(DS Name) – Interfaces Driver and click on OK
3. From Menu, choose ‘Server Object’ and click on ‘Add’
4. Now, Input the Server name in the window available and click on OK
5. You can see the Server and the attributes associated on the right
6. Right click on the ‘Server Address’ and choose ‘Network Address Attribute’ and click on ‘Add’ to add the Protocol Network Address
7. In the ‘Input Network Address for Protocol ’window, select Protocol as ‘TCP’ and give Network Address with the ‘Server Name, port’ and click on OK for ‘Input Network Address for Protocol’ and Ok for ‘Network Address Attribute’
8. Now, you should see the Values for ‘Server Address’ attribute
9. Right click on ‘Server Address’ and choose ‘ping server’ and select a Server address and ping and check the connectivity
10. Once ping is succeed, you can use the same ‘Server Name’ as DSN in the reposcan command

In BOE Context IOMS Application has many dependencies, Hence it is recommended to follow the mentioned steps judiciously.

1. To check the details of correlation id in the ULS logs.
2. To check the IIS log files
3. To check if solution is deployed correctly and check IOMS install logs.
4. To check COM SDK traces
5. To take SAP Integration Option for Microsoft SharePoint (ipoint) trace.

Now , We will go though the steps for each line Item mentioned above.

How to check the details of correlation id in the ULS logs.

It is understood that by default, SharePoint server will log error messages. to view such messages please follow the below steps.
1.Navigate to Install DIR of SharePoint software E.g.--> C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\14\LOGS
2.Collect logs from the current time date or proffered time.
3.Install Microsoft ULS viewer from here: http://archive.msdn.microsoft.com/ULSViewer, this is recommended for better readability.
4.Normally SharePoint will provide a Correlation ID (alphanumeric string) in the error message.  by using the ULS viewer we can find the Correlation ID in the log files.

How to check the IIS log files

IIS which runs SharePoint will log messages in the below folders.
1.Navigate to C:\inetpub\logs\LogFiles\
2.Collect logs from current time date or proffered time.

How to check if solution is deployed correctly and check IOMS install logs.

In SharePoint central administration site, at first navigate to site setting and manage form solutions and check if infoview.wsp file is deployed to the web application selected during installation .If not installed , deploy it again. The install logs will indicate any issues that occurred during installation or deployment of the Integration option:
1.Navigate to BOE Install DIR E.g.--> C:\Program Files (x86)\SAP BusinessObjects\Install Data\logs
2.Review logs from the time/date in which IOMS was installed.

How to check COM SDK traces.

1.On servers where IOMS is installed,  create a system environment variable logged in as an Administrator user
Variable name: BOE_LOGGER_ENVIRONMENT
Variable Value: -trace -logging Path C:/logs/
Note that the logging patch in the variable value above was provided as an example and can be any accessible folder on the system.
2.Create a directory as configured in the logging path for example C:\logs  on the IOMS system.
3.Restart the System.
4.To generate logs, access the IOMS logon page, and try connecting to the BI system from IOMS, and make sure the logs get generated in C:\logs folder. Reviewing the logs generated in C:\logs will give some hints around commutation issues such as why some users cannot login to certain BI servers from IOMS web application.

How to take SAP Integration Option for Microsoft SharePoint (ipoint) trace.

1.Navigate to the root directory for the web application which was configured in SharePoint. (Example: c:\inetpub\wwwroot\wss\myserver8888\)
2.Create a backup of web.config
3.Edit web.config:

Add the following entry in the <configSections> of web.config:

<section name=""log4net"" type=""log4net.Config.Log4NetConfigurationSectionHandler, log4net, Version=1.2.10.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=692fbea5521e1304""/>

Add the following entry in the <appSettings> of web.config:

<add key=""bobj.logging"" value=""True""/>
<add key=""bobj.logging.log4net.override"" value=""c:\inetpub\logs\iomstrace.xml"" />

4.Create the iomstrace.xml file in the location indicated above with the following content:

<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""utf-8"" ?>
<log4net>
<!---   For log -->
<root>
<appender name=""LogAppender"" type=""log4net.Appender.FileAppender"" >
<file value=""c:\inetpub\logs\iPointLog.log""/>
<!--   Can give any path but the container Folder name for the log file has to be Logs -->
<layout type=""log4net.Layout.PatternLayout"">
<conversion Pattern value=""%date[%thread] %-5level %logger %class - %m%n"" />
</layout>
</appender>
<level value=""DEBUG""/>
<level value=""FATAL""/>
<level value=""ERROR""/>
<level value=""WARN""/>
<level value=""INFO""/>
<level value=""ALL""/>
<appender-ref ref=""LogAppender""/>
</root>
<!-- End for log -->
</log4net>

5.The log files will be written to the location indicated in the ""file value"" directive above"

Hope, this helps..

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to provide a list of the top ten most viewed SAP KBA's for BI Admin created in the month of April 2015.

Overview

Below are the top 10 most viewed SAP KBA's for BI Admin.

Please note, in order to view the contents of the SAP Notes, you will need to be logged into Service Marketplace.

An SAP BusinessObjects Supported Platforms document (also known as Products Availability Report or PAR) is the official guide to the current and future product offerings of SAP BusinessObjects. The Supported Platforms document provides estimates of product availability, but does not commit SAP BusinessObjects to the dates or products specified within. The Supported Platforms document is subject to change without notice. It does not constitute an agreement between SAP BusinessObjects and any user. It does not amend or in any manner modify any agreement between SAP BusinessObjects and any user.

XI 3.1

XI 3.0

XI R2

Related Products

Where can I find my version number?

You can find the version number (also referred to as the build number) for your software in several locations, including:

• On Windows, in the Add or Remove Programs dialog. The update indicates the current level.

• In the Help > About menu of most BI platform client tools, such as the universe design tool.

What does my version number mean?

The version number of your software appears as 14.x.y.abc. This number corresponds to a particular Support Package (or Feature Pack) and Patch level as follows:

• 14 = Major release 4.0/2011.
• x = Minor release number.
• y = Support Package level.
• abc = Build number corresponding to your Patch level.

For example, 14.0.2.481 corresponds to 4.0 Support Package 2 Patch 6, or Patch 2.6.

The following table lists the version numbers for SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence platform 4.0, and what Feature Pack (FP), Support Package (SP), and Patch level the version number corresponds to. These levels are the same for both the client and server installation programs and also apply to SAP Crystal Server 2011.

Where can I find version information for BI platform 4.1 and Crystal Server 2013?

Starting in 4.1, the installation program creates and updates a version.txt file where you can check the current version of your BI platform server installation. The file is located at:

• <BIP_INSTALL_DIR>/sap_bobj/enterprise_xi40/linux_x64/version/ (Unix)
• <BIP_INSTALL_DIR>\SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise XI 4.0\win64_x64\version\ (Windows)

This file contains the build number and version name for the last update applied to your installation. For example:

14.1.0.981

4.1 Patch 2

See "Checking the installed version" in the following installation guides:

• Installation Guide for Unix
• Installation Guide for Windows
• Minor Release Update Guide

Where can I find version information for previous SAP BusinessObjects releases?

Version information for previous software releases can be found in the following articles:

• SAP Note 1287906: How to determine the version number of BusinessObjects XI 3.x in Windows
• Crystal Reports 2008 (and 9.1, XI R1, XI R2) - Version and Download information for Service Packs

Table 1: SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence platform 4.0

Patch 10.1

Table 2: SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence platform 4.1

14.1.5.1634

Overview of the Business Case

Designing and deploying a BI environment can be challenging in and of itself, but it is most likely to fail when released to business users without validation of performance and reliability.  Chances are business users will be displeased with a BI platform if it does not meet their expectations in terms of response and the overall user experience.  While use of sizing guides and sizing calculators is recommended, they can never take into account the specific nuances of your data, security model, and infrastructure including network latency, corporate proxy servers, etc.

In order to deliver a solution that maximizes your Return on Investment (ROI) it is critical that all deployments be performance tested.  In some organizations you may have access to a dedicated team that is responsible for designing and executing performance tests with a commercial tool such as HP LoadRunner.  Some organizations, however, have no dedicated team or do not have access to a tool such as LoadRunner.  Performance testing is still every bit as critical and a workable solution must be identified.  Apache JMeter offers such a solution, one that is open source and free to use.  These exercises will introduce you to JMeter as a tool and demonstrate how it can be used with SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform 4.0.

Exercise 1:  Record a Test Plan

JMeter HTTP Proxy Server Component

JMeter allows you to create a set of actions in a number of different ways.  HTTP calls can be constructed manually, for example, by defining a particular URL and the headers and parameters needed to execute it.  This is great for developers that know their own application very well, but with enterprise software such as BI 4.0 it is unlikely you will have this level of knowledge.  JMeter therefore also allows you to record a specific workflow by performing it manually in your browser.  By acting as an HTTP Proxy Server, it can record all of the requests that you perform so that you can play them back at a later time.

In this exercise, you will learn how to launch JMeter, create an HTTP Proxy Server component, and record a simple workflow involving a Web Intelligence report.  We will then play the test plan back for 5 users and measure the performance of the BI 4.0 system.

You must have downloaded Apache JMeter and the JMeter Plugins library to complete this exercise.  Refer to the Performance Testing Wiki for instructions on configuring JMeter for the first time and this SCN Blog for JMeter Plugins.

1. Double-click jmeter.bat to launch the application.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Add the HTTP Proxy Server component by right-clicking on the Workbench > Add > Non-Test Elements HTTP Proxy Server.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Set the listening port of the HTTP Proxy Server component to 48080.  The default selection of 8080 is already in use by the local instance of Tomcat.
   
   
4. Under Test plan content change the Target Controller property to WorkBench > HTTP Proxy Server.  This instructs JMeter to store all recorded samples under the WorkBench so that we can move them to the Test Plan in our preferred format.
   
   
5. Change the Grouping option to Add separators between groups.
   
   
6. Check the box labeled Regex matching.  The HTTP Proxy Server component screen should now look something like this:
   
   
   
   
7. Click Start at the bottom of the HTTP Proxy Component to launch the JMeter proxy server.
   
   
8. Next, launch Internet Explorer by executing Start > Internet Explorer
   
   Tip: It is recommended that you practice the desired workflow before recording it.  This way you are comfortable with all of the steps and can execute them quickly and effectively.  This has the added benefit of caching static content locally on your machine, so that the recorded test plan is cleaner and less cluttered.
   
   
9. Access the BI Launch Pad and login using the desired credentials. 
   
10. Click Documents> Expand the Folders option from the accordion menu > Access Public Folders> Web Intelligence Samples> Double-click the Formatting Sample report.
    
    
    
    
11. Refresh the report and note that the last refresh date updates as below.
    
    
    
    
12. Close the report tab and accept the warning that appears.  Click Log Off to complete the process.
    
    
    
13. Click Tools > Internet Options > Connections > LAN settings
    
    
14. Uncheck the box Use automatic configuration script.  You can re-enable this setting once you’ve completed the exercise.
    
    
15. Enable Proxy Server and click the Advanced button under Proxy Server.
    
    
16. Change the HTTP proxy address to localhost and set the port to 48080. Delete all exceptions from the box at the bottom.  Click OK all the way out.
    
    
17. Repeat steps 8-12 to record the methods needed for the test plan.
    
    Tip: Ensure you access the machine by the server name as using the address localhost will not reach the proxy server.
    
    
18. Return to JMeter and expand the HTTP Proxy Component.  There should now be a number of requests present there that look something like this:
    
    
    
    Note: These requests represent all of the HTTP calls performed during the workflow above.  We can now customize them to extract session related data and play the actions back to emulate high concurrency.
    
    
19. Next, create a Thread Group within the test plan to store the requests captured by the HTTP Proxy Server component.  Thread Groups control the number of users emulated during test plan execution and are the component that our HTTP samples will reside.
    
    
20. Right-click the Test Plan icon, select Add> Threads (Users) > Thread Group
    
    
    
    
21. Rename the Thread Group to Web Intelligence Refresh Test, set the Number of Threads (users) to 5, and set the Ramp-Up Period (in seconds) to 10 as below.  This configures the test for 5 users and launches one user every 2 seconds, so that after 10 seconds all 5 users will be actively running the test. Set the Loop Count to 2 so that the test is repeated for a total of 10 executions.
    
    
    
    
22. Next, create a Once Only Controller underneath the Thread Group by right-clicking Web Intelligence Refresh Test > Add > Logic Controller > Once Only Controller.  Once Only Controllers execute the samplers contained in them a single time per thread, no matter how many times other controllers are configured to process.  They allow us to configure a test to login and logout only once, while potentially repeating other aspects of the test numerous times.
    
    
    
    
23. Rename the Once Only Controller to Login.
    
    
24. Shift+click to select all of the requests from the first 2 groups under the HTTP Proxy Server component.  Right-click and select cut.  Next, right click on the Login controller and select paste. Expand the Login controller and note that the requests have been entered there.
    
    
25. Right-click the Web Intelligence Refresh Test again, select Add > Logic Controller > Transaction Controller.  Transaction Controllers allow us to measure the aggregate time a group of samplers take to execute when we’re more interested in an action, such as navigating or refreshing, than we are each individual HTTP method.  Rename the Transaction Controller to Navigate BI Launch Pad.  Check the box Generate Parent Sample which instructs JMeter to collect only the performance statistics associated with the collection of samples.
    
    
    
    
26. Shift+click to select all of the requests from the next 4 groups under the HTTP Proxy Server component.  Right-click and select cut. Next, right click on the Navigate BI Launch Pad controller and select paste.  Expand the Navigate BI Launch Pad controller and note that the requests have been entered there.
    
    
    
    
27. Right-click the Web Intelligence Refresh Test again, select Add > Logic Controller > Loop Controller.  Loop Controllers allow us to repeat a group of samplers a specified number of times.  Set the Loop Count to 2.
    
    
    
    Tip: It is possible to nest controllers within a Loop Controller to add complexity.  You could nest a Once Only Controller, such as the Login controller used above, along with several transaction controllers.  In this fashion the Once Only Controller would process the first time only, but the remaining transaction controllers would be processed according to the Loop Count setting above.
    
    
28. Right-click the Loop Controller and select Add > Logic Controller > Transaction Controller.  Rename the Transaction Controller to View and Refresh Web Intelligence Report andcheck the box Generate Parent Sample.
    
    
29. Shift+click to select all of the requests from the next 3 groups under the HTTP Proxy Server component.  Right-click and select cut. Next, right click on the View and Refresh Web Intelligence Report controller and select paste.  Expand the View and Refresh Web Intelligence Report controller and note that the requests have been entered there.
    
    
    
    
30. Next, create another Once Only Controller underneath the Thread Group by right-clicking Web Intelligence Refresh Test > Add > Logic Controller > Once Only Controller.  Rename the controller to Logout.
    
    
31. Shift+click to select all of the remaining requests HTTP Proxy Server component.  Right-click and select cut.  Next, right click on the Logout controller and select paste. Expand the Logout controller and note that the requests have been entered there.
    
    
    
    
32. The Test Plan should now look something like this:
    
    
    
    Click File > Save Test Plan As and save the file as RefreshWebi.jmx
    
    

Exercise 2:  Customize Test Plan for Dynamic Data

Dynamic content is what makes enterprise software such as BI 4.0 truly function.  Each time a user logs into the application a session is created which is then referenced by future calls into the platform.  Similarly, viewing a Web Intelligence report creates a session on the Web Intelligence Processing server to hold temporary files associated with the request.

In order to have JMeter emulate distinct user sessions, it is necessary to extract this dynamic data from the BI platform and use it in future HTTP samplers. Some of this data is stored in cookies, some in HTTP Headers, and still other data is passed within the response body of the HTTP request itself.  JMeter is able to store cookies and header values automatically, but data passed in the response body needs to be extracted manually.  To do so, JMeter provides a number of post-processors, components that perform a function after an HTTP request has been executed.  The Regular ExpressionExtractor is the most important post-processor used with BI 4.0.

In this exercise, you will attach a series of post-processors to the test plan created in the previous exercise and use regular expressions to capture dynamic data from the BI 4.0 environment.  You will also add an HTTP Cookie Manager so that JMeter captures cookies for each user/thread.

Note: For BI 4.1 users, you must also retrieve the com.sun.faces.VIEW string out of the first logon.faces as explained here:

Performance Testing in BI 4.1

1. The first step necessary is to extract the session token returned by the logon method.  This object is called bttoken in BI 4.0 and is returned in the response body of the logon.object sampler.  Right-click the logon.object sampler and select Add > Post Processors > Regular Expression Extractor
   
   
   
   
2. Rename the extractor to ***bttoken extractor*** and configure it as follows:
   
   Applies to: Main Sample Only
   Response Field to check: Body (unescaped)
   Reference Name: bttoken
   Regular Expression: bttoken=(.+?)&
   Template: $1$
   Match No. (0 for Random): 1
   Default Value: null
   
   Note: In BI 4.1 SP3 and earlier, the regular expression has been modified slightly.  You will need to use a regex of:
   
   Regular Expression: bttoken=(.+?)"
   
   Note: In BI 4.1 SP4/SP5 the bttoken is now returned as part of a hidden input so the regex looks like this:
   

      Regular Expression: name="bttoken" value="(.+?)"

1. Select the next request in the sampler, which should be main.do.  This represents the entry point into the BI Launch Pad application and is the first place the bttoken property is used.  Double-click the value field, copy the string to the clipboard using CTRL+C, and replace the text with ${bttoken}. 
   
   The existing bttoken string should look something like this but will be different in every environment:
   
   MDAwRGNfQzxgaGFcVzI9ZDNobTJoXGltaTgPLUDNVOzAEQ
   
   This represents a JMeter variable, called bttoken, which we extracted in the previous step.  Click File > Save to update the test plan.
   
   
   
   Tip: The bttoken value will need to be updated in numerous locations throughout the test plan.  While it is possible to update the value manually, it is a time consuming and tedious process.  Instead, we can use a text editor such as Notepad to update every occurrence of the value.  The JMX format of a JMeter test plan is clear text and be modified easily using any text editor.
   
   
2. Navigate to the location where you saved the test plan (default will be in the JMeter bin directory) and locate the file RefreshWebi.jmx.  Right-click the file, click open, select a program from a list of installed programs, and select Notepad.  Select Edit > Replace and type the string value for bttoken in the Find what: box.  Enter ${bttoken} in the Replace with: box and select Replace All.  Click Cancel and File > Save.  Close the JMX file.
   
   
   
   
3. Return to JMeter, click File > RefreshWebi.jmx.  If you are prompted to save the file say No as it would overwrite the changes we have just made.  When the test plan is reloaded, expand the thread group and Login controllers, and select the sampler home.do.  Note that the bttoken value has been updated to reflect the JMeter variable.
   
   
   
   
4. Next, it is necessary to extract the Web Intelligence sEntry, a value that represents a Web Intelligence document state.  An sEntry is generated when you view a report, and another sEntry is created when you refresh a report.  Each value represents a distinct document state within Web Intelligence (that is, the state of the document when it is opened with saved data, and the state after it is refreshed with live data). 
   
   Expand the Loop Controller > View and Refresh Web Intelligence Report and select the viewDocument.jsp sampler. Right-click viewDocument.jsp and select Add > Post Processors > Regular Expression Extractor.
   
   
   
   
5. Rename the extractor to ***sEntry Extractor*** and configure it as follows:
   
   Applies to: Main Sample Only
   Response Field to check: Body (unescaped)
   Reference Name: sEntry1
   Regular Expression: "strEntry":"(.+?)"
   Template: $1$
   Match No. (0 for Random): 1
   Default Value: NONE
   
   
   
   Tip: Regular Expressions provide a concise and flexible means to match strings of text.  In the example above, the post processor examines the response body of viewDocument.jsp for the string “strEntry”:” and returns every character until it encounters a closing set of double quotes.  The parentheses open and close the function, while the .+? combination tells the processor to capture every character.  A useful tutorial on regular expressions can be found on the Apache HTTPD website
   
   
6. Select the next request in the sampler, which should be report.jsp.  Double-click the sEntry value field, copy the string to the clipboard using CTRL+C, and replace the text with ${sEntry1}.
   
   The existing sEntry string should look something like this but will be different in every environment:
   
   we0001000078432c722f78
   
   Click File > Save to update the test plan.
   
   
   
   
7. Navigate to the location where you saved the test plan and locate the file RefreshWebi.jmx.  Right-click the file, click open, select a program from a list of installed programs, and select Notepad.  Select Edit > Replace and type the string value for sEntry in the Find what: box.  Enter ${sEntry1} in the Replace with: box and select Replace All.  Click Cancel and File > Save.  Close the JMX file.
   
   
   
   
8. Return to JMeter, click File > RefreshWebi.jmx.  If you are prompted to save the file say No as it would overwrite the changes we have just made.  When the test plan is reloaded, expand the thread group > Loop Controller > View and Refresh Web Intelligence Report controllers, and select the 1^st instance of getImage.jsp.  Note that the sEntry value has been updated to reflect the JMeter variable ${sEntry1}.
   
   
   
   
9. The final piece of dynamic data to be extracted is the sEntry that corresponds to the document state after refreshing the report.  Right-click the refreshDocument.jsp sampler and select Add > Post Processors > Regular Expression Extractor.
   
   
10. Rename the extractor to ***sEntry2 Extractor*** and configure it as follows:
    
    Applies to: Main Sample Only
    Response Field to check: Body (unescaped)
    Reference Name: sEntry2
    Regular Expression: sEntry=(.+?)&
    Template: $1$
    Match No. (0 for Random): 1
    Default Value: NONE
    
    
    
    
11. Select the next request in the sampler, which should be report.jsp.  Double-click the sEntry value field, copy the string to the clipboard using CTRL+C, and replace the text with ${sEntry2}.
    
    The existing sEntry string should look something like this but will be different in every environment:
    
    we00020000105bca428762
    
    Click File > Save to update the test plan.
    
    
12. Navigate to the location where you saved the test plan and locate the file RefreshWebi.jmx.  Right-click the file, click open, select a program from a list of installed programs, and select Notepad.  Select Edit > Replace and type the string value for sEntry2 in the Find what: box.  Enter ${sEntry2} in the Replace with: box and select Replace All.  Click Cancel and File > Save.  Close the JMX file.
    
    
13. Return to JMeter, click File > RefreshWebi.jmx.  If you are prompted to save the file say No as it would overwrite the changes we have just made.  When the test plan is reloaded, expand the thread group > Loop Controller > View and Refresh Web Intelligence Report controllers, and select the 2^nd instance of getImage.jsp.  Note that the sEntry value has been updated to reflect the JMeter variable ${sEntry2}.
    
    
14. Finally, in order to capture any cookies generated by BI 4.0, right-click the thread group Web Intelligence Refresh Test and select Add > Config Element > HTTP Cookie Manager.  Check the box Clear cookies each iteration? to ensure new cookies are stored for each loop. Click File > Save to complete the test plan customization.
    
    
    

Exercise 3:  Single User Test

It is beneficial to execute a single instance of the test plan to ensure the test functions as expected.  A single typo can cause the test to fail and it is much better to identify any problems with 1 user as opposed to 1000!  In this exercise you will confirm core functionality of the test before moving on to the final execution.

1. Configure the test plan to run for a single user as in the screenshot below.
   
   
   
   
2. Right click the Web Intelligence Refresh Test thread group and select Add > Listener > View Results Tree.  This component captures every request and response in the test plan for review and is beneficial for debugging a test.  The component consumes large amounts of memory and is not recommended for use in large scale testing.
   
   
   
   
3. Right click the Web Intelligence Refresh Test thread group and select Add > Sampler > Debug Sampler.  This component adds a record of all JMeter variables collected to the bottom of the View Results Tree component.  This allows us to confirm that the dynamic data configured in the previous exercise has been extracted correctly.
   
   
   
   
4. At the top of the application, click Run > Start to kick off the test plan.  Note that the thread count increments in the top right corner to reflect the number of active threads.
   
   
5. When the counter returns to 0/1, select the View Results Tree component and locate the View and Refresh Web Intelligence Report controller.  Expand it and select the first report.jsp sampler.  Set the drop down menu below to HTML and click the Response data tab in the right hand pane.  Confirm that report data appears.
   
   
   
   Note: The Loop Controller may cause navigation to fail the 2^nd time this controller is executed.  You may disregard a 500 error associated with the ajaxRequest sampler located there.  The report refresh is still correctly executed the 2^nd time.
   
   
6. Scroll to the very bottom of the View Results Tree component and select the Debug Sampler.  Confirm that bttoken, sEntry, and sEntry2 are correctly populated.
   
   
   
   
7. Next, remove both the View Results Tree and Debug Sampler components by right-clicking them individually and selecting Remove.

Exercise 4:  Configure Results Analysis Collectors and Execute Test Plan

You have now created a simple test plan that is ready for execution. No test plan would be complete, however, without a means to measure the results.  In this exercise, you will add JMeter components to your test plan that allow you to measure throughput and response time from within the JMeter console. You will also configure an extension called JMeter Plugins that allows you to monitor system resources such as CPU and Memory from within the JMeter console.

You will use the plugins you configured by following the blog post listed earlier in this document.

1. Right click the Web Intelligence Refresh Test thread group and select Add > Listener > Graph Results.  Deselect Data, Median, and Deviation from the Graphs to Display section, leaving only Average and Throughput selected.
   
   
   
   Tip: The Average measurement displays the average response time of a given transaction.  Throughput measures how many transactions occur in a given interval (second, minute, etc).
   
   
2. Right click the Web Intelligence Refresh Test thread group and select Add > Listener > jp@gc - PerfMon Metrics Collector.  This component allows you to retrieve resource consumption statistics for the machine such as CPU and Memory.
   
   
3. Select the jp@gc - PerfMon Metrics Collector component and click Add Row to add a CPU counter.  Click Add Row a second time and change the Metric to collect drop down to Memory.  Leave all other options as the default.
   
   
   
   
4. Launch the JMeter Plugins server agent which monitors the server and delivers statistics to JMeter.  Navigate to the location where you extracted JMeter Plugins and double click startAgent.bat
   
   
   
   
5. Ensure the Thread Group is configured for 5 users, 10 second ramp-up time, and 2 loops.
   
   
6. Click Run > Start to execute the test plan and note the counter increment to 5/5.
   
   
7. Once the counter returns to 0/5 select the Graph Results component and note the metrics returned. In this example, an average request took ~500 ms and throughput was ~376 transactions per minute.
   
   
   
   
8. Select the jp@gc - PerfMon Metrics Collector component and note the metrics returned. In this example, CPU fluctuated and peaked at around 98%.  Memory remained constant at ~82%.
   
   
   

Although this is a simple test, the components demonstrated in this exercise can be used to create complex test plans that touch every area of the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence platform.  By running performance tests before releasing an environment to business users, you can be confident in the usability and response time of your deployment.

Technical Webinar Series: Upgrading to the SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 4.1

Once again will we provide a series of free webinars that are focused on upgrading to the SAP BI Platform 4.1. This webinar series is a supplement to other information assets found on SCN.

Webinar title, date, registration and presenter information is given below - all webinars will start at 7am PDT, unless otherwise specified. Webinar dates and times may be subject to change.

• Registration links: will be enabled a few days before the scheduled webinar date.
• Recordings: will be posted no later than a week after the event.

If you 'follow' this page, you will receive notifications of any updates, including new webinar content, dates and registration links - also recordings of all completed webinars will be made available from this page. Stay Tuned !

Upcoming Webinars - Registrations		Date	Presenter
	BI Upgrade - Useful Resources explained (Microsite, Pattern Book, Wikis and more)	May 18	HB
	Best Practices for Webi	Jun 09	JB
	What's new in BI 4.1 SP6	Jun 23	ME
	Sizing your BI Platform, using the SAP Sizing Tool	Jul 07	HJ
h
Recordings of Past Webinars		Date	Presenter
	BI 4.1 Monitoring - (Recording)	Nov 13	TJ
	Troubleshooting - (Recording)	Nov 06	GS
	Promotion Management & Version Management - (Recording)	Oct 23	MS
	WebI Calculation Engine Changes - (Recording)	Oct 16	PG
	DeskI to WebI Conversion & Desktop Compatibility Pack - (Recording)	Oct 09	ME
	Upgrading from BusinessObjects XI Release 2/3.1 to 4.1 & Updating From BusinessObjects BI 4.0 to 4.1 - (Recording)	Sep 25	ME
	User Authentication & Single Sign-On - (Recording)	Sep 11	TZ
	BusinessObjects BI Strategy & Roadmap - (Recording)	Sep 09	JL
	Installation & Patching - (Recording)	Sep 04	HJ
	Deployment Best Practices - (Recording)	Aug 29	HJ
	Sizing & Virtualization - (Recording)	Aug 14	CL
	Update Best Practices - (Recording)	Jul 30	SR
	Value Prop & Tools - (Recording)	Jul 17	HB

We’re all aware about report bursting- It is the ability to publish and schedule reports according to one’s profile.

Let us discuss the other way of report bursting where user sets their prompts and preferred format of report they want to receive on their
demand. Let’s chalk out the problem.

Problem Statement:

1. Non enterprise users: Business Objects Administrator does not want to load the user into BO repository
2. Dynamic Prompt: User wants to choose for which parameters to run and to have the report for
3. Dynamic Format: User wants to select which report format they prefer to see on next day
4. On Demand: User may need report on the next day or may not. It depends on their business needs. Whenever they feel the need for report next day, they request for report bursting on their preferred prompts

Let us discuss whether we can achieve through regular Report bursting either through CMC or BI Launch Pad:

1. Regular Report bursting support enterprise recipients as well as Dynamic recipients but in DRB (On Demand Report Bursting), we’re looking forward for dynamic recipients which is neither fixed on daily basis nor triggered through Universe. The Dynamic Recipients always vary depending on user demand for report bursting. One user may request for a report one day and next day he/she may not need. So the recipient list is totally dynamic
2. There is no concept of prompt change on demand for report bursting. Administrator publishes report through on time report parameter set up. There is no control from user side to get report on their preferred report prompt on demand
3. The common approach does not offer user to choose the preferred format on request basis. Administrator schedules bursting with one format and continues in same format. DRB supports dynamic report format change on demand, the user can get the same report in pdf format one day
   and on next day, he can request for in excel format
4. The on demand report bursting is a new concept which the regular approach does not support. In regular approach, admin set the process one time and schedules for a specific period. The DRB helps user to get  report when they really feel the need. If they do not want, they do not request for it, if they do need on next day, they request to get with preferred dataset

  Solution:

The DRB (On Demand Report Bursting) is a solution combining a web application and a java process. The non-enterprise user has access to DRB web app and they have access to preferred report. Whenever uses feel to get report on next day, they submit request through the online web application. The application captures the user details (like user id, user email address etc...) and report detail (like dynamic report prompts, report format etc...) and store into triggering database table.

On second step, the java process reads the triggered table and schedules the report. It sends the report in preferred format on successful run; if the process fails, it updates the triggered table with failure details.

It’s a custom application base on Business Objects 4.0 SDK API.

Please share your thoughts and let me know if you want to know more about DRB.

Please find the Architecture / Process Flow Diagram attached here

This document emphasizes on Configuring Sybase with native client in DSN which is used by Reposcan tool for identifying the inconsistencies in the infoobjects with in the CMS repository.

When Sybase is configured with odbc connectivity, Reposcan command throws an error and hence it is recommended to use Sybase with native client in DSN for Reposcan run successfully.

We need to remember for Sybase Database,  use the native client instead of the ODBC connectivity. Install Sybase native client on the server machine and establish a connection to Sybase server using ‘Open Client Directory Service Editor’

The below are the steps to be followed 

1. Launch ‘Open Client Directory Service Editor’ from Sybase Client
2. Select a Directory Service(DS Name) – Interfaces Driver and click on OK
3. From Menu, choose ‘Server Object’ and click on ‘Add’
4. Now, Input the Server name in the window available and click on OK
5. You can see the Server and the attributes associated on the right
6. Right click on the ‘Server Address’ and choose ‘Network Address Attribute’ and click on ‘Add’ to add the Protocol Network Address
7. In the ‘Input Network Address for Protocol ’window, select Protocol as ‘TCP’ and give Network Address with the ‘Server Name, port’ and click on OK for ‘Input Network Address for Protocol’ and Ok for ‘Network Address Attribute’
8. Now, you should see the Values for ‘Server Address’ attribute
9. Right click on ‘Server Address’ and choose ‘ping server’ and select a Server address and ping and check the connectivity
10. Once ping is succeed, you can use the same ‘Server Name’ as DSN in the reposcan command

In BOE Context IOMS Application has many dependencies, Hence it is recommended to follow the mentioned steps judiciously.

1. To check the details of correlation id in the ULS logs.
2. To check the IIS log files
3. To check if solution is deployed correctly and check IOMS install logs.
4. To check COM SDK traces
5. To take SAP Integration Option for Microsoft SharePoint (ipoint) trace.

Now , We will go though the steps for each line Item mentioned above.

How to check the details of correlation id in the ULS logs.

It is understood that by default, SharePoint server will log error messages. to view such messages please follow the below steps.
1.Navigate to Install DIR of SharePoint software E.g.--> C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\14\LOGS
2.Collect logs from the current time date or proffered time.
3.Install Microsoft ULS viewer from here: http://archive.msdn.microsoft.com/ULSViewer, this is recommended for better readability.
4.Normally SharePoint will provide a Correlation ID (alphanumeric string) in the error message.  by using the ULS viewer we can find the Correlation ID in the log files.

How to check the IIS log files

IIS which runs SharePoint will log messages in the below folders.
1.Navigate to C:\inetpub\logs\LogFiles\
2.Collect logs from current time date or proffered time.

How to check if solution is deployed correctly and check IOMS install logs.

In SharePoint central administration site, at first navigate to site setting and manage form solutions and check if infoview.wsp file is deployed to the web application selected during installation .If not installed , deploy it again. The install logs will indicate any issues that occurred during installation or deployment of the Integration option:
1.Navigate to BOE Install DIR E.g.--> C:\Program Files (x86)\SAP BusinessObjects\Install Data\logs
2.Review logs from the time/date in which IOMS was installed.

How to check COM SDK traces.

1.On servers where IOMS is installed,  create a system environment variable logged in as an Administrator user
Variable name: BOE_LOGGER_ENVIRONMENT
Variable Value: -trace -logging Path C:/logs/
Note that the logging patch in the variable value above was provided as an example and can be any accessible folder on the system.
2.Create a directory as configured in the logging path for example C:\logs  on the IOMS system.
3.Restart the System.
4.To generate logs, access the IOMS logon page, and try connecting to the BI system from IOMS, and make sure the logs get generated in C:\logs folder. Reviewing the logs generated in C:\logs will give some hints around commutation issues such as why some users cannot login to certain BI servers from IOMS web application.

How to take SAP Integration Option for Microsoft SharePoint (ipoint) trace.

1.Navigate to the root directory for the web application which was configured in SharePoint. (Example: c:\inetpub\wwwroot\wss\myserver8888\)
2.Create a backup of web.config
3.Edit web.config:

Add the following entry in the <configSections> of web.config:

<section name=""log4net"" type=""log4net.Config.Log4NetConfigurationSectionHandler, log4net, Version=1.2.10.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=692fbea5521e1304""/>

Add the following entry in the <appSettings> of web.config:

<add key=""bobj.logging"" value=""True""/>
<add key=""bobj.logging.log4net.override"" value=""c:\inetpub\logs\iomstrace.xml"" />

4.Create the iomstrace.xml file in the location indicated above with the following content:

<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""utf-8"" ?>
<log4net>
<!---   For log -->
<root>
<appender name=""LogAppender"" type=""log4net.Appender.FileAppender"" >
<file value=""c:\inetpub\logs\iPointLog.log""/>
<!--   Can give any path but the container Folder name for the log file has to be Logs -->
<layout type=""log4net.Layout.PatternLayout"">
<conversion Pattern value=""%date[%thread] %-5level %logger %class - %m%n"" />
</layout>
</appender>
<level value=""DEBUG""/>
<level value=""FATAL""/>
<level value=""ERROR""/>
<level value=""WARN""/>
<level value=""INFO""/>
<level value=""ALL""/>
<appender-ref ref=""LogAppender""/>
</root>
<!-- End for log -->
</log4net>

5.The log files will be written to the location indicated in the ""file value"" directive above"

Hope, this helps..

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to provide a list of the top ten most viewed SAP KBA's for BI Admin created in the month of March 2015.

Overview

Below are the top 10 most viewed SAP KBA's for BI Admin.

Please note, in order to view the contents of the SAP Notes, you will need to be logged into Service Marketplace.

FOR CMC APPLICATION

1. Log in to CMC
2. Go to Applications >  Right Click on Central Management Console (CMC) and choose Trace Log Settings as shown in image 1
3. In Trace Log Settings, Change “Log Level” to High for high level logging in CMC.
4. Select the Log level and click on “Save & Close”, perform the workflow, and check for the logs in the logging folder defined. as shown in image 2.

FOR BI LaunchPad.

1. Log in to CMC.
2. Go to Applications >  Right Click on BI launch Pad (Info view) and choose Trace Log Settings as shown in image 3.
3. From the log level drop down, choose High for logging level to maximum.
4. Select the Log level and click on “Save & Close”, perform the workflow, and check for the logs in the logging folder defined.

The following are very straight forward steps to enable logs for the BI web applications.

Hope this helps.

This feature is available from BI 4.1SP06 onwards.

Scheduling to SFTP Destination

Scheduling allows a program object to be run at a future time from a web application such as the Central Management Console (CMC) or BI launch pad. A new destination
SFTP Server is added.

SFTP protocol is a computing network protocol for accessing and managing files on remote file systems, similar to FTP. SFTP encrypt commands and data both, preventing passwords and sensitive information from being transmitted in the clear over a network.The advantages of having SFTP is that it allows secure transmission of data using Fingerprint authentication.

Steps for SFTP Scheduling.

1 .The destination has to be enabled in CMC on the Adaptive Job Server. The details of the SFTP Server needs to entered in the respective field,
along with the SHA FingerPrint of the server. Please refer the admin guide to know more details about SFTP.

To Enable Destination on Adaptive Job Server (AJS), please follow the following steps.

1a) Choose destinations on AJS under Servers in CMC.

1b)Enable the SFTP Server in CMC. Enter the SFTP Server details  ,along with the FingerPrint Value .

Host: IP address of SFTP Server.

Port: Port of SFTP Server.

User Name: Username to  access SFTP Server

Password :Password to access SFTP Server.

Account: Account needed to access SFTP Server.

Directory: Directory location in SFTP Server where the Document is to be delivered.

File Name:Select Use Automatically Generated Name or Use Specific Name.

FingerPrint :Host key fingerprint of the SFTP server

Save the details.

2)Scheduling
2a)Scheduling in LaunchPad.

SFTP Destination is available under Destinations on Document Scheduling.

2b) We can choose to use default settings in which case the settings on the AJS will be used, otherwise we can also give explicit details as shown below and  choose to schedule.

2c) The Schedule goes to running and then status can be seen as shown below.

2d) The Scheduled document is delivered successfully to the SFTP Server.

3)Scheduling in CMC.

3a) SFTP Destination is available under Destinations on Document Scheduling.

3b) We can choose to use default settings in which case the settings on the AJS will be used, otherwise we can also give explicit details as shown below and choose to schedule.

3c)  The Schedule goes to running and then status can be seen as shown below.

3d) The Scheduled document is delivered successfully to the SFTP Server.

This feature is available from BI 4.1SP06 onwards.

To share documents with other InfoView users, you can either send a document to a Destination. SFTP Server is the new destination added.

SFTP protocol is a computing network protocol for accessing and managing files on remote file systems, similar to FTP. SFTP encrypt commands and data both, preventing passwords and sensitive information from being transmitted in the clear over a network.The advantages of having SFTP is that it allows secure transmission of data using Fingerprint authentication.

Steps for Send to  SFTP Destination.

1 .The destination has to be enabled in CMC on the Adaptive Job Server. The details of the SFTP Server needs to entered in the respective field,
along with the SHA FingerPrint of the server. Please refer the admin guide to know more details about SFTP.

To Enable Destination on Adaptive Job Server (AJS), please follow the following steps.

1a) Choose destinations on AJS under Servers in CMC.

1b)Enable the SFTP Server. Enter the SFTP Server details  ,along with the FingerPrint Value. Save the details.

Host: IP address of SFTP Server.

Port: Port of SFTP Server.

User Name: Username to  access SFTP Server

Password :Password to access SFTP Server.

Account: Account needed to access SFTP Server.

Directory: Directory location in SFTP Server where the Document is to be delivered.

File Name:Select Use Automatically Generated Name or Use Specific Name.

FingerPrint :Host key fingerprint of the SFTP server

2.Send to SFTP right has to be enabled for the user.

2a)Choose BI Launchpad under Applications in CMC.

2b)Choose user Security for the User.

2c)Choose Advanced Rights Add/Removerights.

2d)Enable Send to SFTP right for the user.

3)Send to SFTP Server.

Right Click on the Document in Launchpad, should be able to see the Send to SFTP Options. If Step 1 (Enabling SFTP Destination on AJS) ismissed and just rights are enabled , Send to SFTP Options will not be visible. Hence Step 1is compulsory.

4.We will be able to see following Screen. We can either choose to send document  to SFTP Server using default settings or use explicit new settings by filling the details of SFTPServer . Once sent the document will be available in the SFTPServer.

A guided tour of the top online resources that help you with BI upgrade and migration projects

Top Online Resources for BI Upgrade & Migration Projects

This page is a personal collection of links that center around BI Upgrade and Migration Projects. It is compiled by Henry Banks, who also presented this list in below listed webinar.

The content that Henry refers to is created and publishedby the entire eco system - SAP employees and non SAP community members alike. It reflects official SAP content, assetscreated through collaboration, and documented, personal experiences. Much of this content is referenced by and used for workshops, events and customer projects.

Our thanks go out to all those who willingly share their experience and knowledge on this forum. PS: If you find any particular document useful, you can give the author a virtual pat on her or his back by 'liking' and by 'rating' it. Authors usually appreciate that a lot

All mentioned top assets are found on these sites:BI Microsite | Support Portal | SCN | SCN Wiki

A Guided Tour (webinar recording) Henry kicked off the 2015 Webinar Series with a guided tour of the most important sites, highlighting links to many must-know assets.   Introduction SAP BI Microsite: 1:55 SAP Support Portal and Service Market Place: 07:18 SCN Community Forum: 12:55 Wiki Area of SCN: 41:04 Q&A: 49:08   The section below is a list of all these links and sites.
SAP BI Micro Site www.sapbi.com Our BI Micro Site contains a number of great resources, spread across a number of tabs.
Front Page
BI Competency Centre assessment A topic that comes up so often before (and during) projects: Are we truly ready for the upgrade? A first step is to implement a BI Competency Center (BICC). Got one already? Take the assessment to identify areas where there's room for optimization; topics covered include funding, reporting etc.
Tab: BI Champion	Tab: Strategy
Design-thinking methodology Deliver projects that your audience desires, with ideas & needs from decision-makers. Statement of Direction Learn where SAP's BI Solutions are heading. BI Convergence strategy Jayne Landry covers SAP's BI roadmap and describes the strategic planing for our BI clients.	This tab includes links to surveys andquestionnaires that help you assess your strengths and opportunities. “Take a Strategy assessment” to discover and prioritize business challenges across your organization.
Tab: Implement	Tab: Upgrade
“Get a custom Implementation report” Identify key technical touch points to consider, like virtualization, protocols, authentication and more. The personalized report is a sound basis to gauge where you are at and need to go next.	“Get a custom Upgrade report” This report is a huge help for planning major milestones of a project. As such, it is mostly targeted at Project Management.
Support Portal http://support.sap.com The Support Portal has been simplified and re-desgined for easier navigation. Here you report incidents and manage your remote connections for SAP Support to help you.
Highlights of the SAP Support Portal: Documentation - http://help.sap.com This is one of the most overlooked and yet most helpful resources! Navigate down to the Analytics tab, and under Business Intelligence you'll find all our BI products. Knowledge Base & Articles -http://support.sap.com/notes When facing issues, one of the the first entry points for you should be the notes search. A wealth of information that helps you trouble shooting and investigation. Search by criteria like subject matter, release, patch information etc. The search results include links to solutions, related downloads and more. These knowledge base articles address questions we often get asked: KBA 1909881: How to upgrade from one version of BI4 to another KBA 1934748: Is a full installation required when updating BI4.x installations? KBA 1882363: Upgrading and multiple CMS database/Nodes leading to CMS database corruption, missing Application Settings/rights/icons/??dummy placeholders and more KBA 2013616: How to patch BI 4.x servers in a distributed BI Platform deployment simultaneously ( in parallel ) ? KBA 1949693: AdaptiveProcessingServer Running with errors after installing BI 4.1 or after upgrade to BI 4.1 KBA 1987825: The APS status is "Running with errors" after upgrading to BI 4.1 SP2 KBA 1982241: Tomcat does not start in BI 4.1   Remote support - Remote Support | SAP Support Portal A prerequisite for our support engineering and experts on demand to help you investigating any issues. Remote Supportability chose the right technology, includes links to downloads and detailed information. Remote Connection types helps you select and setup the remote connection type that most appropriately serves any particular situation.   Roadmaps / Release and upgrade information - https://support.sap.com/release-upgrade-maintenance.html Roadmaps - Includes Product and Solution Roadmaps as well as Implementation Roadmaps (ASAP) Maintenance schedules - Learn about upcoming, planned releases for Support Packages and SP Stacks. Product Compatibility Matrix - compatibility between components (aka PAM) Details about SAP software product versions, including availability, end of maintenance, upgrade paths, and technical release information (database platforms, Java platforms, operating systems, and so on).
SAP Community Network (SCN) https://scn.sap.com/community/bi-platform The place where SAP experts meet, share experience and knowledge and help each other. Meant for customers, partners, subject matter experts, curious individuals and SAP employees.
Highlights on SCN and recommend to our customers:   The Events Page shows you what webinars are planned and is updated with links to recordings of past webinars. A great page to 'receive email notifications' for to not miss any updates.   ThePlanning your upgrade is fine landing page and great for getting a first glance of what to consider.   Size matters, and these resources are most important for this crucial topic: Sizing Microsite for primary sizing and performance tips for BI and Lumira, with heaps of additional links. BI 4 Sizing Guide for services by Ian Treleaven with best practices and recommendations. BI4 Sizing and Deployment Guide by Bill Lang. Crucial, will also be covered in webinars.   Performance Improvements In his publications, James Rapp describes how the user experience can be improved by using Apache in conjunction with the WDeploy web application deployment tool, for BI 4.1 and BI 4.0 the Best Practices for SAPBO BI 4.0 Adaptive Processing Servers by Jan De Vilder is handy summary for an administrator familiar with the BI platform and references other related resources.   Sample Auditing universes and Reports Radim Bacinschi offers a starting point for developing your custom auditing universe and reports.   Best Practices for Virtualizing BI 4.x on VMware is a technical white paper by Ashish Morzaria and focuses on validating SAP's recommendations for deploying BI 4 systems in virtual environments.   Interactive Diagrams and Process Flows, updated by Tomasz Zima, are found on the Tutorials Landing page (sap.com/LearnBI).   Choosing the right client tool Blair Wheadon offers decision support in the context of business problems that are to be addressed.   Timeouts in the BI Platform across various processing tiers. Janos Nagy explains how to manage timeouts, covering main settings, notes, and best practices.   Best practices for backing up the CMS and Audit DB Jose Ramos's blog is relevant if you are using BI 4.1 and your CMS and Audit databases are on SQL Anywhere.   Overview of SSO options on BI Greg Wcislo summarizes various SSO options, from authenticating to BI, all the way down to the database.   Updating the JRE/JDK for Tomcat Ajay Gupta's blog is a great example of a community member covering a third party components.   Moving from DeskI to WebI? Merlijn Ekkel describes how to convert DeskI content for use in WebI (webinar).   WebI Tuning Tips On WebI already? Jonathan Brown covers report design, semantic layer choice and much more.   WebI Performance Tuning Tips (SAP BW) A step-by-step guide by Kurt Holst, making use of BI Consumer Services Connection (BICS).   WebI Calculation Engine Changes A deep dive into changes in the calculation engine by Gregory Botticchio and  Pascal Gaulin (webinar)   Setting up Introscope for Advanced Monitoring Toby Johnston describes how to setup extended monitoring capabilities of the BI platform.   Branding and Theming of BI Launchpad Christina Obry covers how you can incorporate company logos and color with the help of CSS templates.   Multi Tenancy Best Practices for BI Platform Learn how to quickly onboard new LOB's or companies, and how to manage new tenants in an SAAS concept.   Data Federation Admin Tool - What it is, How it works and When to use it This blog by Sonet Kebede helps you joining data from various sources into a multi-source Universe.   Cluster Patching Guide Step-by-step instructions for Parallel Patching, to reduce effort and time spent in multi node deployments.
SCN - Wiki http://wiki.scn.sap.com/wiki/display/BOBJ/ Business+Intelligence The SCN Wiki is a subset of the community network and contains actively maintained pages, with much content from our support team.
Highlights on the SCN Wiki:     Pattern Books:'You can't go worong with a pattern book', as Henry says These step-by-step guides complement the standard documentation with check lists, workflows and more.   BI Platform Support Tool A tool designed for supporting many aspects of the BI Platform and for simplifying the process of reporting on the landscape configuration, performing root cause analysis tasks, and delivering performance optimization and go-live services. It is used used by support engineers, consultants and administrators.   Universe conversion - Moving from UNVs to UNXs This article describes the conversion of XI3.1 relational universe (UNV) to BI4.0 relational universe (UNX).   Feature Comparison: WebI and DeskI This page contains a very comprehensive feature comparison for WebI and DeskI.   Promotion Management This troubleshooting blog by Matthew Shaw includes best practices for design and implementation and includes videos.   WebI GUI customisation Customize the GUI on a per user or per folder base: hide/disable elements, simply interfaces. By Jason Everly.   Performance Tuning for WebI Applet Interface  Jonathan Brown's tips & tricks for tuning the Java based designer/viewer found within the BI Launchpad.   WebI Automatic Calculation rewrite This page complements the above listed SCN document on the changes of Calculation Engine, is authored by Carly Thomas and David Francois Gonzalez.   Configuring the Connection of BI to BW, through the Information Design Tool A great article targeting the BW basis and the BI administrators, by Jacqueline Rahn and Bryan Booth.

SAP Business Objects Share Point Integration in SAP BOBJ 4.1 SP05 steps

Purpose:

The purpose of this document is to configure Microsoft Share Point Integration with SAP Business Objects Application 4.1 SP05

Overview:

Environment Details:

Operating system: Windows Server 2008 64 Bit

Database:Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2/2012

Web Application:Tomcat

SAP Business Objects Tools: SBOP BI PLATFORM 4.1 SP05

Share Point Version:Microsoft Share Point 2010 64 Bit

BOBJ Repository version:4.1 SP05

Installation & Configuration steps of Microsoft Share Point Portal 2010:

List of Prerequisites Software:

• Windows server 2008 with SP 2 / Windows 7 / Vista (All OS must be 64bit)
• Windows 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2008 KB971831
• WCF Fix article for Windows 2008 R2 and Windows 7 KB976462
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Native Client
• Microsoft "Geneva" Framework Runtime
• Microsoft Sync Framework Runtime v1.0 (x64)
• Microsoft Chart Controls for Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services ADOMD.NET
• PowerShell V2 RTM
• SQL Server 2008 SP1
• .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 (Full Package) KB959209 KB967190

Please refer below link for Microsoft Share Point Portal 2010 Prerequisites & Installation steps

Links:

Step by Step SharePoint Server 2010 Installation Guide - CodeProject

System Requirements:

Before installing the integration option for SharePoint software, confirm that the SharePoint server meets the following system requirements:

Note:

• If a prerequisite is not met and you attempt to install the integration option for SharePoint, a "Prerequisite check" dialog box appears, indicating which prerequisites still need to be met.
• Detailed system requirements for BI platform and for SharePoint Server 2010, SharePoint Foundation 2010, Office SharePoint Server 2007, and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 are not included in this document.
• For detailed system requirements, see the Supported Platforms document on the SAP Support Portal.
• For a detailed list of supported operating systems and detailed hardware requirements, see the SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise XI 4.0 Platform Availability Matrix document

Below is the status for completion of Microsoft Share Point Server 2010 Installation

To Launch the Site after Share-point Installation:

Open Central Administration Page from Microsoft-Share Point Portal to check the status of Share-point installation

Installation & Configuration steps of SAP Business Objects 4.1 SP05:

When the prerequisite system check completes successfully, click Next

On the "SAP BusinessObjects Information platform services 4.1 SP5 set-up" page, click Next

Accept the License Agreement, and click Next.

To start the installation, click Next.

Installation is in progress

Installation Finish

Installation & Configuration Documents of SAP Business Object Microsoft Share Point Integration 4.1 SP5 (32 bit):

IOMS Installation Start

Note:

Reboot the system if  “Windows Sharepoint Service Administration” status is failed. Go to the windows services and start the “Sharepoint 2010 Administration” service as it is in Manual mode

When the prerequisite system check completes successfully, click Next

On the "SAP Integration for Microsoft Sharepoint 4.1 SP5 setup" page, click Next.

Accept the License Agreement, and click Next.

Click Next to Select the url on which the web part is to be deployed.

Type a password for the CMS Administrator account, and click Next.

Click Next and put BOBJ Server URL, If you want to view Business Objects documents then select the first option.

To start the installation, click Next.

Installation is in progress

Installation Completed

Relevant Systems

These enhancements were successfully implemented in the following systems:

• SAP Business Objects Enterprise Information Management 4.1 SP5
• IOMS Integration Kit 4.1 SP5

This document is relevant for:

• SAP Business Objects Administrator
• Portal Integration Kit with Share Point Server

Reference Material:

SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence platform 4.1- Portal Integration Kits:

http://help.sap.com/bobip

IOMS Integration for Microsoft Sharepoint KBAs

http://wiki.scn.sap.com/wiki/display/BOBJ/IOMS+Integration+for+Microsoft+Sharepoint+KBAs

Integration Option for SharePoint Installation and Administration Guide

https://help.sap.com/businessobject/product_guides/sbo41/en/sbo41_ioms_admin_en.pdf

Share Point Portal Integration:

http://events.asug.com/2012BOUC/0516_Integration_Options_and_Best_Practices_for_Microsoft_SharePoint.pdf

SNotes & SAP Links:

Documentation & General Reference:

Product Availability Matrix (PAM):

https://websmp130.sap-ag.de/sap/support/pam

Tutorials:

Official Product Tutorials – Integration Option for Microsoft Sharepoint Software

http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-19234

BI Platform SCN Wiki space:

http://wiki.scn.sap.com/wiki/display/BOBJ/IOMS+Integration+for+Microsoft+Sharepoint+KBAs

Installation & deployment:

1790285 - BI4 SharePoint Integration (IOMS) Installation FAQs

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1790285

1937432 - How to uninstall IOMS from sharepoint server ?

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1937432

1839232 - IOMS installer encounters pre-requisite error "Windows sharepoint service administration" in "Failed" status

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1839232

1863706 - IOMS installation fails when site root is hosted on any drive other than C

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1863706

1884939 - Sharepoint Integration (IOMS) doesn't work when Sharepoint is installed on non-default drive

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1884939

1642995 - Error creating new sharepoint site using Integration Option for Microsoft Sharepoint template

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1642995

1877263 - "An error occurred while the applet was initializing" received when opening webi reports in IOMS

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1877263

1781985 - BI4: Installation of Integration Option for Microsoft Sharepoint changes the default language of Sharepoint

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1781985

1738720 - Integration Option for Microsoft Sharepoint: Webparts not activated when using Sharepoint Site on non-default domain

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1738720

Configuration-Issues:

1737742 - Web Part error when using BI4 and Sharepoint with host headers

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1737742

1817233 - (IOMS) Web Part Error: A Web Part or Web Form Control on this Page cannot be displayed or imported

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1817233

1747756 - Missing ribbons after installing Integration Option for Sharepoint (IOMS) with BI 4.0

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1747756

1692827 - Error "invalid argument" when viewing Advanced Analysis View documents in IOMS - BI4

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1692827

1667648 - Error: "Could not load type..." in IOMS and BI4 if Explorer is deployed to a Sharepoint Subsite

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1667648

1958125 - BI 4.0 - "Error: Service PlatformSearchServiceOCA not found on server SIA_NAME.WebApplicationContainerServer" when searching on IOMS

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1958125

1871307 - Chrome type reverts to "Title only" when trying to change it after adding a IOMS webbpart

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1871307

1687209 - Parser Error Message - Unknown server tag 'asp:ScriptManager' error message when displaying default Sharepoint page after running the IOMS installer

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1687209

1760862 - Logging off from the "IOMS-Search Results" page in a SharePoint site does not lead the user to the "Logon" page.

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1760862

1895562 - SBOP BI 4.0: Error: "Fail to render the page" on viewing a Crystal report through Microsoft SharePoint portal

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1895562

1782600 - Unable to schedule a Crystal report on the Microsoft Sharepoint 2010 when integrated with SAP BI 4.0.

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1782600

1669906 - Sharepoint Integration - Opening WebIntelligence document as PDF returns blank page with javascript error

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1669906

1667976 - Opening of a Web Intelligence Report never completes in Sharepoint Portal 2010 Integration

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1667976

1732054 - Cannot view Web Intelligence Reports in Sharepoint portal 2010 Integration

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1732054

1669886 - Username and password constantly requested when opening WebIntellignce document as PDF in Sharepoint

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1669886

1701917 - iPoint - Fails to create publication with personnalization using webi documents

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1701917

1755489 - Where to find Integration Option for Microsoft Sharepoint (IOMS) for SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence 4.0

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1755489

1598975 - IIS support for Business objects Business Intelligence 4.0

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1598975

1771578 - No CMC or BI launchpad available for IIS in SAP Business Objects Business Intelligence Platform 4.0

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1771578

1946679 - Is SAP Business Objects Sharepoint 2003/2007 Portal Integration Kit and (IOMS) supported for integration with XI 3.1 and BI 4.0, BI 4.1 Linux and Unix based systems?

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1946679

Sharepoint Farm Issues:

1790285 - BI4 SharePoint Integration (IOMS) Farm Installation FAQs

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1790285

1963391 - BI4 IOMS install fails to work on complex Sharepoint farm environments

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1963391

1737742 - Web Part error when using BI4 and Sharepoint with host headers

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1737742

Troubleshooting:

1817053 - How to trace and troubleshoot IOMS Sharepoint - BI4

https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1817053

Where can I find my version number?

You can find the version number (also referred to as the build number) for your software in several locations, including:

• On Windows, in the Add or Remove Programs dialog. The update indicates the current level.

• In the Help > About menu of most BI platform client tools, such as the universe design tool.

What does my version number mean?

The version number of your software appears as 14.x.y.abc. This number corresponds to a particular Support Package (or Feature Pack) and Patch level as follows:

• 14 = Major release 4.0/2011.
• x = Minor release number.
• y = Support Package level.
• abc = Build number corresponding to your Patch level.

For example, 14.0.2.481 corresponds to 4.0 Support Package 2 Patch 6, or Patch 2.6.

The following table lists the version numbers for SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence platform 4.0, and what Feature Pack (FP), Support Package (SP), and Patch level the version number corresponds to. These levels are the same for both the client and server installation programs and also apply to SAP Crystal Server 2011.

Where can I find version information for BI platform 4.1 and Crystal Server 2013?

Starting in 4.1, the installation program creates and updates a version.txt file where you can check the current version of your BI platform server installation. The file is located at:

• <BIP_INSTALL_DIR>/sap_bobj/enterprise_xi40/linux_x64/version/ (Unix)
• <BIP_INSTALL_DIR>\SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise XI 4.0\win64_x64\version\ (Windows)

This file contains the build number and version name for the last update applied to your installation. For example:

14.1.0.981

4.1 Patch 2

See "Checking the installed version" in the following installation guides:

• Installation Guide for Unix
• Installation Guide for Windows
• Minor Release Update Guide

Where can I find version information for previous SAP BusinessObjects releases?

Version information for previous software releases can be found in the following articles:

• SAP Note 1287906: How to determine the version number of BusinessObjects XI 3.x in Windows
• Crystal Reports 2008 (and 9.1, XI R1, XI R2) - Version and Download information for Service Packs

Table 1: SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence platform 4.0

Table 2: SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence platform 4.1