The following tutorials have been developed to help you get started using the Business Intelligence Suite products. New content is added as soon as it becomes available, so check back on a regular basis.

You can submit and vote on ideas for enhancements to this product.

The video versions of these tutorials on YouTube include optional text captions that can be translated into a number of languages. Watch here to learn how.

Looking for eLearning for the rest of the Business Intelligence Suite? Go to sap.com/LearnBI.

Getting Started

• What's new in BI launch pad 4.0 (3:37)     interactive /video
• 4.0 FP3  What's new in BI launch pad 4.0 Feature Pack 3 (2:51)     interactive /video
• Navigate the interface (2:41)     interactive /video
• Log on to and off of BI launch pad (0:51)     interactive /video
• Access other applications (2:08)     interactive /video
• Set user preferences (3:06)     interactive /video
• Manage an inbox (1:39)     interactive /video
• Access online help (1:26)     interactive /video

Organizing Content

• Create a folder (1:17)     interactive /video
• Upload a local document (1:15)     interactive /video
• Copy or move a document (1:13)     interactive /video
• Create a category (1:04)     interactive /video
• Assign a document to a category (0:53)     interactive /video
• Delete a document (0:46)     interactive /video
• Create a shortcut to a document (0:57)     interactive /video
• Create a shortcut to a document in My Favorites (0:58)     interactive /video
• Copy a link to a document (1:03)     interactive /video
• Send a document to a BI inbox (1:13)     interactive /video

Working with Documents

• Search for a document (1:25)     interactive / video
• View a Crystal report (1:43)     interactive / video
• View a Web Intelligence document (2:14)     interactive / video
• View a dashboard (1:31)     interactive / video
• View an Analysis workspace (2:05)     interactive / video
• Pin a document for future viewing (1:04)     interactive / video
• Schedule a document (2:23)      interactive / video
• View history for a document (1:05)      interactive / video
• Export a document (0:42)     interactive / video
• Participate in a discussion about a document (1:02)     interactive / video
• 4.0 SP5  Make Web Intelligence documents, Crystal reports, and Design Studio applications accessible in SAP BusinessObjects Mobile  (2:25)     interactive/video
• 4.0 SP5  Display background images on documents in SAP BusinessObjects Mobile (1:42)     interactive/video
• 4.1 SP2  Send a document to a BI Inbox in SAP BusinessObjects Mobile (2:39)     interactive/video

Working with Other Objects

• Create a publication (2:46)     interactive /video
• 4.0 FP3  Specify dynamic recipients for a publication (2:44)     interactive /video
• Subscribe to a publication (1:53)     interactive /video
• Subscribe to an alert (2:42)     interactive /video
• Create a hyperlink (1:01)     interactive /video
• Create a BI workspace (3:18)     interactive /video

To view the full BI launch pad 4.0 playlist on Youtube, click here.

Tutorials covering all things important for BI projects. Subscribe to page - stay up-to-date!.

The following tutorials have been developed to help you get started using the Business Intelligence Suite products. New content is added as it becomes available, so check back on a regular basis.

You can submit and vote on ideas for enhancements to this product.

Looking for eLearning for the rest of the Business Intelligence Suite?  Go to sap.com/LearnBI.

space 

space

General Platform

• NEW for 4.1 SP5 View all components in BI 4.1 SP5 interactive diagram
• 4.1 View all components in BI 4.1 interactive diagram
• View all components in BI 4.0 Feature Pack 3      interactive diagram
• View all components in BI 4.0      interactive diagram
• Log on to BI launch pad      process flow
• Start the Server Intelligence Agent    process flow

Central Management Console

• Create OLAP Connections to BW      tutorial
• Set a schedule for a program object      process flow
• Run a schedule for a program object      process flow

Lumira

• NEW for 4.1 SP5 View a Lumira document  process flow
• NEW for 4.1 SP5 Refresh a Lumira document based directly on a database process flow
• NEW for 4.1 SP5 Refresh a Lumira document based on a universe (UNX)  process flow
• NEW for 4.1 SP5 Set a schedule for Lumira document  process flow
• NEW for 4.1 SP5 Run a scheduled Lumira document  process flow

Crystal Reports 2011

• Set a schedule for a report      process flow
• Run a schedule for a report      process flow
• Run a scheduled publication of a report      process flow
• View a report instance when the page is in the cache      process flow
• View a report instance when the page is not in the cache      process flow
• View a report on demand      process flow

Crystal Reports for Enterprise

• Set a schedule for a report      process flow
• Run a schedule for a report      process flow
• View a report instance when the page is in the cache      process flow
• View a report instance when the page is not in the cache      process flow
• View a report on demand      process flow

Live Office

• Insert a Web Intelligence part      process flow
• Refresh a Web Intelligence part      process flow
• Insert a Crystal Report part      process flow
• Refresh a Crystal Report part      process flow

Web Intelligence

• Set a schedule for a Web Intelligence document      process flow
• Run a schedule for a Web Intelligence document      process flow
• View a Web Intelligence document on demand      process flow
• Export a document      process flow
• Refresh a document based on a multi-source universe      process flow
• Refresh a document based on a dimensional universe      process flow
• Refresh a document in Web Intelligence Desktop in one-tier mode      process flow
• Refresh a document in Web Intelligence Desktop in two-tier mode      process flow
• Refresh a document in Web Intelligence Desktop in three-tier mode      process flow
• Refresh a document based on an SAP NetWeaver BW BEx Query using BICS connectivity      process flow
• Refresh a document based on an SAP Netweaver BW data using a relational UNX universe      process flow
• Refresh a document based on a multi-source datasource using a relational UNX universe      process flow
• Refresh a document based on OLAP data using a multidimensional UNV universe    process flow
• Refresh a document based on OLAP data using a multidimensional UNX universe    process flow

Analysis, edition for OLAP

• View an Analysis, edition for OLAP workspace      process flow

Dashboards

• View a dashboard when the query result is in the cache      process flow
• View a dashboard when the query result is not in the cache      process flow
• Design a new dashboard based on a universe      process flow
• Preview a new dashboard based on a universe      process flow
• Save a new dashboard to the platform      process flow

Design Studio

• View an SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio document (based on SAP NetWeaver BW) in a web or mobile client      process flow
• Refresh an SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio document (based on SAP NetWeaver BW) in a web or mobile client      process flow
• Refresh an SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio document (based on SAP HANA) in a web or mobile client      process flow
• Refresh an SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio document (based on a dimensional UNX universe) in a web or mobile client      process flow

Explorer

• Log on to Explorer      process flow
• Display list of information spaces in Explorer      process flow
• Display list of data sources in Explorer      process flow
• Create an information space based on Excel      process flow
• Index an information space based on Excel      process flow
• Create an information space based on a universe      process flow
• Index an information space based on a universe      process flow
• View an information space based on a universe or Excel file      process flow

Upgrade Management Tool

• Upgrade content directly from an older version of the platform      process flow
• Perform a complete upgrade      tutorial
• Perform an incremental upgrade      tutorial

Lifecycle Management

• Create a promotion job to promote content from a live source system to a live destination system      process flow
• Run a promotion job to promote content from a live source system to a live destination system      process flow

The following tutorials have been developed to help you get started using the Business Intelligence Suite products. New content is added as soon as it becomes available, so check back on a regular basis.

You can submit and vote on ideas for enhancements to this product.

• Log on to and out of an IOMS site (1:24)     interactive /video
• Navigate the interface (2:57)     interactive /video
• Set user preferences (1:32)     interactive /video
• Access help (2:11)     interactive /video

• Create or modify a folder (1:32)     interactive / video
• Upload a document (1:46)     interactive / video
• Move or copy a document (1:52)     interactive / video
• Create a category (1:58)     interactive / video
• Assign a document to a category (1:28)     interactive / video
• Delete a document, folder, or category (0:58)     interactive / video
• Create a shortcut to a document (1:34)     interactive / video
• Create a shortcut to a document in My Favorites (1:15)     interactive / video
• Search for a document (1:18)     interactive / video
• View a document (2:19)     interactive / video
• Schedule a document (2:37)     interactive / video
• View history for a document (1:01)     interactive / video
• Participate in a discussion about a document (1:39)     interactive / video
• Share a document (1:42)     interactive / video
• Export and save a document (1:09)     interactive / video

• Install IOMS (4:10)     interactive / video
• Create a site based on the SAP BusinessObjects site definition (2:05)     interactive / video
• Edit a page on an IOMS site (3:02)     interactive / video

Updating SAP BusinessObjects BI4.0 or SAP BusinessObjects BI4.1 into SAP BusinessObjects BI4.2 requires a new License Key

As of SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.2 SP2, you will need a new license key to finish up the upgrade of any earlier version of BI4.x. The new update installer will inform you with this during the initial steps of the installer as well at finalization of this installation. This document provides you the background of the new license key requirement, the process to request a new license key and the process to implement the new key.

Why is a new License Key required?

After the release of BI4.1 we learned that support messages often have been address to the wrong versions of BI4.x, leading to additional lead time before a support message reached the correct team. As the available components for selection at the creation of a support message is depending on the recorded version in the system (by the customer/partner), we can better streamline our support teams in supporting your messages slightly faster.

The new license key requires to update the system information as recorded in SAP support system, enabling both SAP and customers to gain from a improved support model.

When is a new License Key required

As not all products from the SAP BusinessObjects portfolio are impacted with the license key change, it may be confusing when a new license key is required. The following products from the SAP BusinessObjects portfolio do need a new license key when updating into BI4.2 SP02 or higher.

• SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 4.0
• SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 4.1
• SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 4.2 -> SP00 (RTM release) and SP1 (only applicable for customers that have been joining the Early Adopters Program)
• SAP BusinessObjects Information Platform Services 4.0
• SAP BusinessObjects Information Platform Services 4.1
• SAP Crystal Server 2011
• SAP Crystal Server 2013
• SAP Crystal Server 2016 -> SP00 (RTM release) and SP01 (only applicable for customers that have been joining the Early Adopters Program)
• SAP BusinessObjects BI, EDGE Edition 4.0
• SAP BusinessObjects BI, EDGE Edition 4.1
• SAP BusinessObjects BI, EDGE Edition 4.2
• SAP Data Services 4.0
• SAP Data Services 4.1
• SAP Data Services 4.2
• SAP Information Steward 4.0
• SAP Information Steward 4.1
• SAP Information Steward 4.2
• SAP BusinessObjects Live Office 4.0 (Client Install)
• SAP BusinessObjects Live Office 4.1 (Client Install)
• SAP BusinessObjects Live Office 4.2 (Client Install) -> SP00 (RTM release) and SP01 (only applicable for customers that have been joining the Early Adopters Program)
• Lumira Server for Teams 1.29 or earlier
  

The new license key requirement will only be needed the first time that you install any version of BI4.2 SP2 or higher against a version listed above. If you plan to update a BI4.2 SP2+ deployment with a higher Support Pack in the future, you will not need to update your license key anymore.

If you are running a greenfield installation, you will have the normal installation screen requesting a license key during the install. If you had any BI4.x version before, this also would require the request of a new license key.

Is there a new license/contract required?

NO, there is no new license or contract required to request the new BI4.2 License Key. Any customer/partner with a valid (maintenance) contract has the ability to request a new key. You can request the exact same license key as you have been using in your existing BI4.0 / BI4.1 deployment without the need to renegotiate your existing contract.

How to request a new License Key

You can request your new BI4.2 License Key via the normal process available on the SAP Support Portal. A step by step guide on how to request a new license key is documented in http://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/2051288

SAP strongly recommend to record all of your SAP products as deployed accordingly. If you have multiple systems like Development, Test, Quality and Prod it would be recommended to record each system. By this you would enable SAP to better support you in case of an issue.

BI4.2 SP2+ Update Install Process

The installation of the BI4.2 SP2 Update is no different from any previous patch, with the the only difference of an additional screen.

During the initial phase of the update installer you will be prompted with the following screen

You have to select the tick box before you are able to continue to the next step of the update installer.

Once the update installer is completed and showing the final screen it will provide the following post installation instruction:

Note: the post installation instruction screen is dynamic and can contain multiple instructions.

After finishing the update you need to update your license key within the Central Management Console. If you have a clustered system, you need to install the BI4.2 SP2 Update on all systems before proceeding with the next step.

Example screenshot when upgrading a BI4.1 into BI4.2 SP2 (or higher), containing multiple post installation instructions:

Entering your new BI4.2 License Key

Once all the servers in your BI Deployment have been updated to BI4.2 SP2, you have to enter the Central Management Console of your deployment.

after entering the Central Management Console of you updated BI4.2 deployment and navigate to -> Servers -> All Servers, you will notice that multiple servers are disabled and cannot be enabled. This is due to an invalid license key.

To enable your servers, you will have to enter you new 4.2 License Key. For this, navigate to the "License Key" tab of the Central Management Console.

You will be informed that the existing License Key(s) are invalid

It is important that you delete your old License Key(s) before entering your new License Key(s). If you enter your 4.2 License Key while the old keys are still in the system you will get an error while adding your license key.

In case you have multiple license keys recorded in your system OR want to execute a silent / split installation, you can remove the license keys using a script. The process to remove License Keys by script can be found in http://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/2276413

for silent and/or split installation, it would be possible to add your License Key by script as well. The process to add License Keys by script van be found in https://css.wdf.sap.corp/sap/support/notes/2281830

After you have entered you 4.2 License Key it is recommended to restart you Server Intelligent Agent (SIA) before enabling you servers. For restarting your SIA, please refer the the administrator guide available via http://help.sap.com/bobip42#section4. After the restart of you Server Intelligent Agent (SIA) you can logon to the Central Management Console (CMC) again and navigate back to "Servers -> All Servers" and enable all servers required for your deployment.

References

Command Line License Key solutions

• Adding License Keys : https://css.wdf.sap.corp/sap/support/notes/2281830
• Deleting License Keys : http://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/2276413

What's New in BI4.2

• SAP BusinessObjects BI4.2 What's New L0
• SAP BusinessObjects BI4.2 What's New L1
• SAP BusinessObjects BI4.2 What's New L2

Features by version matrix (update to BI4.2 planned for Q2)

• BI Platform Feature by Version Matrix

Best Practices for updating any BI4.0 or BI4.1 system into BI4.2

• SBOP BI 4.x Cluster Patching Guide
• SAP Business Intelligence Platform Pattern Books - Business Intelligence (BusinessObjects) - SCN Wiki

Webinars covering all things important for BI projects. Register for upcoming sessions or watch recordings of past events.

Technical Webinar Series: SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 4.x

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
	Data Federation Admin Tool – Tuning Execution of Multi-Source Universes	Mar 22	SP
	#askBI: Innovation in Core BI Solutions (hint: BI 4.2)	Mar 24
	Best Practices for the Administration of the Design Studio Add-On Part of the Design Studio Webinar Series	Apr 24	PB& PS
h
Recordings of Past Webinars		Date	Presenter
2016
	SAP BI Platform Support Tool 2.0 - Deep Dive with the Expert (recording| pdf)	Jan 19	TJ
2015
	Gain insight into your BI Platform with a new Auditing Universe and Reports (recording)	Dec 08	MS
	SAP Analytics - Integration of SAP BI Platform with SAP Design Studio (recording)	Nov 24	HJ
	What's new in SAP BI 4.2 (recording | pdf)	Oct 27	ME
	UNX Adoption - Planning & Execution (by APOS Systems) (recording | pdf)	Sep 29	FW,HJ
	Creating Relational Connections for SAP BI 4.1 for Reporting on SAP BW (recording)	Aug 04	JR
	User Authentication and Single Sign-On with BI 4.1 (recording)	Jul 21	GDL
	Sizing your BI Platform, using the SAP Sizing Tool (recording)	Jul 07	HJ
	What's new in BI 4.1 SP6 (recording | presentation)	Jun 23	ME
	Best Practices for WebI (recording)	Jun 23	JB
	A guided Tour: How to best make use of Online Resources (recording)	May 18	HB
2014
	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 XI Release 2/3.1 to 4.1 and updating From 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

What is PHASE-WISE ?

Phase-wise installation of BI 4.2 installer You can now perform the installation of BI platform 4.2 in two phases - Caching and Installation after caching.

During caching the system downtime is eliminated, which reduces the overall system downtime.This will save your time and more importantly if you have issues in INSTALL-DATA folder or any files or any issue which may arise during the update because of Cache will be minimized and your main server update will be unaffected.

Pre-requisites before proceeding :

• Ensure you take the necessary backup of CMS database and Filestore for safe side using KBA-1275068 - Backup and restore BusinessObjects Enterprise XI 3.x / BI 4.x system from one environment to another.
• Follow BEST practice KBA- 1952120 - SAP BusinessObjects (XI 3.1 and BI 4.0) Installation pre-requisites & best practices / KBA-1757132 - BI4 Support Pack Upgrade and Patch Install Best Practice Guide
• Download the correct setup for SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence (BI) platform UPDATE from Support and Patches section in SMP ( Service Market Place)
• Applicable for BI 4.2 Installers and should not be tried with BI 4.0/4.1 products.
• VERY IMPORTANT : If updating the Server from BI 4.1 ensure to check the licensee policy and requirement using link :  BI4.2 New License Key Requirement when updating from BI4.0/BI4.1

Step by Step Update using Phase-wise installation method in BI 4.2

• Navigate to command prompt ( Elevated Mode : Run as Administrator ) & Enter the location where the software is downloaded.

• Enter the setup.exe -cache <path><file name>.
  • Here I have Created "phaseresponse" folder for it : setup.exe -cache c:\phaseresponse\response.ini

In the Installation wizard window, review the instructions displayed.

"In the License Agreement window, review and accept the license agreement.In the New License Key Requirement window, review the contents of the New License Key Requirement, and select the check box I have read the documentation and understand the process to request the new license

key, and agree to add the new license key after update installation, and choose Next Note When you update your system from Business Intelligence Platform 4.2 SP1 or earlier versions to Business Intelligence Platform 4.2 SP2 or higher versions, the existing licenses behave as invalid licenses. You need

to request a new license key for Business Intelligence Platform 4.2 update from SAP Service Market Place, visit https://support.sap.com/keys-systems-installations/keys.htmlFor more information on how to request a new license key, visit http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-70095 "

After you update your system to Business Intelligence Platform 4.2 update, you must logon to Central Management Console; delete the old license key and add the new license key. Alternatively, you can run the script to delete the license keys. For more information on how to delete the license key through the script,see SAP Note 227613 Until you add the new license key in Central Management Console, certain servers are in disabled state.Once you add the new license key, navigate to Servers window, enable those servers which are in disabled state.

For more information, see Business Intelligence Platform Administrator Guide

• In the Existing CMS Deployment Information window, enter the CMS Logon Administrator Information password.

• Start Installation window apperars, To start caching, choose Next.

• Caching completed successfully screen appears. !!! Please note this Windows will be minimized in Task Bar So Please check it or it will appear that installer is hung"

During the caching process the system downtime is eliminated and servers can be up and running during this process and no changes to done.

Step by Step Starting the update :

• Once the response file is generated and caching is done then you can follow the Best practices KBA mentioned in the Pre-requisites. THIS WILL REQUIRE THE DOWNTIME AND UPDATE STRATEGY WE FOLLOW"

• Navigate to the directory where response.ini file is located.

• Edit and Enter the Remote CMS Administrator Password and save the response.ini file.

• Navigate to command prompt.Enter the location where the software is downloaded.
• Enter the setup.exe -resume_after_cache <path><file name>.
  • Here I have Created "phaseresponse" folder for it : setup.exe -resume_after_cache c:\phaseresponse\response.ini

• In the Resume installation window, choose OK

In the Post Installation Steps window, follow the instructions and choose Next

The installation of SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform 4.2 update is completed successfully.

Note

● You can experience the system downtime only during the installation after caching, hence the overall

system downtime is reduced.

● After you start the installation, the installer repairs any errors that occurred during the caching and

proceeds with the installation.

_MAHAK

This is a brief, step by step demonstration of BI Recycle bin: new functionality introduced from BI 4.2.

First step is to enable the application. To do that you will need to navigate to Applications from CMC.

Important: Right click Recycle bin Application and select properties. By default, Recycle bin functionality is off. i.e You will need to check the following Enable recycle bin and configure automatic remove files according to you need.

Now, once a user deletes a document it should show up in recycle bin.

Once done you should get a response like. Once restored the file will move to its original location similar to what happens in Windows systems.

Important links/ references:

All documents relating to BI 4.2:  SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence platform 4.2 – SAP Help Portal Page

Recycle bin documentation available in BI 4.2 Admin guide.

Please see presentation here: SAP BI Platform Support Tool 2.0 Deep Dive Webinar

Below is the Q&A with most of the responses from SAP's Joshua Kuhn:

Q: How does one enable the BI Platform Tool? Does it only work  with BI 4x?

A: Yes, BI4.x (4.0, 4.1, 4.2) are supported.  no support for XI3.1

Q: do you need to download onto the BI server or can you download to different machine such as a laptop

A: BIPST is a client side tool.  There is no need to 'enable'.  Download, extract/install, run.

the gui is only supported on Windows.  For use on linux/unix, you will need to run the command line version (I believe its planned for v2.0.1, although i'm not sure its 100% completed yet)

A: BIPST can be run from any client pc.  It does not need to run on a BI server host..  Preferrably any client pc that can already to the CMS via another BI client tool.  such as CR designer, universe designer, etc

Q: Is their any specific requirement for running the tool outside your DMZ/firewall?

A: for connecting through firewall, CMS port (usually 6400) would need to be opened to allow logins.  JMX port for connecting to tomcat.  There's a bug which should be fixed in 2.0.1 for adding a listening port for JMX.

Q:  Can you export the data and report using WebI / Lumira

A: pdf export is currently the only export format.  However, due to the nature of how the xml is formatted which holds the extracted data, reporting off of it wouldn't be optimal.  I don't want to say impossible, but the xml is structured more for the BIPST consumption than reporting consumption

Q Just a question; SAP Host agent requires a separate license it isn't?

A: no, sap host agent is free for download from any sap customer that has access to SMP.

should add, download of the host agent would require access to Service MarketPlace.  But it should be available for download for any SAP customer.

For host agent download:  SMP > Downloads > Search for Softawre > "SAP Host Agent 7.2"

Q: Could you show any tools that helps on User Security troubleshoot if there is any?

A: BIPST does include a tool called "Security Analyzer" under the tools menu which will display user/group security similar to the CMC

Q: Is most of the overhead for tool on the server or client? In terms of procession..

A: Client overhead is mostly on the client side.  There are various queries issued to the CMS which it will run against the system db.  but memory is mostly seen on the client once the data is pulled back, analyzed and written to xml

Q: The port number for JMX can be any valid port number that is not used by any other application at the time when we are configuring BIPST2.0 or is it a port number which is pre-specified before while installing BI 4.x  ?

A:  JMX is any port you define for your Tomcat server to use.  It is a setting defined in the Tomcat java params. as well as a value defined in the BIPST

Q: Is there any way the tool can re-run jobs which have failed?

A: currently, no the tool does not have the ability to schedule new or reschedule a report. For the most part, the tool will not make any changes to the environment and only reports off of it.  however this has changed recently with the authentication tools that are being added shortly.  so there might be a use case to do this in the future.  but currently, no it will not reschedule reports

Q: Can the support tool help troubleshoot issues with SSO with Win ADAuth

A: yes.  there is a an "authentication analysis" report which will output all settings for auth (AD, LDAP, SAP, Enterprise). and there are some future tools being

added to help troubleshoot those more common auth issues.

Couldn't locate question, but response is here:

A: regarding the first question.  Were you referring to "LIcense Management" ?  if so, i don't believe that is currently in the plans, but if there is a business need,

please add a feature request on the wiki.  http://scn.sap.com/community/bi-platform/remote-supportability/post!input.jspa?containerType=14&container=2086&subject=BI%20Platform%20Support%20Tool%20Enhancement%20Request%3A%20%3CSUMMARY%20OF%20REQUEST%3E

Platform BOE 4.1 on Windows

There is a limit of 90 characters for the SI_Name of an object to be translated using Translation Manager.

When an object is first published to BOE, the name of the object in the input filestore is set to a combination of the internal ids of object in the CMS database.  When the object is exported from translation manager back to the CMS, the name of the object in the filestore becomes the si_name of the object and the guid.

If the si_name exceeds the 90 character limit, the filename in the CMS will not match the name of the file in the input FRS.  When a user tries to run the report, the report can not be accessed and the object appears to be corrupt.

If this happens,

• go to the filepath shown under the object properties and get the file
  You may need another resource to get the file if you do not have access to the server
• Open the object in the design tool
• Republish the object to the CMS. 
• Before using Translation Manager, shorten the name to be less than 90 characters.
• DO NOT DELETE the un-accessible object until it has been republished.

Introduction :

This document will tell briefly about what all things we need to know to upgrade BO environment from BOXI 3.1 to BO 4.1 and migrate Crystal reports from 2008 to 2013.This BO upgradation involves migrating the contents like Web Intelligence Reports, Desktop Intelligence Reports and Crystal Reports.

Installation Configuration for BO BI 4.1 platform

• Only 64-bit Operating systems are supported
• RAM should be minimum 8GB or more
• Minimum Server Cores are 4
• Disk Space should be 15 GB and above.
• Java version is 6 and above
• Windows Installer is 3.5 and above.
• Microsoft .NET Framework is 3.5 SP1 and above.

Benefits of BO BI 4.1 platform

Unified and Highly Personalized

• Improved usability for all the BI suite applications.
• Deliver information to users when and where they need it.
• Involved with all analytic extensions which creates custom experiences.

Powerful Visualizations

• Organize your business with specialized charting
• Empower end users with visualizations
• Discover areas to optimize business

Faster more Accurate Decisions

• Create BI contents from any mobile device
• Teams  can now  deliver efficient decisions
• Simplified deployment to utilize time

Scale & Power

• Less response time irrespective of data volume
• Improved usability to build any BI applications
• Integrate with lifecycle management of SAP.

Speed to Deliver

• Enhanced design experience with latest creation wizard
• Automated universe deployment
• Improved WebI report design

Migration Plan

• Migrated Reports from BOXI 3.1 Prod to BO 4.1 Dev
• Planning Done By Testing Team

          Generation of Test Cases on the basis of which reports were run. Reports were tested and issues were logged. Estimated the efforts required

• Issue Analysis & Remediation

               Remediation team analyze and fix the issues in BO 4.1 Dev

• Testing/Remediation team

              Proper knowledge transfer and learning are shared with admin team

• Admin team

               They migrates the reports from BO 4.1 Dev to QA

• Application teams

         They perform UAT  and consults remediation team

• Go Live: Migrated reports from BO 4.1 QA to Prod   

Upgrade

Phased Approach

This approach enables User/Administrator to select the BI Content to be migrated from Source deployment to new BO 4.1 deployment. Only selected Objects will be copied to the new deployment.

This approach is effective in case of big migration.

Pros

• Upgrade content in stages
• Issues affect only the LOB upgraded
• Short downtime

Cons

• 2 systems to maintain
• Requires lockdown of Particular LOB folder

Some Useful Tools in BO landscape

Repository Diagnostic Tool (RDT)

It helps to scan for Object to file inconsistencies.

RDT provides diagnosis and repair functionalities.

Life-Cycle manager(LCM)

Migrate the content of a BI repository to another repository within the same version.

Provides Version control.

Allows to use the scripting to automate the import of objects.

Roll back to a previous stable version incase of failure.

Server Monitoring Tool

Ability to capture the runtime and historical metrics of Business Objects servers and applications.

Ensures the reporting environment is functioning normally.

Help in identifying potential problems before they occur.

Upgrade Management Tool(UMT)

Upgrade the content of BI repository from a previous version (BO XI 3.1) of SAP BO.

Can perform Complete or incremental upgrade.

Compete Upgrade upgrades all content at once

Incremental Upgrade upgrades the content in stages

Report Conversion Tool(RCT)

Migrates Desktop Intelligence reports  to  Web Intelligence (WID) format.

It publishes the converted reports to the CMS.

Auditing Tool

Helps in better understanding of the users accessing the system and the documents they are interacting with.

Estimation (Complete Migration)

The project effort that was estimated initially was different from that was actually required. During the project, it was brought to knowledge that more effort

would be needed. Therefore, effort was increased and we were able to resolve issues on time meeting the required timelines. Effort is calculated based on the

below formula.

Total Effort Calculation per report = (No of persons* No of working days in a month*Overall Duration in months)/No of reports

Not all the reports were converted successfully while migration. Therefore we calculated conversion success rate for the reports as per below formula.

Conversion Success Rate =(Total No of reports-Reports in which defects encountered)/Total No of reports.

Issues faced and Remediation applied are listed below

Learnings and Best Practices for Upgrade

•Choose autofit width to cell contents wherever possible (WebI).

•Do not create variables with same name as that of the dataprovider (WebI).

•Alerters with default values does not seem to work properly in Webi 4.1

•Cascading LOV’s in Webi does not work, have to be created manually in the universe.

•Crystal Reports is a very stable platform. Very less no. of defects

•Crystal reports font issues due to resolution difference.

•Deski converted to Webi have rendering issue with Avenir Next Font after upgarde.

Please do share your comments and feedback.

Regards,

Saurabh

As we know that BEx query condition is not working in dashboard report, then how condition can put on keyfigure to get Top-N or Bottom-N values, for this webi report can be created for Top-N and Bottom-N No of values with rank formula and same can access in dashboard using web service. Below is the step by step process.

1) Create BEx query report as per requirement.

2) Create webi report on Bex query for Top 15 Customer by using Rank function.

    a) Create webi report on Bex query(in my example it consist of Customer id, name and there turnover of the month)

    b) Right click on turnover column and Add Ranking.

     c) Now desire output of Top Ten Customer will get as below, saved the webi report on BI platform.

3) Create web service on webi report.

    a) Select report table properly and right click then ‘Publish as Web Service’ then Next

       b) Click on next and check for Filter prompt which we use for Filter in dashboard.

        c) Define Publish content(Name and description) for web service

        d) Create or select existing web service to publish new content to as web service.

         e) Now web service has been created successfully, you can see it in ‘Web Service Publisher’ Panel at the left side. The content of web service would access through WSDL URL Link refer below screen shot.

4) Open dashboard report and Add connection (Query web service) to web service.(Click on Data  and then Add Connection in menu bar or Click on manage connection in tool bar and then select Web service query(Query as web service). In the WSDL URL box, Paste WSDL URL and click on import button.

5) As per below screen shot, two block Input Values and Output Values are shown we need to provide values in ‘Input values block’ and take output values from ‘output value block’, refer below screen shots and bind input block with excel cell in which required value is given like login id, password, required prompt value, resetState (resetState and refresh are used for refresh data on selection prompt values) and Also bind output block with Excel cell to taking web service values like Header, footer and Table values.

6) Please check ‘Refresh Before Component are Loaded’ check box and check when value changes option button and bind Trigger cell with Excel, so whenever the value is changed new data is refresh from Web service.

7) Drag and Drop Dashboard components and bind it with Excel cell as per requirement and execute.

Thanks,

Kashif Ali Khan

The following tutorials have been developed to help you get started using the Business Intelligence Suite products. New content is added as soon as it becomes available, so check back on a regular basis.

You can submit and vote on ideas for enhancements to this product.

The video versions of these tutorials on YouTube include optional text captions that can be translated into a number of languages. Watch here to learn how.

Looking for eLearning for the rest of the Business Intelligence Suite? Go to sap.com/LearnBI.

Getting Started

• What's new in BI launch pad 4.0 (3:37)     interactive /video
• 4.0 FP3  What's new in BI launch pad 4.0 Feature Pack 3 (2:51)     interactive /video
• Navigate the interface (2:41)     interactive /video
• Log on to and off of BI launch pad (0:51)     interactive /video
• Access other applications (2:08)     interactive /video
• Set user preferences (3:06)     interactive /video
• Manage an inbox (1:39)     interactive /video
• Access online help (1:26)     interactive /video

Organizing Content

• Create a folder (1:17)     interactive /video
• Upload a local document (1:15)     interactive /video
• Copy or move a document (1:13)     interactive /video
• Create a category (1:04)     interactive /video
• Assign a document to a category (0:53)     interactive /video
• Delete a document (0:46)     interactive /video
• Create a shortcut to a document (0:57)     interactive /video
• Create a shortcut to a document in My Favorites (0:58)     interactive /video
• Copy a link to a document (1:03)     interactive /video
• Send a document to a BI inbox (1:13)     interactive /video

Working with Documents

• Search for a document (1:25)     interactive / video
• View a Crystal report (1:43)     interactive / video
• View a Web Intelligence document (2:14)     interactive / video
• View a dashboard (1:31)     interactive / video
• View an Analysis workspace (2:05)     interactive / video
• Pin a document for future viewing (1:04)     interactive / video
• Schedule a document (2:23)      interactive / video
• View history for a document (1:05)      interactive / video
• Export a document (0:42)     interactive / video
• Participate in a discussion about a document (1:02)     interactive / video
• 4.0 SP5  Make Web Intelligence documents, Crystal reports, and Design Studio applications accessible in SAP BusinessObjects Mobile  (2:25)     interactive/video
• 4.0 SP5  Display background images on documents in SAP BusinessObjects Mobile (1:42)     interactive/video
• 4.1 SP2  Send a document to a BI Inbox in SAP BusinessObjects Mobile (2:39)     interactive/video

Working with Other Objects

• Create a publication (2:46)     interactive /video
• 4.0 FP3  Specify dynamic recipients for a publication (2:44)     interactive /video
• Subscribe to a publication (1:53)     interactive /video
• Subscribe to an alert (2:42)     interactive /video
• Create a hyperlink (1:01)     interactive /video
• Create a BI workspace (3:18)     interactive /video

To view the full BI launch pad 4.0 playlist on Youtube, click here.

Tutorials covering all things important for BI projects. Subscribe to page - stay up-to-date!.

The following tutorials have been developed to help you get started using the Business Intelligence Suite products. New content is added as it becomes available, so check back on a regular basis.

You can submit and vote on ideas for enhancements to this product.

Looking for eLearning for the rest of the Business Intelligence Suite?  Go to sap.com/LearnBI.

space 

space

General Platform

• NEW for 4.1 SP5 View all components in BI 4.1 SP5 interactive diagram
• 4.1 View all components in BI 4.1 interactive diagram
• View all components in BI 4.0 Feature Pack 3      interactive diagram
• View all components in BI 4.0      interactive diagram
• Log on to BI launch pad      process flow
• Start the Server Intelligence Agent    process flow

Central Management Console

• Create OLAP Connections to BW      tutorial
• Set a schedule for a program object      process flow
• Run a schedule for a program object      process flow

Lumira

• NEW for 4.1 SP5 View a Lumira document  process flow
• NEW for 4.1 SP5 Refresh a Lumira document based directly on a database process flow
• NEW for 4.1 SP5 Refresh a Lumira document based on a universe (UNX)  process flow
• NEW for 4.1 SP5 Set a schedule for Lumira document  process flow
• NEW for 4.1 SP5 Run a scheduled Lumira document  process flow

Crystal Reports 2011

• Set a schedule for a report      process flow
• Run a schedule for a report      process flow
• Run a scheduled publication of a report      process flow
• View a report instance when the page is in the cache      process flow
• View a report instance when the page is not in the cache      process flow
• View a report on demand      process flow

Crystal Reports for Enterprise

• Set a schedule for a report      process flow
• Run a schedule for a report      process flow
• View a report instance when the page is in the cache      process flow
• View a report instance when the page is not in the cache      process flow
• View a report on demand      process flow

Live Office

• Insert a Web Intelligence part      process flow
• Refresh a Web Intelligence part      process flow
• Insert a Crystal Report part      process flow
• Refresh a Crystal Report part      process flow

Web Intelligence

• Set a schedule for a Web Intelligence document      process flow
• Run a schedule for a Web Intelligence document      process flow
• View a Web Intelligence document on demand      process flow
• Export a document      process flow
• Refresh a document based on a multi-source universe      process flow
• Refresh a document based on a dimensional universe      process flow
• Refresh a document in Web Intelligence Desktop in one-tier mode      process flow
• Refresh a document in Web Intelligence Desktop in two-tier mode      process flow
• Refresh a document in Web Intelligence Desktop in three-tier mode      process flow
• Refresh a document based on an SAP NetWeaver BW BEx Query using BICS connectivity      process flow
• Refresh a document based on an SAP Netweaver BW data using a relational UNX universe      process flow
• Refresh a document based on a multi-source datasource using a relational UNX universe      process flow
• Refresh a document based on OLAP data using a multidimensional UNV universe    process flow
• Refresh a document based on OLAP data using a multidimensional UNX universe    process flow

Analysis, edition for OLAP

• View an Analysis, edition for OLAP workspace      process flow

Dashboards

• View a dashboard when the query result is in the cache      process flow
• View a dashboard when the query result is not in the cache      process flow
• Design a new dashboard based on a universe      process flow
• Preview a new dashboard based on a universe      process flow
• Save a new dashboard to the platform      process flow

Design Studio

• View an SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio document (based on SAP NetWeaver BW) in a web or mobile client      process flow
• Refresh an SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio document (based on SAP NetWeaver BW) in a web or mobile client      process flow
• Refresh an SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio document (based on SAP HANA) in a web or mobile client      process flow
• Refresh an SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio document (based on a dimensional UNX universe) in a web or mobile client      process flow

Explorer

• Log on to Explorer      process flow
• Display list of information spaces in Explorer      process flow
• Display list of data sources in Explorer      process flow
• Create an information space based on Excel      process flow
• Index an information space based on Excel      process flow
• Create an information space based on a universe      process flow
• Index an information space based on a universe      process flow
• View an information space based on a universe or Excel file      process flow

Upgrade Management Tool

• Upgrade content directly from an older version of the platform      process flow
• Perform a complete upgrade      tutorial
• Perform an incremental upgrade      tutorial

Lifecycle Management

• Create a promotion job to promote content from a live source system to a live destination system      process flow
• Run a promotion job to promote content from a live source system to a live destination system      process flow

The following tutorials have been developed to help you get started using the Business Intelligence Suite products. New content is added as soon as it becomes available, so check back on a regular basis.

You can submit and vote on ideas for enhancements to this product.

• Log on to and out of an IOMS site (1:24)     interactive /video
• Navigate the interface (2:57)     interactive /video
• Set user preferences (1:32)     interactive /video
• Access help (2:11)     interactive /video

• Create or modify a folder (1:32)     interactive / video
• Upload a document (1:46)     interactive / video
• Move or copy a document (1:52)     interactive / video
• Create a category (1:58)     interactive / video
• Assign a document to a category (1:28)     interactive / video
• Delete a document, folder, or category (0:58)     interactive / video
• Create a shortcut to a document (1:34)     interactive / video
• Create a shortcut to a document in My Favorites (1:15)     interactive / video
• Search for a document (1:18)     interactive / video
• View a document (2:19)     interactive / video
• Schedule a document (2:37)     interactive / video
• View history for a document (1:01)     interactive / video
• Participate in a discussion about a document (1:39)     interactive / video
• Share a document (1:42)     interactive / video
• Export and save a document (1:09)     interactive / video

• Install IOMS (4:10)     interactive / video
• Create a site based on the SAP BusinessObjects site definition (2:05)     interactive / video
• Edit a page on an IOMS site (3:02)     interactive / video

Webinars covering all things important for BI projects. Register for upcoming sessions or watch recordings of past events.

Technical Webinar Series: SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 4.x

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
	Data Federation Admin Tool – Tuning Execution of Multi-Source Universes	Mar 22	SP
	#askBI: Innovation in Core BI Solutions (hint: BI 4.2)	Mar 24
	Best Practices for the Administration of the Design Studio Add-On Part of the Design Studio Webinar Series	Apr 24	PB& PS
h
Recordings of Past Webinars		Date	Presenter
2016
	SAP BI Platform Support Tool 2.0 - Deep Dive with the Expert (recording| pdf)	Jan 19	TJ
2015
	Gain insight into your BI Platform with a new Auditing Universe and Reports (recording)	Dec 08	MS
	SAP Analytics - Integration of SAP BI Platform with SAP Design Studio (recording)	Nov 24	HJ
	What's new in SAP BI 4.2 (recording | pdf)	Oct 27	ME
	UNX Adoption - Planning & Execution (by APOS Systems) (recording | pdf)	Sep 29	FW,HJ
	Creating Relational Connections for SAP BI 4.1 for Reporting on SAP BW (recording)	Aug 04	JR
	User Authentication and Single Sign-On with BI 4.1 (recording)	Jul 21	GDL
	Sizing your BI Platform, using the SAP Sizing Tool (recording)	Jul 07	HJ
	What's new in BI 4.1 SP6 (recording | presentation)	Jun 23	ME
	Best Practices for WebI (recording)	Jun 23	JB
	A guided Tour: How to best make use of Online Resources (recording)	May 18	HB
2014
	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 XI Release 2/3.1 to 4.1 and updating From 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

Updating SAP BusinessObjects BI4.0 or SAP BusinessObjects BI4.1 into SAP BusinessObjects BI4.2 requires a new License Key

As of SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.2 SP2, you will need a new license key to finish up the upgrade of any earlier version of BI4.x. The new update installer will inform you with this during the initial steps of the installer as well at finalization of this installation. This document provides you the background of the new license key requirement, the process to request a new license key and the process to implement the new key.

Why is a new License Key required?

After the release of BI4.1 we learned that support messages often have been address to the wrong versions of BI4.x, leading to additional lead time before a support message reached the correct team. As the available components for selection at the creation of a support message is depending on the recorded version in the system (by the customer/partner), we can better streamline our support teams in supporting your messages slightly faster.

The new license key requires to update the system information as recorded in SAP support system, enabling both SAP and customers to gain from a improved support model.

When is a new License Key required

As not all products from the SAP BusinessObjects portfolio are impacted with the license key change, it may be confusing when a new license key is required. The following products from the SAP BusinessObjects portfolio do need a new license key when updating into BI4.2 SP02 or higher.

• SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 4.0
• SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 4.1
• SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 4.2 -> SP00 (RTM release) and SP1 (only applicable for customers that have been joining the Early Adopters Program)
• SAP BusinessObjects Information Platform Services 4.0
• SAP BusinessObjects Information Platform Services 4.1
• SAP Crystal Server 2011
• SAP Crystal Server 2013
• SAP Crystal Server 2016 -> SP00 (RTM release) and SP01 (only applicable for customers that have been joining the Early Adopters Program)
• SAP BusinessObjects BI, EDGE Edition 4.0
• SAP BusinessObjects BI, EDGE Edition 4.1
• SAP BusinessObjects BI, EDGE Edition 4.2
• SAP Data Services 4.0
• SAP Data Services 4.1
• SAP Data Services 4.2
• SAP Information Steward 4.0
• SAP Information Steward 4.1
• SAP Information Steward 4.2
• SAP BusinessObjects Live Office 4.0 (Client Install)
• SAP BusinessObjects Live Office 4.1 (Client Install)
• SAP BusinessObjects Live Office 4.2 (Client Install) -> SP00 (RTM release) and SP01 (only applicable for customers that have been joining the Early Adopters Program)
• Lumira Server for Teams 1.29 or earlier
  

The new license key requirement will only be needed the first time that you install any version of BI4.2 SP2 or higher against a version listed above. If you plan to update a BI4.2 SP2+ deployment with a higher Support Pack in the future, you will not need to update your license key anymore.

If you are running a greenfield installation, you will have the normal installation screen requesting a license key during the install. If you had any BI4.x version before, this also would require the request of a new license key.

Is there a new license/contract required?

NO, there is no new license or contract required to request the new BI4.2 License Key. Any customer/partner with a valid (maintenance) contract has the ability to request a new key. You can request the exact same license key as you have been using in your existing BI4.0 / BI4.1 deployment without the need to renegotiate your existing contract.

How to request a new License Key

You can request your new BI4.2 License Key via the normal process available on the SAP Support Portal. A step by step guide on how to request a new license key is documented in https://support.sap.com/content/dam/library/SAP%20Support%20Portal/keys-systems-installations/keys/new-request-license-k…

SAP strongly recommend to record all of your SAP products as deployed accordingly. If you have multiple systems like Development, Test, Quality and Prod it would be recommended to record each system. By this you would enable SAP to better support you in case of an issue.

BI4.2 SP2+ Update Install Process

The installation of the BI4.2 SP2 Update is no different from any previous patch, with the the only difference of an additional screen.

During the initial phase of the update installer you will be prompted with the following screen

You have to select the tick box before you are able to continue to the next step of the update installer.

Once the update installer is completed and showing the final screen it will provide the following post installation instruction:

Note: the post installation instruction screen is dynamic and can contain multiple instructions.

After finishing the update you need to update your license key within the Central Management Console. If you have a clustered system, you need to install the BI4.2 SP2 Update on all systems before proceeding with the next step.

Example screenshot when upgrading a BI4.1 into BI4.2 SP2 (or higher), containing multiple post installation instructions:

Entering your new BI4.2 License Key

Once all the servers in your BI Deployment have been updated to BI4.2 SP2, you have to enter the Central Management Console of your deployment.

after entering the Central Management Console of your updated BI4.2 deployment and navigate to -> Servers -> All Servers, you will notice that multiple servers are disabled and cannot be enabled. This is due to an invalid license key.

To enable your servers, you will have to enter your new 4.2 License Key. For this, navigate to the "License Key" tab of the Central Management Console.

You will be informed that the existing License Key(s) are invalid

It is important that you delete your old License Key(s) before entering your new License Key(s). If you enter your 4.2 License Key while the old keys are still in the system you will get an error while adding your license key.

In case you have multiple license keys recorded in your system, you can remove the license keys using a script. The process to remove License Keys by script can be found in http://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/2276413

In case if you are using Web Application Container Server(WACS) as the only Web Application Server to access CMC or in case of multiple license keys need to be recorded in your system you can add your License Key(s) by script as well. The process to add License Keys by script can be found in http://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/2281830

After you have entered you 4.2 License Key it is recommended to restart you Server Intelligent Agent (SIA) before enabling you servers. For restarting your SIA, please refer the the administrator guide available via http://help.sap.com/bobip42#section4. After the restart of you Server Intelligent Agent (SIA) you can logon to the Central Management Console (CMC) again and navigate back to "Servers -> All Servers" and enable all servers required for your deployment.

References

Where and How to request License Key

• Link to access the New License Key application : https://support.sap.com/keys-systems-installations/keys.html
• Step by step guide to New License Key application: https://support.sap.com/content/dam/library/SAP%20Support%20Portal/keys-systems-installations/keys/new-request-license-keys-bobj.pdf

Command Line License Key solutions

• Adding License Keys : http://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/2281830
• Deleting License Keys : http://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/2276413

What's New in BI4.2

• SAP BusinessObjects BI4.2 What's New L0
• SAP BusinessObjects BI4.2 What's New L1
• SAP BusinessObjects BI4.2 What's New L2

Features by version matrix (update to BI4.2 planned for Q2)

• BI Platform Feature by Version Matrix

Best Practices for updating any BI4.0 or BI4.1 system into BI4.2

• SBOP BI 4.x Cluster Patching Guide
• SAP Business Intelligence Platform Pattern Books - Business Intelligence (BusinessObjects) - SCN Wiki