Business Object local ODBC connections and server ODBC connections
| Applies to: | SAP BusinessObjects |
| Author: | Sergiu Iatco |
| Created on: | 27 August 2013 |
The article explains mainly what to expect when creating a local project which uses local ODBC connection and what is required to make a published to Repository universe to extract data.
Assume local PC operating system is:
Create ODBC connections:
Find location C:\Windows\SysWOW64\odbcad32.exe | Find location C:\Windows\system32\odbcad32.exe |
Create shortcut  | Create shortcut  |
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Run shortcut odbc WOW64 Create ODBC connection  | Run shortcut odbc system32 Create ODBC connection  |
Run shortcut odbc WOW64 Create ODBC connection  You notice that _u32 is available. Thus ODBCs in User DSN are common. | Run shortcut odbc system32 Create ODBC connection  You notice that _u64 is available. Thus ODBCs in User DSN are common. |
Run shortcut odbc WOW64 Create ODBC connection  | Run shortcut odbc system32 Create ODBC connection  |
Simulate creation of Relational Connection with Generic ODBC Drivers
You may notice available ODBC connections in Data Source Name
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| s32 is missing |  |
In Information Design Tool when you create a Relational Connection directly in Repository you will notice that ODBC _s32 is missing, but all other ODBC connections: _s64, _u64, _u32 can be used on local PC and they will extract data. Using Relational connection you can build the other components Data Foundation and Business layer. As long as you run reports on your on local PC you may use any of those available ODBC connections. However if you intend to publish a project to Repository to make it available over network then you have to consider one very important thing, you have to use only ODBC _s64. When you publish the project to repository ODBC connection is not published, you have to define ODBC _s64 on sever exactly as on local PC with “odbc WOW64”. Use a Remote Desktop Connection to connect to server.
If in Web Intelligence Application in query panel you get error WIS10901 then you have to define on server ODBC connection _s64 with “odbc system32”.
Assume server operating system is:
Since server operating system is Windows Server the ODBC have to work in same manner on server.
Install on server Information Design Tool client in order to confirm this.
You have to connect remotely to server and create all ODBC connections and then in IDT you have to create Relational Connections, Data Foundation and Business layer to extract data.
At first glance, working remotely on server as on local PC does not make to much sense.
What make sense? Probably makes sense followings:
- To use a connection from server with data located on server
- To test a connection created locally and published to Repository
Mainly the scope of local project is to finally publish it to repository and make it available over network. As where specified above to achieve this you have to define an ODBC _s64 on local PC and then using a Remote Desktop Connection to define exactly ODBC _s64 on server.
The second very important thing to consider is that WIA uses server ODBC and WIRC uses local ODBC.
Web Intelligence Rich Client (WIRC) running as an application
Web Intelligence Application (WIA) running in Internet Explorer
In order to confirm this create an ODBC _se64 (see below).
On server (Windows Server, 64 bit) | On local PC (Windows 7, 64 bit) |
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Create Repository Relational Connection, Data Foundation and Business Layer:
Publish Business Layer to Repository:
Create report bob in WIA and Run WIA from local PC | Run WIRC from local PC with same report bob created in WIA |
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Data from report confirms that WIA uses server ODBC and WIRC uses local ODBC.
In above case C:\ location has been used to point out which ODBC is used when running WIRC (local ODBC) or WIA (server ODBC). Of course, it is obvious that instead of C:\ location on local PC and C:\ location on server you may use also unique network location, for instance \\serv\data\bob.xls. Note that file bob.xls is locked for modification for some time (15 min) even after the report has been closed. However if you use *.mdb file instead of *.xls you may modify it any time.
Returning to the idea of IDT client on server, one may conclude that working directly on server you have to configure the ODBC only on server and after publishing the universe, reports can be created with WIA on server or local (local PC). Working with local WIRC requires local ODBC configuration, which may be accessed (tested) with local IDT.
If the source is Microsoft SQL Server you may use OLE DP Providers instead of ODBC driver, thus avoiding all consequences of local and server requirements. Creating Relational Connection with Microsoft OLE DB Providers could require additional installation.
SQLEXPR_x86_ENU.exe 110.4 MB or SQLEXPR_x64_ENU.exe 122.4 MB
One may found documentation with tough explanations of how BOB, ODBC, applications and operating systems interact. However, the idea of article is to answer with print screens of how mainly ODBC works when defining local connection and then publishing that to server to access reports over the network.
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