SAP BusinessObjects Mobile BI – Top reasons to upgrade to SAP BI 4.1 release

CMC and BILaunchPad Integration
In 4.1 release, you will have the ability to configure security policies via CMC, ability to configure categories for content management via CMC and the ability to Mobile enable and manage documents properties via BI Launch Pad (starting with BI 4.1 SP01 release and above).

Security Enhancements

Security enhancements such as support for confidential category within personal and sub-categories

2. SAP BusinessObjects Mobile BI Server side

Mobile Log Folder

This version delivers a dedicated folder to store Mobile server logs. To debug Mobile server related errors, access Mobile server logs folder.

Security Policies Configuration

You can configure server policies in server.properties file. The server policies configured in the configuration server will be applicable to the clients connecting to any connection via this configuration server.

Multiple Operating System Support

Along with Windows and LINUX operating system, the Mobile server web applications can be auto deployed on AIX and Solaris operating system. For more information, refer Auto-Deployment of Mobile Server section in 4.1 Mobile Server Deployment and Configuration Guide.

Replacement of Mobile Services

Implementation steps for Mobile BI Server has been changed in this release. Mobile Authentication server (VAS) and Mobile Job server (VMS) used for BlackBerry solution are replaced by the Mobile BI Web application server (MobileBIService.war). Therefore, all the server requests from the mobile client devices, such as Android device (smart phone or tablet), iOS, and BlackBerry are now handled by the Web Application (MobileBIService.war).

Note:

* Replacement of Mobile Services was first introduced in SAP BI 4.0 release.

** For complete list of changes including system files changes and how these were affected in the previously available VAS and VMS servers, refer the the 4.1 Mobile Server Deployment and Configuration Guide (link is available in the reference section below)..

Managing Mobile BI Server

The following table summarizes the managing the Mobile BI server by feature / functionality across three versions of SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform;

3. SAP BusinessObjects Mobile BI Client side enhancements

There are two important things when it comes to Mobile BI Client

1. The Mobile BI application features and capabilities as a container

2. Mobile consumable BI contents such as Web Intelligence, Dashboards etc.

The enhancements listed below are mostly about content type related and for client app related enhancements, please refer the latest SAP BusinessObjects Mobile BI App release notes.

Enhancements by BI content types

Followings are some of the key enhancements, new features / functionalities introduced in SAP BI 4.1 release;

SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence

• Support for lSI, lSM and lSR parameters with OpenDoc URL
• Support for OpenDoc across different BI artifacts
• Support for Multi Column LOV’s
• Support for downloading Latest instance / Document whichever is latest while adding a document to Home
• Support to Disable Refresh Icon on Device, if user doesn't have refresh rights on document

SAP BusinessObjects Explorer

• Listing of Explorer Information Spaces and E-Views
• Grouping of Information Spaced and E-Views via Category approach
• Support for Security Configurations

Note:

Starting with SAP BusinessObjects Mobile BI 5.0 release, you can access Explorer contents (InfoSpaces and Exploration Views) in the same App as Web Intelligence, Dashboards etc. thus eliminates the need to have two Apps on your device.

SAP BusinessObjects Dashboards

• Support for Dashboards on Android
• Support for Dashboards with Query as Web service (both iOS and Android) and Flash Variables (iOS only)
• Support for Waterfall and Bubble Plot charts (both iOS and Android)

Mobile Client Audit Options

Using the Audit log files, you can view the activities performed specifically by Mobile client application (from the device).

Migration -  Upgrade

Upgrade Paths

We are looking at couple of upgrade paths to SAP BI 4.1 release;

Upgrade Steps

Steps to be performed prior to Upgrade

Back-up the important files and components such as Clientsettings, Mobi and SUP property files  “[AppServer_Install_Dir]\webapps\MobileBIService\WEB-INF” depends upon your Mobile system landscape.

Steps to be performed post Upgrade

Using the new CMC approach- by default with BI 4.1 release, the mobile configuration for content management is moved under “CMC – Applications – SAP BusinessObjects Mobile”. Therefore to make use the new approach;

• Make sure the values in property files (that are backed-up before upgrade) and the parameters in “CMC – Applications – SAP BusinessObjects Mobile – Right click and Select properties”  are identical

OR to continue using the Property File approach;

• Browse to the following location and open "web.xml" in any text editor

       "<BOE_INSTALL_DIR>\<ENTERPRISE_Dir>\warfiles\webapps\MobileBIService\WEB-INF\" 

• By default, the value set for "mobile.server.configuration.location" in "web.xml" is "boe", which directs the mobile server to read the configuration set on application (SAP BusinessObjects Mobile) properties in CMC. You will have to set the value of this property to "local", if you want to continue using the property file based approach of mobile server.

               <context-param> 

                     <description> local-if configuration on mobile server, boe-ifconfiguration on boe </description>

                     <param-name>mobile.server.confituration.location</param-name>                   

                     <param-value>local</param-value>             

                </context-param>

• From this release onwards, mobile configuration properties files are not getting shipped by defatult with the mobile server package. Ensure to have "mobile.properties" and "ClientSettings.properties" files at the following location with the desired properties required for your mobile server:

          "<BOE_INSTALL_DIR>\<ENTERPRISE_Dir>\warfiles\webapps\MobileBIService\WEB-INF\config\custom".              

          Sample:                 

               mobi.properties file:                                  

                    default.corporateCategory=Mobile                                 

                    default.personalCategory=Mobile                                  

                    default.category.mobileDesigned=MobileDesigned                                       

                    default.category.secure=Confidential                                   

                    default.category.featured=Feature                                  

                    ...                   

                ClientSettings.properties file:                                  

                    default.corporateCategory=Mobile                                 

                    savePassword=true                                  

                    offlineStorage=true                                  

                    offlineStorage.ttl=365                                  

                    offlineStorage.appPwd=true  

• Using WDeploy, redeploy the MobileBIService web application.

Reference:

• Refer the 4.1 Mobile Server Deployment and Configuration Guide @ https://websmp102.sap-ag.de/~sapidb/011000358700000508552013E/sbo41_mob_inst_deploy_en.pdf
• Refer the feature matrix document available here for complete list of features by content type, mobile operating systems @ http://help.sap.com/businessobject/product_guides/sbo41/en/5x_mobiOSandr_featcomp_en.pdf
• Refer the SCN article for SAP BI 4.0 upgrade related @ http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-43249