SAP Webi Interview Questions and Answers

• BO XI R1
• BO XI R2
• BO XI R3
• BO XI R3.1
• BO XI R3.2

Deski is not available in BO 4.x

IDT is introduced to support multiple data sources

Import Wizard is no longer available in BO 4.x

Bo 4.x is 6 layered architecture as compared to BOXI R3 5layer architecture.

Using Report Conversion Tool

A Personal connection is created by one user and cannot be used by other users. The connection details are stored in PDAC.LSI file.

A shared connection can be used by other users through a shared server. The connection details are stored in SDAC.LSI file in the Business Objects installation folder. However, one cannot set rights and securities on objects in a shared connection. Neither can a Universe to exported to repository using a shared connection.

A secured connection overcomes these limitations. Through it rights can be set on objects and documents. Universes can be exported to the central repository only through a secured connection. The connection parameters in this case are saved in the CMS.

BI Launchpad is a Java or HTML based interface of Business Objects tool to perform analytical reporting and data analysis. You can set the preference for your BI Launchpad which determines which tool interface is launched via Launchpad.

Using Web or Internet Application to access WebI interface via BI Launchpad, you can perform the below tasks −

Create, edit and refresh all the reports in Web Intelligence.

Create and edit all the queries in no data source (Universes) but not BEx queries in Web application.

It is three layered architecture −

Database layer – This layer defines multiple SAP and non-SAP data sources.

Semantic Layer – This layer defines multidimensional data model.

Presentation Layer – This layer defines where data is presented to end users.

Various data sources can be used to create analytical and ad-hoc reports

There are three different application modes that can be used to build the queries, create documents and to analyse the reports. When you open an existing report below modes are available −

Data Application Mode

Reading

Design

Universe

Flat files in .csv or .xls format

BEx queries

Analysis View

.unx- File created with Information Design Tool

.unv- File created in Universe Design Tool

You can select from list of available objects as per your access permissions. You may not be able to use few of the objects cos of permission.

In query panel, you have Universe outline in left pane and Result objects, query filters, data preview panels in main pane.

A query filter contains:

• An object
• An operator
• An operand

BICS Business Intelligence Consumer Service. BICS connectivity is the recommended way for BI tools to connect to Business Explorer (BEx) queries on the SAP NetWeaver BW server.

• WID
• PDF
• Excel
• Excel 2007
• CSV Achieve
• TXT File

Classes are used to group similar objects in a report. A class can contain one or more subclasses.

Subclasses contains further subcategory of objects in upper level of a class.

Classes are used to organize objects in some logical manner. While creating queries on Universe you can find the information on objects that you have to use in query.

You can create Webi documents based on BEx (business Exchange Queries) created by BEx Query Designer which is based on Info Cube in SAP BW system. You can connect to a BEx query in WebI with use of BICS BI consumer service connection. You need not to create Universe for BEx queries and all attributes, hierarchies, dimensions and measures are automatically mapped in WebI document.

Query filters are used to limit the rows returned in a WebI document. Query filters allow you to hide the data that you don’t want to show to specific people and also limit the size of. wid document. When you run a query, it only returns the rows that meet the query filter definition.

Below are the key features used in Query filter −

You can retrieve data as per specific business requirement.

You can hide the data that you don’t want specific users to see in a WebI document.

Limit the size of WebI document of network and hence provides performance optimization.

• A query filter limits the data returned from the database.
• A block filter allows selected data to display in a single block and hides the other data.
• A report filter allows selected data to display in a page and hides the other data. The report filter applies to all data blocks on the page.

Query filters are applied in Query Panel and they are used to limit the number of rows from data sources and to return the same in document.

Report filters are applied at report level on reports, tables, charts, etc. These filters are not used to limit the data retrieval from the data source and only hide certain values at report level.

• A section impacts the whole report page; a break impacts the table or crosstab to which you
• apply the break.
• A section allows you to display multiple blocks of data on the same page. A break does not
• allow you to display multiple blocks of data on the same page.

Prompt is defined as special filter for users which allows them to enter a value every time data is refreshed in the document.

Using prompts, you have multiple users viewing one document to display different sub set of data in database. Prompts allow you to retrieve the data from database and reduce the time.

Prompts are created in Query Panel

Context defines a particular join path between tables or a specific group of joins for a particular query. Any objects created on a table column which belong to specific contexts is naturally compatible with all other objects from same contexts.

Contexts may be created using detect contexts feature or manually. They are generally created based on logical calculation and business requirements, hence the detect context method is not very effective. To manually create a context, Go to Insert Context, give the context name and select the joins that should be present in the context. For a universe context should be created in a way that all joins (except shortcut joins) fall in at least one context.

Aggregate awareness function is used in scenarios where we have same fact tables in different grains. Using this function, we can define only one object for the measures in the fact tables.

aggregate_aware(highest_level,lower level)

We also need to define dimensions for associated granularities and define their incompatibilities with the corresponding facts through the aggregate navigation. This is accesses through Tools → Aggregate Navigation.

Use

They are used to enhance the performance reports by utilizing arrogate tables available at database and are applied at Universe level as function.

Subqueries provides you a more flexible option to filter the data as compared to an ordinary query filter. Using Subqueries, you can limit the values returned with a WHERE clause. You can also compare the values of objects in a subquery with the other objects.

Using Subqueries, you can implement complex logic to limit the size of data which are not possible to apply with simple query filters.

They are used in Query panel.

Database ranking is done by editing the script generated by query. If you database doesn’t support ranking, then option to create ranking will not highlight in query panel.

Also note that Ranking can’t be created on hierarchical data.

Hierarchical data is defined a data with Parent-child relationship and you can analyze the data at different levels of hierarchy.

All the measures that are associated with hierarchical data are aggregated as per object level in hierarchy.

Section breakup the data into multiple cells that are called Section headers and Each Section header contains a value for dimension and data corresponding to dimension value.

Break is used divides the data up into one block and each column carries dimension, attributes and measures and these values are repeated for each other row values in the block.

• A dimension displays values that report users want to see in their documents. You can use a dimension for a scope of analysis. You can merge a dimension with a dimension from another data source to synchronize two different data sources.
• A detail provides additional, complementary information to the information contained in a dimension and must be associated with a dimension. A detail cannot serve in a scope of analysis or merge with an object from another data source to synchronize two different data sources.

Query stripping feature optimizes the query to fetch only DATA which will be directly or indirectly rendered or displayed to the User, thus decreasing the response time and faster display of the report for the user. This feature is only available for OLAP universes, and it will be greyed out when using any RDBMS universe. It is used in Query panel.

• Bar
• Box
• Column
• Line
• Map
• Radar
• Pie
• Waterfall

A query filter limits the data returned from the database.

A block filter allows selected data to display in a single block and hides the other data.

A report filter allows selected data to display in a page and hides the other data. The report filter applies to all data blocks on the page.

Respect the following rules

• Object names can differ.
• The data type for the merged objects must be the same.
• Data must have the same case because the data provider is case-sensitive.
• You can only synchronize on dimensions.
• You can only display measures with synchronized dimensions. When you use them for another purpose, duplicate values appear.

Conditional Formatting is used to highlight some specific values in the report. If you want you can show specific low or high values with some specific colors. Conditional formatting can be applied to below elements −

• Rows in horizon tables
• Columns in Vertical tables
• Cells in forms and cross tables
• Sections
• Free Holding Cells

Condition formatting can be used to make these formatting changes −

• Text Color
• Size and Style
• Cell Border
• Color
• Size and Style
• Cell backgrounds

• Equal To
• Not Equal To
• Different from Operator
• Greater Than
• Greater Than or Equal To
• Less Than
• Less Than or Equal To
• Between
• Not Between
• In List
• Not in List
• Is Null
• Is Not Null

The input context is the list of dimensions that are included in the calculation itself.

Lastname+ “, “ + Firstname

To override a report filter or a ranking

By using Create Hyperlink dialog box

To use HANA tables for report creation, Use Universe Designer to create Universe using a Relational connection to HANA database.