Professional Documents
Culture Documents
BUSINESSOBJECTS is an integrated query, reporting and analysis solution for business professionals that allow
them to access the data in their corporate databases directly from their desktop and present and analyze this
information in a BUSINESSOBJECTS document.
It is an OLAP tool that high-level management can use as a part of a Decision Support Systems (DSS).
BUSINESSOBJECTS makes it easy to access the data, because you work with it in business terms that are familiar
to you, not technical database terms like SQL.
How many modes are there in BO & Designer? (KPIT Infotech, Pune)
There are 2 types: Enterprise Mode, Workgroup Mode.
Q. How do you save a Business Objects document, which can be accessed by all users in workgroup mode?
If we want to make a universe accessible to another designer working without a repository, then click the Save as
Workgroup check box in the Save as universe dialog box.
4. What is a macro?
A macro is a series of commands and functions that are stored in a Visual Basic for Applications module
and can be run whenever you need to perform the task. If you perform a task repeatedly, you can
automate the task with a macro. You create macros using the Visual Basic Editor.
5. What is an add-in?
Add-ins are programs that add optional commands and features to BUSINESSOBJECTS. Add-ins are usually
created by those responsible in your company for adding customized features to BUSINESSOBJECTS. All
you probably need to do is install and uninstall add-ins that are sent to you.
DESIGNER
Page 1 of 22
Universe provides a semantic layer between you and the database. It consists of classes and objects
named in business terms. It is basically a mapping of table and the columns in the database to classes
and objects respectively in the query panel.
Alternatively, It is logical mapping of data in business terms.
In the BusinessObjects User module, universes enable end users to build queries from which they can
generate and perform analysis. Universes isolate end users from the complexities of the database
structure as well as the intricacies of SQL syntax.
7. What are the types of connections we use when connecting to the database? (KPIT Infotech, Pune)
There are three types of connections namely: - Secured, Shared and Personal.
A secured connection is used to centralize and control access to sensitive or critical data. It is the safest
type of connection for protecting access to data.
A shared connection is used to access common resources such as universes or documents. Several users
can thus use it.
A personal connection is specific to one user and can be used only from the computer on which it was
created.
Page 2 of 22
8. What are classes/objects?
An object maps to data or a derivation of data in the database. For the purposes of multidimensional
analysis, an object can be qualified as one of three types: a dimension, detail, or measure.
A universe is a set of classes and objects intended for a specific application or group of users.
When creating universes, universe designers define and qualify objects. The qualification of an object
reveals how it can be used in analysis in reports. An object can be qualified as a dimension, a detail, or a
measure.
A dimension object is the object being tracked; in other words, it can be considered the focus of the
analysis. A dimension can be an object such as Service, Price, or Customer.
Dimension objects retrieve the data that will provide the basis for analysis in a report. Dimension objects
typically retrieve character-type data (customer names, resort names, etc.), or dates (years, quarters,
reservation dates, etc.)
A detail object provides descriptive data about a dimension object (or attribute of a dimension). It is
always associated with a specific dimension object. However, a detail object cannot be used in drill
down analysis. E.g. Address & phone number can be attributes about the customer dimension.
Countr Year
y
Region Quarte
r
City Month
Page 3 of 22
How to create hierarchies in BO? (KPIT Infotech, Pune)
A hierarchy, which the designer sets up when creating the universe, consists of dimension objects ranked
from “less detailed” to “more detailed”. The objects that belong to hierarchies are the ones you can use
to define scope of analysis.
Creating hierarchies
You can create your own custom hierarchies from any dimensions available in
the report. The dimensions you include in a hierarchy can be local variables,
derived variables, or dimensions returned by data providers.
Note: You can also use a date-type user object as the basis for a time hierarchy.
For information on user objects see “Creating User Objects” on page 78.
To create a custom hierarchy
1. Click the Hierarchies command on the Analysis menu.
The Hierarchy Editor opens.
2. In the Hierarchy Editor, click New.
3. Type the name of the new hierarchy, then click outside the name box.
4. In the Available Dimensions box, click the first dimension for the new
hierarchy, then click Add.
The dimension you clicked appears in the new hierarchy's folder in the
Available Hierarchies box.
5. Add the other dimensions you want to include and then click OK.
With certain database structures, you may need to use contexts rather than aliases to resolve loops. A
situation where this commonly occurs is a transactional database with multiple fact tables (“multiple
stars”) that share lookup tables.
Of course, the reliability of the technique depends on the accuracy of the aggregate tables. In fact, they
must be refreshed at the same time as all fact tables. A universe that is “aggregate aware” has one or
more aggregate objects with alternative definitions based on these tables. These definitions correspond
to levels of aggregation. For example, a Profit object can be aggregated by month, by
quarter, or by year. Queries built from such a universe return information aggregated to the
appropriate level at optimal speed.
Aggregate awareness is a feature that makes use of predefined aggregate tables to enhance the
performance of SQL transactions. It is used to improve the speed by which aggregates are calculated in
the database.
To set up aggregate awareness in a universe, you define one or more objects using the
@Aggregate_Aware function. The syntax for this function is as follows:
@Aggregate_Aware(aggregate_table_1, ... aggregate_table_n)
The arguments of this function are all the names of alternative aggregate tables. When you formulate
the syntax, you should be aware of the order of the arguments. The precedence is from left to right; this
Page 4 of 22
means that BusinessObjects determines the aggregate to use beginning from the leftmost argument. As a
general rule, you should enter the most aggregate table as the first argument, the next most aggregate
table as the second argument, and so on. You must then use the Aggregate Navigation editor to set up a
list of incompatible objects and/or incompatible conditions for each aggregate table in your universe.
These are the components that cannot be used with an aggregate table. You can either set up these lists
manually, or cause the list of objects to be detected by Designer.
When an object is at the same or higher level of aggregation as the table, it is compatible with the table.
When an object is at a lower level of aggregation than the table (or if it is not at all related to the
table), it is incompatible with the table.
16. I have Customer dimension table and a fact table with cust_to_ship_key and cust_to_bill_key. How do I
get the corresponding customer names?
Create an Alias table for Customer dimension table. Join the cust_to_ship_key with a customer key of
Actual customer table and join the cust_to_bill_key with customer key of the Alias.
Built-in Strategies: Designer provides a number of default strategies which we can use. These are
strategies for extracting joins, detecting cardinalities, and creating default classes and objects. Options
for indicating default strategies are located in the Database tab of the Options dialog box.
External Strategies: We can also create our own strategies. Such strategies are referred to as external
strategies. With an external strategy, we can specify the exact way that objects and joins are to be
extracted from the database structure. The strategy we use, for example, can be a script generated from
a CASE Access tool. An external strategy is specific to one RDBMS.
Page 5 of 22
a name and description (These are visible in the Strategies tab of the Universe Parameters dialog box.)
a type parameter: object or join
an SQL parameter or file parameter
an optional parameter that points to a connection other than the universe connection.
An external strategy can be based on SQL or a file.
Page 6 of 22
When To Use Contexts Instead Of Aliases
There is no strict rule to follow for resolving loops. However, whenever possible you should use an alias instead
of a context. When you use a context, you expose the BUSINESSOBJECTS end user to the database structure.
They are forced to decide which context they want to use to run their query. The role of the universe is to shield
end users from the database structure, so they do not have to make such decisions.
29. How many types of join are available? (KPIT Infotech, Pune)
Designer supports the following types of joins: equi-joins, outer joins, theta joins, and shortcut joins.
A Theta join links tables based on a relationship other than equality between two columns.
@Function Purpose
Page 7 of 22
@Aggregate_Aware is used to enhance the performance of SQL transactions; i.e. it determines which
tables to use in SQL generation: either aggregate tables or detailed tables.
@Prompt is used to create an interactive object. In the Query Panel, this type of object
causes a message to appear that prompts the end user to enter a specific value.
@Script is used to recover the results of an executed macro created with the Visual Basic
Editor in the BusinessObjects User module.
@Select lets you re-use the Select statement of an existing object
@Variable is used to reference the value assigned to a name or variable.
@Where lets you re-use the Where clause of an existing object.
Because a join represents a bi-directional relationship, it must always have two cardinalities.
If you selected the Detect cardinalities in joins options in the Database tab of the Options dialog box,
Designer detects and retrieves the cardinalities of the joins. If you do not use this option, you can still
retrieve the cardinalities for one or all joins in the universe.
Page 8 of 22
34. What are linked universes? (Designer’s Guide, 246) (Mascot, MBT, KPIT Infotech Pune)
Linked universes are universes that share common components such as parameters, classes, objects, or
joins. Among linked universes, one universe is said to be the kernel or master universe while the others
are the derived universes.
A kernel or master universe represents a re-usable library of components. Derived universes may contain
some or all the components of the kernel or master universe, in addition to any components that have
been added to it.
Approaches to linking universes
You can use one of three approaches when linking universes:
• The kernel approach
• The master approach
• The component approach
Q. How many types of Linked universes are there, and what are they? (ITC)
Answered above
SUPERVISOR
Page 9 of 22
• A security domain, which contain the definition of the other domains as well as the definition of
users
• Universe domains, which are meta-models of related databases, containing a description of the
data to be accessed
• Document domains, which contain the structures for storing shared documents and for executing
tasks according to a time stamped definition.
Define users and user groups, as well as assign profiles to them. User profiles include user identification
(user name and password), the products and modules they can work with, the universes they can access,
and the documents that they can share.
Control user access to Business Objects products, and manage the exchange and distribution of the
universe and documents of all the users.
USER MODULE
41. Can one create a report having two Data Provider each pointing to different Universes?
Yes.
Page 10 of 22
When BROADCAST AGENT publishes a BO document in a channel, it converts the document to HTML
format and simultaneously updates the channel’s CDF file so channel subscribers via IE4 can view the
document.
SCHEDULING/PUBLISHING RELATED
Like Business Objects, with WebIntelligence, you can access the data in your corporate databases or
data warehouses from within your office, home, or around the world, using your corporate intranet,
extranet, or the World Wide Web.
Q. What are the different tools in Business Objects 5.1? (AG technologies)
Page 11 of 22
• Save as PDF
• Add hyperlinks to reports
Zero Administration BusinessObjects
Q. Explain the Reporting features in Business Objects reporting tool? (AG Technologies)
Page 12 of 22
What situations require you to link data providers?
BUSINESSOBJECTS automatically links data providers with a common dimension. Two dimensions in separate data
providers are common when they belong to the same universe and have the same name. BUSINESSOBJECTS
prompts you to link data providers if there is no common dimension between the data providers.
Tip: If you simply want to add columns of data to a report, use the Edit Data Provider command on the Data
menu instead of building a new query. This method lets you add result objects to the initial query;
BUSINESSOBJECTS automatically inserts the new columns of data in the report or creates a new report.
What is scope of analysis? (BO User’s guide,65) (Mascot, KPIT Infotech, Pune)
Analysis means looking at data from different viewpoints and on different levels of detail. In reports, you can use
scope of analysis to ensure that the data included in your report can be displayed at the appropriate level of
detail for your analysis. Setting a scope of analysis allows you to work in drill mode, which enables you to display
data in progressively greater detail. “Scope of analysis” means a subset of data, returned by a query, that you
will use for analysis in your report. The data for your scope of analysis does not appear in
the report until you decide that you want to use it in analysis. The scope of analysis you can define depends on
hierarchies in the universe. A hierarchy, which the designer sets up when creating the universe, consists of
dimension objects ranked from “less detailed” to “more detailed”. The objects that belong to hierarchies are the
ones you can use to define scope of analysis.
Applying conditions
A condition is a way of limiting the data that a query returns.
When universe designers build universes, they can create predefined
Predefined conditions for you to use. For example, the Island Resort Marketing
conditions universe contains predefined conditions such as Year 98, which lets
you obtain reservations for 1998 only. You can apply one or more
predefined conditions when you build a query. However, you can
neither delete predefined conditions from a universe, nor can you
edit their definition.
Simple Conditions Enable you to limit data returned by a result object. For example,
you can find out about certain customers by applying a simple
condition on the Customer object, then selecting the customer
names that appear in a dialog box.
Complex Conditions Enable you to limit the query results by any object in the Universe.
Page 13 of 22
3. Choose the query you want to use in the Data Providers list, then click the Definition tab.
4. Click the button to the right of the current universe name.
5. In the dialog box that appears, select the universe you want to use, then click OK.
6. Click the Results tab, then Refresh.
7. Click OK to close the Data Manager.
Note: Scheduling reports containing user objects is not a supported feature. User objects are removed when
the report is refreshed.
A group of conditions consists of two or more conditions applied on the same query. In the Conditions box in the
Query Panel, conditions are linked by an operator (AND or OR).
Page 14 of 22
Note: Building combined queries allows you to combine or exclude data from the query result by using operators
to combine the results of multiple queries. You can contrast this with using the In list and Not in list operators
when you apply a complex condition on a query. The In list and Not in list operators include or exclude data from
a query result based on a list of values that you enter.
Operators used to combine queries are Union, Intersection and Minus.
Note: You can only work in drill mode if you have installed the EXPLORER option with BUSINESSOBJECTS.
Client/Server connection
If you are using a BUSINESSOBJECTS client/server connection offline and not connected to a repository, you can
still work with documents and universes stored locally on your computer and even create and refresh documents
if you have a connection to the database, and the database connection and security information is stored on your
computer.
Web connection
If you are using a web connection offline, you will not be able to retrieve documents from, and send documents
to, Personal Document folders on the web server, and will not be able to create queries or refresh documents
because all the database and connection information is stored on the web server.
In offline mode, you can continue to work on documents stored locally; you can work on the formatting of your
reports or analyze data in existing reports, for example, and work with the data contained in the document to
build new reports. If BUSINESSOBJECTS cannot establish the connection you requested with the web server, it
may give you the option of starting BUSINESSOBJECTS in offline mode if your user rights allow you to work
offline.
Page 15 of 22
No remote connection
You may also choose to start BUSINESSOBJECTS in offline mode because you know you have no remote connection
at all - for example, on a plane - and want to continue to work on documents you have stored locally. Note: The
right to use BUSINESSOBJECTS offline is given to you by your BUSINESSOBJECTS supervisor or system
administrator. Depending on how BUSINESSOBJECTS has been set up in your company, you may not even have the
option of logging on to BUSINESSOBJECTS in offline mode.
Tables: BUSINESSOBJECTS tables display data in either rows or in columns and have a header and a footer.
Header and footer rows and columns are special rows and columns. The header displays information about the
row or column e.g. a label or the name of the variable whose values are displayed. The footer displays
calculations on the values displayed in the columns or rows.
Crosstab tables: A crosstab is a particular kind of table where data is displayed in columns and in rows.
Corresponding data appears at the intersection of the columns and rows; this part of the crosstab is called the
body. The body typically displays numerical data. A crosstab can display both row totals and column totals as
well as a grand total. You need at least three variables to display data in a crosstab including one measure. The
measure is placed in the body of the crosstab.
Free-Standing Cells: BUSINESSOBJECTS reports have two types of cell: cells that make up tables and
freestanding cells. A free-standing cell is a single cell that is not attached to any other report component and
can be moved and formatted individually. Free-standing cells have many uses in BUSINESSOBJECTS reports. They
are containers for text, calculations or graphics and are used among other things for report titles, for adding
comments and for displaying page numbers.
Page 16 of 22
What are master/detail reports?
Master/detail reports enable you to split large blocks of data into sections. This type of presentation allows you
to avoid repeating values and also to display subtotals.
Ignoring filters
You can force BUSINESSOBJECTS to ignore any filters you have inserted on a report so that when you make a
calculation, the calculation is made on all the data, not just the filtered values. To do this, you use the
NoFilter function. The syntax is: =NoFilter(formula)
Highlighting Data: using Alerter Note: You cannot use alerters on charts.
What is a break?
A break does what its name implies. It breaks up the data in a table or crosstab by grouping the data according to
a selected value. This allows you to display all the data for each value of a dimension variable together, and
more importantly, it allows you to display subtotals.
Page 17 of 22
Calculations
BUSINESSOBJECTS has standard calculation functions that enable you to make quick calculations on the data in
reports. These calculations are available directly from a menu. The most commonly used calculations are also
available on the Report toolbar.
Hierarchies
Objects are also organized in this way for drilling. When you analyze data in drill mode, you use hierarchies. The
Universe classes are the default hierarchies you use for drilling but the Universe designer can also set up custom
hierarchies. You can also create and edit hierarchies in your reports. Drill hierarchies only contain dimension
objects. In drill mode, you drill down on dimensions, for example from Year to Quarter to Month. At each level,
measures, such as Revenue or Profit Margin, are recalculated.
Formatting Sections
Page 18 of 22
If you have not created any sections, the main section is the only section in the report and when you apply
shading, the whole report (except margins) will be shaded in the same color.
Sections in a Master/Detail report
If you have set up a report with sections, you can apply a different type of shading to each section in the report.
This can allow you to easily distinguish between the different sections. The sections you have created are
contained in the main section and a main section header is displayed at the beginning of the report and a main
section footer at the end of the report. You can hide the main section header or the main section footer or both
of them if you wish.
Formatting Tables
Tables and crosstabs are made up of headers and footers, columns and rows, and cells. All these elements
together make up the block. The cell is the most basic element of a table or crosstab. Rows and columns are
made up of groups of cells. When you format tables and crosstabs, you can work on the formatting cell by cell or
on the block formatting.
What is a template?
A standard report does not contain information on page setup or include custom elements such as graphics. A
BUSINESSOBJECTS template allows you to do this. A template is a special kind of BUSINESSOBJECTS document
that contains pre-defined styles and structure that you use as a foundation to create reports.
BUSINESSOBJECTS comes with several templates for you to use and you can also create your own.
Structure: The structure of a report defines how the data is presented. Your data can be presented in a crosstab,
a column chart, or it can have a master/detail structure
Styles: The styles contained in a template define the report page background and the style of the headers
and footers.
What are categories? (while publishing the reports (supervisor & BCA))
Page 19 of 22
Explain about prompts in BO?
Planning
Break down the information system into functional
areas
Analysis
Analyze the information needs of users
Design
Design a conceptual schema
Design the specification of a universe
Implementation
Create a universe with DESIGNER
Test the universe with BUSINESSOBJECTS/WEBINTELLIGENCE
Distribute the universe
Repeat the above steps for other universes
Maintenance
Update and maintain the universe
Notify end users of changes
Page 20 of 22
1. Explain about your project? (Mascot)
2. How many tables are there in each universe in your project?
3. What is the BO version you have used?
4. What is the system configuration in which Business Objects are installed?
5. If I want to install BO Enterprise products in Windows 2000 professional server, what should be the
system configuration?
6. What is a repository? What it contains? (Explain the different domains in the repository)
7. who are the users of the repository?
8. Can a repository contain reports?
Business Objects
1. Can we create aliases for every table before hand ? If yes what are the disadvantages?
2. What problems are NOT known while performing Integrity Check?
3. Where do we use GLOBAL FILTERS, explain with example?
4. What sort of Drill Down charts did you prepare, name few.
5. Outer Join Pl/Sql statement
6. How did you give a developed Universe to your client.
7. Using Formula Object in another Formula Object
8. What happens if Cardinalities are not Resolved.
2. Explain the steps to create Universe? (Need to explain all the necessary steps including filters,
joins, objects etc.)
3. How if you will create conditions and where we will create these filters?
4. Can we create conditions at report level? What are disadvantages creating conditions at report
level. Explain?
5. Practical question: I have one department and avg(sal) of each department,
Page 21 of 22
Now I want a report some thing like department name along with Avg(sal) by specifying the
department number as Parameter. Explain how best we can do this report.
Page 22 of 22