This chapter provides answers to frequently asked questions regarding the use and functionality of Oracle Communications MetaSolv Solution (MSS) Operational Reports and SAP Business Objects 4.0.
The questions are divided into the following categories:
General
Universes
Reports
Security
Does Oracle support running MSS Operational Reports against the production database?
Oracle recommends that you not run reports on the production database, because this may cause network problems and performance issues.
What third-party software do I need to use the MSS Operational Reports?
To use MSS Operational Reports, you must install the following software:
SAP BusinessObjects BI platform 4.0 SP4:
SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise Server 4.0 SP4 (64-bit)—Includes the Central Management Console.
SAP BusinessObjects BI platform 4.0 Client Tools SP4 (32-bit or 64-bit)—Includes the Universe Design Tool and the Web Intelligence Client.
Ensure that the service pack versions of both the server and client software are the same.
Why are the existing universes not consolidated into a single universe?
The primary reason is maintenance. Business Objects 4.0 is a SQL generator. Therefore, a universe designer must convert the relationships in the MetaSolv Solution data model into unique logical pathways. For Business Objects 4.0 to accommodate all the possible pathways, the MetaSolv Solution data model would increase in size to over 2500 tables, causing maintenance issues. Oracle recommends that you direct a universe at a single user group.
Can I create a new universe by combining existing universes?
Oracle does not recommend combining universes. If universes are combined, you are required to define how to navigate through the data model instead of automatic navigation. Instead of combining universes, you can add tables or objects to supplement an existing universe.
Do universe updates from Oracle impact the customized changes?
You do not lose your customized changes if you follow the maintenance recommendations provided by Oracle. When the universes are installed at a client site, a ”sandbox” is set up that inherits from the MetaSolv Solution universes. The changes made in the sandbox are available for reporting, but are not affected by universe updates.
Does running the reports impact MetaSolv Solution performance?
Oracle recommends that you not run reports on the production database. The performance impact of running reports varies with each network environment. The usual factors, such as network traffic and hits against the server processes, affect performance over the network. Other factors include the complexity of the query being submitted to the database engine and the amount of data being retrieved. Business Objects 4.0 has some built-in checkpoints that allow the Business Objects 4.0 Central Management Console to limit the query processing time or the number of rows returned by individual logon ID.
Can I reuse the MetaSolv Solution security settings with Business Objects 4.0?
Because the Operational Reporting package is a separate product and not integrated with MetaSolv Solution, you are required to separately configure the security settings for both the applications. However, you can set up groups within the Business Objects 4.0 Central Management Console module, configured once, and applied to new users, which makes it very easy to add new users.
How can I use the reports on the Internet?
Using SAP Business Objects 4.0 Web Intelligence, you can create, modify, and view reports on the Web using the universes supplied by MetaSolv Solution.
You can use Business Objects 4.0 Web Intelligence to generate reports in HTML format and publish refreshed reports to a Web server. This enables you to view the reports through a Web browser.
How can I merge data from multiple data sources?
See the SAP Web site for information about merging data from multiple data sources.
Can I save the reports in different formats and export them to other sources?
See the SAP Web site for information about saving reports in different formats.
Can I schedule a report refresh?
See the SAP Web site for information about scheduling a report refresh.
Can I share reports with multiple users?
See the SAP Web site for information about sharing reports with multiple users.
Can I run reports in a mirrored environment?
See the SAP Web site for information about running reports in a mirrored environment.