Tuning Business Object Universes

The Developer’s Dilemma

• Direct control over SQL queries has vanished

• Business Objects allows you to code SQL fragments, not complete

clauses

• Reduced control over how these fragments are finally combined

• Tuning SELECT statements is OUT!

• Tuning SQL fragments, understanding how Business Objects

combines these fragments is IN!

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Possible Areas to Consider

Data Modeling

Universe Design

Query Design

We will concentrate on the last two areas ...

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Topics Covered
• Tips on creating better objects, joins, and queries

• Real-world examples that illustrate these tips

• Emphasis on Oracle, Sybase, Informix

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Tip 1: Process Less Data
For all databases:

• The WHERE clause states certain conditions that must be met before
additional processing occurs

• This additional processing usually occurs in the SELECT clause as

calculations or complicated expressions.

• More restrictive conditions reduces the amount of data subject to

SELECT processing.

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Example - Running Totals
ACCT_BALANCES
acct_id
month
year
beginning_balance
ending-balance

• Each row contains one account’s totals for a particular month and year.

• Restrict this table by creating a Business Objects join asking for the time period
up front.

• This dramatically reduces the number of rows processed by the SELECT clause.

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Example - Large Fact Tables

SALES_TRACKING
division
sales_mgr
salesman
period
total_sales

• Data warehouses usually depend on a few large FACT tables that contain
summarized information based on a multi-part key.

• Restrict access to that fact table by providing values for one or more of these
primary key fields.

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Tip 2: Scan Tables Once
DB: Oracle, Sybase, Informix

• Use conditional logic (IF-THEN) functions to retrieve specific

information from each table row.

• Several of these functions can be placed in the SELECT clause

• Applied at the same time, they read the same row once.

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Oracle Conditional Logic
Oracle provides the DECODE function:

Code: Translation:

DECODE (<expression>.
If the Expression
<test 1>, <result 1>,
equals Test 1. then return Result 1
<test 2>, <result 2>.
If it equals Test 2. return Result 2
…
<default result>)
Else return the Default Result

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Example - Oracle DECODE
Return only revenues from Texas and Oklahoma customers

sum (DECODE (customers state.

‘TX’, order_lines qty_requested * order_lines price,
‘OK’, order_lines qty_requested * order_lines price,
0))

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Sybase Conditional Logic
• Sybase does not provide a DECODE function.

• Instead, several functions must be used based on datatype.

T est R e su lt F o rm u la
C h ar N um sig n ( ch arin d e x (< e xp re ssio n > , < T E S T > )) * R E S U L T
N um N um sig n ( < e xp re ssio n > - T E S T ) * R E S U L T
C h ar C har su b strin g ( R E S U L T , 1 ,
ch arin d e x ( < ex p ressio n > , T E S T ) * len g th o f R E S U L T > )
N um C har su b strin g ( R E S U L T , 1 .
sig n ( < e xp re ssio n - T E S T ) * < le ng th o f R E S U L T > )

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Example - Sybase Logic

• Return only revenues from Texas and Oklahoma Customers

sum( sign ( charindex(customers.state, ‘TX’) +

charindex( customers.state, ‘OK’ ) )
*order_lines.qty_requested * order_lines price)

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Informix Conditional Logic
• Informix does not provide a DECODE function, either
• Informix has the smallest set of SQL functions to choose from
• Conditional logic can be emulated through nested TRIMs

Code:

TRIM( BOTH LEADING TRAILING <character>, <expression>)

Translation:

IF the character is attached to front or rear of the expression,

THEN return the expression with the character trimmed off.

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Example - Informix Logic
Return only revenues from 1st quarter

order_amount*
LENGTH( TRIM(BOTH ‘2’,
TRIM(BOTH ‘3’,
TRIM( BOTH ‘4’, quarter_o_order))))

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Tip 3: Avoid Outer Joins
DB: All

• Outer joins force all rows from one table to be read

• Adding outer joins in some DB can severely limit Ad-Hoc potential

• Try adding an additional row within the table that has no matching data

Order Sales SP ID Name

7803 1050.25 999 5 Dan Hunter
7804 542.00 5 999 No Salesperson

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Time-Dependant Joins
• Some relationships are time-dependant, and cannot be resolved this
way

Requisitions Orders

Receipts

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Tip 4: Driving Tables
DB: Oracle 6, Oracle 7 with Rule-Based optimization
Sybase (After the first four tables joined)

• The driving table is usually the last table in the FROM clause

• The DB processes the driving table first, retrieving data from other tables via
joins

• Pick the smallest, most restrictive table as your driving table

Cash Accounts Journal Entries

10 Rows 3 Million Rows

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Example - Driving Tables
• Move to the LIBRARY subdirectory of Business Objects

• Set HIDE_BOPTIMIZE=NO in ORA7.PRM (SYB10 for Sybase)

• Open a BO universe as a developer

• New menu option available - Optimize

• Can now assign “weights” to tables

• Lowest numbered table in query becomes the driving table

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Tip 5: Rules for Indexed Columns
DB: All

• Indexes are meant to accelerate the retrieval of rows based on column

conditions

• Certain SQL coding standards will “disable” indexes

• The following rules indicate where indexes are disabled

• Use the alternative coding techniques listed to re-enable indexes

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Rule 1 - No Calculations
Do not use calculations or functions on indexed columns

D isables Index U ses Index

Last_N am e First_N am e Last_N am e LIK E … and
LIK E … First_N am e LIK E …

Salary/12>2000 Salary>2000*12

TRU N C (Sales_D ate) > Sales_D ate BETW EEN R U N C(sysdate)

TRU N C (sysdate) and TR U N C (sysdate) + .9999

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 Rule 2 - No Open Patterns
Avoid patterns that begin with ‘%’

Disables Index Disables Index (but runs faster !)

Last_Name LIKE ‘‘% ING’ Last_Name LIKE ‘_ING ’ OR

Last_Name LIKE ‘_ING ’ OR
Last_Name LIKE ‘ _ING ’

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Rule 3 - No NULL Comparisons
Avoid IS NULL, IS NOT NULL Comparisons

Disables Index Uses Index (but runs faster !)

Product _ID IS null Product_ID > 0 (See Note Below)

NOTE - NULL Product ID must replaced with nonsense value

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Rule 4 - No NOT Comparisons
Avoid beginning a comparison with NOT

Disables Index Use Index

Amount !=0 Amount > 0 (See Note)

Note: Assumes amount field should be positive

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Tip 6: Use ROWID
DB: Oracle, Informix

• ROWID is the fastest way to retrieve any row

• It acts like the ultimate primary key, pointing to the physical location of a row

• ROWID can be used as a field, and thought of as the primary key for uniquely
indexed tables.

• Especially helpful for tables with combination primary keys

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Example - Using ROWID
• Counting table rows the normal way:
COUNT (Employees.Last_Name)

• Faster count - Count on an indexed field:

COUNT (Employees. Employee_ID)

• Fastest count - Count the ROWID:

COUNT (Employees ROWID)

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Tip 7: Expand Table Indexes
DB: All

• Add commonly-retrieved columns to a table index

• Additional columns should be short in length

• If the index columns all requested information, the DB can skip reading the table

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Example - Expanding Indexes

LOOKUPS
code
type
description

• The LOOKUPS table contains a Code, Type and Description

• If the Type is normally retrieved with the code, add the Type field to the Lookups
index

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Tip 8: Mark Indexed Columns
DB: All

• Users have no idea which columns are indexed.

• Help them by assigning a special character (like *) to the name of indexed

columns

• For combination keys, only mark the leading (first) indexed column this way

• DO NOT mark any objects whose SQL fragments disable indexes.

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Example - Making Indexed Columns

EMPLOYEES EMPLOYEES_INDEX1
employee_id employee_id
last_name
first_name EMPLOYEES_INDEX2
city last_name
first_name

S Q L F rag m en t P o s s ib le O b je c t N a m e

la s t_ n a m e * E m p lo y e e L a s t N a m e

firs t_ n a m e E m p lo y e e F irs t N a m e

la s t_ n a m e ‘ ,’ firs t_ n a m e E m p lo y e e F u ll N a m e

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Tip 9: Postpone Processing
DB: All

• Certain database processing tasks slow down query execution

• These same tasks could be removed from the query, and saved for Business
Objects

• Powerful post-processing allows quicker data retrieval

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Example - Sort Data Locally
• Sorts can be removed from any query, and applied locally using the
ReportWriter

• One Drawback - Should not remove a sort from a query when Partial Results
option set

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Example - Postpone Calculations
• Calculations and concatenations within the SELECT clause slows down the
query

• The most recent version of Business Objects contains over 80 report functions

• Remove calculations from the query, saving them for Business Objects

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End of presentation