Xcelsius 2008 Database Connectivity

Using QAAWS
V 1.0

Purpose of this Document

This document focuses on the how we can integrate live data from your existing Business Objects
universes and manage Xcelsius across your enterprise using Business Objects' new offering "Query
As A Web Service" (QAAWS). This document includes the scenario and guide with the snapshot of
practical implementation.

Index
INDEX............................................................................................................................................... - 2 1. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................... - 3 Page 2 of 13

1.1

ENVIRONMENTS USED....................................................................................................... - 3 -

2. RELATED CONCEPTS................................................................................................................ - 3 2.1

2.2
2.3

DEVELOPMENT W ORKFLOW HOW IT WORKS?..................................................................- 3 DEPLOYMENT W ORKFLOW HOW IT WORKS?....................................................................- 4 TECHNOLOGY TAKEAWAYS ............................................................................................ - 4 -

3. EXAMPLE(S)/SCENARIO(S)....................................................................................................... - 5 3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6

UNIVERSE DEVELOPMENT:................................................................................................. - 5 CREATE A W EB SERVICE USING QAAWS:..........................................................................- 5 DESIGN SPREADSHEET AND DASHBOARD IN XCELSIUS:........................................................- 9 DASHBOARD CONNECTION WITH W EB SERVICE CONNECTORS:..............................................- 9 EXPORTING THE DASHBOARD TO ENTERPRISE:..................................................................- 12 VIEW THE DASHBOARD ON ENTERPRISE:..........................................................................- 12 -

4. APPENDIX & NOTES................................................................................................................. - 12 -

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1. Introduction
Xcelsius is a remarkable, innovative tool which allows anyone who can use Excel to create
stunning, interactive visualizations (Adobe Flex/AIR based), dashboards and miniapplications through a point-and-click interface without having to write a single line of code.
In Xcelsius dashboards, we can easily integrate live data from your existing Business Objects
universes and manage Xcelsius across your enterprise using Business Objects' new offering
"Query As A Web Service" (QAAWS). This helps dashboard to become interactive and use
latest refreshed data from database.

1.1

Environments used
BO XI 3.0, Xcelsius 2008, MS 2007

1.1.1 BI Platforms:
BOE XI 3.0 For Scalability
Web Intelligence Query Engine to run the queries
1.1.2 Query Creation Product:
BO Designer to create the Universe
Query As A Web Service Wizard to create queries
1.1.3 Data Visualization Product:
Xcelsius 2008 to assemble the dashboard

2. Related Concepts
2.1

Development Workflow How it works?

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Identify Sources
Build BO Universe
Create Query as Web Service i.e. QAAWS
Setup Design Spreadsheet
Build Xcelsius Model with Web Services Connectors
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6. Export Completed Model to Enterprise.

2.2

Deployment Workflow How it works?

1. Access Data
2. Via a BO Universe
3. Being accessed by Server-side Web Service (Web service generated using
QAAWS)
4. And delivered to Flash i.e. Dashboard
NO Spreadsheet or Xcelsius Designer at Deployment

2.3

Technology Takeaways
Crystal Xcelsius

Advanced visualization without writing code

Excel is only used for development, instead of coding variable names we store
and manipulate data in cells and via Excel formulas

Renders as Adobe flash, viewed by plug-in already installed in over 80% of

browsers

Query as a Web Service

Makes queries independent of reports

Increases the value of a semantic layer investment

Universe can become the universal source for all applications

Primary load is on the database, not the BOE server

BOE authenticates user, assembles query, routes SQL & results

Database does what it does best: data processing

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3. Example(s)/Scenario(s)
The steps involved in Xcelsius connectivity to database through QAAWS:

3.1

Universe development:
3.1.1
3.1.2
3.1.3
3.1.4
3.1.5

3.2

Create Universe connection.

Develop the Universe structure.
Create Classes and Objects.
Test the universe.
Export universe to enterprise repository.

Create a Web Service using QAAWS:

Following steps shows how to generate a web service, using the Business Objects
software Query As A Web Service. The Web Service will be generated against the BO
universe.
3.2.1 Start the software (Usually located in Start->Programs->Business Objects>Query As A Web service)
3.2.2 Log on to the BO Enterprise system using your username and password.

Note: If you have not started the software before, you will need to create a new
connection. Type in the name of the system in the first box, and the url will
generate automatically.
3.2.3 Click the New button on the lower left

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3.2.4 Type in a meaningful name and description for the web service. (Provide a
description of the purpose of this web service - who is the target, what kind of
data etc.)

Note: Click the Advanced parameters, if you do not use the Enterprise
authentication mode.
3.2.5 Click next
3.2.6 Choose the universe to create the query from.

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Note: At this point it is not possible to combine queries from different universes in
QAAWS.
3.2.7 Create your query against the universe by drag/drop of objects in the left pane.
(Just as you would do when creating the query in WebI or DeskI).

3.2.8 Click next

3.2.9 Check the preview to verify that you get the correct columns. Click Publish to
publish the web service.

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3.2.10 Click on Publish

3.2.11 Now you have created the web service. The URL for the web service is autogenerated and can be copied by clicking the Copy to Clipboard button. You can
also edit the web service at any time.
Remember to think twice before editing web services. Do you know where the specific
web service is used as well as the consequences of editing? By adding or removing
columns etc. from an existing web service, you can cause undesired behavior to the
consumers of the web service.

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3.3 Design Spreadsheet and Dashboard in Xcelsius:

3.4.1 Login to Xcelsius 2008.
3.4.2 Develop the Xcelsius dashboard model as shown in following snapshot.

3.4 Dashboard connection with Web service Connectors:

3.4.1 Click Data from the menu at the top then click Connections to open the Data
Manager.

3.4.2 Click the Add drop-down then select Query as a Web Service from the list
of available connection types

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3.4.3 Enter Name, WSDL URL (copied while creating QAAWS using button To
Clipboard). Once you pasted the URL remaining text fields will be entered
automatically.

3.4.4 Select the output value and click insert in pointer to select field from
spreadsheet. As shown in following snapshot.

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3.4.5 Select the cells area where the data will get loaded, as shown in snapshot.

3.4.6 Repeat above two steps for all objects.

3.4.7 From 2nd tab i.e. Usage set the refresh option to either Refresh on Load or
Refresh every <time>. And click on Close.

3.4.8 Save the Xcelsius.

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3.5 Exporting the Dashboard to Enterprise:

3.5.1 File -> Export -> Business Objects Platform
3.5.2 Log on dialog box will appear, enter system name, username, password for BO
enterprise.
3.5.3 Select folder location to save the SWF file and give the name for file.

3.6 View the Dashboard on Enterprise:

3.6.1 Log on BO enterprise InfoView.
3.6.2 Open the dashboard. It will look like;

4. Appendix & Notes

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