Defining Business Intelligence

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to define Business Intelligence.

Overview of Business Intelligence

By understanding Business Intelligence (BI), you'll better understand how SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 2025 solutions address the BI product spectrum. BI is a user-centered process that includes accessing and exploring information, analyzing this information, and developing understanding that lead to improved and informed decision-making.

SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 2025 is a flexible and scalable solution for delivering information to end users, in multiple forms including dashboards and interactive reports, via any web application—intranet, extranet, Internet, or corporate portal

Key Concepts

Familiarize yourself with key concepts in the BI Launch Pad. Depending on which tasks you perform, some concepts may not apply to you.

Objects
Categories
Scheduling
Events
Calendars
Instances
Publishing
Profiles
Alerting

SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 2025 brings a fresh set of enhancements that make business intelligence more efficient, user-friendly, and future-proof. Whether you are an IT professional, a business user, or a decision-maker, SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 2025 offers powerful enhancements designed to help you make faster and more informed decisions.

Term	Definition
Objects	An object is a document or file created in the SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 2025 or other software that is stored and managed in the platform repository.
Categories	A category is an organizational alternative to a folder. Use categories to label objects.
Scheduling	Scheduling is the process of automatically running an object at a specified time. Scheduling refreshes dynamic content or data in an object, creates instances, and distributes the instances to users or stores them locally.
Events	An event is an object that represents an occurrence in the SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 2025. Events can be used for the following purposes: As scheduling dependencies that trigger actions after a scheduled job runs To trigger alert notifications To monitor the performance of the platform
Calendars	A calendar is a customized list of run dates for scheduling jobs.
Instances	An instance is a snapshot of an object that contains data from the time an object was run.
Publishing	Publishing is the process of making personalized dynamic content publicly available for mass consumption.
Profiles	A profile is an object that associates users and groups with personalization values. Profiles are used with publishing to create personalized content and distribute it to recipients.
Alerting	Alerting is the process of notifying users and administrators when events occur in the SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 2025.

SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 2025

SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 2025 is a centralized suite for data reporting, visualization, and sharing. As the on-premise BI layer for SAP’s Business Technology Platform (BTP), it transforms data into useful insights, available anytime, anywhere.

N-Tier Architecture

SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 2025 supports a flexible service oriented architectural framework based on open-source protocols that deliver user BI content when and where they need it.

SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 2025 can be thought of as a series of conceptual tiers:

Client tier (in the "client" layer)
Web tier (in the "presentation" layer)
Management tier (in the "application" layer)
Storage tier (in the "application" layer)
Processing tier (in the "application" layer)
Data tier (in the "database" layer)

Client tier:

The client tier contains all desktop client applications that interact with SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 2025 to provide a variety of reporting, analytic, and administrative capabilities. Examples include the Central Configuration Manager (SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 2025 installation program), Web Intelligence Rich Client and Information Design Tool (SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 2025 Client Tools installation program), and SAP Crystal Reports 2025 (available and installed separately).

Desktop client applications (Web Intelligence Rich Client, Information Design Tool,…) are 64-bit applications. They are no longer 32-bit.

Web tier:

The web tier contains web applications deployed to a Java web application server. Web applications provide SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 2025 functionality to end users through a web browser. Examples of web applications include the Central Management Console (CMC) administrative web interface and BI Launch Pad.

The web tier also contains Web Services. Web Services provide SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 2025 functionality to software tools via the web application server, such as session authentication, user privilege management, scheduling, search, administration, reporting, and query management.

Management tier:

The management tier (also known as intelligence tier) coordinates and controls all of the components that make up SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 2025. It comprises the Central Management Server (CMS) and the Event Server and associated services. The CMS maintains security and configuration information, directs service requests to servers, manages auditing, and maintains the CMS system database. The Event Server manages file-based events, which occur in a defined storage tier.

Storage tier:

The storage tier is responsible for handling files, such as documents and reports.

The Input File Repository Server manages files that contain information to be used in reports, such as the following file types: .rpt, .xls, .wid, .unx...

The Output File Repository Server manages reports created by the system, such as the following file types: .rpt, .csv, .xls, .doc, .rtf, .txt, .pdf, .wid.

The storage tier also handles report caching to save system resources when users access reports.

Processing tier:

The processing tier analyzes data, and produces reports and other output types. This is the only tier that accesses the databases that contain report data. This tier comprises the Adaptive Job Server, Connection Server (64-bit), and processing servers such as the Adaptive Processing Server or Crystal Reports 2025 Processing Server.

Data tier:

The data tier consists of the database servers hosting the CMS system database and Auditing Data Store (ADS). It also consists of any database servers containing relational, OLAP, or other data types for reporting and analytic applications.

Note

Monitoring database, which was hosted by a local Apache Derby database on the application layer, is deprecated since SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 4.3 release. Now, there are two other database options for recording monitoring information: either record information using the embedded database, or any other database supported by the platform using JDBC driver.

SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 2025 components layers

SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 2025 is a flexible solution for delivering information to users, in many forms including dashboards and interactive reports, via any web application. The platform gives real benefits extending across and beyond the organization, as an integrated suite for reporting, analysis, and information delivery.

Summary

Business Intelligence (BI) is a user-centered process involving accessing, exploring, and analyzing information to make informed decisions.
Understanding BI helps in leveraging SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 2025 solutions effectively.
SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 2025 utilizes a flexible, service-oriented architecture to deliver BI content to users as needed.
The platform provides information through various formats like dashboards and interactive reports via web applications.
The solution offers a comprehensive suite for reporting, analysis, and information delivery with benefits extending across and beyond the organization.

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