Transferring Reports

SAP SuccessFactors is releasing new standard reports for Canvas Report format that need to be imported into an instance before they can be utilized. Additionally an administrator might need to copy reports between different instances for example test and production instances. Report Transfer addresses this administrative need.

Customers are able to download a number of predesigned Canvas Reports. These reports can be further customized by organizations to suit business requirements. Currently these templates and reports are distributed via the SAP Help Portal website.

The templates and reports are available in the form of an encrypted xml file, which contains the report definition. Storing the templates in XML allows for quick and easy transportation of the report definition. It contains no data results and is a set of instructions for building the report in the target instance.

The account performing the import must have the necessary permissions to access the Report Transfer function. This can be quickly confirmed by navigating to the Admin page in Analytics. If you can see Report Transfer option then you have the required permission. If you cannot see this option, the account needs to be assigned a role with the appropriate permission. Review the unit Roles Maintenance and Permissions for assigning the permission.

Ensure you have saved the report template package and/or the individual files from the SAP Help Portal to your computer. This package will include individual report templates (for loading selected reports) and a single file that contains all report templates (for bulk loading all available report templates).

Templates can be in the following two forms:

• Report 'packages' – these contain a set more than one report of report templates.

• Single reports –these contain a single report template.

Generally, the template name will identify the form of template. Report packages are typically named for the release version and contain Report Package in the file name. Single reports are typically named for the individual report contained in the template.

The Report Transfer process is the same, regardless of whether a single report or report package is being used. Report packages are useful when many templates need loading, single reports when only one template is required. Report packages can be used even if only a single template is required.

To import report templates, perform the following steps:

1. Navigate to the Report Transfer page in Analytics Admin.

2. Select Upload.

3. The To Organization field will be automatically populated with your instance name.

4. Select Browse and navigate to where the report template is stored/saved.

5. Choose the report template and selectOpen.

   

6. Select Load Package.

7. Once loaded, the reports available in the template file will appear in a list in the Available Reports box.

   Note

   The load may take from a few seconds to a few minutes depending on the size of the file, and the speed of your connection.

   
8. Select the available reports:

   1. If loading all report templates available in the file drag the top folder (called Workspaces in this example) from the Available Reports box, to the Selected Reports box and select Upload Selections.

   2. If loading only selected report templates available in the file, individually drag reports from the Available Reports box to the Selected Reports box and select Upload Selections.

   

9. A status screen will display showing the success/failure of the report transfer. If there were existing reports with the same name, they will now be overwritten with the new template. Contact Support should any reports fail to upload.

You can also import reports from the Report Center interface. After obtaining the report template(s), perform the following steps to import the reports in report center:

1. On the Report Center page, select Import.

2. Browse for the file (select either a package of templates or a single report template).

3. Select Import.

4. On completion of the imports, you can see the status.

You may wish to export your own reports for importing into a separate instance. The process to import reports you export will be the same as the steps in the Loading Templates section. The permissions required to export reports are the same as for importing reports.

To export reports, perform the following steps:

1. Navigate to the Report Transfer page in Analytics Admin.

2. Select Download.

3. The From Organization will be automatically populated with your instance name.

4. Drag reports/folders from the Available Reports pane and drop them on the Selected Reports pane.

5. Select Download.

6. Select the name and location to save the exported file.

The definition of the report(s) will be saved in an encrypted xml format.

You can export a single report utilizing the action menu of the report and selecting Export.

You can also export up to 50 reports at once using the multiple report selection function. Check the box next to each report you wish to export and then select the export button. The export will create a ZIP file of the exported reports.

Because of the differences in configuration between instances, some report templates might not work correctly immediately after import. Report Validation is a tool that is used to search for any parts of the report template definition that may not match the configuration of the target instance. It then assists users with updating the report definition so that it matches the configuration in the target instance thus allowing the report to run successfully.

To validate a report, locate the report in the report design folders, and then select Validate.

You can also access the tool via Admin Center and search for Canvas Validation.

If response is ‘All is valid’ then all criteria has been met and the report requires no customization.

If errors occur, then you can select from the following options:

• Auto Repair

• Edit

• Delete

Once reports have been loaded and successfully validated, the final step is to confirm that the report template is returning results. Ensure the account that you are using to test the report has the necessary permissions to access the reporting functions. Preview the report, viewing every page to verify the report is returning all required fields and records.