Information Broadcasting - Broadcasting eMails at Custom Intervals after the Completion of Data Loads

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Information Broadcasting - 2

Introduction : IB is mainly used to automate queries, web templates, reports to different destinations such as to end-user emails or group of user mails(E-mail Bursting), to portal roles, to KM folders and in different output formats such as PDF, Excel, XHTML , HTML or as a online link .It can also be used to pre calculate web templates and queries which improves performance as when end-user runs report it will pre-calculate and store it offline .IB can be called from different places such as query designer , BEX Analyzer and from Portal and also from the context menu of any web-template(with option send).You can schedule IB settings background by scheduling at regular intervals or upon data change in Info provider . The important pre-requisite for IB is mail-server needs to be configured in system.

Information broadcasting allows you to make objects with business intelligence content available to a wide spectrum of users, according to your own requirements. It also offers functions to optimize performance and for exception reporting.

BEx Information Broadcasting is the Business Explorer component you use to distribute BI objects that were generated with the various BEx tools. The following figure shows how Information Broadcasting is integrated into the function landscape and tool landscape of the Business Explorer:

Broadcasting Functions

Information broadcasting provides various functions that are executed by business experts and in system administration.

The following distribution types are available in the BEx Broadcaster; the distribution types provide different functions for system administration and business experts.

Broadcast E-Mail (Bursting)

You can distribute BI objects (queries, query views, Web templates, or reports) as precalculated documents or online links by e-mail to recipients that you identify based on master data.

           

Broadcast by Exception

You can check queries or query views in the background for exceptions. If a threshold value for an exception is exceeded or not reached, the BEx Broadcaster immediately generates a document according to the criteria you defined and distributes this to the recipients by e-mail, to the portal, or as an alert.

           

Broadcast (Multi Channel)

You can distribute a BI object (query, query view, Web template, report, or workbook) with a broadcast setting using multiple channels (e-mail, portal, or printer).

           

Precalculating Value Sets

You can fill variables of the type Precalculated Value Set for characteristic values with values in the background. The precalculated value sets are then available as variable values in queries.

           

Filling the OLAP Cache

You can precalculate queries and fill the OLAP cache with generated data to reduce the time needed to access the data. 

(The distribution type Fill OLAP Cache allows you to precalculate queries and to fill the OLAP cache with the generated data. If the users call Web Applications, queries, reports or workbooks that are based on this data, the access time is significantly reduced and the workload on the application server is considerably less. Since the functions of the OLAP cache were designed so that the user does not have to wait any longer than normal when evaluating a query.)

Filling the MDX Cache

You can precalculate BEx queries in the background, which then serve as data providers for Crystal Reports. This improves the performance of Crystal Reports.

(The Fill MDX Cache distribution type allows you to precalculate BEx queries in the background, which can then be used as data providers for Crystal Reports. This function is a device used to improve system performance when executing Crystal Reports.)         

Information BroadCasting - Exception Reporting Solution using Information Broadcasting

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Information Broadcasting - Step by Step procedure to Broadcasting SAP-BI quires from Query designer, to Scheduling, to Enhancements

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Example Scenarios for Information Broadcasting

Within information broadcasting there are number of different scenarios possible for distributing BI content. This section contains some possible scenarios that provide examples of how you can use information broadcasting in your company.

We can generally differentiate between the distribution type E-mail or Enterprise Portal. There are also different conceptual scenarios and ad-hoc scenarios for both distribution types.

Conceptual scenarios are created together with the IT team, consultants and power users from the various departments (Knowledge Workers and authors). Using the broadcast settings that were previously scheduled or were triggered by a data change, the system automatically distributes the relevant BI content. Business end users (Information Consumers) have nothing to do with the distribution of conceptual scenarios.

With ad-hoc scenarios, the infrastructure for the process is predefined and the process can be executed by business end users during data analysis. Employees that receive standard reports and use the data as information source, you are able to distribute the reports ad-hoc using an assistant - called the BEx Broadcasting Wizard.

Distribution of BI Content by E-mail

Periodic Scheduling

As the responsible Sales Manager for your company, you want to send the monthly sales reports to your field sales representatives by e-mail, for example. The employees receive the reports in their inbox in their usual work environment and can trigger processes based on the data (forwarding reports to colleagues, scheduling meetings, and so on). The precalculated reports are available offline on the laptop so that the field sales representatives can work with them when they are not in the office as well. For more information, see Distribution of the Monthly Sales Report by E-Mail.

Ad hoc Distribution

You work in sales and analyze the monthly sales report with the current data, which you have received as an online link by e-mail. You notice unusual sales figures and send the report to colleagues with exactly this navigational state to let them know about the issue. For more information, see Ad-hoc Distribution of Unusual Sales Data by E-Mail.

Provision of BI Content in the Enterprise Portal

Periodic Scheduling

As the responsible Sales Manager for your company, you want to be automatically informed when new data is loaded for the sales report. You are working in the Enterprise Portal and receive a notification from Knowledge Management whenever the sales report contains new data. For more information, see Providing the Sales Report in the Portal and Notification Upon Data Change.

Ad hoc Distribution

You have a marketing job and are working together with your colleagues on a new advertising campaign. Because you work in different locations, you use collaboration rooms in the Enterprise Portal to discuss your common tasks. For the next meeting, you distribute the sales report for the current month into the Collaboration Room in order to use the data to identify the products and regions that the advertising campaign should address. For more information, see Ad-hoc Distribution of the Sales Report in a Collaboration Room.

Information Broadcasting - 1

Purpose

Information broadcasting allows you to make objects with Business Intelligence content available to a wide spectrum of users, according to your own requirements.

Notes on Implementation

The documentation on information broadcasting is structured according the requirements of users so that you are provided with role-specific guides to support you in performing tasks. For example, if you belong to the implementation team, you require the installation guide and the configuration guide. As a system administrator, the administration guide is available.

Before users can use information broadcasting, you have to install the necessary components (installation guide), make the necessary configuration settings (configuration guides), consider security recommendations (security guide), and make the necessary settings in system administration (administration guide).

Installation

To use information broadcasting by e-mail, you need the component SAP NetWeaver Business Intelligence (SAP BW). If you want to make Business Intelligence content available through SAP Enterprise Portal (SAP EP) you also need the components SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal and SAP NetWeaver Knowledge Management. For more information on the technical requirements, see service.sap.com/instguides ® SAP NetWeaver ® Release 04 ® Installation ® Installation Guide – SAP Business Information Warehouse 3.5.

Configuration

Before you can use information broadcasting, follow the necessary steps for configuration. 

Security

Look at the scenarios with regard to technical security issues. 

Administration

In order to use the full range of information broadcasting functions, you have to make certain administrative settings. 

User Guide

The user guide provides detailed information on using information broadcasting. 

Example Scenarios

If you want to obtain an overview of how information broadcasting can be implemented in your company, the example scenarios contain some suggestions. 

Features

Distribution with BEx Broadcaster

You can use the BEx Broadcaster to precalculate BEx Web applications, queries and workbooks and publish them in the SAP Enterprise Portal or you can distribute them by e-mail. In addition to the precalculated documents that contain historic data, you can also generate online links to queries and Web applications. 

Distribution with the BEx Query Designer or BEx Web Application Designer

You can publish queries and Web templates to any BW role or directly to the Enterprise Portal from the BEx Query Designer and BEx Web Application Designer design tools. 

Access in the SAP Enterprise Portal

In SAP Enterprise Portal, the ideal way of accessing Business Intelligence information is through a central entry page (for example BEx Portfolio). This shows the content of the Knowledge Management folder where you published the content. The Broadcasting layout profile displays the content that is especially tailored to the needs of users who work with Business Intelligence content in the Enterprise Portal. 

The Business Explorer portal role illustrates the various options that are available to you when working with content from SAP BW in the Enterprise Portal. 

Application Scenarios

Distribution by E-Mail

You can distribute Business Intelligence content by e-mail as precalculated documents or as online links. The recipients receive (for example, automatically upon data change) the precalculated documents in their inboxes and can use the business data to make decisions or trigger processes. 

Distribution to the Enterprise Portal

You can publish Business Intelligence content to SAP Enterprise Portal, which serves as the central entry point for employees in the company. When working with Business Intelligence content, users have a variety of options and functions available to them in the Enterprise Portal. 

Depending on how you published the Business Intelligence content to SAP EP, you can use different functions in the portal.

Application Scenarios in the Enterprise Portal

Distribution Type and Generated Object	Options in the Enterprise Portal
Distribution of precalculated documents in a Knowledge Management folder (KM folder) with the BEX Broadcaster or Broadcasting Wizard	Knowledge Management You can add ratings, evaluation, feedback or personal notes to documents.Under subscriptions, users can arrange to be automatically notified of each change (for example due to a new precalculation) Collaboration You can have discussions based on these documents and links. Beyond that, you can include the documents and links to collaboration rooms
Distribution of Online Links in a KM folder with BEx Broadcaster or Broadcasting Wizard
Publishing queries or Web applications with the BEx Query Designer or BEx Web Application Designer. ·        as a link in the user’s personal KM folder (My Portfolio) ·        as a link in the KM folder / entry points (CM Repository View) ·        as a link in a collaboration room (Collaboration Room) ·        as an iView in the Portal Content Catalog (Portal Content) ·        as an iView in a portal role or in a portal page (portal roles)	Knowledge Management und Collaboration The Knowledge Management and collaboration functions listed above are available to you in SAP Enterprise Portal using links to queries and Web applications. Unification If you publish queries or Web applications to SAP Enterprise Portal as iViews, you can use Drag&Relate and select these iViews as Drag&Relate targets in other iViews.