SAP Crystal Reports and SAP HANA Options and Opportunities
Transcript of SAP Crystal Reports and SAP HANA Options and Opportunities
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September 9 –11, 2013
Anaheim, California
SAP Crystal Reports and SAP HANA: Options and Opportunities
(0301)
Jaclyn Churcher
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Learning Points
Connectivity options to SAP HANA for SAP Crystal Reports
Two ways to address restrictions encountered when querying anOLAP view
How to expose parameters, variables, and hierarchies defined in
HANA Information models
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AGENDA
Introduction: SAP Crystal Reports and SAP HANA
Direct connections to SAP HANA from SAP Crystal Reports 2013
and SAP Crystal Reports for Enterprise
Managed OLAP connections to SAP HANA from SAP Crystal
Reports for Enterprise
Relational universes to SAP HANA for SAP Crystal Reports for
Enterprise
Summary
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CRYSTAL REPORTS
Highly formatted,interactive reports
Leverage data from
virtually any data source
Two versions:
SAP Crystal Reports for
Enterprise
SAP Crystal Reports 2013
Connect directly to
HANA or using universe
(Insert pictures)
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SAP HANA
In-memory databaseplatform
Efficiencies
simplified landscape,
Enables real-time
delivery of data
SQL and MDX
ODBC, JDBC
Relational tables and‘information models’
(views) that, in some
cases, can be compared
to OLAP cubes Attribute view
Analytic view
Calculation view
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SAP HANA & SAP CRYSTAL REPORTS
SAP Crystal Reports enables directed analysis of data
What is the purpose of the report?
Return only required data and ensure query is efficient
Follow-on questions and exploration are possible with
further specific, parameterized reports (subreports or
linked reports)
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SAP HANA direct SQL via SAP Crystal Reports
ODBC, JDBC
Connect to tables
Connect to views*
Some views may
generate an error:
*feature not supported: not allowed over OLAP VIEW:search without aggregation or grouping by expression
other than view column…not allowed over OLAP view
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SAP HANA direct SQL via SAP Crystal Reports
“…not allowed over OLAP view…” error in Crystal
Reports 2011*
*Crystal Reports 2013 may close without displaying message
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SAP HANA Direct SQL via SAP Crystal Reports
To resolve this in SAP Crystal Reports 2013:
1. Connect and add view to report
2. From the Design view insert a group on one or
more fields. A unique identifier or multiple groups
which combined of unique identifiers is ideal.Display fields or summaries of fields in group
sections
3. Suppress the Details section
4. From File Report Options, select Perform
Grouping On Server
5. Preview the report
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SAP HANA Direct SQL via SAP Crystal Reports
“…not allowed over OLAP view…” resolution in Crystal Reports
2013 continued
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SAP HANA Direct SQL via SAP Crystal Reports
To resolve the “…not allowed over OLAP view…” error
in SAP HANA Studio for SAP Crystal Reports for
Enterprise OR SAP Crystal Reports 2013:
1. Edit the view and add a calculated column
(calculated attribute, not a calculated measure).This object may be hidden so there is no difference
to end users.
2. Verify and activate the view. Then connect, add the
view, and proceed with building the report.
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SAP HANA Direct SQL via SAP Crystal Reports
“…not allowed over OLAP view…” resolution from SAP HANA
Studio continued
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SAP HANA Direct SQL via SAP Crystal Reports
SUMMARY
Direct access to tables and views with some limitations
depending on the version of Crystal Reports and access to
HANA Studio
Control of SQL and filters makes it possible to build specific,
appropriate reports (don’t query the whole table!)
LIMITATIONS
Hierarchies defined in HANA will not be available in Crystal
Reports
Parameters and variables defined in HANA can only use
default values, and will fail if no default value has been
provided
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SAP HANA via Managed OLAP Connections
Access Analytic and Calculation Views using a managed
OLAP connection to SAP HANA with SAP CrystalReports for Enterprise:
1. In Information Design Tool create an OLAP
connection using SAP HANA OLAP driver (.cnx)
2. Specify a cube OR do not specify a cube and expose
all Analytic and Calculation Views via a single
connection
3. Publish the connection to Enterprise so that it isavailable to SAP Crystal Reports for Enterprise and
other BI clients that use universes
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SAP HANA via Managed OLAP Connections
SUMMARY
Easy access to Analytic and Calculation Views
Benefit from Query Panel functionality - prompt
ordering, member selection
Hierarchies, parameters, and variables are available
LIMITATIONS
Tables and Attribute Views are not accessible
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SAP HANA via Relational Universes
Higher customization of output for business users
Query time prompts and variables
Opportunity to federate data from HANA with data
from other sources
Universes can be consumed by SAP Business Objects
Web Intelligence and SAP Business Objects
Dashboards as well as by SAP Crystal Reports for
Enterprise
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SAP HANA via Relational Universes
Hierarchies must be recreated
Prompts and variables are not automatically
surfaced and must be recreated
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DEMO
DEMO
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QUESTIONS
QUESTIONS
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Avoid unfiltered, indiscriminate queries
Avoid joining information views in a relational universe
or using a direct connection
If using SAP HANA Studio, align your version with that of
your server Use recent releases where possible: updates and
improvements are frequent
Best Practices
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Two approaches to surfacing hierarchies, parameters, and
variables defined in HANA views Two approaches to resolving the “…not allowed over OLAP
view…” error encountered using direct connections to HANA
views from SAP Crystal Reports
Key Learnings
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Thank you for participating.
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SESSION CODE:0301
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