Precalculating and Distributing Workbooks 

Use

You can use the BEx Broadcaster to precalculate and distribute workbooks. The system generates Microsoft Excel workbooks with historic data. You determine the time at which precalculation is performed: You can have workbooks precalculated at a predefined time or they can be precalculated whenever data in the underlying InfoProvider changes. You can have the precalculated workbooks broadcast by e-mail or you can broadcast them to the portal, where you can make them available to employees within your company.

Procedure

       1.      On the analysis toolbar in the BEx Analyzer, choose Tools ® Broadcaster.

The Tools ® Broadcaster option is only visible if you have opened a workbook. If you opened a query only in the BEx Analyzer, this option is not available.

You can also call the BEx Broadcaster from other areas (see BEx Broadcaster Functions) and then select the appropriate workbook for broadcasting:

                            a.      Under Settings for Object Type:, choose Workbook.

                            b.      Choose Open.

                            c.      Highlight the appropriate workbook from your history, favorites or roles.

                            d.      Choose Transfer.

       2.      Choose Create New Setting.

If you want to work with the broadcasting wizard, which supports you in creating a broadcast setting by offering step-by-step instructions, select Create New Setting with Wizard.

       3.      Enter a description for the broadcast setting.

       4.      Choose whether you want to broadcast the precalculated workbook as an email or broadcast it to the portal. For more information about the relevant settings options on the associated tab pages, see Broadcast as E-Mail and Broadcast to the Portal.

       5.      If you want to distribute the workbook as a ZIP file, select ZIP File.

       6.      Choose the Workbook Precalculation  tab page.

You can also set variable assignment if the workbook contains variables.

Determine here: You can create the values for input-ready variables in the workbook. The workbook is precalculated with these variable values.

Take from Variant: You can enter the required variant in the Variant field. The workbook is precalculated with the data for this variant.

Specify which precalculation server is to be used.

¡        If you want the system to use the first available precalculation server from the precalulcation servers set in Customizing, choose Select Automatically.

¡        If you want the system to use a special precalculation server, highlight Special Server and specify the server.

If this special server is not available then the system terminates.

       7.      If necessary, check your settings using the Check button and choose Save.

       8.      Enter a technical name for the broadcast setting and select Transfer. The new setting appears in the overview in the upper area of the BEx Broadcaster.

       9.      If you want to distribute the broadcast setting for the workbook immediately, select Execute. A new browser window appears that displays the processing status of the broadcast setting. If you want to close the window, choose Cancel.

If you want to distribute the broadcast setting for the workbook at a specific time or when changes are made to the data, select Schedule. For more information about scheduling broadcast settings, see Scheduling Broadcast Settings.

Result

You have precalculated a workbook and have distributed the selected setting accordingly.

If you have not precalculated the workbook as a ZIP file, when the recipients open the file, they have a formatted workbook in which they can navigate further.

The recipient of the file needs a local installation of the BI Frontend in order to logon to the BI system and navigate within the data.

The broadcast setting is listed in the upper area of the BEx Broadcaster screen. Here you see all the broadcast settings that were created for this workbook. If you want to edit or delete a broadcast setting, choose Edit or Delete in the context menu for the setting.