Defining Data Services 

Purpose

Visual Composer provides tools that let you connect via the portal to back-end applications defined in the portal system landscape. This connection enables you to import into your model the relevant function modules on which you want to base your iViews. The imported function modules are referred to as data services.

Normally, you can connect to any installation of a back-end application to import a data service, and then deploy the content to any portal that enables access to an instance of the same back-end application. However, if the customer installation of the back-end application includes customized function modules, you will need to import the data services in the customer environment, in order to retrieve the customized functions.

Most connections to back-end systems are accomplished using the SAP and JDBC connectors deployed automatically as part of the connector framework installed with the portal. The SAP connector provides access to R/3 and BW systems, while the JDBC connector provides access to a range of databases run on the J2EE platform, including Microsoft SQL, Oracle, DB2 and others.

BI connectors, installed separately in the portal, can be used to access a range of different data, including multidimensional cubes, relational tables and queries. Connectivity is based on defining a system in the portal landscape. You may define systems for the following connections:

·        BI XMLA

·        BI ODBO

·        BI JDBC

·        BI SAP Query

In addition, you can configure the BW system, installed automatically with the SAP connector, for accessing predefined queries.

BI connectivity in SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer is available only with SAP NetWeaver 2004 SP Stack 05 and above.

For complete information about defining BI data services, see Creating BI Queries.

To define data services based on Siebel business components, you must install the iWay connector with the portal and define the appropriate system in the portal landscape. Instructions for installation are available on SAP Service Marketplace.

Siebel connectivity in SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer is available only with SAP Enterprise Portal 6.0 SP2.

For information about importing Siebel business components, see Adding Siebel Data Services.

 

Process Flow

The standard procedure for adding a data service to an iView includes the following steps:

Add...

       1.      Adding Data Services to Your Model

       2.      Testing the Data Service (optional)

       3.      Defining the Properties of the Data Service

Add the data source ...

Depending on the type of data service – and if you are using the BI Wizard – the procedure may vary a bit.

You can create an iView using data services from a number of different back-end systems. For example, you might use a stored procedure from an Oracle system (imported through the JDBC connector) to call up data that is subsequently used as input to an SAP R/3 BAPI, and output to a table. Or you may have a Siebel business component mapped so that it provides input to a BI query.

iView that contains SQL stored procedure and R/3 BAPI