Integration with SAP Crystal Reports
The integration of SAP Crystal Reports and SAP BW provides you with various options for creating formatted reports (Crystal Reports). Formatted reporting is especially suited for form-based reports with very limited analytical functionality. The basis for these reports is aquery. You should give some thought to the interaction options before designing the report.
SAP BW also provides you with templates in Business Content for reports that are based on Business Content queries. Using the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence server component, you can publish these reports on the Web, making them available to your users.
The Crystal Enterprise server component is part of SAP BuisnessObjects Business Intelligence, but can also be used separately.
If you want to create your own Crystal Reports in addition to the reports delivered by SAP as Business Content, you need Crystal Reports Designer. For more information, see the documentation for Crystal Reports Designer.
The graphic below shows the integration of Crystal Reports:
The integration of SAP Crystal Reports in SAP NetWeaver broadens the scope for formatted reporting with Business Explorer.
The graphic below shows the components and functions of the integrated architecture in greater detail.
The tool used to create Crystal Reports is Crystal Reports Designer, which is installed on the client.
The BW data and queries that form the basis of the Crystal Reports are stored on the BW server.
The SAP Integration Kit is the interface between Crystal Reports Designer and the BW server. The BEx query metadata is transferred to Crystal Reports Designer using this interface. The BEx query is the basis of the report.
After the report layout has been created, the BEx query data is displayed in the Crystal Reports Designer preview.
The Crystal Report is then saved in a BW role and transferred to the BW server using the SAP Integration Kit interface.
You can find out more about the SAP Integration Kit in SAP Service Marketplace at service.sap.com/instguides → SAP BusinessObjects → SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence (BI) → Integration for SAP Solutions → XI 3.1 → Integration for SAP Solutions Install and Admin Guide.
The interface between the BW server and the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence server is the Publishing Interface. Crystal Reports can only be viewed once they have been published to the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence server. This is done using the Publishing interface.
The reports are stored in rtp format on the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Server (formally known as SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise Server (BOE)).
During the publishing process, translation into the required languages takes place and the users and BW roles are synchronized.
The report's metadata information is transferred to the Crystal Enterprise server using the data interface between the BW server and the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence server. When the user calls up the Crystal Report, the report data is also transferred to the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence server using this interface.
Reports that have been stored on the Crystal Enterprise server can be viewed using a Web Browser or on the SAP Enterprise Portal. The SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Server also supports single sign on.
See also: