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Your network infrastructure is extremely important in protecting your system. Your network needs to support the communication necessary for your business needs without allowing unauthorized access.

Usage with SAP NetWeaver
If you use SAP NetWeaver as platform, the client PC communicates directly with the BW server. The BW system provides data access, authorizations for the data and OLAP functions for navigation in the data. The following steps describe the communication sequence:
  1. There are two options:
    • The user starts Analysis and inserts a data source from the BW system into a new workbook or presentation.
    • The user starts Analysis and opens a workbook or presentation stored in the BW system.
  2. The user logs on to the BW system to get the data.
    Note If single sign-on is activated the user can access the BW system directly.
  3. The user navigates in the data.
  4. The user saves the Analysis workbook or PowerPoint in the BW system.

In steps 2 and 3, Analysis on the client PC requests data from the BW server. This communication is carried out with a synchronous Remote Function Call (RFC) connection. You can protect this RFC connection using Secure Network Communications (SNC). For more information, see SAP Help Portal at http://help.sap.com Start of the navigation path  SAP NetWeaver Next navigation step SAP NetWeaver Library Next navigation step Administrator's Guide Next navigation step SAP NetWeaver Security Guide Next navigation step Network and Communication Security Next navigation step Transport Layer Security End of the navigation path.

Usage with SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence / SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise
The following steps describe the communication sequence and provide an overview of the communication channels:
  1. There are two options:
    • The user opens an existing Analysis workbook or PowerPoint file located on the business intelligence platform server. S/he has to log on to the business intelligence platform.
    • The user starts Analysis and inserts a data source from the BW system into a new workbook or PowerPoint file. S/he has to log on to business intelligence platform. Analysis receives the defined connections and the system information for the BW system(s) from the business intelligence platform.
  2. The user logs on to the BW system to get the data.
    Note If single sign-on is activated the user can access the BW system directly.
  3. The user navigates in the data.
  4. The user saves the Analysis workbook or PowerPoint file on the business intelligence platform server.

In steps 1 and 4, Analysis on the client PC communicates with the business intelligence platform server for requesting system information and saving the files. This communication is carried out with a Web service connection using HTTP or HTTPS as protocols. To provide better security with the HTTP protocol, the Web service connection should use HTTP POST operations, rather than HTTP GET operations. Configure the Web service connection on the business intelligence platform server accordingly.

You can protect this Web service connection using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). Analysis uses the standard ports for HTTP and HTTPS, which are configured in your network. For more information about the configuration of the Web service connection on the business intelligence platform server, see “Working with Web Application Container Servers” and “Configuring HTTPS/SSL” in the BusinessObjects Business Intelligence / BusinessObjects Enterprise Administrator's Guide at http://help.sap.com.

In steps 2 and 3, Analysis on the client PC requests data from the BW server. This communication is carried out with a synchronous Remote Function Call (RFC) connection. You can protect this RFC connection using Secure Network Communications (SNC). For more information, see SAP Help Portal at http://help.sap.com Start of the navigation path  SAP NetWeaver Next navigation step SAP NetWeaver Library Next navigation step Administrator's Guide Next navigation step SAP NetWeaver Security Guide Next navigation step Network and Communication Security Next navigation step Transport Layer Security End of the navigation path.