Show TOC

Background documentationConnectivity and Interoperability Locate this document in the navigation structure

 

This section briefly describes:

  • The means of connecting Visual Composer Storyboard to the required back-end systems

  • The technology environments to which models composed in Storyboard can be deployed

Connectivity with Back-End Systems

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 wide range of databases, 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.

The following table describes the systems from which Visual Composer can import data, and the connectors that are required. The "Connector" (second column) indicates the name of the connector used to install the system in the portal.

Visual Composer Connectivity

Connector

Back End

Data Service

Comments

Standard SAP

SAP_Connector

R/3 (BW)

BAPIs

Part of connector framework

SAP_JDBC

SQL, Oracle, DB2

Stored procedures

BI

BI_XMLA

MS Analysis BW

Cubes (multidimensional)

BI_ODBO

Local cube file

BI_JDBC

SQL, Oracle, DB2

Tables (relational)

BI_SAPQ

R/3, BW

SAP_Connector

BW

Queries

Part of portal connector framework
Deployment to Runtime Environments

You can deploy the models you create in Visual Composer to different technology engines, including Web Dynpro and Adobe Flex (Flash environment). The same model can be deployed to more than one environment, although not all components and controls are fully supported in each.

Visual Composer implements a proprietary XML-based Visual Composer Language (VCL) as its source code for creating the models. Only at deployment is the model actually compiled into the executable code required by the select UI technology. The result is the one model can essentially "run anywhere."