Integrating BEx Applications into the Portal

You can integrate business content from the BW system into the SAP NetWeaver Portal. The portal allows you to access applications from other systems and sources, such as the Internet or intranet. Using one entry point, you can access both structured and unstructured information. In addition to content from Knowledge Management (KM), business data from data analysis is available from the Internet and intranet.

By integrating BEx applications into the portal, you can work more closely and more promptly with colleagues. This can be useful for example if you need to insert notes and comments for key figures and reports or run approval processes automatically. This allows you to participate in decisions in a wider business context.

Integration Options

In addition to the option of broadcasting precalculated documents and online links to BEx applications in KM folders in information broadcasting, users are also provided with role-based information. Since the BW system uses a role concept, integrating BEx applications into the portal is simple. Depending on their role, BW users view the same content in the portal as in the BW system.

They can also integrate BEx applications using the iView concept. Users can link individual BEx Web applications into the portal as iViews; they can also display and use them on a portal page, together with iViews from the SAP NetWeaver BW system or from other systems.

The documents and metadata created in the BW system (including metadata documentation) can be integrated into Knowledge Management of the portal using repository managers. They are displayed there together with other documents in a directory structure. Individual documents can also be displayed as iViews.

Calling Content from BEx Applications in the Portal

You have the following options when calling BEx applications:

• The BEx Web applications are started directly from portal roles or portal pages as iViews.
• The BEx Web applications are stored as documents and links in the Knowledge Management (KM). They are displayed for selection with the iView BEx Portfolio or KM Navigation iView.

  A complete Knowledge Management folder is displayed in the KM navigation iView. The KM Navigation iView allows you to execute Collaboration functions for these documents and links. The BEx portfolio is a special visualization of the KM navigation iView that is specially adapted to the needs of BW users.