The following types of content from BI are included in the content area on the portal:
● BEx Web application as an iView
● Precalculated BEx Web Applications as a Document in Knowledge Management
● BEx Web Applications as a Link in Knowledge Management
● BEx Analyzer Workbooks
● BI Documents
● Web Interface (from BW-BPS)
● Visualization (from SAP BusinessObjects Xcelsius)
A BEx Web application as an iView shows the current data for the BI report. From a technical viewpoint, a direct BEx Web application call takes place in the BI system. You can combine the BEx Web application as part of a portal page with other iViews from other systems as an iView.
You can change the properties of the iView so that BI bookmarks or BEx queries can be displayed. More information: BEx Web Application or Query as iView in the Portal.
For more information about the various options for generating iViews, see Overview: Integration and Display Types for Content from BI.
Using BEx Information Broadcasting, you can precalculate BEx Web applications and store them as documents in Knowledge Management. The precalculated BEx Web applications contain historic data for specific times. These documents can also be displayed in an iView. More information: BEx Web Application or Query As Document or Link in KM.
You can create links to BEx Web applications in Knowledge Management. The links show current data from the BI report. Unlike BEx Web applications as iViews, the call is made indirectly using BI Metadata Repository Manager
The collaboration functions can be used in BEx Web applications as documents and links. Collaboration with BEx Web applications as an iView is not possible.
More information: Cooperation with Other Users.
There are several differences between calling BEx Web Applications as an iView from Precalculated BEx Web Applications as Documents in Knowledge Management and BEx Web Applications as Links in Knowledge Management. More information: Calling Content from BI in the Portal.
In addition to BEx Web applications as iView or as documents, BEx Analyzer workbooks are another important tool. Workbooks can be included in and called from the portal. Workbooks are opened in a separate MS Excel window. For technical reasons, it is not possible to open workbooks in the Web browser window.
More information: Analysis & Reporting: BEx Analyzer.
The documents and metadata created in the BI system (including metadata documentation in particular) can be integrated into portal Knowledge Management using repository managers. They are displayed there together with other documents in a directory structure. Individual documents can also be displayed as an iView.
For more information about BI documents, see Documents.
A Web interface (from BW-BPS) is a Web-enabled planning application in the form of a Business Server Page Application (BSP application) that is created using the Web Interface Builder. You can combine a Web interface as part of a portal page with other iViews, such as BEx Web applications, to form an iView.
More information: Web Interface (from BW-BPS) as iView.
A visualization is a Web application that is created using SAP BusinessObjects Xcelsius Enterprise. BEx queries or query views serve as data sources for these dashboards. In the portal, visualizations can be displayed as iViews.
More information: Xcelsius Enterprise Integration.
For more information on including other BI applications and tools, see BI Components in the Portal.