SAP Crystal Reports and SAP HANA Options and Opportunities

8/17/2019 SAP Crystal Reports and SAP HANA Options and Opportunities

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September 9 –11, 2013

Anaheim, California

SAP Crystal Reports and SAP HANA: Options and Opportunities

(0301)

Jaclyn Churcher


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2

Learning Points

Connectivity options to SAP HANA for SAP Crystal Reports

Two ways to address restrictions encountered when querying anOLAP view

How to expose parameters, variables, and hierarchies defined in

HANA Information models


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AGENDA

Introduction: SAP Crystal Reports and SAP HANA

Direct connections to SAP HANA from SAP Crystal Reports 2013

and SAP Crystal Reports for Enterprise

Managed OLAP connections to SAP HANA from SAP Crystal

Reports for Enterprise

Relational universes to SAP HANA for SAP Crystal Reports for

Enterprise

Summary


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CRYSTAL REPORTS

Highly formatted,interactive reports

Leverage data from

virtually any data source

Two versions:

SAP Crystal Reports for

Enterprise

SAP Crystal Reports 2013

Connect directly to

HANA or using universe

(Insert pictures)


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SAP HANA

In-memory databaseplatform

Efficiencies

simplified landscape,

Enables real-time

delivery of data

SQL and MDX

ODBC, JDBC

Relational tables and‘information models’

(views) that, in some

cases, can be compared

to OLAP cubes Attribute view

Analytic view

Calculation view


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SAP HANA & SAP CRYSTAL REPORTS

SAP Crystal Reports enables directed analysis of data

What is the purpose of the report?

Return only required data and ensure query is efficient

Follow-on questions and exploration are possible with

further specific, parameterized reports (subreports or

linked reports)


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SAP HANA direct SQL via SAP Crystal Reports

ODBC, JDBC

Connect to tables

Connect to views*

Some views may

generate an error:

*feature not supported: not allowed over OLAP VIEW:search without aggregation or grouping by expression

other than view column…not allowed over OLAP view


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SAP HANA direct SQL via SAP Crystal Reports

“…not allowed over OLAP view…” error in Crystal

Reports 2011*

*Crystal Reports 2013 may close without displaying message


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SAP HANA Direct SQL via SAP Crystal Reports

To resolve this in SAP Crystal Reports 2013:

1. Connect and add view to report

2. From the Design view insert a group on one or

more fields. A unique identifier or multiple groups

which combined of unique identifiers is ideal.Display fields or summaries of fields in group

sections

3. Suppress the Details section

4. From File Report Options, select Perform

Grouping On Server

5. Preview the report


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“…not allowed over OLAP view…” resolution in Crystal Reports

2013 continued


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To resolve the “…not allowed over OLAP view…” error

in SAP HANA Studio for SAP Crystal Reports for

Enterprise OR SAP Crystal Reports 2013:

1. Edit the view and add a calculated column

(calculated attribute, not a calculated measure).This object may be hidden so there is no difference

to end users.

2. Verify and activate the view. Then connect, add the

view, and proceed with building the report.


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“…not allowed over OLAP view…” resolution from SAP HANA

Studio continued


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SUMMARY

Direct access to tables and views with some limitations

depending on the version of Crystal Reports and access to

HANA Studio

Control of SQL and filters makes it possible to build specific,

appropriate reports (don’t query the whole table!)

LIMITATIONS

Hierarchies defined in HANA will not be available in Crystal

Reports

Parameters and variables defined in HANA can only use

default values, and will fail if no default value has been

provided


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SAP HANA via Managed OLAP Connections

Access Analytic and Calculation Views using a managed

OLAP connection to SAP HANA with SAP CrystalReports for Enterprise:

1. In Information Design Tool create an OLAP

connection using SAP HANA OLAP driver (.cnx)

2. Specify a cube OR do not specify a cube and expose

all Analytic and Calculation Views via a single

connection

3. Publish the connection to Enterprise so that it isavailable to SAP Crystal Reports for Enterprise and

other BI clients that use universes


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SAP HANA via Managed OLAP Connections

SUMMARY

Easy access to Analytic and Calculation Views

Benefit from Query Panel functionality - prompt

ordering, member selection

Hierarchies, parameters, and variables are available

LIMITATIONS

Tables and Attribute Views are not accessible


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SAP HANA via Relational Universes

Higher customization of output for business users

Query time prompts and variables

Opportunity to federate data from HANA with data

from other sources

Universes can be consumed by SAP Business Objects

Web Intelligence and SAP Business Objects

Dashboards as well as by SAP Crystal Reports for

Enterprise


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SAP HANA via Relational Universes

Hierarchies must be recreated

Prompts and variables are not automatically

surfaced and must be recreated


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DEMO

DEMO


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QUESTIONS

QUESTIONS


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Avoid unfiltered, indiscriminate queries

Avoid joining information views in a relational universe

or using a direct connection

If using SAP HANA Studio, align your version with that of

your server Use recent releases where possible: updates and

improvements are frequent

Best Practices


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Two approaches to surfacing hierarchies, parameters, and

variables defined in HANA views Two approaches to resolving the “…not allowed over OLAP

view…” error encountered using direct connections to HANA

views from SAP Crystal Reports

Key Learnings


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Thank you for participating.

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SESSION CODE:0301

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Documents

SAP Crystal Reports and SAP HANA Options and Opportunities