BODS provides a blend of data integration with batch processing Extract Transform Load (ETL) and real time bi-directional data flow across multiple applications.
Benefits of DS
- Easy metadata management
- Simplified and unified administration
- Life cycle management
- Trusted information
- Scalable, multi-instance data-movement for fast execution
- Load balancing
- Changed-data capture
- Parallel processing
“CMC” refers to the Central Management Console provided by the BI or IPS platform.“CMS” refers to the Central Management Server provided by BI or IPS platform.Data Services ArchitectureEnd users can access, create, edit, and interact with Data Services projects and reports using specialized tools and applications that include:DesignerManagement ConsoleAdministratorImpact and Lineage AnalysisOperational DashboardAuto DocumentationData ValidationData QualityIT departments can use data and system management tools that include:Central Management Console (CMC) Management Console Server Manager Repository ManagerTo provide flexibility, reliability, and scalability, SAP BusinessObjects Data Services components can be installed on one or across many machines.Server processes can be “vertically scaled” (where one computer runs several, or all, server-side processes) to reduce cost, or “horizontally scaled” (where server processes are distributed between two or more networked machines) to improve performance. It is also possible to run multiple, redundant versions of the same server process on more than one machine, so that processing can continue if the primary process encounters a problem.
| Standard components |
DesignerThe Designer is a development tool with an easy-to-use graphical user interface. It enables developers to define data management applications that consist of data mappings, transformations, and control logic.RepositoryThe SAP BusinessObjects Data Services repository is a set of tables that hold user-created and predefined system objects, source and target metadata, and transformation rules. Set up repositories on an open client/server platform to facilitate sharing metadata with other enterprise tools. Each repository must be stored on an existing RDBMS and registered in the Central Management Console (CMC).Each repository is associated with one or more Job Servers which run the jobs you create. There are two types of epositories:Local repositoryA local repository is used by an application designer to store definitions of objects (like projects, jobs, work flows, and data flows) and source/target metadata.Central repositoryA central repository is an optional component that can be used to support multi-user development. The central repository provides a shared object library allowing developers to check objects in and out of their local repositories.While each user works on applications in a unique local repository, the team uses a central repository to store the master copy of the entire project. The central repository preserves all versions of an application's objects, so you can revert to a previous version if needed.Job ServerThe SAP BusinessObjects Data Services Job Server starts the data movement engine that integrates data from multiple heterogeneous sources, performs complex data transformations, and manages extractions and transactions from ERP systems and other sources. The Job Server can move data in either batch or real-time mode and uses distributed query optimization, multi-threading, in-memory caching, in-memory data transformations, and parallel processing to deliver high data throughput and scalability. In production environments, you can balance job loads by creating a Job Server group (multiple Job Servers) which executes jobs according to overall system load.EngineWhen Data Services jobs are executed, the Job Server starts engine processes to perform data extraction, transformation, and movement. The engine processes use parallel processing and in-memory data transformations to deliver high data throughput and scalability.ServicThe Data Services service is installed when Job and Access Servers are installed. The service starts Job Servers and Aess Servers when you restart your system. The Windows service name BusinessObjects Data Services. The UNIX equivalent is a daemon named AL_JobService.Access ServerThe SAP BusinessObjects Data Services Access Server is a real-time, request-reply message broker that collects message requests, routes them to a real-time service, and delivers a message reply within a user-specified time frame. The Access Server queues messages and sends them to the next available real-time service across any number of computing resources. This approach provides automatic scalability because the Access Server can initiate additional real-time services on additional computing resources if traffic for a given real-time service is high. You can configure multiple Access Servers.
Management Console
Administrator
The Administrator provides browser-based administration of SAP BusinessObjects Data Services resources including:
Scheduling, monitoring, and executing batch jobs.
Configuring, starting, and stopping real-time services.
Configuring Job Server, Access Server, and repository usage.
Configuring and managing adapters.
Managing users.
Publishing batch jobs and real-time services via Web services.
Metadata Reports applications
The Metadata Reports applications provide browser-based analysis and reporting capabilities on metadata that is:
Associated with your SAP BusinessObjects Data Services jobsAssociated with other SAP BusinessObjects solution portfolio applications associated with Data Services
Metadata Reports provide several applications for exploring your metadata:
Impact and lineage analysisOperational dashboards
Auto documentation
Data validation
Data quality
Impact and Lineage Analysis reports
Impact and Lineage Analysis reports include:
- Datastore Analysis
For each datastore connection, view overview, table, function, and hierarchy reports. SAP BusinessObjects Data Services users can determine:
What data sources populate their tables
What target tables their tables populate
Whether one or more of the following SAP BusinessObjects solution portfolio reports uses data
from their tables:
- Business Views
- Crystal Reports
- SAP BusinessObjects Universe Builder
- SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence documents
- SAP BusinessObjects Desktop Intelligence documents
Universe analysis
View Universe, class, and object lineage. Universe users can determine what data sources populate their Universes and what reports use their Universes.
Business View analysis
View the data sources for Business Views in the Central Management Server (CMS). You can view business element and business field lineage reports for each Business View. Crystal Business View users can determine what data sources populate their Business Views and what reports use their views.
Report analysis
View data sources for reports in the Central Management Server (CMS). You can view table and
column lineage reports for each Crystal Report and Web Intelligence Document managed by CMS. Report writers can determine what data sources populate their reports.
• Dependency analysis
Search for specific objects in your repository and understand how those objects impact or are impacted by other SAP BusinessObjects Data Services or SAP BusinessObjects Universe Builder objects and reports. Metadata search results provide links back into associated reports.
Operational Dashboard reports
Operational dashboard reports provide graphical depictions of SAP BusinessObjects Data Services job execution statistics. This feedback allows you to view at a glance the status and performance of your job executions for one or more repositories over a given time period. You can then use this information to streamline and monitor your job scheduling and management for maximizing overall efficiency and performance.
Auto Documentation reports
Auto documentation reports provide a convenient and comprehensive way to create printed documentation for all of the objects you create in SAP BusinessObjects Data Services. Auto documentation reports capture critical information for understanding your jobs so you can see at a glance the entire ETL process. After creating a project, you can use Auto documentation reports to quickly create a PDF or Microsoft Word file that captures a selection of job, work flow, and/or data flow information including graphical representations and key mapping details.
Data Validation dashboard
Data Validation dashboard reports provide graphical depictions that let you evaluate the reliability of your target data based on the validation rules you created in your SAP BusinessObjects Data Services batch jobs. This feedback allows business users to quickly review, assess, and identify potential inconsistencies or errors in source data.
Data Quality reports
Data Quality reports allow you to view and export Crystal Reports for batch and real-time jobs that include statistics-generating transforms. Report types include job summaries, transform-specific reports, and transform group reports.
SNMP Agent
SAP BusinessObjects Data Services error events can be communicated using applications supported by simple network management protocol (SNMP) for better error monitoring. Install an SAP BusinessObjects Data Services SNMP agent on any computer running a Job Server. The SNMP agent monitors and records information about the Job Servers and jobs running on the computer where the agent is installed. You can configure network management software (NMS) applications to communicate with the SNMP agent. Thus, you can use your NMS application to monitor the status of jobs.
Adapter SDK
The SAP BusinessObjects Data Services Adapter SDK provides a Java platform for rapid development of adapters to other applications and middleware products such as EAI systems. Adapters use industry-standard XML and Java technology to ease the learning curve. Adapters provide all necessary styles of interaction including:
- Reading, writing, and request-reply from SAP BusinessObjects Data Services to other systems.
- Request-reply from other systems to SAP BusinessObjects Data Services.
Management tools
License Manager
The License Manager displays the SAP BusinessObjects Data Services components for which you currently have a license.
Repository Manager
The Repository Manager allows you to create, upgrade, and check the versions of local and central repositories.
Server Manager
The Server Manager allows you to add, delete, or edit the properties of Job Servers and Access Servers. It is automatically installed on each computer on which you install a Job Server or Access Server. Use the Server Manager to define links between Job Servers and repositories. You can link multiple Job Servers on different machines to a single repository (for load balancing) or each Job Server to multiple repositories (with one default) to support individual repositories (separating test from production, for example).
You can also specify a Job Server as SNMP-enabled.
The Server Manager is also where you specify SMTP server settings for the smtp_to email function.