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Questions and Answers: Migrating
Universes to SAP Business
Objects 4.0

Applies to:
SAP Business Objects 4.0, SAP Business Objects Enterprise XI 3.x, Universe Designer, and its latest
versions called universe design tool and information design tool. For more information, visit the Business
Objects homepage.

Summary
This document summarizes frequently asked questions around the universe migration questions for the
latest release of SAP Business Objects 4.0.
We welcome your feedback, comments and additional questions.

Authors: Frank Prabel, Christian Ah-Soon, Elizabeth Imm Varin-Bernier
Company: SAP
Created on: 18 October 2010

Authors Bio
Frank Prabel leads Semantic Layer Product Management in the SAP Business Objects
Enterprise Information Management group. Frank has held many positions in his long career
with the company, from marketing, solution expert, migration champion and operations
manager. He currently resides in France after recently returning from three years in the SAP
Palo Alto office.
Christian Ah-Soon is a Senior Program Manager responsible for the software specifications in the semantic
layer with a focus on migration, security and internationalization.
Elizabeth Imm Varin-Bernier is a product owner on Frank’s team. She has a background in semantic layer
knowledge management and global project management.

SAP COMMUNITY NETWORK SDN - sdn.sap.com | BPX - bpx.sap.com | BOC - boc.sap.com | UAC - uac.sap.com
© 2010 SAP AG 1

Questions and Answers: Migrating Universes to SAP Business Objects 4.0

Table of Contents
Questions and Answers on migrating universes to SAP Business Objects 4.0 ................................................. 3
How Do I Convert a Universe (UNV) from an SAP Business Objects Enterprise XI R2 or XI 3.x CMS to
SAP Business Objects 4.0 (BI 4)? .................................................................................................................. 3
How many Universe Authoring Tools are Delivered with bi 4? ....................................................................... 3
Can I Still Create UNV Universes with BI 4? .................................................................................................. 3
How Many Universe File Types are there in BI 4? ......................................................................................... 3
What is the Difference between a Data Foundation and a Business Layer? ................................................. 4
Do I Need to Create a Data Foundation for OLAP Sources? ......................................................................... 4
Why would I want to Create UNX Files Instead of UNV Files?....................................................................... 4
A Powerful new universe design tool called the information design tool; In addition, most BI client tools
delivered with BI 4 only support UNX files. ..................................................................................................... 5
Does Web Intelligence 4.0 support UNV and UNX files? ............................................................................... 5
Do other BI tools support UNV and UNX files? .............................................................................................. 5
Can I save a universe as UNX with the universe design tool? ....................................................................... 5
How can I convert a UNV to UNX? ................................................................................................................. 5
Do I lose any features when I convert a UNV to UNX? .................................................................................. 5
Is a UNV automatically converted to UNX when I bring it over from an XI R2 or XI 3.1 CMS? ..................... 5
Related content ................................................................................................................................................... 6
Copyright............................................................................................................................................................. 7

© 2010 SAP AG 2


Questions and Answers on migrating universes to SAP Business Objects 4.0
How Do I Convert a Universe (UNV) from an SAP Business Objects Enterprise XI R2 or XI 3.x CMS to
SAP Business Objects 4.0 (BI 4)?
To move a universe from a prior release CMS to a BI 4 CMS, use the upgrade management tool that is
provided with BI 4.

How many Universe Authoring Tools are Delivered with bi 4?
SAP Business Objects 4.0 BI 4 includes two universe authoring tools:
 The universe design tool, which is an upgraded release of the Universe Designer tool you are
familiar with if you are an existing Business Objects customer.
 The information design tool (IDT), which is the new universe authoring tool provided with BI 4.

Can I Still Create UNV Universes with BI 4?
Yes, use the universe design tool included with BI 4 to create classic UNV files, no change there.

How Many Universe File Types are there in BI 4?
There are two universe file types in BI 4:
 UNV files (the classic universe type), created by the universe design tool
 UNX files (the new universe type), created by the information design tool.

A UNX universe file is published on the CMS. It is a merge of three components that are designed in the
information design tool.:
 CNX files for connections
 DFX files for data foundations
 BLX files for business layers
A UNX is the result of CNX + DFX + BLX.

© 2010 SAP AG 3


What is the Difference between a Data Foundation and a Business Layer?

What is a Description

Data Foundation (DFX) A data foundation contains a schema of relevant tables and
joins from one or more relational databases that are used as a
basis for one or more business layers.

You reference relational connections in the data foundation.
You insert tables and joins from the databases referenced in
the connections.

Business Layer (BLX) A business layer is a collection of metadata objects that map
to SQL or MDX definitions in a database, for example,
columns, views, database functions, or pre-aggregated
calculations. The metadata objects include dimensions,
hierarchies, measures, attributes, and predefined conditions.
Each object corresponds to a unit of business information that
can be manipulated in a query to return data. Business layers
can be created directly on an OLAP cube, or on a data
foundation that is built on a relational database.

You can build any number of business layers on the same
data foundation. In this case the data

foundation becomes the basis for multiple universes.

Do I Need to Create a Data Foundation for OLAP Sources?
No. OLAP sources are already built as dimensional cubes of data, therefore the business layer reads the
structure of the OLAP source automatically.

Why would I want to Create UNX Files Instead of UNV Files?
The new semantic layer (based on UNX files) available in BI 4 brings major new benefits over and above the
classic universe benefits:
 Multisource-enabled universes. With the information design tool, you can create universes that span
across multiple data sources, for example Oracle and MSFT SQL Server or Oracle and SAP BW.
 Multi-dimensional universes. With You can create dimensional universes off OLAP cubes that enable
OLAP-style analysis through hierarchy display and expand and collapse reporting in BI client tools
such as Web Intelligence and Crystal Reports.

© 2010 SAP AG 4


A Powerful new universe design tool called the information design tool; In addition, most BI client
tools delivered with BI 4 only support UNX files.

Does Web Intelligence 4.0 support UNV and UNX files?
Yes. Web Intelligence users can create queries with UNV files and UNX files. However, only with UNX files
will they enjoy the major new BI 4 benefits such as multisource enabled universes and multidimensional
universes.

Do other BI tools support UNV and UNX files?
Here are the details of which BI 4 tools support UNV and which tools supports UNX:

BI TOOL Web Intelligence 4 Crystal Reports Dashboards Explorer
Enterprise (*) (Xcelsius)
File type
UNV Yes
UNX Yes Yes Yes Yes

(*) This is the Java version of Crystal Reports. The C++ version of Crystal Reports only supports UNV
universes.

Can I save a universe as UNX with the universe design tool?
No. the universe design tool can only save universes as UNV files. Use the information design tool to convert
a UNV to UNX.

How can I convert a UNV to UNX?
To convert a UNV file to UNX, open it with the information design tool. Go to the File menu and select the
“Convert UNV universe” command. A UNX file saves a copy of the original UNV file (and the UNV file still
exists).

Do I lose any features when I convert a UNV to UNX?
When you convert a UNV to a UNX, all the features and definitions (tables, joins, object definitions, security,
options, etc.) are converted. There are, however, a few limitations with the UNV to UNX conversion:
 IDT cannot convert OLAP universes created with prior releases. SAP recommends making a direct
connection to the OLAP source to then take advantage of the dimensional modeling capabilities built
in to IDT.
 IDT cannot convert universes based on stored procedures of JavaBeans.
 Linked universes. Although IDT can convert linked universesthey are not supported in BI 4. When
you convert a linked UNV, IDT copies the core universe into the converted universe. The core
universe factorization is lost.

Is a UNV automatically converted to UNX when I bring it over from an XI R2 or XI 3.1 CMS?
No. UNV files remain UNV files when you move them over with the upgrade management tool. You still need
to perform the UNV to UNX conversion step with IDT in order to convert them to UNX.

© 2010 SAP AG 5


Related content
For the latest information on updates to this document, please visit Business Objects Articles.
For more information, visit the Business Objects homepage.

© 2010 SAP AG 6


Copyright
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