SAP BusinessObjects

This article outlines the integration with the SAP BusinessObjects connector, enabling streamlined metadata management through features such as crawling and lineage building (both automatic and manual).

This connector uses REST APIs to authenticate, discover folders and reports, retrieve report definitions, and extract source code from Web Intelligence and Crystal Reports. It authenticates using the configured service account and authentication method, such as sec Enterprise, LDAP, or Windows AD, to access SAP BusinessObjects metadata and APIs based on the assigned permissions.

Overview

Connector Details

Connector Category

Reporting Tool

OvalEdge Release Supported

Release6.x and later

Connectivity

[How the connection is established with SAP BusinessObjects]

REST APIs

Connector Features

Feature

Availability

Crawling

✅

Delta Crawling

❌

Profiling

Sample Profiling

Query Sheet

Data Preview

❌

Auto Lineage

✅

Manual Lineage

✅

Secure Authentication via Credential Manager

✅

Data Quality

DAM (Data Access Management)

Bridge

✅

'NA' indicates that the respective feature is "Not Applicable".

Metadata Mapping

The following objects are crawled from SAP BusinessObjects and mapped to the corresponding UI assets.

Source Object

Source Attribute

OvalEdge Attribute

OvalEdge Category

OvalEdge Type

Folder

SI_NAME / path

Report Group

Webi Report

SI_NAME

Report

webi

Webi Report

SI_KIND

Report Type

Report

webi

Webi Report

SI_DESCRIPTION

Source Description

Report

Source Description

Crystal Report

SI_NAME

Report

CrystalReport

Crystal Report

SI_KIND

Report Type

Report

CrystalReport

Crystal Report

SI_DESCRIPTION

Source Description

Report

Source Description

Sub Report

name

Report

Worksheet

Report Columns

Report Column

ChartChild

Set up a Connection

Prerequisites

The following are the prerequisites to establish a connection:

External Supporting Files

The required external JAR files are included as part of the OvalEdge installation artifacts. Please contact the OvalEdge Team for assistance related to the driver files and configuration setup.

Service Account User Permissions

It is recommended to use a dedicated service account to establish the connection to the data source, configured with the following minimum set of permissions.

👨‍💻 Who can provide these permissions? These permissions are typically granted by the SAP BusinessObjects administrator, as users may not have the required access to assign them independently.

Objects

API Details

Authentication / Headers

Access Permissions

SAP BusinessObjects Connection

POST {server}/logon/long (Enterprise/LDAP) POST {server}/logon/adsso (Windows AD) POST {server}/logoff

Accept: application/xml Content-Type: application/xml Request body: userName, password, auth (for Enterprise/LDAP)

X-SAP-LogonToken (Logoff)

Domains / Folders

POST {server}/v1/cmsquery?page=1&pagesize=2000

CMS Query:SELECT SI_ID, SI_NAME, SI_PATH FROM CI_INFOOBJECTS WHERE SI_ANCESTOR=23 AND SI_KIND='Folder'

X-SAP-LogonToken

Accept: application/json Content-Type: application/json

View Objects permission on the required folders and subfolders.

Reports (Web Intelligence, Crystal Reports)

POST {server}/v1/cmsqueryCMS Query retrieves report metadata from CI_INFOOBJECTS for Web Intelligence and Crystal Reports.

X-SAP-LogonToken

Accept: application/json

Content-Type: application/json

View Objects permission on Web Intelligence documents and Crystal Reports.

Web Intelligence Worksheets

GET {server}/raylight/v1/documents/{reportId}/reports

X-SAP-LogonToken Accept: application/json

View Objects and View Document permissions.

Web Intelligence Data Providers

GET {server}/raylight/v1/documents/{reportSiId}/dataproviders

X-SAP-LogonToken

Accept: application/json

View Objects and View Document permissions.

Web Intelligence Source Code

GET {server}/raylight/v1/documents/{reportSiId}/dataproviders/{dpId}

X-SAP-LogonToken Accept: application/json

View Objects and View Document permissions.

Crystal Report Source Code

GET {server}/infostore/folder/{reportSiId}/file

X-SAP-LogonToken Accept: application/json

View Objects and Download Files permissions.

Crystal Report Source Code Conversion

POST {rptRemoteBaseUrl}/sourcecode

Content-Type: application/json Request body: reportId, logonToken, tempPath, rptToXmlExtPath, baseUrl

View Objects and Download Files permissions.

Connection Configuration Steps

Users are required to have the Connector Creator role in order to configure a new connection.

Log into OvalEdge, go to Administration > Connectors, click + (New Connector), search for SAP BusinessObjects, and complete the required parameters.

Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory for establishing a connection.

Field Name

Description

Connector Type

By default, "SAP BusinessObjects" is displayed as the selected connector type.

Credential Manager*

Select the desired credentials manager from the drop-down list. Relevant parameters will be displayed based on the selection.

Supported Credential Managers:

OE Credential Manager
AWS Secrets Manager
HashiCorp Vault
Azure Key Vault

For more details, click here.

License Add-Ons

Select the checkbox for Auto Lineage Add-On to build data lineage automatically.

For more details, click here.

Connector Name*

Enter a unique name for the SAP BusinessObjects connection

(Example: "SAP BusinessObjects_Prod").

Connector Environment

Select the environment (Example: PROD, STG) configured for the connector.

For more details, click here.

Connector description

Enter a brief description of the connector.

Filter

Enter an optional filter expression to limit the folders or reports retrieved during metadata crawling. Use this field to restrict the scope of metadata extraction based on the configured filter criteria.

Base URL*

Enter the base URL or endpoint of the SAP BusinessObjects REST API server. This URL is used to authenticate, retrieve metadata, and access SAP BusinessObjects assets through the REST APIs.

Authentication Type*

Enter the authentication method used to authenticate the connection to the SAP BusinessObjects server, such as sec Enterprise, LDAP, Windows AD, etc. Ensure that the specified authentication method matches the authentication configuration of the SAP BusinessObjects environment.

Include Folder Path

Enter the folder path to limit metadata extraction to specific SAP BusinessObjects folders. Only reports and subfolders within the specified paths are included during crawling.

RPT Folder Path

Enter the directory path where SAP BusinessObjects report (.rpt) files are stored or accessed. This path is used to retrieve report files for metadata extraction and lineage generation.

Username*

Enter the username of the SAP BusinessObjects service account configured for the connector. Ensure that the account has the required permissions to access the SAP BusinessObjects applications and metadata.

Password*

Enter the password associated with the specified SAP BusinessObjects service account. This password is used to authenticate the connection to SAP BusinessObjects.

SAP BO RPT Remote Base URL

Enter the remote base URL used to access SAP BusinessObjects reports. This URL is used to retrieve and process SAP BusinessObjects report files during metadata extraction and lineage generation.

Proxy Enabled*

Select Yes to route API calls through a proxy server. Select No to bypass the proxy and connect directly.

Default Governance Roles

Default Governance Roles*

Select the appropriate users or teams for each governance role from the drop-down list. All users and teams configured in OvalEdge Security are displayed for selection.

Admin Roles

Admin Roles*

Select one or more users from the dropdown list for Integration Admin and Security & Governance Admin. All users configured in OvalEdge Security are available for selection.

No of Archive Objects

No Of Archive Objects*

This shows the number of recent metadata changes to a dataset at the source. By default, it is off. To enable it, toggle the Archive button and specify the number of objects to archive.

Example: Setting it to 4 retrieves the last four changes, displayed in the 'Version' column of the 'Metadata Changes' module.

Bridge

Select Bridge*

If applicable, select the bridge from the drop-down list.

The drop-down list displays all active bridges configured in OvalEdge. These bridges enable communication between data sources and OvalEdge without altering firewall rules.

After entering all connection details, the following actions can be performed:
1. Click Validate to verify the connection.
2. Click Save to store the connection for future use.
3. Click Save & Configure to apply additional settings before saving.
The saved connection will appear on the Connectors home page.

Manage Connector Operations

Crawl

To perform crawl operations, users must be assigned the Integration Admin role.

The Crawl/Profile button allows users to select one or more report groups for crawling.

Navigate to the Connectors page and click Crawl/Profile.
Select the report groups to crawl.
The Crawl option is selected by default.
Click Run to collect metadata from the connected source and load it into the Data Catalog.
After a successful crawl, the information appears in the Data Catalog > Report / Report Column tab.

The Schedule checkbox allows automated crawling at defined intervals, from a minute to a year.

Click the Schedule checkbox to enable the Select Period drop-down.
Select a time period for the operation from the drop-down menu.
Click Schedule to initiate metadata collection from the connected source.
The system will automatically execute the crawl operation at the scheduled time.

Other Operations

The Connectors page in OvalEdge provides a centralized view of all configured connectors, including their health status.

Managing connectors includes:

Connectors Health: Displays the current status of each connector using a green icon for active connections and a red icon for inactive connections, helping to monitor the connectivity with data sources.
Viewing: Click the Eye icon next to the connector name to view connector details.

Nine Dots Menu Options:

To view, edit, validate, build lineage, configure, or delete connectors, click on the Nine Dots menu.

Edit Connector: Update and revalidate the data source.
Validate Connector: Check the connection's integrity.
Settings: Modify connector settings.
- Crawler: Configure data extraction.
- Access Instructions: Add notes on how data can be accessed.
- Business Glossary Settings: Manage term associations at the connector level.
- Lineage: Select server dialects for parsing and setting connector priority for table lineage.
- Others: Configure notification recipients for metadata changes.
Build Lineage: Automatically build data lineage using source code parsing.
Delete Connector: Remove a connector with confirmation.

For more details on connector settings, click here.

Limitations

S.No.

Known Limitation

Description

Sub-Report Lineage

The SAP BO connector supports cataloging WebI Worksheets/Sub-Reports. However, lineage generation for Sub-Reports is currently not supported.

Connectivity Troubleshooting

If incorrect parameters are entered, error messages may appear. Ensure all inputs are accurate to resolve these issues. If issues persist, contact the assigned support team.

S. No.

Error Message

Error Description & Resolution

Authentication or Login Failed

The connector cannot authenticate with the SAP BusinessObjects server due to invalid connection details or an incorrect authentication method.

Resolution:

Verify that the Base URL, Username, and Password are correct.
Ensure that the Authentication Type matches the SAP BusinessObjects configuration (for example, sec Enterprise, LDAP, Windows AD, etc.).
Confirm that the appropriate login endpoint is used for the selected authentication method.

Connection Timeout

The connector is unable to establish a connection with the SAP BusinessObjects server within the configured timeout period. This may occur because of network connectivity issues or an unavailable server.

Resolution:

Verify that the SAP BusinessObjects server is running and reachable.
Ensure that the configured Base URL and proxy settings are correct.
Increase the connection timeout value if the server responds slowly.

No Folders or Domains Crawled

The crawling process completes successfully, but no folders or domains are discovered because the configured filters or folder paths do not match available content.

Resolution:

Verify the values configured in the Filter and Include Folder Path fields.
Ensure that the specified folders exist and are accessible to the service account.
Check whether the folders are excluded by the configured crawling criteria.

No Reports Found Under a Folder

The selected folder does not contain supported SAP BusinessObjects report types or contains report instances that are excluded during crawling.

Resolution:

Verify that the folder contains supported Web Intelligence or Crystal Reports.
Ensure that only base reports (non-instance reports) are selected for crawling.
Confirm that the service account has permission to access the reports.

Crystal Report Source Code Not Retrieved

The connector cannot retrieve Crystal Report source code because the report files are unavailable or the required configuration is incomplete.

Resolution:

Verify that the RPT Folder Path is configured correctly.
Ensure that the service account has permission to download Crystal Report files from the InfoStore.
Check whether the report file size exceeds the configured processing limit.

Web Intelligence Source Code Not Retrieved

The connector cannot retrieve the source code of Web Intelligence reports because the required Raylight APIs are inaccessible or permissions are insufficient.

Resolution:

Verify that the Raylight REST APIs are accessible from the configured environment.
Ensure that the service account has the required permissions to access Web Intelligence documents and data providers.
Confirm that the report contains valid data providers.

Incomplete Lineage or Missing Table Links

Data lineage is generated, but some source or target table relationships are missing because the required metadata or source code is unavailable.

Resolution:

Verify that the report source code was successfully extracted.
Ensure that the referenced tables, databases, or universes have already been crawled into OvalEdge.
Re-run lineage generation after the required metadata has been imported.

Connection Timeout

This error occurs when the connection to the SAP BO server takes too long and times out.

Resolution:

Ensure the SAP BO server is running and accessible.
Check if there is any network latency or firewall blocking the connection.
Increase the timeout settings in the connector configuration.
Verify that the network port required for the BO server is open.

Mismatch in Report Counts Between Built Lineage and Data Catalog

This issue occurs when source code retrieval fails for certain SAP BO reports during crawling. As a result, the number of reports displayed in the Built Lineage page may not match the reports available in the Data Catalog.

Resolution:

Review report group crawling job logs for source code retrieval failures or internal server errors.
Verify that the affected reports are accessible in the SAP BO source system.
Ensure the SAP BO APIs return the required report metadata successfully.
Re-run the crawl after resolving source system or API-related issues.

FAQs

Sl. No.

Question

Answer

Why are sub-reports displayed as worksheets after crawling?

For Web Intelligence and Crystal Reports, sub-reports are retrieved through the SAP BusinessObjects Raylight APIs and are stored in OvalEdge as Worksheet assets. This is the expected behavior.

Why are report columns not displayed immediately after metadata crawling?

Report columns are not created during metadata crawling. They are generated during the lineage extraction process when the connector parses the report source code.

Why are domain users or report users not available after crawling?

Crawling of domain users and report-level users is currently not supported by the SAP BusinessObjects connector. As a result, this information is not retrieved during metadata extraction.

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