how to distribute and collect offline data in sap bpc 7

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© 2010 SAP AG 1

How to Distribute and Collect

Offline Data in SAP BPC 7.0 MS

and NW

Applies to:

SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation 7.0 Microsoft and SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation 7.0 NetWeaver. For more information, visit the Enterprise Performance Management homepage.

Summary

A How-To-Guide for distributing and collecting offline data in SAP BPC 7.0 MS and NW

Author: Shoba Vadlamudi

Company: Infosys Technologies Limited

Created on: 23 March 2010

Author Bio

Ms. Shoba Vadlamudi is a Software Engineer with Infosys Technologies Limited. She is currently a part of the EPM Center of Excellence at Infosys and has more than a year of experience in SAP BPC.

https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/bpx-epm


How to Distribute and Collect Offline Data in SAP BPC 7.0 MS and NW


© 2010 SAP AG 2

Table of Contents

Distributing and Collecting Offline Data ......................................................................................................... 3

Configuration Steps ................................................................................................................................... 3 Step 1: Creating Input Schedule/Report....................................................................................................................... 3

Step 2: Creating a Distribution List ............................................................................................................................... 4

Step 3: Distributing Input Schedules/Reports............................................................................................................... 6

Step 4: Collecting Input Schedules .............................................................................................................................. 9

Related Content .......................................................................................................................................... 11

Disclaimer and Liability Notice ..................................................................................................................... 12



© 2010 SAP AG 3

Distributing and Collecting Offline Data

In planning scenarios, the reports or input schedules may require to be distributed to multiple recipients. BPC allows you to distribute data to a distribution list. The recipients in the distribution list can change the data and send it back. The data in input schedules after changes (if any) can be collected back and updated to the database. This distribution and collection happens offline. Thus users can access data even when they are not connected to the server.

The scenario considered going forth, for distribution and collection of offline data is as follows:

a. Regional Sales Manager of New England wants to distribute the planned revenue target for the areas of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont to the corresponding Area Sales Managers.

b. The Area Sales Managers can then view the data, make changes (if required) and send it back to the Regional Sales Manager.

c. The Regional Sales Manager collects the data from Area Sales Managers.

Configuration Steps

Step 1: Creating Input Schedule/Report

We can distribute the data through input schedule/report. When distributing through an input schedule the following needs to be taken care of:

1. Set the input cells to be unprotected and protect the workbook.

For this in BPC for excel, go to eTools > Workbook options > Set Worksheet Password. The

following dialog appears

Enter the password. The field Current password will be disabled when protecting the workbook for the first time. This password is different from native excel password.

2. Workbook should not contain any data



© 2010 SAP AG 4

For the scenario considered, we have an application “SALESPLANNING”. This is configured with the required dimensions. An input schedule “IS_ASMRevenueTarget.xlt” is created as shown below and it is protected using BPC workbook password.

Step 2: Creating a Distribution List

After creating the report or input schedule, we need to create a distribution list to specify the reports/input schedules to distribute and its current view settings for different users. By specifying this we ensure that a recipient views only data relevant to him/her. The sample application set “ApShell”, has a predefined distribution template “Distribution Template.xlt”. We can use this to create a new distribution list.

Follow the below steps in BPC for excel:

1. ePublish > Manage Distribution List > New to create a new one or ePublish > Manage Distribution List > Edit to edit an existing one. A workbook is opened as below:



© 2010 SAP AG 5

It has the following fields:

Field Description

BOOK Name of the distribution list.

SECTION Denotes the beginning of a section of the distribution list.

REPNAME Path of report template used to create the reports. We can also give a description in the adjacent cell.

FIXKEY Used to set a dimension value for all reports in the distribution (for example, TIME - 2010.JAN).We can specify a dimension member from another application (with in the same AppSet) and the syntax is APPLICATION:DIMENSIONNAME

VARYKEYS The list of dimensions and user IDs for which the distribution is created. The dimensions and the user IDs are entered in columns. Reports are created for each intersection of dimensions and users that have access to the data.

To include all the children of a parent use the following syntax:

%ALL% - For example, WorldWide1.%ALL% creates reports for

WorldWide1 and all its children.

To include base member of a parent use the following syntax:

%BAS% - For example, WorldWide1.%BAS% returns base members of

WorldWide1

To include the immediate descendants of a parent use the following syntax:

%DEP% - For example, WorldWide1.%DEP% returns the children of

WorldWide1.

To use the CurrentView for a dimension instead of specifying a view use the following syntax:

%CUR% - Uses the CurrentView for the dimension.

SECTIONEND Denotes the end of a distribution section. A section is marked by SECTION and SECTIONEND.

(Source: BPC 7.0 MS Help)

Fill the fields as per requirement. Members for dimension not specified in the Distribution list will be taken from the current view.

2. Go to ePublish > Manage Distribution List > Validate to validate the Distribution list. You might

get errors when the report/ input schedule you are trying to distribute is already open or when the input schedule is not protected with BPC password. Make sure to take necessary action and try validating again.

3. After successful Validation, Go to ePublish > Manage Distribution List > Save to save the distribution list.

A distribution list can have many sections, meaning we can distribute multiple reports or input schedule using a single distribution list.

For the scenario considered a distribution list “ASM_Distribution_List.xlt” is created as shown below. We have specified the “FIXKEY” for all dimensions except for “P_ENTITY” which is specified in “VARYKEYS”. This is to show only relevant data to the Area Sales Managers of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.



© 2010 SAP AG 6

Step 3: Distributing Input Schedules/Reports

We can distribute input schedules/reports to the users specified in the distribution list using email or common network folder. This is done through distribution Wizard.

Follow the below steps in BPC for excel: 1. Go to ePublish > Offline Distribution Wizard. The below dialog is shown.



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Make sure that “Distribution” is selected. It provides options to “Lockdown and Send mail” or “Lockdown and Save to folder”. We can distribute immediately by clicking on”Distribute Now” or schedule to distribute later by clicking on “Schedule”. By scheduling we can also make the distribution to recur periodically. Selecting “Lock down and Send mail” takes you the following dialog.

Type the email address of the sender (typically, your email address) Select the “Copy to my inbox” check box, if you want to receive a copy Type the email subject and body Select the “Request send confirmation” check box if you want to receive an acknowledgement Select the “ZIP the attachments” check box to compress the report or input schedule

attachments. Click on “Next>>”

We have to configure the SMTP Server to distribute using e-mail. For this we have to set the application parameters: SMTPAUTH, SMTPPASSWORD, SMTPPORT, SMTPSERVER and SMTPUSER in BPC administration. We choose to “Lockdown and save to folder” and “Distribute Now”. The dialog below is shown.



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2. Select the distribution list to use and specify the distribution folder. Click on “Next>>”. The below

dialog is shown.

3. Select the sections to distribute. Thus one can select which input schedule/report to distribute. Then click on “Next>>”. The next dialog shows the summary of distribution.

4. Check the summary and click on “Process”. 5. After distribution acknowledge the “Book distribution was successful” by clicking on “OK” and then

click on “Finish” We can see that three input schedules are created in the distribution folder as per the specification in the distribution list.

The Area Sales Managers can view schedule relevant to them. The distributed schedules are locked and protected. So, the recipients will be prompted for passwords while trying to make changes.



© 2010 SAP AG 9

Step 4: Collecting Input Schedules

We can collect input schedules. After the recipients have reviewed/modified the input schedules, ensure that they mail it back to you or replace them in the common network folder. When using email to collect, collect all the mails in an email folder (create one exclusively for this) and also make sure that the received mails have only one attachment (Multiple schedules can be zipped in to a single attachment). After you have reviewed the received schedules, you can choose to make the changes in the database by collecting them.

Follow the below steps in BPC for excel: 1. Go to ePublish> Offline Distribution Wizard. The below dialog is shown.

2. Select “Collection” and click on “Collect Now”. The below dialog is shown

3. When using email specify the folder from Outlook Mail Box and select the emails to collect. We have

used a local folder. Browse and specify the folder (the one used during distribution). We can select the input schedules to collect. “Reload” updates the list of mails/files. Click on “Next>>”.

4. The next dialog shows the summary. Check it and click on “Process”. 5. After collection acknowledge the “Collection was successful” message by clicking on “OK” and then

click on “Finish”.



© 2010 SAP AG 10

We can see some new folders created in the network folder as shown above. The collected input schedule is move to the folder “SucessfullyProcessed”. If collection fails check the other folders. After collection the changes are made in the database. Thus data is distributed and collected offline using Distribution Wizard of BPC.



© 2010 SAP AG 11

Related Content

1. http://help.sap.com

2. Help available in BPC - http://servername/OSOFT/Help/Admin/HelpStart.htm#

3. For more information, visit the Enterprise Performance Management homepage.

http://help.sap.com/

http://servername/OSOFT/Help/Admin/HelpStart.htm




© 2010 SAP AG 12

Disclaimer and Liability Notice

This document may discuss sample coding or other information that does not include SAP official interfaces and therefore is not

supported by SAP. Changes made based on this information are not supported and can be overwritten during an upgrade.

SAP will not be held liable for any damages caused by using or misusing the information, code or methods suggested in this document,

and anyone using these methods does so at his/her own risk.

SAP offers no guarantees and assumes no responsibility or liability of any type with respect to the content of this technical article or code sample, including any liability resulting from incompatibility between the content within this document and the materials and

services offered by SAP. You agree that you will not hold, or seek to hold, SAP responsible or liable with respect to the content of this

document.

how to distribute and collect offline data in sap bpc 7

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