Xir2 BusinessObjects Planning Guide to Integration With BusinessObjects XI 11.60 En

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BusinessObjects Planning Guide to

Integration with BusinessObjects XI

BusinessObjects Planning XI Release 2


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2008 Business Objects. All rights reserved. Business Objectsowns the followingU.S. patents, which may cover products that are offered and licensed by Business

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ContentsIntroduction 9Chapter 1

About this guide.........................................................................................10

Who should read this guide..................................................................10

Terminology conventions...........................................................................10

Get more help............................................................................................11

BusinessObjects Integration 13Chapter 2

About BusinessObjects Integration...........................................................14

About BusinessObjects Enterprise user integration.............................14

About universe creation........................................................................15

Integration requirements and prerequisites...............................................17

Technical requirements........................................................................17

CMS access account............................................................................18

Security integration...............................................................................19

To enable BusinessObjects integration.....................................................19BusinessObjects Integration settings...................................................20

BusinessObjects integration features...................................................23

BusinessObjects Enterprise user integration 25Chapter 3

BusinessObjects Enterprise user integration concepts.............................26

About imported users...........................................................................26

Properties imported from BusinessObjects Enterprise........................27

Understanding BusinessObjects Planning systems.............................27Handling parent groups and subgroups...............................................28

The BusinessObjects Enterprise user import process...............................29

Configuring BusinessObjects Enterprise user import settings...................30

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To configure BusinessObjects Enterprise import settings....................30

To export the BusinessObjects Enterprise import settings...................34

Importing BusinessObjects Enterprise users.............................................35

To import BusinessObjects Enterprise users.......................................35

To schedule a BusinessObjects Enterprise user import for automatedexecution..............................................................................................35

BusinessObjects Enterprise user import rules.....................................36

Security rights for users imported from BusinessObjects Enterprise........39

BusinessObjects Enterprise authentication...............................................40

Process Overview for Planning Universe Creation 43Chapter 4

Planning the universe................................................................................45

Handling time in Planning universes 47Chapter 5

Comparing column-based time and row-based time.................................48

Column-based time..............................................................................48

Row-based time...................................................................................49

Reasons to adopt row-based time in Planning universes....................50

How row-based time is created in BusinessObjects Planning...................51

Example case of converting column-based time to row-based time.....51

Defining time structures for Planning universes 55Chapter 6

Defining time dimensions...........................................................................56

Time dimension structure.....................................................................58

To add a time dimension......................................................................58

To delete a time dimension...................................................................59

Defining grouping columns for a time dimension.................................59

Defining time dimension values.................................................................61

To define values for a time dimension..................................................62

Defining time pivots...................................................................................62

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About time pivot structure.....................................................................64

Time pivot storage types......................................................................66

To add a time pivot...............................................................................67

To edit the settings of a time pivot........................................................69

To delete a time pivot...........................................................................70

Defining data columns for a time pivot.................................................71

Impacts of time pivots on Data Structures update...............................75

Data Structures naming conventions.........................................................76

The Planning universe structure 77Chapter 7

Structure terminology.................................................................................78Universe terminology............................................................................78

BusinessObjects Planning terminology................................................79

Planning classes and objects....................................................................81

Native fact classes...............................................................................81

Time pivot classes................................................................................83

Validated dimension classes................................................................84

Time dimension classes.......................................................................86

Example case.......................................................................................86

Rollups and hierarchies.............................................................................90

About rollups and hierarchies...............................................................91

How rollups and hierarchies are applied as custom hierarchies..........91

Creating or modifying hierarchies in Designer.....................................92

Defining Planning universes 93Chapter 8

About universe definitions and universe files............................................94

Defining universes in BusinessObjects Planning......................................94

To add a universe definition..................................................................96

To edit a universe definition..................................................................96

Universe settings..................................................................................97


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To delete a universe definition..............................................................98

Managing the classes in a universe.....................................................99

To view the manually managed elements in a universe.....................104

Properties of Planning-generated universes...........................................104

Universe placement in the repository.................................................105

Universe contents created by BusinessObjects Planning..................105

Modifying Planning universes in Designer...............................................106

Modifying Planning-managed elements.............................................106

Creating and modifying manually managed elements.......................107

Removing obsolete elements.............................................................107

Modifying universe settings in Designer.............................................108Running an integrity check in Designer on Planning universes.........108

Administering Planning universes 111Chapter 9

Updating Planning universes...................................................................112

Events that trigger automatic universe updates.................................112

What occurs during a universe update...............................................114

When to manually execute a universe update...................................115

Refreshing time pivots.............................................................................116

To refresh a time pivot manually.........................................................116

To schedule a time pivot refresh for automated execution.................117

Managing access to Planning universes.................................................118

User rights to Planning universes......................................................118

Applying data filters as access restrictions........................................120

URL Syntax for Launching Planning Web Access Options 125Chapter 10

Using a BusinessObjects Enterprise logon token....................................126

Using a BusinessObjects Enterprise authentication type........................127

URL syntax for direct launch....................................................................128


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Index 131


Contents


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Contents


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Introduction

1


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About this guide

This guide covers configuration, administration and use of theBusinessObjects integration features in BusinessObjects Planning. Topicsinclude:

overview of integration features

enabling BusinessObjects integration

importing users from BusinessObjects Enterprise

creating and administering universes built from BusinessObjects Planningdata

This guide assumes that you have a working installation of bothBusinessObjects Planning and BusinessObjects.

Who should read this guide

This guide is intended for the following audiences:

Information Technology professionals responsible for administering theorganization's BusinessObjects system

Master System Users (administrators) of BusinessObjects Planning

Use of the BusinessObjects integration features typically requires acollaboration between these two parties. A successful implementation of theintegration features requires an understanding of both systems and their usein the organization's environment.

Terminology conventions

Each implementation of BusinessObjects Planning uses terminology that isspecific to the customer's environment. For example, the dimension names,

time series names, and data source names used in your system may bequite different than the names used in other BusinessObjects Planninginstallations.

When discussing BusinessObjects Planning features and capabilities, certainterminology assumptions must be made. For example, the documentationgenerally uses the term Department to indicate the primary planning


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dimension. Your organization may use the term Cost Center or Project,however, the general concept is the same.

Your system's time series and other columns may also be different than

those used in the documentation. For example, you might use the time seriesACT instead of CYA. You should apply your own system's terminology andstructure as you read the discussion and examples in the documentation.

Get more help

Documentation

Business Objects offers a full documentation set covering all products andtheir deployment. You can access documentation from the product interfaceor from the Business Objects online documentation library.

The online documentation library has the most up-to-date version of theBusiness Objects product documentation. The library is updated with newcontent as it becomes available.

For details on what documentation is available for BusinessObjects Planning,see theBusinessObjects Planning Documentation Roadmap.

The full electronic documentation set can be found on the web at http://support.businessobjects.com/documentation/product_guides/. Installation-related

documentation can also be found on your product distribution, in the \Documentsfolder.

Online customer support

The Business Objects Customer Support web site contains information aboutCustomer Support programs and services. It also has links to a wide rangeof technical information including knowledgebase articles, downloads, andsupport forums.

http://www.businessobjects.com/support/

Looking for the best deployment solution for your company?

Business Objects consultants can accompany you from the initial analysisstage to the delivery of your deployment project. Expertise is available inrelational and multidimensional databases, in connectivities, database design


1Introduction

Get more help
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tools, planning and performance management, customized embeddingtechnology, and more.

For more information, contact your local sales office, or contact us at:

http://www.businessobjects.com/services/consulting/

Looking for training options?

From traditional classroom learning to targeted e-learning seminars, we canoffer a training package to suit your learning needs and preferred learningstyle. Find more information on the Business Objects Education web site:

http://www.businessobjects.com/services/training

Send us your feedback

Do you have a suggestion on how we can improve our documentation? Isthere something you particularly like or have found useful? Drop us a line,and we will do our best to ensure that your suggestion is included in the nextrelease of our documentation:

[email protected]

Note: If your issue concerns a Business Objects product and not thedocumentation, pleasecontact ourCustomer Support experts. For informationabout Customer Support visit: http://www.businessobjects.com/support/.

Business Objects product information

For information about the full range of Business Objects products, visit:http://www.businessobjects.com.


Introduction1 Get more help
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BusinessObjects Integration

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This section discusses the basics of integrating BusinessObjects Planningwith BusinessObjects XI. You should read this section to understand thescope of the integration features and the system requirements and

prerequisites.The integration features do not appear in BusinessObjects Planning unlessthey are enabled. This section also explains how to enable the integrationfeatures.

About BusinessObjects Integration

BusinessObjects Planning can integrate with BusinessObjects in the followingareas:

The ability to import users from BusinessObjects Enterprise toBusinessObjects Planning

The ability to automatically generate universes for BusinessObjectsPlanning data

Although user import and universe creation are related, they can be adoptedindependently and do not need to be performed in any particular order.

About BusinessObjects Enterprise user integration

This section explains the general scope of the BusinessObjects Enterpriseuser integration features in BusinessObjects Planning. For specific detailson the features discussed in this section, see BusinessObjects Enterpriseuser integrationon page 25.

User integration overview

Using the user integration features, you can import users fromBusinessObjects Enterprise to BusinessObjects Planning. Imported users

remain synchronized with BusinessObjects Enterprise and are authenticatedby BusinessObjects Enterprise.

Within BusinessObjects Planning, you select specific BusinessObjectsEnterprise groups to import into BusinessObjects Planning. Upon the initialimport, the selected groups and their component users are created inBusinessObjects Planning and flagged as imported users and groups. Basic


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user information such as Account Name, Full Name and Email are copiedinto BusinessObjects Planning.

On an ongoing basis, you can synchronize the user list with BusinessObjects

Enterprise by performing periodic imports. Each time an import is performed,new users are added, deleted users are flagged as obsolete, and modifiedusers are updated. User imports can be performed manually on an ad hocbasis, or scheduled for automated execution.

Any user who is flagged as imported from BusinessObjects Enterprise isalso authenticated for entry into BusinessObjects Planning byBusinessObjects Enterprise. The BusinessObjects Planning login dialogallows users to select from the standard BusinessObjects Enterpriseauthentication methods. Single sign-on is not supported users must alwaysenter their credentials.

Benefits of user integration

For environments with users who require access to both BusinessObjectsPlanning and BusinessObjects Enterprise, user integration provides thefollowing benefits:

Single-source user creation and basic user administration. Note that thespecific user rights for the BusinessObjects Planning system must stillbe maintained in BusinessObjects Planning.

Single-source authentication. Users do not have separate passwords toaccess BusinessObjects Planning.

User integration is typically adopted in conjunction with BusinessObjectsPlanning universe creation. If automated security is enabled for Planninguniverses, then imported users are automatically granted access to Planninguniverses, and their BusinessObjects Planning data filters are translated touniverse access restrictions.

About universe creation

This section explains the general scope of the universe creation features inBusinessObjects Planning. Each of the features mentioned in this sectionare discussed in more detail elsewhere in this guide. For an overview of the


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creation process and links to specific information, seeProcess Overview forPlanning Universe Creationon page 43.

What is a universe?

A universe is a construct that allows business intelligence users to querydata without needing to directly interact with the databases data structures.Universes consist of the following:

connection parameters to the database

a collection of SQL structures called objects that map to the actual SQLstructures in the database

a schema of the tables and joins used in the database

Business intelligence users connect to the universe, and run queries againstthe database by using the universe objects.

Universe creation overview

Using the universe creation features in BusinessObjects Planning, you canautomatically generate universes based on the BusinessObjects Planningdatabase.

Within BusinessObjects Planning, you create universe definitions by

determining which BusinessObjects Planning data structures to include ineach universe. The data structures are grouped into pre-defined universeclasses and objects. You can choose to include all classes and objects, orspecify particular classes and objects.

When the universe definitions are saved, BusinessObjects Planningautomatically generates universes based on those definitions and saves theuniverses to the Central Management Server (CMS).

Once a universe is created, it is updated automatically whenever astructure-changing event occurs in BusinessObjects Planning. If automated

security is enabled for the universe, then users imported fromBusinessObjects Enterprise are automatically granted access to the universeand their data filters are converted to universe access restrictions. Updatesto imported users also trigger an update to the universe.

Because BusinessObjects Planning natively stores time-varying data acrosscolumns instead of over rows, features have been added to BusinessObjects


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Planning to allow the definition of time dimensions and time pivots. Use ofthese time structures allows Planning universes to present time-varying datain a way that is familiar to users of BusinessObjects business intelligencetools.

Universe creation benefits

The universe creation features provide the following benefits:

A streamlined and managed process for generating and updatinguniverses for BusinessObjects Planning databases.

The ability to access BusinessObjects Planning data using any of theBusinessObjects business intelligence tools. Use of the time dimensionfeatures provides the additional benefit of drilling BusinessObjectsPlanning data by time (this is not possible in BusinessObjects Planningitself).

The ability to automatically apply BusinessObjects Planning data filtersto universes as row access restrictions.

Integration requirements andprerequisites

This guide assumes that you already have operational BusinessObjectsPlanning and BusinessObjects installations. This section details therequirements and prerequisites for use of the BusinessObjects integrationfeatures.

Technical requirements

Required versions

Use of the BusinessObjects integration features requires BusinessObjectsXI Release 2 or BusinessObjects XI 3.0.



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Software prerequisites

A BusinessObjects Enterprise client installation must be performed on eachPlanning Application Server in your environment. Specifically, the Planning

Application Server requires the BusinessObjects Enterprise SDK andUniverse Designer.

For details on performing a BusinessObjects Enterprise client installation,see theBusinessObjects Enterprise Installation Guide.

CMS access account

BusinessObjects Planning requires a BusinessObjects Enterprise user

account under which to access the Central Management Server (CMS). Thisaccount is referred to in this document as theCMS access account.

The CMS access account must have administrator-level rights. If you planto import users from BusinessObjects Enterprise, the CMS access accountmust also have "View" rights to any groups that you want to import.

Two options are available to indicate the CMS access account. You can usethe existing Planning Service Account, or you can designate a differentaccount within the Planning Configuration Manager.

Using the Planning Service Account

If no user credentials are specified in the Planning Configuration Manager,the Planning Service Account will be used as the CMS access account. ThePlanning Service Account is the account under which the Planning ApplicationServer runs, as designated during the BusinessObjects Planning install. Formore details on the Planning Service Account, see the BusinessObjectsPlanning Installation Guide.

The advantage to this approach is that you do not need to designate aseparate user name and password within the Planning configuration file.

To use this approach, you must add the Planning Service Account as a userin BusinessObjects Enterprise and give the account the appropriate rights.


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Designating a user name and password in the Planning Configuration

Manager

You can use any BusinessObjects Enterprise account as the CMS access

account, as long as the account has the appropriate rights. If you are notusing the Planning Service Account, you must designate the user name andpassword in the Configuration Manager.

As a security measure for storing the password, Business Objects providesan encryption utility. You must use this utility to encrypt the password andthen copy the encrypted password to the Configuration Manager. Theencryption utility is located in your BusinessObjects Planning productdistribution, in the \Resources\Utilitiesfolder.

Security integration

BusinessObjects Planning supports several security integration options,including the ability to integrate with Active Directory. However, you cannotenable both security integration and BusinessObjects integration. IfBusinessObjects integration is enabled, any security integration optionselected in the Planning Configuration Manager will be ignored.

Typically, if you want to implement both BusinessObjects integration andsecurity integration, the security integration would be configured within

BusinessObjects Enterprise. When imported users log into BusinessObjectsPlanning, they choose the authentication type that corresponds to theauthentication type the user is mapped to within BusinessObjects Enterprise.

To enable BusinessObjects integration

BusinessObjects integration is enabled within the Planning ConfigurationManager.

This section only discusses the Configuration Manager settings specific to

the BusinessObjects integration features. It is assumed that the otherconfiguration settings have already been completed for proper operation ofBusinessObjects Planning. For full details on the Configuration Manager,see theBusinessObjects Planning Installation Guide.





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1. On the server hosting Planning Application Server, chooseStart>Programs>BusinessObjects EPM>BusinessObjects EPM Tools>BusinessObjects Planning>Configuration Manager.

2. From the tree structure in the left-hand pane, selectGlobal Parameters> BusinessObjects Integration.

The settings for BusinessObjects integration appear in the right-handpane.

3. Complete the integration settings. SeeBusinessObjects Integrationsettingson page 20 for details on specific settings.

4. From the tree structure, selectApplication Serverand confirm that thesettings in this pane are complete.

The Application Server settings are required for use of BusinessObjects

integration. If these settings are not already completed, type in the hostname of the Planning Application Server and the port (if you are not usingthe default port).

5. Save the configuration file.

If File Validation errors appear in the bottom of the right-hand pane aftersaving, correct the appropriate entries and then save the file again beforeexisting the Configuration Manager. You can double-click the messageto be taken to the field that generated the error.

6. Restart the Planning Application Service on each Planning Application

Server.

The next time you log into the Planning Professional Edition, theBusinessObjects integration features will be available for use.

BusinessObjects Integration settings

If BusinessObjects integration is desired, complete all of the settings on theGlobal Parameters > BusinessObjects Integration node.


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DescriptionField

Determines whether the BusinessObjects integration fea-tures are enabled or not. The default is False.

If set to True, the BusinessObjects integration features willappear in BusinessObjects Planning. You must completethe remaining settings on the BusinessObjects Integrationpane to enable use of the integration feature set.

Note: You cannot enable both security integration and Busi-nessObjects integration. If BusinessObjects integration is en-abled, any security integration option selected on the Global

Parameters > Security node will be ignored.

Integration enabled

Select the appropriate version of your BusinessObjectsEnterprise installation.

Platform version

Select the desired authentication type for the CMS accessaccount. This account is used by BusinessObjects Planningto access the Central Management Server (CMS).

The available options are: secEnterprise

secWindowsNT

secWinAD

secLDAP

Note: If you are using the Planning Service Account as theCMS access account, this field will be ignored. BusinessOb-

jects Enterprise uses whichever authentication type is desig-nated for the Planning Service Account in BusinessObjectsEnterprise.

CMS Authentication Type

If you want to use the Planning Service Account as theCMS access account, leave this field blank.

Otherwise, type the user name for the CMS access account.

CMS Username





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DescriptionField

If the Planning Service Account is being used as the CMSaccess account, leave this field blank.

Otherwise, you must enter a password for the CMS serviceaccount. This password must be encrypted using the en-cryption utility provided by Business Objects in the \Resources\Utilitiesfolder of your product distribution.Use the utility to encrypt the password, then copy and pastethe encrypted password into the Configuration Manager.

CMS Password

Type the name of the computer hosting the CMS.CMS Hostname

If you are not using the default CMS port, type the appropri-ate port number. Otherwise, leave the default setting of6400.

CMS Port

This setting defines the amount of time allowed to completerequests to the CMS, such as universe updates. If the re-quest is not completed within the designated time, the re-

quest will time out and an error will be noted in the applica-tion server log.

The default timeout value is 120 seconds. If desired, youcan edit this setting. Keep in mind that defining a smallertimeout value than the default may result in requests notbeing completed.

Timeout in seconds of CMSrequests

Related Topics

Security integrationon page 19 CMS access accounton page 18




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BusinessObjects integration features

If BusinessObjects integration is enabled, the following features becomeavailable in the Planning Professional Edition to support user import anduniverse creation:

User integration features

A menu item is added to Plan > Administration named BusinessObjectsIntegration. This dialog is used to configure the user import parametersand execute imports. This dialog is only available in the Primary

Authentication System, and is only accessible by administrators.

A User Import task type is added to the Scheduler utility to facilitateongoing scheduled imports.

The BusinessObjects Enterprise authentication options are added to theBusinessObjects Planning login dialogs.

Security settings for imported users are managed normally within SecuritySettings.

Universe creation features

Two new areas are added to the Data Structures dialog for definition ofTime Dimensions and Time Pivots. These features are optional

universes can be created without time dimensions and time pivots. SeeHandling time in Planning universeson page 47 for more information onthe purpose of these structures.

A new menu item is added to Plan > Database named Universes. Thisdialog is used to define universes. This dialog is available to any userwho has security rights to Data Structures.

A Time Pivot Refresh task type is added to the Scheduler utility to facilitateongoing refreshes of time pivots.





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BusinessObjects Enterpriseuser integration

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This section provides the necessary information to understand and use theBusinessObjects Enterprise user integration features in BusinessObjectsPlanning.

Note: The BusinessObjects Integration menu item is only available ifBusinessObjects integration has been enabled in the Configuration Manager.

Related Topics

About BusinessObjects Enterprise user integrationon page 14

About BusinessObjects Integrationon page 14

To enable BusinessObjects integrationon page 19

BusinessObjects Enterprise userintegration concepts

This section provides an overview of key concepts relating to use of theBusinessObjects Enterprise user integration features.

About imported users

Use of the user integration features introduces the concept of two user types:

"imported users" and "BusinessObjects Planning users".

The terms "imported user" and "imported group" refer to users and groupsthat were imported into BusinessObjects Planning from an outside sourceand that remain synchronized with the original source.

The terms "BusinessObjects Planning user" and "BusinessObjects Planninggroup" refer to users and groups created within BusinessObjects Planning,or imported users and groups that have been converted to BusinessObjectsPlanning users and groups.

All imported users and groups are flagged using the Imported check box atthe top of the User Information tab or Group Information tab in SecuritySettings. As long as the Imported check box is selected, that user or groupwill be synchronized with the source during any future imports.

You can convert an imported user or group into a BusinessObjects Planninguser or group by clearing the Imported check box. If an imported user isconverted, that user becomes completely managed within BusinessObjects


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Planning and is unaffected by any future imports. This conversion cannot bereversed.

Properties imported from BusinessObjects Enterprise

The following user properties are imported from BusinessObjects Enterpriseand mapped to BusinessObjects Planning properties:

BusinessObjects Planning User

Property

BusinessObjects Enterprise User

Property

User ID

CUID

(Cluster Unique Identifier)

User NameAccount Name

Last NameFull Name

EmailEmail

In the case of groups, the BusinessObjects Enterprise CUID and GroupName are imported to the BusinessObjects Planning Group ID and GroupName.

The imported properties cannot be edited in BusinessObjects Planning aslong as the user or group remains flagged as an imported user. Importedproperties are updated on each subsequent BusinessObjects Enterpriseimport.

Understanding BusinessObjects Planning systemsAny security-related activity in BusinessObjects Planning requires anunderstanding of BusinessObjects Planning systems.


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A "system" is a unique BusinessObjects Planning User Directory anddatabase, as defined in the Planning Configuration Manager. ABusinessObjects Planning implementation may consist of multiple systems.

All implementations of BusinessObjects Planning must designate one systemas the Primary Authentication System. The Primary Authentication Systemcontrols user access to all BusinessObjects Planning systems defined inyour environment.

Several security features, including the BusinessObjects Integration dialog,are only available in the Primary Authentication System.

For more information on systems and the Primary Authentication System,see theBusinessObjects Planning Security Administrator's Guide.

Handling parent groups and subgroups

BusinessObjects Enterprise supports group hierarchies. A group can bedesignated as a subgroup of another group (the parent). Subgroups inheritthe rights of the parent group.

BusinessObjects Planning does not support group hierarchies. Each groupin BusinessObjects Planning is a separate entity with no relationship to anyother group. Users in BusinessObjects Planning can belong to multiple

groups.When hierarchical groups are imported into BusinessObjects Planning, thehierarchical structure is flattened. Users are assigned to their subgroup andany parent groups as appropriate.

For example, Group B is a subgroup of Group A, and both groups areselected for import. If a user is a member of Group B, that user will beassigned to both Group A and Group B in BusinessObjects Planning.

You can choose to import a subgroup without importing its parent groups,but you cannot choose to import a parent group without importing all of its

subgroups.


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The BusinessObjects Enterprise userimport process

This section outlines the user import process and provides direction on whereto find more information about each step.

1. Plan the groups to be imported.

In this step you should analyze your BusinessObjects Enterprise andBusinessObjects Planning deployments and determine the areas of useroverlap. Which BusinessObjects Enterprise users require access toBusinessObjects Planning or to the BusinessObjects Planning universedata? Can you use existing BusinessObjects Enterprise groups or do you

need to create new groups? How often should user imports be performedto keep the systems synchronized?

2. If necessary, create the groups to be imported within BusinessObjectsEnterprise.

For more details, see the BusinessObjects Enterprise AdministratorsGuide.

3. Configure and save the import settings.

In this step, you define which groups to import into specificBusinessObjects Planning systems. See Configuring BusinessObjects

Enterprise user import settingson page 30.

4. Perform the import.

Imports can be performed manually on an ad hoc basis, or scheduled forautomated execution using the Scheduler utility. Both options arediscussed inImporting BusinessObjects Enterprise userson page 35.This section also describes the rules employed during an import.

5. Define the security settings for the imported users and groups.

The user and group security settings for BusinessObjects Planning are

typically defined by the BusinessObjects Planning Master System User.

For more details on available settings, see the Planning ProfessionalEdition Administrator's Guide or the Planning Professional Edition OnlineHelp. A brief discussion of considerations specific to BusinessObjectsEnterprise users is available in this guide see Security rights for usersimported from BusinessObjects Enterpriseon page 39.



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Subsequent imports can be performed as often as necessary to synchronizethe user lists.

Configuring BusinessObjects Enterpriseuser import settings

This section provides information on configuring the BusinessObjectsEnterprise user import settings. You must configure the user import settingsbefore you can perform an import. Once saved, these settings can be usedfor future imports and can be edited at any time.

To configure BusinessObjects Enterprise importsettings

The BusinessObjects Integration dialog is only available in the PrimaryAuthentication System and is only accessible by administrators.

1. ClickPlan>Administration>BusinessObjects Integration.

In Excel 2007: On the Plan tab, in the System Management group, clickAdministration>BusinessObjects Integration.

2. On theUser Groupstab, select the BusinessObjects Enterprise groups

to import.

Use the arrow buttons to move selected groups from the Available Groupsbox to the Selected Groups box. For more specific details andconsiderations, seeTo select BusinessObjects Enterprise groups forimporton page 31.

3. For each group in the "Assigned Group" box, select the targetBusinessObjects Planning systems that you want to import the groupinto.

If a check box is selected for a system, that group will be imported into

that system. For more specific details and considerations, see To selecttarget systems for BusinessObjects Enterprise user importon page 32.

4. On theSettingstab, select the systems to enable for import in the"Enable/Disable Import by System" box.


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If a check box is selected for a system, that system is enabled for import.For more specific details and considerations, seeTo enable or disablesystems for BusinessObjects Enterprise user importon page 33.

5. ClickSave.If you are ready to perform the import now, click Import. SeeImportingBusinessObjects Enterprise userson page 35 for full details on performingimports.

To select BusinessObjects Enterprise groups for import

1. Click theUser Groupstab of the BusinessObjects Integration dialog.

2. To add a group for import:

a. In the Available Groups box, select the check box for each group thatyou want to import.

You can use the Select AllandClear Allbuttons at the bottom ofthe dialog to select all groups or clear all check boxes.

If a group has a plus icon next to the group name, you can expandthe group to view its subgroups. Child groups can be selectedindependently of parent groups. Selecting a parent groupautomatically selects all child groups.

b. Click the >> button to add the selected groups to the Assigned Groupsbox.

Tip: To see a list of the users in a group, right-click on the group inthe Assigned Groups box.

3. To remove a group:

a. In the Assigned Groups box, click the grey box next to the group nameto select the entire row.

You can use the SHIFT or the CTRL key to select multiple rows.

b. Click the


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You can select any group defined in BusinessObjects Enterprise that isavailable to the CMS access account used by BusinessObjects Planning. Ifthe CMS access account does not have rights to view a particular group,

then that group will not display in the BusinessObjects Integration dialog.Hierarchical groups (groups with subgroups) will be flattened upon import toBusinessObjects Planning. SeeHandling parent groups and subgroupsonpage 28.

If you remove a group that has previously been imported, all imported usersbelonging to that group will become obsolete on the next import, unless theybelong to another imported group.

To select target systems for BusinessObjects Enterprise user

import

Once BusinessObjects Enterprise groups have been selected to import, youmust indicate the target BusinessObjects Planning systems for each group.

1. Click theUser Groupstab of the BusinessObjects Integration dialog.

Each group selected for import is listed in the Assigned Groups box. Tothe right of the Group Name column, there is a column for all systems("All"), and then a column for each individual system.

By default, when a group is first selected for import, all systems areselected as import targets.

2. To add target systems for import:

Select the check box for a specific system to import the group into thatsystem.

OR

Select theAllcheck box to select all systems.

3. To remove target systems for import:

Clear the check box for a specific system.

OR

Clear theAllcheck box to clear all systems.




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Considerations when selecting target systems for user import

Importing into newly-added systems

By default, when a group is initially added to the Selected Groups list, allsystems are selected as target systems. If a new system is added later, youmust manually edit the selected groups to include that system.

Selecting the Primary Authentication System as a target system

If the users in a group do not need to access the Primary AuthenticationSystem, then you do not need to select that system as a target system. Theusers will still be added to the Primary Authentication System so that theycan log into BusinessObjects Planning, but within the Primary Authentication

System they will be assigned to the Planning No Access group.

If you change your mind later and decide to indicate the PrimaryAuthentication System as a target system, the group will be created in thePrimary Authentication Systemand thealready-existing users will be assignedto that group. Because the users are now assigned to a group, the PlanningNo Access assignment is removed.

Note: The automated removal of the Planning No Access assignment onlyoccurs because the original Planning No Access assignment was automatic.If you manually assign a user to the Planning No Access group, that

assignment will remain until you remove it.

Removing a target system

If you remove a system from a groups list of target systems, and you havealready imported users from that group into that system, those users willbecome obsolete in that system on the next import.

To enable or disable systems for BusinessObjects Enterprise

user import

You can selectively enable or disable systems for import without affectingthe target system assignments for the imported groups. The first time thatthe BusinessObjects Integration dialog is accessed, all systems are enabledfor import by default. If a new system is subsequently added, you mustmanually enable that system.



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1. Click theSettingstab of the BusinessObjects Integration dialog.

The available BusinessObjects Planning systems display in the"Enable/Disable Import by System" box.

2. Select the check box for a system to enable that system for import, orclear a check box for a system to disable that system for import.

Impacts of disabling systems for user import

If you disable a system for user import, no users or groups will be importedinto that system, even if that system is selected as a target system on theUser Groups tab. (Note that name and email information for previouslyimported users will still be synchronized.)

Disabling the Primary Authentication System disables all user import

capabilities. The import process must be able to create users within thePrimary Authentication System.

To export the BusinessObjects Enterprise importsettings

You can export the BusinessObjects Enterprise user import settings as anXML file to assist in troubleshooting any import issues.

1. ClickPlan>Administration>BusinessObjects Integration.In Excel 2007: On the Plan tab, in the System Management group, clickAdministration>BusinessObjects Integration.

2. Click theSettingstab.

3. Select one of the following export options:

ClickExport Configurationto export the configuration settings forthe import. This includes the list of selected BusinessObjectsEnterprisegroups and target systems, and the system enablement settings.

ClickExport Groups / Usersto export the list of BusinessObjects

Enterprise groups and users that you have selected for import.

4. Navigate to the location where you want to save the export file, then clickOK.




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Importing BusinessObjects Enterpriseusers

Two methods are available to import BusinessObjects Enterprise groupsand users. You can manually perform an import using the BusinessObjectsIntegration dialog, or you can schedule an import for automated executionusing the Scheduler utility.

For details on the rules applied to users and groups during a BusinessObjectsEnterprise import, seeBusinessObjects Enterprise user import rulesonpage 36.

After an import executes successfully, be sure to check the Audit Log for

any warnings.

To import BusinessObjects Enterprise users

1. ClickPlan>Administration>BusinessObjects Integration.

In Excel 2007: On the Plan tab, in the System Management group, clickAdministration>BusinessObjects Integration.

2. Review the import settings to confirm they are as desired.

3. ClickImport.If any errors are experienced during the import, a message box notifies youthat errors were logged to the Audit Log.

Related Topics

To configure BusinessObjects Enterprise import settingson page 30

To schedule a BusinessObjects Enterprise user import

for automated executionYou can schedule a user import for automated execution using the Schedulerutility. You must have already configured and saved the import settings usingthe BusinessObjects Integration dialog before scheduling the import.



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The following describes the basic steps for scheduling a user import. For fulldetails on the Scheduler utility, see the Planning Professional Edition OnlineHelpor thePlanning Professional Edition Administrator's Guide.

1. ClickPlan>Utilities>Scheduler.In Excel 2007: On the Plan tab, in the System Management group, clickUtilities>Scheduler.

2. Click theNew Jobicon, then type a Job Name and Description for thenew job.

You can also add the user import task to an existing job.

3. Add the user import task to the job:

a. In the Tasks for Job pane at the bottom of the dialog, click theNewTaskicon.

The Setup Task dialog opens.

b. On theTask Typelist, click User Import.

c. Type aNamefor the task, then clickOK.

4. Complete the remaining job settings (Job Recurrence and Notifications)by clicking through the Job Wizard.

Note: Remember that the scheduled time is evaluated in the context ofthe Planning database server's time zone. The Job Wizard displays thedatabase time (as "Scheduler time") and the local time for your reference.

BusinessObjects Enterprise user import rules

This section describes the rules applied by BusinessObjects Planning whenperforming a BusinessObjects Enterprise user import. This summary isprovided to help you understand how BusinessObjects Planning handles thevarious user and group conditions that may be present during an import.

Group Rules

For each group to be imported, BusinessObjects Planning checks the grouplist of the target system to determine if the group already exists. The basisof comparison is the group ID.

If no match is found for the group ID, the following occurs:


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Before creating a new group, the software checks to make sure thatno BusinessObjects Planning groups already exist with the samename. If a duplicate group name is found, then no action is taken tothe existing group and no users are imported for the BusinessObjects

Enterprise group. A warning message is logged in the Audit Log if thisoccurs.

If no duplicate group name is found, then the new group is created,flagged as an imported group, and assigned filters that result in noaccess to data or plan workbooks. The group ID and group name areimported from BusinessObjects Enterprise. The associated users areimported into the new group.

Note: If the imported group name contains characters that are notsupported in the BusinessObjects Planning database, then that group

is considered invalid and no users are imported for that group. Awarning message is logged in the Audit Log if this occurs.

If a match is found for the group ID, any new users are imported into theexisting group. This occurs regardless of whether the group is still flaggedas Imported in BusinessObjects Planning. If the group is still flagged asImported and the group name has been changed in BusinessObjectsEnterprise, then the group name is synchronized to match the new namein BusinessObjects Enterprise.

User Rules

For each user to be imported, BusinessObjects Planning checks the userlist to determine if the user already exists. The basis for comparison is theuser ID.

If no match is found for the user ID, the following occurs:

Before creating a new user, the software checks to make sure that noBusinessObjects Planning users already exist with the same name.If a duplicate user name is found, then no action is taken to the existinguser. A warning message is logged in the Audit Log if this occurs.

If no duplicate user name is found, then the new user is created,flagged as an imported user, and assigned to the appropriate importedgroups. The user's Full Name and Email properties are imported.

Note: If the imported user name contains characters that are notsupported in the BusinessObjects Planning database, then that user



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is considered invalid and is not imported. A warning message is loggedin the Audit Log if this occurs.

If a match is found for the user ID, the following occurs:

If the user is flagged as an Imported user, then the user's Full Nameand Email properties are updated. The user's imported groupassignments are synchronized. Any group assignments that weremade manually by an administrator are not changed.

If the user is not flagged as an Imported user (the user was convertedto a BusinessObjects Planning user), then no action is taken to theexisting user.

If the Primary Authentication System was not indicated as a target system

for the group the user is being imported from, then any new users added toa non-Primary Authentication System are also added to the PrimaryAuthentication System. The new user is created, flagged as an importeduser, and assigned to the Planning No Access group.

Obsolete Users

Within the pool of groups currently being imported, BusinessObjects Planningcompares its list of imported users (users flagged as Imported) to the usersin the current import. If a previously imported user does not exist in the currentimport, that user is flagged as obsolete.

The most typical situations where a user would be flagged as obsolete are:

The user was deleted from BusinessObjects Enterprise entirely.

The user was removed from all BusinessObjects Enterprise groups thatare designated for import.

The user belongs to a group that was removed from the BusinessObjectsIntegration settings, and the user does not belong to any of the othergroups designated for import.

Obsolete users cannot access the system. If the obsolete user is a ProcessControl stage owner or the owner of a Scheduler job, this issue is noted inthe Audit Log so that an administrator can move the assignments to otherusers as appropriate. The names of obsolete users display in grey font inthe Security Settings dialog.


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Obsolete users remain in the system until deleted by an administrator. Forsecurity reasons, BusinessObjects Planning does not provide the ability tomanually remove the obsolete flag from a user. If a user was mistakenlyremoved from a BusinessObjects Enterprise group (which resulted in the

user being flagged as obsolete), you can re-run the import to restore theuser after correcting the issue in BusinessObjects Enterprise.

Security rights for users imported fromBusinessObjects Enterprise

Generally, security rights for imported users are handled in the same wayas for BusinessObjects Planning users. You must define the security rights

for each user and group within Security Settings, for each BusinessObjectsPlanning system the user or group was imported into.

Security rights are typically managed by a BusinessObjects Planning MasterSystem User. For more details on available security rights, see the PlanningProfessional Edition Administrator's Guideor thePlanning ProfessionalEdition Online Help.

This section details a few additional considerations when defining securityrights for imported users.

Group assignments

Initially, imported users are assigned to the group or groups they wereimported with. If the users group is a subgroup, the user is also assigned tothe parent groups as appropriate (see Handling parent groups and subgroupson page 28).

Subsequent imports synchronize the imported group assignments. Forexample, if a user is moved from Group A to Group B within BusinessObjectsEnterprise, and both of those groups are imported into BusinessObjectsPlanning, then the user will be removed from Group A and added to Group

B.Within BusinessObjects Planning, you can manually assign imported usersto additional groups (either BusinessObjects Planning groups, or otherimported groups). These manual assignments are not affected by subsequentimports.



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Filters

When a BusinessObjects Enterprise group is imported for the first time, it isassigned a set of security filters (data filters and a plan filter) that result in

no access to data or plan workbooks. This is a security measure designedto prevent newly imported users from having full access to the system untilyou are able to set the specific security rights for the group and the importedusers. If a new user is imported into an existing group, that user inherits thatgroup's established security rights, so no additional restrictions are appliedto the new user.

If you have enabled automated security for Planning universes, then it isextremely important to define appropriate data filters for imported users andgroups, as these data filters will be applied as row access restrictions whenuniverses are generated from the BusinessObjects Planning database. If

imported groups are left with the default "no access" filter, then the users willnot have access to the associated data within BusinessObjects Planning orthe Planning universe.

Data filters are defined on the Filters tab within Security Settings. For moredetails on data filters and how they are applied to universes, see Applyingdata filters as access restrictionson page 120.

BusinessObjects Enterprise

authenticationWhen BusinessObjects integration is enabled, the Professional Edition logindialog is modified to include an Authentication field. Imported users mustselect a BusinessObjects Enterprise authentication option that is supportedin their environment.


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Figure 3-1: Example login dialog with BusinessObjects Enterprise authentication

Note:

Single sign-on is not supported. Users must enter their credentials toaccess BusinessObjects Planning, even if single sign-on is enabled forBusinessObjects Enterprise. An exception is when using the token URLparameter to launch a Planning web access option.

If a BusinessObjects Enterprise user has one or more aliases in

BusinessObjects Enterprise, that user can log into BusinessObjectsPlanning using an alias and the corresponding authentication type.

For web login, the default login pages should be used (logined.aspxorloginsa.aspx), not the security integration login pages.

The following authentication options are available:

DescriptionAuthentication Option

BusinessObjects Enterprise authenticates the userbased on their BusinessObjects Enterprise account

name and password.

Enterprise

BusinessObjects Enterprise authenticates the userbased on their LDAP user name and password.

LDAP



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DescriptionAuthentication Option

BusinessObjects Enterprise authenticates the userbased on their Windows Active Directory user nameand password.

Windows AD

BusinessObjects Enterprise authenticates the userbased on their Windows NT user name and pass-word.

Windows NT

Non-imported users can use the Planning option tobe authenticated based on their BusinessObjectsPlanning user name and password.

Planning

For more details on BusinessObjects Enterprise authentication options, seetheBusinessObjects Enterprise Administrators Guide.

Special URL parameters are available to allow BusinessObjects Enterpriseusers to directly launch into Planning web access options. SeeURL Syntaxfor Launching Planning Web Access Optionson page 125.


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Process Overview forPlanning Universe Creation

4


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Planning universe creation is a multi-step process. This table provides a briefoverview of the universe creation steps.

For more informationDescriptionProcess Step

SeePlanning the uni-verseon page 45

In this step you plan the structure of theuniverse.

Planning the universe

SeeDefining time struc-tures for Planning univers-

eson page 55

In this step, you define optional timestructures in BusinessObjects Plan-ning to enable time-based drilling ofthe universe data.

Defining time structures is a 3-part

process involving: Defining time dimensions

Populating time dimensions

Defining time pivots

This step is optional.

Defining time structures

SeeDefining Planninguniverseson page 93

In this step, you create the universedefinition in BusinessObjects Planning

by choosing from pre-defined classesand objects. Once the definition issaved, the universe is generated andpublished to the CMS.

Once a universe has been generated,you can make further edits to the uni-verse within Designer.

Defining the universe

SeeAdministering Plan-ning universeson

page 111

Once a universe has been created, on-going administration of the universe in-

cludes updating the universe, updatingtime pivots, and managing user access.

Administering the uni-verse


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In this phase you should analyze the reporting needs of the intended audienceof the universe and plan the universe design to meet those needs.

Because most or all of the universe structure and properties will be createdby BusinessObjects Planning, the primary focus of the planning phase isdeciding on the necessary data and understanding how it will be accessiblein the universe.

For example, you should consider the following questions:

What BusinessObjects Planning data needs to be made available touniverse consumers?

Once you have decided on the data requirements, you need to understandhow the BusinessObjects Planning data structures map to universestructures. Understanding the Planning universe structure will help youdecide which classes and objects to include in the universe to provideyour users with the data they need. SeeThe Planning universe structureon page 77 for more details.

Do users need to be able to drill the data based on time?

BusinessObjects Planning natively stores time-varying data over columnsinstead of rows. If you require time-varying data to be stored over rows

to enable time-based drilling, you must define certain time structures inBusinessObjects Planning to support this. SeeHandling time in Planninguniverseson page 47 for more details.


4Process Overview for Planning Universe Creation



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Handling time in Planninguniverses

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One of the primary decisions to make when developing Planning universeshas to do with how time-varying data is handled. You can choose to use thedefault "wide" layout of the BusinessObjects Planning database, where time

varies over columns, or you can create special time constructs to enabletime to vary over rows.

This section explains these two different approaches, to assist you in decidinghow to handle time-varying data in your universes.

For specifics on creating these time constructs in BusinessObjects Planning,seeDefining time structures for Planning universeson page 55.

Comparing column-based time and

row-based timeThis section explains the differences between the native column-based timeof BusinessObjects Planning and row-based time.

Column-based time

In BusinessObjects Planning, time-varying data is not tracked as a dimension.Time is instead defined using the concept of time series.

What is a time series?

A time series is a set of data columns representing a span of time.

The primary defining factor of a time series is the number of periods. Eachperiod represents a unit of time, such as a month or a week. A typical timeseries has 12 periods representing a one-year span of months. However,the number of periods and the implied time span may vary. For example, atime series could contain 26 periods representing a one-year span of biweeklyunits, or 36 periods representing a three-year span of months.

Each time series is given a name which ideally conveys both the time spanand the type of data contained in the time series for example, "CYA" forCurrent Year Actuals or "CYB" for Current Year Budget. Time series namesare typically generic ("current year") instead of specific ("ACT2006") so thatthe same set of time series can be re-used for each planning cycle.


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Database structure with column-based time

The BusinessObjects Planning database contains a column for each periodof each time series. The naming convention for these columns is the time

series name suffixed by the period number (for example, CYA1, CYA2, etc.).This structure is described as a "wide" table layout because the time-varyingdata varies over columns instead of rows. For example, the fact table for adata source in BusinessObjects Planning appears like the following table:

Table 5-1: Example wide table layout in BusinessObjects Planning

CYB12CYB11CYB2CYB1CYA12CYA11CYA2CYA1ACCTDEPT

145125160110125110150100400100100

500500500500500500500500400200100

This example shows a system with two dimensions (DEPT and ACCT) andtwo 12-period time series (CYA and CYB). (Periods 3 through 10 of eachtime series are omitted for space considerations.)

Since it is not uncommon for a data source to have four or more time series,as well as several sets of summary fields and other columns, the columnlayout can be quite wide.

Row-based time

Most business intelligence applications track time as a dimension. Forexample, if the data in the database spans a one-year period, you mighthave a time dimension named Month with values from 1 to 12.

In this case, the time dimension becomes one of the key columns of thetable. Instead of a wide table with many columns, the table is narrow with

many rows. For example, the fact table of a database using a time dimensionappears like the following table:

Table 5-2: Example "narrow" table layout

BUDGETACTUALSMONTHACCTDEPT


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1101001400100100

1601502400100100

12511011400100100

14512512400100100

5005001400200100

5005002400200100

50050011400200100

50050012400200100

In this example there are three dimensions, DEPT, ACCT and Month. Thedata is contained in two measure columns named Actuals and Budget. (Again,months 3 through 10 are omitted for space considerations.)

The data is exactly the same as in the BusinessObjects Planning "wide"table example, it is the database structure that differs.

Related Topics

Column-based timeon page 48

Reasons to adopt row-based time in Planninguniverses

There are several reasons to adopt time dimensionality for Planninguniverses:

Familiarity. Most business intelligence tools use time dimensions. Your

user community may already be used to performing analysis and buildingreports using a time dimension.

Time-based report drilling. Use of time dimensions enables the ability todrill along time. You can define time hierarchies such as months, quartersand years and drill along those hierarchies.

True date fields. BusinessObjects Planning does not natively supportdate fields, but date fields can be included in time dimensions. Some


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functionality in other Business Objects reporting and analytic tools dependon the presence of a date field.

The process of defining time dimensions and the associated supporting

constructs does add a significant component to Planning universedevelopment. If user familiarity is not an issue or if time-based report drillingis not required, it may not be worth the effort to adopt time dimensionality.

How row-based time is created inBusinessObjects Planning

Because BusinessObjects Planning does not naturally support timedimensionality, two new data structure types have been introduced to allow

for row-based time in Planning universes:

Time Dimensions. A time dimension defines a span of time periods totrack time-varying data. Similar to standard dimensions, you can alsodefine grouping columns for a time dimension, which can then be usedas the basis for time hierarchies within the universe.

Time Pivots. A time pivot defines an alternate view of a data source.Instead of storing data in time series columns, a time pivot uses a timedimension to track time-varying data over rows.

Each time pivot corresponds to a single time dimension. Time pivots consist

of one or more measures that define a category of time-varying data, suchas budget data or actuals data. To define the data within the measure, youmap one or more time series to specific time dimension periods.

Essentially, the time pivot converts the "wide" table structure ofBusinessObjects Planning to a "narrow" table structure.

Example case of converting column-based time torow-based time

This example case is provided to illustrate how time dimensions and timepivots are used to create row-based time for Planning universes. The exampleuses typical data structures for a budgeting application.



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Typical column-based time in BusinessObjects Planning

A typical time span for data in a budgeting application is three years theprior year, the current year, and next year. To support this time span, thefollowing time series exist within the Financial data source:

Actuals Time SeriesBudget Time SeriesYear

LYA (Last Years Actuals)n/aPrior year

CYA (Current Years Actu-als)

CYB (Current YearsBudget)

Current year

n/aNYB (Next Years Bud-get)

Next year

Each of these time series has 12 periods representing 12 months of data.

Creating row-based time for the universe

To support time dimensionality in the Planning universe, the followingconstructs are created in Data Structures.

Time dimension

One time dimension is created named "Month". The Month dimension hascodes from 1 to 36, representing the three-year time span of the system.

To support month descriptions and time drilling, three grouping columns aredefined for the time dimension: Description, Quarter, and Year. For example:

YearQuarterDescriptionMonth

2005Q1January1

2005Q1February2

2005Q1March3


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2005Q2April4

2007Q4November35

2007Q4December36

Months 5 through 34 are omitted from the table for space considerations.

Time pivot

One time pivot named "FinancialMonthly" is created for the Financial datasource. This time pivot is explicitly associated with the Month time dimension,thereby giving the time pivot 36 periods.

Within the time pivot, two measures are created: "Actuals" and "Budget".

The Actuals measure contains the time series LYA and CYA. LYA ismapped to periods 1-12, and CYA to periods 13-24. Periods 25-36 areleft unmapped, and will return zero values (actuals data is not availablefor next year).

The Budget measure contains the time series CYB and NYB. CYB ismapped to periods 13-24, and NYB to 25-36. Periods 1-12 are leftunmapped, and will return zero values (generally, there is no need toreport upon budget data earlier than the current year).



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Defining time structures forPlanning universes

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If you have determined that the universe needs to store time-varying dataover rows, you must define the supporting time structures in BusinessObjectsPlanning. This process has three phases:

1. Defining time dimensions

In this phase, you define the name of the time dimension and the groupingstructures. Time dimensions are defined on a system-wide basis.

2. Defining time dimension values

In this phase, you populate the time dimension table with the set of validcodes (periods) and grouping values.

3. Defining time pivots

In this phase, you define the data for the alternate view by mapping time

series periods to time dimension periods. Time pivots are defined on aper data source basis.

For more details on the concept of time dimensions and time pivots, and whyyou might use them in a Planning universe, seeHandling time in Planninguniverseson page 47.

Currently, time dimensions and time pivots are only for use in universes.BusinessObjects Planning itself does not provide any means of reportingusing these time structures. The Time Dimension and Time Pivot nodes onlyappear in the Data Structures dialog if BusinessObjects integration has been

enabled in the Configuration Manager.

Defining time dimensions

Note: Time dimensions are only available if BusinessObjects Integration isenabled.

Time dimensions define a span of time periods to track time-varying data.Use of time dimensions and time pivots enables the ability to drill data basedon time in Planning universes, and also provides support for date fields.

Time dimensions are defined within the Data Structures dialog. Additionally,each time dimension must have a set of time dimension codes and groupingvalues defined within the database. See Defining time dimension valuesonpage 61.


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Note: Once defined, the settings for time dimensions and their associatedgrouping columns cannot be edited. You must delete and recreate the timedimension or grouping column if you need to change its settings.

To access the Time Dimensions pane:

1. Click Plan > Database > Data Structure

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