A couple of remarks with regard to SAP BusinessObjects (Advanced) Analysis for Microsoft Excel
I had some spare time on my hands last week and thought it would be interesting to delve into (Advanced) Analysis for Microsoft Excel, the first product to come out of development after SAP’s acquisition of Business Objects (correct me if I’m wrong). My colleagues were quite impressed with what they had already seen of an early version at TechEd Las Vegas in 2009, so I was quite eager to get the installation going, so I could share some of my new-found insight with my colleagues (I’m in the lead when it comes to OLAP within our practice). Besides, I am a big fan of cubes and still think that, despite column-based storage and in-memory technology, they have a rightfully earned place in any Business Intelligence landscape.
Welcome back ForceMerge() AKA MultiCube()!
I have always been a big fan of the MultiCube() function that is available in Desktop Intelligence. I can still remember the first time I learned about the function. A colleague of mine at that time was struggling with a report with multiple data providers he had built. He was really annoyed, because he couldn’t get the measures to aggregate properly. Which is exactly the purpose of this function, so when he found out about the (proper) use of the function he was really excited he could make it work after all.
SQL Server 2008 R2 is RTM
A co-worker of mine told me the other day that SQL Server 2008 R2 had gone gold. A bit of research revealed that Ted Kummert, senior vice president of the Business Platform Division at Microsoft apparently announced the RTM status in a conference call. Customers will be able to get this latest version of SQL Server as of the 13th of May and MSDN adn TechNet will be able to download it the 3th of May. The free express edition can already be downloaded. Even though official prices haven’t been revealed yet, it is expected that they will rise by 15 to 25% in comparison to R1. Read more
Data Integrator part of the new SAP BusinessObjects certification programme after all
Last week I ran into someone at an event and as the evening progressed we briefly discussed the new SAP BusinessObjects certification programme. I mentioned to him that it was a shame that the Data Integrator exam hadn’t been converted into an SAP exam, but he claimed that this indeed was case.
Business Objects Certified Professional certification soon to be retired
The other day I was reading the latest posts in a topic of a forum I quite frequently visit and it came to my attention that the current SAP BusinessObjects certification programme will be retired by the end of April and replaced by a new SAP certification programme. Read more
How many people are in space right now?
Not much of a KPI, but there you go.
Business Objects XI 3.1 SP2 out soon
Judging from the fact that the release notes (S-ID required) have been released, it cannot be long before it’ll be available from the SAP MarketPlace.
How to make your (SAP Business Objects) training budget last longer in times of crisis
In these times of economic turmoil it might prove difficult to get funding for training courses you’d like to attend. Your training budget, if you have one, might have been cut or altogether dissipated. Timo Elliott wrote a helpful blog post with links to 96 (to be exact) SAP BusinessObjects web seminars, which should give you plenty of opportunity to further hone your skills or perhaps give you an idea what to spend that budget on. I personally prefer attending an actual class for seriously delving into a subject. But then again, I did become Web Intelligence certified by sheer experience and preparing for the exams with the aid of online materials on SAP’s Partner Training Catalog.
Crystal Reports licensing headaches
I cannot remember where I picked up the link exactly. Since Ken Hamady has been drawing attention to the new licence terms, it is likely that I picked it up from his site. What am I talking about? The fact that SAP BusinessObjects is making it difficult for trainers and publishers (and the likes) to use screenshots of Crystal Reports. This article in ITWorld Canada explains the issue quite well.
An extra tool to improve SQL Server’s performance
Microsoft published a new white paper on Disk Partition Alignment Best Practices for SQL Server.