Connect to SAP BusinessObjects BI Data in HULFT Integrate

HULFT Integrate is a modern data integration platform that provides a drag-and-drop user interface to create cooperation flows, data conversion, and processing so that complex data connections are easier than ever to execute. When paired with the CData JDBC Driver for SAP BusinessObjects BI, HULFT Integrate can work with live SAP BusinessObjects BI data. This article walks through connecting to SAP BusinessObjects BI and moving the data into a CSV file.

With built-in optimized data processing, the CData JDBC Driver offers unmatched performance for interacting with live SAP BusinessObjects BI data. When you issue complex SQL queries to SAP BusinessObjects BI, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to SAP BusinessObjects BI and utilizes the embedded SQL engine to process unsupported operations client-side (often SQL functions and JOIN operations). Its built-in dynamic metadata querying allows you to work with and analyze SAP BusinessObjects BI data using native data types.

Enable Access to SAP BusinessObjects BI

To enable access to SAP BusinessObjects BI data from HULFT Integrate projects:

1. Copy the CData JDBC Driver JAR file (and license file if it exists), cdata.jdbc.sapbusinessobjectsbi.jar (and cdata.jdbc.sapbusinessobjectsbi.lic), to the jdbc_adapter subfolder for the Integrate Server
2. Restart the HULFT Integrate Server and launch HULFT Integrate Studio

Build a Project with Access to SAP BusinessObjects BI Data

Once you copy the JAR files, you can create a project with access to SAP BusinessObjects BI data. Start by opening Integrate Studio and creating a new project.

1. Name the project
2. Ensure the "Create script" checkbox is checked
3. Click Next
4. Name the script (e.g.: SAPBusinessObjectsBItoCSV)

Once you create the project, add components to the script to copy SAP BusinessObjects BI data to a CSV file.

Configure an Execute Select SQL Component

Drag an "Execute Select SQL" component from the Tool Palette (Database -> JDBC) into the Script workspace.

1. In the "Required settings" tab for the Destination, click "Add" to create a new connection for SAP BusinessObjects BI. Set the following properties:
   • Name: SAP BusinessObjects BI Connection Settings
   • Driver class name: cdata.jdbc.sapbusinessobjectsbi.SAPBusinessObjectsBIDriver
   • URL: jdbc:sapbusinessobjectsbi:User=username;Password=password;Url=http://myinstance:6405/biprws
     
     

     Built-in Connection String Designer

     For assistance constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the SAP BusinessObjects BI JDBC Driver. Either double-click the JAR file or execute the JAR file from the command-line.

     java -jar cdata.jdbc.sapbusinessobjectsbi.jar

     Fill in the connection properties and copy the connection string to the clipboard.

     To connect to your SAP Business Objects BI instance, you must set the following connection properties:

     • Url: set this to the rest API URL. After logging into the Central Management Console, choose 'Applications' from the combo box. Double-click on 'RESTful Web Service' and you'll see the access URL. By default it is, http://{Server-Name}:6405/biprws.
     • User: set this to the username of your instance.
     • Password: set this to the password of your instance.
2. Write your SQL statement. For example:

   SELECT StoreName, TotalRevenue FROM MyCustomReport

3. Click "Extraction test" to ensure the connection and query are configured properly
4. Click "Execute SQL statement and set output schema"
5. Click "Finish"

Configure a Write CSV File Component

Drag a "Write CSV File" component from the Tool Palette (File -> CSV) onto the workspace.

1. Set a file to write the query results to (e.g. MyCustomReport.csv)
2. Set "Input data" to the "Select SQL" component
3. Add columns for each field selected in the SQL query
4. In the "Write settings" tab, check the checkbox to "Insert column names into first row"
5. Click "Finish"

Map SAP BusinessObjects BI Fields to the CSV Columns

Map each column from the "Select" component to the corresponding column for the "CSV" component.

Finish the Script

Drag the "Start" component onto the "Select" component and the "CSV" component onto the "End" component. Build the script and run the script to move SAP BusinessObjects BI data into a CSV file.

Download a free, 30-day trial of the CData JDBC Driver for SAP BusinessObjects BI and start working with your live SAP BusinessObjects BI data in HULFT Integrate. Reach out to our Support Team if you have any questions.