Building a Real-time Dashboard using Xcelsius and Data Integrator
Applies to: BusinessObjects Data Integrator XI (11.7)
Summary This white paper shows how to use certain features of Data Integrator (DI) and Xcelsius to build a specific sample solution. It is not a DI or Xcelsius tutorial. Knowledge of DI is required, however limited or no knowledge of Xcelsius is expected.
The files referred to in this document may be downloaded from the SAP Community Network.
Author: Michael Eaton
Company: SAP
Created on: 15 February 2009
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Building a Real-time Dashboard using Xcelsius and Data Integrator
Table of Contents Introduction .........................................................................................................................................................3 Setup and Configuration .....................................................................................................................................3
Sample Application Overview .........................................................................................................................4 Building the Real-time Job..................................................................................................................................4
Testing the Real-time Job ...............................................................................................................................7 Exposing the Real-time Job as a Web Service...............................................................................................8
Building the Xcelsius Visualization ...................................................................................................................12 Completing the Xcelsius Visualization ..........................................................................................................13
Deploying the Dashboard .................................................................................................................................17 Related Content................................................................................................................................................19 Copyright...........................................................................................................................................................20
Building a Real-time Dashboard using Xcelsius and Data Integrator
Introduction Data Integrator allows real-time services to be exposed as web service operations so that they can be invoked by external processes. Xcelsius can refresh its data model using data returned from a web service operation. This document describes how to use Xcelsius Designer 4.5 and Data Integrator 11.7 to build a simple real-time dashboard using these features.
Setup and Configuration DI 11.7.0.0 and a repository on SQL Server 2005 were used to build and run the DI part of the example. Xcelsius Designer 4.5 was used to build the visualization/dashboard. To ensure real-time jobs and adapters operate fully, the following minor setup/configuration tasks must be completed. 1. The repository must be added to the web administrator. (I used Windows authentication with my 2005
repository and noticed that it would not connect until I turned on TCP/IP in SQL Server.) 2. A job server must be present with adapter communication enabled. Figure 1 shows the check box that
must be ticked. (While this step is not actually needed for this example, calling web services from DI does require this.)
3. An access server must be configured.
Figure 1 – Job Server Properties
Figure 2 shows what you might see on the administrator home page with a correctly configured repository, access server, and job server.
Building a Real-time Dashboard using Xcelsius and Data Integrator
If you installed DI with a typical installation a web service adapter is automatically configured, as shown in Figure 3. If not, add one using the configuration tab. (Not needed for this example, but worth doing anyway.)
Figure 3 – Default web service adapter
Sample Application Overview
The sample application that this document describes how to build consists of two parts: • A web service operation that accepts a stock code and returns the stock price (in reality, a random value) • An interactive dashboard that allows a user to specify a stock code and displays the stock price every 5
seconds.
Building the Real-time Job The stock price “lookup” is done using a real-time job. Real-time jobs require a message source and message target and these are created using XML schemas or DTDs.
1. Create two new XML Schemas (stock_price_request and stock_price_reply) using the supplied input and output schemas (stock_price_request.xsd and stock_price_reply.xsd).
2. Next create a new real-time job and add a single dataflow.
Building a Real-time Dashboard using Xcelsius and Data Integrator
Within the dataflow use the previously created stock_price_request and stock_price_reply schemas to create an XML message source and XML message target. (Drag them from the repository onto the dataflow.)
3. Connect the message source and message target with a query.
Building a Real-time Dashboard using Xcelsius and Data Integrator
As you can see, the price is randomly generated and the description uses the input stock code. With the mappings specified, the real-time job is complete.
Testing the Real-time Job
Testing real-time jobs can be performed by supplying a test xml file as the message source and executing them as batch jobs. Use the supplied file (stock_test_in.xml) as the test file for the message source.
1. You will need to specify a name for a target xml file as well (this will be generated at runtime).
2. Execute the job and check the output file. Try changing the source file.
Building a Real-time Dashboard using Xcelsius and Data Integrator
Building the Xcelsius Visualization As stated earlier, this is not a tutorial on Xcelsius; therefore, the major portion of the dashboard has been completed. However, if you are new to Xcelsius, the following steps briefly describe the steps performed to get the visualization into the version distributed in the ZIP file (DI and Xcelsius white paper.xlf).
1. Create a spreadsheet to be used within Xcelsius. The color highlighted fields will be dynamic; they will be updated via the dashboard and the web service invocation.
2. Create a new visualization and import the spreadsheet (known as the model within Xcelsius).
3. Add various components to the canvas. Note: The button labeled Get Stock Price is not visible at runtime (it is actually a Web Service connector).
Building a Real-time Dashboard using Xcelsius and Data Integrator
Completing the Xcelsius Visualization
1. Open the supplied Xcelsius file (DI and Xcelsius white paper.xlf).
2. Click the Get Stock Price component and view the properties. At this stage it has not been configured.
3. Click the Select Web Service button and enter the WSDL URL. The URL refers to a location where
Xcelsius can read a document that contains metadata for a web service. In this case, the URL should be for the instance of DI that is being used for the real-time service. For example: http://michael-vm:28080/diAdmin/servlet/webservices?wsdlxml. Normally all you should have to change is michael-vm to your DI server name.
4. Click Submit. Xcelsius reads the WSDL and displays a list of available methods.
Building a Real-time Dashboard using Xcelsius and Data Integrator
Deploying the Dashboard So far we have only run the dashboard through the designer. For a business user to use the dashboard we must deploy it.
1. Export the dashboard to a Flash file and save it as dashboard.swf.
2. Assuming you have Macromedia Flash installed, run the file you have just created. The flash animation
is executed within a browser but the stock price never changes due to the security built into Flash (it will not call the web service).
There are various ways to ensure the dashboard will operate correctly within Flash’s security model. The easiest way is to deploy it to the same domain as the web service it is calling.
3. Copy the file dashboard.swf to a location that is accessible using the DI supplied web server. For example, C:\Program Files\Business Objects\Data Integrator 11.7\Doc\dashboard.swf.
4. To accessed the deployed dashboard, type the URL to the file. For example:
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