The dashboard I made is not returning dynamic data. It’s only using the test data that I put in.
I’m going to try recompiling it without test data written in, but I’m not hopeful.
Any advice?
dstone91 (BOB member since 2015-10-29)
So much advice.
First, double-check your connections. Are they set to be triggered? Are the trigger conditions actually being met when you think they are?
Second, what kind of connection are you using? If it’s BIWS, make sure you set the refresh value to TRUE. (Or the getLatestInstance, as appropriate.)
Third, make sure the connections are actually placing the data where you think they are.
If you are reasonably certain that you have all of those set correctly, get a tool like Fiddler. This will sniff your network traffic to let you know exactly when your connections are firing, exactly what values are being passed into your connections, and exactly what they are returning. You can find some surprising things that way. (I recently discovered that one of my connections was sending the string “Prompts!$A$25” instead of the cell reference Prompts!$A$25.)
Check those out and come back with some answers to receive the next batch of advice.
Lugh (BOB member since 2009-07-16)
Hi, thanks for replying.
I should have clarified in the original post: I’m trying to use the dashboard in SAP Business One. The guide that I’m using recommended that I use XML connections in order to pull the data.
Here is the information that I’m currently using:
XML Data URL: proc?bpm.pltype=xml&bpm.encoding=utf-8
MIME Type: text/xml
ENABLE SEND: Checked
Name: Cash Accounts 12 months
Range: $B$2:$B$3 (The query category is in B2, and the query name is in B3).
ENABLE LOAD: Checked
Name: Cash Accounts 12 months
Range: (The range of the data that the chart is based off of)
I know for a fact that my queries are correct. The data in the Excel sheet is formatted like the data returned by the query in SAP returns is (I copied the data and pasted it on the sheet to work with).
For some reason, it just doesn’t put the data where I need it to put it.
dstone91 (BOB member since 2015-10-29)
Ooh, dang. I’m suddenly all out of advice. XML connections are not my thing. You’ll need to wait for Debbie to come along.
Fiddler might still help, though. You can at least tell something about the traffic.
Lugh (BOB member since 2009-07-16)
What do we need to do to summon Debbie? Start drawing pentagrams? Incense? Candles?
Just kidding. I guess I’ll just wait for her. 
dstone91 (BOB member since 2015-10-29)
Pentagrams… I was thinking like a dozen roses and a good bottle of red wine. She’s expensive… you’ll probably have to break out your paypal account. 
Does your XML Data URL point to a local directory or web service? If Web Service, what is the authentication process… does it trigger properly to enter credentials?
Can you reach the XML data using the URL in an IE session?
Can you sanitize and post a sample format of the XML data file? Dashboards is pretty picky about the format.
Did you use a spreadsheet component to check the incoming data area?
What is generating the XML Data File you are trying to access?
What connector are you using… XML Data or XML Map?
…the laundry list continues. it’s long, but distinguished. 8)
Ok… spoiler alert. I attached a file with an acceptable XML format for you. Dashboards doesn’t like all the header fluf. Just keep it simple and structured as you see it.
test.zip (0.0 KB)
datawizard (BOB member since 2015-01-20)
I’m not actually using an XML file. I’m trying to use Excelsius to make a dashboard for SAP Business One. As a result, there’s no XML format to worry about.
I’m trying to pull the data straight from Business One into the associated dashboard, so that’s why my XML reference address is what it is (proc?whateveritwas)
EDIT: I’m also fairly sure at this point that it’s something wrong with the Business One Integration Framework, not actually anything I’ve done wrong in Excelsius.
dstone91 (BOB member since 2015-10-29)
Hmmm… Now I’m at a loss. I don’t know SAP Business One interface capabilities. Impressive that they even allow that without some kind of middleware or extract program. Usually that’s VooDoo. Don’t take down production while you’re having fun…
There’s still time to head to the florist? Wine shop?
datawizard (BOB member since 2015-01-20)
Chocolate usually works! 
Seriously, though - I’ve never even heard of SAP Business One! I don’t really have anything to add other than what’s already been suggested so far. But have you tried it without sending the data out? Dummy something up in your XML so you don’t need to check the SEND box in the data connection, but are simply bringing data in.
The reason I suggest this is because I think I’m almost on the brink of getting SAP to admit there is a bug in SAP Business Objects Dashboards to do with sending data out via an XML connection. I’m trying to upgrade all our old Xcelsius 2008 dashboards and I cannot get a simple XML connection to work at all if it involves sending data out. I can run something really small and easy in Xcelsius 2008 that works fine. Open the exact same dashboard in the next version and it falls over. Our 3rd party support have passed to SAP and we had a remote session yesterday and they had no idea either …
Don’t know if that’s relevant in any way, but a bit of a co-incidence, maybe? Certainly a showstopper for us!
Debbie
Debbie 
(BOB member since 2005-03-01)
Hmm… Yeah, I’ve also been thinking that it’s an issue on the SAP side. I’m wondering if it has something to do with how the B1iF (Business One Integration Framework) is organized or something.
Thanks, Debbie.
EDIT: Alright, I used the sample XML File located higher in the thread in a brand new .xlf file (that’s the format, right?), and I’m still getting the same error. There is no “SEND” function defined at all. Just a load from “C:\Users\my.name\Downloads\test\test.xml” where the file is located, and it’s still not giving me anything. (Literally, the cells (even the ones with data in them to start with) return as blank). It looks like it’s trying to pull XML data or something, but instead of pulling data it’s just pulling a blank sheet. A blank sheet of the right area (4X5) but a blank sheet nonetheless.
EDIT^2: I’ve now told it to reference \PC-NAME\users\my.name\downloads\test\test.xml and it’s giving me a “Cannot Access External Data 2032” error again.
EDIT THE THIRD: Alright, maybe the issue lies in the policy file? The documentation is telling me that I may not be able to access data on another server without a policy file or something like that. However, I have no idea about what to do about it. I’ve tried downloading a policy file from Adobe’s website, but either the document called “PolicyFile.xsd” is not actually a policy file, or I just don’t know what I’m doing.
dstone91 (BOB member since 2015-10-29)
Yep, it’s needed… if you are accessing data in a different domain than where your dashboard SWF is hosted.
Here is the docs from Adobe…
http://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/AppSec/CrossDomain_PolicyFile_Specification.pdf
datawizard (BOB member since 2015-01-20)
Mmhmmm…
Much technical, such misunderstand.
I’ll have to wait around for someone who knows about things like that (and can access the server or something?) to explain it to me.
dstone91 (BOB member since 2015-10-29)
Yep. That does sound like a crossdomain policy file problem. I leave that to our tech-heads too! But once you get that fixed, you at least know that you can read an XML in … it’s a start!
debbie
Debbie (BOB member since 2005-03-01)
An update (if anyone cares :P)
After a week or more of emailing back and forth with an SAP employee (who made a fairly helpful ppt originally that I was mostly working from), he said “I don’t know. I can’t help you. Contact this guy instead” and gave me another email address.
So really, still no solution, but maybe technically making progress?
dstone91 (BOB member since 2015-10-29)
Given your scenario, there are probably only a handful of people that actually know what might be causing it. Getting closer to that handful is always going to be progress.
Lugh (BOB member since 2009-07-16)
Not sure if you got to this already via sap support, but the policy file mentioned here is crossdomain.xml which needs to be placed in your web/app server root paths. This is contains the allowable list of sources not belonging to the same server that flash will have access to get data from.The file contents are below for an include-all list of crossdomain sources
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE cross-domain-policy SYSTEM
"http://www.macromedia.com/xml/dtds/cross-domain-policy.dtd">
<cross-domain-policy>
<site-control permitted-cross-domain-policies="all"/>
<allow-http-request-headers-from domain="*" headers="*" secure="false" />
<allow-access-from domain="*" secure="false" />
</cross-domain-policy>
Location to place this file is your app server root. If on tomcat its /tomcat/webapps/ROOT
Your server admin may be able to make the changes followed by a app server restart.
Further -starting a fiddler trace to intercept what errors your http calls make may also narrow down the list of suspects.
Shobhit_Acharya (BOB member since 2005-08-11)
Yeah, at this point I’ve (finally) been able to connect with SAP support. I looked at their troubleshooting things and sent them to the Ones with Control of the Server, and am now waiting for their response before I actually submit a ticket.
dstone91 (BOB member since 2015-10-29)
And I think I’m pretty much there, though I doubt they’ll ever use the word bug. Or fix it since the world’s moved on to Design Studio.
Anybody know any good SharePoint forums?
Debbie
Debbie (BOB member since 2005-03-01)
Debbie, dearest: question for you (or anyone, really) about Design Studio. Will DS let me load dashboards into Business One? That is my end goal, after all.
dstone91 (BOB member since 2015-10-29)
So… Interesting story: I decided to try and make it pull from an XML file that I generated to see if I could just get a spreadsheet to fill in with data.
It now is stuck on “Initializing…” and has been for long enough for me to think “Huh. That’s weird,” then to come here and read a few posts, then to make this post while retyping essentially everything at least once.
There’s super something going on with the XML connections not working properly. 
EDIT: I fixed part of the problem. Now it loads in blank values instead of the values in the XML file I created. Neat!
EDIT^2: I’ve attached the XML file that I’m using, if anyone wants to take a look and let me know what’s wrong with it.
XML.zip (0.0 KB)
dstone91 (BOB member since 2015-10-29)