BusinessObjects Board

Xcelsius/ Dashboard 4.1 with SQL server

other Xcelsius - Crystal Dashboard Design
#1

Hi,

Is it true that Xcelsius / Dashboard 4.1 can access SQL server database / Tables directly? Or can it access only universe in the new version (4.1)?

We have Xcelsius but not the BO Enterprise ( No Designer or Webi).
Can we access our Aggregate tables on the SQL server directly from Xcelsius / Dashboard or can it only talk to BO universe?

Thanks

Diana_baker (BOB member since 2005-03-18)

#2

Interesting question…

Xcelsius beeing based on an internal Excel spreadsheet, you can

  • Just link you dashboard to a particular spreadsheet

  • Make you spreasheet loaded in a dynamic way with sql server data using ODBC as you could perform in a common way in excel

bernard timbal :fr: (BOB member since 2003-05-26)

#3

I access all my databases directly from xcelsius (oracle and sql server). I don’t use Bobj at all. I just write SQL queries and wrap them up in an aspx script to return the results as xml to my dashboard.

debbie

Debbie :uk: (BOB member since 2005-03-01)

#4

Thank you, Bernard and Debbie!!

From both of your answers, I understand that Xcelsius / SAP Dasboard does not have a direct mechanism to connect to SQL Server but there are some work arounds.

Bernard,
Previously, I have only exported and imported Excel into Xcelsius. I always thought Excel is embedded inside Xcelsius but as per your suggestion, you can link a dashboard to an external spreadsheet. How can i achieve that.

Debbie, I can build SQL queries but am not familiar with aspx and XML . Is it some thing a novice person can learn?
Can you provide any samples of aspx with sql queries which can return xml?

Again,thanks so much!

Diana_baker (BOB member since 2005-03-18)

#5

If you have a good read of this forum, I’ve posted many examples, including a basic template script. I’m not familiar with aspx either, but I’m getting quite good at making it up as I go along! The advantage of doing it this way is that you can pass a list of - say - countries from the database into xcelsius and then pass the user’s selection back out to the database - thus only bringing back the data you actually need.

Oh and you link xcelsius to an external spreadsheet by generating an XML map and using the XML MAP connection.

Debbie

Debbie :uk: (BOB member since 2005-03-01)

#6

Thank you so much, Debbie. I will look at your examples and will try out your’s and Bernard’s suggestions.

Thanks again to both of you…

Diana_baker (BOB member since 2005-03-18)