Enterprise OLAP/BIRT Report Repository

Background

Our client uses OLAP technology to organize enterprise database and support business intelligence. Microsoft Excel OLAP analysis tool is used to retrieve OLAP data, and display as pivot table report. Also clipse BIRT(Business Intelligence Reporting tool) is used for various reporting and data visualization needs.

Challenge

With the current approach of using client based applications (BIRT report designer, Microsoft Excel), sharing of reports securely turned out to be blocker. Though Eclipse BIRT provides standalone BIRT runtime viewer, which enables web based viewing, but lacks security because any user can view data after knowing report access link. The current process involves authoring reports and emailing reports/link, which adds unnecessary layer to current sharing and security issues.

The experts also suggested increasing the server configuration, installing dispatcher to increase the security of AEM instance, redirecting the old URLs to new ones, clearing cache to publish new pages easily. The team decided to go ahead with the integration of AEM Campaign with Adobe suite to monitor user activity and profile creation for further segmentation.

Solution

Secured web based OLAP analysis and BIRT Report viewer has been delivered. This allows users to connect to any OLAP data source and display OLAP data as pivot table report or pivot chart report securely. OLAP repository supports drill own, drill through, sort, and more with powerful formatting support based on MDX independent expression language. BIRT report viewer support following operations securely using BIRT Report Engine API.

• Discover set of parameters defined for report
• Get default values of parameters
• Run report to produce HTML, Word, XLS, PDF, PS, ODT, ODS, ODP outputs
• Pagination
• Fetch an image or chart for a report
• Export report data to CSV
• Retrieve table of contents, bookmarks, etc.

Results / Benefits

With clear segregation of roles in using application, entire process of authoring, sharing, delivering reports has been streamlined. Both OLAP repository and BIRT repository are integrated to AD (active directory) directory services and currently serving as one stop enterprise report repository.

About

Techouts is a global IT services and product company, providing business technology services and solutions on platforms like SAP, Open-source, Microsoft, Mobility and Cloud. As a partner of leading product companies such as SAP and Adobe, we focus on the areas like Enterprise Commerce, Big Data, Analytics and Customer Engagement Commerce. Our consultants bring real world experience and domain expertise to help achieve transformation around global outsourcing, IT cost optimization, complex package integration and risk management.