SAP NetWeaver 7.

0 Business Planning and Consolidation: ePublish Distribution and Collection

Applies to:
SAP NetWeaver 7.0 Business Planning and Consolidation, SP 02.

Summary:
This article provides an insight on general uses of Distributor and Collector functionality in BPC and how to generate the Offline reports/Schedules according to the rules in the distribution list template. Author: Dobbala Ellora

Company: Capgemini India Pvt Ltd. Created on: 16 April 2009

Author Bio:
Dobbala Ellora is currently working with Capgemini India Pvt Limited as a BI Consultant. He is working on SAP BI 7.0 and is mainly responsible for execution of SAP BW/BI projects.

SAP COMMUNITY NETWORK 2009 SAP AG

SDN - sdn.sap.com | BPX - bpx.sap.com | BOC - boc.sap.com 1

SAP NetWeaver 7.0 Business Planning and Consolidation: ePublish Distribution and Collection

Table of Contents
I. Objectives: .......................................................................................................................................................3 II. Benefits of Distributor and Collector: ..............................................................................................................3 III. Creation of Distribution List: ..........................................................................................................................3 III.A. Standard Delivered Template:................................................................................................................4 III.B. Standard Template Settings: ..................................................................................................................4 IV. Important Steps .............................................................................................................................................5 V. Template Validation........................................................................................................................................6 VI. Distribution and Collection.............................................................................................................................8 VI.A Offline Distribution ...................................................................................................................................8
VI.A.1 Lockdown and Send Mail ..................................................................................................................................8 VI.A.2 Lockdown and Save to Folder.........................................................................................................................10

VI.B Collection...............................................................................................................................................13 VIII. Important Aspects..................................................................................................................................15 Security Aspects ...........................................................................................................................................15 Technical Aspects .........................................................................................................................................15 Related Content................................................................................................................................................15 Disclaimer and Liability Notice..........................................................................................................................16

SAP COMMUNITY NETWORK 2009 SAP AG

SDN - sdn.sap.com | BPX - bpx.sap.com | BOC - boc.sap.com 2

SAP NetWeaver 7.0 Business Planning and Consolidation: ePublish Distribution and Collection

I. Objectives:
The main objective of this document is to explain general uses of Distributor and collector functionality, how to generate the offline reports/schedules and loading back the input schedules back into the system using collector.

II. Benefits of Distributor and Collector:

Create an Offline copy of a report. Able to distribute reports/Input schedules to the target user via email directly or to a local folder in the client machine. Allow offline users to view these reports even without having the BPC client installed on their machine.

III. Creation of Distribution List:

Distribution list refers to the templates that specify the reports and target users.

To create a new distribution list Go to ePublish > Manage Distribution List > New.

SAP COMMUNITY NETWORK 2009 SAP AG

SDN - sdn.sap.com | BPX - bpx.sap.com | BOC - boc.sap.com 3

SAP NetWeaver 7.0 Business Planning and Consolidation: ePublish Distribution and Collection

III.A. Standard Delivered Template: By clicking on option New a Standard Delivered Template is displayed. This standard template has three sections and each section requires necessary details to be entered as per the distribution list settings.

III.B. Standard Template Settings: Enter required details in each section as shown below: Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 1: Enter a name for the overall book. Section 2: Second section will distribute the input schedule. Section 3: Third section will distribute a report.

SAP COMMUNITY NETWORK 2009 SAP AG

SDN - sdn.sap.com | BPX - bpx.sap.com | BOC - boc.sap.com 4

SAP NetWeaver 7.0 Business Planning and Consolidation: ePublish Distribution and Collection

IV. Important Steps

Most important step is to pay attention towards the URL as the default path directs to the BPC server http: HTTP://<ServerIP>/<appset>/<Application>/eExcel/Input Schedules/<enter report file name>. A sample URL will look like this: HTTP://10.48.133.123/ztrn_apshell/PLANNING/eExcel/Input Schedules/<enter report file name>.

In order to choose the report fromthepathfirstofallweneed to place the saved report in the path. Upload the saved report from yourPCtotheserverasshownin FigA.

FigA

Specify the Path to the last detail to save and validate the template without errors. Path as shown in Fig B.

FigB

Uploaded file can be seen in the BI System BPC File Service User Interface.

LogontoBISystemtcodeUJFS ChooseyourAppsetName Chooseyour Application/eExcel/Input Schedule/Wizard/Filename.xls

Fig C

SAP COMMUNITY NETWORK 2009 SAP AG

SDN - sdn.sap.com | BPX - bpx.sap.com | BOC - boc.sap.com 5

SAP NetWeaver 7.0 Business Planning and Consolidation: ePublish Distribution and Collection

V. Template Validation
Once the required fields are entered in the template then validate the template for workbook protection, errors in syntax, Structure and the inputted values.

If template validation is successful the following message should be displayed.

SAP COMMUNITY NETWORK 2009 SAP AG

SDN - sdn.sap.com | BPX - bpx.sap.com | BOC - boc.sap.com 6

SAP NetWeaver 7.0 Business Planning and Consolidation: ePublish Distribution and Collection

Now save the validated template in the directory shown below

SAP COMMUNITY NETWORK 2009 SAP AG

SDN - sdn.sap.com | BPX - bpx.sap.com | BOC - boc.sap.com 7

SAP NetWeaver 7.0 Business Planning and Consolidation: ePublish Distribution and Collection

VI. Distribution and Collection

Distribution and collection feature allows users to distribute reports and input schedules to multiple recipients, based on predefined distribution list. Also using predefined distribution list users can collect the input schedules from a designated network or e-mail folder. VI.A Offline Distribution Once the Distribution template is saved in the directory the next step is to go to Offline Distribution Wizard to create offline distribution. The wizard will guide you on the steps to distribute, or collect reports and Input schedules.

VI.A.1 Lockdown and Send Mail

ChooseLockdownandSend mailradiobuttonasshown.

SAP COMMUNITY NETWORK 2009 SAP AG

SDN - sdn.sap.com | BPX - bpx.sap.com | BOC - boc.sap.com 8

SAP NetWeaver 7.0 Business Planning and Consolidation: ePublish Distribution and Collection

Choose your Distribution template from the distribution list.

Enter the email id of the sender.

Specify the subject and body of the message also you have the ability to request send confirmation and ZIP the attachments.

After all the required details are entered click Next to proceed further.

Selectthereport(s)that needstobedistributedand

ReviewDistributionsummary withdetailsoftheApplication set,Applicationbookname, ModeandMailaccountSetup.

Successful completion of the task will display the following message along with the publish time.

SAP COMMUNITY NETWORK 2009 SAP AG

SDN - sdn.sap.com | BPX - bpx.sap.com | BOC - boc.sap.com 9

SAP NetWeaver 7.0 Business Planning and Consolidation: ePublish Distribution and Collection

Note: SMTPAUTH, SMTPPASSWORD, SMTPPORT, SMTPSERVER, SMTPUSER parameters need to be configured to distribute reports via emails.

VI.A.2 Lockdown and Save to Folder

ChooseLockdownandsaveto folderoptiontosavethe distributedtemplatetoalocal folderinthePC.

Choosethedistribution templatefromthelist.

SAP COMMUNITY NETWORK 2009 SAP AG

SDN - sdn.sap.com | BPX - bpx.sap.com | BOC - boc.sap.com 10

SAP NetWeaver 7.0 Business Planning and Consolidation: ePublish Distribution and Collection

Selectthetargetfolderon ClientPCtospecifythereports tobesent.

Choosethedistributionsection youwishtosavetothefolder inclientPCandclicknextto continue.

Reviewthedistribution summaryandthenClickon Processtofinishthetask successfully.

SAP COMMUNITY NETWORK 2009 SAP AG

SDN - sdn.sap.com | BPX - bpx.sap.com | BOC - boc.sap.com 11

SAP NetWeaver 7.0 Business Planning and Consolidation: ePublish Distribution and Collection

Successfulcompletionoftask displaysthefollowingscreen. ClickFinishtoviewthereportin thedesignatedfolderinClient PC.

The distributed reports can be seen in the folder as shown above.

SAP COMMUNITY NETWORK 2009 SAP AG

SDN - sdn.sap.com | BPX - bpx.sap.com | BOC - boc.sap.com 12

SAP NetWeaver 7.0 Business Planning and Consolidation: ePublish Distribution and Collection

VI.B Collection The collection of reports can be done by two ways either by E-mail or from the folder created in Client PC. If the folder path is chosen then the files available in the folder are displayed where in one or several files can be chosen to collect the same.

Choosetheoptioncollectionto collectthereportsfromthe LocalfolderorfromtheEmail inbox.

Collectioncanbedoneeither fromMailboxorfromthelocal folder.

Choose the option Local folder to collect the reports from the local folder.

Choosetheoptionlocalfolder andchoosethefilesthatneedto beuploadedintotheserver.

SAP COMMUNITY NETWORK 2009 SAP AG

SDN - sdn.sap.com | BPX - bpx.sap.com | BOC - boc.sap.com 13

SAP NetWeaver 7.0 Business Planning and Consolidation: ePublish Distribution and Collection

Next review the distribution summary to confirm the selections and click Process to complete the task.

Upon successful completion of task displays the following screen.

SAP COMMUNITY NETWORK 2009 SAP AG

SDN - sdn.sap.com | BPX - bpx.sap.com | BOC - boc.sap.com 14

SAP NetWeaver 7.0 Business Planning and Consolidation: ePublish Distribution and Collection

VIII. Important Aspects Security Aspects Users should be assigned correct task inorder to be able to execute the necessary distribution and collection processes. An assigned authorization needs to be checked against member access profile. Security does not control the generated work books. Since the generated work books are offline who ever has the access to the workbooks can view the data in the workbooks Technical Aspects Web admin parameters are required to distribute reports via email: SMTPAUTH, SMTPPASSWORD, SMTPPORT, SMTPSERVER, and SMTPUSER. Distributor/Collector almost entirely runs on Client Code so there are tables in the backend ABAP development in place to support this function.

Related Content
http://help.sap.com SAP Business Planning and Consolidation 7.0, Version for SAP NetWeaver BPC Office, Work Status.

SAP COMMUNITY NETWORK 2009 SAP AG

SDN - sdn.sap.com | BPX - bpx.sap.com | BOC - boc.sap.com 15

SAP NetWeaver 7.0 Business Planning and Consolidation: ePublish Distribution and Collection

Disclaimer and Liability Notice

This document may discuss sample coding or other information that does not include SAP official interfaces and therefore is not supported by SAP. Changes made based on this information are not supported and can be overwritten during an upgrade. SAP will not be held liable for any damages caused by using or misusing the information, code or methods suggested in this document, and anyone using these methods does so at his/her own risk. SAP offers no guarantees and assumes no responsibility or liability of any type with respect to the content of this technical article or code sample, including any liability resulting from incompatibility between the content within this document and the materials and services offered by SAP. You agree that you will not hold, or seek to hold, SAP responsible or liable with respect to the content of this document.

SAP COMMUNITY NETWORK 2009 SAP AG

SDN - sdn.sap.com | BPX - bpx.sap.com | BOC - boc.sap.com 16