How to get Multiple Data Sources into a 4.0 Universe

Business Objects Universe Tutorial

The Business Objects universe tutorial covers the new 4.0 universe structure, consisting of three different layers:

  • Connection Layer (.cnx)
  • Data Foundation Layer (.dfx)
  • Business Layer (.blx)

A Data Foundation can consume one or more connections. So you can bring tables from multiple databases into a single Data Foundation. The Data Foundations contains the tables, joins, and contexts. The ability to build the Data Foundation once, and reuse it for multiple universes, means less work in the long run. There is the ability to add calculated columns to tables. You can add a column to a table in the Data Foundation, based on a calculation using columns from that table, or constant values.

The Families feature is a collection of related tables. Families can be identified by colored backgrounds and fonts. You can create as many families as you want, and add as many tables as you want to each family. A table can belong to one, and only one Family, this gives it search abilities within the feature.

A feature that completely eliminates the need for Linked Universes is Business Layer Views. When you create a Business Layer, it becomes the Master layer. You can then create Views of that Business Layer, choosing which folders and objects to expose in that view. You can then grant rights to those views for various user groups.

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