Mapping Business Intelligence Developer’s Tools: Microsoft SQL server & SAP Netweaver BW

This Post is NOT about Microsoft BI VS Sap BI. Then What is it?

well, I have been playing with SAP’s Netweaver BW Tools for past three months now as a part of a Business Intelligence class that’s about to conclude – Also, I have been involved with work on Microsoft’s SQL server Business Intelligence Tools. So I thought – it would be FUN to map  SAP Netweaver BW Tools (that I got to play with in an academic capacity) and Microsoft’s Business Intelligence Tools (which is currently what I am working on) – so, here you go:

Tool in Microsoft BI Tool in SAP Netweaver BW ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) SAP Netweaver BW: Data Warehousing Workbench Cube SQL Server Analysis Services – Multidimensional Mode (SSAS) SAP Netweaver BW: Data Warehousing Workbench: Modeling Report Design Tool and Reporting Layer(It’s not an exhaustive list and does not include third part tools)

• SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS)

• Report Builder

• Excel (Excel Services/Pivot Tables)

• PerformancePoint

Business Explorer (BEx):

1. BEx Query  Designer

2. BEx  Analyzer (Excel Add-in)

3. BEx web Analyzer

Data Mining Data Mining Projects in SQL Server Analysis Services SAP Netweaver BW: Data mining – Analysis Process Designer

Note about SAP BusinessObjects: I mapped the Tools in Microsoft BI with the tools that I got to study in my SAP class. Then I was searching what’s the current scenario in SAP world (I know about Microsoft’s!)– I learned that SAP BI world is comprised of TOOLS in SAP Netweaver BW + SAP BusinessObjects (BO). And in the course I studied the following components of Business Objects:

1. Web Intelligence for ad-hoc query and reporting

2. Crystal Reports for enterprise reporting

3. Xcelsius (BO Dashboard) for Dashboard designing

For those interested I am also mapping few terms used while cube development in Microsoft BI and SAP Netweaver BW

Microsoft: SSAS Multidimensional mode
SAP Netweaver BW
Cube InfoCubes Dimensions Characteristics Measures Key Figures Data Source Views (DSV’s) Data Source

Note:

1) I have not mapped the Tools in Self Service BI space.

2) This comparison is not for deciding between Microsoft BI vs. SAP Netweaver BI/SAP BusinessObjects – this post is just meant for mapping tools available in Microsoft BI and SAP Netweaver BW and so if you are an expert in say Microsoft BI – this post will help you see what corresponding tool are available in SAP Netweaver BW world. Consider it as a starting guide for your research.

3) Note the date the post was written – the name of the products may have changed in future. refer to official sites for latest & greatest!

Thanks for reading.