Business Views is a multi-tier system that enables companies to build comprehensive and specific Business Views objects that help report designers and end users access the information they require.
Using Business Views, you can integrate data from disparate sources. You can bring together data from multiple data collection platforms across application boundaries so that the differences in data resolution, coverage, and structure between collection methods are eliminated.
Business Views objects consist of the following:
• Data Connections
• Dynamic Data Connections
• Data Foundations
• Business Elements
Architecture
Business Views is comprised of three tiers:
the client tier, the business tier, and the data tier.
• Client tier
The client tier consists of any Crystal client application that accesses the Business Views that are stored and organized in the business tier.
• Business tier
Business Views objects—a collection that includes Data Connections, Dynamic Data Connections, Data Foundations, Business Elements, and Business Views—are a part of this tier. Using the Business View Manager, you specify the settings and conditions for the various objects so that the client tier has access only to specific information from the data tier.
Business View Manager
The Business View Manager enables you to create and modify Business Views and the various objects that make up these Business Views. The administrator uses this designer to specify different Data Connections, to set security, and to control access to the data found within the different data sources in the data tier. This thick-client designer is the only part of Business Views that administrators interact with directly. End users access the data specified within the Business View Manager through their Crystal client application, such as Crystal Reports (via the Crystal Repository) or through the Report Application Server.
Business Views objects
Business Views objects include the following: Data Connections, Dynamic Data Connections, Data Foundations, Business Elements, and Business Views.
Data Connection
Data Connections specify and define the data sources for a Business View; they define how these data sources are made available to users. Thus, a Data Connection is a connection object, and an administrator can apply security to this object. Each Data Connection contains information that describes the physical data source, such as the server and data being accessed, the logon credentials, and the type of server being accessed.
Dynamic Data Connection
A Dynamic Data Connection is a collection of pointers to various Data Connections. An administrator or user is able to select which Data Connection to use through a parameter.
A typical scenario involves the migration of data from a development system to a test system, and finally, to a production system. In this scenario, a report is run against a development system, and then, when the data is migrated to a test system, the same report is run against the test system’s data. The only change required is that the Dynamic Data Connection’s settings must be updated so that it points to the test system’s Data Connection. Finally, when the test system’s data is migrated to the production system, the same report can again be run against the production system.
Note: When users refresh reports that are based on a Dynamic Data Connection, they are prompted to specify which of the available Data Connections to use.
Data Foundation
A Data Foundation consists of collections of tables and fields. Default table joins are defined at this level. Administrators can secure Data Foundations using the standard Crystal Enterprise security model, which includes View and Edit rights. The primary use of Data Foundations is for data abstraction: administrators control which tables and fields users can or cannot access when these users are designing or viewing a report.
Business Element
A Business Element is roughly equivalent to an OLAP dimension or logical view; that is, this object is a logically related collection of data fields that are based on a Data Foundation. These fields can be organized into a hierarchical structure within the Business Element. The most common example is a hierarchical structure that contains the following fields: Country, State or Province, and City. Business Fields in Business Elements can be aliased to support data abstraction and to facilitate report design. Administrators can secure Business Elements through the standard View and Edit rights.
Business View
A Business View is a logical collection of Business Elements. A Business View provides the highest level of data abstraction for end users. Users see Business Views as abstract database connections, and the contained Business Elements as virtual tables that, in turn, contain Business Fields. Administrators can secure Business Views through the standard View and Edit rights.
A Business View consists of the following objects:
• One or more Data Connections
• One optional Dynamic Data Connection
• One Data Foundation
• One or more Business Elements
Note:
• End users can access Business Views through applications such as Crystal Reports and the Report Application Server.
• Data tier
The data tier consists of data sources, such as multiple databases on different machines that provide the data for the business tier.
Usage Scenario
Architectural workflow
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