SharePoint PIK -> "Integration Option for SharePoint

[dnewton]

Looks like BO has new and expanded functionality for integrating with SharePoint, having (correctly) identified that SharePoint is going to drive a lot of BI adoption... so BO needs to try to ensure that it's BO's BI rather than MS' BI.

The new product is called Integration Option for SharePoint, and appears to be free with an Enterprise license. It's downloadable from SAP, now.

http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/weblogs?blog=/pub/wlg/16090

[Jay Riddle]

Indeed. The guys over at BO lovingly refer to it as "iPoint" vs. the smaller 12mb "PIK". I just finished giving a presentation on the differences between the two of them and with growing interest if enough people queue up who havn't seen it - I may give a private webex again for those interested.

In the interem I've attached my presentation from Dallas, but it's a little light considering 80% of it were live recorded demos.

It's got my e-mail in there should anyone want me to send them a best practices guide I've put together or some of the AVI recordings.

[Jay Riddle]

Additional blog post by Amit Nagar with screen shots of IOMS or "iPoint" as the support folks at SAP seem to refer to it as:

http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/weblogs?blog=/pub/wlg/16377

[vikramb]

I'm installing Ipoint(Integration Option for Microsoft sharepoint) and stuck.

THis is what i've done so far.

Installed sharepoint 2007
Installed .net WCA on sharepoint server(2007).
Installed Ipoint on sharepoint server.

Sharepoint and BOE are on different servers, while installing Ipoint, i've specified the infoview url and CMS name.

Now, i don't see any webparts in the webparts gallery. I'm logged in as sharepoint administrator while installng Ipoint. Am i missing anything here.

Any thoughts?

Vikram

[kmspsu93]

-Integration Option for Microsoft Sharepoint Software (12.1.5.989)
-Install package 51036764.exe
-Sharepoint Services v 12.0.0.6421

-Install the integration kit on Sharepoint server
-When I add the web part into a Sharepoint page, I get a Red X.
-This behavior occurs on all of the BOBJ Web Parts.

Been trying to resolve for a few days. SAP Support seems stumped as well. Any ideas on how to troubleshoot?

[Jay Riddle]

What are the exact steps you are taking?

Example:

1) SharePoint 2007 foundation layed
2) Run the BusinessObjects Enterprise XI 3.1 CUSTOM installation
3) Install the .NET SDK and .NET Web Component Adapters
4) Reboot
5) Install iPOINT for SP 2007
6) Reboot

If you don't install the .NET SDK the web parts won't work at all. If you don't install the Web Component Adapters, if using the InfoView web part, folders and object icons will be red Xs.

Also, if 3.1 is on SP2, there are known bugs with SharePoint intg Kit. Make sure you have the SP intg kit on the same SP/FP as your Enterprise environment. If still having issues and on SP2, upgrade your Enterprise 3.1 environment to at least FP 2.2 which resolves a number of issues that were created with SP2.

[digitaldallas]

Does anyone have a link to "Integration option for Microsoft Sharepoint software Installation Guide?" I've searched help.sap.com and have had no luck on that document or the Administrator's Guide.

[Jay Riddle]

http://service.sap.com/~sapidb/011000358700000843872009E/xi31_sp2_ivforsp_admin_en.pdf

Requires a valid SAP S-ID login to the support portal in the service marketplace.

[ldknemene]

So I am trying to install the integration option (ipoint) and I am getting nowhere.

We have:
Business Object 3.1 SP2 java running on one machine
Sharepoint 2007 running on another

We installed the Microsoft's MSXML4 patch on the sharepoint server
We tried installing boxi31_net_sdk.msi on the sharepoint server, and it claims to have installed correctly.
When we try to install the ipoint source, it tells us we need the .NET SDK feature first.

Any ideas?

[Jay Riddle]

Regardless of whether you are hitting Java InfoView, or .NET InfoView -- the iPOINT integration kit relies on the Enterprise SDK to leverage web components.

Therefore, run the BO Enterprise install on the SharePoint server and do a custom install. In the custom install, choose the .NET SDK & the Web Component Adapters. The .NET SDK is a requirement listed in the iPOINT installation guide as a prerequisite. The Web Component Adapters ensure certain icons come through in your document list web part.

If you still have problems, you may need to uninstall the sharepoint intg kit and re-install. It may not like that you install the .NET SDK & Web Component Adapters after the fact, but you might be ok.

[ldknemene]

Jay,
Thanks for your quick responce.

There are still a couple things we are not understanding.

WE found a section for "BI Platform .NET Web Component Adapters" but the install for that required integrating into a web service, which we had not expected Bobj to need to do from the sharepoint server. So is this the right thing?

Also we are not seeing the SDK server, under either Web Tier Components or Server Components. Is it names something obscure, or do we have a license issue?

[Jay Riddle]

The BI Platform - .NET Web Component Adapters shouldn't request any additional web services. You'll find the .NET SDK under the "Developer Components" category.

If that still doesn't work, you may need to re-work the order of the installs -- .NET SDK first, SharePoint, etc.

Also - since your BOE environment is SP2, you'll want to do:

BOE Install
SharePoint iPOINT intg Kit
BOE SP2
Intg Kit SP2

Any FPs, Etc..

[ldknemene]

Okay I am confused about one more thing here. You refere to iPoint and to Ipoint sp2. I thought ipoint (sharepoint integration OPTION) was sp2, and the OLD Sharepoint integration kit was just 3.1.

Is there another install I need to get?

[Jay Riddle]

There is the first SharePoint PIK that was made which is a lighter version with more limited web parts, then they developed several months later the now popular iPoint. They are two separate integration products. Each of them, because they rely on the BOE SDK to communicate with SAP BusinessObjects, have respective service packs and fix packs that should be installed to correlate to the SP or FP level your BOE XI 3.1 infrastructure is currently on.

So just as you have a SP2 for BOE XI 3.1, the integration kits -- including SharePoint, SAP, JD Edwards, you name it -- all have their own respective service packs as well that should be applied.

You would treat it the same as you would for anyone who is developing using the BOE XI 3.1 client tools. You want all your client tools and integration kits to be on the same service and fix pack levels across your platform.

[Cris E]

Jay you seem to have emerged as the expert on these things, so I hope you can confirm this.

We're running Crystal Server xir2, and everything says to just use the BOE xir2 portal toys for our installation. But the only IOMS or iPoint stuff looks to be for 3.1. Am I limited to using the PIK?

Thanks Much,

Cris E