"This book is the definitive guide for SAP NetWeaver BI professionals. Based on their extraordinary expertise with the product, the authors provide deep insights about key innovations in the areas of user experience, query performance, integrated planning, and enterprise-wide data warehousing."

—Stefan Sigg, Vice President, SAP NetWeaver Business Intelligence

The long-anticipated publication of this second edition reflects the growing success of SAP NetWeaver as well as the various Business Intelligence (BI) capabilities that are embedded with SAP BW version 7.0. Written by SAP insiders, this comprehensive guide takes into account the ever-changing features, functionality, and toolsets of SAP NetWeaver to bring you the most updated information on how to use SAP BW to design, build, deploy, populate, access, analyze, present, and administer data. You'll discover the options that are available in SAP NetWeaver and uncover a new means to improve business performance.

This book reflects the process an organization goes through during an implementation of the software. The authors begin with an introduction to BI and SAP NetWeaver and quickly progress to information modeling and enterprise data warehouse concepts. You'll learn how to access and deliver meaningful analytic information to the organization, as well as perform integrated planning functions. Finally, the authors share invaluable insight on warehouse administration, performance, and security.

With more than 50 percent new or revised material, this second edition of Mastering the SAP Business Information Warehouse shows you how to:

• Extract data from online transaction processing systems

• Store transformed data in a way that best supports reporting and analysis

• Use the various Business Explorer tools such as BEx Report Designer, BEx Analyzer, BEx Broadcaster, and BEx Web Application Designer

• Schedule, monitor, troubleshoot, and archive data loads

The companion Web site contains sample chapters in Wiki format and the authors' blog where readers may enter discussions about the book and SAP.

Wiley Technology Publishing Timely. Practical. Reliable.

Visit our Web site at www.wiley.com/compbooks/

Visit the companion Web site at www.wiley.com/compbooks/mcdonald

The companion Web site contains the sample code presented in the text of the book, plus implementation templates.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 15 Ratings

Lots of concepts and theory. Very little hands-on guidance. - 2007-08-15
Reviewer Rating:
This book does a good job of explaining BW concepts and theory. But there is no hands on guidance or step by step walkthroughs. After I understand the general workflow and overview of what is supposed to happen, I needed other books and guidance to figure out the specifics of what needs to get done.

For an SAP expert new to cubes and associated concepts, this would probably be very helpful. For someone like myself, who has used a few other BI/cube products, but is new to SAP, this book is a poor choice.

SAP BW Technology Explained - 2008-05-01
Reviewer Rating:
For anyone about to dip a cautious toe into the ocean known as SAP BW for the first time, this book is an extremely handy guide. It is very difficult to extract a meaningful overview of BW from the SAP documentation, which is oriented to very specific tasks, and which discusses everything in language that manages to be abstract and jargon-filled at the same time. An immediately useful aspect of the book is an appendix that provides a guide to the many SAP acronyms. Terminology unique to SAP BW is extensive and often bewildering to the newcomer, especially since there is a tendency for SAP to apply terms to specific concepts in a very idiosyncratic way. This book is very helpful to the reader already familiar with DW/BI concepts who is trying to comprehend the SAP way of doing things. The architectural overview is also excellent, especially since it provides insights into which components are required and which are optional, often in the context of the historical evolution of the SAP BW product family. I am very glad to have found this book, which has considerably clarified my understanding of this technology.

Great Overview of SAP BW/NetWeaver Architecture - 2007-07-17
Reviewer Rating:
This book does an excellent job of decoding the architecture of SAP BW/NetWeaver BI. I use the term "decoding" because SAP naming conventions are arcane to say the least. After reading this book you will have a much better understanding of how all SAP's data warehouse components work together, as well as to be able map SAP terms to industry standard terms. I found Chapter 7, "Data Access, Analysis and Information Distribution," to be particularly helpful in learning how third-party BI tools connect to SAP BW. The authors demonstrate a high degree of technical expertise, along with a very clear and succinct writing style. This is the best book I've read about SAP BW/NetWeaver.

Good Book - 2008-12-11
Reviewer Rating:
I had the first edition of the Book and some of the best ideas of SAP BW I indeed picked from this book. This is certainly for people more interested in the architecture of SAP BW not so much for people looking to build Step by Step. Highly recommended for people who are looking to design from first principles (offcourse from a Software package point of view) of how SAP BW core is coded and behave. Wish it may have covered the extraction bit, for standard areas atleast, in much more details though.

A gem of a book - but very serious typo errors - 2007-11-06
Reviewer Rating:
This book is a gem - an asset to professionals or starters in SAP BW. Not surprising given the credentials of the authors. But there are many very very serious typo errors. Obviously there was little or no proof reading done. Its a shame on Wiley publications !

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