Business Objects Training and Penn Data Seminars
- SAP Business Objects is the tool supported by ISC Data Administration,
so if you choose to query the data in another way, you should already
have expertise in how to install, configure and use that tool to extract
data from a remote Oracle
database, and how to work with the relational database structure to join
the tables appropriately.
- Formal training in Business Objects' Web Intelligence is recommended
for people who plan to write and edit queries. People who use the InfoView website to refresh queries, or who only use the Corporate Documents
and do not plan to write a lot of their own queries, may not need to
attend Business Objects training.
- Both Web Intelligence and InfoView users are welcome to
attend the Penn Data seminars, though these sessions are geared towards
people who create reports. Also, if you plan to write your
own queries and create reports, additional data training beyond the
Penn Data seminars may be
mandatory
(see
"Access
to
the Data
Warehouse" below).
Business Objects classes
On campus classes in Business Objects are offered via Penn's
Technology Training Services. Please
consult their website at http://www.tts.isc.upenn.edu for dates, cost, course
descriptions, and online registration. The classes offered by Technology Training Services use
generic training data -- not actual Penn-specific data. People
who attend Business Objects training are strongly encouraged to
also attend one of the "Penn Data seminars" presented by Data
Administration to learn more about the data they will be using.
Penn Data Seminars
For new users, these seminars are intended to give people an idea of the kinds of queries they can refresh and/or write for themselves, once they have learned how to use the query tool.
- FINANCIAL DATA: contact Amy Miller, 8-2171 for dates and information
- STUDENT DATA: contact Susan Collins, 3-6038, for dates and information.
Access to the University of Pennsylvania's Data Warehouse requires 3
things. You need all three:
1. Permission
To obtain permission to use any of the data housed in the Data Warehouse,
you must complete a "Data Warehouse Access Request
Form" and submit it to Data Administration. Please make sure you
have
all of the required signatures before you send it along. In some cases,
you will also need prerequisite training before you will be able to get
access. Users of General Ledger data must first get a BEN Financials
account
(and have BEN Financials training). Uses of Student data must first get
a SRS account and complete an online course. Note that obtaining permission
does not automatically mean someone will come and install a query tool
on your desktop.
2. A query tool
The supported query tool at the University of Pennsylvania is Business Objects. You may indicate what type of Business
Objects (full client or InfoView only) you plan to use -- or what other
query tool if applicable -- on your Data Warehouse Access Request Form
when you are sending your request to access the data.
3. Training
Formal training in the use of whatever query tool you use is recommended.
Data training in the use of whatever data you plan to query is also strongly
recommended, and in some cases, is required before you will be given
permission to query the data.
Please note that attending training does not by itself give you permission. |
