Subject: SAP-BusinessObjects
Category: Semantic Layer Design & Data Modeling
In SAP BusinessObjects, the Universe Design Tool (UDT) plays a critical role in bridging the gap between complex database structures and business users. Universes act as a semantic layer that simplifies data querying by abstracting the technical complexity of underlying databases, allowing users to build reports and analyses using business-friendly terms.
This article provides an overview and step-by-step guidance on creating universes using the Universe Design Tool (UDT), focusing on its purpose, components, and best practices.
A Universe is a semantic business layer that maps complex database schemas into an easy-to-understand and use format for business users. It translates database tables, columns, and relationships into objects like dimensions, measures, and filters, enabling users to build queries in tools like Web Intelligence without needing SQL expertise.
The Universe Design Tool (UDT) is a Windows-based client application used to create and manage universes. It allows developers to:
Note: UDT is primarily used with the UNV universe format, which is supported up to SAP BI 4.x. For newer projects, SAP recommends using the Information Design Tool (IDT), which creates UNX universes with advanced features.
Before diving into the steps, it's important to understand a few core concepts:
Classes and Objects: Classes are logical folders grouping related objects. Objects represent database columns or calculations and come in three types:
Tables and Joins: The physical tables from the database and how they relate (inner, outer joins).
Contexts: Used to resolve loops and ambiguous join paths in complex schemas.
Create logical classes to organize objects (e.g., Customer, Sales, Products).
For each table column, create appropriate objects:
Define object properties, including aggregation functions for measures.
The Universe Design Tool (UDT) is a foundational component for creating semantic layers in SAP BusinessObjects. By building well-structured universes, organizations empower business users to perform meaningful analysis and reporting without deep technical knowledge of databases.
While newer tools like the Information Design Tool (IDT) offer enhanced features, understanding UDT remains valuable for maintaining legacy systems and foundational BI architectures.