General rules about broadcasts
- All broadcasts must be referenced in here in G-drive ( used to be Broadcast Eroom Database ).
- All broadcasts must be created while logged in with the BW_BCAST user. Password can be found in the EROOM broadcast file.
- If the BW_BCAST password has to be changed, always update the EROOM broadcast file.
- Given the choice always prefer query/view/webtemplate broadcasts to workbook broadcast to limit the usage of the pre-calculation server.
- Some reporting on the broadcasts numbers (users, settings) can be done via the Qlikview Broadcasts dashboard (See documentation).
- If broadcasting workbooks, do it ZIPPED.
Naming conventions
Below is the list of the naming conventions for existing broadcasts :
Broadcast group | Setting technical name | Setting name | Email Subject |
|---|---|---|---|
Value Stream Dashboard by site | ID_Plantcode_LC_M | ID by Site - Plantcode | BW - Industrial Dashboard by site |
Value Stream Dashboard by VS (Industrial Dashboard) | ID_VScode_LC_M | Industrial Dashboards - VScode | BW - Industrial Dashboards |
Working Capital by GBU | WC_version_GBU_Zone_Currency_(W for Weekly, M for Monthly, D for daily). | Same as tech name | BW - Working Capital |
Sales group overdue | BW_OVERDUE_(M/W/D)_Salesgroupcode | Same as tech name | BW - Overdues Broadcast (Frequence - Salesgroupcode) |
How to monitor BW broadcasts
- Go to transaction RSA1
- Go to the Administration tab :
- Choose Broadcasting :
- Select Log Display :
- Select a day and execute :
- Check the red ones :
- Report the Setting name (in this case WC_DIP_WW_EUR_WW)
How to broadcast the result of a query
1/ Open the query to broadcast in the query designer
2/ Select the broadcaster after click on the 
icon.
The Broadcaster window will open in the navigator window with the existing broadcast for the selected query.
3/ Create a New Setting -> click on the 
button.
3.1 The Recipient(s) tab
3.1.1: Give a description to your broadcast
3.1.2: chose the type of distribution and the output format
3.1.3: Enter le E-Mail addresses of the people you want to send the result. The address mail should be complete. The emails addresses should be separated by a “;”
3.1.4: Enter the user for authorization*. Here we have to define a new user who will have the full access but dedicated for broadcast.*
3.1.5: Chose the language of your user
3.2 The Texts tab:
3.2.1: Type the subject of the broadcast.
3.3 The General Precalculation tab.
3.3.1 Variable Assignment
Since the query request mandatory variables, it is also mandatory to entry values for variables: Two ways to do this:
3.3.1.1: Using Direct value
Click on the “Create” word in order to enter the appropriate value. The following screen appears.
In case of multi selection each value is added like a line.
After validation, with a click on the Execute button you will be back on the “Variable assignment tab” and you have now the possibility to change the variable values.
3.3.2: Exceptions:
In case of exceptions, you can here chose if you want to use or not.
3.4 The Filter Navigation tab
Not used in the major case.
4. Save the broadcast
Click on the 
button.
The following screen appears and you have to give a technical name which will begin by BCAST_
5 Schedule the broadcast
Click on the 
button, the following screen appears:
The execution with data Change request a specific process in the process chain.
The direct scheduling can be periodic and scheduled at different time of a day.
6. Immediate execution
For an immediate execution, click on the 
button.
The query will be executed and broadcasted following the different rules defined before
7. Close the broadcaster with a click on the 
button.
How to do a full check of obsolete emails in broadcasts ?
This can be done in several steps.
First, extract the list of all emails receiving broadcasts.
- Launch the Qlikview BO/BW Broadcast Dashboard (via the access point)
- Go to the "Analysis Tab"
- Optional : Filter on the "Tool" to have only BO, or only BW broadcasts
- In the "User Zone" filter, select "AP, EU, NA, LA, Solvay" (this is to make sure you only select emails, not BO inbox, or system emails like erooms).
- Right click on the "Top Receivers" tab and select "Export to Excel".
You now have the list of all emails receiving broadcasts.
Second, you need to check which of these emails are obsolete. For that you can use outlook :
- Create a new email and copy/past the full list of emails into the "TO".
- Use the "Check Names" button in outlook ("Message" toolbar") :
- From the converted list, you can easily identify the emails which were not converted : these emails are obsolete.
- For each incorrect email address, you can search what are the broadcasts beeing sent by using the Qlikview Broadcast Dashboard. In the "Search" tab, type the email in the "Email" field. Then select it in the list. This will filter and show all the broadcasts which are sent to this email address :
How to delete a broadcast setting
In some cases, it's difficult to find the settings via the BW Portal because you need to know exactly what object (query/workbook/view...) was used to create it and where it is.
Also sometimes broadcasts settings are not deleted even if the object was deleted and this makes it impossible find via the portal.
The best way to find and delete a broadcast setting is therefore via the "RSRD_ADMIN transaction :
- Go to RSRD_ADMIN
- Select "Settings"
- Search the broadcast setting (Note that by default your user ID is selected in "Created By").
- From the list, select the setting and click on "Delete" :
Note that this table will show a "Scheduled" flag but this will only work if the broadcast has been scheduled using the standard process. If it is scheduled via process chain it will now be tagged.
Broadcast scheduling via Process Chain (PC)
General principal
If you want to make sure that the broadcast is not launched before all the loadings have been completed, then you cannot use the standard scheduling process.
To solve this issue a program was created to allow to schedule broadcasts via a process chain and program.
You must first create a process chain that will execute the broadcast schedule program. Then this process chain can be launched after the loading process chains have finished successfully.
Create a Broadcast via PC
To be done.
Launch Broadcast via PC. Example of "Inventory Coverage Rate"
Before launching a PC
Before starting a PC, please check that:
- Some precalculation servers are available (Go to RSA1 / Administration / Monitors / Precalculation Server)
- Not to much jobs are running (Go to SM50)
- If the PC is started during Closing Period, as it may take some times and jobs, please check it ends before big data loading times (Go to BW - Data Loading)
Launch the PC
- Go to RSA1 / Administration / Process Chains
- Find the PC you want to launch (in our example, we want to start Inventory Coverage Rate 1 to 5 (BD_ICR to BD_ICR_5) and double clic on it.
- Clic on Schedule and set the priority to Standard level (C)
- The PC is now running.
If you need to launch several PCs, please do it one by one and check the previous one is finished before starting the new one.
Otherwise, it may use too many jobs and block data loadings!
Monitor the PC
Once the PC is started, you can monitor the execution by clicking on "Log View"
In progress or completed parts of the PC are in green. Waiting parts are in orange.
Comments:
- On Inventory Converage Rate Process Chain, broadcasts are started 3 by 3 to avoid to monopolyze all available jobs. Each "wave" is started 180s after the previous one.
- The PC only shows if the broadcast has been launched or not. In addition to that, you need to monitor the execution of the broadcast via RSA1/Administration/Monitors and via SM50.
Broadcasting troubleshooting
Some interresting page in the SAP Community wiki :
http//wiki.sdn.sap.com/wiki/display/BI/Common+Error+Messages+from+the+Broadcast+Log