Where does the data come from?

BUSINESS OBJECTS makes it easy to access data from your corporate database because it has a business-intelligent, semantic layer that isolates you from the technical issues of the database. This semantic layer is called a universe. A universe maps to data in the database, using everyday terms that describe your business environment. This means you can select exactly the data that interests you using your own business terminology.

In your company or organization, universes are created by a universe designer, using BUSINESS OBJECTS DESIGNER. The designer then makes universes available to you and other users, so that you can access the data you want from the database through an intuitive, user-friendly interface A Business Objects Universe.

Using this interface, you build a BUSINESS OBJECTS query using an editor called the Query Panel, by adding and organizing objects from a universe. Objects are elements that map to a set of data from a relational database in terms that pertain to your business situation. When you run the query, BUSINESS OBJECTS connects to the database and retrieves the data mapped to the objects you selected.

A query is a type of data provider. The data provider contains the data you have chosen to retrieve from the data source. Using this data set, you can build interactive reports.

BUSINESS OBJECTS lets you access data from a wide range of sources: from relational and multidimensional databases, from packaged applications, from personal data files, and, using Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications procedures, from virtually any source.