Labs

Using Visual Data Analyzer, business and data analysts can interactively visualize and analyze multi-dimensional data.   We hope you give this a try and as always, tell us what you think!

Visual Data Analyzer -November 2, 2006

The Visual Data Analyzer prototype allows users to easily and interactively browse and understand what is happening in semantic, relational and OLAP data sources.

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Visual Data Analyzer (Sapphire)

(See larger images: Data Realm Expression Editor, Pie Charts, Bar Charts, Scatter Plot)

Technical Description

This prototype supports various types of data sources, specifically: OLAP, Business Objects Universes, and/or custom sources (called "Data Realms").

The Visual Data Analyzer prototype includes two components:

  1. Data Realm Analyzer allows users to connect to and select data objects to place into either a multi-dimensional grid or to a sidebar that controls visualization attributes such as color, shape and size. The Analyzer visualization window automatically renders the correct visualization approach (bar, pie and scatter). You can reorient/pivot the displayed data by dragging and dropping data objects across grid axes, and you can select section/page members that provide context for the data.
  2. Data Realm Designer is a data shaping system that creates powerful Analyzer data spaces called Data Realms. Data Realms can join data from any supported source (relational or OLAP), joining underlying data and adding complex calculations. Queries and calculations on Data Realms are optimally re-expressed by the system into minimal queries on the underlying databases, including push-down calculation, with any remaining calculation being done locally. Data Realms can be joined with other Data Realms to increase the abstraction level, with the potential of adding calculated objects at every level.

Data Realms support the following data sources: Derby (which is bundled to provide an out-of-the-box sample), ODBC, and SQL Server 2000.

Visual Data Analyzer can be installed using Java Web Start (registration and login required). You will need Java 1.4 already installed.

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See the manuals included in the install for how to get started. For more details on how the software works you may refer to the online Analyzer manual (PDF) and Designer manual (PDF). You can also view streaming videos of an Analyzer demonstration (WMV), a simple Designer demonstration (WMV) and an advanced Designer demonstration to learn more about what the software can do. We are always keen to receive feedback on our Labs content.

We hope you enjoy this and as always, tell us what you think. Please send your enhancement feedback and comments to feedback.labs@businessobjects.com.