Vertica Integration with SAP BusinessObjects: Connection Guide

About Vertica Connection Guides

Vertica connection guides provide basic instructions for connecting a third-party partner product to Vertica. Connection guides are based on our testing with specific versions of Vertica and the partner product.

Vertica and SAP BusinessObjects: Latest Versions Tested

Software Version
Partner Product

SAP BusinessObjects 4.3

Desktop Platform

Windows Server 2019

Vertica Client

Vertica JDBC or ODBC Driver 12.0.1

Vertica Server Vertica Analytic Database 12.0.1

SAP BusinessObjects Overview

SAP BusinessObjects is a suite of front-end applications that allow business users to view, sort, and analyze business intelligence data. The SAP BusinessObjects tools are optimally suited for ad-hoc and parameterized reporting, which allows users to create and alter reports from the business layer or semantic layer created by database experts.

The information in this document was developed using 4.3 Information Design Tool (IDT) and Web Intelligence (WEBI) for creating and publishing the reports.

Installing SAP BusinessObjects

To install SAP BusinessObjects, follow the steps in the SAP Help Portal.

Installing the Vertica Client Drivers

SAS BusinessObjects connects to Vertica using either JDBC or ODBC driver. To install the client driver

  1. Go to the Vertica Client Drivers.
  2. Download the version of the Vertica client package that is compatible your Vertica server version.
  3. Note For more information about client and server compatibility, see Client Driver and Server Version Compatibility in the Vertica documentation.

  4. Follow the installation instructions in the Vertica documentation.

JDBC Client Driver

After you download the vertica-jdbc-x.x-x.jar file, you must save the file in a location where SAP BusinessObjects can locate it. Save the file in the following location:

<SAPBO_SERVER>\SAP Business Objects\SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise 4.0\dataAccess\connectionServer\jdbc\drivers

Alternatively, you can copy the .jar file to a location in the Java CLASSPATH or add its current location to the Java CLASSPATH.

After you save the .jar file, you must update the vertica.sbo file with the following parameter values:

  • Location:

<SAPBO_SERVER>\SAP BusinessObjects\SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise XI 4.0\dataAccess\connectionServer\jdbc\vertica.sbo file\

  • Classpath:


Connecting SAP BusinessObjects to Vertica

SAP BusinessObjects connects to Vertica using either the JDBC or ODBC client driver. This section explains how you can connect SAP to your Vertica database using both drivers. While you can use either the Information Design Tool (IDT) or Universe Designer to create a connection, this document explains how to connect using the IDT.

This section assumes you have installed the BusinessObjects Integration Kit for SAP and have access to the SAP BusinessObjects server.

Connecting Using JDBC or ODBC Driver

  1. Start the SAP BusinessObjects server.
  2. From the programs list, open Information Design Tools.
  3. In the Repository Resources tab, click Insert Session. The New Session window opens.
  4. Enter your system name, user name, password, and authentication information.
  5. Click OK. Your SAP BusinessObjects server information appears.
  6. Right-click the Connections folder and select Insert Relational Connection. The New Relational Connection window appears.
  7. Enter your Resource Name and Description.
  8. Click Next. The Database Middleware Driver Selection list displays.
  9. Scroll down to Hewlett Packard and expand the node to view HP Vertica options.
  10. Select the Vertica driver that corresponds with your system architecture.


  1. Enter your Vertica parameters. If you are using an ODBC driver, enter the system DSN.
  2. Click Test Connection.
  3. After the connection is validated, click Finish.

Creating a BusinessObjects Universe

To report data using the BusinessObjects reporting tools, you must create a universe on top of the underlying database.

A universe is a business-oriented mapping of the data structure found in your database. Universe components include classes, objects, joins, contexts, and more. Reporting Tools creates a model around facts, dimensions, and measures, and this model is known as a universe. To create a universe, you must choose tables from your database and define the relationship between these tables.

To create a universe, do the following:

  • Create a project
  • Create a relational connection
  • Create a data foundation
  • Create a business layer

Creating a Project

  1. In IDT, select Window > Local Projects.
  2. Click File > New Project.
  3. Name your project.
  4. Click OK.

Creating a Relational Connection

  1. In the Local Projects tab, right-click the project you created. Select New > Relational Connection.
  2. Repeat the steps to connect to the JDBC or ODBC client drivers to create a local database connection.
  3. In the Select Connection window, choose the .cnx extension.
  4. Click Finish.
  5. Right-click the new connection. Select Publish Connection to a Repository. The Publish Connection window appears.
  6. Enter your system name, user name, password, and authentication information. Click Next.
  7. Click Finish.

Creating a Data Foundation 

  1. In the Local Projects tab, right-click the project you created. Select New > Data Foundation.
  2. Repeat the steps to connect to the JDBC or ODBC client drivers to create a local database connection.
  3. In the Select Connection window, choose the .cns extension.
  4. Click Finish.
  5. In the Data Foundation tab, under Connection, choose the tables or other object type to create the universe.

Creating a Business Layer  

  1. In the Local Projects tab, right-click the project you created. Select New > Business Layer.
  2. Repeat the steps to connect to the JDBC or ODBC client drivers to create a local database connection.
  3. In the Select Data Foundation window, select the Vertica Data Foundation you previously created.
  4. Click Next.
  5. Click Finish. Note that you can manage the properties of the business layer in the Query Options tab.
  6. Right-click the new business layer. Select Business Layer Node > Publish > To a Repository.
  7. Enter your system name, user name, password, and authentication information. Click Next.
  8. Click Finish.

Accessing a Universe

Using Web Intelligence, you can display your data from your defined Universe in a table or in graphics. If the server where you publish reports is located on a different machine, you must copy the drivers on the server and create DSNs on the new machine.

You can perform an ad-hoc analysis by drilling down to the data you want, saving your results on the server, and creating a print version of the data. Follow these steps to access your data using the universe you created:

  1. Open Web Intelligence.
  2. Select the universe you created.


  1. A query panel appears. From this panel, pull in objects from the universe to create reports and run queries against the database.

  2. Click Run Query.
  3. Name the report and click Save.

The saved reports appear on the Documents tab in Web Intelligence for rescheduling, exporting and viewing.

Known Limitations

This section explains known limitations of using SAP BusinessObjects with Vertica.

MARS Enabled JDBC Connection

You can only enable Multiple Active Results Set (MARS) when you connect to Vertica using JDBC. MARS allows the execution of multiple queries on a single connection. While the ResultBufferSize parameter sends the results of a query directly to the client, MARS stores the results first on the server. After query execution finishes and all of the results have been stored, you can make a retrieval request to the server to have rows returned to the client.

If you use MARS with JDBC, make the following changes to the Vertica.sbo file:

  • Set the ArraryFetchAvailable parameter to False: <Parameter Name=”Arrary Fetch Available”>False</Parameter>
  • Set the ArraryFetchSize parameter to zero: <Parameter Name=”Arrary Fetch Size”>0</Parameter>

For more information, see Multiple Active Result Sets (MARS) in the Vertica documentation.

Information Designer Tool

  • UUID, BINARY, VARBINARY, LONG VARBINARY, and INTERVAL data types are not displayed.

  • LONG VARCHAR data type supports a maximum length of 65536 for ODBC only. For JDBC, LONG VARCHAR 32m data type is not displayed and an error is displayed.

  • INTEGER and DECIMAL data types are round off after 15 digits.

  • For TIME and TIMETZ data types, the default date 1970/01/01 is appended.

  • For TIMESTAMPTZ data type, time zone is not displayed for JDBC.

  • For TIME, TIMETZ, TIMESTAMP, and TIMESTAMPTZ data types, milliseconds are not displayed.

Universe Designer Tool

  • UUID, BINARY, VARBINARY, LONG VARBINARY, and INTERVAL data types are not displayed.

  • LONG VARCHAR data type is not displayed with ODBC. For JDBC, LONG VARCHAR 32m data type is not displayed and an error is displayed.

  • INTEGER and DECIMAL data types are round off after 15 digits.

  • For TIME and TIMETZ data types, the default date 1970/01/01 is appended.

  • For TIMETZ and TIMESTAMPTZ data types, time zone is not displayed for JDBC. For ODBC, time zone is not displayed for TIMETZ data type.

  • For TIME, TIMETZ, TIMESTAMP, and TIMESTAMPTZ data types, milliseconds are not displayed.

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