SAP BusinessObjects stores all system metadata, assets, and files in what is known as a Repository. The Repository has taken on several different architectures and is accessible by using special software.

The version numbering schema for SAP BusinessObjects is quite complicated. It was changed several times, as well as the product name itself. Since version 7 of BusinessObjects, each release has two version indications simultaneously: internal incremental numeric version number, and a long marketing release name which includes the number of system generation.

The latest release SAP BusinessObjects platform (2015) is "version 14" (internal numeric version number), BI4 (short generation "label"), or SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence (BI) platform 4.1 SP1 (the full marketing product name).

A chronology is shown below:

 

Prior to the XIR1 release, the repository back-end used to store report, users, groups, security, and universe metadata, was a traditional relational database, such as Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle.

As of XIR1, however, and since the acquisition and integration of Crystal Enterprise, the metadata backend assumed a new architecture that was hosted in the Central Management Server, or CMS. The CMS originated in the Crystal Enterprise line since the times of Seagate Software.

 

 
See also

BusinessObjects Release History by Bernard de MARTIN

Compatibility

Retrieveing BI Documents from CMS