3254719 - General information about the usage of parameter ForceRefreshConnectionInfo

This document aims to have general information about parameter ForceRefreshConnectionInfo, whether it can be used and in which scenarios this is not recommended to be used.

SAP BusinessObjects Analysis, edition for Microsoft Office 2.8

The setting in the past was used to force merge local SAP Logon landscape BW system information (local system info) to system information coming from a launcher, existing in a workbook or from any remote source (e.g. BIP).
The requirement is that the system information coming from remote source might miss SNC/SSO information, so to make the (about to be established) connection secure/SSO capable, we need to lookup such SNC/SSO information and add missing pieces accordingly.

However, the concern here with force connection merging is that local SAP GUI landscape system information lookup may not be reliable, when:

1. 1. there are multiple systems with the same system ID, specially pointing to completely different systems.
      i.e.: different application / group servers.
      (issue: possibility of connecting to a wrong system).
      
      
   2. there are multiple system entries with the same system ID, we could say one or many with SSO enabled and some with SSO disabled.
      (issue: we cannot decide whether to enable or disable SSO. Same goes for different SNC information).
      
      
   3. there are obsolete / wrong local information, then it might override the system information coming from remote source.
      (issue: could result in connecting to a wrong system or fail to connect at all).
      
      assumption: the system information coming from the remote source is more recent and up-to-date.
      
      

In order to address the above issue, we have introduced multiple specific settings, instead of one general setting.
e.g.:

• RouterStringCopyOption: copy only router string information from local landscape.
• UseLocalSncInfoForRemoteConnections: copy only SNC information from local landscape (default value is TRUE. i.e.: we always try to make a secure connection by copying local SNC information).

In a hypothetical environment where the system administrators do not want the user to alter any system information coming from the remote source at all, then they should use, for example:

• ForceRefreshConnectionInfo = FALSE;  
• RouterStringCopyOption = none;
• UseLocalSncInfoForRemoteConnections = FALSE;
• UseSingleConnectionPerDestination = FALSE.

Therefore, though there isn't any strict restriction on using the setting, you should use it as the last resort, once you have:

1. Tested with most recent AO version and release (where most use cases work without any setting);
   
   
2. Then tested if it can be resolved with other specific (non-generic) new settings, if it matches to your requirement;
   
   
3. If above 2 steps did not help, then:
   a. make sure that local SAP Logon BW information are correct and up-to-date (and kept so).
   b. test well with different landscapes / users to make sure data and connectivity is OK.
   c. OR when there is only 1 system entry per each system ID in local SAP Logon landscape and those entries are also correct / up-to-date, then there is no issue / risk at all.
   
   
4. If point 3 is met, then you can use ForceRefreshConnectionInfo alone or together with setting UseSingleConnectionPerDestination.
   UseSingleConnectionPerDestination = TRUE will alter the lookup algorithm, from system property (e.g. message server) based (default) to System Id only lookup.
   

• 3090746 - Central Note: Analysis for Office secure connections
• 2658872 - Analysis Office: How to ensure secure connections in Analysis Plugin
  
  
• ForceRefreshConnectionInfo
• RouterStringCopyOption
• UseLocalSncInfoForRemoteConnections
• UseSingleConnectionPerDestination

ForceRefreshConnectionInfo, general, information, secure, connection, RouterStringCopyOption, UseLocalSncInfoForRemoteConnections, UseSingleConnectionPerDestination , KBA , BI-RA-AO-XLA , Excel Addin , How To