Start/Stop OBIEE 11g Services in Linux

Starting Oracle BI 11g Services:

Start Admin Server
switch to the user who owns BI installation.
cd /u01/Oracle/Middleware/user_projects/domains/bifoundation_domain/bin
nohup ./startWebLogic.sh -Dweblogic.management.username=weblogic -Dweblogic.management.password=welcome1 &
tail -f nohup.out

start Node manager
cd /u01/Oracle/Middleware/wlserver_10.3/server/bin
nohup ./startNodeManager.sh > NOD.out &
tail -f NOD.out

Start managed Server
cd /u01/Oracle/Middleware/wlserver_10.3/common/bin
./commEnv.sh
cd /u01/Oracle/Middleware/user_projects/domains/bifoundation_domain/bin
./setDomainEnv.sh
nohup ./startManagedWebLogic.sh bi_server1 t3://servername:7001 > bis1_startup.log &
tail -f bis1_startup.log
nohup ./startManagedWebLogic.sh odi_server1 t3://servername:7001 > bis2_startup.log &
tail -f bis2_startup.log

start OPMN
cd /u01/Oracle/Middleware/instances/instance1/bin
./opmnctl startall
./opmnctl status

Stopping Oracle BI 11g Services

Stop OPMN
cd /u01/Oracle/Middleware/instances/instance1/bin
./opmnctl stopall
./opmnctl status

Stop Managed server
cd /u01/Oracle/Middleware/user_projects/domains/bifoundation_domain/bin
./stopManagedWebLogic.sh bi_server1 t3://servername:7001 weblogic welcome1
./stopManagedWebLogic.sh odi_server1 t3://servername:7001 weblogic welcome1

Stop Admin Server
cd /u01/Oracle/Middleware/user_projects/domains/bifoundation_domain/bin
sh stopWebLogic.sh

Cheers!
Bose

Adding Database Hints to your reports to improve OBIEE performance

1. There is no option to add database hints at the presentation level (i.e. Answers), however, you can set 'hints' in the repository for each physical table. You can do this by opening up the properties of the physical table and entering the hint (without '/*' and ' */') in the "Hint" field.

If you need different hints on the same physical table, then you can create 'aliases' of the physical table and model them separately.

2. In the connection pool, you can issue an 'ALTER SESSION' command to change a database parameter on log in.

3. You can use the 'Direct Database Request' functionality. That way, a user with the appropriate privileges can construct the request using SQL, and you can add hints to the SQL.  The drawback of this solution is that any user that needs to run the request will need to be granted the "Execute Direct Database Requests" privilege in the OBI Presentation Server Catalog ('Administration > Manage Privileges > Answers'). Also, the OBI Server Metadata "Security Manager > Permissions > Query Limits > Execute Direct Database Requests" option must be set to 'Allow' as well.

Happy Blogging!
Cheers!
Bose 

Trellis View in OBIEE 11g

What Is Trellis View:
Trellis view is a new view type that presents multi-dimensional data laid out in a set of cells in a grid, with each cell displaying a subset of data shown as numbers or as graphs. The trellis view allows users to display multiple views all at once for quick comparison, and to display data that reveals trends.

Types:
1. Simple Trellis View
2. Advanced Trellis View
 
Simple Trellis view:
Simple Trellis. A simple trellis displays a core inner graph multiplied across row sets and column sets, rendering many small multiples that are ideal for comparing and contrasting.

Step1:
Just drag some sample columns and measures in the criteria

Step2: 
Just check the results coming in table or Pivot Table View. In the result view go to Trellis -> select Simple

Step3:
Edit the default Trellis view and arrange the column like shown in the screenshot below

Step4:
Just click 'Done' with the above screen after the column arrangement and customization. we will get the below simple Trellis View. Save to finish the completing simple Trellis View. 

Advanced Trellis View:
 An advanced trellis displays a grid of small spark graphs that are ideal for monitoring trends and spotting patterns in a data set.
 
An simple trellis view is only allow us to create with single style for the selected columns and rows. But Advanced type is having the visualization option which will allow us to create separate visualization for each measure.

Go to New View -> Select Trellis -> Select Advanced. Arrange the columns that which way you want to see results.
Here I have selected Sparkle Bar for 'Actual Unit Price' and Number for Actual Target Price.
 

 Once with the editing save the View. The result should be like below:

Cheers!
Bose

How do we know that SMTP server port is open for BI Scheduler Configuration?

Introduction

Most of time we are struggling to to set up Email server for Oracle BI Scheduler. So This post describes to easily know that the SMTP server which we are trying to configure is open or not. If it open, we could able to setup server and can receive email but if it is blocked, we will get authentication error.

Many email clients and services use port 25 for SMTP to send out emails. However an ISP (Internet Service Provider) may block port 25 in order to prevent spamming by its customers. This article will show you how you can check to see if Port 25 is blocked on your network.

Before we start

Go to command prompt on your computer. If you need help with how to enable telnet in our local windows machine follow the below step to enable telnet in your local machine.

Step1: 

Go to Control Panel -> Programs -> Program and Features -> Select 'Turn windows featues on or off'

 Step2: 
We will be prompted to new windows, From there check 'Telnet Client' and click 'OK'

The configuration might take some minutes. 

Now telnet client is successfully enabled in your local machine to check the SMTP Server.

Instructions

1. Go to the command prompt and Type the following command: 

2. View Results:
   If Port 25 is not blocked, you will get a successful 220 response (text may vary).

If Port 25 is blocked, you will get a connection error or no response at all.

Tip: You can use this same technique to check if Port 587 is blocked as well.  Just use the following command:

OBIEE 11g Log Files and Configuration

·     Specifying Query Log Maximum Log Age for all log files

This post best describes what are all the log file we have to consider for OBIEE 11g. We could check and configure both online as well online.

Using Enterprise Manager:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The right way to check them is using the Enterprise Manager (EM) Console page.

EM Console. Login to the URL http://servername:7001/em and navigate to: 

Farm_bifoundation_domain-> Business Intelligence-> coreapplications-> Diagnostics-> Log Messages

You will find the available files:

• Presentation Services Log
• Server Log
• Scheduler Log
• JavaHost Log
• Cluster Controller Log
• Action Services Log
• Security Services Log
• Administrator Services Log

If we are looking at the ‘Log Configuration’ tab which will allow to do the following changes

·     Specify Maximum file Size for all log files

·     Specifying Maximum Log Age for all log files

·     Specifying Query Log Maximum file size for all log files

However, we could also directly browse them on the hard disk in the below specified locations. 

The log files for OBIEE components are under <OBIEE_HOME>/instances/instance1/diagnostics/logs.  Specific log files and their location is defined in the following table:

Log File Name	Physical Path
Installation log	<OBIEE_HOME>/logs
NQQuery Log	<OBIEE_HOME>/instances/instance1/diagnostics/logs/OracleBIServerComponent/coreapplication_obis1
NQSServer Log	<OBIEE_HOME>/instances/instance1/diagnostics/logs/OracleBIServerComponent/coreapplication_obis1
ServerName_NQSAdminTool Log	<OBIEE_HOME>/instances/instance1/diagnostics/logs/OracleBIServerComponent/coreapplication_obis1
ServerName_NQSUDMLExec log	<OBIEE_HOME>/instances/instance1/diagnostics/logs/OracleBIServerComponent/coreapplication_obis1
servername_obieerpdmigrateutil log (Migration log)	<OBIEE_HOME>/instances/instance1/diagnostics/logs/OracleBIServerComponent/coreapplication_obis1
sawlog0 log (presentation)	<OBIEE_HOME>/instances/instance1/diagnostics/logs/OracleBIPresentationServicesComponent/coreapplication_obips1
JH  log (Java Host)	<OBIEE_HOME>/instances/instance1/diagnostics/logs/OracleBIJavaHostComponent\coreapplication_obijh
WebcatUpgrade Log (Web Catalog Upgrade)	<OBIEE_HOME>/instances/instance1/diagnostics/logs/OracleBIPresentationServicesComponent/coreapplication_obips1
NQScheduler  Log (Agents)	<OBIEE_HOME>/instances/instance1/diagnostics/logsOracleBISchedulerComponent/coreapplication_obisch1
NQCluster  Log	<OBIEE_HOME>/instances/instance1/diagnostics/logs/OracleBIClusterControllerComponent\coreapplication_obiccs1
ODBC log	<OBIEE_HOME>/instances/instance1/diagnostics/logs/OracleBIODBCComponent/coreapplication_obips1
OPMN Log	<OBIEE_HOME>/instances/instance1/diagnostics/logs/OPMN/opmn
Debug log	<OBIEE_HOME>/instances/instance1/diagnostics/logs/OPMN/opmn
LogQuery log	<OBIEE_HOME>/instances/instance1/diagnostics/logs/OPMN/opmn
Service log	<OBIEE_HOME>/instances/instance1/diagnostics/logs/OPMN/opmn
OPMN Out	<OBIEE_HOME>/instances/instance1/diagnostics/logs/OPMN/opmn
Upgrade Assistant log	<OBIEE_HOME>Oracle_BI1/upgrade/logs

Till Next Post, Cheers! Bose

Opening Catalog Manager in Windows for Linux OBIEE 11g

This post describes how to open Catalog Manager in Windows for the Linux OBIEE 11g. 
In this situtation, OBIEE 11g is installed in Linux machine and in some extent we could launch catalog manager in linux server but most of the time we could not have access to server and even if we have that to can access only via VNC or some of third party server. 

So If we want to open catalog through catalog manger, It is possible to open using our catalog manager object which is installed in our local windows machine. 

All we know the default location of the catalog manager

OS	Path
Windows	ORACLE_INSTANCE\bifoundation\OracleBIPresentationServicesComponent\coreapplication_obips1\ catalogmanager\runcat.cmd
Linux	ORACLE_INSTANCE/bifoundation/OracleBIPresentationServicesComponent/coreapplication_obips1/ catalogmanager/runcat.sh

Online / Offline

Many of the operations that you can perform using Catalog Manager are available in both online mode and offline mode. A few operations are available in only one mode or the other. Generally, the operations available in:

• Online mode are read-only operations and write operations that do not affect the entire catalog, such as setting permissions for an object.
• Offline mode include most of the operations available in online mode and write functions that affect the entire catalog, such as searching for and replacing catalog text

Note: Using catalog Manager in OBIEE client, we have the privilege to catalog only in online as we couldn't directly point physical to open in offline mode.

Here is the steps how to open repository online using Administration Tool in our local machine.

Step1: 
Start -> All Programs -> click 'Catalog Manager' from OBIEE Client

Step2:

Now Catalog Manager windows will be opened. From there click File -> Open Catalog

Step3:

In the next step, we will be prompted to enter catalog path, weblogic username and password to open catalog online. Enter all the detail and click 'OK'

Link: http://hostname:9704/analytics/saw.dll

User Name: Weblogic

Passowrd: Admin123

Now we could see the catalog is opened in catalog manager.

Step4:

As per my work I have assign privileges for some users to My Folder. So right click on 'My Folder' from the left side pane of catalog manager and select 'Permission'

Step5:

In the next sceen we could see what are the users having access to My Folder and from that selecting 'All' and then click 'List' will list out all the other user. so from the user list we could add some user to the left side pane and the click 'OK' to apply the changes.  

Now close catalog manager and check with privileges of the new users which you altered.

Cheers!
Bose

Opening Repository Online Using Administration Tool in Windows for Linux OBIEE

This post describes how to open repository online using OBIEE 11g Administration Tool in Windows for the Linux OBIEE. 
In this situtation, OBIEE 11g is installed in Linux machine and all we know that Administration Tool will not work in Linux. 

For the major development, we could develop reository through installed OBIEE Client in our local machine and could upload the same repository to linux server through enterprise manager. But for every minor changes, imports we no need to develop the same in local machine. We could directly open repository online using our Administration Tool from our local machine.

Here is the steps how to open repository online using Administration Tool in our local machine.

Step1:
Go to Control Panel -> Administration Tool -> ODBC Source  and then select 'System DSN' tab

 Step2:
Click 'Add' from the above select 'Oracle BI Server1' driver and then finish with the below screen

 Step3:
The above step prompt the 'Oracle BI Server DSN Configuration' window.
       1. Enter DSN Name
      2. Enter OBIEE Server Host Name or IP Address
and then click 'Next'

 Step4:
In the next step click Login ID and Password. After entering weblogic username and password click 'Next'

 Step5:
With the below screen just click 'Finish' and complete the DSN configuration.

 After sucessful creation We could see DSN Name which we have created under System DSN

Verfication:
Now Open Administration Tool from our OBIEE Client installed in our Local machine and click open online. Now we could see the DSN which we have created in ODBC Sources. 

Here enter Repository Password and weblogic Username and Passworkd

 We could see repository opened online in Administration Tool

Points to remember:
To create the connection we have to be in local network where OBIEE Server installed or have to be connected with network atleast through VPN.

in The Next Post read How to open catalog manager for the changes for the same Env

Cheers! 
Bose