Oracle Business Intelligence 11g - Modify Repository

In this post, I’m going to show how to modify the existing repository file which stores all the metadata about the reporting infrastructure such as database connections, table names, measures and dimensions etc.. Repository file is located in the installation directory. There are 2 different connection modes.Online and offline. In order to open the repository file in online mode by using “BI Administration Tool”, BI Service should be started first. I’ve already started the BI Service.

When you open the BI Administration tool and connect to repository in online mode, it is going to ask for the repository password addition to user name and password. After I enter these information, I’m able to connect to repository.

As usual there are 3 layers:

Physical

Business Model and Mapping

Presentation

Normally we used to define the dimension object in BMM layer. Again is same. One of the important difference with the previous version is you can publish dimension hierarchy in the Presentation Layer. Now end users will be able to access dimension details from the reporting interface.

Another change is related to security. You can still access user accounts by using “Security Manager”. But if you want to create a user, you have to use “Security Realm” link in the WebLogic Server console. This means user objects will be created from the WebLogic Console. I’m going to write an article about creating user object in my next post.

Oracle Business Intelligence 11g - Starting BI Service

I’m going to show you how to create simple reports by using OBI 11g. As you already see that you manage the services of Oracle Business Intelligence from WebLogic Server. So first of all I login to WebLogic Server in order to start BI Services. But if you also need to start WebLogic Server, then you have to open a terminal, change the directory to the installation folder and run the batch: startweblogic.cmd

After starting the WebLogic Server (which will take a time), then I login to the WebLogic Server:

http://siebelsrv:7001/console

I navigate to Servers page from Home page and lock the configuration to start the BI Service in the domain. (I’m using a VMware image on my MAC, so it takes a bit time to start all services -- Oracle Database, WebLogic Server, BI Service). :)

Now BI Service is started. It’s time to login.

The link is: http://siebelsrv:9704/analytics

I enter the user name and the password which I specified during the installation so after a successful login, I see the “Home” page of OBI 11g.

You’ll recognize that there some changes about the terminology at the first look. In the current version creating reports means creating analysis which was creating requests before in the previous version. Another difference is about iBots. Now they’re called “Agents” in the “Actionable Intelligence” section. And also there’s a new component about the Performance Management like Scorecards and KPI.

I’m planning to post articles about these great new features very soon.

Oracle Business Intelligence 11g - Installation Steps 2

After creating the repository by using RCU, now it’s time to install the Oracle Business Intelligence 11g. So I just run the setup.exe from the installation folder.

Welcome page appears on the screen and I simply go to next page.

I select the “Simple Install” option in installation type page.

Installer checks the prerequisites about OS, service pack level and the physical memory.

And then it asks for the installation location. I create a folder named “OBIHOME” and select that folder.

I select “Oracle Business Intelligence” group in the “Configure Components” page.

I specify the connection string of the database of the repository which was created before.

I enter my e-mail address in order to receive updates from Oracle.

In the next step, installer shows a summary page about the installation.

And the installation starts. You can monitor the progress during the installation.

After installation finishes, the installer starts the configuration automatically and configures the Weblogic, BI and so on.

And it completes the configuration.

After it finishes configuring components, installer shows the addresses of the components that are installed and configured like WebLogic Console, Business Intelligence, BI Publisher and Real Time Decisions.

So at last here is the new login screen and new user interface of Oracle Business Intelligence 11g.

Oracle Business Intelligence 11g - Installation Steps I

After I extract the downloaded installation files, I’m going to create the repository for the Business Intelligence tool. In order to create the repository, there is a tool named “Repository Creation Utility” so I’m going to run this executable: rcu.bat

When I run rcu.bat file, it warns me about the resolution. So I just skip that warning.

The next window is the welcome window. So I easily skip this step, too.

Then it asks for the creating repository or the dropping repository option. It’s new installation and no repository exists in the database. I select create option to create the repository.

In the database connection window, I specify the connection string, database username and password.

The installer checks the character set of the database and shows a warning dialog box. I ignore that warning. Normally UTF8 is recommended.

The installer checks the prerequisites of the repository creation. It is highly recommended that all the steps should pass the minimum configuration.

Then in the “Select Components” window, I select the Oracle Business Intelligence as a component. It automatically selects other dependent components, too. And the installer sets the schema owners of the components that will be installed.

Then another prerequisite check comes. I simply click “OK” button.

Then I set the tablespaces for the repository tables. One for Metadata Services and one for Business Intelligence Platform.

Then it warns you that the specified tablespaces don’t exist in the database and it’s going to create them. So I just click “OK” to continue.

It creates tablespaces.

In the Summary page, I confirm the components, schema owners and tablespaces.

Then it creates the repository.