Using the OBI Administrator to connecting to the BI Server running on Linux always opens the repository in Read-Only mode and does not allow real-time changes. It is confirmed that the the configuration setting ‘Disallow Online RPD Updates‘ – has been de-selected / un-checked in Fusion Middleware Control

This causes mainly because of ODBC DSN on the machine where the BI Administrator tool is installed was not configured properly for a clustered DSN.

There can be several causes for this symptom, the following is a high-level check list to resolve the issue.

1. Confirm that the the configuration setting ‘Disallow Online RPD Updates‘ – has been de-selected / un-checked in Fusion Middleware Control.
2. If using a clustered ODBC DSN., then configure the Oracle BI Server ODBC DSN used by the Administration Tool to point to the Cluster Controllers rather than to a particular Oracle BI Server. Ensure the hostnames and ports are correct.

     3.       Conversely, if not using a clustered ODBC DSN, then make sure you are connecting directly to the BI Server and the hostname is correct.

On the BIEE10g, the following tag (customization) added to the
instanceconfig.xml file, it works ok. But on BIEE11G, if add these tag to the

<Dashboard>
<EnableBookmarkURL>False</EnableBookmarkURL>
<EnablePromptedURL>False</EnablePromptedURL>
<BookmarkExpirationDays>0</BookmarkExpirationDays>
</Dashboard>
<PivotView>
<MaxVisibleColumns>5000</MaxVisibleColumns>
<MaxVisiblePages>2500</MaxVisiblePages>
<MaxVisibleRows>500000</MaxVisibleRows>
<MaxVisibleSections>5000</MaxVisibleSections>
<CubeMaxRecords>100000</CubeMaxRecords>
<CubeMaxPopulatedCells>10000000</CubeMaxPopulatedCells>
<MaxCells>500000</MaxCells>
</PivotView>
<Auth>
<ParamList>
<Param name=”NQ_SESSION.STATIONVALUE”
source=”url”
nameInSource=”RoleValue”/>
</ParamList>
</Auth>

What should have happened?
————————–
Expecting BIEE 11g should support above customization tags.

What actually did happen?
————————-
Access BIEE via URL errors out.

So just faced this issue, still working on it….i’ll post the solution as soon as I get the solution….

The root cause of the issue is web catalog corruption. Deleting users from the Weblogic did not refresh the cached info. After deleting the following files for weblogic and Administrator user, there are no issues.

<Oracle>\Middleware\instances\bifoundation\OracleBIPresentationServicesComponent\coreapplication_obips1\catalog\EnterpriseBusinessAnalytics\root\users\weblogic\_prefs
cachedinfo
cachedinfo.atr

Another solution is to clean up the catalog by using the following settings in the instanceconfig.xml

<ps:Validate>OnStartup</ps:Validate>
<ps:ValidateItems>None</ps:ValidateItems>
<ps:ValidateLinks>None</ps:ValidateLinks>
<ps:ValidateAccounts>Clean</ps:ValidateAccounts>
<ps:ValidateHomes>None</ps:ValidateHomes>

After restarting the services, users were able to login with no issues.

Once resolved, remove the settings used to clean up the catalog in instanceconfig.xml. Restart the services. Test the login to make sure there are no issues

For example, Manager role should see all the columns and his data(like only his regions under him) and agent should see only detail data but not the Region column in the report and that too data with his details only.

Followings are the steps to implement column level security on OBIEE:

You can actually hide the column in the presentation layer from others.let us consider that EmployeeID column needs to be restricted.

To achieve this functionality we need to make changes in two places – Metadata and one time change in NQSConfig.ini.

1. In Metadata on the presentation column, you would need to make changes to permission settings. Right click on the column and select “Properties”. By default, the columns will have read access to everyone.

2. Choose the groups that should have read access rights on the column. The check box here works like a toggle button. Click on it (suppose Megauser) to get a check mark or a red cross mark. A red cross marks explicitly restricts access. While an unchecked/blank check box implicitly restricts access to the column.

3. Now log in as Mega User and create a report using the EmployeeID Column.

4. In answers, Mega user can see the EmployeeID Column. Create a simple report using the column with column level security enforced.Save it and put it on a dashboard to test OBIEE column level security.

5. Now log on as BasicUser. Go to OBIEE Security Dashboard to see the report, and you would get an error message.
State: HY000. Code: 10058. [NQODBC] [SQL_STATE: HY000] [nQSError: 10058] A general error has occurred. [nQSError: 27005] Unresolved column: “Employees”.”EmployeeID”. (HY000)

The error is expected. The report contains a column on which the current user does not have access to. So for all practical purposes as far as OBIEE is concerned, the column does not even exist. The default setting in NQSConfig.ini file drives this behavior.

6. In, NQSConfig.ini change the parameter PROJECT_INACCESSIBLE_COLUMN_AS_NULL which is under security section. By default it is set to No. Set it to yes. And restart the services.

7. Now logged in as BasicUser and access OBIEE Security Dashboard to test OBIEE column level security

8. The report is presented without the EmployeeID column on which OBIEE column level security was enforced.

So for the same dashboard report, depending on the data level security access permissions in OBIEE for a user, a column visibility can be controlled using column level security feature.

So currently (with latest OBIEE 10.1.3.4.1 version) it would not be possible to incorporate the security for prompts.

In OBIEE Admin Tool, the row counts and data can be viewed from within the OBIEE Admin Tool when checking the associated physical table.

When the Excel related presentation table is used in an OBIEE 11g request/analysis, it fails with error:

Error in presentation server on Compound Layout

View Display Error
Odbc driver returned an error (SQLExecDirectW)

SQL Issued: SELECT s_0, s_1 FROM (SELECT 0 s_0, "[IMMI] IMMI Custom"."DetailTable"."col1"
s_1 FROM "[IMMI] IMMI Custom") djm

This causes because of Incorrect configuration on Windows PC where OBIEE Administration Tool is installed.

System DSN for Excel data source not set correctly.

This problem may be resolved by following these steps:

1. On Windows PC where OBIEE Admin Tool is installed, set up a system DSN by selecting start ->
Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Data Sources (ODBC).

2. Provide a name for the system DSN (i.e. Excelsource) and set the System DSN to use Excel driver (xls).
While creating the DSN, you will specify your desired Excel workbook file and location:
i.e. C:\My Workbooks\Financial Data.xls.

3. Then open OBIEE Admin Tool and either open or create a new RPD file (i.e. ExcelImport.rpd)

4. Select File -> Import -> Select your “Excelsource” as the database type and import the workbook.

5. After import has completed, right click the Excelsource database icon in the physical layer and
uncheck “select distinct supported value” in the Features tab -> save.

6. Open connection pool and uncheck share connection pools -> save.

7. In OBIEE Admin Tool, verify that excel data can be viewed and that row counts can be seen.

8. Create logical layer and presentation layer for Excel source and save RPD file.

9. Then deploy the newly modified/created RPD file in WLS/EM console.

10. Restart OBIEE server and then login to OBIEE presentation server and create a new Analysis using the C:\My Workbooks\Financial Data.xls. data source.

Following are the steps that show’s you on Linux environment 64 bit machine- how to connect to oracle datasource

1) Install the Oracle Linux client for 64 bit

2) Set the LD_LIBRARY_PATH to the 64 bit client lib folder

3) Copy the tnsnames.ora to Oracle_BI1\network\Admin folder or

Create a logical link instead to the one in the 64-bit client directory.

4) Either use the service name or copy the expanded description of the service name from the tnsnames.ora into the DNS field of the RPD for the connection pool.

Yes, There is a way to solve this problem…..

There is an instance configuration setting  MaxVisibleRows that controls this.

Perform the following steps:

1)Backup following file:
/d01/BI_Middleware/instances/instance1/config/OracleBIPresentationServicesComponent/coreapplication_obips1/instanceconfig.xml

2)Edit instanceconfig.xml, with, for example, the content specified as following:

<Views>
<Pivot>
<!--This Configuration setting is managed by Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Manager-->
<DefaultRowsDisplayedInDelivery>75</DefaultRowsDisplayedInDelivery>
<!--This Configuration setting is managed by Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Manager-->
<DefaultRowsDisplayedInDownload>2500</DefaultRowsDisplayedInDownload>
<!--This Configuration setting is managed by Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Manager-->
<DisableAutoPreview>false</DisableAutoPreview>
<MaxVisibleColumns>300</MaxVisibleColumns>
<MaxVisiblePages>1000</MaxVisiblePages>
<MaxVisibleRows>1000</MaxVisibleRows>
<MaxVisibleSections>25</MaxVisibleSections>
<DefaultRowsDisplayed>30</DefaultRowsDisplayed>
</Pivot>
<Table>
<!--This Configuration setting is managed by Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Manager-->
<DefaultRowsDisplayedInDelivery>75</DefaultRowsDisplayedInDelivery>
<!--This Configuration setting is managed by Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Manager-->
<DefaultRowsDisplayedInDownload>2500</DefaultRowsDisplayedInDownload>
<MaxVisiblePages>1000</MaxVisiblePages>
<MaxVisibleRows>1000</MaxVisibleRows>
<MaxVisibleSections>25</MaxVisibleSections>
<DefaultRowsDisplayed>30</DefaultRowsDisplayed>
</Table>
<Charts>
<MaxVisibleColumns>2000</MaxVisibleColumns>
<MaxVisiblePages>1000</MaxVisiblePages>
<MaxVisibleRows>2000</MaxVisibleRows>
<MaxVisibleSections>25</MaxVisibleSections>
<JavaHostReadLimitInKB>4096</JavaHostReadLimitInKB>
</Charts>
</Views>

3)Save the file and re-start all of the BI Services through Enterprise Manager.

Note: Presently from Enterprise Manager you can only update the configuration settings DefaultRowsDisplayedInDelivery and DefaultRowsDisplayedInDownload for Table and Pivot views, not for chart views. From Enterprise Manager there is no configuration option to set/update following properties: DefaultRowsDisplayed, MaxVisibleColumns,MaxVisiblePages,MaxVisibleRows and MaxVisibleSections.

This blog will show configuration steps needed to set up MapViewer in OBIEE 11g.
In order to show the steps, a sample schema called mvdemo will be created in the database. Data for that schema will be imported into the database.

This blog will details the steps to configure the stand-alone MapViewer instance that is provided within an OBIEE 11g installation.
For that purpose, the demo schema containing spatial data and MapViewer metadata will be installed in the Oracle database where the OBIEE metadata resides.
In this document we provide the location of two demo schemas:
- obiee_navteq: requires that you configured Sample App demo schema prior to implementing it.
- mvdemo: a more simple demo which does not require Sample App demo schemo in advance.

In this document we will use mvdemo demo schema.

Downloading and Importing the MapViewer Database Demo Schema

NOTE: The link below (OBIEE_NAVTEQ Demo) is only informative. It is just another demo including maps. It is not needed to download and import the sample schema in this link in order to configure MapViewer for OBIEE. It is provided in the case that you would be interested in exploring a more comprehensive demo with many Analysis and Dashboards already created.
As stated earlier, to install obiee_navteq demo, Sample App demo schema must already have been deployed and configured. This is the link for obiee_navteq demo:

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/middleware/bi-foundation/obiee-samples-167534.html

the repository used in this example is Sample Sales Demo.

1) Download mvdemo demo schema from the following location:
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/middleware/mapviewer/downloads/index.html

Creating the schema in the database

2) Unzip mvdemo.zip file.

3) Log in to SQL Plus as system user and create the mvdemo database user:
grant connect, resource, create view to mvdemo identified by mvdemo;

4) Import sample spatial data from mvdemo.dmp file into the Oracle database:
imp mvdemo/mvdemo file=mvdemo.dmp full=y ignore=y

5) Log in to SQL Plus as the mvdemo user and populate spatial metadata and insert spatial data into mvdemo schema:

Configuring mapViewerConfig.xml Configuration File

1) Access the MapViewer by going to the following URL:

http://machine.domain:9704/mapviewer

2) Click on the Admin link.

3) Log in to MapViewer using the same administrative user that you use to log in to the WebLogic console and FMW EM console.

4) Click on Configuration. That will open the mapViewerConfig.xml configuration file.

5) Make the following changes:

a) Under <security_config> tag set the following values:

<disable_direct_info_request> true </disable_direct_info_request>
<disable_info_request> true </disable_info_request>
<disable_csf>true</disable_csf>
<enforce_security_role> true </enforce_security_role>

b) Under <security_config> tag set the machine name (replace machine.domain by the proper host name where the MapViewer instance is running. The screen shot also shows machine.domain but you should enter the correct server name):

<proxy_enabled_hosts>

http://machine.domain:9704/mapviewer,http://machine.domain:9704/

</proxy_enabled_hosts>

6) DO NOT click on “Save and Restart” button. That will make the Weblogic console, FMW EM console and Analytics inaccessible and you will need to restart the whole instance.
DO NOT click on “Save” button, yet. We still have to make more changes to the MapViewerConfig.xml file.

Creating the MapViewer Data Source

1) Scroll all the way down in the MapViewerConfig.xml file. You should a sample Data Source (commented out) that:

<map_data_source name=”mvdemo”
jdbc_host=”db1.my_corp.com”
jdbc_sid=”orcl”
jdbc_port=”1521″
jdbc_user=”scott”
jdbc_password=”!tiger”
jdbc_mode=”thin”
number_of_mappers=”3″
allow_jdbc_theme_based_foi=”false”
/>

Use this sample Data Source to create your own Data Source to the database where the spatial data and MapViewer metadata resides. Copy and paste the tag just below the existing one. Make sure that you are not copying the opening comment tag <!–   and closing comment tag –>
It should look similar to this (change machine.domain by the proper host name. Also change, Oracle SID, database port but the proper values):

<map_data_source name=”mvdemo”
jdbc_host=”machine.domain”
jdbc_sid=”obiee11g”
jdbc_port=”1521″
jdbc_user=”mvdemo”
jdbc_password=”!mvdemo”
jdbc_mode=”thin”
number_of_mappers=”3″
allow_jdbc_theme_based_foi=”false”
/>

Please, note the exclamation mark (!) preceding the password. That tells MapViewer that the password should be encrypted next time the MapViewer instance is restarted:

6) DO NOT click on “Save and Restart” button. That will make the Weblogic console, FMW EM console and Analytics inaccessible and you will need to restart the whole instance. Click on “Save” button instead.

Restarting BI Managed Server and BI Components

In order for these changes to take effect please do the following:

Stop:
a) BI Components either using FMW EM Console or opmnctl utility.
b) The BI Managed Server using the WebLogic console.

Start:
a) The BI Managed Server using the WebLogic console.
b) BI Components either using FMW EM Console or opmnctl utility.

Please check the following note if you need assistance starting and stopping a BI instance:

1240964.1 How To Start / Stop An OBIEE 11g (11.1.1.x) Unix / Linux Environment Via Command-line

Verifying the MapViewer Connection

1) Access the MapViewer by going to the following URL:

http://machine.domain:9704/mapviewer

2) Click on the Admin link

3) Log in to MapViewer using the same administrative user that you use to log in to the WebLogic console and FMW EM console.

4) Click on Data Sources. You should see the Data Source that you just created. The blank space that you see in the screen shot between the @ symbol and the obiee11g instance name, should have the machine.domain in your configuration if the changes were successfully committed.

Importing the MapViewer Metadata into OBIEE

1) Log in to Analytics by going to the following URL:
Administration -> Map Data Management -> Manage Map Data -> Layers tab -> click on Import Layers button -> select your Data Source under “Look in” -> from the list of Themes select:
THEME_DEMO_STATES
THEME_DEMO_STATES_LINE
Then click OK.

2) Click on THEME_DEMO_STATES Layer -> click on Edit Layers button -> click on the plus sign (Add New BI Key) -> select “A – Sample Sales” subject area -> expand “Customers” dimension on the left pane -> Cust Regions -> double click on C54 State Code to select it -> click OK.
Click on Sample Data link to verify that the data in OBIEE table (2 letter state code) matches the data on the Oracle Database where the spatial data is (2 letter state code: STATE_ABRV column). Click OK.

3) Click on Background Maps tab -> click on Import Background Maps -> select your Data Source under “Look in” -> from the list of Tile Layers select :
DEMO_MAP

4) Click OK. Click on Edit Background Maps button -> if you want to change the zoom levels at which OBIEE data will be shown do so by clicking on the Zoom levels. Otherwise, click OK. Click OK.

Creating an Analysis in OBIEE with a Map View

1) Create an Analysis: go to New -> Analysis -> select “A – Sample Sales” subject area. Select the following columns:
a) Expand Customers dimension -> Cust Regions -> C54 State Code
b) Expand Based Facts -> select Revenue and Billed Quantity
c) Expand Time dimension -> select T05 Per Name Year

2) Create 2 filters:
a) Year filter: select 2008, 2009 and 2010.
b) C54 State Code filter: select a handful of states.

3) Click on Results tab to show the Data View.

4) Go to New View -> Map. The map should be shown.

How can you add an Export link be displayed above the analysis at the top of the page?

You can add the Export link above the analysis in the dashboard by embedding HTML code in a text object in the dashboard.

If you can’t view the page source to find out the code used in the Export link, then use a tool such as Firebug (an add-on for Firefox).

1. Download and install the “Firebug” add-in for Mozilla Firefox.
2. Using the Mozilla Firefox browser, connect to the Oracle BI Presentation Services.
3. If there is no Export link already on the dashboard page, modify the dashboard to display the default Export link:

• Click on Report Properties
• Click on Report Links
• Click on Specify Customize
• Select / Check-on the Export link

4. Run the dashboard. Right-click on the Export link and choose “Inspect Element” from the menu.
The Firebug window will open and show the HTML code for the Export link. For example:
” <a onclick=”return NQWPopupMenu(event,’idDownloadLinksMenud:dashboard~p:kt2pno6icsoqi2gi~r:ea3h2fsvhvtaanqg’)”
href=”javascript:void(null)” title=”Export to different format” name=”ReportLinkMenu”>Export</a> ”

5. Copy the highlighted code.
6. Add a text object above the analysis in the dashboard.
7. Paste the copied code into the text object and check the “Contains HTML Markup” check box.
8. Save the dashboard

Now the dashboard will display an “additional” Export link above the analysis.

It appears when handling across-dimension OR filters on dimensional properties, e.g. default alias, there is a bug assuming each conjunction of member selection disjuncts are from the same dimension, hence applying the
filter/member reference on the wrong dimension.

simplified case:
SELECT
“Sample”.”MTD”.”Time – Default” s_2,
“Sample”.”Years”.”Years – Default” s_3,
“Sample”.”Sample#1″.”Sample – measure” s_8
FROM “Sample”
WHERE
(((“Years”.”Gen2,Years” = ‘Current Year’) AND (“MTD”.”Time – Default” =
‘Aug’)) OR ((“Years”.”Gen2,Years” = ‘Previous Year’) AND (“MTD”.”Time -
Default” = ‘Sep’)))

after cnf conversion =>
DetailFilter: (Sample.Gen2,Years = ‘Current Year’ or Sample.Gen2,Years =
‘Previous Year’) and (Sample.Gen2,Years = ‘Current Year’ or Sample.Time -
Default = ‘Sep’) and (Sample.Gen2,Years = ‘Previous Year’ or Sample.Time -
Default = ‘Aug’) and (Sample.Time – Default = ‘Aug’ or Sample.Time – Default
= ‘Sep’)

mdx =>
set [_Time0]  as ‘Intersect({Distinct({[Time].[Aug],
[Time].[Sep]})},Intersect({Distinct({[Time].[Previous Year],
[Time].[Aug]})},{Distinct({[Time].[Current Year], [Time].[Sep]})}))’
set [_Years0]  as ‘{Distinct({[Years].[Current Year], [Years].[Previous
Year]})}’

Also Compare this to the mdx generated using level property
SELECT
“Sample”.”MTD”.”Time – Default” s_2,
“Sample”.”Years”.”Years – Default” s_3,
“Sample”.”Sample#1″.”Sample – measure” s_8
FROM “Sample”
WHERE
(((“Years”.”Gen2,Years” = ‘Current Year’) AND (“MTD”.”Gen5,MTD” = ‘Aug’)) OR
((“Years”.”Gen2,Years” = ‘Previous Year’) AND (“MTD”.”Gen5,MTD” = ‘Sep’)))

To resolve this you need to apply the latest available patch on OBIEE 11g (11.1.1.5) environment. Patch # 11717987. After applying this patch MDX creates conditional filter properly.

Till next OBIEE 11g-Essbase Integration Pointer!