People who all influenced me in Year 2011

Dear All,

I was sitting around and thinking about few people , whom I met during the course of 2011, some of them left a mark and impression, hence thought of mentioning them in words.

Personally it was satisfactory year,

• The project I implemented,won “Fusion Middleware Innovation Awards”
• Implemented 11G with BW-SAP as datasource (odd, on which oracle also wouldn’t bet)

Oracle Fusion Middleware Innovation Award

• Met some of the people whom I had always admired likes of murali subramanian and Balaji Yelamanchili from Oracle, Ming Tsai of infosys to mention few.

Murali Subramanian Larry Ellison Of Oracle, India

During my day at Oracle, Murali was talk of town, he was first one to venture into India and grew Oracle’s IDC (India Development Center) from no where to little over 10,000 people in couple of years. I would attribute most of Oracle’s outsourcing success to Murali. 2 hours I spent with him were one of the most cherished moment of OOW and 2011. A truly amazing and down to earth personality.

Balaji Yelamanchili From Oracle

I had opportunity to meet Balaji during collaborate-11 at florida, on behalf of BIWA board, I had invited him as a featured guest. His candid personality was simply astonishing, in spite of being at the that level his eagerness to learn BI was commendable. His customer focused attitude helped one of our key customer to go live against all odds. I heard him again at OOW-11, his transformation from EMC, Documentum to Oracle BI is simply amazing. In all, Oracle BI is in safe hands.

Ming Tsai From Infosys, Managing Director & Chief Client Officer

I had heard Ming on couple of occasions (OOW-10 and OOW-11), his unique style of presentation had made an impact, even though during OOW-10, kris gopalakrishnan’s presentation was dry, Ming made it interesting, he did justice once again to S.D. Shibulal’s OOW-11 presentation. His stage presence and charisma is some thing adorable. I run into Ming Tsai, during OOW’s Treasure Island party. He was nice and kind enough to spend some time,talk and most importantly he helped setting up camera for nice shot. In short he is well rounded .

Met few more smart people , The Real OBIEE 11G Heros, please read post http://sranka.wordpress.com/2011/06/23/453/

Thanks You All for reading following.

Hoping and wishing you all a happy and prosperous new year. Be safe and enjoy.

Sunil S Ranka

“Superior BI is the antidote to Business Failure”

What a Year it was !!! 2011.. BI .. BI and More BI ..

Dear All,

Keeping on with the tradition of a yearly round-up this is the time of the year, where I take a moment and revisit, what happen in whole year.

Started 2011, on a low note with doing something different, preferably in the newer technology, 11G was the preferred choice, but buggy 11.1.1.3  release had put many customer on hold. But it was April, where I got an opportunity to work on 11G, that to also an unique project where OBIEE needed to be integrated with BW SAP. During the course met few smart and dedicated people.

2011, what a year, personally and professionally very satisfactory, ranging from learning technology, meeting smart people, meeting people who could influence me, winning awards, the list is end less, I wish this year had more than 12 months.

Oracle BI and 2011

This year 2011, specially has been a year of many excitement for an BI professional innovations, announcements, adoptions, budgets, you name it. Every thing was here.

Oracle announced 11G towards the end of 2010, but 2011 was the one where it picked up like a wild fire.

2011 was the year, Oracle competing with hardware vendors, Oracle’s Exadata did fairy well. Having worked on Teradata and some experience on Exadata, Oracle is fairing well on Exadata,  I dont have statistics, but performance wise I always felt Exadata was better than Teradata.. Oracle’s Exalytics seems to be by far answer to in memory analysis, especially target towards Essbase cubes. Over all 11.1.1.5 was a satisfactory release. Oracle delivered on the promise and they were on the dot and target.

In 2012, Oracle’s investment in mobile, seems to be promising and with 11.1.1.6 it will become more prominent, some of the Oracle Mobile demos at OOW were impressive. Oracle has no choice, but they are catching up and they are catching up faster than any one. Only player who I admire for mobility is Microstrategy, but with Oracle owning ERPs at most of the prominent places, OBIEE becomes default choice of the ecosystem.

( Oracle Open World )OOW-11

As usual OOW was great fun this year, thanks to technological innovations, content was not stale, with Exalytics, OBIEE 11.1.1.6, Essbase there was enough to be busy,confused and picky for 4 days.. Larry made it very interesting with pick on SalesForce.com, last year it was IBM and this year it was “marc benioff’s” turn.

It was interesting to listen in to Larry and Marc on “What is Cloud ?” , for a moment we all felt that we all are in the midst of history where two giants are redefining the “CLOUD”, which we all thought is already a mature concept.

As usual Treasure Island party was a blast, “sting” was on the top of the world. Warmth of his singing, made all of us forget the chilliness of San Francisco Bay. It was great crowd, great fun.

Mark Hurd Interviewing with Bloomberg

Oracle Open World Showcase

Treasure Island Party

Sting At Oracle Open World

Personal

Personally it was satisfactory year,

• The project I implemented,won “Fusion Middleware Innovation Awards”
• Implemented 11G with BW-SAP as datasource (odd, on which oracle also wouldn’t bet)

Oracle Fusion Middleware Innovation Award

In all, satisfactory year, looking forward for the new year.

Wishing Every one a Happy and Prosperous New Year, Be Safe!!!!!!

Thanks

Sunil S Ranka

“Superior BI is the antidote to Business Failure”

Default OBIEE 11G Ports

Hi All

Recently came across a situation, in which someone  Due to some security issue someone wanted to bypass OBIEE’s default ports. After looking at multiple places, I could put all information together. I thought it would be a great share.

Even out of the box installation lets you change the configuration, during installation.

Once we selected one installation type from either Enterprise Install or Software only install and click next. Then in the next step it will ask for port configuration. Check Specify Ports using Configuration file and browse Just specify the newly assign port configuration file (staticports.ini , see the format below).

Default Port Numbers :

WEBLOGIC

• Domain Port No = 7001
• Oracle WLS BIEE Managed Server Port No = 9704
• Oracle WLS BIEE Managed Server SSL Port No = 9804

OPMN

• Oracle Process Manager Local Port No = 6100
• Oracle Process Manager Remote Port No = 6200
• Oracle Process Manager Request Port No = 6003

BIFOUNDATION

• Oracle BI Server Port No = 9703
• Oracle BI Server Monitor Port No = 9701
• Oracle BI Presentation Services Port No = 9710
• Oracle BI Scheduler Port No = 9705
• Oracle BI Scheduler Monitor Port No = 9708
• Oracle BI Scheduler Script RPC Port No = 9707
• Oracle BI ClusterController Port No = 9706
• Oracle BI ClusterController Monitor Port No = 9700
• Oracle BI JavaHost Port No = 9810

Format of staticports.ini File

[WEBLOGIC]

#The Domain port no. This is the listen port of Weblogic Adminserver for the domain.
Domain Port No = 7001

#The "content" port for the BIEE apps. This is the Weblogic Managed Server port on which BIEE applications are deployed.
Oracle WLS BIEE Managed Server Port No = 9704

#The SSL port for the Weblogic Managed Server
Oracle WLS BIEE Managed Server SSL Port No = 9804

[OPMN]

#Process Manager Local port no
Oracle Process Manager Local Port No = 6700

#Process Manager Remote port no
Oracle Process Manager Remote Port No = 6701

#Process Manager Request port no
Oracle Process Manager Request Port No = 6702

[BIFOUNDATION]

#The listen port for OracleBIServer component
Oracle BI Server Port No = 9703

#The monitor port for OracleBIServer component
Oracle BI Server Monitor Port No = 9701

#The listen port for OracleBIPresentationServices component
Oracle BI Presentation Services Port No = 9710

#The listen port for OracleBIScheduler component
Oracle BI Scheduler Port No = 9705

#The monitor port for OracleBIScheduler component
Oracle BI Scheduler Monitor Port No = 9708

#The script RPC port for OracleBIScheduler component
Oracle BI Scheduler Script RPC Port No = 9707

#The listen port for OracleBIClusterController component
Oracle BI ClusterController Port No = 9706

#The monitor port for OracleBIClusterController component
Oracle BI ClusterController Monitor Port No = 9700

#The listen port for OracleBIJavaHost component
Oracle BI JavaHost Port No = 9810

Hope This helps.

Sunil S Ranka

“Superior BI is the antidote to Business Failure”

Analytics Cache Purge ODBC Extension Functions

Siebel Analytics version 7.7 provided three ODBC extension functions for purging query cache entries: one to purge by query, one to purge by physical table, and one to purge all cache entries in the entire query cache. The subsections below describe each of the three functions.

Even though its not document as part of 11g, but we have implemented at one of the client and it worked as is (Please use at your own risk)

Purge by query

The table below formally defines the ODBC extension function for purging a cache entry associated with a specified query:

Usage: Call SAPurgeCacheByQuery (?)

Input Arguments:

Argument Number	Column Name	Data Type	Data Size	Nullable
1	SQL Query	SQL_C_CHAR	64 KB	No

Output result set: None

SAPurgeCacheByQuery will purge a cache entry that exactly matches the logical query plan derived from a specified query. This function takes one, and only one, parameter representing query text.

For example, suppose you have a query cache entry generated from the following query that retrieves the names of all employees earning more than $100,000:

select lastname, firstname from employee where salary > 100000;

The call below programmatically purges the cache entry associated with this query:

Call SAPurgeCacheByQuery('select lastname, firstname from employee where salary > 100000' );

Purge by table

The table below formally defines the ODBC extension function for purging a cache entry associated with a physical table:

Usage: Call SAPurgeCacheByTable(?,?,?,?)

Input Arguments:

Argument Number	Column Name	Data Type	Data Size	Nullable
1	Database Name	SQL_C_CHAR	128 KB	Yes
2	Catalog Name	SQL_C_CHAR	128 KB	Yes
3	Schema Name	SQL_C_CHAR	128 KB	Yes
4	Table Name	SQL_C_CHAR	128 KB	Yes

Output result set: None

SAPurgeCacheByTable will purge all cache entries associated with a specified physical table name (fully qualified) for the repository to which the client has connected. This function takes up to four parameters representing the four components of a fully qualified physical table name:  database, catalog, schema and table name proper.

For example, suppose that you wish to purge the cache entries associated with a table having the following fully qualified name in the physical layer of the Siebel Analytics repository:

DBName.CatName.SchName.TabName

The call below programmatically purges the cache entries associated with this physical table:

Call SAPurgeCacheByTable( 'DBName', 'CatName', 'SchName', 'TabName' );

Purge All

The table below formally defines the ODBC extension function for purging all entries in the entire query cache:

Usage: Call SAPurgeAllCache()

Input Arguments: None

Output result set: None

The call below illustrates the function’s usage:

Call SAPurgeAllCache();

Invoking ODBC Extension Functions

You can call these functions using the nqcmd.exe command-line executable.
The syntax of the call will be as follows:

nqcmd -d "Analytics Web" -uadministrator -psadmin -spurge.txt

where purge.txt contains the call (for example, call SAPurgeAllCache()).

Below is sample file I wrote, which will take all the txt files and run against the weblogic server. Doing this you can seed multiple file using one batch file.

@echo off
setLocal EnableDelayedExpansion
cd %1
FOR /F "TOKENS=1* DELIMS= " %%A IN ('DATE/T') DO SET CDATE=%%B
FOR /F "TOKENS=1,2 eol=/ DELIMS=/ " %%A IN ('DATE/T') DO SET mm=%%B
FOR /F "TOKENS=1,2 DELIMS=/ eol=/" %%A IN ('echo %CDATE%') DO SET dd=%%B
FOR /F "TOKENS=2,3 DELIMS=/ " %%A IN ('echo %CDATE%') DO SET yyyy=%%B
SET date1=%mm%%dd%%yyyy%_%time:~0,2%%time:~3,2%%time:~6,2%%
SET date2=%mm%%dd%%yyyy%_%time:~1,2%%time:~3,2%%time:~6,2%%
Set TDate=%time:~0,2%%time:~3,2%%time:~6,2%%
SET date3=%mm%%dd%%yyyy%

for /f "tokens=* delims= " %%a in ('dir/b *.txt') do (
set str=%%a
"D:\OBIEE11g\Oracle_BI1\bifoundation\server\bin\nqcmd.exe" -d coreapplication_OHXXX -u <username> -p <passwd> -s !str! -o !str!.out.!date3!

)

Hope This helps.

Sunil S Ranka

“Superior BI is the antidote to Business Failure”

(Part of the text has been taken from Oracle Tech Note)

Filters On Non Key Columns are NOT added to MDX Query for SAP BW

Hi All,

During BW-SAP integration , In the reports when we apply filters on the non ‘key’ columns in the reports they were not passed as filters onto the database through the MDX query but instead they are processed by the OBIEE server. This was causing a severe performance issue for all the reports.

Eg: in the report, filter is set to MATDIM=”BISERVER”, when you look at the logical sql you will “Dim – Material”.”Material Name” = “BI SERVER”, but the MDX doesn’t contain the filter condition. Since MDX doesn’t contain the filter, with logical SQL having filter, all the processing was done in the BI Server, causing severe performance issues.

Reason for Behavior:

The SAP BW allows filtering by unique name (used by OBIEE for filtering against level columns) and by key columns only. Filtering by other columns (corresponding to display attributes of characteristics in SAP) is handled internally. This is expected behavior.

There are couple of ways we could solve the issue ::

Option 1 :

A workaround here is to create reports with nested queries, such as:

SELECT DIM1_COL1, DIM2_COL2, DIM3_COL3, <measures>
where CUBE_NAME in (select <DIM COLUMN> where <DIM COL>='xyz')

Option 2 :

Create BEX query with defining required attribute on which you need to pass the value back to MDX as “Navigational  Attribute” , by doing this, every attribute will be represented as dimension in the cube. Upon defining as “Navigational  Attribute“, you will see filter getting passed.

Hope This helps.

Sunil S Ranka

“Superior BI is the antidote to Business Failure”

OBIEE 11g : File is too large, error while uploading RPD more than 40MB

Hi All

Recently ran into an very interesting problem, where using EM when we trying uploading RPD of 40MB size, we repeatedly failed with UI Error message:”Warning: The file upload failed. The file could not be uploaded because it is too large..” .  Sai Kodthivada, from team, did some reasearch and found that there is harcoding of 40MB in File location:

D:\OBIEE11g\user_projects\domains\bifoundation_domain\servers\AdminServer\tmp\_WL_user\em\jmb4hf\war\WEB-INF\web.xml

<!-- Maximum memory per request (in bytes) -->
<context-param>
   <param-name>org.apache.myfaces.trinidad.UPLOAD_MAX_MEMORY</param-name>
<param-value>1024000</param-value>
</context-param>

<!-- Maximum disk space per request (in bytes) -->
<context-param>
<param-name>org.apache.myfaces.trinidad.UPLOAD_MAX_DISK_SPACE</param-name>
<param-value>50960000</param-value>
</context-param>

We tried modifying the file, but we were not successful, after filing an SR with oracle, support came with an alternative.
An alternative to using EM to upload an RPD may be found in Doc ID: “How To Deploy An OBIEE 11g RPD Using An MBean Via Enterprise Manager And A WLST Script (Doc ID 1319333.1)”.

Hope This helps.

Sunil S Ranka

“Superior BI is the antidote to Business Failure”

Hope This helps.

Sunil S Ranka

“Superior BI is the antidote to Business Failure”

OBIEE 11g logon process: overview

When a user logs in via the analytics web app UI, the request containing the user credentials will be sent to the BI Presentation Server which in turn passes the request on to the BI Server. The BI Server is authoritative for user authentication. In the first instance the BI Server will attempt to authenticate the user credentials via a web service call to the BI Security Web Service, which is deployed in the WebLogic Managed Server and is protected by a WS-Security policy which requires the BI Server to itself authenticate itself to Oracle Web Services Manager before the call can be received by the BI Security Service. The BI Server uses credentials stored in the Credential Store (CSF) under the oracle.bi.system map and uses those to authenticate itself to the BI Security Service when attempting to authenticate the credentials specified by the user. If there is a problem with the BI System User credentials, or the Oracle Web Services Manager, then the call from the BI Server to the BI Security Service will fail and hence so will the overall logon process.

Hope This helps.

Sunil S Ranka

“Superior BI is the antidote to Business Failure”

Text and understanding was picked from — Oracle BI Enterprise Edition 11g – Troubleshooting — white paper released by Oracle.

Missing You Mr Steve Jobs in our thoughts,mind and most importantly in our hearts

Dear Mr, Steve Job,

i still remember the day when I played YouTube video of Standford commencement, Never met you on in person, but that video left an impression for me. I stay 2 miles away from Apple HQ. At times prayed that I will run into you whenever I passed by starbuck coffee, there were days, when I waited outside the apple HQ. But seems like luck wan never in favor of meeting the living legend. Now I understand your famous quote of ” Time is limited”, I wish I would have written this to you before hand than now. I know the technology hasnt advanced enough where you will be getting this message. But still, this time I wanted to make sure I write couple of lines to you. Your innovation not only made the difference in world but made world more livable.

Along with your technology innovation, your fight with cancer was another example of bravery. You will be always in or thoughts,mind and most importantly in our hearts. May your soul rest in peace

परमात्मा आपकी आत्मा को शांति दे .

RIP

Sunil S Ranka

“Superior BI is the antidote to Business Failure”

“Superior BI is the antidote to Business Failure”

Sample OBIEE 11g Usage Tracking Repository

Hi All

Some of you must have ran into the issue where OBIEE 11g Usage Tracking RPD Fails To Open In Administrator With [nQSError: 36015]. After working with oracle they helped us with sample usge tracking repository . Thanks to Steve Fitzgerald from Oracle , in anticipation of customers needing the file, he attached the RPDs to the following doc.

The Sample OBIEE 11g Usage Tracking RPD Fails To Open In Administrator With [nQSError: 36015] (Doc ID 1336567.1)

Hope this helps

Sunil S Ranka
“Superior BI is the antidote to Business Failure”

Invitation for presenting Techcast for BIWA (Business Intelligence Warehouse and Analytics SIG)

Hi There
This is Sunil S Ranka, one of the board of Director for BIWA (Business Intelligence Warehouse and Analytics SIG ) , this is affiliated with IOUG (Independent Oracle User Group). As part of education program, BIWA does techcast along with IOUG. We invite distinguish/knowledgeable speakers in their respective areas for our webcast. You all bring a great value to the OBIEE/EPM community. Hence I would request you and your team to present couple of session as part of our webcast.

We do year around 2nd and 4th Wednesday webcast.

Please kindly let me know your thoughts.

About BIWA (Oracle Business Intelligence, Warehousing and Analytics)

The Oracle Business Intelligence, Warehousing and Analytics Special Interest Group (BIWA SIG) is the leading worldwide association of persons interested in the successful deployment of Oracle Database-centric business intelligence, data warehousing, and analytical products, features and Options.  For our full Mission Statement, please see below.

BIWA now has almost 2000 members worldwide.  BIWA is a not-for-profit entity affiliated with the Independent Oracle Users Group (IOUG).

Website : http://oraclebiwa.org/

In case of any question I can be reached at 408 242 8232 or contact at sunil_ranka@yahoo.com. Put “BIWA Techcast” in subject line.

Looking forward to hear from you.

Sunil S Ranka
“Superior BI is the antidote to Business Failure”

PS : At BIWA, we do understand that community help doesnt come that easy, hence As a token of appreciation, we would honor our presentor with gift card from Amazon.