Wednesday, December 17, 2008

OBIEE Automating the Metadata dictionary repository updates

In a previous article: (http://obiee101.blogspot.com/2008/12/obiee-metadata-dictionary.html) I showed you how to setup the OBIEE Metadata dictionary. In practice people tend to forget to update this dictionary when the repository is brought to production and it tens to get outdated over a period of time.

This can be easily solved by automating the creation of the metadata dictionary.

step 1: Create a command file

Create a small command file called: nQMetaDataExport.txt (or which ever name you like)

Add the following text:

Open samplesales.rpd Administrator AdministratorPassword

Hide

GenerateMetadataDictionary {\MetadataDictionaryFolder}

Close

Exit

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step 2: Create a scheduler command

Kick of:

{OracleBI}\server\Bin>admintool /command {YournQCommandDirectory}:/nQMetaDataExport.txt

every day/week/month

WOW: The command line switch of the admintool is not supported by Oracle.

Till Next Time

9 comments:

Jeremy said...

Great idea John, thanks for the post. For step 2 in setting it up to be scheduled, are you talking about having the OBIEE Scheduler do this task or any other scheduling engine?

John Minkjan said...

@Jeremy,

Any scheduler which can kick of a command line file will do.

Stefan said...

I have been looking for an overview of the commands you can use in the file, you know where I can find this?

Example for envirnment specific variables you can execute the following aswell:

Open samplesales.rpd Administrator Administrator
SetProperty "variable" "Var1" Initializer "’var1’"

Save
Close
Exit

John Minkjan said...

@Stefan,

Command line statements are supported by oracle and thus not documented. Maybe your local Oracle rep can get you a list.

regards

John

Unknown said...

John
We are running OBIEE on Linux. Is it possible to generate Metadata Dictionary on Linux ? If so, a sample of how can write a similar script for Linux will be extremely helpful.
Thank you

Anonymous said...

John
I see that the MessageBox confirmation comes almost after 45 min saying that the dictionary generation was successful. But the command in command window returns to command prompt before successful metadata generation. Is it possible that it does not return to the command prompt unless the metadata generation was successful.

kris

John Minkjan said...

@Meenakshi

No idea, my linux experience is close to zero.

regards

John Minkjan said...

@Kris,

No Idea, I always kick off from a windows scheduler.

Regards

Skar said...

John,

Fyi, OBIEE doesnt provide the admintool command line utility for Unix install (or as far as our application install is concerned).

Cheers