OBIEE11g HTTPS / SSL setup

First of all Oracle recommends you use a “real” http server when doing a big enterprise install. But if you want / need to use the weblogic server as a http server here is how you set it up as a SSL web server.

In the weblogic administration console open the configuration page of your bi_server:

Press lock and edit:

 

Open the Configuration > General tab.

Check the SSL Listen Port Enabled and change the port number to 443

(*1: 443 is the default SSL port and is automatically recognised by most browsers)

(*2: 80 is the default non SSL port is automatically recognised by most browsers)

Press save:

Goto the Notes tab:

Press save.

Press Activated Changes:

Don’t be fooled, you still have to reboot later

If you you the standard Start and Stop buttons:

you need to edit the StartStopServices.cmd file, usally found in : <<BI_HOME>>\instances\instance1\bifoundation\OracleBIApplication\coreapplication

set the wls.mgd.port to the non SSL port number (Usually 80), set the the BI_URL to: set BI_URL=https://%wls.host%/analytics

Reboot the system

you might get an SSL warning, the first time you try to log in:

>> For the WLST scripters amongst you:

startEdit()

cd('/Servers/bi_server1/SSL/bi_server1')
cmo.setEnabled(true)
cmo.setListenPort(443)

activate()

startEdit()

cd('/Servers/bi_server1')
cmo.setListenPort(80)

activate()

startEdit()

cd('/Servers/bi_server1')
cmo.setNotes('20110801;JJM;Changed default web port from 9704 to 80, enabled SSL on port 443.')

activate()

Till Next Time

OBIEE Presentation server on IIS

Instead of using OC4J or the Oracle Application Server the OBIEE presentation server can also run on Microsoft's Internet Information Services (IIS). If your not running IIS and the OBIEE Presentation server on the same box, or didn't install IIS before the you installed OBIEE, here is a way to configure it:

Open the IIS Manager

Create a Web Site configuration on the IIS:

Click next

Enter a name for your web site configuration. Click next.

Leave to default values. Click next.

Enter the web site home directory, usually ..\Inetpub\wwwroot. Click next.

Leave to default. Click Next.

Click Finish.

Add the virtual directory's:

analytics => ..\OracleBI\web\app

Leave to default. Click next.

Click Finish

analytics => ..\OracleBIData\web\res

Leave to default. Click next.

Click Finish

Setting permissions "analytics"

Set execute permissions to "Scripts and Executables".

Check the Web Service Extension permissions for the saw.dll

Till Next Time

Edit: Jeff gives some info on using this on a 64 bit pltafrom:

http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/achieving-great-bi/obiee-on-vista-64bit-with-iis-70-29882

OBIEE running it as a HTTPS / SSL service

We where recently asked how to run OBIEE as a HTTPS / SSL service. The customer wanted this because of in house security policy. Here is how we did it:

Step 1: Navigate to your OC4J config directory, ussally found in ..:\OracleBI\oc4j_bi\j2ee\home\config. Add a new directory called: "backup_orignal". Copy the whole content of the config directory to the new directory. (better save then sorry......)

Step 2: Creating the SSLFILE (site certificate).
Open a command box and navigate to your OC4J config directory, ussally found at: ..:\OracleBI\oc4j_bi\j2ee\home\config. Enter

keytool -genkey -keyalg "RSA" -keystore sslfile -storepass MySecretPassword -validity 365

Next you will get a couple of questions on your name and organisation, the values entered here are used for "encrypting" the key.


On the last question just give RETURN, else if you do not enter the same password as the storepassword, you may get “”Cannot recover key” errors when deploying your website.

Step 3: Creating a new website config file
From the config directory copy and paste the file "default-web-site.xml" rename the copy to "secure-web-site.xml". Open the new file in a editor. In the {web-site} change the port number to "443" (or an other you like) add the sub tag: secure="true". Add the SSL-config tag: {ssl-config keystore="sslfile" keystore-password="MySecretPassword"/}

Step 4: Edit SERVER.XML
Open the file "SERVER.XML" in a editor and add reference to "secure-web-site.xml". Between the application-server tags add: {web-site path="./secure-web-site.xml" /}. Your file should look something like this:

save the file!

Step 5: an extra backup!
Add a new directory called: "backup_change_YYYYMMDDNNN" (fi:backup_change_20080723001. Copy the whole content of the config directory to the new directory. (Why?, if you not carefull during an upgrade you loose all your OC4J settings......)

Step 6: Restart OC4J
Stop and start your OC4J.
You can now run your OBIEE website from the default HTTPS adress.
Remember: All your users still have to import the certificate!

Of course you also have to alter the port number in the OBIEE config files:
...\OracleBI\oc4j_bi\j2ee\home\applications\bioffice\bioffice\WEB-INF\bioffice.xml
...\OracleBI\xmlp\XMLP\Admin\Configuration\xmlp-server-config.xml
...\OracleBIData\web\config\instanceconfig.xml

Till Next Time

This article is also published on: http://knowledge.ciber.nl/weblog/

OBIEE running it on an other web port

On a default installation OBIEE runs on web port 9704. This means that the user will have the put the portnumber in the webadress. (http://myhostname:9704/analytics/saw.dll?Dashboard). If you want to run the websdervice on different portnumber or even better from the default port 80, this is what you have to do.

Step 1: Navigate to your OC4J config directory, ussally found in ..:\OracleBI\oc4j_bi\j2ee\home\config

Step 2: Add a new directory called: "backup_orignal". Copy the whole content of the config directory to the new directory. (better save then sorry......)

Step 3: Open the file named default-web-site.xml in a (XML) editor.

Step 4: between the {web-site} find the port= tag, change it to port = "80". Save the file.

Step 5: Add a new directory called: "backup_change_YYYYMMDDNNN" (fi:backup_change_20080723001. Copy the whole content of the config directory to the new directory. (Why?, if you not carefull during an upgrade you loose all your OC4J settings......)

Step 6: Stop and start your OC4J.

You can now run your OBIEE website from the new portnumber.

Of course you also have to alter the port number in the OBIEE config files:

...\OracleBI\oc4j_bi\j2ee\home\applications\bioffice\bioffice\WEB-INF\bioffice.xml

...\OracleBI\xmlp\XMLP\Admin\Configuration\xmlp-server-config.xml

...\OracleBIData\web\config\instanceconfig.xml

Till Next Time

This article is also published on: http://knowledge.ciber.nl/weblog/