OBIEE11g using bi-init.cmd

If you did a RTFM you will have noticed that you are required to run the bi-init.cmd before executing a command line utility. Most of the time you won’t notice any difference if you omit this step. Especially if you have installed everything on a “clean” server-instance. If you have a somewhat “dirty” machine it quite handy. But what does it do?

Have a look a the script:

@echo off
set ORACLE_HOME=D:\oracle\OBI11GR1\Oracle_BI1
set ORACLE_INSTANCE=D:\oracle\OBI11GR1\instances\instance3
set ORACLE_BI_APPLICATION=coreapplication
set JAVA_HOME=D:\oracle\OBI11GR1\jrockit_160_17_R28.0.0-679
call %ORACLE_INSTANCE%\bifoundation\OracleBIApplication\%ORACLE_BI_APPLICATION%\setup\user.cmd
if NOT "%1" == "" set COMPONENT_NAME=%1
set PATH=%ORACLE_HOME%\common\ODBC\Merant\5.3\Drivers;%ORACLE_HOME%\bifoundation\server\bin;%ORACLE_HOME%\bifoundation\web\bin;%ORACLE_HOME%\bin;%PATH%
if "%2" == "" start

It starts with setting your ORACLE_HOME, ORACLE_INSTANCE, ORACLE_BI_APPLICATION and JAVA_HOME variables

Next it calls the user.cmd which can set some extra variable like your TNS_ADMIN

@echo off
REM This file is a placeholder for setting environment variables
REM set TNS_ADMIN=

Next it sets the PATH variable which can be overruled by adding a COMPONENT_NAME to the script execution bi-init.cmd “COMPONENT_NAME”

If no second parameter is given it will open a CMD box.

Why if this important? If you are scheduling scripts you can use this script to verify that stuff is executed against the intended enverioment.

OBIEE11g Customisations Directory

Doing look and feel customisations in OBIEE11g is not harder then in then 10g, you just need to pay attention where you put stuff. Since the weblogic server tend to overwrite stuff during startup and or updates it’s good practice to have a special directory for your customisations. Here is how you do it in WIndows XP.

First create a new folder say D:\OBIEE11gCustom

Set the security so that everbody can see it, if neccesary make it shared:

Next step is to add the folder to the instanceconfig.xml file:

[Code]

<URL>

<CustomerResourcePhysicalPath>D:\OBIEE11gCustom</CustomerResourcePhysicalPath>

</URL>

[/Code]

In the next article I will show you how to expose it from the weblogic server.

Till Next Time

OBIEE Rittman Mead Bi Forum 2011 abstract survey

For those of you who want to go the Rittman Mead Bi Forum, the abstract survey is open:

http://www.rittmanmead.com/2011/02/rittman-mead-bi-forum-2011-brighton-atlanta-ga-abstract-voting-now-open/

See you in Brighton

OBIEE11g Client only available

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/middleware/bi-enterprise-edition/downloads/bus-intelligence-11g-165436.html

and yes Andreas beat me ….. ;-)

http://blog.trivadis.com/blogs/andreasnobbmann/archive/2011/02/10/obiee-11g-client-only-installation-package-available-now.aspx

Till Next Time

OBIEE Sort order in RPD

Don’t panic if the column order in your RPD suddenly has changed from:

to

 

First check if someone (you?) has been playing with the sort options:

Tools > Options > Sort Objects

Till Next Time

OBIEE Using a MSSQL stored procedure as datasource adding a variable:

If our stored procedure uses a variable:

[code]

SET ANSI_NULLS ON
GO
SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON
GO
-- =============================================
-- Author:        John Minkjan
-- obiee101.blogspot.com
-- =============================================
ALTER PROCEDURE sp_dim_Accounts   
@UserName varchar(50) = 'me'
AS
BEGIN
    SET NOCOUNT ON;
    SELECT     dim_Account_ID, Account_Code, Account_Name, @UserName as USERNAME
FROM         dim_Accounts
END
GO

[/code]

You can add the variable by using the VALUEOF() procedure:

 

@VARIABLENAME = N’VALUEOF(NQ_SESSION.VARIABLE_NAME)’

Till Next Time