Comparing OBIEE Administration Tool Options – 10g vs 11g
Christian Screen | | August 22, 2012

The Oracle BI Repository Options have change in the OBIEE 11g release to reflect some of the new functionality it now provides. Although most of the RPD is the structure is the same when compared to its predecessor there are enough options and configuration points as well as the nicer GUI that set it apart.
In this post I am simply highlighting the differences between the Administration Tool’s “Options…”. When Oracle BI 11g first arrived on the scene I wrote a similar post providing a side-by-side comparison of OBIEE RPD icons between the versions. I’m glad I waited for the 11.1.1.6 release to conduct this “Options…” comparison as we now how the MDS XML tab as you’ll see below.
The Side-By-Side
In the following screenshots the left side represents OBIEE 11g (11.1.1.6) Options while the right-side represents OBIEE 10g (10.1.3.4). Both of the screenshots are taken from the Client Tools Only installation of the Administration Tool.
The first few screenshots are taken with a repository opened in offline mode for the OBIEE 11g client and no RPD open in the OBIEE 10g client.
General
The options tab as seen in the screenshot below has several extra five (5) options in the OBIEE 11g version. However, it contains the same eleven (11) options seen found in legacy OBIEE 10g. Luckily the development team kept the legacy options in the same order and just tacked on the new five.
I have highlighted the “Allow first Connection Pool for Init Blocks” option as I have a quick post on that topic coming up.
[simage=611,400,y,center]
Sort Options
The Sort Options tab contains many additional options in OBIEE 11g when compared to the legacy tool. The order is also interrupted although several of the same types exist. As you can see in the screenshot, several new sort types for specific technologies now exist, for example Oracle OLAP.
As you know all options in this tab are selected by default. By selecting an item you are telling the repository that you want that object to appear in alphabetical order. This is fairly straightforward stuff!
[simage=615,400,y,center]
Cache Manager
The Cache Manager options have increased with a few new options that make sense in delineating Fact Table source, Repository, and Logical Request.
[simage=610,400,y,center]
Multiuser
Boring! Until this goes away for a better option I don’t see much that will change here.
[simage=613,400,y,center]
More
This is the only tab where there has been a reduction of configuration. The OBIEE 11g More tab no longer has the option for the default diagram zoom. Where is it now?
[simage=612,400,y,center]
Because the OBIEE Administration Tool now leverages the graphing layout technology provided by Tom Sawyer Software, at least that is what I was told at Oracle HQ around the 11g launch, the control is much better and can be handled elsewhere.
Source Control
It should go with need for saying that this tab is new to OBIEE 11g. More specifically it is new to OBIEE 11.1.1.6 version. I have an upcoming article on OTN about leveraging the new Source Control functionality which I’ll keep you posted on when its released.
[simage=616,400,y,center]
Repository
The last tab to examine is the Repository tab. From this screenshot I’ve open an RPD on the OBIEE 10g client so that we can see this tab. Remember, the Repository tab is only available in the Options… prompt when you actually have an RPD repository opened in the Administration Tool.
[simage=614,400,y,center]
The only different option between the two versions here is the System Logging Level option. There was no need for this option in OBIEE 10g because this System Logging Level has to do only with the BISystemUser interaction with the RPD. As stated by the documentation, “This option determines the default query logging level for the internal BISystem user. The BISystem user owns the Oracle BI Server system processes and is not exposed in any user interface.” Setting the value to 0 means no logging while setting the log level higher is similar to setting the Query Log Level for an individual user like the Logging Level (LOGLEVEL) Session variable. I wrote a few posts Logging Level Options and setting Logging Level Variable in an Analysis a while back.
Conclusion
Well the above is fairly straightforward stuff. I just took a few minutes to document and annotate for reference. If you have any comments on the subject you know what to do.
reflect some of the new functionality it now provides. ALthough most of
the RPD is the structure is the same when compared to its predecessor
there are enough options and configuration points as well as the nicer GUI
that set it apart.
In this post I am simply highlighting the differences between the
Administration Tool’s “Options…”. When Oracle BI 11g first arrived on
the scene I wrote a similar post providing a side-by-side comparison of
OBIEE RPD icons
(http://www.biconsultinggroup.com/oraclebiblog/2011/7/21/new-oracle-bi-11g
-administration-tool-icons-a-comparison.html) between the versions. I’m
glad I waited for the 11.1.1.6 release to conduct this “Options…”
comparison as we now how the MDS XML tab as you’ll see below.
The Side-By-Side
In the following screenshots the left side represents OBIEE 11g (11.1.1.6)
Options while the right-side represents OBIEE 10g (10.1.3.4). Both of the
screenshots are taken from the Client Tools Only installation of the
Administration Tool.
The first few screenshots are taken with a repository opened in offline
mode for the OBIEE 11g client and no RPD open in the OBIEE 10g client.
General
The options tab as seen in the screenshot below has several extra five (5)
options in the OBIEE 11g version. However, it contains the same eleven
(11) options seen found in legacy OBIEE 10g. Luckily the development team
kept the legacy options in the same order and just tacked on the new five.
I have highlighted the “Allow first Connection Pool for Init Blocks”
option as I have a quick post on that topic coming up.
[simage=611,400,y,center]
Sort Options
The Sort Options tab contains many additional options in OBIEE 11g when
compared to the legacy tool. The order is also interrupted although
several of the same types exist. As you can see in the screenshot, several
new sort types for specific technologies now exist, for example Oracle
OLAP.
As you know all options in this tab are selected by default. By selecting
an item you are telling the repository that you want that object to appear
in alphabetical order. This is fairly straightforward stuff!
[simage=615,400,y,center]
Cache Manager
The Cache Manager options have increased with a few new options that make
sense in deliniating Fact Table source, Repository, and Logical Request.
[simage=610,400,y,center]
Multiuser
Boring! Until this goes away for a better option I don’t see much that
will change here.
[simage=613,400,y,center]
More
This is the only tab where there has been a reduction of configuration.
The OBIEE 11g More tab no longer has the option for the defaul diagram
zoom. Where is it now?
[simage=612,400,y,center]
Because the OBIEE Administration Tool now leverages the graphing layout
technology provided by Tom Sawyer Software
(http://www.tomsawyer.com/home/index.php), at least that is what I was
told at Oracle HQ around the 11g launch, the control is much better and
can be handled elsewhere.
Source Control
It should go with need for saying that this tab is new to OBIEE 11g. More
specifically it is new to OBIEE 11.1.1.6 version. I have an upcoming
article on OTN about leveraging the new Source Control functionality which
I’ll keep you posted on when its released.
[simage=616,400,y,center]
Repository
The last tab to examine is the Repository tab. From this screenshot I’ve
open an RPD on the OBIEE 10g client so that we can see this tab. Remember,
the Repository tab is only available in the Options… prompt when you
actually have an RPD repository opened in the Administration Tool.
[simage=614,400,y,center]
The only different option between the two versions here is the System
Loggin Level option. There was no need for this option in OBIEE 10g
because this System Logging Level has to do only with the BISystemUser
interaction with the RPD. As stated by the documentation, “This option
determines the default query logging level for the internal BISystem user.
The BISystem user owns the Oracle BI Server system processes and is not
exposed in any user interface.” Setting the value to 0 means no logging
while setting the log level higher is similar to setting the Query Log
Level for an individual user like the Logging Level (LOGLEVEL) Session
variable. I wrote a few posts Logging Level Options
(http://www.artofbi.com/index.php/2009/07/obiee-logging-security-restricti
ons-and-levels/) and setting Logging Level Variable in an Analysis
(http://www.artofbi.com/index.php/2011/04/modify-and-set-variables-in-anal
ysis-advanced-tab/) a while back.
Conclusion
Well the above is fairly straightforward stuff. I just took a few minutes
to document and annotate for reference. If you have any comments on the
subject you know what to do.
Subscribe to Our Blog
Never miss a post! Stay up to date with the latest database, application and analytics tips and news. Delivered in a handy bi-weekly update straight to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Popular Posts
Art of BI: BI Publisher (BIP) Quick Guide and Tips
Read our blog post on how to take over production support of BI Publisher reports.
How to Index a Fact Table – A Best Practice
At the base of any good BI project is a solid data warehouse or data mart.
Art of BI: How to Add Comments in Oracle BI (OBIEE)
Ultimately the goal of commentary in OBIEE is to have a system for persisting feedback, creating a call to action, and recognizing the prolific users.