Large PDF Export Issues in OBIEE 11.1.1.7.x

During my latest frenzy of patches to fix issues in OBIEE 11.1.1.7.x I found that in the README files with the patches it states to edit the config.xml file, which is located under directory
$INSTANCE_HOME\config\OracleBIJavaHostComponent\coreapplication_obijh1 to the following:

<XMLP>
 <InputStreamLimitInKB>0</InputStreamLimitInKB>
 <ReadRequestBeforeProcessing>false</ReadRequestBeforeProcessing>
</XMLP>

Now comes my experience part, if you have large PDF exports that your are running out of OBIEE make sure you use the following settings in that same above config file:

<XMLP>
 <InputStreamLimitInKB>0</InputStreamLimitInKB>
 <ReadRequestBeforeProcessing>true</ReadRequestBeforeProcessing>
</XMLP>

If you don't you will get errors on the PDF exports and will be looking at the patch as the culprit.

Issues with Outer Joins not working in OBI 11.1.1.7.1

Recently had been posed with a issue from an RPD developer where Outer Joins had been replace with Inner Joins when using two Unconformed Dimensions. So off to Oracle Support site to find any Bug/Doc on such; no luck so I open a SR and Oracle responded with the following doc: Setting Fact to Total Level Of Hierarchy No Longer Forces Outer Join (Doc ID 1601703.1). I have tested the fix in this doc and it does fix the issue we were experiencing. There is two approaches int he doc one for RPD level (environment wide) and one for reports only.

It involves setting a session variable FOJ_GRAND_TOTAL_LBM=1.  

Disabling interactions in OBI 11g Table Views

Recently had a issue with client wanting to globally disable certain interactions that user can use within OBI 11g globally not on a per report basis, found that by editing the instanceconfig.xml and add the following you can toggle those interaction globally. Below is the settings you would need to add to instanceconfig.xml make sure you add them between the correct tags. Make backup of instanceconfig.xml first then restart OBIEE services after you have made the necessary changes.

<ServerInstance>
<Analysis>
<InteractionProperties>
<InteractionPropertyAddRemoveValues>false</InteractionPropertyAddRemoveValues>
<InteractionPropertyCalcItemOperations>false</InteractionPropertyCalcItemOperations>
<InteractionPropertyDrill>false</InteractionPropertyDrill>
<InteractionPropertyGroupOperations>false</InteractionPropertyGroupOperations>
<InteractionPropertyInclExclColumns>false</InteractionPropertyInclExclColumns>
<InteractionPropertyMoveColumns>false</InteractionPropertyMoveColumns>
<InteractionPropertyRunningSum>false</InteractionPropertyRunningSum>
<InteractionPropertyShowHideSubTotal>false</InteractionPropertyShowHideSubTotal>
<InteractionPropertySortColumns>false</InteractionPropertySortColumns>
</InteractionProperties>
</Analysis>
</ServerInstance>

Setting up OBI 11g AdminServer and bi_server1 as Windows services

Recently worked to setup the AdminServer and the bi_server as Windows services and hit a few snags working through a SR with Oracle was shared this very helpful post by Ahmed Awan from Oracle.Very helpful though would be worth posting.


https://blogs.oracle.com/pa/entry/obiee_11_1_1_how3

OBI 11g Freeze Column Header Feature not supported on IE7/8

I recently ran into a issue with a user complaining that when they look at a report on a Dashboard page that the "freeze" column headers wasn't working.....weird since I logged in the same test account and I see then and the functionality. After some investigation the user was using IE8. Ok so of too the land of Oracle Support to find out the answer. Put in SR; after looking around and this is the response from Oracle Support. Good to know when accessing the client's environment during discovery phase.

"In IE 7 and IE 8 the Freeze Header is intentionally disabled. If you click the help button on the table properties dialogue you will see the help page contains the following:
...
Note:
Tables and pivot tables that use the scrolling method to browse data do not render properly in Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser version 7 or 8. As a result, when Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser version 7 or 8 is detected, the table or pivot table will be rendered using paging controls instead...."

OBIEE 11.1.1.6.x + "Excelish" Freeze Column Headers

Recently had a client as for the freeze column heading feature in OBIEE 11g turned on. They stated "You know like Excel". So off on another stroll through the documentation and found the following:

1. Stop the Presentation Services. 

2. Open instanceconfig.xml at <MiddlewareHome>\instances\<YourOBIInstance>\config\OracleBIPresentationServicesComponent\coreapplication_obips1

3. Locate closing tag for </Views>; which should be at the end of the file. 

4. Add below entry before </Views> and save: 
<GridViews>
<DefaultScrollingEnabled>true</DefaultScrollingEnabled>
<DefaultRowFetchSlicesCount>500</DefaultRowFetchSlicesCount>
<DefaultColumnFetchSlicesCount>300</DefaultColumnFetchSlicesCount>
<DefaultFreezeHeadersClientRowBlockSize>60</DefaultFreezeHeadersClientRowBlockSize>
<DefaultFreezeHeadersClientColumnBlockSize>15</DefaultFreezeHeadersClientColumnBlockSize>
</GridViews> 


5. Save the file and start the Presentation Services back up 

Porting GoURL parameters from 10g to 11g

During a recent port from an existing 10g environment to an 11g environment ran into a  issue where the Go URL was being used to link to OBI from another application but there were more parameters that were defined in the Go URL for security. So the config in 10g was the following in the instanceconfig.xml file:

<Auth>
<UserIdPassword enabled="true">
<ParamList>
<Param name="NQ_SESSION.securityVariable"
source="url"
nameInSource="securityVariable"/>
</ParamList>
</UserIdPassword>
</Auth>


Alright so I look to see if 11g has the same instanceconfig.xml tags...nope. Adding these into 11g config caused the Presentation Service not to start....so after some research I found that those Parameters have to be placed in a totally different file details of my finding below:

a.) Went to authenticationschemas.xml file located in
C:<MW_HOME>\Oracle_BI1\bifoundation\web\display

b.) Made copy of authenticationschemas.xml file

c.) Look for line <!-- Group for HTTP POST login -->

d.) Found the <AuthenticationSchemaGroup> right under the above.

e.) You would be 3 xml lines as below.
<RequestVariable source="url" type="auth" nameInSource="NQUser" biVariableName="UID" options="trim" /><RequestVariable source="url" type="auth" nameInSource="NQPassword" biVariableName="PWD" options="secure"/><RequestVariable source="url" type="proxyUserAuth" nameInSource="RUNAS" biVariableName="NQ_SESSION.RUNAS" />

f.) Added the new line below with the existing configs : Saved the file
<RequestVariable source="url" type="auth" nameInSource="securityVariable" biVariableName="NQ_SESSION.securityVariable"/>

g.) Restarted all the OBI Services and the world is right again.