Oracle^® Business Intelligence Disconnected Analytics Administration and Configuration Guide > Synchronizing Applications in Oracle BI Disconnected Analytics > Step 5: Setting Up for Incremental Synchronization >

Using Session Variables or Filters for Incremental Synchronization

This version enhances the way that incremental synchronization occurs. In previous versions, numerous attributes of the <dataset> element in the application configuration file affected incremental synchronization. The use of these attributes is no longer supported.

With this version, a new single attribute of "incremental" and two new session variables (LAST_SYNC_TIME and THIS_SYNC_TIME) control incremental synchronization. You can create a column with a name such as "last_updated_date" and set up incremental synchronization to expose that column to users or not, as described in the following list.

• Expose the "last_updated_date" column in a report in the Presentation layer. In Oracle BI Answers, create a filter that specifies that the "last_updated_date" column is between the values of the LAST_SYNC_TIME and THIS_SYNC_TIME session variables. You add this filter to the sourcing report.
• Do not expose the "last_updated_date" column to users. On the Oracle BI Server, create a "WHERE clause" filter on the fact table for the data that contains the "last_updated_date" column, using the Logical Table Source dialog.

  The following example provides text that you can enter in the "WHERE clause" filter box of the Logical Table Source dialog with the filter setting specified for the "last_updated_date" column.

  server1_user1.User1.dbo.r_fact.last_updated_date BETWEEN VALUEOF(NQ_SESSION."LAST_SYNC_TIME") AND VALUEOF(NQ_SESSION."THIS_SYNC_TIME")

For more information on session variables, see the Oracle Business Intelligence Server Administration Guide.