6
Managing connections to Discoverer

Managing connections to Discoverer

This chapter explains how Discoverer end users connect to Discoverer using connections. It contains the following topics:

• "What are Discoverer connections?"

• "About types of connection"

• "About the Discoverer connections page"

• "How to create public connections"

• "How to enable Discoverer users to create user defined connections"

What are Discoverer connections?

Discoverer connections are login details used by Discoverer end users to connect to Discoverer, and comprise the following:

• a user name - to identify the user

• a password - to authenticate the user

• a database name - to specify the database containing the information that the user wants to analyze

• (optional) an Oracle Applications Responsibility - to specify a user's responsibility when using Discoverer with Oracle Applications

• an EUL - to identify the End User Layer to be used

• a language - to specify a language for Discoverer

About types of connection

There are two types of connection:

• user defined connections - see "About user-defined connections"

• public connections - see "About public connections"

About user-defined connections

User-defined connections are created by Discoverer users when they connect to Discoverer using a specific connection (i.e. a user name, password, and database name) provided by the Discoverer manager. User-defined connections have the following characteristics:

• a user-defined connection is private to the Discoverer user that created it

• Discoverer users create and maintain their own user-defined connections

  For more information about enabling Discoverer end users to create connections, see "How to enable Discoverer users to create user defined connections"

About public connections

Public connections enable you to provide groups of Discoverer Plus and Viewer users with pre-defined connections that allow them to access Discoverer workbooks. For more information about creating public connections, see "How to create public connections".

For example, you might create a public connection called Analyze Sales that connects users to a database called Sales_DB as the user Sales Analyzer. All users connecting to Sales_DB as Sales Analyzer will have access to sales workbooks.

If you want to provide the Discoverer Plus tutorial to Discoverer users, you might create a public connection called 'Start tutorial', which connects to the tutorial database as a tutorial user.

Only the Discoverer manager can maintain public connections. Discoverer Plus and Viewer users cannot add, edit, or delete public connections.

About the Discoverer connections page

The Discoverer Connections page is used to connect to Discoverer Viewer and Discoverer Plus using single sign-on (SSO).

The figure below shows the Discoverer connections page. In this example, there are four connections available in the Connection list (called QA Tests, Bug Database, Demo Workbooks, and Developer Tests). To start Discoverer using the "QA Tests" connection, the Discoverer end-user clicks QA Tests.

Figure 6-1 Discoverer Connections page

Text description of the illustration cm_conns.gif

Key to figure:

1. Click an existing connection to start Discoverer using the login details stored in the connection.

2. Click here to create a new connection, where you store login information.

3. Click here to edit a connection, where you change login information.

   Note: Notice that in this case the Edit option is greyed out because the connection is a public connection created by the Discoverer manager.

4. Click here to delete a connection, where you delete login information.

5. (optional) Click here to display more details about the connection (Netscape Navigator only).

Notes

For more information about using connections, see the Oracle9iAS Discoverer Plus User's Guide.

How to create public connections

You create a public connection when you want to provide a pre-defined login to Discoverer Plus and Discoverer Viewer users. For example, you might create a public connection called 'Start tutorial', which connects to the tutorial database as a tutorial user. You use Oracle Enterprise Manager to create public connections. For more information about Oracle Enterprise Manager, see the Oracle9i Application Server Administrator's Guide.

To create a public connection:

1. Start Oracle Enterprise Manager.

   Figure 6-2 Oracle Enterprise Manager

   
   
   Text description of the illustration oem1.gif
   2. Click the name of the Discoverer component in the Name column to display the Oracle9iAS Discoverer Services Configuration page.

      For example, if the Discoverer component is called 'My Discoverer', click 'My Discoverer' to display the Oracle9iAS Discoverer Services Configuration page.

      Figure 6-3 Oracle9iAS Discoverer Services Configuration page

      
      
      Text description of the illustration oem2.gif
      3. Click the Update icon in the General Discoverer row to display the General Discoverer Configuration page.

         Figure 6-4 General Discoverer Configuration page

         
         
         Text description of the illustration oem3.gif
      4. Click Create Connection to display the Create Discoverer Public Connection page.

         Figure 6-5 Create Discoverer Public Connection page

         
         
         Text description of the illustration oem4.gif
      5. Enter the connection details, then click Apply to save the details.

         The new connection that you created is displayed in the Discoverer Public Connections list on the General Discoverer Configuration page.

         When Discoverer end users connect to Discoverer Plus or Discoverer Viewer, they will be able to select the connection that you have just created (for more information, see example below).

         Figure 6-6 Connections dialog in Oracle9iAS Discoverer Plus

         
         
         Text description of the illustration cm_1.gif

         In the example above, the three connections (Start tutorial, Analyze network performance, and Daily reports) are public connections that are available to all Discoverer users. Notice that the Update and Delete icons are grayed out, indicating that Discoverer end users cannot change or delete them.

         How to enable Discoverer users to create user defined connections

         You enable Discoverer Plus and Discoverer Viewer users to create user-defined connections when you want users to manage their own Discoverer connections. You use Oracle Enterprise Manager to enable users to create user-defined connections. For more information about Oracle Enterprise Manager, see the Oracle9i Application Server Administrator's Guide.

         To enable Discoverer Plus and Discoverer Viewer users to create user-defined connections:

         1. Start Oracle Enterprise Manager.

            Figure 6-7 Oracle Enterprise Manager

            
            
            Text description of the illustration oem1.gif
         2. Click the name of the Discoverer component in the Name column to display the Oracle9iAS Discoverer Services Configuration page.

            For example, if the Discoverer component is called 'My Discoverer', click 'My Discoverer' to display the Oracle9iAS Discoverer Services Configuration page.

            Figure 6-8 Oracle9iAS Discoverer Services Configuration page

            
            
            Text description of the illustration oem2.gif
            3. Click the Update icon in the General Discoverer row to display the General Discoverer Configuration page.

               Figure 6-9 General Discoverer Configuration page

               
               
               Text description of the illustration oem3.gif
            4. Select the Allow users to define their own connections check box.

            5. Click Apply to save the details and close the General Discoverer Configuration page.

               When Discoverer end users connect to Discoverer Plus or Discoverer Viewer, they will be able to add new connections using the Create Connection button.