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Using Discoverer with components of Oracle9i Application Server

Using Discoverer with components of Oracle9i Application Server

This chapter explains how to use Discoverer with components of Oracle9i Application Server (Oracle9iAS), such as Oracle9iAS Web Cache and Oracle9iAS Portal, and contains the following topics:

• "Using Discoverer with Oracle9iAS Enterprise Manager"

• "Using Discoverer with Oracle9iAS Reports"

• "Using Discoverer with Oracle9iAS Web Cache"

• "Using Discoverer with Oracle9i Warehouse Builder"

• "Using Discoverer with Oracle9iAS Portal"

Using Discoverer with Oracle9iAS Enterprise Manager

Oracle9iAS Enterprise Manager provides a common look and feel, behavior and security infrastructure to configure the middle tier web components of Oracle9iAS with a single tool. Using a single tool for all Oracle9iAS components reduces the time spent on administration and configuration. You can use Oracle9iAS Enterprise Manager to configure Discoverer's middle tier web components.

You can use Oracle9iAS Enterprise Manager to make the following settings for Discoverer's middle tier web components:

• Add new public connections.

• Delete public connections.

• Edit public connection name, description, default locale, username, password, database, EUL, login type, show database details, Oracle Applications responsibility, Oracle Applications security group.

• Switch on/off ability to create user defined connections.

• Set the time to wait in Viewer for a query before showing a progress page.

• Set the target version of the XML schema to use on the Servlet when running Viewer.

• Set the path on which to find the XSL style sheets when running Viewer.

• Set the minimum and maximum style sheets to pool when running Viewer.

• Set which transport to use when running Plus.

• Set how many sessions the Portlet Provider should pool.

• Set the minimum and maximum number of XSL style sheets to pool.

• Set the fallback default locale.

• Switch ON/OFF Graph.

For more information, see the Oracle9iAS Enterprise Manager Help topic - Managing Oracle9iAS Discoverer.

Using Discoverer with Oracle9iAS Reports

Discoverer users can share workbooks, export them to Oracle9iAS Reports (V7.0 and later) enabling Reports users to open a Discoverer workbook. The workbook SQL, additional formatting and calculations are passed to Oracle9iAS Reports using an XML based workbook. The workbook is translated into an Oracle9iAS Reports-compatible format that can be modified using Oracle9iAS Reports.

In Oracle9iAS Reports the look and feel of the original Discoverer workbook is retained so that the Oracle9iAS Reports user can continue to work on the Report in a standalone fashion. To further emphasize this point: no further interaction with the Discoverer server is required for the Reports user to enhance the file

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

Using Discoverer with Oracle9iAS Web Cache

Oracle9iAS Web Cache helps e-businesses improve Web site performance issues. Oracle Web Cache is a content-aware server accelerator that improves the performance, scalability and availability of Web sites that run on Oracle9i Application Server and Oracle8i databases (or later). High accessibility is achieved at high speed by applying the latest caching techniques provided by Oracle9iAS Oracle9iAS.

By storing frequently accessed URLs in memory, Oracle9iAS Web Cache eliminates the need to repeatedly process requests for those URLs on the application Web server. Unlike legacy proxy servers that handle only static documents, Oracle9iAS Web Cache caches both static and dynamically generated content from one or more application Web servers. Because Oracle9iAS Web Cache is able to cache more content than legacy proxy servers, it provides optimal performance by greatly reducing the load on application Web servers.

For more information, see the Oracle9iAS Discoverer Plus and Viewer Configuration Guide.

Using Discoverer with Oracle9i Warehouse Builder

Oracle9i Warehouse Builder(OWB) can generate Discoverer metadata. You can use OWB and Discoverer Bridge to access OWB's meta layer and create a Discoverer export file (.EEX file). The .EEX file can be imported into a Discoverer EUL using Discoverer Administrator (for more information, see Chapter 3, "How to import EUL objects from a file using the Import Wizard"). The Discoverer EUL retains the folder and item lineage from OWB. You can display the folder and item lineage from OWB by using a Discoverer Lineage workbook. For more detailed information, see the Discoverer Release Notes.

Using Discoverer with Oracle9iAS Login Server

The Oracle9iAS Login Server provides a framework which allows any web-based client, inside or outside of Oracle9iAS Portal, to use Oracle's Single Sign On (SSO) services. Oracle9iAS Login Server is intended for use with an LDAP server which provides the means for storing and managing all the user credentials.

Using Discoverer with Oracle9iAS Portal

You can publish Discoverer workbooks and worksheets to Oracle9iAS Portal quickly and easily. Oracle9iAS Portal's intuitive user interface guides you through the publishing process step by step, enabling you to create powerful business intelligence portals with ease.

This section explains how to publish Discoverer content using Oracle9iAS Portal, and includes the following topics:

• "What is Oracle9iAS Portal?"

• "About Oracle9iAS Portal"

• "What you need to publish Discoverer content in Oracle9iAS Portal"

• "About portlet types available in Discoverer"

• "About adding portlets"

• "How to add a list of database workbooks portlet"

• "How to add a worksheet portlet"

• "How to edit a portlet"

What is Oracle9iAS Portal?

Oracle9iAS Portal enables non-technical business users to create enterprise information portals (EIPs). EIPs are internet or intranet sites that provide a personalized, single point of interaction with a company's suite of applications. EIPs also enable you to provide a consistent look and feel to users. EIPs are specifically designed for easy access to different information providers, the presentation of which can be tailored to individual users' requirements.

Figure 18-1 An enterprise information portal developed using Oracle9iAS Portal 3.0

Text description of the illustration portal_7.gif

About Oracle9iAS Portal

Oracle9iAS Portal provides an easy-to-use framework for creating and maintaining EIPs. Using Oracle9iAS Portal, you define business portals consisting of a number of different areas (known as portlets). You can customize the presentation of portlets on a per user and/or per group basis.

For example, the example below shows a business intelligence (BI) portlet in an EIP. The BI portlet (called Analyze Sales Reports) contains links to three Discoverer workbooks (called Video Analysis, Regional Analysis, and Mike's sales areas). Users see different BI applications depending on their requirements.

Figure 18-2 An example EIP containing a Business Intelligence portlet

Text description of the illustration portal_1.gif

Key to figure:

1. An EIP page.

2. A Business Intelligence portlet containing links to Discoverer workbooks

3. Examples of other portlets for different information providers. For example, commonly used applications (My Picks), competitor analysis (Competition), and human resources (HR).

What you need to publish Discoverer content in Oracle9iAS Portal

To publish Discoverer content in Oracle9iAS Portal, you need:

• to register Discoverer as an Oracle9iAS Portal - see the Oracle9iAS Configuration Guide for more information.

• a Discoverer database account

• authentication as an Oracle9iAS Portal user - i.e. you must login to Oracle9iAS Portal

• privileges to create or customize pages in Oracle9iAS Portal, to allow you to add portlets to a portal page or customize portlets in a portal page

Notes

Contact the Oracle9iAS Portal Administrator if you require create or edit page privileges.

About portlet types available in Discoverer

Discoverer users can create two types of portlet for Discoverer content:

• a List of database workbooks portlet - see "About the List of database workbooks portlet"

• a Worksheet portlet - see "About the Worksheet portlet"

Discoverer content is generated when it is first published and optionally refreshed on a regular schedule.

About the List of database workbooks portlet

A List of database workbooks portlet contains URL links to Discoverer workbooks. When you click a URL link in a workbook portlet, you open the selected workbook in Discoverer Viewer. Once in Discoverer Viewer, you can use Discoverer's powerful analytic features such as pivot, drill etc.

In the figure below, the Analyze Sales Reports portlet contains three URL links, to 'Video Analysis', 'Regional Analysis', and 'Mike's sales areas'.

Figure 18-3 A workbook portlet in an Oracle9iAS Portal page

Text description of the illustration portal_4.gif

About the Worksheet portlet

A Worksheet portlet contains Discoverer worksheets and graphs.

Note: A link is provided to enable users to open the worksheet in Discoverer Viewer for further analysis (e.g. drill, pivot, etc.).

In the figure below, the worksheet portlet contains a Discoverer worksheet for analyzing profit figures for regions across two years.

Figure 18-4 A worksheet portlet in an Oracle9iAS Portal page

Text description of the illustration portal_5.gif

About adding portlets

Creating Discoverer portlets involves two steps:

• add a portlet with default settings - for more information, see "How to add a list of database workbooks portlet" and "How to add a worksheet portlet"

• edit the portlet to suit your needs and publish the results to portal users - for more information, see "How to edit a portlet"

Notes

• Refer to the Oracle9iAS Portal Online Help for information about using the Oracle9iAS Portal toolbars and wizards.

• When you edit portlet pages, the Edit defaults options differs from the Customize option as follows:
  • Edit defaults - in this mode, changes that you make are visible to all users of the page.

  • Customize - in this mode, changes that you make are visible only to yourself.

How to add a list of database workbooks portlet

You add a list of database workbooks portlet when you want to provide Discoverer workbook links to a page in Oracle9iAS Portal. For example, to publish a link for a sales workbook to colleagues in a sales department.

For more information, see:

"About the List of database workbooks portlet"

To add a List of database workbooks portlet:

1. Start an internet browser.

2. Display the portal page to which you want to add a Discoverer portlet.

3. If you are not already logged in, click Login and enter your login details.

4. Click Edit Page to display the "Modify the Contents of the Page" page.

   
   
   Text description of the illustration portal_2.gif

5. Click the Add Portlets icon to display the "Add Portlets to Region" page.

   To add portlets, you move portlets from the Available Portlets list to the Selected Portlets list.

6. In the Available Portlets area, choose Discoverer or navigate to where the Discoverer portlets are located.

   
   
   Text description of the illustration portal_3.gif

The two Discoverer portlet types (Worksheet and List of Database Workbooks) are displayed.

7. Click List of Database Workbooks to add the portlet to the Selected Portlets list.

8. Click OK to close the "Add Portlets to Region" page.

   Having added a portlet, you now edit the portlet to suit your needs.

9. Click Edit Defaults next to the portlet that you have just created to start the portlet wizard.

   
   
   Text description of the illustration portal_8.gif

10. Use the Database Connections page to specify how portal users may access the portlet.

11. Use the Portlet Settings page to specify the portlet name, the order of workbooks, and the maximum number of workbooks to display. For example, you might want to display a maximum of ten workbooks in alphabetical order.

12. Use the Refresh Options page to specify when the workbook list is refreshed.

13. Use the Review page to check that you have selected the correct portlet options.

14. Click Finish to save the defaults.

You can now view the Discoverer worksheet in the portlet. It may take a few moments for the portlet to retrieve its content for the first time.

How to add a worksheet portlet

You add a Worksheet portlet when you want to add Discoverer worksheet data to a page in Oracle9iAS Portal. For example, to publish a sales report to everyone in a sales department.

For more information, see:

"About the Worksheet portlet"

To add a Worksheet portlet:

1. Display the portal page to which you want to add a Discoverer portlet.

2. Click Edit Page to display the "Modify the Contents of the Page" page.

   
   
   Text description of the illustration portal_2.gif

3. Click the Add Portlets icon to display the "Add Portlets to Region" page.

   To add portlets, you move portlets from the Available Portlets list to the Selected Portlets list.

4. In the Available Portlets area, choose Discoverer or navigate to where the Discoverer portlets are located.

   The two Discoverer portlet types (Worksheet and List of Database Workbooks) are displayed.

   
   
   Text description of the illustration portal_3.gif
   5. Click Worksheet to add a portlet to the Selected Portlets list.

   6. Click OK to close the Add Portlets to Region page.

      Having added a portlet, you now edit the portlet to suit your needs.

   7. Click Edit Defaults next to the portlet that you have just created to start the portlet wizard.

      
      
      Text description of the illustration portal_9.gif

   8. Use the "Database Connections page" to specify how portal users may access the portlet.

   9. Use the "Select Workbook page" to specify the workbook in which the worksheet is stored.

   10. Use the "Select Worksheet page" to specify which worksheet you want to publish to the portal.

   11. (optional) If parameters are defined for the worksheet, use the "Edit Parameters page" to specify parameter values. Parameter values are used to provide dynamic input to worksheets. For example, to focus on specific information, or provide input to calculations.

   12. Use the "Portlet Settings page" to specify what parts of the worksheet to publish. For example, you might want to publish the worksheet data only, the worksheet's graph only, or worksheet data and a worksheet's graph.

   13. Use the "Refresh Options page" to specify when the worksheet data is refreshed.

   14. Use the "Review page" to check that you have selected the correct portlet options.

   15. Click Finish to save the defaults.

   You can now view the Discoverer worksheet in the portlet. It may take a few moments for the portlet to retrieve its content for the first time.

   How to edit a portlet

   You edit portlet when you want to change how a portlet is displayed to portal users.

   To edit a portlet:

   1. Display the Portlet Provider page that contains the portlet you want to edit.

   2. Click Edit Page to display the Modify the Contents of the Page page.

      
      
      Text description of the illustration portal_2.gif

   3. Click Edit Defaults next to the portlet that you want to edit to start the portlet wizard for that style of portlet (List of Database Workbooks or Worksheet).

   4. Follow the steps in the portlet wizard.

   5. Click Finish to save changes to the portlet.

   You can now view the updated Discoverer worksheet in the portlet.