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Managing OracleAS Discoverer connections

3.1 Managing OracleAS Discoverer connections

This chapter explains how to create and manage OracleAS Discoverer connections, and includes the following topics:

• Section 3.2, "What is an OracleAS Discoverer connection?"

• Section 3.3, "What are the different types of Discoverer connections"

• Section 3.4, "About managing Discoverer connections?"

• Section 3.5, "About the Discoverer connections pages"

• Section 3.6, "About specifying whether Discoverer end users can create their own private connections"

• Section 3.7, "How to create a public connection"

• Section 3.8, "How to specify whether Discoverer end users can create private connections"

3.2 What is an OracleAS Discoverer connection?

An OracleAS Discoverer connection is a stored set of database login details, comprising:

• a database user name - to identify the Discoverer end user

• a database password - to authenticate the Discoverer end user

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

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

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

• a language - to specify the language that should be used in Discoverer

Discoverer connections enable Discoverer end users to start Discoverer without having to re-enter database login details each time the connect to Discoverer.

In the example below, a connection called Start Tutorial has been created that contains login information to connect to the Discoverer tutorial database. This enables a Discoverer Plus user to select the Start Tutorial link in the Name column to start Discoverer Plus and access the Discoverer tutorial database without having to enter login details.

Figure 3-1 Connections page in OracleAS Discoverer Plus

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Notes

• A connection is visible to both Discoverer Plus and Discoverer Viewer end users.

• If Single Sign-On is enabled, you will first be asked to authenticate as a single sign-on user before a Discoverer connections page is displayed.

3.2.1 About Discoverer connections and OracleAS Single Sign-On

If OracleAS Single Sign-On is enabled, Discoverer connections work as follows:

• the first time that a Discoverer connection is selected, the Discoverer end user is prompted to enter their OracleAS Single Sign-On details (if they have not already been authenticated)

• when an OracleAS Single Sign-On user is authenticated, a Discoverer connection can be selected without confirming the Discoverer password

Note: For more information about OracleAS Single Sign-On, see Section 12.8.1, "Using Discoverer with OracleAS Single Sign-On").

3.3 What are the different types of Discoverer connections

There are two types of Discoverer connections:

• private connections - see "About private connections"

• public connections - see "About public connections"

3.3.1 About private connections

Private connections are created and maintained by Discoverer end users.

Private connections have the following characteristics:

• A private connection is private to the Discoverer end user that created it.

• Discoverer end users create and maintain their own private connections.

  For more information about controlling what types of connection Discoverer end users can use, see "About specifying whether Discoverer end users can create their own private connections".

• If single sign-on is enabled, Discoverer end users can use their private connections from any client machine. If single sign-on is not enabled, private connections are stored as cookies, and are accessible only on the machine and browser on which they were created. For more information about single sign-on, see Section 3.2.1, "About Discoverer connections and OracleAS Single Sign-On".

• For more information about how to create private connections, see Oracle Application Server Discoverer Plus User's Guide.

3.3.2 About public connections

Public connections are created and maintained by Discoverer middle tier managers. Public connections enable you to provide pre-defined login details to Discoverer end users.

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

Public connections have the following characteristics:

• A public connection is available to all Discoverer end users.

• Public connections enable Discoverer end users to access data to which the PUBLIC role has access.

• Discoverer Plus and Viewer users cannot add, edit, or delete public connections.

  For more information about how to create public connections, see "How to create a public connection".

3.4 About managing Discoverer connections?

As a middle tier manager, you use Application Server Control to manage Discoverer connections, as follows:

• to provide public connections to enable Discoverer Plus and Discoverer Viewer users to start Discoverer (for more information, see Section 3.7, "How to create a public connection")

• to enable Discoverer Plus and Discoverer Viewer users to create their own (i.e. private) connections to start Discoverer (for more information, see Section 3.6, "About specifying whether Discoverer end users can create their own private connections")

You might also want to migrate Discoverer connections from one OracleAS instance to another (for more information, see Section D.2.1, "About migrating Discoverer connections").

Notes

• If you want end users to be able to create public connections based on an Oracle Applications user, make sure that the Oracle Applications User check box is displayed on the Create Public Connection page (for more information, see Section 13.1, "OracleAS Discoverer and Oracle Applications").

3.5 About the Discoverer connections pages

There are two Discoverer connections pages:

• Connect to Discoverer Viewer, which is used to start Discoverer Viewer using a set of stored login details

• Connect to Discoverer Plus, which is used to start Discoverer Plus using a set of stored login details

The figure below shows the Connect to Discoverer Plus page. In this example, there are three connections available in the Connection column (called Start tutorial, Analyze network performance, and Daily reports). To start Discoverer Plus using database login details stored in the 'Daily reports' connection, the Discoverer end-user selects the Daily reports link in the Connection column.

Figure 3-2 Discoverer Connections page

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Notes

• You can change the default Discoverer logo that is displayed on the Connect to Discoverer Viewer page and the Connect to Discoverer Plus page (for more information, see Section 7.12, "How to change the default Discoverer Viewer logo").

3.6 About specifying whether Discoverer end users can create their own private connections

You can specify whether Discoverer end users can create their own private connections (for more information, see Section 3.8, "How to specify whether Discoverer end users can create private connections").

If you enable Discoverer end users to create their own private connections:

• end users will be able to specify any login details (e.g. user name, password, database, EUL) for the new connections that they create

• end users will be able to open any workbooks in any EULs that they successfully connect to (providing that they have sufficient database privileges)

If you prevent Discoverer end users from creating their own private connections, they will only have access to the workbooks that are accessible to the public connections that you create.

Notes

• When end users create private connections, note the following:
  • if they specify a database using an alias, they can connect to databases that have an entry in the tnsnames.ora file

  • if they specify a database using the full tnsnames entry for the database (e.g. SID, address, port), they can connect databases that do not have an entry in the tnsnames.ora file

  For more information about the location of the tnsnames.ora file, see Section A.2, "List of Discoverer file locations".

3.7 How to create a public connection

You create a public connection when you want to provide pre-defined login details 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.

Hint: In a secure Discoverer environment you might want to use only public connections, so that you can restrict database access to login details that you specify. In other words, you might also disallow Discoverer end users from creating private connections (for more information, see Section 3.6, "About specifying whether Discoverer end users can create their own private connections").

To create a public connection:

1. Display Application Server Control (for more information, see Section 4.2.2, "How to display Application Server Control").

2. Display the Application Server Control Discoverer Home page (for more information, see Section 4.2.3, "How to display the Application Server Control Discoverer Home page").

   
   
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3. Select the Public Connections link to display the Discoverer Public Connections area.

   
   
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4. Click Create Connection to display the Create Public Connection page.

   
   
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5. Enter the connection details, then click OK to save the details.

   The new connection that you created is displayed in the Discoverer Public Connections list.

   When Discoverer end users connect to Discoverer Plus or Discoverer Viewer, they will be able to select the connection that you have just created.

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

   
   
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   Notes

   • If you specify a database using the full tnsnames entry for the database (e.g. SID, address, port), you can connect databases that do not have an entry in the tnsnames.ora file. For example, you might enter the following string in the Database field:

     (DESCRIPTION =(ADDRESS_LIST =(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = machine_a.company.com)(PORT = 1521)))(CONNECT_DATA =(SERVICE_NAME = database1)))

3.8 How to specify whether Discoverer end users can create private connections

To specify whether Discoverer Plus and Discoverer Viewer users can create private connections:

1. Display Application Server Control (for more information, see Section 4.2.2, "How to display Application Server Control").

2. Display the Application Server Control Discoverer Home page (for more information, see Section 4.2.3, "How to display the Application Server Control Discoverer Home page").

   
   
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3. Select the Private Connections link to display the Discoverer Private Connections area.

4. Specify whether users can create private connections, as follows:
   • Select the Allow users to define their own connections in Discoverer Plus and Discoverer Viewer check box if you want Discoverer end users to be able to create their own private connections.

   • Clear the Allow users to define their own connections in Discoverer Plus and Discoverer Viewer check box if you want to restrict Discoverer end users to using public connections that you specify.

5. Click OK to save the details.

   If you enable Discoverer end users to create private connections, they will see a Create Connection button on the Discoverer Connections page. For example, in the figure below the Create Connection button is available.

Figure 3-3 Connections page in OracleAS Discoverer Plus

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Notes

• If you clear the Allow users to create their own connections in Discoverer Plus and Discoverer Viewer check box:
  • Discoverer end users cannot start Discoverer using URL parameters, unless they specify the connection ID for a public connection using the cn= URL parameter (for more information, see Section 11.6, "Generic Discoverer URL parameters".

• The Details column on the Discoverer connections page is only visible in Internet Explorer.