Contents

Title and Copyright Information

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Preface

Intended Audience

Related Documents

Prerequisites to run Discoverer Plus Relational and Discoverer Viewer

OracleBI Discoverer Navigation and Accessibility

Documentation Accessibility

1 Introducing OracleBI Discoverer

1.1 What is OracleBI Discoverer?

1.2 What are the new configuration features in OracleBI Discoverer 10g Release 2 (10.1.2.0.0)

1.2.1 Discoverer Plus and Plus OLAP look and feel

1.2.2 Discoverer Viewer customization

1.3 About configuring OracleBI Discoverer

1.4 How to confirm an OracleBI Discoverer installation

1.5 About connecting to Discoverer

1.6 What is the OracleBI Discoverer architecture?

1.7 About the Discoverer client tier

1.7.1 About the Discoverer client tier and Discoverer Plus

1.7.2 About the Discoverer client tier and Discoverer Viewer

1.8 About the Discoverer Services tier

1.8.1 About the Discoverer J2EE components

1.8.1.1 What is the Discoverer servlet?

1.8.1.2 What is the Discoverer Plus servlet?

1.8.1.3 What is the Discoverer Portlet Provider servlet?

1.8.2 About the Discoverer CORBA components (Discoverer Service)

1.8.2.1 What is the Discoverer Session component?

1.8.2.2 What is the Discoverer Preferences component?

1.9 About the Discoverer database tier

1.10 How does OracleBI Discoverer work?

1.10.1 How does Discoverer Plus work?

1.10.2 How does Discoverer Viewer work?

2 Associating an OracleBI installation with an OracleAS infrastructure

2.1 About installing OracleBI Discoverer from the Oracle Business Intelligence CD

2.2 How to associate and reassociate an OracleBI installation with an OracleAS infrastructure

2.3 How to upgrade a 9.0.4 metadata repository to work with Discoverer Portlet Provider Version 10.1.2

3 Starting OracleBI Discoverer

3.1 General information about running OracleBI Discoverer

3.2 What are the supported Web browser versions for Discoverer?

3.3 About restricting how users can run Discoverer

3.4 What are the memory requirements and privileges required to run Discoverer Plus and Discoverer Viewer?

3.5 About running Discoverer over HTTPS

3.5.1 How to install a security certificate on a Discoverer Plus client machine

3.5.2 How to import certificate details into the JInitiator certificate store

3.5.3 How to import certificate details into the Java Plug-in 1.4 certificate store

3.6 About running Discoverer Plus over HTTP for the first time on a client machine

3.7 How to start Discoverer Plus

3.8 How to run Discoverer Plus over HTTP in Microsoft Internet Explorer for the first time on a Windows client machine

3.9 How to run Discoverer Plus over HTTP in Netscape Navigator for the first time on a Windows client machine

3.10 How to run Discoverer Plus over HTTP in Netscape Navigator for the first time on a UNIX client machine

3.11 How to run Discoverer Viewer over HTTP

4 Managing OracleBI Discoverer connections

4.1 What is an OracleBI Discoverer connection?

4.1.1 About Discoverer connections and OracleAS Single Sign-On

4.2 What are the different types of Discoverer connection?

4.2.1 About private connections

4.2.2 About public connections

4.3 About managing Discoverer connections?

4.4 About the Discoverer connections page

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

4.6 How to create public connections

4.7 How to delete public connections

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

5 Managing and configuring OracleBI Discoverer

5.1 About Oracle Enterprise Manager Application Server Control

5.1.1 Why use Application Server Control with Discoverer?

5.1.2 How to start Application Server Control and display the System Components page

5.1.3 How to display the Application Server Control Discoverer Home page

5.2 About using Application Server Control to manage Discoverer components

5.2.1 What happens when you enable or disable Discoverer client tier components?

5.3 About starting and stopping the Discoverer Service

5.3.1 How to stop or restart the Discoverer Service on a machine

5.4 About disabling and enabling Discoverer client tier components

5.4.1 How to disable Discoverer client tier components

5.4.2 How to enable Discoverer client tier components

5.5 How to start and stop the Discoverer servlets

5.6 About configuring the options for the Discoverer Service and Discoverer client tier components

5.6.1 How to change configuration options for individual Discoverer client tier components

5.7 About monitoring Discoverer metrics

5.7.1 How to monitor summary metrics for all Discoverer client tier components

5.7.2 How to monitor metrics for a single Discoverer client tier component

5.8 How to list ports used by Oracle Application Server

5.8.1 How to change the port on which Discoverer is deployed

5.9 About running Discoverer Plus with different Java Virtual Machines

5.9.1 How to specify a different Java Virtual Machine for Discoverer Plus

5.10 About configuring Discoverer to export to Web Query format

6 Configuring the Discoverer Catalog and Discoverer Plus OLAP

6.1 Overview of the Discoverer Catalog

6.1.1 What is the Discoverer Catalog?

6.1.2 What is the OLAP Catalog?

6.1.3 What properties can objects in the Discoverer Catalog have?

6.1.4 What is the architecture of the Discoverer Catalog?

6.1.5 How does the Discoverer Catalog differ from the BI Beans Catalog?

6.2 How to maintain the Discoverer Catalog

6.2.1 What database privileges are assigned to the D4OSYS user?

6.2.2 How to install the Discoverer Catalog

6.2.3 How to uninstall the Discoverer Catalog

6.2.4 How to export a Discoverer Catalog

6.2.5 How to import a Discoverer Catalog

6.3 How to maintain authorized users and roles for the Discoverer Catalog

6.3.1 What are the characteristics of the folder structure of the Discoverer Catalog?

6.3.2 What are the folders in the structure?

6.3.3 What are the types of privileges for objects and folders?

6.3.4 How to manage privileges as the D4OSYS user

6.3.5 How to ensure that users can use Discoverer Plus OLAP

6.3.6 How to authorize user and role access to the Discoverer Catalog

6.3.7 How to revoke user or role access to the Discoverer Catalog

6.3.8 How to use private versus public connections when accessing OLAP data

6.4 How to customize the look and fee of Discoverer Plus OLAP

6.5 What do I convey to end users?

6.6 What is the configuration diagnostic utility for Discoverer Plus OLAP?

6.6.1 Forms of output from the utility

6.6.2 Description of output from the utility

6.6.2.1 JDK version

6.6.2.2 BI Beans internal version

6.6.2.3 Discoverer Plus OLAP version

6.6.2.4 Discoverer version

6.6.2.5 Connect to database

6.6.2.6 JDBC driver version

6.6.2.7 JDBC JAR file location

6.6.2.8 Database version

6.6.2.9 OLAP Catalog version, OLAP AW Engine version, OLAP API Server version

6.6.2.10 BI Beans Catalog version

6.6.2.11 Discoverer Catalog version

6.6.2.12 Authorized for Discoverer Plus OLAP

6.6.2.13 OLAP API JAR file version

6.6.2.14 OLAP API JAR file location

6.6.2.15 Load OLAP API metadata

6.6.2.16 Number of metadata folders

6.6.2.17 Number of metadata measures

6.6.2.18 Number of metadata dimensions

6.6.2.19 Metadata description

6.6.2.20 Error message description

6.7 URL parameters for the Discoverer Plus OLAP Servlet

7 Installing OracleBI Discoverer in a multiple machine environment

7.1 What is a multiple machine Discoverer environment?

7.2 About Oracle Business Intelligence installations

7.2.1 About installing Discoverer on a single machine

7.2.2 About installing Discoverer on multiple machines

7.2.3 About using Application Server Control to manage multiple machines

7.3 What are the pre-requisites for using OracleAS Web Cache to provide load balancing for OracleBI Discoverer

7.4 About using OracleAS Web Cache Manager to configure load balancing for OracleBI Discoverer

7.5 How to deploy OracleBI Discoverer with load balancing using OracleAS Web Cache

7.5.1 How to start OracleAS Web Cache Manager

7.5.2 How to configure OracleAS Web Cache for load balancing

7.5.2.1 How to define the origin servers

7.5.2.2 How to specify the site to server mapping

7.5.2.3 How to specify the session binding value

7.5.3 How to verify that OracleAS Web Cache is configured correctly for load balancing

7.6 About the Discoverer Preferences component in a multiple machine environment

7.6.1 How to specify a centralized Discoverer Preferences component

7.6.2 How to find out the host name and port number of the preference on the Preference Server machine

7.6.3 Specify a Discoverer Preference Server on the other machines

7.6.4 How to disable the preferences component on a machine

7.7 About configuring the tnsnames.ora file in a multiple machine environment

8 Using OracleBI Discoverer Viewer with OracleAS Web Cache

8.1 About OracleAS Web Cache

8.2 What are the benefits of OracleAS Web Cache?

8.3 How does OracleAS Web Cache work?

8.4 When to use Discoverer Viewer with OracleAS Web Cache

8.5 How to use Discoverer Viewer with OracleAS Web Cache

8.5.1 How to create a Discoverer caching rule

8.5.2 How to enable OracleAS Web Cache for Discoverer Viewer

8.5.3 How to configure Discoverer Viewer to enable maximum caching

9 Customizing OracleBI Discoverer

9.1 Customizing Discoverer Plus/Plus OLAP

9.1.1 About LAF styles available in Discoverer Plus/Plus OLAP

9.1.2 How to change LAF styles for Discoverer Plus Relational and OLAP

9.1.3 How to change the Discoverer Plus/Plus OLAP LAF for all end users

9.1.4 How to define a custom LAF for Discoverer Plus/Plus OLAP

9.2 Customizing Discoverer Viewer

9.2.1 What is Discoverer Viewer customization?

9.2.2 How to change the default Discoverer Viewer LAF

9.2.3 How to change the default Discoverer Viewer layout

10 Managing OracleBI Discoverer preferences

10.1 What are Discoverer preferences?

10.2 About Discoverer system preferences

10.3 About Discoverer user preferences

10.4 About migrating Discoverer preferences

10.5 How to set user preferences for all users

10.6 How to set individual preferences for specific users

10.7 List of Discoverer user preferences

10.7.1 About the EnhancedAggregationStrategy user preference setting

10.7.2 About setting the timeout value for Discoverer

10.7.3 How to set the timeout value for Discoverer Viewer

11 Using OracleBI Discoverer with OracleAS Portal

11.1 What is OracleAS Portal?

11.2 How to use OracleBI Discoverer with OracleAS Portal

11.3 How to register Discoverer Portlet Provider with OracleAS Portal

11.4 How to edit the Discoverer Portlet Provider

11.5 About changing the default performance settings for OracleBI Discoverer

12 Optimizing OracleBI Discoverer performance and scalability

12.1 About Discoverer and performance

12.2 About Discoverer and scalability

12.3 How to improve Discoverer performance

12.3.1 How to improve Discoverer performance by using worksheets and page items appropriately

12.3.2 How to improve Discoverer performance by reducing the time taken to display business areas and folders

12.3.3 How to improve Discoverer performance by using summary folders

12.3.4 How to improve query performance by optimizing the SQL that Discoverer generates

12.3.5 How to improve Discoverer performance by using Discoverer Administrator hints

12.3.6 How to improve Discoverer performance by setting the Case Storage item property appropriately

12.3.7 How to improve Discoverer performance by increasing the size of the array used to fetch rows from the database

12.3.8 How to improve Discoverer performance by basing lists of values on tables containing distinct values

12.3.9 How to improve Discoverer performance by changing cache settings for your system

12.3.10 How to improve Discoverer performance by scheduling worksheets to run overnight

12.3.11 How to improve Discoverer Viewer performance by using OracleAS Web Cache

12.4 How to take advantage of Discoverer's scalable architecture using the scalability features of OracleAS

12.4.1 How to enhance Discoverer scalability by specifying OC4J memory usage parameters

12.4.2 How to enhance Discoverer scalability by specifying the number of OC4J processes

13 Starting OracleBI Discoverer using URL parameters

13.1 Why use Discoverer with URL parameters

13.2 What is the URL parameter syntax?

13.2.1 About URL parameters and format masks

13.2.2 About using URL parameters with private connections

13.3 How to specify login information using a public connection

13.4 About specifying workbooks and worksheets using URL parameters

13.4.1 How to find out the unique workbook ID of a workbook

13.4.2 How to find out the unique worksheet ID of a worksheet

13.4.3 How to find out the connection ID of a connection

13.5 Examples of using URL parameters

13.5.1 Example 1: Starting Discoverer Viewer using URL parameters

13.5.2 Example 2: Starting Discoverer Viewer using URL parameters

13.5.3 Example 3: Starting Discoverer Plus using URL parameters

13.5.4 Example 4: Starting Discoverer without exposing a password in the URL

13.5.5 Example 5: Starting Discoverer Viewer and prompt for a password

13.5.6 Example 6: Starting Discoverer Plus OLAP

13.5.7 Example 7: Starting Discoverer Plus and opening a scheduled workbook

13.6 About syntax and notation used in URL parameter tables

13.7 Discoverer Plus and Viewer URL parameters

13.8 Discoverer Plus URL parameters

13.9 Discoverer Viewer URL parameters

14 Maintaining security with OracleBI Discoverer

14.1 About Discoverer and security

14.2 About Discoverer and the database security model

14.3 About Discoverer and the Discoverer EUL security model

14.4 About Discoverer and the Oracle Applications security model

14.5 About Discoverer and the OracleAS Security model

14.5.1 About Discoverer public connections and the OracleAS Security model

14.6 Using Discoverer with OracleAS Framework Security

14.6.1 About specifying Discoverer communication protocols

14.6.2 About Discoverer Viewer security and communication protocols

14.6.3 About Discoverer Plus security and communication protocols

14.6.3.1 About configuring Discoverer Plus for a non-standard SSL signing authority

14.6.3.2 About specifying a Discoverer Plus communication protocol

14.6.3.3 How to display the OracleBI Discoverer Plus Communications Protocols page in Application Server Control

14.6.3.4 How to set up Discoverer Plus to use the Default communication protocol

14.6.3.5 How to set up Discoverer Plus to use the Tunneling communication protocol

14.6.3.6 How to set up Discoverer Plus to use the Secure Tunneling communication protocol

14.7 Using Discoverer with Oracle Identity Management Infrastructure

14.7.1 Using Discoverer with OracleAS Single Sign-On

14.7.2 What is OracleAS Single Sign-On?

14.7.2.1 About Single Sign-On and Discoverer

14.7.2.2 How to enable and disable Single Sign-On for Discoverer

14.7.2.3 An example showing how Discoverer works with OracleAS Portal and Single Sign-on

14.7.3 Using Discoverer without Single Sign-on

14.8 Discoverer support for Single Sign-On details propagation

14.8.1 Introducing Virtual Private Databases, Single Sign-On, and Discoverer

14.8.2 Example showing how SSO user names can limit Discoverer data

14.8.3 What tasks are required to use SSO user names to limit Discoverer data

14.8.4 How to set up Discoverer Worksheet Portlets to show different data based on SSO user name

14.8.5 When to use other options in the Users Logged In region of the Select Database Connections page

14.8.6 How to modify database LOGON (and subsequent) triggers to use the SSO user name

14.8.7 How to use the eul_trigger$post_login trigger

14.8.8 How to find out the SSO user name that Discoverer will pass to the database

14.9 Frequently asked questions about security

14.9.1 What is a firewall?

14.9.2 What is a demilitarized zone (DMZ)?

14.9.3 What is HTTPS and why should I use it?

14.9.4 How do I configure Discoverer to work in an intranet

14.9.5 How do I configure Discoverer to work through a firewall?

14.9.6 Can I configure Discoverer to work through multiple firewalls?

14.9.7 How do I configure Discoverer to use encryption in an intranet?

14.9.8 How do I configure Discoverer to use encryption through firewalls?

14.9.9 How can I verify that Discoverer is encrypting communications?

14.9.10 Can I configure Discoverer for both intranet users and users accessing Discoverer through a firewall?

14.9.11 Can I use Discoverer with a NAT device?

15 OracleBI Discoverer and Oracle e-Business Suite

15.1 About Discoverer connections and Oracle e-Business Suite

15.2 About Discoverer preference settings for Oracle e-Business Suite

A OracleBI Discoverer configuration files

A.1 List of Discoverer file locations

A.2 List of configuration settings in configuration.xml

A.3 List of configuration settings in opmn.xml

B Upgrading from earlier versions of Discoverer

B.1 Upgrade summary

B.2 Upgrading from Discoverer Version 9.0.2/9.0.4 to Discoverer Version 10.1.2.0.0

B.2.1 Upgrading preferences

B.2.1.1 How to upgrade default user preferences

B.2.1.2 How to upgrade user level preferences from Discoverer Release 9.0.2/9.0.4 to Discoverer Version 10.1.2.0.0 on UNIX

B.2.1.3 How to upgrade user level preferences from Discoverer Release 9.0.2/9.0.4 to Discoverer Version 10.1.2.0.0 on Windows

B.2.2 Upgrading to an OracleBI installation that is associated with an OracleAS infrastructure

B.3 Upgrading from Discoverer Release 4.1 to Discoverer Version 10.1.2.0.0

B.3.1 Upgrading preferences

B.3.1.1 How to upgrade default user preferences

B.3.1.2 How to upgrade user level preferences from Discoverer Release 4.1 to Discoverer Version 9.0.4 on UNIX

B.3.1.3 How to upgrade user level preferences from Discoverer Release 4.1 to Discoverer Version 9.0.4 on Windows

B.3.2 Updating URL references

C OracleBI Discoverer administrative account information

C.1 Database privileges granted by OracleBI Discoverer scripts to the PUBLIC user

C.2 Database privileges granted by OracleBI Discoverer scripts to the Discoverer manager

D Troubleshooting Discoverer

D.1 Problems and Solutions

D.1.1 Discoverer Viewer reports errors when exporting using Microsoft Internet Explorer v6.0

D.1.2 Discoverer and Oracle Applications certification

D.1.3 Discoverer portlet fails to refresh and/or reports errors

D.1.4 Discoverer reports a network error

D.1.5 Discoverer reports the error ORA-12154

D.1.6 Pop-up stopper issues

D.1.7 Netscape Navigator 4.x issues

D.1.8 Discoverer Plus reports RMI error

D.1.9 Discoverer memory issues

D.1.10 Discoverer Plus Relational help issues

D.1.11 Configuring an SMTP Server for Discoverer Viewer

D.2 Diagnosing Discoverer Problems

D.3 About Discoverer diagnostics and logging

D.3.1 What Discoverer diagnostics and logging facilities are available

D.3.2 What is the checkdiscoverer utility?

D.3.3 About using the OracleAS View Logs facility

D.3.4 How to use OracleAS View Logs to view Discoverer log files

D.3.5 How to enable the Discoverer Services log file

D.3.6 How to enable the Discoverer Servlet log files

D.3.7 How to view the Discoverer Services log file

D.3.8 How to view Discoverer Servlet log files

D.3.9 How to copy Discoverer log files

D.4 Need More Help?

Index