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Oracle® Application Server Release Notes
10g Release 2 (10.1.2) for Microsoft Windows (64-Bit) on Intel Itanium
B25335-10
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13 Oracle BPEL Process Analytics

This chapter describes issues associated with Oracle BPEL Process Analytics. It includes the following topics:


Note:

For Oracle BPEL Process Manager release notes, see the Oracle BPEL Process Manager site of the Oracle Technology Network at http://www.oracle.com/technology/bpel.

13.1 General Issues and Workarounds

This section includes the following issues:

13.1.1 Unset the ORACLE_HOME Variable Before Installing

When installing Oracle BPEL Process Analytics, the ORACLE_HOME variable must not be set; otherwise, the installation may fail with the error, "configuration assistant 'Oracle BPA Configuration Assistant' was cancelled."

Do the following to check and clear the setting of the ORACLE_HOME variable:

  1. Click Start > Control Panel > System >Advanced tab >Environment Variables.

  2. Remove the ORACLE_HOME entry, if it is defined, for the user or System variables.

If you have already received the error, copy the TNS entry that the Oracle BPEL Process Analytics installation created in the BPA_midtier_home\network\admin\tnsnames.ora file as the database service you entered in the file Default_Oracle_Home\network\admin\tnsnames.ora, and then click the Retry button on the installer.

13.1.2 Problem Connecting to Database During Installation

When installing Oracle BPEL Process Analytics on Microsoft Windows, the Oracle BPEL Process Analytics configuration assistant may fail to connect to the database if the database is installed on a different system from the one on which you are installing Oracle BPEL Process Analytics.

The error returned is such as following:

BUILD FAILED
C:\ias\101201\integration\bam\install\ant-tasks\baminstall.xml:151: Unable to 
connect to database as bam user. Connection was attempted as bam/bam user 
password@orcl.us.oracle.com. Please make sure you have run the SQL files to 
create BAM schema.

Total time: 16 seconds 
Exit: 1 
Configuration assistant "Oracle BPA Configuration Assistant" was canceled.

To work around this problem, change the SQLNET.AUTHENTICATION_SERVICES parameter setting from (NTS) to (NONE) in the sqlnet.ora file, as follows:

SQLNET.AUTHENTICATION_SERVICES = (NONE)

You can find this file in the following directory, where Oracle_Home is the Oracle Application Server middle tier home where you are attempting to install Oracle BPEL Process Analytics:

Oracle_Home\network\ADMIN

13.1.3 Workaround for Inability to Connect to Database After Installation

Installing other Oracle products into the Oracle Application Server middle tier where Oracle BPEL Process Analytics is installed may modify the tnsnames.ora file such that the following error message is returned when you attempt to connect to the database:

ORA-12154: TNS:could not resolve the connect identifier specified

To resolve this problem, make sure that there is a net service name entry in the Oracle_BPA_Home\network\admin\tnsnames.ora file which matches the SID specified by the oracle.tip.bam.connection.sid parameter in the Oracle_BPA_Home\integration\bam\config\bam.properties file (where Oracle_BPA_Home is the Oracle Application middle tier home where Oracle BPEL Process Analytics is installed).

In addition, make sure that this net service name correctly resolves to the Oracle BPEL Process Analytics Repository database.

13.1.4 Restart Oracle BPEL Process Analytics To Fire Alerts In Some Specific Cases

If you configure Oracle BPEL Process Analytics (event source, composite events, KPIs, metrics, panes, and so on), start using it, and then, after several days configure alerts, the alert may not fire even if the alert condition is met. The workaround to this problem is to restart Oracle BPEL Process Analytics.

13.1.5 Array Support in Oracle BPEL Process Analytics is Limited to First Level

There is limited array support for this release. Oracle BPEL Process Analytics flattens out array attributes. Thus only first level arrays are supported.

13.1.6 Non-Working Alert Delivery Channels - FAX, Instant Message, Pager

The Oracle BPEL Process Analytics User's Guide, states that "An administrator can set up notifications, called explicit alerts, that are sent to the business analyst if a KPI or metric exceeds a predetermined threshold value. An explicit alert can be sent as an e-mail message, a phone message, a FAX, a Short Message Service (SMS) message, a pager message, or as an Internet instant message."

However, FAX, instant message, and pager do not work.

13.1.7 To Use BAMServiceWrapper, Apply Patch 1 on BPEL

A sample BPEL process, BAMServiceWrapper, is provided which enables you to invoke the Oracle BPEL Process Analytics Web Service from Oracle BPEL Process Manager.

Because of a bug in Oracle BPEL Process Manager, the sample requires Patch 1 of Oracle BPEL Process Manager to be installed for this sample to work properly.

13.1.8 Old Target Values Shown When Adding New Dimensions to a Composite Event

Updating a composite event by adding new dimensions to an existing composite event causes the old target values to be displayed in the Dashboard.

13.1.9 Focus Button on Update Composite Event Confirmation Page Returns Error

If you remove a hierarchical dimension from a composite event using the Update Composite Event Wizard, then Oracle BPEL Process Analytics displays the Focus column with a circular symbol on the confirmation page.

If you click the circular symbol, Oracle BPEL Process Analytics returns the error:

500 Internal server Error

13.1.10 Alerts for <= KPI Value Condition Fire at 12 O'clock With Value Zero

Because all KPIs are initialized to 0 at 12 o'clock by the Oracle BPEL Process Analytics engine, any alert of type (<=KPI value) will always return 'true'.

Possible workarounds to handle these with metric alerts, are to have a condition for > 0 and for < KPI value.

13.1.11 Cannot Create Sensors for Primitive and Element Types

If the Oracle BPEL Process Manager variable for which an Oracle BPEL Process Analytics sensor is defined is of primitive (string, int, and so on) or element type (no part associated), then Oracle BPEL Process Analytics sensors can be created but will not work at run time (and no errors are returned).

13.1.12 Some Error Messages Contain "BAM" Instead of "BPA"

Some error messages contain the tokens "BAM" instead of "BPA" when referring to Oracle BPEL Process Analytics. These tokens refer to Oracle BPEL Process Analytics.

13.1.13 Oracle BPEL Process Analytics Dashboard Shows Strange Character

The symbol of a circle with four spokes coming out at diagonals is a generic symbol for currency. To correct, manually modify the opmn.xml file to set the LANG environment variable to 'en_US' (United States English); the currency is then formatted correctly.

13.1.14 Cannot Create Two Composite Events of the Same Name

Creating two composite events of the same name on different event sources returns a server error.

This error occurs, for example, if you do the following:

  1. Create a generic event source.

  2. Create a composite event (for example 'LoanFlow') on a generic event source.

  3. Create an Oracle BPEL Process Manager event source.

  4. Create a composite event (for example 'LoanFlow') on Oracle BPEL Process Manager. An exception is then returned.

13.1.15 Best Practice for Time Zone Settings

If the Oracle BPEL Process Manager event source and the Oracle BPEL Process Analytics server are on the same time zone, ensure that the machine time (on which Oracle BPEL Process Manager is running) is the same as that on the Oracle BPEL Process Analytics server. Even if the machine time is slightly ahead in terms of minutes or seconds, Oracle BPEL Process Analytics will not be able to run the KPI and alerts until the Oracle BPEL Process Analytics engine reaches the same time as the event in the source machine.

However, the real time viewer in Oracle BPEL Process Analytics will capture the event. Oracle BPEL Process Analytics does not capture metrics, alerts, or KPI calculations and spends a lot of time debugging. It is now known that the time difference (between the time zones of the server and of the BPEL source machine) causes this.

13.1.16 Dashboard KPI Table Shows Exclamation Marks

If there are icons of an exclamation mark within a yellow triangle that appear against the values shown in the KPI table view in the Dashboard, it indicates that target data is loaded for the KPI value that is being presented on the screen. This icon is used to signify when a KPI is 'at risk'. A KPI is 'at risk' if there is target data and the KPI performance is 'Weak' or 'Under'.

13.1.17 Do Not Use SQL Keywords for Naming the KPIs

Do not use SQL keywords (such as COUNT, ORDER, and so on) when naming KPIs. SQL keywords can cause a syntax error at the time of target data loading.

13.1.18 New Default Units for Duration and Currency Type KPIs

The default unit of for a time KPI is now seconds. The default unit of currency is now dollars.

13.1.19 Exception Returned In UI.LOG While Logged in as Administrator

The following error is sometimes returned in the ui.log file while logged in as Administrator, but this has no effect on the Oracle BPEL Process Analytics user interface:

Exception setting DB Password java.net.ConnectException: Connection refused:
connect...

13.1.20 No Oracle BPEL Process Analytics Logs Are Available From Oracle Enterprise Manager

There are no logs available for Oracle BPEL Process Analytics using Logviewer from Oracle Enterprise Manager. For example, if you select BPEL Process Analytics from Available Components, and then search, the results show no logs found. However the search results should list logs related to Oracle BPEL Process Analytics.

13.1.21 Workaround for Errors Such As "Failed to Add to Metadata"

Errors may be returned during modeling when Oracle BPEL Process Analytics is attempting to get information or write to the Oracle BPEL Process Analytics repository. Examples of such errors are the following:

500 Internal Server Error
oracle.tip.bam.common.BAMException: Error -: BAM-60111: Failed to add Star
LoanFlowTut to Tian Metadata

500 Internal Server Error
oracle.tip.bam.common.BAMException: Informational -: BAM-60153: Failed to get 
a add a new dimension: CarModel

To work around this problem, open the sqlnet.ora file in the BPA_Home\network\admin directory (where BPA_Home is the directory specification for the Oracle home where Oracle BPEL Process Analytics is installed) and change the authentication services from NTS to NONE, as follows:

SQLNET.AUTHENTICATION_SERVICES=(NONE)

You must restart the server after modifying the sqlnet.ora file.

13.1.22 Parentheses Needed In KPI Creation Wizard

The Create KPI Wizard enables you to create dimensional constraints with multiple logical operators (OR and AND). However, using multiple logical operators is meaningless unless the priority of these operators can be specified also. For example, to apply a dimensional constraint that specifies "either Nissan and Star Loan or Ford and United Loan", you can specify a dimensional constraint such as the following:

CarModel.CarModelID = 'Nissan' AND LoanProvider.LoanProviderID = 'Star loan' 
OR CarModel.CarModelID = 'Ford' AND LoanProvider.LoanProviderID = 'United loan'

Because the Oracle BPEL Process Analytics parser does not know the priority of the AND and OR operators, it might start parsing from either the right or left and therefore return meaningless results. Therefore, for this release, you should not specify multiple logical operators in a dimensional constraint.

To work around this problem, use parentheses '( )' in the KPI creation wizard. For example, you can specify the previous example as follows:

(CarModel.CarModelID = 'Nissan' AND LoanProvider.LoanProviderID = 'Star loan' )
OR (CarModel.CarModelID = 'Ford' AND LoanProvider.LoanProviderID = 'United loan' )

13.2 Known Problems

This section describes known problems. It includes the following topics:

13.2.1 Count Aggregation Cannot Be Applied on Duration, Currency, and Percent

In the Create KPI Wizard, an aggregation type of Count cannot be applied to Duration, Currency, or Percent KPI value types because no meaningful KPIs can be formed with this combination of aggregation type and value types. However, the interface currently does not disable the Duration, Currency, or Percent KPI value types when the Count aggregation type is selected.

13.2.2 Alerts Not Filtered Out According to the User-Selected Time Frame

An Alert View panel in the Dashboard currently shows all alerts, regardless of the time window (Year, Quarter, Month, or Day) you have selected for the Dashboard page. For example, suppose you select a time window of Day for a Dashboard page that contains an Alert view panel. You might expect the Alert View panel to display only alerts that occurred during the current day. However, this is currently not the case. If 1000 alerts have occurred (and have not been deleted), then 1000 alerts will be displayed in the Alert view panel, regardless of when they occurred.

13.2.3 KPI Constructed On Dimensionsless Composite Event Is Improperly Displayed

When you construct a KPI on a composite event that has no dimensions defined, those KPIs should be disabled when you are constructing a Dashboard chart with dimensions. However, you can create such a Dashboard chart, which may result in the Dashboard presenting the wrong data at run time.

For example, if you perform the following steps, the Admin Console will allow you to construct a KPI view pane that displays KPI data based on a dimensional constraint even if the KPI is based on a composite event for which no dimension has been defined:

  1. Create two Composite Events, one with dimension and the other without a dimension defined.

  2. Create a KPI on each composite event.

  3. Assign both KPIs to a user.

  4. Create a KPI view pane with a snapshot bar chart that includes both KPIs.

  5. In the last page of the Create KPI View Pane wizard, specify a dimensional constraint.

13.2.4 Option To See The Dashboard Pages Based on the Time Zone Not Available

KPI aggregation is performed on a daily basis, meaning for a 24 hour time slot. Events arriving within this 24 hour time slot are aggregated to determine the KPI value. This 24 hour time slot is, by default, based on the server time zone. However the exact 24 hour time slots for different countries may be different.

For example, suppose there is a KPI named "CountLoanOffer" and on 20th April 2005 India standard time (IST) this KPI has a value of 36. If you consider the United States time window for 20th April 2005, however, the KPI may have a different value.

13.2.5 Delete Event Icon Does Not Work in Update Composite Event

If you create a composite event and then try to update the same composite event to delete an existing event, you will find that although an icon is provided to do so, it is disabled.

13.2.6 Sensor Cannot Handle Multiple Variables

Currently, Oracle BPEL Process Analytics requires that, at most, one activity variable sensor be defined for each Oracle BPEL Process Manager activity sensor.

13.2.7 Cannot Reinstall Oracle BPEL Process Analytics After Grid Control Agent Is Installed and Configured

If you install Oracle BPEL Process Analytics in an Oracle Application Server middle tier home and then install and configure Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid control agent, you cannot reinstall Oracle BPEL Process Analytics into the same middle tier home (even if you first deinstall Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid control agent.)

If you attempt to do so, an ADMN-705021 error is returned.

The only workaround to this problem is to reinstall Oracle BPEL Process Analytics in a new Oracle Application Server middle tier home.

13.3 Documentation Errata

The Oracle BPEL Process Analytics Installation Guide, which has not been updated for this release, directs you to run the integration repository creation assistant (IRCA) as one of the preinstallation tasks. For this release, this step is no longer required. Instead, you should do one of the following, depending on the type of database you plan to use with Oracle BPEL Process Analytics as follows:

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