Perform General Configuration Tasks for Analyses

This section describes general tasks that you can perform to configure for the creation of analyses.

It includes the following sections:

Increase Heap Size to Assist in Exports to Excel

Various options are available for exporting the results of analyses, for example, exporting to Microsoft Excel.

These options are described in Exporting Results in Visualizing Data in Oracle Analytics Server. While users can export directly to an Excel format, for large numbers of rows you can expect similar performance if you export first to CSV, then import that file into Excel. Or you can export using the Data > Excel option to preserve the supported data types, String, Number, and Data.

If a user exports a large dataset without using the CSV format and get an out-of-memory error, they should increase the heap size for the JavaHost service. The default heap size is 1024MB. Depending on the available memory on the computer, you might want to increase the heap size for the JavaHost service. You can export using Data > Excel option which doesn't use JavaHost.

  1. Open the obijh.properties file for editing. You can find the file at:

    ORACLE_HOME/bi/modules/oracle.bi.cam.obijh/env/obijh.properties

  2. Change the existing -Xmx1024M entry (in the line starting OBIJH_ARGS=).

    set the -Xmx parameter to 2048M (or higher as necessary, depending on the available memory in the system and the size of the Excel export that you require).

  3. Save and close the file.

    This affects all JavaHosts.

  4. If you see an error message about a SocketTimeoutException from the com.siebel.analytics.javahost.io.ChannelWithTimeout class, then update the SocketTimeout parameter for the JavaHost service.

    Open the config.xml file for the JavaHost system component in:

    BI_DOMAIN/config/fmwconfig/biconfig/OBIJH/config.xml.

    Locate the MessageProcessor section and the SocketTimeout parameter, which might be commented out. Uncomment SocketTimeout if necessary and specify a higher value. For example, specify at least 300000 milliseconds.

    The config.xml file and its settings are described in Use the JavaHost Service for Presentation Services.

  5. Save and close the file.
  6. Restart Oracle Analytics Server.

Manually Configure for Export

You can configure various options that change how the results of analyses or views are exported.

  1. Open the instanceconfig.xml file for editing, located in:

    BI_DOMAIN/config/fmwconfig/biconfig/OBIPS

  2. Enter the following namespace declaration in the WebConfig element:
    xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
    

    Note that the Export element includes the required attribute xsi:type, which specifies the type of export. Valid values are:

    • excel (for export to Microsoft Excel)

    • formattedText (for data export)

    • pdf (for export to PDF)

    • ppt (for export to Microsoft PowerPoint)

    • all (you can use true or false to choose whether to leave out charts, images, or formatting, for all print and export options)
  3. Locate the Download section in which you must add the elements that are described in the table below.
  4. Include the elements and their ancestor elements as appropriate, as shown in the following example:

    Note:

    The default export value is UseRawValue. However, if you want to export rounded values, you must use the value UseFormattedValue instead.
    <ServerInstance>
      <Download>
        <Export xsi:type="excel">
            <DataValue>UseRawValue</DataValue>
            <RepeatRows>false</RepeatRows>
        </Export>
    
        <Export xsi:type="formattedText">
            <Delimiter char=","/>
        </Export>
    
        <Export xsi:type="pdf">
            <KeepRowsTogether>true</KeepRowsTogether>
            <Orientation>Landscape</Orientation>
        </Export>
    
        <Export xsi:type="ppt">
            <Orientation>Portrait</Orientation>
        </Export>
        
        <Export xsi:type="all">
            <ExportCharts>false</ExportCharts>
            <ExportImages>false</ExportImages>
            <ExportFormatting>false</ExportFormatting>
        </Export>
    
    
      </Download>
    </ServerInstance>
    
  5. Save your changes and close the file.
  6. Restart Oracle Analytics Server.

Elements to Manually Configure for Export

The table describes the elements that you can manually configure for export

Element Description Default Value

DataValue

Specifies whether data values (that is, numbers and dates) are exported in raw format with full number precision and format mask or as a string in the data format specified when exporting to Excel.

Valid values are:

  • UseRawValue

  • UseFormattedValue

The export type is:

xsi:type="excel"

UseRawValue

RepeatRows

Specifies whether cells that span rows and cells that span columns are to be repeated when exporting tables and pivot tables to Excel.

If set to true, then cells that span rows and cells that span columns are repeated, regardless of the Value Suppression setting in the Analysis editor. For example, in a table that has Year and Month values, Year is repeated for all Month values.

If set to false, then the behavior is the same as that defined by the Value Suppression option in the Analysis editor:

  • If Value Suppression is set to Suppress, then cells that span rows and cells that span columns are not repeated. For example, in a table that has Year and Month values, Year is displayed only once for Month values.

  • If Value Suppression is set to Repeat, then cells that span rows and cells that span columns are repeated. For example, in a table that has Year and Month values, Year is repeated for all Month values.

For more information on the Value Suppression option, see Visualizing Data in Oracle Analytics Server

The export type is:

xsi:type="excel"

false

Delimiter

Specifies the column delimiter character for the CSV Format option, for example, a semicolon (;), when exporting raw data from results and views.

The export type is:

xsi:type="formattedText"

","

KeepRowsTogether

Specifies whether rows are to be kept together at page breaks when exporting to PDF.

If set to true, rows are kept together at page breaks.

If set to false, rows are split across page breaks.

The export type is:

xsi:type="pdf"

false

Orientation

Specifies the orientation (either Portrait or Landscape) when exporting to PDF and to Powerpoint.

The export type for PDF exports is:

xsi:type="pdf"

The export type for Powerpoint exports is:

xsi:type="ppt"

Landscape (for PDF exports)

Portrait (for Powerpoint exports)

QuoteTxtTab

Adds quotes for the CSV Format option. When set to false, no quotes are added.

The export type is:

xsi:type="formattedText"

true

Support Nested Folders, Navigation, and Drill-Down

The administrator can set up subject areas in ways that assist content designers who work with analyses.

Managing Metadata Repositories for Oracle Analytics Server provides complete information about setting up subject areas. The following list includes features of subject areas that assist content designers:

  • To make selections easy for content designers to discern in the Subject Areas pane when creating analyses, the administrator can set up the Presentation layer in the Model Administration Tool to give the appearance of nested folders. For example, the administrator can make the Sales Facts folder appear as a subfolder in the Facts folder.

  • When content designers create analyses, they can enable users to go to related analyses and content. If the administrator sets up dimensions and dimensional hierarchies for the subject area, then users can drill down on data results that are presented in graphs, tables, and pivot tables to obtain more detailed information.

    There are no specific privilege settings that control access to navigation and drill-down features, which are available to all users.

  • Content designers can create analyses that include columns from a primary subject area and from one or more related subject areas.