About the Oracle BI Administration Tool

The Oracle BI Administration Tool is a Windows application that you can use to create and edit repositories.

This section describes the Administration Tool main window, how to set preferences, menus, and other related information.

This section contains the following topics:

Opening the Administration Tool

Learn how to open the Oracle BI Administration Tool.

To open the Administration Tool, choose Start > Programs > Oracle Business Intelligence > BI Administration.

Note:

Do not open the Administration Tool by double-clicking a repository file. The resulting Administration Tool window is not initialized to your Oracle instance, and errors will result.

You can also launch the Administration Tool from the admintool utility. The location of the admintool utility is:

ORACLE_HOME/bitools/bin.

Setting Administration Tool Options

You can use the Options dialog to set preferences and options for the Administration Tool.

To set Administration Tool options:

In the Administration Tool, select Tools, then select Options to display the Options dialog.

On the General tab, select the options you want to choose.

The table describes the options on the General tab.

Option	Action When Selected
Tile when resizing	Automatically tiles the layer panes of the repository when you resize the Administration Tool. When this option is selected, the Cascade and Tile options are not available in the Windows menu of the Administration Tool.
Display qualified names in diagrams	Displays fully qualified names in the Physical Diagram and Business Model Diagram. For example, selecting this option displays "B - Sample Fcst Data"..."B02 Market" rather than B02 Market in the Physical Diagram. Selecting this option can help identify objects by including the name of the parent database or business model, but it can also make the diagram harder to read because the fully qualified names are longer. Note: If you choose not to select this option, you can still see fully qualified names by moving the cursor over an object in the diagram, or by selecting an object in the diagram and then viewing the text in the status bar.
Display original names for alias in diagrams	Displays the names of original physical tables rather than the names of alias tables in the Physical diagram. Select this option when you want to identify the original table rather than the alias table name.
Show Wizard introduction page	Displays the Calculation Wizard introduction page. The introduction page also contains an option to suppress its display in the future. Use the Calculation Wizard to create new calculation columns that compare two existing columns and to create metrics in bulk (aggregated), including existing error trapping for NULL and divide by zero logic. See Using the Calculation Wizard for more information.
Check out objects automatically	Automatically checks out an object when you double-click it. If you do not select this option, you are prompted to check out objects before you can edit them. This option only applies when the Administration Tool is open in online mode. See Editing Repositories in Online Mode for more information.
Show row count in physical view	Displays row counts for physical tables and columns in the Physical layer. Row counts are not initially displayed until they are updated. To update the counts, select Tools > Update All Row Counts. You can also right-click a table or column in the Physical layer and select the option Update Row Count. Note: Row counts are not shown for items that are stored procedure calls from the Table Type list in the General tab of the Physical Table dialog. Row counts are not available for XML, XML Server, or multidimensional data sources. When you are working in online mode, you cannot update row counts on any new objects until you check them in.
Show toolbar	When selected, displays the Administration Tool toolbar.
Show statusbar	When selected, displays the Administration Tool status bar.
Prompt when moving logical columns	Lets you ignore, specify an existing, or create a new logical table source for a moved column.
Remove unused physical tables after Merge	Executes a utility to clean the repository of unused physical objects. It might make the resulting repository smaller.
Allow import from repository	When selected, the Import from Repository option on the File menu becomes available. Note: By default, the Import from Repository option on the File menu is disabled and this option will not be supported in the future. It is recommended that you create projects in the repository that contain the objects that you want to import, and then use repository merge to bring the projects into your current repository. See Merging Repositories for more information.
Allow logical foreign key join creation	When selected, provides the capability to create logical foreign key joins with the Joins Manager. This option is provided for compatibility with previous releases and is generally not recommended.
Skip Gen 1 levels in Essbase drag and drop actions	When selected, excludes Gen 1 levels when you drag and drop Essbase cubes or dimensions from the Physical layer to the Business Model and Mapping layer. Often, Gen 1 levels are not needed for analysis, so they can be excluded from the business model. See Working with Essbase Data Sources for more information.
Hide unusable logical table sources in Replace wizard	By default, the Replace Wizard shows all logical table sources, even ones that are not valid for replacement. When this option is selected, unusable logical table sources are hidden in the Replace Wizard screens. Click Info for details on why a logical table source that maps to that column does not appear in the list. Selecting this option might result in the Wizard page loading more quickly, especially for large repositories.
Allow first Connection Pool for Init Blocks	By default, when you select a connection pool for an initialization block, the first connection pool under the database object in the Physical layer does not display as available for selection. This behavior ensures that you cannot use the same connection pool for initialization blocks that you use for queries. If the same connection pool is used for initialization blocks and for queries, then queries might be blocked whenever initialization blocks run. Alternatively, initialization blocks used for authentication might be blocked by long-running queries, causing delayed or hanging logins. Select this option to change the default behavior and allow the first connection pool to be selected for initialization blocks. Selecting this option is not a best practice and might cause performance issues. See About Connection Pools for Initialization Blocks for more information.
Show Upgrade ID in Query Repository	Upgrade IDs are not displayed by default in the Query Repository dialog. When this option is selected, Upgrade IDs are displayed as a column in the Query Repository results. In addition, you can set a filter on Upgrade ID to search for a particular value. This option is useful for MDS XML format repositories in which the Upgrade ID is included in the file name.
Extender For BIAPPS	Depending on your configuration, this option might not be enabled.
Show Tenant Info in Online Login	If you are working in a multitenant environment, then select this option to show the Tenant info field in the Open Online dialog.
Display Translation Key in the presentation tree	By default, the names of the presentation objects display in the Presentation layer portion of the Administration Tool's main window. Select this option to instead display the translation key values for all presentation objects.
Edit presentation names	By default, the presentation object names are read-only. Select this option to allow the names of presentation objects to be modified.
Drag and drop: Show only hierarchal columns	For Essbase data sources, selecting this option hides presentation columns and shows only hierarchal columns in Answers.

On the Repository tab, you can set the following options:
- Show tables and dimensions only under display folders. You can create display folders to organize objects in the Physical and Business Model and Mapping layers. They have no metadata meaning. After you create a display folder, the selected objects appear in the folder as a shortcut and in the database or business model tree as an object. You can hide the objects so that only the shortcuts appear in the display folder.
  
  See Setting Up Display Folders in the Physical Layer and Setting Up Display Folders in the Business Model and Mapping Layer for more information about creating display folders.
- Hide level based measure. By default, each level of a dimension hierarchy in the Business Model and Mapping layer shows both dimension columns that are assigned to that level, and level-based measures that have been fixed at that level. Level-based measures are objects that are not part of the dimension table, but that have been explicitly defined as being at a particular level.
  
  Hiding level-based measures in dimension hierarchies can reduce clutter. The measures are still visible in the logical fact tables.
  
  See Level-Based Measure Calculations for more information about level-based measures.
- System logging level. This option determines the default query logging level for the internal BISystem user. The BISystem user owns the Oracle BI Server system processes and is not exposed in any user interface.
  
  A query logging level of 0 (the default) means no logging. Set this logging level to 2 to enable query logging for internal system processes like event polling and initialization blocks.
  
  See Managing the Query Log in System Administrator's Guide for Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition for more information about the query log and query logging levels.
- LDAP. If you are using any alternative LDAP servers, the Oracle BI Server maintains an authentication cache in memory for user identifiers and properties, which improves performance when using LDAP to authenticate large numbers of users. Disabling the authentication cache can slow performance when hundreds of sessions are being authenticated. The authentication cache is not used for Oracle WebLogic Server's embedded directory server.
  
  Properties for the authentication cache include:
  - Cache refresh interval. The interval at which the authentication cache entry for a logged on user is refreshed.
  - Number of Cache Entries option (authentication cache)Number of Cache Entries. The maximum number of entries in the authentication cache, preallocated when the Oracle BI Server starts. If the number of users exceeds this limit, cache entries are replaced using the LRU algorithm. If this value is 0, then the authentication cache is disabled.
  You need to specify some additional LDAP properties when you are using a secure connection to your LDAP server. In other words, provide the following information when you have selected SSL on the Advanced tab of the LDAP Server dialog:
  - Key file name. The name of the key file that holds the client certificate and Certificate Authority (CA) certificate.
  - Password and Confirm password. The password for the key file.
  The authentication cache properties and key file properties are shared for all defined LDAP server objects.
On the Sort Objects tab, specify which repository objects appear in the Administration Tool in alphabetical order. For example, if you want the database objects that appear in the Physical layer to appear in alphabetical order, select the Database option.
On the Source Control tab, you can create or edit a configuration file to integrate with a source control management system, as well as view and change the status of an MDS XML repository, either Standalone or Use Source Control. See Creating an SCM Configuration File for more information.
On the Cache Manager tab, select the columns you want to display in the Cache Manager. To change the order of columns in the Cache Manager, select an item, then use the Up and Down buttons to change its position.
On the Multiuser tab, specify the path to the multiuser development directory and the name of the local developer for this Administration Tool. See Setting Up a Pointer to the Multiuser Development Directory for more information.
On the More tab, you can set the scrolling speed for Administration Tool dialogs. To set the scrolling speed, position the cursor on the slider.
Click OK when you are finished setting preferences.

Editing, Deleting, and Reordering Objects in the Repository

Learn how to edit objects in the repository.

This section provides information about editing, deleting, and reordering objects.

To edit objects, double-click an object, or right-click an object and select Properties. Then, complete the fields in the dialog that is displayed. In some dialogs, you can click Edit to open the appropriate dialog.
To delete objects, select one or more objects and click Delete, or press the delete key. You can also right-click an object and select Delete.
To reorder objects, drag and drop an object to a new location. Note the following:
- Reordering is only possible for certain objects and in certain dialogs.
- In some dialogs, you can use an up or down arrow to move objects to a new location.
- In the Oracle BI Administration Tool main window, you can drag and drop an object onto its parent to duplicate the object. For top-level objects like business models and subject areas, drag and drop the object onto white space to duplicate it.

About Naming Requirements for Repository Objects

You can learn about the repository object naming requirements.

All repository object names must follow these requirements:

Names that are 128 characters or less
Names that do not contain leading or trailing spaces
Names that do not contain characters such as single quotes, hash marks, question marks, or asterisks

Note:

Repository object names can include multibyte characters.

Using the Browse Dialog to Browse for Objects

You use the Browse dialog to find and select an object.

The Browse dialog appears in many situations in the Administration Tool.

The Browse dialog is accessible from several dialogs that let you make a selection from among existing objects.

The left pane of the Browse dialog lets you browse the tree view for a particular object. It contains the following parts:

A tree listing all of the objects in the Presentation layer, Business Model and Mapping layer, or the Physical layer of a repository.
Tabs at the bottom of the left pane let you select a layer. Some tabs might not appear if objects from those layers are not appropriate for the task you are performing.

The right pane of the Browse dialog lets you search for the object you want. It contains the following parts:

Query enables you to query objects in the repository by name and type. The Name field accepts an asterisk (*) as the wildcard character, so you can query for partial matches.
The Show Qualified Names option lets you identify to which parents an object belongs.
View lets you view properties of a selected object in read-only mode.

The exception to this is the Synchronize Contents feature, which lets you synchronize an object from the query results list with the tree view. This feature is a helpful contextual tool that locates a particular object in the tree view.

Task	Description
Querying for an object	Follow these steps to query for an object: Select the object type from the Type list. Type the name of the object, or a part of the name and the wildcard character (), in the Name field. For example: - To search for logical tables that have names beginning with the letter Q, select Logical Tables from the Type list, and then type Q in the Name field. - To search for logical tables that have names ending with the letters dim, type *dim in the name field. Click Query. Relevant objects appear in the query results list.
Selecting an object	Use the tree view in the left pane or the filtered view in the right pane to locate the object you want, then double-click the object. The Browse dialog closes, and the object is displayed in the previous dialog.
Synchronizing an object in the query results list with the tree view	Select an object in the Query list and then click the Synchronize Contents button. The object you selected is highlighted in the tree view in the left pane.
Finding multiple occurrences of an object in the tree view	Select an object in the tree view, such as a logical column, then click the down arrow button. The next occurrence of that object is highlighted in the tree view.

Changing Icons for Repository Objects

In the Oracle BI Administration Tool, you can change the icon that represents a particular object in the repository.

Changing the icon for a particular object does not have any functional effect, and is not visible in Answers or other clients. Changing the icon is a useful way to visually distinguish objects for the convenience of repository developers.

For example, you can:

Use a special icon for objects that are in the Business Model and Mapping layer, but not the Presentation layer, for easier maintenance of the repository.
Mark objects that are logical calculations with a separate icon.
Choose an icon to visually distinguish tables in the Presentation layer that appear as nested folders in Answers.
Use an icon to denote objects in a logical table that pertain to a specific functional area, or that are sourced from a particular logical table source.

You can only change the icon for individual objects. You cannot globally change the icon for all objects of a particular type.

To change the icon for a particular repository object:

In the Administration Tool, right-click an object in the Physical, Business Model and Mapping, or Presentation layer, for example, a particular logical table.
Select Set Icon.
In the Select Icon dialog, select the icon you want to use for that object and click OK.

Sorting Objects in the Administration Tool

Many dialogs in the Administration Tool show lists of objects, such as a list of physical columns in the Physical Table dialog, a list of logical levels for Preferred Drill Path in the Logical Level dialog, and a list of presentation hierarchies in the Presentation Table dialog.

You can click the header to sort the objects in ascending or descending order. An up arrow or down arrow icon is displayed next to the header name, indicating how the list has been sorted.

Each list also has a default order that is persisted from session to session. The default order appears when you view a list in a dialog for the first time each session. The default order is displayed when there is no ascending or descending arrow icon in the header. Click the header three times to toggle between ascending, descending, and default order. In some cases, the default order is the ascending or descending order.

Some dialogs provide the capability to move items up or down in a list. In these dialogs, if you click Up or Down while the list is sorted in ascending or descending order, the selected item moves, and the resulting order becomes the new default order. Clicking the header eliminates any manually determined order.

About Features and Options for Oracle Marketing Segmentation

Some features and options in the Oracle BI Server are for use by organizations that have the Oracle Marketing Segmentation product. For information about these features and options, see Oracle Marketing Segmentation Guide.

Additional information about Oracle Marketing Segmentation features is provided in the Oracle BI Presentation Services Help.