OBIEE Performance

No Silver Bullets : OBIEE Performance
in the Real World

Robin Moffatt, Principal Consultant
May 2014
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+61 3 9596 7186 (Australia & New Zealand) or +91 997 256 7970 (India)
E : info@rittmanmead.com
W : www.rittmanmead.com
The Requirement
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The Problem
Lots of moving parts and complexity
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Overall solution crosses disciplines and job roles

OBIEE developer
Database developer
DBA
Server Admin
Network
SAN
LDAP
etc
The Additional Problem
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The Only Answer
Evidence-based DESIGN and DIAGNOSTICS
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Performance Beyond the Best Practices
Tear down the reliance on

Best Practice, but with a
viable, better, alternative
instead.
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Two-pronged approach
Do It Right, First Time
What Makes A Performant OBIEE System?
!
If Its Not Done Right, Know How To Figure Out What Is Broke
Practical elements of diagnosing the causes of performance issues
Methodical analysis - nose to tail
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Is your problem Performance or Capacity?
Response time
Performance: Response time is slow for one user

Capacity: Response time degrades as user concurrency increases
Number of concurrent users
Adding Capacity alone will not fix your performance problems

Performance improvements can alleviate Capacity problems
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Nose to Tail Diagnostics

Request
DWH
Managed Server
Web Browser
BI Plug-in
Presentation
Services
[ ... ]
BI Server
WebLogic Server
OBIEE system components
Managed Server
Web Browser
BI Plug-in
Network
User
Network
[ ... ]
Data Source(s)
DWH
Presentation
Services
JavaHost
BI Server
[ ... ]
[ ... ]
Response
Not all components listed, eg cluster controller
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Time Profile
To understand why is it slow, we first must understand where is it slow
!
Approach championed by Cary Millsap / Method-R

Thinking Clearly About Performance (2010)
Performance improvement is proportional to how much a

program uses the thing you improved.
Amdahls Law
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End-user reports a response time of 40 seconds.

How can we make it faster?
DB Query 1
25 seconds
Where did the time get spent?

Data
Processing
Page Generation
10 seconds
5 seconds
DB Query 2
5 seconds
Component
User
WebLogic Server
Managed Server
Web Browser
BI Plug-in
Presentation
Services
BI Server
Response
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Data Source(s)
DWH
DWH
Time, seconds
Time Profile in Action
Time Profile in Action
DB Query 1
DB Query 2
Data Processing
Page Generation
Step
Action
Response
Time (s)
Physical SQL 1 execute on DB
25.00
62.5
Physical SQL 2 execute on DB
[5.00]
BI Server combines dataset from DB results
10.00
25.0
Presentation Services generates page
5.00
12.5
Time profile shows clearly :

1.Improve performance of Query 1
2.Push work into single query
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Total 40.00
100.0
Deep Dive into BI Server Time from nqquery.log

Elapsed
Logical Query Summary Stats: Elapsed time e
Response
Logical Query Summary Stats: [...] Response time r

Physical
DB Connect
Compilation
Physical Query 1
Logical Query Summary

Stats: [...] Compilation
time c (seconds)
Physical query response

time p1 (seconds)
Physical Query x
BI Server
processing
(federation,
calculation,
aggregation)
Send to client, wait for

acknowledgement
Eg. Presentation Services

generating pivot tables,
table scrolling/paging, etc.
Physical query response

time px (seconds)
Physical Query Summary Stats:
[...] DB-connect time d (seconds)
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r - d - c - max(p)
e - r
nqquery.log or Usage Tracking?
Step
Logical Query Compilation
Database connection
Physical Query 1 response
Physical Query n response
Logical Query Response
Logical Query Elapsed
BI Server processing (federation,
calculation, aggregation)
acknowledgement (eg sawserver
generating pivot tables etc)
nqquery.log source
Usage Tracking
c
d
p
p
p
r
e
r-d-c-max(p)
Logical Query Summary Stats: [...] Compilation time
S_NQ_ACCT.COMPILE_TIME_SEC
Physical Query Summary Stats: [...] DB-connect time
n/a
Physical query response time
S_NQ_DB_ACCT.TIME_SEC
Logical Query Summary Stats: [...] Response time
S_NQ_ACCT.TOTAL_TIME_SEC
Logical Query Summary Stats: Elapsed time
n/a
[derived]
[derived]
e-r
[derived]
n/a
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Usage Trackings blind spot

Usage Tracking is good, but it omits the Total Elapsed Time
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Elapsed
nqquery.log:
Logical Query Summary Stats: Elapsed time e
Usage Tracking: [Not Available]
Response
nqquery.log:
Logical Query Summary Stats: [...] Response time r
Usage Tracking: S_NQ_ACCT.TOTAL_TIME_SEC
uh oh!
This can hide problems:
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acknowledgement
Iterative Approach
Be sure to account for all time, end-to-end (nose to tail)
Expand time profile to focus on where the time is going in particular
In reality, time profile based on BI Server alone will help in a lot of cases
Browser tools
WLS logs
nqquery.log
sawlog.log
DB Explain plans, V$SQL, etc
Request
Managed Server
BI Plug-in
Presentation
Services
BI Server
Response
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Data Source(s)
Network
Web Browser
WebLogic Server
Network
User
DWH
DWH
Iterative Approach
Most components have extended logging
levels
Presentation Services
WebLogic Server
Browser Tools
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Digging Deeper with DMS Metrics

OBIEE supports Dynamic Monitoring System (DMS)
!
Hundreds of low-level metrics

!
Ranging from the obvious

(BI Server Total Sessions)
to the less obvious
(Peak_DXEParameterizedImpl_Count)
!
Once we have found WHERE the time has gone,

DMS metrics are one way to help us find out WHY
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Accessing DMS Metrics

DMS Spy
opmn
EM
obi-metrics-agent
+ graphite
+ grafana
http://ritt.md/oma-intro
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DMS Case Study

Query is running slowly, but its not clear why
Step
nqquery.log source

e
r

c

Database connection
d
p
BI Server processing
r-d-c-max(p) [derived]
[derived]
Send to client, wait for cursor close
e-r
1
CPU is only at 50% utilisation

Only a handful of rows returned from the DB
What is the BI Server up to for this time?
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Time %
14
13
0
0%
0
0%
4
29%
9
64%
1
7%
DMS Provides the Proof

The Connection Pool has a fixed Capacity
Connections will start to Queue once Capacity is reached
Physical connections limit is reached for

connection pool "Star_orcl_Connection Pool 01".
Start delaying the queries
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Performance Diagnostics Approach

Capacity
Examine capacity metrics (OS, DMS) over time
Correlate with reported problems
Performance
Build a time profile
Dont know where to start? Try Usage Tracking or nqquery.log
- Long running queries
- Logical queries returning lots of data to the client
- Logical queries returning lots of data from the DB but small % to the client
- Logical queries requiring lots of physical queries
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So What Does Good Look Like?
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This Is Not Best Practice

There is no one right way : It
Depends
c.f. ExtremeBI
The only best practice you should be using all the

time is Use Your Brain.
Steven Robbins / Tom Kyte
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The Bucket List of Performance Gains
Dont Do It
Do It Only Once
Do It Less Often
Do It More Efficiently
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(h/t Greg Rahn)
Database Pushdown (Do It More Efficiently)

Reduce the amount of work/data handled further up the stack
Federation across sources can be a challenge
c.f. BI Server caching
BI Plug-in
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Presentation Services
BI Server
Data Source(s)
Network
Web Browser
WebLogic Server
Managed Server
Network
User
DWH
[ ... ]
Do You Need Database Pushdown?

BI Servers temp directory shows lots of work being done by BI Server
Long time in BI Server processing phase
Usage Tracking / Query logs :
How much data the BI Server pulls back from the database as a percentage of rows
returned to the user (low % is bad).
How many database queries one report triggers - higher is generally less efficient
Step
Database connection
BI Server processing
Send to client, wait for cursor close
nqquery.log source
e
r
c
d
p1
r-d-c-max(p) [derived]
[derived]
e-r
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Feeding the Excel Monster (Do It More Efficiently / Dont Do it)

Whats being done with the data once its in Excel?
Could it be done in OBIEE instead?
!
Alternatives to Export from Analysis/Dashboard:

Dump direct from the database
Use Logical SQL against BI Servers ODBC/JDBC
interface directly
Oracle have specific recommendations (DocID
1558070.1 p.13)
- Favour CSV export over Excel
- Favour BI Publisher export over OBIEE Analysis Export
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Dont Do It / Do It Less Often

Filter Early
Table Prompt != Filter
Report by Exception
!
Make sure Dashboards have

default/mandatory prompts
(http://ritt.md/obi-prompts)
Yes, please
do.
Be smart about Dashboard and Analysis design - dont cram everything into one page
Less clutter : Better user experience & Better performance
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Not forgetting
Do It More Efficiently
Aggregation
Do It Less Often
BI Server caching
!
Database optimisation (partitioning, indexing, parallelism, statistics, etc)

Balanced Hardware configuration
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OBIEE Performance in the Real World

Evidence-based DESIGN and DIAGNOSTICS
!
Do It Right, First Time

!
If Its Not Done Right, Know How To Figure Out What Is Broke
Methodical analysis - nose to tail
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#EOF
email:
robin.moffatt@rittmanmead.com
web:
http://www.rittmanmead.com/author/robin-moffatt/
twitter: @rmoff
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References & Further Reading

Cary Millsap - Thinking Clearly About Performance
http://queue.acm.org/detail.cfm?id=1854041
Blog series: OBIEE and Performance
http://ritt.md/obiee-performance
obi-metrics-agent
http://ritt.md/oma-intro
Greg Rahn - The Core Performance Fundamentals Of Oracle Data Warehousing Balanced
Hardware Configuration
http://wp.me/p3cJT-by
Oracle documentation - Oracle Database 2 Day + Data Warehousing Guide - Balanced Hardware Configuration
E25555-03
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No Silver Bullets : OBIEE Performance

in the Real World

T : +44 (0) 1273 911 268 (UK) or (888) 631-1410 (USA) or

T : +44 (0) 1273 911 268 (UK) or (888) 631-1410 (USA) or

Overall solution crosses disciplines and job roles

The Additional Problem

T : +44 (0) 1273 911 268 (UK) or (888) 631-1410 (USA) or

The Only Answer

Evidence-based DESIGN and DIAGNOSTICS

T : +44 (0) 1273 911 268 (UK) or (888) 631-1410 (USA) or

Performance Beyond the Best Practices

Tear down the reliance on

T : +44 (0) 1273 911 268 (UK) or (888) 631-1410 (USA) or

T : +44 (0) 1273 911 268 (UK) or (888) 631-1410 (USA) or

Is your problem Performance or Capacity?

Performance: Response time is slow for one user

Number of concurrent users

Adding Capacity alone will not fix your performance problems

T : +44 (0) 1273 911 268 (UK) or (888) 631-1410 (USA) or

Nose to Tail Diagnostics

OBIEE system components

T : +44 (0) 1273 911 268 (UK) or (888) 631-1410 (USA) or

Approach championed by Cary Millsap / Method-R

Performance improvement is proportional to how much a

T : +44 (0) 1273 911 268 (UK) or (888) 631-1410 (USA) or

End-user reports a response time of 40 seconds.

Where did the time get spent?

OBIEE system components

T : +44 (0) 1273 911 268 (UK) or (888) 631-1410 (USA) or

Time Profile in Action

Time Profile in Action

Physical SQL 1 execute on DB

Physical SQL 2 execute on DB

BI Server combines dataset from DB results

Presentation Services generates page

Time profile shows clearly :

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Deep Dive into BI Server Time from nqquery.log

Logical Query Summary Stats: Elapsed time e

Logical Query Summary Stats: [...] Response time r

Logical Query Summary

Physical query response

Send to client, wait for

Eg. Presentation Services

Physical query response

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nqquery.log or Usage Tracking?

Logical Query Summary Stats: [...] Compilation time

Physical Query Summary Stats: [...] DB-connect time

Physical query response time

Physical query response time

Physical query response time

Logical Query Summary Stats: [...] Response time

Logical Query Summary Stats: Elapsed time

T : +44 (0) 1273 911 268 (UK) or (888) 631-1410 (USA) or

Usage Trackings blind spot

This can hide problems:

T : +44 (0) 1273 911 268 (UK) or (888) 631-1410 (USA) or

Send to client, wait for

DB Explain plans, V$SQL, etc

T : +44 (0) 1273 911 268 (UK) or (888) 631-1410 (USA) or

T : +44 (0) 1273 911 268 (UK) or (888) 631-1410 (USA) or

Digging Deeper with DMS Metrics

Hundreds of low-level metrics