Repository/Web Catalog Migration Tips

and Caching

Melinda Rojo
Dan Malone

December 4, 2008

Session Overview
Under the covers the OBIEE dashboards are comprised
of a multitude of objects in both the Metadata
Repository and the Web Catalog. Version control and
migrating these objects between environments are
non trivial tasks. This session will share what we have
learned.
We will also discuss how we used OBIEE caching to
improve performance and the methods we used to
automate clearing the OBI server cache when the
data warehouse refresh is complete.

December 4, 2008

Session Topics
Architecture Overview
Migration Overview
Metadata Repository
Web Catalog

Cache Management

December 4, 2008

Architecture Overview
2 Servers per Environment
2 Metadata Repositories
Shared Web Catalog
No replication

4 Environments

Pre-Development
Development
Test
Production

Windows Terminal Services

Administration Tools

December 4, 2008

Migration Overview
Pre-Migration Tasks
Metadata Repository Migration
Web Catalog Migration

December 4, 2008

Pre-Migration Tasks
Change Ownership of Web Catalog
Objects to Administrator
Set Permissions on Objects
Setup Security in Target Environment
Create New Groups
Repository Groups
Web Catalog Groups

December 4, 2008

Metadata Repository Migration

Development
Migrate Metadata Repository (.rpd file)
between servers in same environment

Development -> Test

Test -> Production
Promote Metadata Repository between
environments
Migrate Metadata Repository (.rpd file)
between servers in same environment

December 4, 2008

Migration in the Same Environment

Copy physical Metadata Repository file
(.rpd) from one server to the other
Tips & Tricks
Stop BI services to ensure no changes are
occurring
Requires outage since BI services are
stopped during copy

December 4, 2008

Migration Between Environments

Option #1: Copy/Paste changes manually
Only selected changes will migrate to target environment
Physical layer changes will overwrite
Business Model and Presentation layer changes require
delete then paste
Initialization blocks and variables are duplicated
To avoid down time in production, copy-paste to both servers

Option #2: Copy Metadata Repository file (.rpd)

All changes will migrate to target environment

Not all changes are ready to migrate
Passwords for privileged users can be different
Passwords for connection pools can be different

December 4, 2008

Web Catalog Migration

Do not copy physical files
All or nothing

Why?
See Security Presentation

Exceptions
Saved data formats
<catalog root>/system/metadata
Cannot use Catalog Manager because objects
are owned by system account

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Migrating with Catalog Manger

Catalog Manager is a Windows only tool
On-line changes only with Linux environment

Tool allows connection to multiple catalogs Tool

allows copy paste method
Copy is an additive process ONLY
Remember to delete objects in target environment

Copies permissions between environments

Set Paste ACL preference
Groups need to be created first
In both presentation and metadata

Allows selection of multiple objects

Allows for Smart Rename (fix refs)

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Screen Shot of Web Catalog

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Migration Tips
Only migrate Shared folder and subfolders
Delete-copy-paste is best but requires
outage
Is there a new Subject Area?
Must log into Answers and view the subject
area
Subject Area privileges are not available until
someone accesses it

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Questions?

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What Caches?
Browser
Presentation Services
BI Server

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Cache Management Requirements

We want to use cache to improve
performance
Warehouse refreshes daily
Different business areas refresh at
different intervals

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What options did we not use?

Physical Layer Tables
Set to expire at a given interval

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Clearing the Cache Manually

Presentation Services
Refresh icon on Dashboard
Clear My Selections
Manage Sessions
Session Management
Close all Cursors

Clear BI Server cache

BI Server
Repository -> Manage ->Cache
Purge

Changes to the Business Model

Restart BI Server

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Clearing the Cache Automatically

Physical Layer
Set to never expire

Tables in the warehouse

PolyData Stats table with last load date
Business Model to Stats table name mapping
View joining these tables

Initialization block sets dynamic repository variables

10 minute refresh
Multiple variables in single init block

Business Model logical column associated with the

value of the repository variable

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Automated Cache Clearing

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The Magic Behind Automated

Cache Clearing
Data Warehouse job completes and
updates PolyData Stats table
The initialization block changes the
repository variable value
The Logical Column value is changed
Changing the value is considered a
change to the business model
Therefore the cache clears!

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Questions?

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Contact
OBIEE Technical Conference:
http://polydata.calpoly.edu/dashboards/obiee_conf/index.html

Email: polydata@calpoly.edu

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