OBIEE Systems Management Tips and Tricks - AIOUG Systems Mgmt Ti… · OBIEE Systems Management Tips and Tricks Wednesday, 2 November 11. T : +44 (0) 8446 697 995 or (888) 631 1410

T : +44 (0) 8446 697 995 or (888) 631 1410 (USA) E : [email protected] W: www.rittmanmead.com

Mark Rittman, Technical Director, Rittman MeadAll-India Oracle Users Group, November 2011

OBIEE Systems Management Tips and Tricks

Wednesday, 2 November 11

mailto:[email protected]


http://www.rittmanmead.com



Mark Rittman

• Mark Rittman, Co-Founder of Rittman Mead• Oracle ACE Director, specialising in Oracle BI&DW• 14 Years Experience with Oracle Technology• Regular columnist for Oracle Magazine• Author of forthcoming Oracle Press book on OBIEE 11g• Writer for Rittman Mead Blog :

http://www.rittmanmead.com/blog• Email : [email protected]• Twitter : @markrittman






http://www.rittmanmead.com/blog

http://www.rittmanmead.com/blog




About Rittman Mead

• Oracle BI and DW platinum partner• World leading specialist partner for technical excellence, solutions delivery and innovation in

Oracle BI• Approximately 30 consultants worldwide• All expert in Oracle BI and DW• UK based• Offices in US, Europe (Belgium) and India• Skills in broad range of supporting Oracle tools:‣ OBIEE‣ OBIA‣ ODIEE‣ Essbase, Oracle OLAP‣ GoldenGate‣ Exadata







Oracle Business Intelligence 11g (11.1.1.5)

• Oracle’s BI platform, now at release 11.1.1.5 (11gR1)• Wide range of servers, tools, metadata stores based around Oracle FMW11g• Based on Siebel Analytics with additions from Oracle and Hyperion products• Often used in conjunction with the BI Applications and EPM Suite







OBIEE 11g Systems Administration

• OBIEE 11g is not your father’s OBIEE system• It is built on Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g and Oracle WebLogic Server• Administration is generally carried out using Enterprise Manager• OBIEE 11g system are typically clustered and distributed• It’s designed to be administered in the same way as other enterprise Oracle tools







Topics Covered in this Presentation

• Overview of OBIEE 11g’s architecture• Deploying repositories and catalogs across clustered nodes• Applying configuration changes across clustered nodes• Understanding Enterprise Manager, and the Oracle BI Systems Management API• Scripting configuration changes• Diagnostics and logging







OBIEE 11g Basic Architecture

•Overall system called an “Oracle BI Domain”

•Made up of Java and non-Javacomponents

• Java components hosted inWebLogic Server 11g

•Managed using OEM andWebLogic Admin Server

•Supporting database schemafor repositories, metadata







Systems Management across OBIEE 11gR1 Clustered Systems

•OBIEE 11g is a more complex beast than the 10g release•So how do you apply configuration changes across multiple clustered nodes?•How do you deploy repositories when your BI servers are clustered?•How do you script the process so that it is automated?•How do you run diagnostics and view logs across clustered nodes•How do you back it all up (and recover it)•And do you apply patches from

My Oracle Support?

TestDev Production Cluster

Developer Production Support







OBIEE 11gR1 Systems Management Best Practices

1. Use Enterprise Manager to deploy repositories and catalogs between environments2. Use Enterprise Manager to apply system configuration changes to environments3. Use WLST and the Oracle BI Systems Management API to script these tasks

cd (biinstance.toString())biserver = get('ServerConfiguration')cd('..')cd(biserver.toString())ls()argtypes = jarray.array(['java.lang.String','java.lang.String'],java.lang.String)argvalues = jarray.array(['C:/SampleAppLite.rpd','Admin123'],java.lang.Object)invoke('uploadRepository',argvalues,argtypes)

cd('..')cd('oracle.biee.admin:type=BIDomain,group=Service')objs = jarray.array([],java.lang.Object)strs = jarray.array([],java.lang.String)invoke('commit',objs,strs)







The OBIEE 11g Web-Based Administration Consoles

Manages Oracle WebLogic• Startup and Shutdown Managed Servers• Maintain WLS LDAP Server• Deploy Applications• Monitor servers and clusters

Oracle WebLogic Administration Console







The OBIEE 11g Web-Based Administration Consoles

Manages Oracle WebLogic• Startup and Shutdown Managed Servers• Maintain WLS LDAP Server• Deploy Applications• Monitor servers and clusters

Oracle WebLogic Administration Console Enterprise Manager Fusion Middleware Control

Manages FMW11g and OBIEE 11g• Manage System and Java components• Manage application roles and policies• Monitor OBIEE performance & logs• Deploy RPD and Catalog

+







Oracle Enterprise Manager Fusion Middleware Control& WebLogic Server Administration Console

Demonstration







Managing the Oracle BI Repository and Web Catalog using EM

•Enterprise Manager is now used to deploy new RPD files (repository) and presentation catalog directories‣RPD files are uploaded using EM; catalogs have to be manually copied to servers

•Deploys metadata across all BI Server and Presentation Server nodes in the cluster (unless shared directories have been defined)







Managing the Oracle BI Repository and Web Catalog using EM

•Enterprise Manager is now used to deploy new RPD files (repository) and presentation catalog directories‣RPD files are uploaded using EM; catalogs have to be manually copied to servers

•Deploys metadata across all BI Server and Presentation Server nodes in the cluster (unless shared directories have been defined)







System Configuration Changes using Enterprise Manager

•Most important system configuration settings are now managed through EM•Ensures that all changes you make are applied across all nodes in the cluster•Graphical interface for managing common settings including‣Caching and other performance settings‣Number and scale-out of system components across cluster‣Miscelaneous settings including # rows returned, read-only RPD etc

•Each BI environment has its own EM website,which manages all nodes in the domain







How Does Enterprise Manager Work “Under the Covers”?

•Enterprise Manager uses the OBIEE 11g Systems Management API to perform administration tasks‣You can also use this API through WLST scripting, or through Java code

•Uses a set of JMX MBeans (Java Management Extensions) to perform tasks‣MBeans are Managed Beans, Java utilities

that have properties and methods‣Every EM task has a corresponding

MBean method‣Some MBeans have yet to be

exposed through EM







The Oracle BI Systems Management API

•A collection of MBeans used for providing systems management functions for OBIEE•A subset of the wider range of MBeans in Fusion Middleware 11g•Key Systems Management API MBeans include‣ServerConfigurationMBean : upload and register new repositories‣BIDomainMBean : lock, commit and rollback changes to OBIEE config‣BIInstanceMBean : Start, stop and restart components‣BILogConfigurationMBean, EmailConfigurationMBean etc

•You can write scripts, in Jython and using the WebLogic Scripting Tool (WLST), to make use of these administration MBeans







Invoking an MBean using WLST

•All Simple BI WLST scripts have the same common structure1. Connect to the WLS Admin Server (connect)2. CD to the correct Systems Management API MBean3. Prepare input array for invocation4. Prepare output array for invocation5. Call the MBean method

connect("weblogic","welcome1","localhost:7001")domainCustom()cd ('oracle.biee.admin')cd ('oracle.biee.admin:type=BIDomain,group=Service')biinstances = get('BIInstances')biinstance = biinstances[0] cd ('..')cd ('oracle.biee.admin:type=BIDomain,group=Service')objs = jarray.array([],java.lang.Object)strs = jarray.array([],java.lang.String)invoke('lock',objs,strs)cd('..')







Scripting EM Operations using WLST and the Systems Mgmt API

•All calls to the Oracle BI Systems Management API can be scripted through WLST•Command-line tool using Jython as the scripting language








Scripting EM Operations using WLST and the Systems Mgmt API

•All calls to the Oracle BI Systems Management API can be scripted through WLST•Command-line tool using Jython as the scripting language


Lock method

• Create lock on Oracle BI Domain, prior to configurationchange







WLST Script Continued












uploadRepository Method

• Obtain next RPD sequence no.• Copy the RPD name and

password into the MBeanproperties



















commit Method

• Activate configuration changes• Upload the RPD• Update config files• Store password in Credstore







Running a WLST Script

•Save the script to a file, for example upload_repository.py•Run WLST from the [middleware_home]/Oracle_BI/common/bin, for example

•This is called scripting mode; you can also issue WLST commands directly in what is called interactive mode

cd c:\middleware\Oracle_BI1\common\bin

wlst c:\temp\RPDUpload.py localhost 7001 weblogic welcome1 c:\temp\SampleAppLite_test.rpd Admin123

C:\middleware\Oracle_BI1\common\bin>wlst

wls:/offline> connect ("weblogic","welcome1","localhost:7001");Connecting to t3://localhost:7001 with userid weblogic ...Successfully connected to Admin Server 'AdminServer' that belongs to domain 'bifoundation_domain'

Warning: An insecure protocol was used to connect to the server. To ensure on-the-wire security, the SSL port or Admin port should be used instead.

wls:/bifoundation_domain/serverConfig>







Uploading a new Repository using WLST Scripting

Demonstration







Other Useful Uses of WLST Scripting

•Stopping, starting and restarting the BI Instance•Stopping, starting and restarting individual components•Changing the web catalog path•Creating roles and mapping them to LDAP groups•Enabling and disabling caching•Setting other performance parameters•Vertical and horizontal scaleout







Viewing System Metrics and Throughput Reports

•Enterprise Manager can provide high-level and detailed metrics for OBIEE 11g‣Monitored through various MBeans (more on these later on...)

•Can be accessed via various pages•For high-level view of key metrics, select Overview > Capacity Management







Viewing Detailed Metrics using EM

•More detailed metrics can be accessed from Capacity Management > Metrics•Shows high-level metrics under Responsiveness, Load and Reliability headings•Click on View the Full Set of System Metrics to display Performance Summary







Working with the Performance Summary : Step 1

•View current (default) throughput graphs, click Slider to change time window•Switch to Table View to see snapshot times and numbers








•View current (default) throughput graphs, click Slider to change time window•Switch to Table View to see snapshot times and numbers








•Scroll-down to see system component-specific metrics








•Scroll-down to see system component-specific metrics








•Press Show Metric Palette to see full range of MBeans metrics•Tick checkboxes to add metrics to moving graphs







Viewing Managed Server / Java Component Metrics

•Enterprise Manager can also display throughput and load for the WLS Managed Server, and status of Java components









Selection Menu for WLS Components

• Admin Server• Managed Server Cluster• Individual Managed Servers

















Throughput Metrics (Graph/Table)

• Request Processing Time• Requests per Module

















Java Component Metrics

• Individual metrics / component• Active Sessions• Request Processing Time• Bean Accesses/Minute















How Have Diagnostics and Logging Changed?

•OBI 11g uses DMS (Dynamic Monitoring Services) to record key system metrics‣Metrics and counters accessed via MBeans

•OBI 11g logging is still carried out to nqserver.log, nqquery.log•Logs are now aggregated and parsed through ODL (Oracle Diagnostic Logging0•Logs can now be viewed in aggregate using the Log Viewer‣Enterprise Manager > Capacity Management > Diagnostics







The Log Viewer

•On the Capacity Management > Diagnostics page on EM•Click on individual log name, or click Log Viewer to search all logs







The Log Viewer








The Log Viewer


Messages List

• Most recent errors or warnings• Headline details







The Log Viewer








The Log Viewer


Error Details

• Error message• Supplemental details• ECID• Component name







The Log Viewer








The Log Viewer


Search Tools

• Search by name, ECID• Headline details• Message type• Date range







Adding / Removing Log Targets

•By default, individual log views focus on a single log•You can broaden scope by adding / removing log targets‣ECID searches automatically include all log targets







Adding / Removing Log Targets

•By default, individual log views focus on a single log•You can broaden scope by adding / removing log targets‣ECID searches automatically include all log targets







Execution Context IDs

•Every client “transaction” is assigned an Execution Context ID (ECID)•Log entries are “stamped” with the ECID, to enable tracing across components•Can be seen in plain-text in log files, or searched for using Log Viewer







Execution Context IDs

•Every client “transaction” is assigned an Execution Context ID (ECID)•Log entries are “stamped” with the ECID, to enable tracing across components•Can be seen in plain-text in log files, or searched for using Log Viewer







Log Viewer Example 1 : Analysis/Dashboard Error

•To take an example, consider a situation where a user reports a dashboard error‣ “There’s a problem with the database”

•The only error they report is an ODBC error•Your job is to now use the logs to diagnose the problem..







Log Viewer Example 1 : Selecting the Server Log

•A database connection error will normally appear in the nqserver.log server log file, but you may have many BI Servers spread over many nodes

•From EM, select Capacity Management > Diagnostics•Click on the Server Log link







Log Viewer Example 1 : Viewing Server Log, Click on ECID

•View the server log entries, and details, to diagnose problem•Click on ECID link to see linked and related transactions







































Managing Performance Options and Server Configuration Details

• There are many options available to an OBIEE administrator to improve performance• Most performance issues can be traced back to the underlying database, however‣ Query caching can be enabled, and fine-tuned‣ Various options can be tweaked for the BI Presentation Server‣ Some fine-tuning of the RPD is possible as well

• Some options are exposed via Enterprise Manager, some via the Administration tool,some via configuration files‣ We will focus on those that can be administered through EM within this lesson







Diagnosing Performance Issues Through EM

• EM, via the system metrics, can alert you to performance issues and bottlenecks• Access metrics through Capacity Management > Metrics• or from Business Intelligence Instance > Monitoring > Performance







Diagnosing Performance Issues Through EM

• EM, via the system metrics, can alert you to performance issues and bottlenecks• Access metrics through Capacity Management > Metrics• or from Business Intelligence Instance > Monitoring > Performance







The EM Performance Settings Page

• Accessed through Capacity Management > Performance• Allows a subset of the possible BI Server and Presentation Server Settings to be managed‣ Others need to be managed manually in the NQSConfig.INI and instanceconfig.XML

configuration files







Performance Options Managed Through EM

• Query Cache Enabled | Disabled‣ Maximum Cache Entry Size ‣ Maximum Cache Entries

• Global Cache Path (used when clustering BI Servers)‣ Global Cache Size

• Disallow online RPD Updates• User Session Expiry (seconds)• Maximum Rows Processed (for Table View)• Maximum Number of Rows/Page (for Email)







Other Performance Settings That are Manually Managed

• Changed by manually editing the NQSConfig.INI file‣ Populate Aggregate Rollup Hits (Cache)‣ Use Advanced Hit Detection (Cache)‣ Maximum Subexpression Search Depth (Cache)‣ Use Advanced Hit Detection (Cache)‣ Virtual Table Page Size

(for in-memory joins, calcs)• For these options, you need to apply them

across all nodes in the cluster, manually







Summary

•OBIEE 11g is a much more complex enviroment than the 10g release•But there are various tools and scripting environments that you can use to manage the

environment•Enterprise Manager is your primary tool for OBIEE 11g systems management•Automatically deploys changes across all nodes in a managed way•WLST scripting and the Oracle BI Systems Management API can be used to automate

changes and deployments•Logging and diagnostics tools can be used across all nodes to help spot issues•Some features are still manually managed h







More Information

• Thank you for attending this presentation• More information can be found at http://www.rittmanmead.com• Contact us at [email protected] or [email protected]• Look out for our book, “Oracle Business Intelligence Developers Guide” due Q1 2012• Follow-us on Twitter (@rittmanmead) or Facebook (facebook.com/rittmanmead)













Mark Rittman, Technical Director, Rittman MeadAll-India Oracle Users Group, November 2011

OBIEE Systems Administration Tips and Tricks






Documents

OBIEE Systems Management Tips and Tricks - AIOUG Systems Mgmt Ti… · OBIEE Systems Management Tips and Tricks Wednesday, 2 November 11. T : +44 (0) 8446 697 995 or (888) 631 1410