Category Archives: Rene Kuipers
store non-OBIEE objects in the catalog
Thanks to John Minkjan (obiee101.blogspot.com) I was able to disclose (and secure) non-OBIEE content on a dashboard.
Using the regular Upload functionality you can easily upload a (for instance) PDF file into the Shared Folders of the webcatalog.
The awkward thing is, that if you put a link on your dashboard and use the Browse button to navigate to the particular folder, you don't see the PDF file since it is not an OBIEE object.
A workaround for this is to create a (dummy) analysis and store it in the same folder as the PDF. Then, as described above, put a link on your dashboard and navigate to the dummy analysis. As a final step, (since you now have the path to the folder where the PDF resides) replace the name of the OBIEE analysis with the PDF's name.
There you go ! Now you can have a link on your dashboard to non-OBIEE objects and use your security model on it !
Kind regards,
René
Using the regular Upload functionality you can easily upload a (for instance) PDF file into the Shared Folders of the webcatalog.
The awkward thing is, that if you put a link on your dashboard and use the Browse button to navigate to the particular folder, you don't see the PDF file since it is not an OBIEE object.
A workaround for this is to create a (dummy) analysis and store it in the same folder as the PDF. Then, as described above, put a link on your dashboard and navigate to the dummy analysis. As a final step, (since you now have the path to the folder where the PDF resides) replace the name of the OBIEE analysis with the PDF's name.
There you go ! Now you can have a link on your dashboard to non-OBIEE objects and use your security model on it !
Kind regards,
René
Upgrade OBI 11.1.1.3 to 11.1.1.5 findings
Well,
Upgrading OBI 11.1.1.3 to 11.1.1.5 is quite... ehm... challenging.
My first advice would be: perform a complete fresh installation of Weblogic 10.3.5 and OBI 11.1.1.5. (A so-called Out-Of-Place upgrade). An in-place upgrade is a LOT OF WORK and involves a lot of manual steps and scripting.
But, even the Out-Of-Place upgrade comes with challenges.
First of all, the installation is fine. (Although I tried to install this right after the release of the latest version of Java (7) and I didn't manage to get this up and running so I switched back to using 6u26.)
The migration of the security realm, setting up the Application Roles, everything is fine.
There is actually no need of upgrading the rpd file. Just point Weblogic to the correct file and it works.
But the WebCat is a different story...
In the 11.1.1.5 version of instanceconfig.xml there is this entry in the section that says: change the upgradeandexit "false" value to "true"
The documentation does not mention this entry. It mentions the previous syntax, which is something like ps:catalog etc. /ps:catalog
Setting its value to true and restarting the presentation server should (I believe) perform an upgrade of the webcatalog.
(BTW: the install doc of the 11.1.1.5 SampleApp also doesn't mention the 11.1.1.5 tag, but the 11.1.1.3 tag)
What I did find is loss of functionality. So the 11.1.1.3 version and the post-upgrade 11.1.1.5 version of the same dashboards act differently.
For instance: Graphs that have conditional formatting no longer animate. And also ALL our gauges lost their footer. because after the upgrade the @1 reference in the footer had changed after the upgrade to @0.
What else went wrong ? I'm still investigating. I'll keep you posted.
Kind regards,
René
Upgrade OBI 11.1.1.3 to 11.1.1.5 findings
Well,
Upgrading OBI 11.1.1.3 to 11.1.1.5 is quite... ehm... challenging.
My first advice would be: perform a complete fresh installation of Weblogic 10.3.5 and OBI 11.1.1.5. (A so-called Out-Of-Place upgrade). An in-place upgrade is a LOT OF WORK and involves a lot of manual steps and scripting.
But, even the Out-Of-Place upgrade comes with challenges.
First of all, the installation is fine. (Although I tried to install this right after the release of the latest version of Java (7) and I didn't manage to get this up and running so I switched back to using 6u26.)
The migration of the security realm, setting up the Application Roles, everything is fine.
There is actually no need of upgrading the rpd file. Just point Weblogic to the correct file and it works.
But the WebCat is a different story...
In the 11.1.1.5 version of instanceconfig.xml there is this entry in the section that says: change the upgradeandexit "false" value to "true"
The documentation does not mention this entry. It mentions the previous syntax, which is something like ps:catalog etc. /ps:catalog
Setting its value to true and restarting the presentation server should (I believe) perform an upgrade of the webcatalog.
(BTW: the install doc of the 11.1.1.5 SampleApp also doesn't mention the 11.1.1.5 tag, but the 11.1.1.3 tag)
What I did find is loss of functionality. So the 11.1.1.3 version and the post-upgrade 11.1.1.5 version of the same dashboards act differently.
For instance: Graphs that have conditional formatting no longer animate. And also ALL our gauges lost their footer. because after the upgrade the @1 reference in the footer had changed after the upgrade to @0.
What else went wrong ? I'm still investigating. I'll keep you posted.
Kind regards,
René
OBIEE Catalog and Application Roles
Hi !
When adding Application Roles as members to other Application Roles, the Presentation Server only 'sees' the ultimate parent of that hierarchy. So If you have an Application Role called 'Analyst' and there are other Application Roles member of this 'Analyst' Role, only the 'Analyst' role is known to the presentation server and also to the Catalog !
So remember this when setting access privileges on catalog objects !
René
When adding Application Roles as members to other Application Roles, the Presentation Server only 'sees' the ultimate parent of that hierarchy. So If you have an Application Role called 'Analyst' and there are other Application Roles member of this 'Analyst' Role, only the 'Analyst' role is known to the presentation server and also to the Catalog !
So remember this when setting access privileges on catalog objects !
René
OBIEE Catalog and Application Roles
Hi !
When adding Application Roles as members to other Application Roles, the Presentation Server only 'sees' the ultimate parent of that hierarchy. So If you have an Application Role called 'Analyst' and there are other Application Roles member of this 'Analyst' Role, only the 'Analyst' role is known to the presentation server and also to the Catalog !
So remember this when setting access privileges on catalog objects !
René
When adding Application Roles as members to other Application Roles, the Presentation Server only 'sees' the ultimate parent of that hierarchy. So If you have an Application Role called 'Analyst' and there are other Application Roles member of this 'Analyst' Role, only the 'Analyst' role is known to the presentation server and also to the Catalog !
So remember this when setting access privileges on catalog objects !
René
