OBIEE SampleApp 11.1.1.5 available on OTN

SampleApp V107 includes a multiple enhancements since previous 11.1.1.3 public release. Many examples showcase OBIEE 11.1.1.5 new features (Mobile, New types of data sources), and numerous additional OBIEE examples were added (Geospatial, Datamining, Functional examples and more).

Get it here.

Performance Metrics for Management

I was on a trawl to get backing for (yet another) an argument at work.

My argument has always been that everyone should understand how the numbers on a dashboard are derived, and its indicative value, is it good, bad, normal, etc. The viewer should also understand what the trend behind this number is, what makes this number better, or less bad.

Logging Level

What is logging level?
Where can you set logging levels?

You can enable logging level for individual users; you cannot configure a logging level for a group.


Typically logging is set to enable some kind of debug or tuning exercise to take place. There is a slight overhead of writing the logging, so disabling this feature in production is probably a good idea.

Set the logging level based on the amount of logging you want to do. In normal operations, logging is generally disabled (the logging level is set to 0). If you decide to enable logging, choose a logging level of 1 or 2. These levels are designed for use by OBIEE administrators.


Level 0

• No logging.

Level 1

• Logs the SQL statement issued from the client application.
• Logs elapsed times for query compilation, query execution, query cache processing, and back-end database processing.
• Logs the query status (success, failure, termination, or timeout). Logs the user ID, session ID, and request ID for each query.

Level 2

• Logs everything logged in Level 1.
• Additionally, for each query, logs the repository name, business model name, presentation catalog (called Subject Area in Answers) name, SQL for the queries issued against physical databases, queries issued against the cache, number of rows returned from each query against a physical database and from queries issued against the cache, and the number of rows returned to the client application.

It is possible to set a higher number, but do not do so without the help of Oracle support.

How to Set Logging Level
1. In the Administration Tool, select Manage > Security.
2. The Security Manager dialog box appears.
3. Double-click the user's user ID.
4. The User dialog box appears.
5. Set the logging level by clicking the Up or Down arrows next to the Logging Level field

What is the Purpose of an Alias Table?

An Alias table (Alias) is a physical table with the type of Alias. Physical aliases can be mapped to physical tables, stored procedures, and select statements. An alias table can be a reference to any of these table source types.


Alias Tables can be an important part of designing a physical layer. Here are some of the main reasons to create an alias table:
-To rename physical tables allowing them to be easily identified in the business model layer.
-By renaming you can impose a form of ordering on the tables shown in the physical layer.
-To reuse an existing table more than once in your physical layer (without having to import it several times)
-To set up multiple alias tables, each with different keys, names, or joins
-To help you design sophisticated star or snowflake structures in the business model layer. Alias tables are critical in the process of converting ER Schemas to Dimensional Schemas.

You need to create aliases to
-Eliminate physical joins that cross dimensions.
-Eliminate circular joins.