Updating a userid in the Web Catalog with runcat.cmd

Have you ever run into this error with OBIEE 11g?

The GUID (########################) for user ABC already exists in the catalog with username XYX. If this user was renamed in the backend, please use the catalog user management tools to rename this user in the catalog. If the username was not renamed, the catalog has to be cleaned of this GUID.[[
File:securityimpl.cpp
Line:610

This error occurs when an LDAP user is renamed, typically preventing the user from logging into the application. Oracle provides

documentation for updating the GUID, but there is little if any documentation to update a userid. Here are the steps to updating a userid in the OBIEE 11g Web Catalog.

Steps:

Log into the Oracle BI host.
Navigate to the Catalog Manager path:
<MiddlewareHome>\instances\instance1\bifoundation\OracleBIPresentationServicesComponent\coreapplication_obips1\catalogmanager

Create a file called boot.txt in the same directory
Update the file with credentials able to use catalog manager
login=userid
pwd=password

Replace userid and password with those appropriate for your system (eg. weblogic....)

Save the file and close

Execute the runcat.cmd utility to update the userid
runcat.cmd -cmd renameAccounts -old OLDUSERID -new NEWUSERID -online http://IPAddress:PORT/analytics/saw.dll -credentials boot.txt

No output indicates that the user has been updated. Test by impersonating the user and logging into OBIEE.  You should now be able to login successfully under the new userid.

forums https://forums.oracle.com/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=2360823

OBIEE RPD Repository Report

Hidden away in a dusty corner of the OBIEE Admin tool is the Repository report.

This is pretty useful for a knowledge transfer. Click on tools -> utilities and then select "Repository Report".

This will give you a csv file detailing the information from presentation layer through the BMM and then the physical layer.

Columns are

Subject Area,
Presentation Table,
Presentation Column,
Description - Presentation Column,
Business Model,
Derived logical table,
Derived logical column,
Description - Derived Logical Column,
Expression,
Logical Table,
Logical Column,
Description - Logical Column,
Logical Table Source,
Expression,
Initialization Block,
Variable,
Database,
Physical Catalog,
Physical Schema,
Physical Table,
Alias,
Physical Column,
Description - Physical Column

I am currently experimenting with exporting this data and including it in management dashboards, tying it in with the catalog and usage tracking.

Where you derive a Fact is Important

When you define a calculated measure column using a logical column, OBIEE performs the aggregation for the columns used in the calculation first, before applying the calculation.

So for example, if a calculated measure (Total Revenue) is derived from the product of two LOGICAL columns (Unit Price x Number of Items), then OBIEE will create SQL such that the Unit Price and Number of Items columns are aggregated first, and then the multiplication.

However, if the calculated measure is derived from the product of two PHYSICAL columns, then the multiplication will be executed first, and then the aggregation after.

This can make a difference in some cases, so know what you want to accomplish and then carefully choose the appropriate column type for your derived column.