OBIEE 11g: Do You Need Separate Mds, Biplatform Schemas for each Instance

Do you need separate MDS, BIPLATFORM schemas per OBIEE instance?

For example, say you have 5 developers, do you need to run the RCU Wizard 5 times to create 5 different MDS and BIPLATFORM schemas each with a different prefix? Or can the different OBIEE instances share the same OBIEE Database repository Schemas?

The answer disappointingly is: NO.

Different OBIEE instances cannot share a single database repository schema.

It is one OBIEE instance per schema.

For more information please see "Sharing Schemas Required by Oracle Business Intelligence":

http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E23943_01/bi.1111/e10539/c3_requrmnts.htm#BABBICDA

OBIEE 11.1.1.7 Upgrade

I have just upgraded a test server from OBIEE 11.1.1.6.2 BP1 to the latest and greatest version 11.1.1.7

After past experiences of upgrade I was half expecting to have no nails left and be pulling my hair out, but this time it went right.

Note: If you are running a simple install, ie. everything runs from port 7001, this whole process will not work for you, and at some stage in the next week or two I'll document exactly what you have to do.

This is for the Enterprise Install only.

Software Only Installer

1. Shut down all BI processes, OPMN and node manager.
2. Run the installer and choose Software only install.
    The installer will do a few checks.
    Find the default middleware home
    Find the weblogic install
    and finally start the install.

So that is fairly painless and in about 20 minutes or so you have updated binaries.

Patch Set Assistant

1. Navigate to {middleware home}/oracle_common/bin directory

2. Run psa.bat
3. Select the component to upgrade. (Oracle Business Intelligence)
4. Then, much like most of the GUI installers, fill in the connection details of the MDS and BIPLATFORM schemas.

5. Once you verify you have backed up and are running an appropriate version of the database

6. You are asked to upgrade.

Start Weblogic

Now start the Node Manager Service 

and, navigate to {middleware_home}\user_projects\domains\bifoundation_domain\bin

and run startWebLogic.cmd

When the server is in the running state

Configuration Assistant

1. Start the configuration assistant

   {middleware_home}\Oracle_BI1\bin and run config.bat

2. Select the upgrade option

3. Fill in the details to connect to the admin server (usually 7001)

4. And off it goes.

The configuration assistant will do stopping and starting of all the appropriate services at various times and leave you with a updated OBIEE 11.1.1.7 

Compared to the previous updates this was easy, but be warned, updating a simple install means that you have to do all the steps covered by the configuration assistant manually.

I'm just getting to grips with the new features and visualisations, and hope to bring you more over the coming weeks.

Update
Here are the manual steps for upgrading a simple install. Please keep me informed of any issues you encounter.

Simple Install of OBIEE 11.1.1.6 on Windows 64 bit

After downloading the zip files from Oracle: and completing
the repository creation
and setting up the loopback adapter.

Extract all 5 disks to the same directory and accept the warning

When all disks are unpacked you should have one directory bishiphome containing 5 numbered disks. Navigate to disk1 and click setup.exe

The OBIEE install wizard will start. This process will take at least 90 minutes.

Click next and skip software updates

Accept Simple Install.

The prerequisite checks should run.

Set the middleware home to D:\OBIEE11G

Set the weblogic password

Conform all the modules to be installed

Set the biplatform credentials

And then similarly the MDS credentials

Ignore the updates

You are now ready to install

Click install

First the files are copied in and patches applied

This takes around 45 minutes

Followed by the configuration of the OBIEE instance

Click next

Save the install details and finish

OBIEE should now attempt to start in the browser.

Installing OBIEE 11.1.1.6 Loopback Adapter on Windows Server 2008 64bit.

Installing the loopback adapter

Click on start and right click on Computer and select Properties to get to the System control Panel

Select device manager

Right click on the computer name and add legacy hardware.

Install the hardware manually

Select network adapters from the list

Microsoft --> Loopback adapter

click next

Then click finish on the wizard

Now open the network and sharing Center

And select Change adapter settings

Right click the loopback adapter and select properties

We will be altering the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) settings

Set the IP address to be non navigable 10.10.10.10

And the subnet mask to 255.255.255.0

Now close the Properties

You can test this by opening a command window and running ipconfig /all


Part of the output will show your loopback settings.

The loopback adapter should be set up and running

Installing OBIEE 11.1.1.6 RCU on Windows Server 2008 64bit.

The Repository Creation Utility

Copy across the Repository Creation Utility RCU and the 5 zipped disks for the OBIEE install to a directory on E:

Creating the repository.

Unpack the RCU and navigate to /rcuHome/bin and run rcu.bat

Select Create

Enter the server and connection details 

You will then have a confirmation box with all prerequisites ticked.

Create an new prefix for your install and select Oracle Business Intelligence from the boxes below.

Another confirmation box

Set the schema passwords

Either allow the default tablespace creation or remap to existing tablespaces.

Another confirmation box

Click create.

Click close and you’re done.