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info@rittmanmead.com www.rittmanmead.com @rittmanmead
Mark Rittman, CTO, Rittman Mead | UKOUG Tech’15, Birmingham
Deploying Full OBIEE Systems to Oracle Cloud
Is it possible? How does it work … and what’s the benefit vs. on-premise?
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info@rittmanmead.com www.rittmanmead.com @rittmanmead
About the Speaker
• Mark Rittman, Oracle ACE Director, Oracle BI, DW & Big Data
• 14 Years Experience with Oracle Technology
• Regular columnist for Oracle Magazine
• Author of two Oracle Press Oracle BI books
- Oracle Business Intelligence Developers Guide
- Oracle Exalytics Revealed
• Writer for Rittman Mead Blog :
http://www.rittmanmead.com/blog
• Past Editor of Oracle Scene Magazine,
BIRT SIG Chair, ODTUG Board Member
• Co-founder and CTO for Rittman Mead
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Oracle BI Cloud Service - What Is It?
• Oracle Business Intelligence, re-imagined for the cloud
• Runs as part of Oracle Public Cloud, part of wider Oracle Platform-as-a-Service
• Pay monthly, min 10 users, rolling upgrades and new features
• Entirely thin-client, simplified administration
• Comes with single DB schema,
50GB storage
• Aimed at departmental use-cases
- Sharing data from a spreadsheet
- Team reporting
- Development sandboxes
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Regular Updates & Previews of On-Premise Functionality
• BICS has had multiple updates since v1 launch, automatically added by Oracle
- Significant real-world benefit for customers - no-more big-bang upgrades
• Adding on-premise functionality missing in v1 (mapping for example)
• Filling out functionality e.g. Data Sync tool
• Early access to on-premise features
- Visual Analyzer
- Data Mashups
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Includes Oracle Visual Analyzer + Data Mashups
• Tableau-style data analysis tool aimed at
data analysts and self-service users
• Point-and-click exploration and
visualisation of datasets
• Uses BI Repository as data source,
ensuring “single-version-of-the-truth”
- Users can also add their own data, “for data
mashups”
• Enables more self-service, users doing
“last mile” in reporting
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Thin-Client Data Modeller for Simple RPD Modelling
• New thin-client data modeller, works with RPD online
• Single repository per tenant
• Regular RPD, but modeller only supports
subset of BI Administration features
- Single LTS per logical table
- No Alias, have to create DB views
- Single business model
- Only logical calculations
- But otherwise - an RPD
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Oracle Database Schema Provided with BICS
•Each instance of BICS comes with Oracle Schema Cloud Service
•ApEx environment with 10GB storage attached
•Able to run PL/SQL packages (with 5m timeout)
•Either create tables, views etc from ApEX,
or use data uploader in BICS
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Click to launch
ApEX Home Page

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Built-in Application Express Database Developer Tool
• Full ApEx environment for application building, table creation, SQL queries
• Can be used to build supporting applications, administration screens for OBIEE
application
• Make use of PL/SQL functionality
- Data cleansing
- Call Web Service REST APIs
- More complex processing
and calculations
• DB Cloud Service dashboard has tools
for data and application exports
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Options for Uploading Data to BI Cloud Service (DB Cloud)
• Use ApEx front-end and tools within it (data upload, data modeller etc)
• Use SQL*Developer and SFTP data upload facility
• Use BI Cloud Service Data Uploader
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Oracle BICS Initial Use-Case : Departmental Reporting
• Oracle BI Cloud Service in initial, standalone form aimed at departmental
reporting
- 50GB storage in single schema, limited ETL access
- Single subject area and limited RPD features
• Other common use-cases include
- Development environments
- Spin-off data discovery sandboxes
- Dedicated SaaS reporting applications
• But … part of wider Oracle Cloud platform
- Can we use that to host a whole BI system?
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Benefits from Running BI in Oracle Cloud
• Cost - TCO can be cheaper than on-prem
- Factor in service management, upgrades, staff costs, managed service contracts etc
- Operational issues taken care of by Oracle, along with security compliance
• Pay for software + hosting monthly/user, out of OpEx
• Gives more agility around creating test, dev branch environments
• Early Access to New Features
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OK…

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but…

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But How Useful Is BICS Now …. Really?
• I’d like to migrate to cloud, but my BI System uses a full Oracle DW database
- How do I host that in the cloud? And replicate it there in the first place?
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I Need Access to Full Admin Tool + RPD…
• We need access to a full Admin Tool, multiple data sources, federation
- BICS Thin Client Data Modeller isn’t enough…
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I’d Like Support for Multiple Subject Areas … And VA!
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• We need support for multiple subject areas
- And we’d like to use Visual Analyser … now!

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And My ETL Still Needs to Work … Or Be Better!
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• And our ETL needs to keeping working as now … or better!
• Can anyone help us?

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Oracle Cloud Can Host Full BI Platforms … Here’s How
• Host Full Oracle Data Warehouse in Oracle DBaaS
• Upload and run on-premise RPD including use of multiple databases
- Including on-premise through new WebLogic connector
• Run full ETL using ODI
• Use VA without 12c upgrade
• Still have partner support
for key stages + new
development …
- But take away IT hassles
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Wider Oracle Public Cloud PaaS Ecosystem
• Similar to other public cloud services (AWS, Azure etc) at IaaS layer
• But with platform (PaaS) and software (SaaS) layers as differentiator
• Can we use Database, Storage and other layers to host full OBIEE platform?
- And what about ETL, identity management, file storage and so on?
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Hosting Full OBIEE Platforms in Oracle Public Cloud
• Leverages BICS’s new “Upload RPD Data
Models to the Cloud” feature
- Migrate supporting DW to full Oracle DBaaS
- Update on-prem RPD to connect to DBaaS
- Upload RPD to BICS
• Create new Oracle Cloud users for BICS
• ETL can connect via SQL*Net, JDBC etc
• Use for wider use-cases than BICS incl.
- Host full production platform (or test, dev)
- Create development branches, etc
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Oracle BICS
Oracle DBaaS
RPD
Upload
ETL ToolsBI Administration On-Premise Source DB
Data Uploads
via SQL*Net

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BICS Upload RPD to Cloud Key Steps
1. Make sure on-premise data model is consistent, no errors etc
2. Create DBaas Instance, Upload on-premise database to cloud
3. Update RPD Connection Pool settings to point to DBaaS instance
4. Recreate any user accounts, application roles etc
5. Create new dashboards and reports
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Example Migration : Full OBIEE11g SampleApp v406
• OBIEE11g SampleApp v506 - based on 11.1.1.9 release and delivered on VM
• Comes with Oracle 12c Database with multiple schemas, MVs, partitioning etc
- Also uses Essbase, Hadoop etc but out of scope for this exercise
• Objective is to migrate OBIEE, DW database and security elements
- Verify that ODI can still connect and load DW in Oracle Cloud
- Look at options for additional DB sources,
Essbase, Hadoop sources etc
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Creating a Full Database Instance in Oracle DBaaS
• Initial step is to create an Oracle Database Cloud Service Instance
• Options for 11g or 12c Release Database, High / Extreme Performance Options
- Determines scope of DB features available (OLAP, partitioning etc)
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Oracle Database Cloud Service Connectivity / Configuration
• Database runs in a VM, has Listener and other processes running
• Database parameters can be altered, but DB Options set by DBaaS version
- OLAP, Partitioning Options not present may affect DB uploads
• Ports blocked by default, need to be opened for SQL*Net etc access
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Managing and Monitoring Database Cloud Service
• Oracle Enterprise Manager Database Express 12c for DBA tasks
- Features determined by DBaaS edition
(regular, High or Extreme Performance)
• Virtualised Cloud Hosting monitored by
Oracle DBaaS Monitor
- RDBMS storage, alerts, processes etc
- OS-level monitoring
- Listener
- Backups etc
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Migrating On-Premise Data to Oracle DBaaS
• This can be the tricky bit - if only because of volumes
• RMAN, DataPump etc available as options, along with ODI, SQL*Developer etc
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Configuring On-Premise RPD to Connect to DBaaS
• Update Connection Pool settings in on-prem RPD before upload to BICS
- Note : DBaaS instance must be in same datacenter as BICS
• Note - No need to change overall DB connection setting in BICS Console
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Steps to Upload RPD to BI Cloud Service
• Backup (snapshot) current BICS environment if required
• Select Snapshots > Replace Data Model
• Use Browse button to select RPD from desktop, then upload to BICS
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Additional BICS Capabilities when using Uploaded RPD
• Allows multiple subject areas vs. single one in standard BICS
• Multiple DBaaS instances can be mapped into RPD for federated queries
• Full access to RPD features - vertical/horizontal federation etc
• Data Mashups also available (but not VA)
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Additional Post Upload Configuration : Mapping
• Mapping is now available in BICS, requires further Administrator configuration
• Single map provider (OracleMaps) with set of associated layers
• As with on-premise, map layers then need to be linked to subject area columns
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Configuring Security and Recreating Users, Roles
• On-premise users need to have corresponding new account created in BICS
- Also creates an Oracle Cloud login for BICS identity domain - separate to OTN login
• BICS licensed per user, min is 10 per pod with test and prod instances
• Application roles also need to be recreated and users added
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SSO between Oracle SaaS and BICS
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• Allows an Oracle Cloud customer the
ability to have SSO between different
Cloud Apps, e.g. BICS and PBCS
• Requirements:
- Services need to be ordered in
the same data center
- Customer must activate
services under the same
identity domain
• When in the same IDM, a single
user can be authorized for one or
more available services.

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Row-level Security Within RPD
• Row-level security works properly within BICS and uploaded RPDs
• Best practice is to base on application roles, recreate matching ones to proceed
• Regular and row-wise session variables then work as expected
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Limitations on BICS with RPD Upload vs On-Premise
• Can only access other DBaaS sources at present - but see next slide
- Presume integration with PBCS, Oracle Big Data Cloud Service, SaaS apps to come
- No ability at present to access Essbase, TT or other acceleration layers
• No further editing of the uploaded RPD - but TCM enhancements soon
• Upload the catalog to go with RPD - coming soon
• Further limitations that may possibly be lifted in the future
- Adding of HTML or Javascript to Analyses is disabled
- Some limitations around alternate sorts and other small issues
- Visual Analyser not available yet (multiple subject area issue?)
- No usage tracking (but see MOS Doc.ID 1965207.1)
• No BI Publisher - though can install through JCS + DBaaS
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Accessing On-Premise Sources - Coming Soon
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• On-Premise Data Access using WebLogic Connector
• Enables direct query to on-premises accessible databases
- Secure & Optimized for WAN transport
- Free download from OTN, requires WebLogic
- Phase 1: Requires Admin tool & RPD upload
- Phase 2: Thin Client Modeler support

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What About ETL and Data Integration?
• ODI12c (and other tools using SQL*Net, JDBC etc) can connect to DBaaS as
normal
• Either through SSH tunnel and SQL*Net, or direct from internet if ports enabled
• Current data integration and ETL routines can therefore continue as normal
• Makes it possible to create a hybrid on-prem/cloud solution
- ODI can run on-premise, can integrate data from on-premise,
Oracle Cloud or SaaS apps
- ODI could also run in cloud, within a
standard Linux compute instance
• Full ODI Studio
• Standalone Agent or JEE Agent within WebLogic
Data Uploads
via SQL*Net

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Future Option : Oracle Big Data Preparation Cloud Service
• Oracle Cloud-based Data Preparation Service, aimed at da
• Takes files and other datasets from Oracle Cloud and prepares for analysis
• Split, transform and obfuscate data before loading into Hadoop data platform
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Uses Machine-Learning to Automate Data Recommendations
• Uses Spark MLlib machine learning to
profile data and recognise patterns
• Automates many of the routine data
preparation and profiling work
- Spot credit card, SSN + other sensitive
data, recommends masking
- Suggest appropriate names, datatypes
for columns based on
format and data patterns
• Allows analyst to focus on key tasks
- Example of cloud app consumerization
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Cloud Datasource Integration & File Upload/Download
• Primary datasource and target is Oracle Storage Cloud Service (like Amazon S3)
- Oracle Big Data Cloud Service, Oracle DBaaS and others
• User can also upload / download files directly into Big Data Prep Service
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How Can We use Big Data Prep Service with BICS?
• User uploads or downloads files (CSV,
TSV, Excel, Word, PDF, etc.) into Oracle
Storage Cloud Service
• Big Data Prep Service loads files
from Storage Cloud for preparation
• Prepared files are written back into
Storage Cloud Service
• User uploads prepared files into BICS
as datasource for ApEx / Schema
Service
- On roadmap : direct integration with VA
+ Answers for data-mashup data files
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Proposed Direct BDP Integration for VA / Data-Mashup Files
• Roadmap proposal from Oracle is to make BDP available from BICS homepage
• Load and prepare data to add as Visual Analyser & Answers Mashup data files
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Direct BICS / BDP Integration using Oracle Data Integrator
• Possible now : Use of ODI to prepare individual files through BDP
• ODI on-premise used to automate file extracts and upload into Storage CS using its
REST APIs
• BDP picks up files available in
Storage CS and prepares them
• Prepared files are written back
into Storage CS
• Prepped files downloaded by ODI
from Storage CS, loaded into BICS
- On roadmap: BDP will be able to
load prepared data directly into BICS
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Summary and Next Steps
• It’s now possible (mostly…) possible to migrate full OBIEE systems to cloud
• On-premise RPDs uploaded into BI Cloud Service + linked to DBaaS for DW
• ODI can still upload data from on-premise sources into DBaaS, or consider BDP
• Contact info@rittmanmead.com … we can save you from corporate IT delays
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Mark Rittman, CTO, Rittman Mead | UKOUG Tech’15, Birmingham
Deploying Full OBIEE Systems to Oracle Cloud
Is it possible? How does it work … and what’s the benefit vs. on-premise?
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