BI Connector helps users to quickly connect from Tableau to OBIEE Subject Area and Reports and create powerful visualizations with ease. Users can get to analytics faster, take advantage of the joins and aggregations in OBIEE and avoid time consuming manual export/import. This presentation provides an overview of the best practices for Super Users/IT Developers, Power Users (Report Developers) and Report Users. Visit www.biconnector.com to learn more.

1. Best Practices for Users

2.  Introduction to BI Connector
 How BI Connector Works
 Installation
 Configuration of BI Connector
 Before You Connect – The Best Practices
 Connecting Live to OBIEE
 Publish to Tableau Server
 Extracting OBIEE data
Key Concepts

3. Introduction to
BI Connector

4. Users Are Seeking Faster Time To Analysis
Custom
Visualizations
Combine with
own data
Intuitive &
Easy to Use
✓ ✓ ✓

5. What is the Ideal Solution?
Empower
Users to
connect to
OBIEE
Reuse meta data for easy
visualization
Combine other
data sources
with
OBIEE data
Reuse
OBIEE
security
rules.
Repurpose
investment in
OBIEE + Benefits
of Modern Viz
Tools
Enable a
Governed
Self-Service BI
Maximize the value
of BI investments

6. BI Connector Enables Self-Service BI
Connect to
OBIEE
Subject Area
+ Reports in
minutes
Secured by OBIEE
security model
Reuse OBIEE
business logic, No
Changes to OBIEE
 Time savings
Easy Installation
Avoid Errors
Information Consistency
Best of Viz
Tools +
OBIEE
= Governed
Self-
Service BI
OBIEE Tableau

7. Business Benefits
Combine Modern Visualization
with OBIEE Using BI connector
Intuitive, Easy
Visualization
Faster
Decisions
Time
Savings
Avoid
Errors

8. How BI Connector
Works –
The Concepts

9. A platform that helps users to save time and use Modern Analytics tools to
to easily access Enterprise BI data.
BI Connector Solution
Metadata
/Security
OBIEE &
MicroStrategy
Tableau /
Power BI BI Connector DW OLTP
US Patent 9639630 on System
for BI data Integration

10. BI Connector Solution
Desktop Edition
Subject Area +
Reports
Connector
Server Edition
Subject Area +
Reports
Connector
Desktop Edition connects
Tableau Desktop to OBIEE
Server/Gateway Edition connects
Tableau Server to OBIEE
Connect to OBIEE Subject
Area and Reports Catalog
for Ad-hoc analytics

11. How BI Connector Works
Live or schedule auto-
refresh of Data
Create visualizations
Share workbooks
View Reports
1
2 3
4
Analyst with Tableau Desktop and BI
Connector Desktop
Report User with Browser
OBIEE
Tableau Server/Bridge
+ BI Connector Server

12. How Users Connect to OBIEE Data
User
Activities Performed
• Create Data Source
• Create Reports
• Create Reports • Consume Reports
OBIEE Connection Via
• Create using BI
Connector Desktop
Edition
• Publish to Tableau
Server
• Create using Tableau
Server Data Source
• Publish to Tableau
Server
• Consume using
Tableau Server
Software
Requirements for the
User
• Tableau Desktop
• BI Connector Desktop
Edition
• Tableau Desktop
• Tableau Server
Connection
• Browser
Super User Power User Report User

13.  Live Query Connection
 Extract Connection
Tableau- BI Connector Connectivity Options

14. Live Query connection
• Live connection to OBIEE data - Access the latest data from OBIEE
• Performance optimized and easy to use
• Useful for avoiding extracts
• Security/Authentication
• Connection from Desktop using OBIEE credentials
• Connection from Server using OBIEE credentials

15. Extract connection
• Extract OBIEE data to Tableau
• Schedule auto-refresh
• Security/Authentication
• Connection from Desktop using OBIEE credentials
• Connection from Server using cached credentials
• Manage reports security using Tableau

16. The Super User
Guide for
BI Connector

17. How Users Connect to OBIEE Data
User
Activities Performed
• Create Data Source
• Create Reports
• Create Reports • Consume Reports
OBIEE Connection Via
• Create using BI
Connector Desktop
Edition
• Publish to Tableau
Server
• Create using Tableau
Server Data Source
• Publish to Tableau
Server
• Consume using
Tableau Server
Software
Requirements for the
User
• Tableau Desktop
• BI Connector Desktop
Edition
• Tableau Desktop
• Tableau Server
Connection
• Browser
Super User Power User Report User

18. BI Connector
Installation

19.  Desktop Edition available in
• https://www.biconnector.com/freetrial/
 Documentation & Knowledge Base
available in
• http://support.biconnector.com/support/home
 Desktop Edition Installation Guide
• Connect Tableau Desktop to OBIEE - BI
connector Installation Guide
Software Download & Documentation

20.  Desktop Edition Installation Guide
• Connect Tableau Desktop to OBIEE - BI connector Installation Guide
 Requirements: Windows PC, Admin access
 Extract BIConnector-Desktop-Edition-x64.exe
 Open the BIConnector-setup-x64(x.x.x.xxxx).exe
Installation

21. Configure OBIEE
DSN

22.  Launch BI Connector using ODBC Console.
• Search in Windows Search box for "ODBC" and select ODBC Data Sources
(64-bit) to launch this screen.
Configure OBIEE Connection as DSN

23. License Activation

24. 1. Name for DSN
2. Description
3. Your OBIEE URL domain e.g., obieedev.mycompany.com. Do not
add /analytics, delete extra space if any.
4. OBIEE Port in the URL e.g. 9704 or 9502 or 80 or 443
5. Optional
6. OBIEE username
7. OBIEE password
8. Test connection
9. Choose Subject Areas
10. Leave * as default
11. Preload metadata
12. Click Ok.
OBIEE Configuration
e.g., OBIEE URL: http://obieedev.mycompany.com:9704/analytics

25.  Pre-load is used to cache the OBIEE metadata in BI Connector
 Used for faster display of the Subject Area/Reports and columns in
Tableau
 Pre-load is mandatory. BI Connector will not work without Pre-load.
 Refresh Pre-load periodically to update the cache for new Subject
Areas/Tables/Reports.
More about Pre-load Metadata

26. OBIEE DSN
You are ready to connect

27. Before You Connect –
A Few Best Practices

28. OBIEE as a Data Source – Unique Challenges
OBIEE TABLEAU
OBIEE is unlike other data
sources
• Data Volume
• Meta data
• Complex schema
• Joins in OBIEE
• Security model

29. The 7 Best Practices to Follow
Know your
OBIEE data
model
Keep It Simple
Connect Live
First,
Extract Later
Use
Filters
Uncheck the
Auto-Update
Worksheet
Use Filters
Stay within
Star Schema

30. 1. Important to know the OBIEE
data model and OBIEE itself
2. Follow this failsafe approach
until you are comfortable
1. Keep Tableau and OBIEE side
by side
2. View the report in OBIEE
3. Identify Subject Area, Folders
and Columns in OBIEE
4. Connect to the same OBIEE
environment from Tableau
5. Create visualization in Tableau
6. Verify the results with OBIEE
Know Your OBIEE

31.  OBIEE data models are complex, so
start simple
 Connect to OBIEE Test/QA instance
 Connect to a familiar Subject Area
 Drag-n-drop the fact table first, then the
dimensions
 Don’t change the Join conditions. Keep
the GZID joins  This ensures proper
query to OBIEE.
 Start with a small model
• Fact + 2 Dimensions
 Gain experience with simple data
models, then experiment with complex
visualizations
Keep It Simple

32.  Connect live to data first
• Live connection fetches only the used columns
• Visualization verifies that the data is correct
 Verify in OBIEE if needed
 Extract later
• Extract is “select * from all-joined-tables”
• Error prone – OBIEE column errors
• Expensive – too much data
• Extract only required columns
 Use Hide Unused Column feature
 Eliminates OBIEE RPD errors in unused
columns
Connect Live First, Extract Later (If Needed)

33.  Millions of rows in OBIEE Fact
tables  Performance issue
 Use Data Source Filters and
Worksheet filters to query only
the required data
Faster queries
Shorter report creation time
No calls from OBIEE Admins 
Use Filters

34.  Update Now is expensive
• Select * from all tables
 Hide unused columns
 Use filters
 Unexpected Error ?
• Reasons:
 Underlying OBIEE RPD
column errors
• Missing physical mapping
 Join of Tables from different
Star Schemas
Don’t Click That Update Now!

35.  Each drag and drop into
worksheet could be a
separate OBIEE query 
Expensive
 In worksheet, disable Auto-
Update Worksheet
 Drag and drop dimensions
and measures
 Update worksheet to get data
 Faster time to report
Un-check the Auto-Update Worksheet

36.  Watch out for subject
areas with multiple star
schemas
 OBIEE doesn’t like join
across star schemas
 Select Tables only from a
single star schema
Stay within Star Schema
Subject Area
Fact 1 Fact 2
Dim 1
Dim 2
Dim 3 Dim 4 Dim 5 Dim 6
Dim 7
Dim 8

37. Recap of 7 Best Practices

38. Connect Live to
OBIEE

39. Use Other Databases to Connect
Choose configured OBIEE DSN

40. Connect to OBIEE DSN

41. Subject Area & Tables
• One Connection – One Subject Area only
• Select fact table first, then dimension tables.
• Don’t create any new joins. Go with the automatic (GZID) join
created by BI Connector.

42. Visualize OBIEE data
• Ignore GZID columns
• Ignore OBIEE column separators e.g., -----------Column
Separator----------

43. Publish to Tableau
Server

44.  BI Connector deployed on Tableau Server
 Name of OBIEE DSN in your Desktop = Name of OBIEE DSN in your
Server
• E.g., OBIEE Connect
• Ask your Tableau Admin for the DSN name for OBIEE Production and OBIEE
QA/Test instances.
Pre-requisite

45. Connect to Tableau Server

46.  Authentication
• Prompt User
 Prompts Tableau server users
to login with their own OBIEE
credentials
• Embed Password
 Connects Tableau server user
with your credentials to
OBIEE data
Publish to Server

47. View in Browser

48. Extract OBIEE data

49.  When OBIEE query performance is slow
 You need to join two data sources with disparate data types
 Publish reports to management periodically
Scenarios for Extract

50.  Add filters to
minimize data
• OBIEE will error out
if you extract very
large dataset
 Hide unused
columns to minimize
OBIEE errors
Extract – Things to Do

51. The Power User
Guide to BI
Connector

52. How Users Connect to OBIEE Data
User
Activities Performed
• Create Data Source
• Create Reports
• Create Reports • Consume Reports
OBIEE Connection Via
• Create using BI
Connector Desktop
Edition
• Publish to Tableau
Server
• Create using Tableau
Server Data Source
• Publish to Tableau
Server
• Consume using
Tableau Server
Software
Requirements for the
User
• Tableau Desktop
• BI Connector Desktop
Edition
• Tableau Desktop
• Tableau Server
Connection
• Browser
Super User Power User Report User

53. Connect Live to
OBIEE

54.  Connect from Tableau Desktop
to your Tableau Server
 Connect to the curated list of
OBIEE data sources
 Will be prompted for OBIEE
credentials
 Start visualizing
 Best Practices apply for Power
Users also!
Connect to Tableau Server

55. Benefits of 7 Best Practices
• Access OBIEE data in live or extract methods
• Access via browser or Tableau Desktop
• Visualize, mash-up, publish, consume
• Reduce time to analytics
• Create “Governed” OBIEE data source for
Tableau
• No changes in OBIEE, No coding required
• Support Self-service, reduce BI backlogs
Business Users IT

56. Download free trial at
www.biconnector.com
Happy Analysis!
Check out Connectivity to OBIEE Reports
Contact: support@biconnector.com