Skip to main content Skip to complementary content

Oracle Business Intelligence (OBI) Repository (RPD file) - Import

Availability-note AWS

Bridge Specifications

Vendor Oracle
Tool Name Oracle Business Intelligence (OBI) Repository (RPD file)
Tool Version 10.1 to 12c
Tool Web Site http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/middleware/bi-foundation/overview/index.html
Supported Methodology [Business Intelligence] Data Store (Xml Schemas, Physical Data Model, Logical Data Model), BI Design (RDBMS Source, Dimensional Target, Transformation Lineage, Expression Parsing), Graphical Layout via UDML XML File
Data Profiling
Incremental Harvesting
Multi-Model Harvesting
Remote Repository Browsing for Model Selection

SPECIFICATIONS
Tool: Oracle / Oracle Business Intelligence (OBI) Repository (RPD file) version 10.1 to 12c via UDML XML File
See http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/middleware/bi-foundation/overview/index.html
Metadata: [Business Intelligence] Data Store (Xml Schemas, Physical Data Model, Logical Data Model), BI Design (RDBMS Source, Dimensional Target, Transformation Lineage, Expression Parsing), Graphical Layout
Component: OracleBIServer version 11.2.0

OVERVIEW
This import bridge imports an Oracle Business Intelligence Server (formerly Siebel Analytics) model.

REQUIREMENTS
n/a

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
n/a

LIMITATIONS
Refer to the current general known limitations at MIMB Known Limitations or bundled in Documentation/ReadMe/MIMBKnownLimitations.html

SUPPORT
Provide a troubleshooting package with:
- the debug log (can be set in the UI or in conf/conf.properties with MIR_LOG_LEVEL=6)
- the metadata backup if available (can be set in the Miscellaneous parameter with -backup option, although this common option is not implemented on all bridges for technical reasons).

Q: How do I provide metadata to the support team to reproduce an issue?
A: Provide the following files:
The Oracle BI Administration tool natively stores metadata in a Repository RPD file, so you must supply a copy of that file. By default this file is located in \OracleBI\server\Repository. Provide this file along with the userid and password necessary to open it.
Alternative method: using Oracle BI Administration tool, connect to a live online repository.
From the File menu, select 'Copy As...' and specify the name of the local RPD file where the repository copy will be stored.
Supply that file.


Bridge Parameters

Parameter Name Description Type Values Default Scope
File The Oracle BI Administration tool natively stores metadata in a Repository RPD file.

For version 12.2.1.4 (OAS 6.4), convert the RPD file to XML format by performing the following steps:
1. Start a command line console (CMD on Windows)
2. navigate to the bitools\bin folder of your WebLogic server domain, for example:
cd Oracle_Home\user_projects\domains\bi\bitools\bin
3. You may use the download repository command 'downloadrpd' to download the live RPD repository used by your instance as a local copy.
The data model launcher script (datamodel.cmd on Windows or datamodel.sh on Linux) allows running the downloadrpd command, for example:
datamodel.cmd downloadrpd -O repository.rpd -SI ssi -U weblogic -P weblogicpsw
You will be prompted to choose a password for this local rpd file.
Please consult Oracle documentation for details:
https://docs.oracle.com/en/middleware/bi/analytics-server/metadata-oas/download-repository-command.html
For other 12.x versions, please consult Oracle documentation for your corresponding version.
4. Use the 'biserverxmlgen' command line utility (biserverxmlgen.cmd on Windows or biserverxmlgen.sh on Linux) to generate XML:
biserverxmlgen.cmd -R repository.rpd -P Admin123 -O repository.xml -N -Q -8
The import bridge uses the generated XML file as input.

For version 11.x, convert the RPD file to XML format by performing the following steps:
1. Run the initialization script to configure a command prompt (or shell) window that is initialized to your Oracle instance:
For recent 11.x versions it may be bi-init.cmd (or bi-init.sh on UNIX)
ORACLE_INSTANCE\bifoundation\OracleBIApplication\coreapplication\setup\bi-init
For older 11.x versions it may be nqinit.bat (or nqinit.sh on UNIX)
/u01/wls/oracle/j2ee/bi/bifoundation/server/bin/nqinit.sh
You may have to configure environment variables such as:
export ORACLE_HOME=/u01/wls/oracle/j2ee
export DOMAIN_HOME=/u01/wls/oracle/j2ee/user_projects/domains/mod
Please consult Oracle documentation for your corresponding version.
2. Use the 'biserverxmlgen' command line utility to generate XML:
biserverxmlgen -R paint.rpd -P Admin123 -O paint.xml -N -Q -8
The import bridge uses the generated XML file as input.
Note: for version 11.x, the UDML file format is not supported by the import bridge.

For version 10.x, convert the RPD file to UDML format by performing the following:
Use the nQUDMLGen command line utility to generate a UDML file:
$OracleBIHome$\server\Bin
QUDMLGen.exe -U Administrator -P Administrator -R paint.rpd -O paint.udml -N -Q -8
The import bridge uses the generated UDML file as input.
FILE *.*   Mandatory
Variable values file File defining list of RPD variable values in format:
variable1_name=variable1_value
variable3_name=variable2_value
...
variableN_name=variableN_value

RPD models may use variables to parameterize SQL statements. In many cases, the values which must be assigned to these variables are defined at runtime. In such cases, the import bridge will report warning in the log that it could not determine the value of a variable and will simply leave that variable name without any substitution in the resulting model. In order to determine the correct substitution values for these variables, the import bridge reads a variable value file with the variable names and the correct value to substitute.

Place the pathname of a variable value file in this parameter.

Variable names are case insensitive and trimmed of all leading and trailing spaces.
FILE *.*    
Optimize for large models Specify whether or not to optimize the import for large OBI repository models.

'True'
Ignore foreign keys, joins, relationships, logical foreign keys during import. Also, do not store expression tree objects along with lineage links. Ignoring such objects will result in a smaller model, and require less memory at runtime. This mode is recommended for large UDML or XML input files. This is the default value.

'False'
The entire repository model will be imported. In this mode, more memory is required at runtime. This mode is recommended for small to medium UDML or XML input files.
BOOLEAN
False
True
True  
Miscellaneous INTRODUCTION
Specify miscellaneous options starting with a dash and optionally followed by parameters, e.g.
-connection.cast MyDatabase1="MICROSOFT SQL SERVER"
Some options can be used multiple times if applicable, e.g.
-connection.rename NewConnection1=OldConnection1 -connection.rename NewConnection2=OldConnection2;
As the list of options can become a long string, it is possible to load it from a file which must be located in ${MODEL_BRIDGE_HOME}\data\MIMB\parameters and have the extension .txt. In such case, all options must be defined within that file as the only value of this parameter, e.g.
ETL/Miscellaneous.txt

JAVA ENVIRONMENT OPTIONS
-java.memory <Java Memory's maximum size> (previously -m)

1G by default on 64bits JRE or as set in conf/conf.properties, e.g.
-java.memory 8G
-java.memory 8000M

-java.parameters <Java Runtime Environment command line options> (previously -j)

This option must be the last one in the Miscellaneous parameter as all the text after -java.parameters is passed "as is" to the JRE, e.g.
-java.parameters -Dname=value -Xms1G
The following option must be set when a proxy is used to access internet (this is critical to access https://repo.maven.apache.org/maven2/ and exceptionally a few other tool sites) in order to download the necessary third-party software libraries.
Note: The majority of proxies are concerned with encrypting (HTTPS) the outside (of the company) traffic and trust the inside traffic that can access proxy over HTTP. In this case, an HTTPS request reaches the proxy over HTTP where the proxy HTTPS-encrypts it.
-java.parameters -java.parameters -Dhttp.proxyHost=127.0.0.1 -Dhttp.proxyPort=3128 -Dhttp.proxyUser=user -Dhttp.proxyPassword=pass

MODEL IMPORT OPTIONS
-model.name <model name>

Override the model name, e.g.
-model.name "My Model Name"

-prescript <script name>

This option allows running a script before the bridge execution.
The script must be located in the bin directory (or as specified with M_SCRIPT_PATH in conf/conf.properties), and have .bat or .sh extension.
The script path must not include any parent directory symbol (..).
The script should return exit code 0 to indicate success, or another value to indicate failure.
For example:
-prescript "script.bat arg1 arg2"

-postscript <script name>

This option allows running a script after successful execution of the bridge.
The script must be located in the bin directory (or as specified with M_SCRIPT_PATH in conf/conf.properties), and have .bat or .sh extension.
The script path must not include any parent directory symbol (..).
The script should return exit code 0 to indicate success, or another value to indicate failure.
For example:
-postscript "script.bat arg1 arg2"

-cache.clear

Clears the cache before the import, and therefore will run a full import without incremental harvesting.

If the model was not changed and the -cache.clear parameter is not used (incremental harvesting), then a new version will not be created.
If the model was not changed and the -cache.clear parameter is set (full source import instead of incremental), then a new version will be created.

-backup <directory>

This option allows to save the bridge input metadata for further troubleshooting. The provided <directory> must be empty.

The primary use of this option is for data store import bridges, in particular JDBC based database import bridges.

Note that this option is not operational on some bridges including:
- File based import bridges (as such input files can be used instead)
- DI/BI repository import bridges (as the tool's repository native backup can be used instead)
- Some API based import bridges (e.g. COM based) for technical reasons.

DATA CONNECTION OPTIONS
Data Connections are produced by the import bridges typically from ETL/DI and BI tools to refer to the source and target data stores they use. These data connections are then used by metadata management tools to connect them (metadata stitching) to their actual data stores (e.g. databases, file system, etc.) in order to produce the full end to end data flow lineage and impact analysis. The name of each data connection is unique by import model. The data connection names used within DI/BI design tools are used when possible, otherwise connection names are generated to be short but meaningful such as the database / schema name, the file system path, or Uniform Resource Identifier (URI). The following option allows to manipulate connections. These options replaces the legacy options -c, -cd, and -cs.

-connection.cast ConnectionName=ConnectionType

Casts a generic database connection (e.g. ODBC/JDBC) to a precise database type (e.g. ORACLE) for SQL Parsing, e.g.
-connection.cast "My Database"="MICROSOFT SQL SERVER".
The list of supported data store connection types includes:
ACCESS
APACHE CASSANDRA
DB2/UDB
DENODO
GOOGLE BIGQUERY
HIVE
MYSQL
NETEZZA
ORACLE
POSTGRESQL
PRESTO
REDSHIFT
SALESFORCE
SAP HANA
SNOWFLAKE
MICROSOFT SQL AZURE
MICROSOFT SQL SERVER
SYBASE SQL SERVER
SYBASE AS ENTERPRISE
TERADATA
VECTORWISE
HP VERTICA

-connection.rename OldConnection=NewConnection

Renames an existing connection to a new name, e.g.
-connection.rename OldConnectionName=NewConnectionName
Multiple existing database connections can be renamed and merged into one new database connection, e.g.
-connection.rename MySchema1=MyDatabase -connection.rename MySchema2=MyDatabase

-connection.split oldConnection.Schema1=newConnection

Splits a database connection into one or multiple database connections.
A single database connection can be split into one connection per schema, e.g.
-connection.split MyDatabase
All database connections can be split into one connection per schema, e.g.
-connection.split *
A database connection can be explicitly split creating a new database connection by appending a schema name to a database, e.g.
-connection.split MyDatabase.schema1=MySchema1

-connection.map SourcePath=DestinationPath

Maps a source path to destination path. This is useful for file system connections when different paths points to the same object (directory or file).
On Hadoop, a process can write into a CSV file specified with the HDFS full path, but another process reads from a Hive table implemented (external) by the same file specified using a relative path with default file name and extension, e.g.
-connection.map /user1/folder=hdfs://host:8020/users/user1/folder/file.csv
On Linux, a given directory (or file) like /data can be referred to by multiple symbolic links like /users/john and /users/paul, e.g.
-connection.map /data=/users/John -connection.map /data=/users/paul
On Windows, a given directory like C:\data can be referred to by multiple network drives like M: and N:, e.g.
-connection.map C:\data=M:\ -connection.map C:\data=N:\

-connection.casesensitive ConnectionName

Overrides the default case insensitive matching rules for the object identifiers inside the specified connection, provided the detected type of the data store by itself supports this configuration (e.g. Microsoft SQL Server, MySql etc.), e.g.
-connection.casesensitive "My Database"

-connection.level AggregationLevel

Specifies the aggregation level for the external connections, e.g.-connection.level catalog
The list of the supported values:
server
catalog
schema (default)

ORACLE BI SERVER OPTIONS
-r

Remove the report pages and their graphical structure.

-truststore.file

Location of the TrustStore file.

-truststore.password

Password of the TrustStore.
STRING      

 

Bridge Mapping

Meta Integration Repository (MIR)
Metamodel
(based on the OMG CWM standard)
"Oracle Business Intelligence (OBI) Repository (RPD file)"
Metamodel
Oracle Business Intelligence (RPD Repository)
Mapping Comments
     
Attribute External Column, Primary Key Column  
Comment Comment  
Description Definition  
DesignLevel Design Level  
ExtraConstraint Constraint  
InitialValue Initial Value  
Name Name  
NativeId Native Id  
Optional Nullable  
PhysicalName Physical Name  
Position Position  
Class External Table  
Name Name  
NativeId Native Id  
NativeType Native Type  
PhysicalName Physical Name  
ClassDiagram Business Model Diagram  
Description Description  
Name Name  
Condition Condition  
Name Name  
Position Position  
ConnectionPackage External Schema  
Name Name  
NativeId Native Id  
NativeType Native Type  
PhysicalName Physical Name  
DataAttribute Static Variable, Dynamic Variable, Session Variable  
Description Description  
InitialValue Initial Value  
Name Name  
NativeId Native Id  
NativeType Native Type  
Optional Optional  
PhysicalName Physical Name  
Position Position  
Usage Usage  
DataSet Repository Initialization Block, Session Init Block, Static Variables  
Description Description  
Name Name  
NativeId Native Id  
NativeType Native Type  
PhysicalName Physical Name  
DesignPackage Physical Display Folder, Logical Display Folder, Repository Variables, Repository Initialization Blocks, Variables, Business Model, Physical, Physical Catalog, Database, Session Initialization Blocks, Business Model and Mapping, Session Variables, Physical Schema  
Description Description  
Name Name  
NativeId Native Id  
NativeType Native Type  
PhysicalName Physical Name  
Dimension Presentation Fact Table, Logical Dimension, Extended Subject Area, Stored Procedure Table, Select Table, Logical Table, Presentation Table, Alias Table, Logical Fact Table, Physical Table  
Description Description  
Hide Hide  
Name Name  
NativeId Native Id  
NativeType Native Type  
Type Type set to VIEW for Select Physical Tables
DimensionAttribute Alias Column, Logical Column, Physical Key Column, Derived Presentation Column, Extended Subject Area Column, Presentation Column, Derived Logical Column, Logical Key Column, Physical Column, Key, Alias Key Column Represents presentation column inside presentation table
Description Description  
Hide Hide  
InitialValue Initial Value  
Name Name  
NativeId Native Id  
NativeType Native Type  
Optional Optional, Nullable  
OriginalName Original Name  
Position Position  
Sort Sort  
Hierarchy Hierarchy, Presentation Hierarchy  
Description Description  
Name Name  
NativeId Native Id  
NativeType Native Type  
PhysicalName Physical Name  
Type Type  
Join Physical Join, Logical Join, Physical Foreign Key, Logical Foreign Key  
Description Description  
Name Name  
NativeId Native Id  
NativeType Native Type  
PhysicalName Physical Name  
Type Type  
Level Presentation Level, Logical Level  
Description Description  
Name Name  
NativeId Native Id  
NativeType Native Type  
Measure Measure  
DefaultAggregation Default Aggregation  
Description Description  
Hide Hide  
InitialValue Initial Value  
Name Name  
NativeId Native Id  
NativeType Native Type  
Optional Optional  
Position Position  
Sort Sort  
OlapSchema Subject Area  
Description Description  
Name Name  
NativeId Native Id  
NativeType Native Type  
StoreConnection External Connection  
Name Name  
NativeId Native Id  
NativeType Native Type  
PhysicalName Physical Name  
StoreType Store Type  
SystemMajorVersion System Major Version  
SystemMinorVersion System Minor Version  
SystemReleaseVersion System Release Version  
SystemType System Type  
SystemTypeOld System Type Old  
StoreModel Repository  
Author Author  
CreationTime Creation Time  
Description Description  
ModificationTime Modification Time  
Modifier Modifier  
Name Name  
NativeId Native Id  
NativeType Native Type  
PhysicalName Physical Name  
StoreType Store Type  
SystemMajorVersion System Major Version  
SystemMinorVersion System Minor Version  
SystemReleaseVersion System Release Version  
SystemType System Type  
SystemTypeOld System Type Old  
Synonym Alias  
Description Description  
Name Name  
NativeId Native Id  
NativeType Native Type  
PhysicalName Physical Name  

Did this page help you?

If you find any issues with this page or its content – a typo, a missing step, or a technical error – please let us know!