How to access to VDP from OBIEE via ODBC in

Linux
Revision 20170322

NOTE
This document is confidential and proprietary of Denodo Technologies.
No part of this document may be reproduced in any form by any means without prior
written authorization of Denodo Technologies.

Copyright © 2018
Denodo Technologies Proprietary and Confidential
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Goal

This document describes how to configure an ODBC data source for an OBIEE Linux
installation to connect to Denodo Virtual DataPort.

Content

To connect an Oracle Business Intelligence installation (from a Linux system) with

Denodo VDP, follow the next steps:

1. Configure the Linux environment.

a. Configure the ODBC driver.
b. Modify the bi-init, opmn.xml, user.sh and odbc.ini files.

2. Create a new Oracle BI metadata repository.

a. Create the DSN.
b. Install the OBI Administration Tool.
c. Create the repository.

3. Import the repository in the Oracle BI instance.

a. Import from FMW

Configure the Linux environment

Oracle Business Intelligence bundles UNIX ODBC drivers (Merand a.k.a DataDirect a.k.a
Progress Software) for some data sources including PostgreSql. As Denodo is
compatible with the PostgreSql ODBC Driver it is possible to leverage the bundled
driver. The driver is located at:

<OBIEE_path>/Oracle_BI1/common/ODBC/Merant/7.0.1/lib/ARpsql26.so

The folder version and file name may be different (e.g. 6.1/lib/ARpsql25.so), so use the
latest version available. To enable SSL for the connection specific versions will have to
be used as described later in this document.

In order to configure the driver path we need to edit the following files to point to the
correct version of the driver. By default it may be using version 5.3 which does not
include PostgreSql. The files are:
- ORACLE_INSTANCE/bifoundation/OracleBIApplication/coreapplication/se
tup/user.sh.
- ORACLE_INSTANCE/bifoundation/OracleBIApplication/coreapplication/se
tup/bi-init.sh.
- ORACLE_INSTANCE/config/OPMN/opmn/opmn.xml

We need to add the path for the driver to one of the path variables inside those files.
Note the following:
● For Solaris and Linux, the library path variable is LD_LIBRARY_PATH.
● For HP-UX, the library path variable is SHLIB_PATH.
● For AIX, the library path variable is LIBPATH.

Find the occurrences of Merant/5.3 in those files and adjust to the driver path.
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Once the files are modified, edit the odbc.ini file that can be found at:

ORACLE_INSTANCE/bifoundation/OracleBIApplication/coreapplication/setup/od
bc.ini

Create an entry for each Denodo database to access ensuring that the ODBC
connection name is identical to the data source name specified in the connection pool
defined in the OBIEE repository. Set the Driver parameter to the file name and location
of the Denodo ODBC driver, with the library suffix appropriate for the operating system
(for example, .so for Solaris and AIX, or .sl for HP-UX).

The following example provides details for a Denodo data source, with “Denodo” as
data source name.

[Denodo]
Driver=<OBIEE_path>/Oracle_BI1/common/ODBC/Merant/7.0.1/lib/ARpsql26.so
Description=DataDirect 7.1 PostgreSQL For accesing Denodo
AlternateServers=
ApplicationUsingThreads=1
AuthenticationMethod=0
ConnectionReset=0
ConnectionRetryCount=0
ConnectionRetryDelay=3
Database=<Denodo VDP database name>
EnableDescribeParam=1
EnableKeysetCursors=0
EncryptionMethod=0
ExtendedColumnMetaData=0
FailoverGranularity=0
FailoverMode=0
FailoverPreconnect=0
FetchTSWTZasTimestamp=0
FetchTWFSasTime=0
GSSClient=native
HostName=<Denodo VDP host name>
HostNameInCertificate=
InitializationString=
KeepAlive=0
KeyPassword=
KeysetCursorOptions=0
Keysetstore=
KeystorePassword=
LoadBalanceTimeout=0
LoadBalancing=0
LoginTimeout=15
LogonID=<Denodo VDP login>
MaxLongVarcharSize=
MaxPoolSize=100
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MaxVarcharSize=
MinPoolSize=0
Password=<Denodo VDP password>
Pooling=0
PortNumber=<Denodo VDP port, by default 9996>
QueryTimeout=0
ReportCodepageConversionErrors=0
ServicePrincipalName=
SSLLibName=
TransactionErrorBehavior=1
TrustStore=
TrustStorePassword=
UnboundedNumericPrecision=1000
UnboundedNumericScale=6
ValidateServerCertificate=0
XMLDescribeType=-10

Note that the Database parameter can be left empty only if the option Require fully
qualified table names is selected in the General tab of the Connection Pool dialog
for the data source in the OBIEE Administration Tool.

In addition to this, in the odbc.ini file, it is possible add an entry to the section [ODBC
Data Sources] with the details of the data source. The following example provides
details for a Denodo data source with a data source name of “Denodo”.

Denodo=DataDirect 7.1 PostgreSQL For accesing Denodo

After the configuration is completed the Oracle BI Server will have to be restarted.

Using SSL
Important Note: if you want to use SSL then version 7.0.1 can’t be used and versions
6.1 or > 7.0.1 need to be used instead. Just use the right path in the steps above for
any of those versions.

In order to use SSL change the following parameters above in odbc.ini

ValidateServerCertificate=0 (if using self-signed certificates.)

EncryptionMethod=1 (for SSL connections)

Refer to this documentation about what values to use.

Creating a new Oracle BI metadata repository

There is no OBIEE GUI client for Linux environments. Therefore, the easiest way to
deploy OBIEE in a Linux system is to, first create the repository in a Windows machine,
and then move it (deploy it) to the final Linux server
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Note that the VDP instance can be hosted on the Windows system, the Linux system or
another machine. The following diagram is a representation of the process. This
representation is valid as the location of the VPD has no influence on the process, just
the configuration in the DSN's is relevant.

In order to install the Oracle BI Administration Tool you can find the executable file
named biee_client_install_x64 from the Oracle BI distribution folder:

<MW_HOME>/Oracle_BI1/clients/biserver/biee_client_install_x64.exe

Copy it into the Windows system and run it. Another option is to connect from the
Windows system to the Linux Server and download it from the BI Web Application in the
following URI:

http://<obiee_server_ip>:<port>/analytics/saw.dll?bieehome

The <obiee_server_ip> is the ip of the Linux system where the OBIEE instance is
installed. The default port for this service is 9704 but it may change. To download the
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executable click on “Download BI Desktop Tools” and select “Oracle BI Client

Installer”.

Once installed the Administration Tool can be executed from:

<install_path>/oraclebi/orahome/bifoundation/server/bin/admintool.exe

In order to create a repository in the Windows system an ODBC DSN is also needed.
Important: The name of this ODBC DSN needs to be identical to the one defined in
odbc.ini as explained above.

To create the DSN in Windows open the ODBC data sources control panel (as
administrator) and then in the System DSN tab add and configure a new data source.

After the ODBC DSN has been created and the Oracle BI Administration tool is installed,
it will be possible to create connections to the Denodo database following the next
steps from the Oracle BI Administration tool:

1. Select File > New Repository.

2. Enter a name for the repository. In this example the repository name is
BISAMPLE.
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3. Leave the default location as it is. It points to the default repository directory.
4. Leave Import Metadata set to Yes.
5. Enter and retype a password for the repository.
6. Click Next.

Importing the Metadata

1. Change the Connection Type to ODBC 3.5. The screen displays the connections
based on the connection type selected

2. Select the Denodo DSN previously configured.

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3. Enter a username and password for the data source.

4. Click Next.
5. From the Metadata types screen, check the Views option in addition to the
default options. If the Views option is not checked only the base views will be
visible in the repository. If the Views option in selected derived views will also be
visible.

6. In the Data source view, expand the schema.

7. Use Ctrl+Click to select the tables to use.
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8. Click on the Import Selected button to add the tables to the Repository View.
9. Click Finish to open the repository.

Importing the repository in the Oracle Business instance

On the FMW Control (Fusion Middleware Control), it is possible to upload the repository
and set the publish mode. The control center in available in the following URI:

http://<obiee_server_ip>:<port>/em
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As before, the <obiee_server_ip> is the IP of the Linux system where the OBIEE
instance is installed and the port by default for this service is 7002. The next picture
shows the steps to load a new repository:

1. Open the “Business Intelligence” folder from the left menu.

2. Double click on coreapplication.
3. Click on “Lock and Edit Configuration” (in order to allow changes).
4. Select the Deploy tab and after that the Repository tab.
5. Inside the “Upload BI Server Repository” section set the following information:
a. Path to the repository file (RPD file previously created).
b. Credential assigned to the repository during creation.
6. Click on “Apply”.
7. Click on “Activate Changes”.

Hosting multiple repositories on a single Oracle BI Server is not recommended for

production systems but, to configure multiple repositories, the repository section of the
nqsconfig.ini file has to be configured.