Testing and Validating a Repository

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Objectives
After completing this lesson, you should be able to execute the steps to test and validate a repository.

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Validating a Repository
The following steps validate whether a repository is constructed correctly and yields the expected query results: 1. Checking a repository for consistency 2. Enabling logging 3. Loading a repository 4. Checking a repository by running analyses 5. Inspecting the query log

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ABC Example
Validate and test the SupplierSales business model before making it available to users for querying.

SupplierSales is not available for queries.

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Consistency Check
Is a feature of the Administration Tool that checks whether a repository has met certain requirements, such as the following: All logical columns are mapped directly or indirectly to one or more physical columns. All logical dimension tables have a logical key. All logical tables have a logical join relationship to another logical table. There are at least two logical tables in the business model: a logical fact table and a logical dimension table. Both can map to the same physical table. There are no circular logical join relationships. A subject area exists for the business model.

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Checking Consistency
Check consistency for the entire repository or for individual repository objects by using the following methods:
Use the File menu. Use the Tools menu. Right-click objects.

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Copyright 2012, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

Consistency Check Manager

Displays consistency check messages Errors: Must be fixed to make the repository consistent Warnings: Indicate conditions that may or may not be errors Best Practices: Are conditions that do not indicate inconsistencies

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Copyright 2012, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

Using the validaterpd Utility to Check Repository Consistency

You can use the validaterpd utility to check the validity of all metadata objects in a repository on any platform supported by the Oracle BI Server.

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Marking a Business Model Available for Queries

When a business model is consistent, you can mark it as available for queries.

SupplierSales is available for queries.

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Confirming a Consistent Repository

When a repository is consistent, you receive the following message:

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Publishing a Repository
Use Fusion Middleware Control to publish a repository and make it available for queries.
Click here first.

Current installed repository

Click to apply changes.

Browse to upload new repository.

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Using FMW Control to Start OBI Components

Use the Overview page to manage all OBI components.

Use the Capacity Management > Availability page to manage individual OBI components.

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Query Logging
Oracle BI Server provides a facility for logging query activity at the individual user level. Logging is intended for quality assurance testing, debugging, and use by Oracle Technical Support. Query logging is normally disabled in production mode. The query log file is named NQQuery.log and is located in the following directory:
ORACLE_INSTANCE\diagnostics\logs\ OracleBIServerComponent\coreapplication_obis1

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Setting a Logging Level

Open the repository in online mode and use the Identity Manager to enable the logging level for individual users.

Set the logging level.

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Logging Levels
Logging levels 1 and 2 are for BI Server administrators.
Level 1 Logs
User name, session ID, and request ID for each query SQL for the request using business model names Query status (success, failure, termination, or timeout) Elapsed times for query compilation, execution, query cache, and back-end database processing

Level 2 Logs
All items for Level 1, plus those mentioned below: Repository name, business model name, subject area name SQL for the request using physical data source syntax Queries issued against the cache

Number of rows returned from a physical database Number of rows returned to the client

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Validating by Using the Analysis Editor

Use the Analysis Editor to validate the Presentation layer display, execute analyses, and check query results.

Validate display.

Execute analyses and check results.

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Inspecting the Query Log

Use Fusion Middleware Control Log Viewer to search for and view query log entries:

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Viewing Log Messages

Use Fusion Middleware Control Log Viewer to view the log files in their entirety:

General query Information

Logical SQL

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Oracle BI SELECT Statement: Syntax

Basic syntax for an Oracle BI SELECT statement:
SELECT FROM WHERE GROUP BY ORDER BY Columns Catalog folder or tables Filtering conditions (Optional, special use) Columns (optional)

Example
SELECT Region, Dollars FROM SupplierSales WHERE Year = 1999 ORDER BY Dollars desc

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Oracle BI SELECT Statement Compared with Standard SQL

Oracle BI SELECT statements differ from standard SQL in the following ways: No join information is required.
Join conditions are predefined in the repository. Join conditions supplied in a query are ignored.

No aggregation functions are required.

Aggregation rules are known to the server, and aggregation is performed automatically.

No GROUP BY clause is required.

If aggregated data is requested in the SELECT statement, a GROUP BY clause is automatically assumed by the server.

No DISTINCT keyword is required.

Oracle BI Server issues SELECT DISTINCT to eliminate duplicate rows automatically.

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Summary
In this lesson, you should have learned how to execute the steps to test and validate a repository.

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Copyright 2012, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.