Explanation
A data warehouse is a database used for reporting and data analysis. It is a central repository of data which is created by integrating data from multiple disparate sources. Data warehouses store current as well as historical data and are commonly used for creating trending reports for senior management reporting such as annual and quarterly comparisons.

Explanation/Reference:
Security Manager – is used to setup users, groups, synchronize LDAP users and Groups, set access rights for Objects (tables, columns) and to control over when and what data a user can access.


Note: When you open the administration tool, you can reach the security manager by the Menu :
Manage > Security

Explanation
The Oracle BI Presentation Services Administration page provides the Manage Map Data link. This link displays the Manage Map Data page, where you can manage the logical and display versions of the data from various physical data sources. This defines the layers that content designers use when creating map views. The data that is available for managing maps and data is stored in Oracle Database as part of MapViewer.
Using this page, you provide:
* (A) Logical names to prevent any existing BI column mappings and map analyses from breaking because of changes to the physical data or to the data source.
* Display names so that the geographic data is meaningful to end users.
Note: Administering Maps Using Administration Pages
For (C) -layers, see 3-7 below.
For (D) -import images, see 11-12 below.
To administer maps using Administration pages:
* Sign in to Oracle Business Intelligence.
* In the global header, click Administration.
* Click the Manage Map Data link to display the Manage Map Data page.
* Click the Layers tab.
* Click the Import Layers button to display the Import Layers dialog.
* In the dialog, select the connection and the layers that are needed for zooming and drilling. (This tab is not prepopulated by other selections on the Administration pages. You can use any layers or images with any map.) Click OK when you have finished selecting layers that are appropriate for the subject area with which you are working.
* Back on the Layers tab, select a layer, then click the Edit Layer button to display the Edit Layer dialog in which you associate layers with attribute columns so that you can display BI data in the map view.
Click OK when you have finished editing the layer.
You use this tab to associate layers with BI data. If you use the City column in multiple subject areas, then you must associate it with a layer for each subject area.
* Click the Background Maps tab, then click the Import Background Maps button to display the Import Background Maps dialog.
* In the dialog, select the connection and the main maps to use.
The connection that you select for the main map can be different from the connection for the layers or images.
Click OK when you have finished selecting main maps.
* Back on the Background Maps tab, select a map, then click the Edit Background Map button to display the Edit Background Map dialog in which you name the map and specify the order of layers and their zoom levels.
Click OK when you have finished editing the map.
* Optionally, click the Images tab, then click the button to display the Import Images dialog. You can import images if you plan to use them as a format on maps.
* In the dialog, select the connection and the images to use.
Click OK when you have finished selecting images.
* Click Back when you have finished working with the Administration page. Your changes are saved automatically.

Oracle BI Cluster Server Components
* Oracle Business Intelligence Cluster Controller: The Cluster Controller determines which BI Server works in the cluster. It monitors the operation of servers in the cluster. The Cluster Controller is deployed in active- passive mode.
* Clustered BI Servers: The BI Cluster Server feature supports up to 16 BI Servers in a network domain to act as a single server. BI Servers in the cluster share requests from multiple Oracle BI clients.
* Master BI Server: A clustered Oracle Business Intelligence Server is designated as the Master BI Server.
The Oracle Business Intelligence Administration Tool connects to the master BI Server for online repository changes.
* Cluster Manager: The Cluster Manager is available in the Administration Tool when a repository is opened in online mode. The Cluster Manager enables Oracle BI Server clustered instances.

Explanation/Reference:
Note 1: There are four types of variables that you can use:
Session
Repository
Presentation
Request
Note 2: Session Variables
A session variable is a variable that is initialized at login time for each user. When a user begins a session, the Oracle BI Server creates a new instance of a session variable and initializes it.
There are as many instances of a session variable as there are active sessions on the Oracle BI Server.
Each instance of a session variable could be initialized to a different value.
There are two types of session variables:
System – A session variable that the Oracle BI Server and Oracle BI Presentation Services use for specific purposes.
System session variables have reserved names that cannot be used for other kinds of variables (such as static or dynamic repository variables and non-system session variables).
Non-system – A system variable that the administrator creates and names. For example, the administrator might create a SalesRegion non-system variable that initializes the name of a user’s sales region.
The administrator creates non-system session variables using the Oracle BI Administration Tool.
Incorrect answers:
A: ETL Load Date is a DAC Source System Parameter.
C: OLAP DSN is a Repository variable.

Explanation
Modeling Time Series Function in OBIEE
Modeling Time Series Data
Time series functions provide the ability to compare business performance with previous time periods, allowing you to analyze data that spans multiple time periods. For example, time series functions enable comparisons between current sales and sales a year ago, a month ago, and so on.
Because SQL does not provide a direct way to make time comparisons, you must model time series data in the Oracle BI repository. First, set up time dimensions based on the period table in your data warehouse. Then, you can define measures that take advantage of this time dimension to use the AGO, TODATE, and PERIODROLLING functions.

Query environment can be managed by setting query limits (governors) in the Repository (RPD) for particular Application Roles. You should always set query limits for particular application roles rather than for individual users. Steps:
1.Login to Repository using OBIEE Admin Tool
2.Navigate to Manage > Identity
3.Go to Application Role tab, choose the role and double click on it to open.

4. Click on Permissions tab

5. Set the Query Limits. You can limit queries by the number of rows received, by maximum run time, and by restricting to particular time periods. You can also allow or disallow direct database requests or the Populate privilege.

Identity Store: It is directory server to perform the authentication. It contains user name , password and groups membership information .When a user name and password combination is entered at log in, the authentication provider searches the identity store to verify the credentials provided. See figure below.

http://debaatobiee.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/obiee-11g-security-policy-revised1.png

Explanation
Steps for Creating Aggregate Tables in OBIEE
1. Create all Dimension Tables, Fact Tables & Hierarchies, which are required to be aggregated.
2. Go to ToolsaUtilities (from Administration tool menu bar), a dialog box will pop up with all available utilities.
3. Select Aggregate Persistence Wizard, and then click Execute Button.
4. Now Select appropriate path where you need to generate Aggregate Table SQL.
Note : Click Generate DDL file for first time generation of Aggregate Table Click Next, to move to next page (Select Business Model & Measure Page) In Select Business Model & Measure Page, Select Appropriate Business Model & then select associated Fact / Measure.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/–vsF4VJcbss/T2H9xyA8HsI/AAAAAAAAAd4/JOFqD3KwgAE/s640/3.jpg

Etc.

In online mode, you connect to a catalog on a running web server. In this mode your permissions are applied, you can select a locale, and you can see the effects of any localization on the catalog. You can see only those objects for which you have the appropriate permissions. BothPresentation Services and the web server must be running for you to open catalogs in online mode. Use online mode when you want to make minor incremental changes or additions to the catalog, such as changes to permissions, updates to a single object, or migration of new objects to a production environment.
Note:
* You can open a catalog in one of two modes – online or offline. Both modes can operate against an actual production catalog, with no need for any downtime. *Repository changes can be done in either online or offline mode. Online mode is when BI Server is actively reading the repository file (when a user is logged in). Offline is when BI Server is idle. Best practice is to develop in Offline mode. Minor changes can be made when in online mode.

Priority group
You can set priority group numbers to determine which logical table source should be used for queries for which there is more than one logical table source that can satisfy the requested set of columns.
For example, you might have user queries that can be fulfilled by both a data warehouse and an OLTP source. Often, access to an operational system is “expensive,” while access to a data warehouse is “cheap.” In this situation, you can assign a higher priority to the data warehouse to ensure that all queries are fulfilled by the data warehouse if possible.
Note that the priority group of a given logical table source does not always ensure that a particular query will be fulfilled by that source.
Priority GroupDesignation 0the highest-priority source (the default) 1a lowest-priority source

Enterprise Install: This installation type assumes some familiarity with Oracle Business Intelligence. All software components are downloaded onto one computer. You can accept the default configuration settings or use your own. You use this installation type when you have an established Oracle WebLogic domain, and you want to extend it to the Oracle Business Intelligence application. This install option is typically used for more advanced deployments with multiple users, such as to scale out a deployment on additional computers.

Explanation
In OBIEE cache will be stored as files on the Hard Disk of the OBIEE Server in the form of files.

See BI Home Page screenshot below:

Note: The BI Home page contains the BI content catalog. Fusion Apps will use OBIEE web catalog to store all shipped reporting and analytics content. From the BI home page users can browse and view the entire BI content. The BI catalog folder structure will match the Fusion Apps main menu structure. Folder structure would be content driven not technology driven which would enable ease of navigation for fusion Apps users.
Following content will be available under the BI catalog structure:
BI Publisher Reports (regardless of data source) OTBI reports & dashboards OBIA dashboards & scorecards Financial Reporting
Also, users can do some additional actions from the BI Home page like: Access personal and shared reports, View/ edit BI publisher report schedules, Launch BI tools for advanced actions and create new reports with report wizard.
New reports created can be saved in BI catalog and added as embedded content within Fusion applications screens or links added to reporting pane. This enables users to extend the prebuilt embedded analytics within Fusion Applications.

The Repository can be configured within the Enterprise Manager. See Note 1 below.
Note 1:Once you’ve locked the Oracle BI Domain, you would then use the same screen back in
Enterprise Manager to browse and select the RPD file, and then enter the password, twice.

NewImage Once you’ve entered these details you would then press the Apply button, to save the changes. At this point, the RPD gets a sequence number after it, and it’s displayed as the current default online repository for the Oracle BI Domain.
Note2: An OBIEE 11g system (or “Oracle BI Domain”) is generally managed through a combination of Oracle Enterprise Manager Fusion Middleware Control, part of the Enterprise Manager “family”, or through WebLogic Server Scripting Tool (WLST) scripts. Each Fusion Middleware Control instance as shipped with OBIEE 11g controls a single Oracle BI Domain (DEV, or PROD for example), and is installed along with WebLogic Server Admin Console in the WebLogic Admin Server, one of the two JVMs (the other being the managed server) that gets installed by default with OBIEE 11g. The screenshot below shows Fusion Middleware Control showing the status of the BI Server, Presentation Server and other system components within the installation.

Sshot 2

Explanation/Reference:
After creating your base metrics, try using the Calculation Wizard to automate the process of creating time- series metrics or comparison metrics such as: Change, Percent Change, Index, and Percent. The Wizard may save you many hours of time and frustration, especially if you have to create more than a handful of these metrics. In addition, the Wizard allows you to include customized logic to handle nulls in the base metrics. You may refer to the Oracle documentation for further detail.

Explanation
Priority group
You can set priority group numbers to determine which logical table source should be used for queries for which there is more than one logical table source that can satisfy the requested set of columns.
For example, you might have user queries that can be fulfilled by both a data warehouse and an OLTP source.
Often, access to an operational system is “expensive,” while access to a data warehouse is “cheap.” In this situation, you can assign a higher priority to the data warehouse to ensure that all queries are fulfilled by the data warehouse if possible.
Note that the priority group of a given logical table source does not always ensure that a particular query will be fulfilled by that source.
Priority Group Designation
0 the highest-priority source (the default)
1 a lowest-priority source

If security attributes conflict, a user or group is granted the least restrictive security attribute.

BSO is preferred to ASO in the following scenarios:
*Top-down planning and allocation (Sales Forecasting)
*Cost Allocations across products and customers (Profitability Analysis)
* Currency conversion, inter-company eliminations(Financial consolidations)

Modeling Time Series Function in OBIEE Modeling Time Series Data
Time series functions provide the ability to compare business performance with previous time periods, allowing you to analyze data that spans multiple time periods. For example, time series functions enable comparisons between current sales and sales a year ago, a month ago, and so on.
Because SQL does not provide a direct way to make time comparisons, you must model time series data in the Oracle BI repository. First, set up time dimensions based on the period table in your data warehouse. Then, you can define measures that take advantage of this time dimension to use the AGO, TODATE, and PERIODROLLING functions.

Before you can run Oracle Business Intelligence 11g Installer, you must first create required Oracle Business Intelligence schemas in an unhardened database. You use a tool called the Repository Creation Utility (RCU) to create these schemas with the appropriate permissions and data.

Purge and reseed once a week after the reports have run to improve report response time.