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Best ImplementationBest ImplementationPractices for DiscovererPractices for Discoverer

April Sims OCP 8i 9iApril Sims OCP 8i 9i

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Topics of DiscussionTopics of Discussion

Why use Discoverer?

Implementation

Management Security

Usability

Performance

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MSAccess is already thereMSAccess is already there

ODBC connection, ODBC drivers

Limited ability for remote access

offsite/offhours.DBA must proactively monitor for security

breaches, cartesian products, slow

queries.

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Why Discoverer?Why Discoverer?

Common functionality, centralized

management and deployment.

Very secure- end user can only query withthis tool.

Only administrator can make joins

Easy to install and deploy. Access data/saved reports remotely.

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ImplementationImplementation

Desktop, Network, WebDesktop, Network, Web

Oracle Discoverer Administration Edition forWindows (including Discoverer Plus, SQL*Plus and

SQL*Net)

Oracle Discoverer Plus for Windows (including

Discoverer Plus and SQL*Net to connect the clientsoftware to a database)

Oracle Discoverer 4i /9i Plus (a version of Discoverer

Plus written in Java for building and running reportson the web)

Oracle Discoverer 4i/9i Viewer (an HTML tool for

viewing reports created using Discoverer Plus and

Discoverer 4i/9i Plus)

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Web Deployment- SeparateWeb Deployment- Separate

ServerServer Oracle 9iAS v 1.0.2.2.0 or 9iAS R2

9.0.2/9.0.3

Discoverer 9i certified with 8.1.7+ DB Versions

Currently deploying Discoverer Plus using a

Sun E250 on Solaris 8 using 6-18GB drives

with 2GB of Memory on 9iAS 1.0.2.2.2

Approximately 100-200 active users.

3 tier delivery (database, client, services)

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Oracle 9iAS R2Oracle 9iAS R2

Migrating to Oracle Portal utilizing SSOalong with Oracle Forms/Reports.

Requires a OID Infrastructure install

(recommended on a separate server) Use OEM for Connection Management

using private and/ or public connections.

http://servername:1810 Discoverer Workbooks/Worksheets can be

deployed as portlets

http://servername:1810/http://servername:1810/

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Web Deployment-contdWeb Deployment-contd

Still requires Discoverer Admin license to

create the workbooks.

Performance, Use and Stability of

Discoverer Plus has been outstanding.

If using firewall, you must implement the

use of a gatekeeper to do Network

Address Translation.

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ManagementManagement

Business Areas can be exported and imported

between databases and/or EULs.

Can be deployed using a centralized model

with control of the administrator application

strictly in the IT department vs the

decentralized model where certain

departmental designees are given access tothe administrator application to develop

workbooks for their department.

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SecuritySecurity

Oracle Discoverer can only do select statements. Otherreporting tools such as MSAccess, ODBC andSQLPLUS have the inherent ability for an enduser tohave direct access to tables for update, deletes, etc.

Easily managed via the use of Oracle Roles. Security is regulated at the database level and the

application level.

Different modules/campuses or organizations can befunctionally separated using the EUL (End UserLayers) and/or flexibility in granting access to the

different Business Areas.

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http://technet.oracle.com/products/discoverer/contehttp://technet.oracle.com/products/discoverer/conte

nt.htmlnt.html

See this website for some on-line views of the

application and functionality. When it says that

there is no setup required for Discoverer.NOT

really truethey are telling you that theapplication itself doesnt have to be modified (it

works straight out of the box) but access and

security still has to be configured.

EUL schema install, Oracle role definition andassignment, Granting application, workbook

access to administrators and endusers.

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UsabilityUsability

4 to 8 hours of training will prepare mostpeople to be able to modify, save theirown queries.

The level of expertise with MS Excel

typically predicts the level of success withDiscoverer.

Our end users love it because it gives

them power- they can manipulateparameters, drill down, modify the look ofthe report without knowing SQL.

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Discoverer AdministratorsDiscoverer Administrators

Can be functional end-users who aresomewhat technical or IT staff whounderstand the functional area.

Someone with no prior programmingexperience will take from 3 to 6 months(with some training) to become completelycomfortable.

Start with a person who is already an expertat MSExcel.

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Discoverer Admin SecurityDiscoverer Admin Security

Recommendations:

Maintain EUL (schema username/password)

in the IT department under DBA control.

Discoverer allows you to limit who has

access as an Administrator vs an enduser.

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Pros and Cons in the following realms:

Implementation

Management Security

Useability

Performance

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Pros and Cons in the following realms:

Implementation

Management Security

Useability

Performance

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PerformancePerformance

It takes longer for the same query to run inDiscoverer via Oracle Reports because it

is collecting statistics about all queries run.

Changing the database to Cost-based

optimizing would help performance.

Possibility of producing Cartesian productsthat fill up temp Tablespace. The

discoverer administrator creates the

joinsnot the enduser.

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How do I improve performance?How do I improve performance?

Use a STANDBY database as the reporting

database instead of your OLTP.

Database Version 8.1.7- Physical standby

only.

Applied archive redo at night, brought

database up in read-only mode during the

day. (see notes for how to set this up.)

Limited to yesterdays data.

See notes .

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Logical StandbyLogical Standby

Database Version 9.2.0.2 (required level)

Logical standby (can create a combination datawarehouse and OLTP available for failover)

The data is transported using SQL apply with SQLstatements only.

Can use DataGuard, OMS or manually install.

Reporting database has REAL-TIME data.

Metalink Docs:

234631.1 , 215020.1 , 186150.1 , 233261.1

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UpgradesUpgrades Required to install 2nd EUL before removing

first. (Possible space issue) Each EUL needs to be upgraded separately.

Earlier version is still accessible duringtransition until you run script to delete.

The same queries work between versionsand between EULs if the Business Area hasnot been modified or the underlying

tables/views. Table modified, then do a refreshqueries

still WORK!

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Questions and AnswersQuestions and Answers

If you would like more information please

visit:

http://technet.oracle.com/products/discoverer/co

ntent.html

http://metalink.oracle.com