OBIA ETL Guide 11.1.1.8.1

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Oracle Business Intelligence Applications

ETL Guide
11g Release 1 (11.1.1.8.1)
E51481-01

March 2014
Explains how to set up, perform, and monitor ETL processes.

Oracle Business Intelligence Applications ETL Guide, 11g Release 1 (11.1.1.8.1)


E51481-01
Copyright 2014, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Primary Author:

Dan Hilldale

Contributors: Oracle Business Intelligence development, product management, and quality assurance teams.
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Contents
Preface ................................................................................................................................................................. v
Audience.......................................................................................................................................................
Documentation Accessibility .....................................................................................................................
Related Documents .....................................................................................................................................
Conventions .................................................................................................................................................

v
v
v
v

New Features for Oracle BI Applications ETL Administrators ........................................ vii


New Features for Oracle BI Applications ETL Administrators...........................................................

vii

1 ETL Overview
Before You Begin Running ETL Processes ............................................................................................... 1-1
About ETL Architecture ............................................................................................................................. 1-1
About ETL Phases ....................................................................................................................................... 1-3
About the ODI Repository ......................................................................................................................... 1-3
About Load Plans ........................................................................................................................................ 1-4
About Changed Data Capture................................................................................................................... 1-4
About Knowledge Modules....................................................................................................................... 1-5
About Reverse Knowledge Modules........................................................................................................ 1-5
About Multi-Source Environments........................................................................................................... 1-6
About ETL Roles.......................................................................................................................................... 1-7

2 Managing Load Plans


Overview of Load Plan Life Cycle ............................................................................................................ 2-1
Defining Load Plans.................................................................................................................................... 2-2
Duplicating Load Plans .............................................................................................................................. 2-3
Editing Load Plans ...................................................................................................................................... 2-4
Generating Load Plans ............................................................................................................................... 2-5
Scheduling Load Plans ............................................................................................................................... 2-6
Executing Load Plans.................................................................................................................................. 2-7
Monitoring Load Plan Runs....................................................................................................................... 2-8
Restarting Load Plans ................................................................................................................................. 2-8
Overview of Load Plan Restartability ...............................................................................................2-9
About Restartability Grain ..................................................................................................................2-9
Restarting Load Plans ....................................................................................................................... 2-10
Restarting Using ODI Studio .................................................................................................... 2-10
iii

Restarting Using ODI Console ................................................................................................. 2-11


Troubleshooting Load Plans ............................................................................................................ 2-11
Alternate Options for Restarting Load Plans ................................................................................ 2-11
Using Mark as Complete .......................................................................................................... 2-12
Running a Scenario Standalone ............................................................................................... 2-12
Related Features and Considerations ............................................................................................. 2-13
Stopping Load Plans............................................................................................................................... 2-14

3 Additional Administration Tasks


Creating ETL Tables for Siebel Sources .................................................................................................... 3-1
Generating DDL Warehouse Scripts......................................................................................................... 3-2
Logging and Diagnostics............................................................................................................................ 3-2

A Manage Load Plans User Interface Reference


Manage Load Plans Toolbar Options ...................................................................................................... A-1
Manage Load Plans Main Page ................................................................................................................ A-3
Manage Load Plans: Fact Groups Tab ............................................................................................. A-3
Manage Load Plans: Data Load Parameters Tab ............................................................................ A-3
Manage Load Plans: Domains and Mappings Tab ........................................................................ A-3
Manage Load Plans: Schedules Tab ................................................................................................. A-4
Define Load Plan Page............................................................................................................................... A-5
Duplicate Load Plan Page ......................................................................................................................... A-5
Edit Load Plan Page ................................................................................................................................... A-5
Load Plan Details Page .............................................................................................................................. A-6
Schedule Load Plan Dialog ....................................................................................................................... A-7

B Knowledge Modules Reference


IKM BIApps Oracle Control Append...................................................................................................... B-1
IKM BIAPPS Oracle Event Queue Delete Append ............................................................................... B-2
IKM BIAPPS Oracle Fact Incremental Update....................................................................................... B-3
IKM BIAPPS Oracle Incremental Update ............................................................................................... B-4
IKM BIAPPS Oracle Period Delete Append........................................................................................... B-7
IKM BIAPPS Oracle Slowly Changing Dimension ............................................................................... B-8
IKM BIAPPS SQL Target Override ........................................................................................................ B-12
Nested IKM BIAPPS Oracle Control Append...................................................................................... B-13
Nested IKM BIAPPS Oracle Event Queue Delete Append................................................................ B-14

iv

Preface
Oracle Business Intelligence Applications is a comprehensive suite of prebuilt
solutions that deliver pervasive intelligence across an organization, empowering users
at all levels - from front line operational users to senior management - with the key
information they need to maximize effectiveness. Intuitive and role-based, these
solutions transform and integrate data from a range of enterprise sources and
corporate data warehouses into actionable insight that enables more effective actions,
decisions, and processes.
Oracle BI Applications is built on Oracle Business Intelligence Suite Enterprise Edition
(Oracle BI EE), a comprehensive set of enterprise business intelligence tools and
infrastructure, including a scalable and efficient query and analysis server, an ad-hoc
query and analysis tool, interactive dashboards, proactive intelligence and alerts, and
an enterprise reporting engine.

Audience
This document is intended for managers and implementers of Oracle BI Applications.

Documentation Accessibility
For information about Oracle's commitment to accessibility, visit the Oracle
Accessibility Program website at
http://www.oracle.com/pls/topic/lookup?ctx=acc&id=docacc.
Access to Oracle Support
Oracle customers have access to electronic support through My Oracle Support. For
information, visit
http://www.oracle.com/pls/topic/lookup?ctx=acc&id=info or visit
http://www.oracle.com/pls/topic/lookup?ctx=acc&id=trs if you are
hearing impaired.

Related Documents
See the Oracle Business Intelligence Applications documentation library at
http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E51479_01/index.htm for a list of related
Oracle Business Intelligence Applications documents.

Conventions
The following text conventions are used in this document:
v

vi

Convention

Meaning

boldface

Boldface type indicates graphical user interface elements associated


with an action, or terms defined in text or the glossary.

italic

Italic type indicates book titles, emphasis, or placeholder variables for


which you supply particular values.

monospace

Monospace type indicates commands within a paragraph, URLs, code


in examples, text that appears on the screen, or text that you enter.

New Features for Oracle BI Applications ETL


Administrators
This preface describes the new features in Oracle Business Intelligence Applications
that relate to ETL.

New Features for Oracle BI Applications ETL Administrators


There are no new features for ETL in this release.

vii

viii

1
ETL Overview
1

This chapter provides an overview of the fundamental concepts related to Oracle BI


Applications ETL processes.
This chapter contains the following topics:

Before You Begin Running ETL Processes

About ETL Architecture

About ETL Phases

About the ODI Repository

About Load Plans

About Changed Data Capture

About Knowledge Modules

About Reverse Knowledge Modules

About Multi-Source Environments

About ETL Roles

Before You Begin Running ETL Processes


Before you begin running Oracle BI Applications ETL processes, you must have
completed the installation and setup of Oracle BI Applications, as documented in
Oracle Business Intelligence Applications Installation Guide.
You must also have run the domains load plan, which loads source-specific data into
Oracle BI Applications Configuration Manager tables. This enables Configuration
Manager to display the appropriate source-specific values as choices in drop-down
lists for setup objects. For instructions on running the domains load plan, see Oracle
Business Intelligence Applications Installation Guide.

About ETL Architecture


Figure 11 illustrates the on-premise ETL architecture. Typically, the
extract-load-transform process has two main steps: The first step is the extract and
stage load step, and the second step is the load transform step. The extract and stage
load step is generated from a combination of the main interface and the nested
temporary interface. The load transform step is generated as a result of the integration
ETL Overview

1-1

About ETL Architecture

knowledge module (IKM). In this example, step 1 issues a SQL statement on the
source that joins the GL_SET_OF_BOOKS table with the HR_ORGANIZATION_
INFORMATION table. The join is executed on the source database, and the resulting
data is staged. Then, a second join occurs at the load transform stage between the W_
DOMAIN_G table and the temporary stage table, which results in the loading of the
stage table W_INV_ORG_DS.
Note that Oracle Database is the only database type supported for the Oracle BI
Applications repository schemas and the Business Analytics Warehouse.
Figure 11 On-Premise ETL Architecture

Figure 12 shows the general load plan pattern. There are four main stages: The SDE
(source dependent extract) tasks extract data from the source dimension and fact tables
and load the data into universal dimension and fact staging tables. The SIL tasks are
common and load data from the universal staging tables into the warehouse staging
tables. Figure 12 depicts a dependency between the dimension table and the fact
table. Therefore, the SIL DIM must be executed before the SIL FACT, to resolve the
dimension key. The SIL DIM has a database sequence that generates the key, and then
the SIL FACT looks up that key when loading the fact staging table.

1-2 Oracle Business Intelligence Applications ETL Guide

About the ODI Repository

Figure 12 Load Plan Pattern

About ETL Phases


Oracle BI Applications ETL processes include the following phases:

SDE. SDE stands for Source Dependent Extract. In the first phase, SDE tasks
extract data from the source system and stage it in staging tables. SDE tasks are
source specific.
SIL. SIL stands for Source Independent Load. Load tasks transform and port the
data from staging tables to base fact or dimension tables. SIL tasks are source
independent.
PLP. PLP stands Post Load Process. PLP tasks are only executed after the
dimension and fact tables are populated. A typical usage of a PLP task is to
transform data from a base fact table and load it into an aggregate table. PLP tasks
are source independent.

About the ODI Repository


The ODI Repository for Oracle BI Applications comprises two repositories:

Master Repository. Topology of resources, security, version management. A


master repository is usually associated with multiple work repositories, but work
repositories are always attached to a single Master repository
Work Repository. Contains data models and projects. This is the development and
execution repository.

The master and work repositories must reside in the same database schema, and the
database type must be Oracle. Both the master and work repositories are set up during
the Oracle BI Applications installation process.
Note that the default ODI repository ID is 500. This ID is part of the internal ID for
every object that is created within the ODI repository. Having a repository ID greater
than or equal to 500 is critical to ensure that the objects you create do not overlap with
any current or future Oracle BI Applications objects. If you change the default ODI
repository ID, make sure the new value is greater than 500.

ETL Overview

1-3

About Load Plans

About Load Plans


A load plan is an executable object that comprises and organizes the child objects
(referred to as steps) that carry out the ETL process. A load plan is made up of a
sequence of several types of steps. Each step can contain several child steps.
Depending on the step type, the steps can be executed conditionally, in parallel or
sequentially.
You define a load plan in Oracle BI Applications Configuration Manager by selecting a
data source and one or more fact groups. This selection determines which steps need
to be performed during the ETL process. Each fact group belongs to a specific
functional area or areas that are associated with one or more offerings, which, in turn,
are related to a data server. A transactional data source is associated with one or more
data servers.
After you define the load plan, you then generate it to build it in the ODI repository.
You then execute the load plan to perform the ETL process.
For more information about working with Oracle BI Applications load plans, see
Chapter 2, "Managing Load Plans." For information about the topic of load plans in the
context of Oracle Data Integrator, see Oracle Fusion Middleware Developer's Guide for
Oracle Data Integrator.

About Changed Data Capture


Oracle BI Applications has two ETL modes for loading data into the Oracle Business
Analytics Warehouse: full and incremental.
During a full load, Oracle BI Applications extracts:

All records from tables that are sources for dimension tables.
Records created after an "Initial Extract Date" from tables that are sources for fact
tables. The Initial Extract Date defines a cut-off so that not all records are loaded
into the data warehouse. You set the Initial Extract Date value for each data source
in the Oracle BI Applications Configuration Manager.

An ETL process can extract a record from a single table or from multiple tables. When
a record is the result of joining multiple tables, one of these tables is identified as the
base table, which defines the granularity of the record. When extracting fact records,
Oracle BI Applications only compares the "Created Date" of the base table to the Initial
Extract Date.
During an incremental load, Oracle BI Applications extracts records that have changed
or were created after a "Last Extract Date." This is done by comparing the Last Extract
Date value to a "Last Updated Date" (or LUD) type column in the source table. If the
source table does not have such a column, Oracle BI Applications extracts all records
from that table. The Last Extract Date is a value that is calculated based on the last
time data was extracted from that table less a "Prune Days" value. The Prune Days
parameter is used to extend the window of the ETL extract beyond the last time the
ETL actually ran. This is to ensure records that may have somehow been missed in a
prior ETL are picked up in the next ETL. Records can be missed in an ETL process
when a record is being updated while the ETL process is running and was not
committed until after the ETL completed.
You set the Prune Days parameter value in Oracle BI Applications Configuration
Manager. Setting a small value means the ETL will extract fewer records, thus
improving performance; however, this increases the chances that records are not
detected. Setting a large number is useful if ETL runs are infrequent, but this increases
the number of records that are extracted and updated in the data warehouse.
1-4 Oracle Business Intelligence Applications ETL Guide

About Reverse Knowledge Modules

Therefore, you should not set the Prune Days value to a very large number. A large
Prune Days number can also be used to trigger re-extracting records that were
previously processed but have not changed. The value for Prune Days should never be
set to 0.
As stated above, an ETL process can extract a record from a single table but more
commonly extracts records that are the result of joining multiple tables. When
extracting from multiple tables, one table is identified as the base table, which defines
the granularity of the record. When there is a change in the base table, an extract is
triggered for the record. However, there can be cases where a change occurs in a
non-base table but not in the base table itself. If a change occurs in a non-base table
and this should trigger an extract of the record, these tables are referred to as
"auxiliary" tables. Thus, when determining if a record should be extracted, Oracle BI
Applications compares not only the LUD column in the base table but the LUD
columns in all auxiliary tables. If the LUD column changed in any of these tables, the
record is extracted. If changes can occur in a table that is not relevant to triggering an
extract, this table's LUD column is not compared in the incremental filtering logic.

About Knowledge Modules


Knowledge Modules (KMs) implement different tasks within the Oracle Business
Analytics Warehouse system. The following are the different types of KMs available:

Reverse-engineering (RKM). Used for reading the table and other object metadata
from source databases and to import tables, columns, and indexes into a model.
For more information about RKMs, see "About Reverse Knowledge Modules".
Loading (LKM). Used for efficient extraction of data from source databases for
loading into a staging area (database-specific bulk unload utilities can be used
where available).
Integration (IKM). Used to load data into a target with different strategies, for
example, slowly changing dimensions and insert/update strategies.
Check (CKM). Used to validate and cleanse data.
Journalizing (JKM). Used to record the new and changed data within either a
single table or view or a consistent set of tables or views.
Service (SKM). Exposes data in the form of Web services.

For a detailed description of the KMs available with Oracle BI Applications, see
Appendix B, "Knowledge Modules Reference."

About Reverse Knowledge Modules


Oracle BI Applications uses the ODI reverse engineering process to populate the
repository with metadata from the source system. RKMs retrieve metadata from data
storage and load it into the repository. For example, RKMs detects the description of
tables, columns, data types, constraints, and comments from a database to load the
repository. RKMs support various technologies, such as databases, XML files, and
various types of flat files. You can also use RKMs to retrieve non-standard metadata
from databases or applications, such as Oracle E-Business Suite, Siebel CRM,
PeopleSoft, and so on.
The RKM role is to perform customized reverse engineering for a model. The RKM
handles connecting to the application or metadata provider then transforming and
writing the resulting metadata into the ODI repository. The metadata is written into

ETL Overview

1-5

About Multi-Source Environments

temporary tables, and then the RKM calls the ODI API to read from these tables and
write to the ODI metadata tables of the Work repository in incremental update mode.
Note that the Oracle BI Applications ODI repository contains the relevant source data
models. Therefore, you would need to run an RKM only if you have customized tables
in the source system and want to import these changes to the ODI repository. For more
information about customizing tables and tasks, see Oracle Business Intelligence
Applications Administrator's Guide.

About Multi-Source Environments


Oracle BI Applications supports the loading of data into the Oracle Business Analytics
Warehouse from multiple source systems. If the same adaptor is required for two
different sources, then this requires the adaptors' model and maps to be duplicated in
the ODI repository.
Multi-Source Example
Consider a scenario in which you have a PeopleSoft 9.0 source and an Oracle EBS
11.5.10 source, both loading the target fact table ASTXACT_FG. Loading this target
table includes three serial steps:
1.

Initialize Target Table (ASTXACT_FG).

2.

Load Target Table (ASTXACT_FG).

3.

Finalize Target Table (ASTXACT_FG).

Figure 13 shows these load plan steps in ODI Studio.


Figure 13 Multi-Source Load Plan

Data from both sources, PeopleSoft 9.0 and Oracle EBS 11.5.10, is being loaded into the
target table (ASTXACT_FG) for the first time, which means a full load will occur; and,
generally, when a full load occurs, the target table is truncated. In this case, the load
plans can run in parallel because the data sources are not dependent on each other;
however, the load from the second source should not truncate the target table if it
already contains data from the first source. This issue is resolved as follows: The
Initialize Target Table step truncates the target table. The Load Target Table step, in
turn, has two child parallel steps. Each of these loads the target from each source
system. Finally, the Finalize Target Table step creates any indexes and analyzes the

1-6 Oracle Business Intelligence Applications ETL Guide

About ETL Roles

table. Thus, the generated load plan ensures that the table is truncated only at the
required time (in this case, only once before any source system loads it).
Note that you can have separate load plans for each source, but load plans should not
run in parallel.
Caution: Oracle BI Applications Configuration Manager and ODI
will not stop load plans from running in parallel; however, it is
recommended that you do not do so because of the following reasons:

All load plans truncate target tables upon the initial load. If you
run load plans in parallel, one load plan can truncate the data
loaded by the preceding load plan.
The mappings from SILOS onwards are common and not based
on the source system. If load plans are run in parallel, you can
have a situation in which only partial data is loaded from the
second source due to the data that was loaded from the first
source. To resolve this issue, you need to make sure that the first
load plan completes successfully before the second load plan runs.
In other words, when loading a fact table, the fact table could be
connecting with multiple dimension and lookup tables to get the
final data. When load plans are running parallel, some of the
dimension, lookup, and staging tables could also have data from a
second source. This could lead to some lookups and dimensions
not returning appropriate value for the second source, since they
have not yet been completely loaded

About ETL Roles


Oracle BI Applications has two duty roles for ETL operations:

Load Plan Operator Duty

Load Plan Administrator Duty

Oracle BI Applications has the following additional duty roles:

BI Applications Administrator Duty

BI Applications Functional Developer Duty

BI Applications Implementation Manager Duty

Access to Configuration Manager and Functional Setup Manager is controlled through


these duty roles.
The security administrator must grant the appropriate duty roles to a user based on
the user's job responsibilities. For information on the Configuration Manager and
Functional Setup Manager screens that each duty role has access to, see Oracle Business
Intelligence Applications Security Guide.
The BI Applications administrator, load plan operator, and load plan administrator
users will require appropriate access to ODI. In addition to these users being created in
the LDAP system, these users must also be created in the ODI Repository, and they
must be granted the Supervisor profile or an appropriate ODI profile. The BI
Applications administrator must be granted the Supervisor role in ODI. Work with
your security administrator to obtain the appropriate duty roles.

ETL Overview

1-7

About ETL Roles

For more information about managing security in ODI, see Oracle Fusion Middleware
Developer's Guide for Oracle Data Integrator.

1-8 Oracle Business Intelligence Applications ETL Guide

2
Managing Load Plans
2

This chapter provides information about managing load plans for Oracle BI
Applications using Oracle BI Applications Configuration Manager.
The tasks for managing load plans are usually performed by either ETL developers or
ETL operators. The tasks in this section are grouped by the role that generally
performs the task, as listed below.
ETL Developer Tasks

Defining Load Plans

Duplicating Load Plans

Editing Load Plans

Generating Load Plans

Scheduling Load Plans

Executing Load Plans

ETL Operator Tasks


Monitoring Load Plan Runs

Restarting Load Plans

Stopping Load Plans

Overview of Load Plan Life Cycle


A load plan life cycle comprises the following phases:

Phase 1: Define load plan


In this phase, you define load plan properties in the Oracle BI Applications
Configuration Manager, including selecting a data source and one or more fact
groups. This selection determines which steps need to be performed during the
ETL process.

Phase 2: Generate load plan


In this phase, you launch a generation process from Oracle BI Applications
Configuration Manager that propagates the load plan properties to the ODI
Repository, where the load plan is built.

Phase 3: Execute load plan


In this phase, you start a load plan run from Oracle BI Applications Configuration
Manager, which executes the steps of the load plan. Executing a load plan creates a
Managing Load Plans

2-1

Defining Load Plans

load plan instance and a first load plan run. If a run is restarted, a new load plan
run is created under this load plan instance. Each execution attempt of the load
plan instance is preserved as a different load plan run in the log.

Phase 4: Monitor load plan


In this phase, you monitor the load plan run in the Load Plan Details page of the
Oracle BI Applications Configuration Manager. The Load Plan Details page
provides a view of the ODI Repository through Oracle Data Integrator Console.

Defining Load Plans


Follow this procedure to define a load plan.
To define a load plan:
1.

In the Tasks pane of Oracle BI Applications Configuration Manager, select Manage


Load Plans, which appears under the Load Plans Administration heading.
The Manage Load Plans page is displayed.

2.

In the Load Plans toolbar, click the Add icon.


The Define Load Plan page is displayed.

3.

On the first page of the Define Load Plan series, specify the following information:

Field

Description

Name

Enter a unique name for the load plan.

Description

(Optional) Enter additional information about the load plan.

2-2 Oracle Business Intelligence Applications ETL Guide

Duplicating Load Plans

Field

Description

Load Plan Type

Select a load plan type. Possible values are the following:

Source Extract (SDE) - Includes only those tasks that extract


from the source and loads data into staging tables.
Source Extract and Load (SDE, SIL and PLP) - Includes all
tasks to extract from the source and load the data
warehouse tables.
Warehouse Load (SIL and PLP) - Includes only those tasks
that extract from the staging tables and load the data
warehouse tables.
Note that it may be useful to generate separate
source-specific and data warehouse-specific load plans. By
decoupling the load plans, this allows scheduling a
source-specific load plan to run during hours when most
users are not using the source system and scheduling a
separate load of the data warehouse when most users are
not using the data warehouse.

Source Instances

4.

Domain-only Extract and Load (SDE and SIL) - Includes


all tasks required to extract domain-related records from the
source and load the data into the domain-related tables in
the Oracle Business Analytics Warehouse. Note that
domains are used extensively in Oracle BI Applications
Configuration Manager and several properties must be
configured before executing a regular load plan. These
properties depend on the domain values found in the
transactional database.

Select the data sources from which the fact groups will be
selected.

Click Next.
The second page of the Define Load Plan series is displayed.

5.

In the Available Selections tab, select the fact groups you want to include in the
load plan definition.
Note that fact groups may belong to a hierarchy of fact groups. You can select only
the top level parent fact group and not a child fact group.
A load plan must contain at least one fact group; multiple fact groups may be
selected from one or more data sources.

6.

Click Save. A submenu is displayed with the following options:

Click Save to save the load plan. After a load plan is saved, it is displayed in
the Load Plans master list.
Click Save and Generate Load Plan to save the load plan and immediately
generate it.

Duplicating Load Plans


Follow this procedure to duplicate an existing load plan.
To duplicate an existing load plan:
1.

In the Tasks pane of Oracle BI Applications Configuration Manager, select Manage


Load Plans, which appears under the Load Plans Administration heading.
The Manage Load Plans page is displayed.

Managing Load Plans

2-3

Editing Load Plans

2.

In the Load Plans master list, select the load plan you want to duplicate.

3.

In the Load Plans toolbar, click the Duplicate icon.


The Duplicate Load Plan page is displayed.

4.

On the first page of the Duplicate Load Plan series, specify the following
information:

Field

Description

Name

Enter a unique name for the load plan.

Description

(Optional) Enter additional information about the load plan.

Load Plan Type

(Optional) Select a load plan type. Possible values are the


following:

Source Instances

5.

Source Extract (SDE)

Source Extract and Load (SDE, SIL and PLP)

Warehouse Load (SIL and PLP)

Domain-only Extract and Load (SDE and SIL)

(Optional) Select the data sources from which the fact groups
will be selected.

Click Next.
The second page of the Duplicate Load Plan series is displayed.

6.

In the Available Selections tab, select the fact groups you want to include in the
load plan definition.
Note that fact groups may belong to a hierarchy of fact groups. You can select only
the top level parent fact group and not a child fact group.
A load plan must contain at least one fact group, and multiple fact groups may be
selected from one or more data sources.

7.

Click Save. A submenu is displayed with the following options:

Click Save to save the load plan. After a load plan is saved, it is displayed in
the Load Plans master list.
Click Save and Generate Load Plan to save the load plan and immediately
generate it.

Editing Load Plans


Follow this procedure to edit an existing load plan.
To edit an existing load plan:
1.

In the Tasks pane of Oracle BI Applications Configuration Manager, select Manage


Load Plans, which appears under the Load Plans Administration heading.
The Manage Load Plans page is displayed.

2.

In the Load Plans master list, select the load plan you want to edit.

3.

In the Load Plans toolbar, click the Edit icon.


The Edit Load Plan page is displayed.

4.

You can edit the following properties:

2-4 Oracle Business Intelligence Applications ETL Guide

Generating Load Plans

Field

Description

Name

Enter a unique name for the load plan.

Description

(Optional) Enter additional information about the load plan.

Load Plan Type

(Optional) Select a load plan type. Possible values are the


following:

Source Instances

5.

Source Extract (SDE)

Source Extract and Load (SDE, SIL and PLP)

Warehouse Load (SIL and PLP)

Domain-only Extract and Load (SDE and SIL)

(Optional) Select the data sources from which the fact groups
will be selected.

Click Next.
The second page of the Edit Load Plan series is displayed.

6.

In the Available Selections tab, select the fact groups you want to include in the
load plan definition.
Note that fact groups may belong to a hierarchy of fact groups. You can select only
the top level parent fact group and not a child fact group.
A load plan must contain at least one fact group, and multiple fact groups may be
selected from one or more data sources.

7.

Click Save. A submenu is displayed with the following options

Click Save to save the load plan. After a load plan is saved, it is displayed in
the Load Plans master list.
Click Save and Generate Load Plan to save the load plan and immediately
generate it.

Generating Load Plans


When you generate a load plan, the load plan is built in the ODI Repository. A load
plan must be generated successfully before it can be executed.
Note: Load plans must be generated serially or the process will fail. Do not launch a
second load plan generation if one is already underway. You must wait until the first
generation process completes before you launch the next generation process.
To generate a load plan:
1.

In the Tasks pane of Oracle BI Applications Configuration Manager, select Manage


Load Plans, which appears under the Load Plans Administration heading.
The Manage Load Plans page is displayed.

2.

In the Load Plans master list, select the load plan you want to generate.

3.

In the Load Plans toolbar, click the Generate icon.


The following icons show the possible generation statuses that appear in the
Generation Status column in the Load Plan master list. Click the Refresh icon to
refresh the display.

Managing Load Plans

2-5

Scheduling Load Plans

Generation Status Icon

Description
Starting

In Progress

Succeeded

Failed

You can execute a load plan or schedule it for execution after it has been successfully
generated.

Scheduling Load Plans


Follow this procedure to schedule a load plan for execution.
To schedule a load plan for execution:
1.

In the Tasks pane of Oracle BI Applications Configuration Manager, select Manage


Load Plans, which appears under the Load Plans Administration heading.
The Manage Load Plans page is displayed.

2.

In the Load Plans list, select the load plan you want to schedule.

3.

Select the Schedules tab.

4.

Click Add in the Schedules tab toolbar.


The Schedule Load Plan dialog is displayed.

5.

Specify the following information:

Field

Description

Context

The ODI context to be used when the load plan is run. Note that
Global is the only supported context.

Local Agent

The ODI local agent to be used when the load plan is run.

Log Level

The level of logging information to retain. The Oracle BI


Applications Configuration Manager uses Oracle Diagnostic
Logging. For information about managing log files and
diagnostic data, see Oracle Fusion Middleware Administrator's
Guide.

Status

Status of the schedule. Possible values are the following

Active

Inactive

Active for the period

2-6 Oracle Business Intelligence Applications ETL Guide

Executing Load Plans

Field

Description

Recurrence

Frequency of occurrence. Possible values are the following:

On Agent Startup

Simple

Hourly

Daily

Weekly

Monthly (day of the month)

Monthly (week day)

Yearly

Depending on the Recurrence option you select, options for


selecting the date and time are dynamically displayed.
6.

Click Schedule.

Executing Load Plans


Follow this procedure to execute a load plan. Note the following points:

You can have separate load plans for each source, but load plans should not run in
parallel
You can only execute a load plan if it was successfully generated. See "Generating
Load Plans" for instructions.

To execute a load plan:


1.

In the Tasks pane of Oracle BI Applications Configuration Manager, select Manage


Load Plans, which appears under the Load Plans Administration heading.
The Manage Load Plans page is displayed.

2.

In the Load Plans list, select the load plan you want to execute.

3.

In the Load Plans toolbar, click the Execute icon.


The Execute Load Plan Dialog is displayed.

4.

Specify the following information:

Field

Description

Context

The ODI context to be used when the load plan is run. Note that
Global is the only supported context.

Local Agent

The ODI local agent to be used when the load plan is run.

Oracle Data Integrator


Work Repository

The name of the ODI Work repository.

5.

Click OK.
The following icons show the possible execution statuses that appear in the
Execution Status column in the Load Plan master list. Click the Refresh icon to
refresh the display.

Managing Load Plans

2-7

Monitoring Load Plan Runs

Generation Status Icon

Description
Starting

In Progress

Succeeded

Failed

Not Executed

6.

(Optional) Click the Show Execution Status Details icon to display detailed
information about the status of the execution.

Monitoring Load Plan Runs


You can monitor a load plan run by viewing the execution status information on the
Load Plan Execution Details page of Oracle BI Applications Configuration Manager.
To view load plan execution details:
1.

In the Tasks pane of Oracle BI Applications Configuration Manager, select Manage


Load Plans, which appears under the Load Plans Administration heading.
The Manage Load Plans page is displayed.

2.

In the Load Plans master list, select the load plan whose run you want to view.

3.

In the Load Plans toolbar, click the Show Execution Status Details icon.
The Oracle Data Integrator Console is displayed.

4.

Log into the Oracle Data Integrator Console by entering an appropriate User ID
and Password.
The Load Plan Details page is displayed.
For a description of the information displayed on this page, see "Load Plan Details
Page".

Restarting Load Plans


This section provides information about restarting load plans after a failure. It includes
the following sections:

Overview of Load Plan Restartability

About Restartability Grain

Restarting Load Plans

2-8 Oracle Business Intelligence Applications ETL Guide

Restarting Load Plans

Troubleshooting Load Plans

Alternate Options for Restarting Load Plans

Related Features and Considerations

Overview of Load Plan Restartability


When you run ETL to load data from a source system into the Oracle Business
Analytics Warehouse, it is possible that you may need to restart the ETL load after a
failure. This section explains the options available for restart and describes the
implications of using each of those options.
Examples of circumstances and reasons for load plan failure include the following:

Problem with access either to source or target database due to network failure or
expired or otherwise incorrect user names and passwords.
Failure of ODI agent.
Problem with space or storage. Able to connect to source or target database but the
query fails to run due to lack of temp space, disk space, and so on. For files it
could due to inadequate space where the file needs to be placed.
Problem with data, for example incorrect data with lengths larger than the target
column can hold, or null values in Not Null columns.

After such a failure during ETL, to avoid restarting the entire load plan after a failure,
which would require inefficient re-runs of all ETL tasks, you must restart the load from
the same point in its execution once the cause of failure has been diagnosed and
resolved.

About Restartability Grain


When you restart a load plan after a failure, you may not restart again from the exact
point of failure, depending on where it occurred and on dependencies between load
plan steps. The point of restartability is that the end result of the load plan execution is
the same regardless of any load plan failure.
The following example describes one such dependency-driven requirement for
re-running a step that has already completed: In a load plan with two steps, the first
step truncates the table, and the second inserts records into the table, intermittently
committing the records. The load plan is run and fails at the second step due to a space
issue. After the issue is resolved, restarting the load plan from the second step would
be incorrect, because the target has some inserted rows. Restart should instead begin
with the first step so that the target table is truncated again and newly inserted data
does not cause any duplicates.
To maintain data integrity in the case of restart, the grain would vary depending on
the location in the step hierarchy of the failed step and on the Restart setting for the
step in the Load Plan Manager.
Within the Steps Hierarchy in Load Plan Manager, you can view and edit the Restart
setting of a step in the Restart column. The default settings for different steps in the
hierarchy support data integrity in restarts:

Root steps are set to 'Restart From Failure' if Serial and 'Restart from failed
Children' if Parallel.
Sub steps are set to 'Restart From Failure' if Serial and 'Restart from failed
Children' if Parallel.

Managing Load Plans

2-9

Restarting Load Plans

Scenario steps are set to 'Restart from Failed Step'

The examples below highlight the implications for each type of load plan step.
Serial Load Plan Step
Serial steps are represented by a horizontal icon in the Steps hierarchy in Load Plan
Manager, and by default have a Restart setting of Restart from Failure. In a case where
the load plan fails when running such a step to load a Dimension Group with multiple
serial sub-steps loading individual dimensions, the load plan on restart would start
from the individual sub-step that failed. Any successfully completed serial sub-steps
would not be run again.
Parallel Load Plan Step
Parallel steps are represented by a vertical icon in the Steps hierarchy in Load Plan
Manager and by default have a Restart setting of Restart from Failed Children. In a
typical run, a parallel step with five parallel sub-steps under it would have all five
sub-steps executed in parallel, subject to free sessions being available. If two of those
five steps completed and then the load plan were to fail, when the load plan was
restarted, all the steps that did not complete or failed would be started again.
Scenario Step
At the lowest order in any load plan are the scenario steps. While the parent steps,
whether serial or parallel, are used to set the dependencies, the scenario steps are those
which load the tables. A scenario step, in turn, could have one or more sub-steps,
corresponding to the number of steps inside the package.
In the case of a scenario step failure during execution, consider that the scenario step
may have multiple steps, all under the same session in the Operator log but identified
with different step numbers: 0, 1, 2, and so on. In the case of restart, the scenario would
execute from the failed parent scenario step, re-running all sub-steps.
If you use the Load Plan Generator to generate a load plan, it
will automatically conform to the standard above. If you are manually
altering a generated load plan or creating a new load plan without
using Load Plan Generator, then you should ensure that you conform
to the standard above.

Note:

Restarting Load Plans


Use ODI Studio or ODI Console to restart a load plan. This section describes how to
restart load plans. It includes the following sections:

Restarting Using ODI Studio

Restarting Using ODI Console

Restarting Using ODI Studio


Follow this procedure to restart a load plan using ODI Studio. The restart option is
enabled only on the last run for a load plan. A load plan can be restarted any number
of times and each time it progresses from the last failure.
To restart a load plan using ODI Studio:
1.

In ODI Operator, navigate to the Operator log, and select the last failed run for a
load plan.

2-10 Oracle Business Intelligence Applications ETL Guide

Restarting Load Plans

2.

Double-click the load plan run, and select the Restart Option. You can also
right-click the last run in the Operator log and select Restart.

Restarting Using ODI Console


Follow this procedure to restart a load plan using ODI Console. The restart option is
enabled only on the last run for a load plan. A load plan can be restarted any number
of times and each time it progresses from the last failure.
To restart a load plan using ODI Operator:
1.

In ODI Console, go to Runtime, select Sessions/Load Plan Executions, and then


select the load plan execution that has failed.

2.

Click Restart. The Restart button is displayed only when the selected load plan is
the most recent run of the load plan.

Troubleshooting Load Plans


A load plan must be restarted when it has stopped with an error. An alternate case
where restart may be required is when a load plan is not doing anything at all, for
example, when a load plan is executed and nothing has changed after 30 minutes. The
following checklist can be used to assist in troubleshooting a non-responsive load
plan.
1.

Check the maximum number of sessions set to run against the agent. In ODI
Operator, verify that the number of sessions running is equal to the maximum. If
so, then the other sessions are waiting for the running sessions to complete.
Proceed to the next step.

2.

Clean out stale sessions. Stale sessions are sessions that are incorrectly left in a
running state after an agent or repository crash. If an agent crashes or loses its
connection the repository after it has started a session, it is not be able to update
the status of the session in the repository, and such a session becomes stale. Until
the stale session is cleaned it shows up as running in the repository but actually is
not.
Stale sessions are cleaned in multiple ways. Some examples are listed below:

You can manually request specific agents to clean stale sessions in Operator
Navigator or Topology Navigator.
Stale sessions are cleaned when you restart an agent.
When an agent starts any new session, it checks for and resolves stale sessions.
However, if the agent has lost connection to the repository, then it cannot clean
stale sessions.

3.

Check if the agent is alive. To test the agent to see if it is running and still has a
connection to the repository, open it in the Topology Navigator in ODI Studio and
select the Test tab. If the agent test fails, then restart the agent after fixing the issue.

4.

Verify that the ODI Repository and the server hosting it are running and have not
experienced a failure.

5.

If your load plan is in error and you have verified all of the above, then restart the
Load plan.

Alternate Options for Restarting Load Plans


This section describes alternate ways to approach restarting failed load plans. It
includes the following sections:
Managing Load Plans 2-11

Restarting Load Plans

Using Mark as Complete

Running a Scenario Standalone

Using Mark as Complete


In most cases the load plan restart method described earlier in this section is the
recommended approach. This approach ensures data integrity and leaves no scope for
manual error. However, at times you may want to run a load plan step manually. For
example, if a step is inserting duplicate records which are causing failure, rerunning
the step would still insert duplicates. In such a case, you may need to manually correct
the data outside of the load plan and then skip that step when you restart the load
plan. For this kind of situation, you can use the Mark as Complete option.
When you mark a load plan step as complete, it ensures that when the load plan is
restarted, the marked step is not executed. It is then the responsibility of the person
making this setting to ensure that the load for that step is carried out outside the load
plan.
To mark a step as complete, right-click the step and select Mark As Complete. This can
be done at the scenario step or at any step higher than that.
Marking a step complete at a higher level in the step hierarchy would mean that none
of the child steps under that parent step would be executed upon load plan restart,
even if they are otherwise eligible. For this reason, marking a step as complete should
be treated as an advanced task and must be done only with a full understanding of its
impact. There is no single recommendation that pertains in all cases, so the setting
must be done carefully and only on a case-by-case basis.

Running a Scenario Standalone


When you are monitoring a load plan, you may not completely know how to fix a
scenario step failure, but may wish to use the 'mark as complete' option for the failed
scenario step instead of waiting for complete resolution. This prevents a step failure
from precluding an entire load plan completing, while allowing you to inform the ETL
team about the failed scenario step and work on a resolution. The ETL team might
then fix the scenario and want to run it standalone outside the load plan to complete
the load.
As in marking a step as complete, running a scenario standalone should be treated as
an advanced task and the person running the scenario must be aware of the following:

A scenario run outside of a load plan by itself invokes the Table Maintenance
process. This could, depending on the setting, truncate the table before the load.
To understand this, consider that when a scenario is run inside a load plan table
maintenance tasks are carried out as explicit steps (the parent step name would be
either Initialize or Finalize). The scenario by itself does not call the Table
Maintenance process when run from within the load plan. Rather, this is controlled
by the EXECUTION_ID variable, which is set to the load plan instance ID. If this
variable has a value greater than 0 when a scenario is run, the Table Maintenance
process is not invoked, as would be the case when a scenario is run from within a
load plan with an instance ID. However, if this variable does not have a value
greater than 0, then the scenario invokes the Table Maintenance process. This is the
case when a scenario is run outside the load plan. If you set a value for the
EXECUTION_ID when invoking the scenario from outside a load plan, the table
maintenance steps would not be called.

A scenario step could have many variable values set, either dynamically in the
case of a refresh variable or explicitly by overriding its value at that scenario step

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Restarting Load Plans

in the load plan. When running a scenario outside the load plan, all the scenario
variables would have only their default values. For this reason, care should be
taken to set the variables appropriately before calling a scenario from outside the
load plan. You can check the variable values that are present in the load plan by
looking at the Operator log, provided the log level was set to 6 when the load plan
ran. The Oracle BI Applications Configuration Manager uses Oracle Diagnostic
Logging. For information about managing log files and diagnostic data, see Oracle
Fusion Middleware Administrator's Guide.

Related Features and Considerations


This section lists some of the Oracle BI Applications features that are related to
restartability and describes some related considerations.
Using CKM to Filter Erroneous Data
If a scenario step is failing due to bad source data, it may sometimes be desirable to
enable the CKM option to load the valid records and route the error records to a
separate table. Examples of situations where this may be appropriate are the load of
null values when they should have a value or data lengths longer than allowed target
column lengths. Once the load completes, you could correct the erroneous data and
have it automatically picked up in a subsequent load.
Use of CKM can slow the load considerably because every
record and column could potentially be checked before loading. For
this reason, this is not an option that you want to turn on across the
entire load plan.

Note:

Regenerating a Scenario During a Load Plan Execution


Consider a case where a load plan is started and fails at a scenario step. You fix the
issue and regenerate the scenario, then restart the load plan and may expect it to pick
the new scenario, but this is not what happens. If a load plan has been started and a
scenario regenerated, the regenerated scenario code is not picked up when the load
plan is restarted. To force the regenerated scenario to be picked up, you have two
options:

Start a new load plan run, accepting the overhead associated with restarting the
load from the beginning.
Run the regenerated scenario as stand-alone outside the load plan, marking that
scenario step as complete in the load plan before restarting the load plan. Refer to
"Using Mark as Complete" and "Running a Scenario Standalone" for implications
of using these options.

Restarting Long Running Jobs


Consider a case where you have a scenario that takes two hours to run. The scenario
fails at the insert new rows step, after loading the C$ and I$ steps. On restart, the
scenario attempts to reload the C$ again. You instead want it to restart from the insert
new rows steps only.
This use is not supported. The restartability mechanism has been put in place in such a
way that restarting a load plan is all you need to do. You do not need to clean up any
data in between load plan executions, because the data is committed to the target table
only after all the Knowledge Module steps are successful. If the load fails before
complete success, no data is committed to that specific target table as part of the failed

Managing Load Plans 2-13

Stopping Load Plans

session. (Note: C$ and I$ tables are created afresh on restart and hence data to these
tables would be committed in between).
New C$ and I$ tables are created on restart and hence data to
these tables would be committed in between load plan start and
restart.

Note:

Stale C$ and I$ Tables


On restart, new C$ and I$ tables are created, but since the previous load did not
complete, these tables from the previous session are not dropped. The load plan
generated using Load Plan Generator has a step at the end of the load plan called
Clean Stale Work Tables which takes a variable called ETL_DTOP_STG_OLDER_
THAN_DAYS whose default value is 30 days. When this step runs, it drops any C$
and I$ tables that are older than the specified variable value.
C$ and I$ tables are useful tables when you want to debug a
failed scenario. It might not be advisable to set the ETL_DTOP_STG_
OLDER_THAN_DAYS value as too smallfor example, one dayas
you might lose valuable information for debugging.

Note:

Stopping Load Plans


You can stop a load plan run from by accessing the Load Plan Execution page in
Configuration Manager (click Show Execution Status Details in the toolbar) or from
ODI Studio.
To stop a load plan run from ODI Studio:
1.

In Operator Navigator, select the running or waiting load plan run to stop from
the Load Plan Executions accordion.

2.

Right-click, and select Stop Normal or Stop Immediate.

Stop Normal - In normal stop mode, the agent in charge of stopping the load
plan sends a Stop Normal signal to each agent running a session for this load
plan. Each agent will wait for the completion of the current task of the session
and then end the session in error. Exception steps will not be executed by the
load plan and once all exceptions are finished the load plan is moved to an
error state.
Stop Immediate - In immediate stop mode, the agent in charge of stopping the
load plan sends a Stop Immediate signal to each agent running a session for
this load plan. Each agent will immediately end the session in error and not
wait for the completion of the current task of the session. Exception steps will
not be executed by the load plan and once all exceptions are finished the load
plan is moved to an error state.

3.

In the Stop Load Plan dialog, select an agent to stop the load plan.

4.

Click OK.
For more information about stopping load plan runs from ODI Studio, see Oracle
Fusion Middleware Developer's Guide for Oracle Data Integrator.

2-14 Oracle Business Intelligence Applications ETL Guide

3
Additional Administration Tasks
3

This chapter provides information about administration topics related to Oracle BI


Applications ETL processes.
This chapter contains the following topics:

Creating ETL Tables for Siebel Sources

Generating DDL Warehouse Scripts

Logging and Diagnostics

Creating ETL Tables for Siebel Sources


If your source system is Siebel and you are deploying one of the following offerings,
you need to create S_ETL tables in the Siebel database:

Oracle Marketing Analytics

Oracle Price Analytics

Oracle Sales Analytics

Oracle Service Analytics

To create the S_ETL tables, you generate a DDL script, which then must be provided to
the Siebel DBA, who will need to create the necessary tables in the Siebel database.
Note that the DB user used for the ETL connection will require all DML privileges
(SELECT, INSERT, DELETE, UPDATES) and DDL (TRUNCATE) privileges to S_ETL
tables.
To generate a DDL script to create S_ETL tables for Siebel sources:
1.

Launch ODI Studio, and display the Designer navigator.

2.

In the Projects editor, expand the following folders: BIApps Project, Components,
Sources, Siebel, Oracle, Generate Siebel DDL, Packages, Generate Siebel DDL,
Scenarios.

3.

Right-click GENERATE_SIEBEL_DDL Version 001, and then click Execute.

4.

Select the Context, ODI Agent, and Log Level, and then click OK.

5.

Specify the following information:

Option

Description

CREATE_SCRIPT_FILE

Select Latest Value and Enter Y in the Value field.

REFRESH_MODE

Enter FULL.

Additional Administration Tasks

3-1

Generating DDL Warehouse Scripts

Option

Description

CHAR_CLAUSE

Provided for Unicode support. If set to Y, the CHAR


clause will be included in the DDL.

RUN_DDL

Enter N.

SCRIPT_LOCATION

Enter the path where you want the script to be created.


The file name will be similar to BIA_Siebel_Schema_DDL_
<run ID>.sql.

TABLE_MASK

The default value % will compare all tables.

Generating DDL Warehouse Scripts


The Business Analytics Warehouse tables are automatically deployed during the
installation process when the Business Analytics Applications Suite Repository
Creation Utility (RCU) executes a shipped DDL script. The RCU does not prompt for
which tablespace to assign to the individual tables and related indexes nor does it
provide a mechanism for you to alter the shipped DDL. To introduce changes to the
Business Analytics Warehouse data model, you use ODI to generate a new DDL script.
For instructions on generating DDL scripts and assigning tablespaces to tables and
indexes, see the topic "Generating DDL and Assigning Tablespaces to Tables and
Indexes" in Oracle Business Intelligence Applications Installation Guide.

Logging and Diagnostics


Oracle BI Applications Configuration Manager uses Oracle Diagnostic Logging. For
information about managing log files and diagnostic data, see Oracle Fusion Middleware
Administrator's Guide.

3-2 Oracle Business Intelligence Applications ETL Guide

A
Manage Load Plans User Interface Reference

This section contains reference information about the Manage Load Plans user
interface elements in the Oracle BI Applications Configuration Manager.
This section contains the following topics:

Manage Load Plans Toolbar Options

Manage Load Plans Main Page

Define Load Plan Page

Duplicate Load Plan Page

Edit Load Plan Page

Load Plan Details Page

Schedule Load Plan Dialog

Manage Load Plans Toolbar Options


The Manage Load Plan window contains the following icons and menu options.
Icon or Menu Option

Description

Actions Menu:

This command resets the data warehouse by truncating


the W_ETL_LOAD_DATES table. This ensures that the
subsequent load will truncate all target tables and do a
fresh full load.

Execute Reset Data Warehouse


Scenario

Duplicate
Enables you to define a new load plan with the same fact
groups as the selected load plan definition but with a
different name and identifier.

Generate
Starts the process to build the load plan in the ODI
repository. A load plan must build successfully before it
can be executed.
Show Generation Status Details
Shows the generation status for each step included in the
load plan.

Manage Load Plans User Interface Reference

A-1

Manage Load Plans Toolbar Options

Icon or Menu Option

Description
Reset Generation Status
Resets the generation status to Not Generated.

Show Load Plan Details


Launches the Oracle Data Integrator Console, which
enables you to view detailed information about the
selected load plan.

Execute
Executes a load plan that has been successfully generated.

Show Execution Status Details


Displays the execution details of a load plan that has been
executed.

Generation Status: Not Generated


Indicates the load plan has not been generated, or was
modified in Configuration Manager without being
regenerated.

Generation Status: In Progress


Indicates the load plan is in the process of being
generated.
Generation and Execution Status: Succeeded
In the Generation Status column, indicates the load plan
was successfully generated.
In the Execution Status column, indicates the load plan
completed its run successfully.
Generation and Execution Status: Failed
In the Generation Status column, indicates the load plan
generation failed.
In the Execution Status column, indicates the load plan
run failed due to an error.
Execution Status: Not Executed
Indicates the load plan has not been executed.

Execution Status: Running


Indicates the load plan is currently running.

A-2 Oracle Business Intelligence Applications ETL Guide

Manage Load Plans Main Page

Manage Load Plans Main Page


Use the Manage Load Plans main page to view and edit existing load plans and to
create new load plan definitions. You can search for an existing load plan by clicking
Search above the master list panel. The search input fields are not case sensitive.
The Load Plans list displays the load plans in the Configuration Manager repository.
See "Manage Load Plans Toolbar Options" for a description of the toolbar options on
this page.

Manage Load Plans: Fact Groups Tab


Use this tab to view the fact groups associated with a load plan selected in the Load
Plans list. Fact groups displayed may belong to a hierarchy of fact groups. You can
expand the fact group node to view the hierarchy. If a fact group is a child of another
fact group in a hierarchy, it appears twice in the tree table, since it is associated with
both the functional area and the parent fact group.

Manage Load Plans: Data Load Parameters Tab


Use this tab to view and edit the data load parameters associated with a load plan
selected in the Load Plans list. The Data Load Parameters list includes both
application-specific and global parameters. Application-specific parameters are
associated with one or more fact groups included in the load plan definition. Global
parameters apply to all applications and can also be associated with specific fact
groups.
Key points about the Data Load Parameters tab:

If a listed parameter requires a value but a value has not been assigned, the
respective row in the table is tagged with an error icon. Parameters that do not
require a value (value can be null) are not tagged even if no value has been
assigned.
You can filter the list of parameters to display only the data load parameters that
have no value by using the Show drop-down list in the toolbar.
You can export and save content displayed in the table to a Microsoft Excel
formatted file by clicking the Export icon in toolbar.
You can change a parameter value by selecting the parameter in the list, and then
clicking the Edit icon in the toolbar. The Edit Parameter Value dialog is displayed.
To change a parameter value, the user must have been assigned a role that has the
appropriate privilege.

Manage Load Plans: Domains and Mappings Tab


Use the Domains and Mappings tab to view and edit domains and mappings related
to a load plan selected in the Load Plan list. The domains and mappings are associated
with the fact group included in the load plan definition.
Key points about the Domains and Mappings tab.

If a source domain in the list contains members that have not been mapped to an
appropriate warehouse domain member, the row in the table is tagged with an
error icon. Some source domain members are not applicable, and, therefore, are
not tagged even if they are unmapped.
You can filter the list of mappings to display only the domains that have
unmapped source members using the Show drop-down list in the toolbar.

Manage Load Plans User Interface Reference

A-3

Manage Load Plans Main Page

You can export and save content displayed in the table to a Microsoft Excel
formatted file by clicking the Export icon in toolbar.
You can change a domain mapping by selecting the mapping in the list, and then
clicking the Edit icon in the toolbar. The Edit Domain Member Mappings dialog is
displayed. To change a domain member mapping, the user must have been
assigned a role that has the appropriate privilege.

Manage Load Plans: Schedules Tab


Use the Schedule tab to view, create, edit and delete schedules for the execution of a
load plan. A load plan schedule includes the following required properties:

Context - The ODI context to be used when the load plan is run. Note that Global
is the only supported context.

Logical Agent - The ODI Agent to be used when the load plan is run.

Recurrence - Frequency of occurrence. Possible values are the following:

On Agent Startup

Simple

Hourly

Daily

Weekly

Monthly (day of the month)

Monthly (week day)

Yearly

Status - Status of the schedule. Possible values are the following:

Active

Inactive

Active for the period

Scheduled Time - Date and time the load plan is to be executed.

Schedules Tab Toolbar Icons


The toolbar icons provide the following functionality:

Add - This command invokes the Schedule Load Plan dialog, which enables you
to define a new schedule for the selected load plan.
Edit - Applies to a selected schedule. This command invokes the Schedule Load
Plan dialog, which enables you to make changes to the selected schedule.
Remove - This command removes the schedule from the repository.
Update Schedules - This command adds the schedule to the ODI Agent scheduler
if the agent is already started in ODI. Note that if the ODI Agent is already
running at the time you define the schedule in the Oracle BI Applications
Configuration Manager, you must click Update Schedules to add the schedule to
the ODI Agent scheduler.

A-4 Oracle Business Intelligence Applications ETL Guide

Edit Load Plan Page

Define Load Plan Page


Use the Define Load Plan pages to define a new load plan. A load plan comprises one
or more fact groups as well as additional properties.
Element

Description

Define Load Plan


first page

The first page of the Define Load Plan series requests the following
information:

Name - (Required) The unique name of the load plan.


Description - (Optional) Additional information about the load
plan.
Load Plan Type - (Optional) Possible values are the following:

Define Load Plan


second page

Source Extract (SDE)


Source Extract and Load (SDE, SIL
and PLP)
Warehouse Load (SIL and PLP)
Domain-only Extract and Load (SDE
and SIL)

Source Instance - (Optional) The data sources from which fact


groups will be selected.

The second page of the Define Load Plan series contains the following
tabs:

Available Selections - Enables you to select the fact groups you


want to include in the load plan definition. The Show drop-down
list in the toolbar enables you to display all fact groups, only
selected fact groups, or only unselected fact groups.
Selected Fact Groups - Displays the fact groups you selected in
the Available Sections tab. The Remove icon enables you to
remove a selected fact group.

Duplicate Load Plan Page


Use the Duplicate Load Plan page to duplicate an existing load plan. The Duplicate
Load Plan page displays the load plan information for the load plan you want to copy.
You must provide a unique name for the duplicate load plan. You can optionally
change the following information:

First page of the Duplicate Load Plan series

Description

Load Plan Type

Source Instance

Second page of the Duplicate Load Plan series

Fact Group

Edit Load Plan Page


Use the Edit Load Plan page to edit an existing load plan.You can edit the following
information:

First page of the Edit Load Plan series

Manage Load Plans User Interface Reference

A-5

Load Plan Details Page

Name

Description

Source Instance

Second page of the Edit Load Plan series

Fact Group

Load Plan Details Page


Use the Load Plan Details page to view detailed information about the definition and
execution status of the load plan selected in the Load Plan list.
Element

Description

Navigation tabs

In the Navigation tabs, you can browse for objects contained in the
repository. When an object or node is selected, the Navigation Tab
toolbar displays icons for the actions available for this object or node.
If an action is not available for this object, the icon is greyed out.

Load Plan tab

Browse - The Browse tab enables you to browse for runtime,


design time, and topology objects,
Management - The Management tab enables you to view
repository connection information.

The Load Plan tab displays three panels, containing the following
information:

Definition - This panel displays information about the load plan


definition, such as name, ID, and parent folder as well as log
details.
Creation and Update Information - This panel displays
information about when the load plan was created and updated
and which user performed the action.
Relationships - This panel displays the following information:
Steps - Lists steps included in the load plan.
Exceptions - Lists exceptions by step number.
Variables - Lists variables associated with the load plan.
Executions - Lists runs for the load plan, including execution
status.

Load Plan Execution


tab

The Load Plan execution tab displays three panels, containing the
following information:

Execution - This panel displays information about the load plan


run, including the status and any error messages.
Definition - This panel displays information about the load plan
definition, such as name, ID, and parent folder as well as log
details.
Relationships - This panel displays the following information.
Steps - Lists steps included in the load plan.
Variables - Lists variables associated with the load plan.
Sessions - Lists information about the sessions included in the
load plan, including start and end dates.

A-6 Oracle Business Intelligence Applications ETL Guide

Schedule Load Plan Dialog

Schedule Load Plan Dialog


Use the Schedule Load Plan dialog to create and edit schedules for load plan
execution. A load plan schedule includes the following properties:

Context - The ODI context to be used when the load plan is run. Note that Global
is the only supported context.
Logical Agent - The ODI Agent to be used when the load plan is run.
Log Level - The level of logging information to retain. The Oracle BI Applications
Configuration Manager uses Oracle Diagnostic Logging. For information about
managing log files and diagnostic data, see Oracle Fusion Middleware
Administrator's Guide.
Status - The status of the schedule. Possible values are the following:

Active

Inactive

Active for the period

Recurrence - The frequency of occurrence. Possible values are the following:

On Agent Startup

Simple

Hourly

Daily

Weekly

Monthly (day of the month)

Monthly (week day)

Yearly
Depending on the Recurrence option you select, options for selecting the date
and time are dynamically displayed.

Manage Load Plans User Interface Reference

A-7

Schedule Load Plan Dialog

A-8 Oracle Business Intelligence Applications ETL Guide

B
Knowledge Modules Reference

This section provides detailed information about the Integration Knowledge Modules
(IKMs) available with Oracle BI Applications.
This section contains the following topic:

IKM BIApps Oracle Control Append

IKM BIAPPS Oracle Event Queue Delete Append

IKM BIAPPS Oracle Fact Incremental Update

IKM BIAPPS Oracle Incremental Update

IKM BIAPPS Oracle Period Delete Append

IKM BIAPPS Oracle Slowly Changing Dimension

IKM BIAPPS SQL Target Override

Nested IKM BIAPPS Oracle Control Append

Nested IKM BIAPPS Oracle Event Queue Delete Append

IKM BIApps Oracle Control Append


This IKM integrates data into an Oracle target table in append mode. All records are
inserted without any key checks. Data can be controlled by isolating invalid data in the
error table and recycling when fixed.
Prerequisites
Perquisites for using this IKM are the following:

If the "Synchronize Deletions from Journal" process is executed, the deleted rows
on the target are committed.
To use FLOW_CONTROL and RECYCLE_ERRORS options, the update ley must
be set on the interface.

Options for Functionality


Unspecified Record. If the target table is a dimension, set this option to TRUE to
automatically insert an "Unspecified" record. This is referenced by facts in case no
other dimension record matches. The default column values are determined by
model naming standards using the user-defined function GET_UNSPEC_VALUE.

Knowledge Modules Reference B-1

IKM BIAPPS Oracle Event Queue Delete Append

Options for Performance Tuning

Hints - This IKM allows the passing of hints into the generated SQL. For more
information, see the article titled "Oracle Business Intelligence Applications
Version 11.1.1.7.1 Performance Recommendations (Doc ID 1539322.1)" on My
Oracle Support.

Alter Session List - Applies a list of alter session commands to the session used by
the KM. Commands should be separated by a semi-colon and without the "ALTER
SESSION" prefix. Each command should be prefixed SRC or TGT depending on
whether it should be executed on the source connection (relevant if using an LKM)
or the target connection. For example:
SRC set TRACEFILE_IDENTIFIER='ODI_TRACE'; SRC set events '10046 TRACE NAME
CONTEXT FOREVER, LEVEL 8'; TGT set TRACEFILE_IDENTIFIER='ODI_TRACE_TGT';

IKM BIAPPS Oracle Event Queue Delete Append


This IKM integrates data into an Oracle target table using an event queue to process
incremental changes. This IKM is used when working with data that is versioned over
time (similar to a slowly changing dimension). In full load all records are inserted. The
event queue tracks the natural keys that are changing, and the earliest date a change
occurred. For each natural key, any existing target records on or after the earliest
change are deleted and the new records inserted.
If there are effective from and to dates, these are maintained automatically in both full
and incremental loads.
Data can be controlled by isolating invalid data in the error table, but recycling data is
not supported.
Prerequisites
Prerequisites for using this IKM are the following:

The event queue table must be defined using the Event Queue Table option.

It must have the column EARLIEST_CHANGE_DATE (DATE data type)

It must follow the standard naming convention ending with _EQ_TMP

Join between target table and event queue must be defined using the Event Queue
Join option.
Target table must have SCD behavior set for:

Natural key

Starting/ending timestamp

Interface must only select the source data that is changing, as controlled by the
event queue, which lists the natural keys that are changing and the earliest date of
any change.

Either the data is selected from temporary or staging tables which only contain
incremental data
Or

Use the nested IKM BIAPPS Oracle Event Queue Delete Append to include a
join to the event queue in incremental load

If the "Synchronize Deletions from Journal" process is executed, the deleted rows
on the target are committed.

B-2 Oracle Business Intelligence Applications ETL Guide

IKM BIAPPS Oracle Fact Incremental Update

Options for Functionality

Event Queue Table. The name of the event queue table that holds the incremental
changes. This option is mandatory.
Prerequisites for this option are the following:

Event queue table must contain EARLIEST_CHANGE_DATE column (DATE


data type)

Oracle BI Applications naming standard for table ends with _EQ_TMP

Event Queue Join. Assuming the alias T for Target Table and Q for Event Queue
Table, define the equi-join between the Target Table and the Event Queue Table.
This is used in the Event Queue Update and Event Queue Delete steps and in rare
cases may be omitted if neither of those steps are required. The filter on
EARLIEST_CHANGE_DATE should not be included in the join option.
Event Queue Delete. Whether or not to delete records in the target that are being
processed in incremental load. In most cases this should be enabled, but in rare
cases where more than one interface loads the target table then it only needs to be
enabled on the first one.
Event Queue Update. Whether or not to correct effective dates on records in the
target that are affected by the incremental load. In most cases this should be
enabled, but in rare cases where more than one interface loads the target table then
it only needs to be enabled on the last one.
High Data Value. The default value to use for the maximum ending timestamp. In
most cases the default value of #HI_DATE is fine, but for some persisted staging
tables that reflect the OLTP might use a different value e.g. #ORA_HI_DATE.
Unspecified Record. If the target table is a dimension, set this to TRUE to
automatically insert an "Unspecified" record. This is referenced by facts in case no
other dimension record matches. The default column values are determined by
model naming standards using the user-defined function GET_UNSPEC_VALUE.

Options for Performance Tuning


Hints - This IKM allows the passing of hints into the generated SQL. For more
information, see the article titled "Oracle Business Intelligence Applications
Version 11.1.1.7.1 Performance Recommendations (Doc ID 1539322.1)" on My
Oracle Support.

Alter Session List - Applies a list of alter session commands to the session used by
the KM. Commands should be separated by a semi-colon and without the "ALTER
SESSION" prefix. Each command should be prefixed SRC or TGT depending on
whether it should be executed on the source connection (relevant if using an LKM)
or the target connection. For example:
SRC set TRACEFILE_IDENTIFIER='ODI_TRACE'; SRC set events '10046 TRACE NAME
CONTEXT FOREVER, LEVEL 8'; TGT set TRACEFILE_IDENTIFIER='ODI_TRACE_TGT';

IKM BIAPPS Oracle Fact Incremental Update


This IKM integrates data into an Oracle target table in append mode. All records are
inserted without any key checks. Data can be controlled by isolating invalid data in the
error table and recycling when fixed.
Prerequisites
A prerequisite for using this IKM is the following:

Knowledge Modules Reference B-3

IKM BIAPPS Oracle Incremental Update

The scenario LOAD_PARTITION_METADATA must be run before any interface


using this KM, passing in the target table name as a parameter. This will load W_
ETL_PART_TABLES and W_ETL_PART_TABLE_PARTS with the required
metadata.

Options for Functionality


For a description of the options available with this IKM, see the options described for
"IKM BIAPPS Oracle Incremental Update.".

IKM BIAPPS Oracle Incremental Update


This IKM integrates data into an Oracle target table in incremental update mode. New
records are inserted and existing records are updated. Data can be controlled by
isolating invalid data in the error table and recycling when fixed.
Prerequisites
Prerequisites for using this IKM are the following:

The update key must be defined in the interface and the key columns should be
indexed.
If the "Synchronize Deletions from Journal" process is executed, the deleted rows
on the target are committed.

Options for Functionality

Soft Delete. There are several additional steps that you can perform if the soft
delete option is enabled. The variables #SOFT_DELETE_FEATURE_ENABLED
(global) and #SOFT_DELETE_PREPROCESS (can be set for each fact or dimension
group) control exactly which steps are executed.
If you are able to implement triggers to efficiently capture deletes on the source
system, you can disable the expensive pre-process steps (which extract all source
records and compare against all target records) and, instead, directly populate the
delete table.
Step

Action

Control

Soft delete
pre-process

Runs the "Identify Delete" step


which compares the data in the
primary extract table against the
target table, and records any
obsolete target rows in the delete
table.

#SOFT_DELETE_FEATURE_
ENABLED

Uses #LAST_ARCHIVE_
DATE to filter target by
CREATED_ON_DT system
column (set variable to NULL
to disable this).
Only data sources that have
implemented the primary
extract are included. If a data
source has no records in the
primary extract table then no
records will be added to the
delete table for that data
source.

B-4 Oracle Business Intelligence Applications ETL Guide

#SOFT_DELETE_PREPROCESS

IKM BIAPPS Oracle Incremental Update

Step

Action

Control

Soft delete on target

Runs the "Soft Delete" step which #SOFT_DELETE_FEATURE_


updates the DELETE_FLG column ENABLED
to 'Y' on the target table for
records which have been
identified for delete.

Truncate delete table

Removes records from the delete


table once they have been
processed

#SOFT_DELETE_FEATURE_
ENABLED

Note that all these steps are committed together, along with any other inserts and
updates to the target table. This keeps the data warehouse consistent.
Prerequisites for using this option are the following:

The target table must have the ETL_PROC_WID and W_UPDATE_DT system
columns.

Tables <target>_PE and <target>_DEL must be created with the columns in


the interface key.

#LAST_ARCHIVE_DATE must be NULL if target table does not have the


CREATED_ON_DT column.

#SOFT_DELETE_PREPROCESS should be refreshed from Oracle BI


Applications Configuration Manager by the load plan component.

Date Track. Automatically maintains effective from and to dates in the target table,
similarly to a slowly changing dimension. It can handle dates or numbers (usually
date keys, for example, YYYYMMDD). This can also set a current flag column,
which will be 'Y' for the last record and 'N' for earlier records.
Prerequisites for using this option are the following:

Set the slowly changing dimension behavior for the following table columns
in the model:
- Natural key
- Starting/ending timestamp
- Current flag (optional)

The natural key and starting timestamp columns should be indexed if they are
not covered by the update key index.

In the interface, map the effective to date column to a constant maximum


value (usually #HI_DATE) set to execute on the target.

If using current flag, map it to 'Y' again executing on the target.

ETL_PROC_WID should be indexed.

Change Capture. Captures target table changes to an image table to streamline the
process of reflecting the changes in aggregates.

Step

Action

Control

Truncate change
image table

Clears out image table ready to


capture changes in the current
process.

Always runs

Capture preload
changes

Captures target table records that


are about to be updated.

Always runs

Knowledge Modules Reference B-5

IKM BIAPPS Oracle Incremental Update

Step

Action

Control

Capture soft delete


changes

Captures target table records that


are about to be marked for soft
delete.

Runs if soft delete feature is


enabled

Capture post load


changes

Captures target table records that


have been inserted or updated.

Always runs

All these steps are committed together along with any other inserts and updates to
the target table. This keeps the data warehouse consistent.
Prerequisites for using this option are the following:

For W_FACT_F, the image table W_FACT_CMG must be created with all the
columns of the target table as well as the following columns:
CHANGED_IN_TASK
PHASE_CODE
PHASE_MULTIPLIER

Unspecified Record. If the target table is a dimension, set this to TRUE to


automatically insert an "Unspecified" record. This is referenced by facts in case no
other dimension record matches. The default column values are determined by
model naming standards using the user-defined function GET_UNSPEC_VALUE.

Options for Performance Tuning


Hints - This IKM allows the passing of hints into the generated SQL. For more
information, see the article titled "Oracle Business Intelligence Applications
Version 11.1.1.7.1 Performance Recommendations (Doc ID 1539322.1)" on My
Oracle Support.

Alter Session List - Applies a list of alter session commands to the session used by
the KM. Commands should be separated by a semi-colon and without the "ALTER
SESSION" prefix. Each command should be prefixed SRC or TGT depending on
whether it should be executed on the source connection (relevant if using an LKM)
or the target connection. For example:
SRC set TRACEFILE_IDENTIFIER='ODI_TRACE'; SRC set events '10046 TRACE NAME
CONTEXT FOREVER, LEVEL 8'; TGT set TRACEFILE_IDENTIFIER='ODI_TRACE_TGT';

Analyze Target - Statistics will be collected on the target table before it is loaded if
the KM Option ANALYZE_TARGET is set to True. By default it is set to False.
Analyze Flow Table - Statistics will be collected on the flow table (I$) after it is
loaded if the KM Option ANALYZE_FLOW_TABLE is set to True. By default it is
set to False. This option also affects how the effective dates are calculated in full
load if the date track option is enabled. If the flow table is not analyzed then an
UPDATE statement is used to set the effective to dates. Otherwise a MERGE
statement is used.
Bulk Mode (variable #ETL_BULK_MODE) - If enabled, bulk mode will use the
direct path write to target (append hint) and bypass the I$ table (if no other KM
options requiring it, for example, flow control, recycle errors, and date track). The
bulk mode variable can be set to:
Y - Enabled
F - Enabled for full load only

B-6 Oracle Business Intelligence Applications ETL Guide

IKM BIAPPS Oracle Period Delete Append

N - Disabled

IKM BIAPPS Oracle Period Delete Append


This IKM integrates data into an Oracle target table, aggregating data by time periods.
New records are inserted, and changes to existing periods will be handled by deleting
the old data for the period and then inserting the new data. Data for old periods may
be purged. Data can be controlled by isolating invalid data in the error table and
recycling when fixed.
Prerequisites
Prerequisites for using this IKM are the following:

The Delete Period Type option must specify which period type the target table is
based on.
For Calendar Periods, the target table must contain a column for the period end
date key:
- Must be a date wid type (YYYYMMDD).
- Must be named PERIOD_END_DT_WID or otherwise identified in the mapping
using the UD1 check box.

For MCAL calendar periods the target table must contain:


- Period key, usually MCAL_PERIOD_WID or MCAL_DAY_WID, otherwise
identified in the mapping using UD1 check box.
- Calendar key, usually MCAL_CAL_WID, otherwise identified in the mapping
using UD2 check box.

Bitmap indexes on the above mentioned key columns.

Calendar Periods
Calendar periods of day, week, month, quarter and year are supported. For these
period types, the incremental load assumes the interface is loading data for the current
period only. The incremental update works by deleting any existing data for the
current period. Then, the fresh set of data for the current period is inserted.
Optionally, data older than a specified age can be automatically purged with the
Periods to Keep option. The option Periods To Delete does not apply for calendar
periods.
MCAL Calendar Periods
MCAL calendar periods of MCAL Day and MCAL Period are supported. For these
period types, the incremental load assumes the interface is loading data for the current
period and a given number of previous periods. The incremental update works by
deleting any existing data for these periods. Then, the fresh set of data is inserted.
The option Periods To Delete controls how many previous periods (as well as the
current one) are being incrementally loaded by the interface. For example, a value of 1
would indicate reprocessing the current and previous period every load. The Periods
to Keep option does not apply for MCAL calendar periods.
Options for Functionality

Delete Period Type - The type of calendar periods the target table is based on. It is
used for deleting current periods to reprocess or obsolete periods to purge. Valid
values are the following:
Knowledge Modules Reference B-7

IKM BIAPPS Oracle Slowly Changing Dimension

Calendar periods: CAL_DAY, CAL_WEEK, CAL_MONTH, CAL_QTR, CAL_


YEAR.
MCAL calendar periods: MCAL_DAY, MCAL_PERIOD.
Prerequisites for using this option are the following:

For calendar periods, the target table must contain a column for the period
end date key
- Must be named PERIOD_END_DT_WID or otherwise identified in the
mapping using the UD1 check box.
- Must be a date wid type (YYYYMMDD).

For MCAL calendar periods the target table must contain:


- Period key, usually MCAL_PERIOD_WID or MCAL_DAY_WID, otherwise
identified in the mapping using UD1 check box.
- Calendar key, usually MCAL_CAL_WID, otherwise identified in the
mapping using UD2 check box.

Periods to Delete - This option is for configuring additional functionality for the
MCAL calendar periods only. It must be left at the default value (0 - delete current
period only) for calendar periods. Setting this option to a value N > 0 will delete
exactly N Julian periods of data based on the delete period type. For example,
setting to 1 will mean the current and previous periods are deleted.
Periods to Keep - This option is for configuring additional functionality for the
calendar periods only. It must be left at the default value (0 - keep all periods) for
calendar periods. Setting this option to a value N > 0 will delete data in periods
which are exactly N julian periods older than the current julian period

Options for Performance Tuning

Hints - This IKM allows the passing of hints into the generated SQL. For more
information, see the article titled "Oracle Business Intelligence Applications
Version 11.1.1.7.1 Performance Recommendations (Doc ID 1539322.1)" on My
Oracle Support.

Alter Session List - Applies a list of alter session commands to the session used by
the KM. Commands should be separated by a semi-colon and without the "ALTER
SESSION" prefix. Each command should be prefixed SRC or TGT depending on
whether it should be executed on the source connection (relevant if using an LKM)
or the target connection. For example:
SRC set TRACEFILE_IDENTIFIER='ODI_TRACE'; SRC set events '10046 TRACE NAME
CONTEXT FOREVER, LEVEL 8'; TGT set TRACEFILE_IDENTIFIER='ODI_TRACE_TGT';

IKM BIAPPS Oracle Slowly Changing Dimension


This option integrates data into an Oracle target table modeled as a Type 2 slowly
changing dimension. New records are inserted, and changes to existing records can
either trigger an insert or an update depending on the whether there is a change to any
of the Type 2 columns. Data can be controlled by isolating invalid data in the error
table and recycling when fixed. This option uses the variables #TYPE2_FLG and
#UPDATE_ALL_HISTORY to control behavior.
Prerequisites
Prerequisites for using this IKM are the following:

B-8 Oracle Business Intelligence Applications ETL Guide

IKM BIAPPS Oracle Slowly Changing Dimension

Update key must be defined in the interface and the key columns should be
indexed (usually INTEGRATION_ID, DATASOURCE_NUM_ID, SRC_EFF_
FROM_DT).
Slowly changing dimension behavior must be set for all target table columns (set
in model) and must include the following:
- Surrogate key (usually ROW_WID)
- Natural key (usually INTEGRATION_ID, DATASOURCE_NUM_ID)
- Start and end timestamps (usually EFFECTIVE_FROM_DT and EFFECTIVE_
TO_DT)
- Current flag (usually CURRENT_FLG)

End timestamp should be mapped to the maximum value (usually #HI_DATE).

Current flag should be mapped to Y.

Source from and to dates should be Not Null (default to #LOW_DATE or #HI_
DATE).
ETL_PROC_WID should be indexed.

Column Classification
The following table describes how dimension columns should be categorized and the
different behaviors for each classification. The categorization is done on individual
table columns in the model.
Column

Description

SCD Behavior

Surrogate key

Warehouse generated
primary key for
dimension

Surrogate key

Natural key

Business or source
key, unique in
combination with
time

Natural key

Start timestamp

Time record is
effective from

Start timestamp

End timestamp

Time record is
effective to

End timestamp

Current flag

Whether the record is


the latest effective

Current flag

Type 2 columns

Creates new version


of record (insert) if
there is a change to
any of the Type 2
columns

Insert on change

Update history
columns

Overwrite on change
Always set to the
value from the current
record

Other Flexfields

Not a system column

Other system columns Maintained as


insert/update

Overwrite on change

System column

Change columns

Overwrite on change

Change column and


system column

Record is rejected if
there is no change to
any of these columns

Knowledge Modules Reference B-9

IKM BIAPPS Oracle Slowly Changing Dimension

Column

Description

SCD Behavior

Other Flexfields

SCD1 key

Warehouse generated
key corresponding to
the natural key

Overwrite on change

SCD1 WID (column


flexfield)

Slowly Changing Dimension Features

Type 2 Changes - If the variable #TYPE2_FLG is turned off (set to 'N') then the
dimension behaves as a Type 1 dimension. The natural key must be unique (no
history allowed) because no maintenance of the start/end dates is performed.
With #TYPE2_FLG on (set to 'Y') new records will be inserted; changes that update
at least one Type 2 column will also trigger an insert, subject to some restrictions,
and any other change will update the existing record.
Type 2 changes are triggered as follows:
- The incoming record must have at least one type 2 column different when
compared to the current dimension record.
- The new Type 2 record start timestamp is calculated as follows: If there is a
change column with a non-null date value, then use that (the Oracle BI
Applications standard is to use CHANGED_ON_DT as the change column);
otherwise, use the current timestamp (sysdate)

Update All History - With #TYPE2_FLG and #UPDATE_ALL_HISTORY both on


(set to 'Y'), then any update history columns will be updated with the value from
the current version of the record (latest record with the same natural key).

Options for Functionality


Unspecified Record - If the target table is a dimension, set this to TRUE to
automatically insert an "Unspecified" record. This is referenced by facts in case no
other dimension record matches. The default column values are determined by
model naming standards using the user-defined function GET_UNSPEC_VALUE.

SCD1 Key - Set this to TRUE to automatically maintain a surrogate natural key or
Type 1 key. This is managed using a Type 1 table named according to a standard
pattern. If the dimension table is W_DIMENSION_D, then the Type 1 table will be
W_DIMENSION_T1_D. The sequence that generates the Type 1 key is also named
according to a standard pattern. Continuing the example, it would be named W_
DIMENSION_D_S1W. Additional columns that are at the same grain (also Type 1)
can be automatically maintained on the Type 1 table if they are marked with the
UD1 flag.
Prerequisites for W_DIMENSION_D are as follows:

Type 1 key column must be identified by the SCD1 WID flexfield in the model.

Type 1 key column should be mapped on source or staging to a constant


value, for example, 0.

Type 1 key column should be insert only.

Type 1 table (W_DIMENSION_T1_D) must have at least the following


columns:
- Type 1 key column
- Natural key columns
- System columns W_INSERT_DT, W_UPDATE_DT and ETL_PROC_WID
- Any columns marked as UD1

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IKM BIAPPS Oracle Slowly Changing Dimension

Type 1 table (W_DIMENSION_T1_D) should have indexes on: Type 1 key


columns and natural key columns.

Type 1 Key sequence should be created (W_DIMENSION_D_S1W).

Type 1 Key sequence should be created (W_DIMENSION_D_S1W) .

Fill Gaps - Set this to TRUE to automatically extend the first records to cover any
earlier date.
Soft Delete. There are several additional steps that you can perform if the soft
delete option is enabled. The variables #SOFT_DELETE_FEATURE_ENABLED
(global) and #SOFT_DELETE_PREPROCESS (can be set for each fact or dimension
group) control exactly which steps are executed.
If you are able to implement triggers to efficiently capture deletes on the source
system, you can disable the expensive pre-process steps (which extract all source
records and compare against all target records) and, instead, directly populate the
delete table.

Step

Action

Control

Soft delete
pre-process

Runs the "Identify Delete" step


which compares the data in the
primary extract table against the
target table, and records any
obsolete target rows in the delete
table.

#SOFT_DELETE_FEATURE_
ENABLED

#SOFT_DELETE_PREPROCESS

Uses #LAST_ARCHIVE_
DATE to filter target by
CREATED_ON_DT system
column (set variable to NULL
to disable this).
Only data sources that have
implemented the primary
extract are included. If a data
source has no records in the
primary extract table then no
records will be added to the
delete table for that data
source.

Soft delete on target

Runs the "Soft Delete" step which #SOFT_DELETE_FEATURE_


updates the DELETE_FLG column ENABLED
to 'Y' on the target table for
records which have been
identified for delete.

Truncate delete table

Removes records from the delete


table once they have been
processed

#SOFT_DELETE_FEATURE_
ENABLED

Note that all these steps are committed together, along with any other inserts and
updates to the target table. This keeps the data warehouse consistent.
Prerequisites for using this option are the following:

The target table must have the ETL_PROC_WID and W_UPDATE_DT system
columns.

Tables <target>_PE and <target>_DEL must be created with the columns in


the interface key.

Knowledge Modules Reference

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IKM BIAPPS SQL Target Override

#LAST_ARCHIVE_DATE must be NULL if target table does not have the


CREATED_ON_DT column.

#SOFT_DELETE_PREPROCESS should be refreshed from Oracle BI


Applications Configuration Manager by the load plan component.

Options for Performance Tuning

Detection Strategy - To avoid updating the table if no changes have occurred, the
incoming data is compared with the existing record on a set of change columns.
These are either defined in the model column flexfield (OBI_CHANGE_
COLUMN), or otherwise all columns are compared. To always process the
changes, this option can be disabled.

Hints and Full History - This IKM allows the passing of hints into the generated
SQL. For more information, see the article titled "Oracle Business Intelligence
Applications Version 11.1.1.7.1 Performance Recommendations (Doc ID
1539322.1)" on My Oracle Support.
Alter Session List - Applies a list of alter session commands to the session used by
the KM. Commands should be separated by a semi-colon and without the "ALTER
SESSION" prefix. Each command should be prefixed SRC or TGT depending on
whether it should be executed on the source connection (relevant if using an LKM)
or the target connection. For example:
SRC set TRACEFILE_IDENTIFIER='ODI_TRACE'; SRC set events '10046 TRACE NAME
CONTEXT FOREVER, LEVEL 8'; TGT set TRACEFILE_IDENTIFIER='ODI_TRACE_TGT';

Analyze Target - Statistics will be collected on the target table before it is loaded if
the KM Option ANALYZE_TARGET is set to True. By default it is set to False.

IKM BIAPPS SQL Target Override


This is a unique IKM in that it allows you to specify a custom SQL statement to
execute against a target table. This SQL statement will execute once for each source
record returned by the interface. For a given execution of this SQL statement, values
from the source record may be referenced as parameters in the SQL.
This IKM has a variety of different use cases; however, because it does not implement
an interface in the typical manner of ODI interfaces, it should be reserved only for
implementing system defined logic that will never be customized.
If the custom SQL is not suitable for all target technologies, then platform specific-SQL
statements can be given as alternatives. This IKM will run the SQL in the option
corresponding to the target technology on execution if available. Otherwise, the SQL
in the generic option will be used.
Prerequisites
Prerequisites for using this IKM are the following:

Implements non-customizable system logic.


If the generic SQL Override is not suitable for a particular platform, perhaps for
performance or incompatibility reasons, then a platform specific SQL Override
option must be provided.

SQL Statements must begin with "INSERT", "UPDATE" or "DELETE" keywords.

You must ensure hint placeholders are included in the SQL.

You must ensure all required indexes are in place.

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Nested IKM BIAPPS Oracle Control Append

Referencing Source Data


To use data from the source data in the SQL override, do the following:

Map the source data you want to reference to one of the target columns on the
interface.
Reference it in the SQL Override using the syntax :TARGET_COLUMN.

Options for Functionality


SQL Override Options - A generic SQL Override option is available. Also,
platform-specific options are provided for cases where there are variations in syntax or
performance for different target technologies.
Prerequisites for using this option are as follows:

Begin SQL statements with "INSERT", "UPDATE" or "DELETE" keywords.


If the generic SQL Override is not suitable for a particular platform, for example,
due to performance or incompatibility reasons, then a platform-specific SQL
Override option must be provided.

Options for Performance Tuning

Hints - This IKM allows the passing of hints into the generated SQL. For more
information, see the article titled "Oracle Business Intelligence Applications
Version 11.1.1.7.1 Performance Recommendations (Doc ID 1539322.1)" on My
Oracle Support.

Alter Session List - Applies a list of alter session commands to the session used by
the KM. Commands should be separated by a semi-colon and without the "ALTER
SESSION" prefix. Each command should be prefixed SRC or TGT depending on
whether it should be executed on the source connection (relevant if using an LKM)
or the target connection. For example:
SRC set TRACEFILE_IDENTIFIER='ODI_TRACE'; SRC set events '10046 TRACE NAME
CONTEXT FOREVER, LEVEL 8'; TGT set TRACEFILE_IDENTIFIER='ODI_TRACE_TGT';

Nested IKM BIAPPS Oracle Control Append


For a nested or temporary interface, using this IKM gives additional functionality in
the SQL generated for the nested SQL block. The main benefit is allowing hints to be
included. In addition, Aggregate Lookup and Source SQL Override can also be useful
for some applications.
Options for Functionality

Aggregate Lookup - Aggregates the SQL block by using the user flexfields to
define a grouping of records to restrict the output to one row per group.
Prerequisites for using this option are the following:

The interface must set the following user flexfields:


- UD1: Group by columns. These columns are usually the columns being
joined to.
- UD2: Aggregated columns. The fields being returned.
- UD3: Column for active lookup (LKP_ACTIVE). This is set to 1.

Knowledge Modules Reference

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Nested IKM BIAPPS Oracle Event Queue Delete Append

Source SQL Override - Allows the generated nested SQL block to be overridden.
This is useful if the SQL needs to be more dynamic in nature, for example, using
variables to reference dynamic tables.
Prerequisites for using this option are the following:

For each target interface column there must be an identically aliased column in
the SELECT clause of the SQL override.

Use of this option is discouraged. Make sure the use case is reviewed by the
Oracle BI Applications Standards Group before implementing.

Options for Performance Tuning

Hints - This IKM allows the passing of hints into the generated SQL. For more
information, see the article titled "Oracle Business Intelligence Applications
Version 11.1.1.7.1 Performance Recommendations (Doc ID 1539322.1)" on My
Oracle Support.

Nested IKM BIAPPS Oracle Event Queue Delete Append


As part of a main interface using this IKM for Event Queue controlled updates, this
IKM can also be used in a nested or temporary interface to give additional
functionality in the SQL generated for the nested SQL block. The main benefit is the
ability to use the event queue table as the driving table in incremental load, but
exclude the event queue table altogether in full load. Also, the use of hints is
supported.
Prerequisites for Nested KM Usage

The main interface must use this KM.

The event queue table must be specified in the Event Queue Table option.

The interface must contain only the following:

Main source table

Event queue table

Join between these using ANSI syntax

Mapping Event Queue Columns


In some cases the event queue columns may need to be referenced in parent interfaces.
They can be mapped directly in the nested interface if they are identified with the UD1
flexfield. This includes them in the generated SQL block only in incremental load
when the event queue table is also included. For full load both the event queue table
and any columns mapped from it will be excluded.
Options for Functionality
Event Queue Table - Explicitly name the event queue table that is controlling the
incremental load. This should be one of the two source tables on the nested interface.
Options for Performance Tuning

Hints - This IKM allows the passing of hints into the generated SQL. For more
information, see the article titled "Oracle Business Intelligence Applications
Version 11.1.1.7.1 Performance Recommendations (Doc ID 1539322.1)" on My
Oracle Support.

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