OTN EMEA Tour 2016 : Deploying Full BI Platforms to Oracle Cloud

info@rittmanmead.com www.rittmanmead.com @rittmanmead
Deploying Full BI Platforms to Oracle Cloud 
Is it Possible? What’s the Point? And What are the “Gotchas”?
Mark Rittman, CTO, Rittman Mead
OTN EMEA Tour, May 2016

About the Speaker
• Mark Rittman, Oracle ACE Director, Oracle BI, DW & Big Data

• 14 Years Experience with Oracle Technology

• Regular columnist for Oracle Magazine

• Author of two Oracle Press Oracle BI books

- Oracle Business Intelligence Developers Guide

- Oracle Exalytics Revealed

• Writer for Rittman Mead Blog : 
http://www.rittmanmead.com/blog

• Past Editor of Oracle Scene Magazine, 
BIRT SIG Chair, ODTUG Board Member

• Co-founder and CTO for Rittman Mead
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Oracle Cloud is the FutureElastic Compute + Storage

No More Waiting for the IT Team

BI and Analytics as a ServiceNo More Big Bang Upgrades

Oracle BI Cloud Service - What Is It?
• Oracle Business Intelligence, re-imagined for the cloud

• Runs as part of Oracle Public Cloud, part of wider Oracle Platform-as-a-Service

• Pay monthly, min 10 users, rolling upgrades and new features

• Entirely thin-client, simplified administration

• Comes with single DB schema, 
50GB storage

• Aimed at departmental use-cases

- Sharing data from a spreadsheet

- Team reporting

- Development sandboxes
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Oracle Database Schema Provided with BICS
•Each instance of BICS comes with Oracle Schema Cloud Service

•ApEx environment with 10GB storage attached

•Able to run PL/SQL packages (with 5m timeout)

•Either create tables, views etc from ApEX, 
or use data uploader in BICS 
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Click to launch  
ApEX Home Page

Built-in Application Express Database Developer Tool
• Full ApEx environment for application building, table creation, SQL queries

• Can be used to build supporting applications, administration screens for OBIEE
application

• Make use of PL/SQL functionality

- Data cleansing

- Call Web Service REST APIs

- More complex processing 
and calculations

• DB Cloud Service dashboard has tools 
for data and application exports
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Options for Uploading Data to BI Cloud Service (DB Cloud)
• Use ApEx front-end and tools within it (data upload, data modeller etc)

• Use SQL*Developer and SFTP data upload facility

• Use BI Cloud Service Data Uploader
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Oracle BICS Initial Use-Case : Departmental Reporting
• Oracle BI Cloud Service in initial, standalone form aimed at departmental
reporting

- 50GB storage in single schema, limited ETL access

- Single subject area and limited RPD features

• Other common use-cases include

- Development environments

- Spin-off data discovery sandboxes

- Dedicated SaaS reporting applications

• But … part of wider Oracle Cloud platform

- Can we use that to host a whole BI system?
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But can I run my whole BI+DW 
platform on Oracle Cloud?

Where Do I Put my Data Warehouse?
• I’d like to migrate to cloud, but my BI System uses a full Oracle DW database

- How do I host that in the cloud? And replicate it there in the first place?
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I Need Access to Full Admin Tool + RPD…
• We need access to a full Admin Tool, multiple data sources, federation

- BICS Thin Client Data Modeller isn’t enough…
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I’d Like Support for Multiple Subject Areas … And VA!
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• We need support for multiple subject areas

- And we’d like to use Visual Analyser … now!

What About My ETL Routines? ODI or Informatica?
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• And our ETL needs to keeping working as now

• and “as now” isn’t fast enough for business today

BICS is just part of Oracle PaaS

Oracle Cloud Can Host Full BI Platforms … Here’s How
• Host Full Oracle Data Warehouse in Oracle DBaaS

• Upload and run on-premise RPD including use of multiple databases

- Including on-premise through new WebLogic connector

• Run full ETL using ODI

• Use VA without 12c upgrade

• Still have partner support 
for key stages + new 
development …

- But take away IT hassles
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Wider Oracle Public Cloud PaaS Ecosystem
• Similar to other public cloud services (AWS, Azure etc) at IaaS layer

• But with platform (PaaS) and software (SaaS) layers as differentiator
• Can we use Database, Storage and other layers to host full OBIEE platform?

- And what about ETL, identity management, file storage and so on?
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Hosting Full OBIEE Platforms in Oracle Public Cloud
• Leverages BICS’s new “Upload RPD Data
Models to the Cloud” feature

- Migrate supporting DW to full Oracle DBaaS

- Update on-prem RPD to connect to DBaaS

- Upload RPD (+now catalog!) to BICS

• Create new Oracle Cloud users for BICS

• ETL can connect via SQL*Net, JDBC etc

• Use for wider use-cases than BICS incl.

- Host full production platform (or test, dev)

- Create development branches, etc
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Oracle BICS
Oracle DBaaS
RPD  
Upload
ETL ToolsBI Administration On-Premise Source DB
Data Uploads 
via SQL*Net

BICS Upload RPD to Cloud Key Steps
1. Make sure on-premise data model is consistent, no errors etc

2. Create DBaas Instance, Upload on-premise database to cloud

3. Update RPD Connection Pool settings to point to DBaaS instance

4. Recreate any user accounts, application roles etc

5. Create new dashboards and reports
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Example Migration : Full OBIEE11g SampleApp v406
• OBIEE11g SampleApp v506 - based on 11.1.1.9 release and delivered on VM

• Comes with Oracle 12c Database with multiple schemas, MVs, partitioning etc

- Also uses Essbase, Hadoop etc but out of scope for this exercise

• Objective is to migrate OBIEE, DW database and security elements

- Verify that ODI can still connect and load DW in Oracle Cloud

- Look at options for additional DB sources,  
Essbase, Hadoop sources etc
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Creating a Full Database Instance in Oracle DBaaS
• Initial step is to create an Oracle Database Cloud Service Instance

• Options for 11g or 12c Release Database, High / Extreme Performance Options

- Determines scope of DB features available (OLAP, partitioning etc)
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Oracle Database Cloud Service Connectivity / Configuration
• Database runs in a VM, has Listener and other processes running

• Database parameters can be altered, but DB Options set by DBaaS version

- OLAP, Partitioning Options not present may affect DB uploads

• Ports blocked by default, need to be opened for SQL*Net etc access
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Managing and Monitoring Database Cloud Service
• Oracle Enterprise Manager Database Express 12c for DBA tasks

- Features determined by DBaaS edition  
(regular, High or Extreme Performance)

• Virtualised Cloud Hosting monitored by 
Oracle DBaaS Monitor

- RDBMS storage, alerts, processes etc

- OS-level monitoring

- Listener

- Backups etc
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Migrating On-Premise Data to Oracle DBaaS
• This can be the tricky bit - if only because of volumes

• RMAN, DataPump etc available as options, along with ODI, SQL*Developer etc
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Configuring On-Premise RPD to Connect to DBaaS
• Update Connection Pool settings in on-prem RPD before upload to BICS

- Note : DBaaS instance must be in same datacenter as BICS

• Note - No need to change overall DB connection setting in BICS Console
32

Steps to Upload RPD to BI Cloud Service
• Backup (snapshot) current BICS environment if required

• Select Snapshots > Replace Data Model
• Use Browse button to select RPD from desktop, then upload to BICS
33

Additional BICS Capabilities when using Uploaded RPD
• Allows multiple subject areas vs. single one in standard BICS

• Multiple DBaaS instances can be mapped into RPD for federated queries

• Full access to RPD features - vertical/horizontal federation etc

• Data Mashups also available (but not VA)
34

Additional Post Upload Configuration : Mapping
• Mapping is now available in BICS, requires further Administrator configuration

• Single map provider (OracleMaps) with set of associated layers

• As with on-premise, map layers then need to be linked to subject area columns
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Configuring Security and Recreating Users, Roles
• On-premise users need to have corresponding new account created in BICS

- Also creates an Oracle Cloud login for BICS identity domain - separate to OTN login

• BICS licensed per user, min is 10 per pod with test and prod instances

• Application roles also need to be recreated and users added
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SSO between Oracle SaaS and BICS
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• Allows an Oracle Cloud customer the
ability to have SSO between different
Cloud Apps, e.g. BICS and PBCS

• Requirements:

- Services need to be ordered in  
the same data center

- Customer must activate  
services under the same  
identity domain

• When in the same IDM, a single  
user can be authorized for one or
more available services.

Row-level Security Within RPD
• Row-level security works properly within BICS and uploaded RPDs

• Best practice is to base on application roles, recreate matching ones to proceed

• Regular and row-wise session variables then work as expected
38

Limitations on BICS with RPD Upload vs On-Premise
• Can only access other DBaaS sources at present - see next slide
- Presume integration with PBCS, Oracle Big Data Cloud Service, SaaS apps to come

- No ability at present to access Essbase, TT or other acceleration layers

• No further editing of the uploaded RPD - but TCM enhancements soon

• Upload the catalog to go with RPD - coming soon

• Further limitations that may possibly be lifted in the future

- Adding of HTML or Javascript to Analyses is disabled

- Some limitations around alternate sorts and other small issues

- Visual Analyser not available yet (multiple subject area issue?)

- No usage tracking (but see MOS Doc.ID 1965207.1)

• No BI Publisher - though can install through JCS + DBaaS
39

Accessing On-Premise Sources - Now Possible
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• On-Premise Data Access using WebLogic Connector

• Enables direct query to on-premises accessible databases

- Secure & Optimized for WAN transport

- Free download from OTN, requires WebLogic

- Phase 1: Requires Admin tool & RPD upload

- Phase 2: Thin Client Modeler support

What About ETL and Data Integration?
• ODI12c (and other tools using SQL*Net, JDBC etc) can connect to DBaaS as
normal

• Either through SSH tunnel and SQL*Net,  
or direct from internet if ports enabled

• Current data integration and ETL  
can therefore continue as normal

• Makes it possible to create a  
hybrid on-prem/cloud solution
On Premise
ODI
SaaS Apps
Oracle Data Integrator
ODI/EDQ
Java
Cloud Service
ODI
Big Data
Cloud Service
Database
Cloud Service
Exadata
Cloud Service
Storage
Cloud Service
Business Intelligence
Cloud Service

Future Option : Oracle Big Data Preparation Cloud Service
• Oracle Cloud-based Data Preparation Service, aimed at data domain experts

• Takes files and other datasets from Oracle Cloud and prepares for analysis

• Split, transform and obfuscate data before loading into Hadoop data platform
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Uses Machine-Learning to Automate Data Recommendations
• Uses Spark MLlib machine learning to
profile data and recognise patterns

• Automates many of the routine data
preparation and profiling work

- Spot credit card, SSN + other sensitive
data, recommends masking

- Suggest appropriate names, datatypes
for columns based on  
format and data patterns

• Allows analyst to focus on key tasks

- Example of cloud app consumerization
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Cloud Datasource Integration & File Upload/Download
• Primary datasource and target is Oracle Storage Cloud Service (like Amazon S3)

- Oracle Big Data Cloud Service, Oracle DBaaS and others

• User can also upload / download files directly into Big Data Prep Service
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How Can We use Big Data Prep Service with BICS?
• User uploads or downloads files (CSV,
TSV, Excel, Word, PDF, etc.) into Oracle
Storage Cloud Service

• Big Data Prep Service loads files 
from Storage Cloud for preparation

• Prepared files are written back into
Storage Cloud Service

• User uploads prepared files into BICS 
as datasource for ApEx / Schema
Service

- On roadmap : direct integration with VA 
+ Answers for data-mashup data files
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Proposed Direct BDP Integration for VA / Data-Mashup Files
• Roadmap proposal from Oracle is to make BDP available from BICS homepage

• Load and prepare data to add as Visual Analyser & Answers Mashup data files
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Direct BICS / BDP Integration using Oracle Data Integrator
• Possible now : Use of ODI to prepare individual files through BDP

• ODI on-premise used to automate file extracts and upload into Storage CS using its
REST APIs

• BDP picks up files available in  
Storage CS and prepares them

• Prepared files are written back  
into Storage CS

• Prepped files downloaded by ODI  
from Storage CS, loaded into BICS

- On roadmap: BDP will be able to  
load prepared data directly into BICS
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Summary and Next Steps
• It’s now possible (mostly…) possible to migrate full OBIEE systems to cloud

• On-premise RPDs + catalog uploaded into BI Cloud Service

• Linked to DBaaS for DW, can access other DBaaS source + on-prem data

• ODI can still upload data from on-premise sources into DBaaS, or consider BDP
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