| Here is a list of FAQs about Oracle BI Applications, 1)What are the Oracle Business Intelligence Applications (BI Apps)? | |
| 2) | What software components do I need to buy to run the BI Apps? |
| 3) | What Application content is available for the BI Apps? |
| 4) | Which systems can BI Apps source its data from? |
| 5) | I have customised my source system; can I extend the BI Apps for these customisations? |
| 6) | How do I deploy the BI Apps? |
| 7) | Can I have the same security as my transactional system? |
| 8) | Does a BI Apps implementation take as long as a traditional Datawarehouse implementation?= |
| 9) | What is the DAC? |
| 10) | Where can I get some more information about the content of the BI Applications? |
| 11) | How is BI Apps made aware of my source system configurations? |
| 12) | Does my warehouse have to be an Oracle database? |
| 13) | Can I view my data indifferent currencies? |
| 14) | I am a multi-country organisation and would like to have the ability to display the BI Apps in the local language, is this possible? |
ANSWERS
1) What are the Oracle Business Intelligence Applications (BI Apps)?
It is a complete, end-to-end BI environment covering the BI platform and pre-packaged analytic applications.
The platform includes a server and end user tools such as dashboards, query and analysis, enterprise reporting, disconnected access to the data -- all supported by a unified, model-centric server architecture.
On top of this platform, we have a set of analytic applications consuming the operational data sources and delivering greater insight to larger user communities across the organization via dashboards, query and analysis, and alerts.
2) What technology components do I need to buy to run the BI Apps?
- A database to host the Datawarehouse
- Oracle BI Suite EE Plus or Oracle BI Suite SE1 (OBIEE)
- ETL component options to OBIEE, either Oracle Data Integrator* or Informatica
- Application content per application
*Oracle Data Integrator (ODI) is currently only available for certain release against a specific release of a source system. Future plans are to have ODI fully available.
3) What Application content is available for the BI Apps?
ERP Analytics - Oracle Financial Analytics - Oracle Procurement and Spend Analytics - Oracle Human Resources Analytics - Oracle Supply Chain and Order Management Analytics - Oracle Spend Classification Analytics - Oracle Project Analytics CRM Analytics - Oracle Sales Analytics - Oracle Service Analytics - Oracle Marketing Analytics - Oracle Contact Center Analytics - Oracle Loyalty Analytics - Oracle Price Analytics Industry Applications - Oracle US Federal Financial Analytics 4) Which systems can BI Apps source its data from? Oracle provides pre-built adapters for Oracle eBusiness Suite, Peoplesoft, JD Edwards, SAP and Siebel. In additional to these pre-built adapters Oracle provides the Universal adapters that enable any other source system to be a source for the Datawarehouse. 5) I have customised my source system; can I extend the BI Apps for these customisations? Oracle has designed the BI Apps to be extendable, from the source system mappings, the warehouse model, the BI Modelling layer to the Presentation objects. Oracle provides a methodology for extensions in the supplied guides. One of the most common extensions is the inclusion of descriptive flexfields for eBusiness suite sources. 6) How do I deploy the BI Apps? The BI Apps can be deployed as follows - Standalone mode - Integrated with Portal via JSR-168/WSRP - Embedded with the transaction system within a dashboard view - Embedded with the transaction system contextually within a transactional view 7) Can I have the same security as my transactional system? The BI Apps can be integrated with the source system to enable a smooth transition for users maintaining the user’s security context as they move from the transactional system to BI Apps and back into the transactional system. 8) Does a BI Apps implementation take as long as a traditional Datawarehouse implementation? A traditional Datawarehouse implementation will typically take in the region of 18 months + to deliver, because much of the time consuming effort has already been developed. A BI Apps project will usually have release cycles every 100 days or so. A minimal configuration implementation can have a development system up and running in a few weeks. 9) What is the DAC? DAC stands for Data Warehouse Application Console. It is an essential component of Oracle BI application architecture. DAC serves the following purposes:
- DAC is a metadata driven administration and deployment tool for ETL and data warehouse objects
- It is used by warehouse developers and the ETL Administrator - Manages Application Configuration - Manages the execution of warehouse loads - Provides a monitoring facility 10) Where can I get some more information about the content of the BI Applications? The following links on the Oracle support site are a good starting point: Content Guide: https://support.oracle.com/oip/faces/secure/km/DocumentDisplay.jspx?id=832690.1 Oracle® Business Intelligence Applications Metrics Reference Guide Release 7.9.6 https://metalink3.oracle.com/od/faces/secure/km/DocumentDisplay.jspx?id=846917.1 Oracle® Business Intelligence Applications ETL Data Lineage Guide Release 7.9.6,7.9.6.1 (Doc ID 829385.1) https://support.oracle.com/oip/faces/secure/km/DocumentDisplay.jspx?id=829385.1 |
11) How is BI Apps made aware of my source system configurations?
During the configuration of the BI Apps configurations are entered as parameters in the DAC and by completing CSV files that define your source system configs. These CSVs are then picked up during the ETL run and used to populate the warehouse.
12) Does my warehouse have to be an Oracle database?
No, the BI Apps are certified against many databases including DB2 and Terradata.
13) Can I view my data indifferent currencies?
The BI Apps hold both the transactional and local currency amounts. In addition there is the possibility to have up to 3 reporting currencies with basic configuration. The data model stores five currency versions in each fact as follows:
- Group Amount (x3) : Corporate Currency Amount
- Local Amount : Local Country / Region Currency Amount
- Document Amount : Actual Transaction Currency Amount
Support for different exchange rate types through ETL configuration
- Corporate
- User
14) I am a multi-country organisation and would like to have the ability to display the BI Apps in the local language, is this possible?
Yes, there is the facility to have the OBIEE components displayed in multi-language and the BI Apps can be configured to display the objects in multi-language. To display the data in multi-language is a customisation effort that will require extending the warehouse to include translation tables.
