About Discoverer and Advantages and Limitations

About Discoverer and Discoverer Components

Oracle Discoverer is a business intelligence toolset that comprises:

• Oracle9i Discoverer Administrator
• Oracle9iAS Discoverer Plus
• Oracle9iAS Discoverer Viewer
• Oracle Discoverer Desktop

The EUL is a set of database tables that contain information (or ’metadata’)
about the other tables and views in the database.

Administration Edition
Oracle9i Discoverer Administrator is one of the components of
Oracle Discoverer, Discoverer Administrator is a tool to hide the complexity of the
database from
business users, so they can answer business questions quickly and accurately
using
Oracle Discoverer.
Discoverer Administrator’s wizard-style interfaces enable you to:
• set up and maintain the End User Layer (EUL)
• control access to information
• create conditions and calculations for Discoverer end users to include
in their worksheets

Desktop Edition and Discoverer Plus

Discoverer Plus and Discoverer Desktop are tools for power users, data analysts
and report builders. Users create ad hoc queries, reports and graphs in a 100%
Java
client or client/server version. Analysts drill up and down on their result set, pivot
data, and change the layout to find answers to questions. Report builders create
their own calculations, conditions, and totals to generate custom reports.

Discoverer Plus and Discoverer Desktop provide enhanced scheduling

capabilities
to schedule long running queries at a later time. Scheduling is set up via a
wizard,
or triggered by exceeding the threshold limits. Workbooks can even execute
automatically on a regular 'repeat' interval specified by users. Results are
parameterized, shared or exported in a wide variety of formats, including
spreadsheets and HTML for distributing to a larger community.

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Discoverer Plus supports multiple firewalls for users who create queries on the
Internet or Intranet. Discoverer Desktop enables users to export results in XML to
other business intelligence tools like Oracle9i Reports Developer.

Discoverer Viewer

Discoverer Viewer is the tool for end users and data analysts. Users execute
reports and graphs created in Discoverer Plus or Discoverer Desktop from any
HTML device. Discoverer Viewer offers a flexible way to view reports, drill, pivot
and export similar to Discoverer Plus. Embed and customize Discoverer Viewer
within your web site to support a broad base of casual users.
Discoverer Viewer supports multiple firewalls and SSL for users who run queries
on the Internet or Intranet. Discoverer Viewer requires no plug ins or downloads,
and requires no training.

2.
Prerequisites to start Discoverer
• A suitable database must be installed and available. An Oracle 8.1.7 (or
later) database will support the use of materialized views to improve the
performance of summary folders.
• Discoverer Administrator must have been installed on a PC
• Discoverer Viewer must have been installed on an application
server machine and configured correctly
• Discoverer Desktop must have been installed on users’ PCs
Prerequisites to Access Data
• EUL need to be created
To Create EUL
o Privileges required to create EUL in Oracle DB
CREATE SESSION
CREATE TABLE
CREATE VIEW
CREATE SEQUENCE
CREATE PROCEDURE
o Privileges required to create EUL in Non-Oracle DB
CREATE SESSION
CREATE TABLE
CREATE VIEW

3.Role of DBA

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 • the initial implementation of the Discoverer system
• the ongoing administration and maintenance of the Discoverer system

4.Advantages/Limitations of Discoverer

Advantages
Ease of Use
Analytical Power
Scalability and Performance
Ease of Administration
Integration and Customization
Hiding Complexity
Centralized Metadata
Security
Limitations

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Discoverer is an all-in-one information tool from Oracle.

Discoverer gives you sophisticated ad hoc query, analysis, reporting and web publishing
capabilities.

Admin Edition :
Is an application that database administrators use to prepare the data so users' exploration can
be easy and productive.

User Edition :
Enables business professionals to explore and analyze the data that's important to them -- while
avoiding complex database structures and procedures

Admin Edition :
The Administration Edition is the tool you'll use to maximize these benefits for your
users.Because most databases are designed for efficient data storage, not for ease of use.
Discoverer User Edition makes data in databases easy to use by presenting it with familiar
business-like names, organized to serve users' needs.

7 Step Process
• Perform Business Analysis of User requirements
• Mapping User needs to Database Structures
• Create End User Layer (EUL)
• Create Business Areas
• Refine Business Areas to fit User needs
• Use Admin Edition to maintain Business Areas
• Privileges to Users/Roles
The End User Layer lies between the User Edition and the database. It shields users from the
complexity of database tables, views, columns, joins, and SQL.

A business area is a logical grouping of information from database tables or views. Within a
business area, you create:
Folders -- based on tables and views.
Items -- based on columns.

Business areas are stored in the End User Layer.

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 Guidelines to Develop Discoverer Reports

PART 1.Administration Edition

PART 2.Desktop Edition

PART 1 Administration Edition

• Creating The Main Query Custom Folder.
• Creating LOV Custom Folders.
• Creating Item Classes
• Registering a Function

Creating the Main Query Custom Folder

Step1. Log on to Respective Instance

Step2. Select Respective Responsibility

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Step3. Select Open an Existing Business Area
In that select the Respective Business Area

Step 4. Right Click on Respective Business Area (for eg BB HRMS Reports)

Select New Custom Folder
In the Window that got opened Paste the main Query.

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 Name the Folder with correct Convention.
Validate SQL, after getting the message <<SQL is Valid>>
Click OK.

Creating LOV Custom Folder

Step 1. Right Click on Respective Business Area (for eg BB HRMS Reports)

Select New Custom Folder
In the Window that got opened Paste the LOV Query.
Name the Folder with correct Convention.
Validate SQL, after getting the message <<SQL is Valid>>
Click OK.

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Creating Item Classes

Step 1. Go to Item classes tab

Right click on Respective Business Area (for eg BB HRMS Reports)
And select New Item Class, one window opens
In Item class wizard: step1 check List of values and click next

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In Item class wizard: step2 drag down and select Respective LOV and Field (for
e.g.: LV_activitytype->Name) and click next

In Item class wizard: step3 click next

In Item class wizard: step4 give name as Respective LOV (for e.g.: LV_activitytype) and
description as Respective LOV (for e.g.: LV_activitytype) and click finish

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Registering a Function

Step 1. Select Tools -> Register PL/SQL Functions

Step 2. Select New
Give the respective function name (eg GET_GRADE_MONTHS) in the Function Name, Display
Name, Description and Identifier.
And Owner as Schema name (eg APPS)

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 Give the Package name to which it belongs in the Package.
If the Function is independent leave the Package name as blank.
And Database link as Default database
Give the function return type in Return Type.
Check the Available in User Edition

Step 3.Click Arguments tab

Click new
Give the function Parameters details in the order in the which they are passed to the function.
Give the Parameter name in Name, Description and Identifier
Give the Parameter type in the Data Type field
Select Required radio button if that is a Mandatory Parameter else click Optional.
Add all the Parameters one after the other as described above.

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Step 4. Click on Functions tab
And Click on Validate
Check for the Message <<Function is Valid>>
Then Click OK.

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Desktop Edition

• Create Workbook
• Define Parameter to apply Conditions
• Define conditions to limit worksheet Results by criteria you specify.
• Define Calculation to add new information to the worksheet
• Define a sort to organize the Results in the worksheet
• Define a Total to Summarize your Results

Create Workbook

Step1. Log on to Respective Instance

Step2. Select Respective Responsibility
Step3. Select Create New workbook and click next

In that select the Respective Business Area

Select the Custom folder you have created in the Administration and move that from available to
Selected.
And Click Finish.

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 The query Runs and data will get populated on the worksheet.

Define Parameter to apply Conditions

Step 1.Go to Sheet->New Sheet

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 Select the required LOV Custom folder for the parameter to get created and move that from
available to Selected and click finish.

Query Runs and data will get populated on the worksheet

Step 2. Go To Tools->Parameters
Click New
Select Respective LOV.Item(eg LV_Company.Name) in the For Item Field.
Give the Parameter Name in the Name field.
Select the prompt in the Prompt field.

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 Give Description in the Description if specified.
Select Default value from the list of value
And Click Ok.

Define conditions to limit worksheet Results by criteria you specify.

Step1. Come to the previous main query data sheet without deleting the LOV data sheet.
Step2. Go To Tools->Conditions
And Click new
Select Either Query or the LOV item in the item field
Place the condition in the condition field
Select either the hard coded or the item in the Values field
If any relational operator required first click add then select specific relational operator in the
group field.
Eg

Group Group Item Condition Values

Payroll Name = :Payroll

AND

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 : Payroll <> ‘ALL’

OR
: Payroll = ‘ALL’

Step 3. Click Ok

Step 4. Go to the LOV Sheet and delete the sheet.

Define Calculation to add new information to the worksheet

Step 1. Go To Tools->Calculations
Step 2. And click new
a. Click on Functions Radio button.
Select the function which you want and move that to calculation
The click on items radio button and select the items to pass as formal parameters to the
function and move that to calculation and Click OK
(Eg :
Function (Item1, Item2, Item3,Item4,…..)
GET_COMPET_RATINGS(Person Id,’Team Working’,: Start Date,: End
Date,Type,:Job)
b. Select the items required and select the arithmetic operator required
For an arithmetic operation.and Click ok

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Define a sort to organize the Results in the worksheet

Step 1. Go To Tools->Sort
Step 2. Click Add
Select the column which you want to sort
And select direction as Lo to Hi if you want to sort by ascending order
And select direction as Hi to Lo if you want to sort by descending order
And select group sort or page break or hidden based on the requirement.
And click OK.

Define a Total to Summarize your Results

Step 1. We can calculate either grand total or Subtotal

Step2. First write a calculation item to get the sum of the required column as described in
calculation definition.
Step 3. Then Go to Tools->Total
Step 4. Click on New
Select the required aggregate function in the first drag down box and select the calculation
item of the column for which you want to calculate the grand total or subtotal.
Select Grand total if you want to calculate Grand total
Or select subtotal and item on whose change you want to calculate subtotal.
And click OK.

To Register the Function in Oracle APPS.

1.In Application Develeoper Responsibility

Navigate Application-->Function.
2.Create a function in Description Tab
give the following Values
Function :XXHRCITBRN
User Function Name :CITB Registration Number
Description ;CITB Registration Number
3.In properties Tab for the function you gave (XXHRCITBRN)
select the type as SSWA plsql function ,Maintenance Mode as None and Context Dependence as
Responsibility.

4.In Form Tab in the parameters filed

give the value workbook=XXHRCITBRN against the function name.

5.In WebHTML Tab give the value

for HTML Call as OracleOASIS.RunDiscoverer

And save the form.

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 Registering Discoverer Report in Oracle Applications

The following are the setups required for registering the report in Oracle Applications:

Admin Edition SetUps

• In the Discoverer Admin Edition a Business Area corresponding to the report is
created. The folders for the said report are pulled into the Business area either
from the Database or from the sql query defined on a custom folder. The Folders
are based on the tables and views of the Oracle Applications data and items are
based on the columns in these tables and views.

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• The Privileges in the Admin Edition are set to define what a user can do / access
in the user Edition/Admin Edition for a defined Business Area.

• The last mandatory step in Business Area creation is to administer security. From
the Tools|Security menu in the Administration edition invoke the Discoverer
security manager. From here you can grant access to Business Areas to different
Applications responsibilities. A common approach is to create a new set of
Applications responsibilities (i.e. discoverer_gl, discoverer_po) and grant
business area access to each of these responsibilities. When you create these
new responsibilities, ensure that the Applications security profile options for that
responsibility is set. Next, from within the Discoverer Administration edition,
check that these new responsibilities also have the privilege to use the
Discoverer User Edition. To check this, use the Tools|Privileges menu and
ensure that the given responsibilities have the User Edition privilege checked off.

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Desktop Edition Setups
• In the Discoverer Desktop Edition the user creates a workbook from the Business
Area after defining the required folders and items within them. The conditions
and formatting options are set to create the report in the workbook. One
workbook may consist of multiple worksheets each defining different aspects of a
particular report.

• The workbook is now saved to the Database.

• The workbook is shared to the users to whom it is to be made available.

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 • A unique identifier is defined for this workbook and this is the identifier for
configuring the report in Oracle Applications.

Oracle Applications SetUps

• Go to the System Administrator/Application Developer responsibility in Oracle

Applications. In case of Application Developer the menu to which the function
should be added should be known.

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• Create a Function for executing the report. Select the type of function as SSWA
PL SQL function.

• The parameter for the function is selected as workbook= <Name of Identifier in

Discoverer>.

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• In the Web HTML tab enter the HTML Call as OracleOasis.RunDiscoverer
against the respective Function name.

• Add the Function to a menu that has to SSWA responsibility.

• Now use the apps URL for home page and there under the SSWA Menu the link
for the registered Discoverer report can be seen. On clicking the Discoverer
report link the browser opens a new window for Oracle Viewer where the report
parameters can be entered in textboxes. On the left side, the navigation bar
displays all the sheets in the workbook of the said Discoverer report. On entering
the parameters and submitting it the specified report is displayed based on the
entered parameters.

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 Steps for Creating a Workbook and Graph In Discoverer

• Connect to administrator Edition with APPS/APPS@HFCU9

• Select Create a new Business Area From Load Wizard.
• Click on the On-Line Dictionary (By Default), Click Next
• Select the Database Link <Default Database>
• Select the user from the list. Ex. APPS
• Click on Next Button
• In the Available list of APPS all the tables and views will be displayed Select the
corresponding table/view on which workbook has to be created.
• Select the table and move it to Selected List
• Click Next Button
• The following screen will be displayed

Select the Options as given in the screen.

• Click Next
• Give the name to business area and Also a Meaningful Description
• Click on Finish Button
• Select the Tool -> Security

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• Select the Business Area which has been created
• Move the Available Users/roles to Selected User/roles
• Click on the User -> Business Area
• Select User/role – APPS

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• Select the Business Area – REGION and Click on the Allow
Administration Check box.
• Click on Apply
• Click OK Button
• Click on Tools -> Privileges

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 • In the Privileges table give the Appropriate privileges for the user
like Create/Edit business Area, Format Business Area Etc.
• Click on Apply Button
• Click OK Button

Connect to Discover Desktop Edition – APPS/APPS@HFCU9

• Once connected to Discoverer Desktop Workbook Wizard will be opened

• Select Create a new workbook Option
• Select Table
• Click on Next
• Select the Business area (REGION) which has been created in Admin Edition

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• Select the XX_MYREGION_COUNTRY
• Select the Columns which You want to display in workbook
• Move it to Selected List.
• Click Next
• Click on the Show Page Items Checkbox
• Drag the Region CD and move it to page items
• Click on the Hide Duplicate Check box also
• Click on the Next
• If any condition need to be specified can be specified in workbook
wizard Step 4
• Click Next
• In Workbook wizard of step 5 Sorting Order can be specified
• Click Next
• In Workbook wizard of step 6 calculation like Totals, % Etc can be
specified
• Click on Finish
• Workbook will be created
• Now Click on the graph
• Select the Type of the graph
• Click on the Next
• Click on Finish
• Graph will be created.
• Save the workbook in the database.
• In File ->Manage Workbooks giving sharing to users, so that they can
access the workbook.

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• For Connecting to Oracle Applications the following steps has to be
done.
• In Administration Select Tools – Options

Select the 3 Option Button and specify the gateway/Password, FNDNAM

• Now connect with Oracle Application User Id Preceded with : for
example 10975:
• Click on Oracle Application User Check box

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 • Once we click on the connect Responsibility Pop-Up window
will be Populated will all the responsibilities will be displayed.

• Select One responsibility and press ok

The Process for Creating the Business Area and Workbook remains the same. In oracle
Application the DBA has to give access to all the business areas then only user will be
able to access the business areas.

In the Security also user can give access to Application Users and responsibility for accessing the
business areas.

The Steps for Calling the Oracle Discover workbook and Graph
in Oracle Applications

Create a function as specified in the tab

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In Tab of Properties select Type as SSWA PL/SQL Function

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 In the Form Tab Give the workbook Name which you have created. Give the name as
specified in the Discoverer workbook. In Discover Desktop Edition select manage workbook
and click on Properties. In that identifier name will be there. It should be same what we
specify in the parameters workbook = ‘ASSET’

In HTML Call give the values as OracleOASIS.RunDiscoverer

Save the function

Create a Menu and attach the Function
Assign this menu to Responsibility.
Assign the responsibility to User.
Log in with the user and select the responsibility

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• In This Menu Graph will invoke the discoverer workbook and graph.
• Select the menu entry for discoverer. Which will invoke the Discoverer workbook and graph
will be displayed on the browser.

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