Tag: OBIA

Business Intelligence Platform, Data Development, Data Integration, Data Integration (ETL)

InfatoODI – Informatica to ODI conversion tool

We are currently in the process of upgrading Oracle Business Intelligence Applications (OBIA) from version 7.9.6 to OBIA 11g.  Oracle has replaced Informatica as the data integration tool in the platform with it’s own tool, Oracle Data Integrator (ODI). This was a selfish, profit-driven move on Oracle’s part with no consideration for the impact on customers, but it is what it is.

Because of this, as a part of the upgrade to the new OBIA release, we need to convert all our hundreds of Informatica mappings to ODI.  As you can imagine, this is a lot of work.  We are getting help from a company that has developed a specialized conversion tool called InfatoODI, which converts Informatica mappings to ODI interfaces.

We are performing the conversions specifically for an OBIA application, but the tool can be used as a straight conversion tool for Informatica-to-ODI for any type of application.

We are in the beginning stages of the project, but early indications are that the tool will save us time, but I am not sure how significant as yet. I will post updates as we progress through the conversions with my experience and opinion of the tool.

Business Intelligence Platform, Data Integration (ETL)

DAC Execution Plan Failure – “No active subject areas for execution plan”

When your Oracle Business Intelligence Applications (OBIA) DAC Execution Plan fails with a message that looks like this …

“Retrieving execution plan informationMESSAGE:::com.siebel.analytics.etl.execution.exceptions.EmptyExecutionPlanException: No active subject areas for execution plan were found
EXCEPTION CLASS::: com.siebel.analytics.etl.execution.ExecutionPlanInitializationException

com.siebel.analytics.etl.execution.ExecutionParameters.(ExecutionParameters.java:111)
com.siebel.analytics.etl.execution.ExecutionParameterHelper.(ExecutionParameterHelpe”

It is likely that you have a missing Subject Area in your Execution Plan in DAC.  You need to attach the Subject Area to the Execution Plan and rebuild the Plan.

After doing this your job should run successfully.

 

Data Integration, Performance Tuning

Informatica Unconnected Transformations

There are 3 Informatica transformations (External Procedure, Lookup, and Stored Procedure) that can be unconnected in a valid mapping.  An unconnected transformation is one that is not connected to the pipeline – that is, it is not connected to any other transformation via a link.  Unconnected transformations, especially unconnected lookup transformations, are widely in OBIA mappings.

Unconnected transformations are defined in a mapping and are called / invoked from another transformation in the mapping.  They can be called from any transformation that supports the transformation expression language.

Below is a list of the 3 Informatica Unconnected Transformations and how they are called or invoked from another transformation:

 Transformation  How its called / invoked
 External Procedure  :EXT.external_procedure_transformation(argument1, argument2, …)
 Lookup  :LKP.lookup_transformation(argument1, argument2, …)
 Stored Procedure  :SP.stored_procedure_transformation( argument1, argument2, [, PROC_RESULT])

Any mapping with an unconnected transformation must also include another transformation that calls the unconnected transformation.

All of the 3 Unconnected Transformations can also be used in connected mode.  However, when you want to execute the transformation logic for a subset of the rows passing through the mapping (especially when it’s a small percentage of the rows), you will want to consider using the transformations in unconnected mode and with conditional logic.  The conditional logic will cause the unconnected transformation to execute only when necessary, and therefore, may improve perfiormance.

The example below shows a call to an unconnected lookup transformation (lkp_item_id) that is invoked only when the desired item_id value is NULL.  In a case where only a small percentage of the rows have an item_id that is NULL, then the lookup would only be invoked for a small number of rows, as opposed to all rows if the transformation was connected.

                       IIF  ( ISNULL(item_id),   :LKP.lkp_item_id ( item_name ),   item_id )

As a side note, the Sequence Generator transformation can also be invoked from a function call, but it is a connected transformation.

 Transformation  How its called / invoked
 Sequence Generator  :SEQ.sequence_generator_transformation.CURRVAL
Business Intelligence (BI) Development, Business Intelligence Platform, Data Integration (ETL)

Informatica Transformations Frequently used in OBIA

These are some of the Informatica transformations that are frequently used in Oracle Business Intelligence Applications (OBIA).  The OBIA SDE and SIL mappings used to load the Oracle Business Analytics Warehouse (OBAW) are built using these and other transformations.

1. Source Qualifier
The Source Qualifier transformation is used to bring data from one or more tables from the same source into the mapping.  If being used for more than one table, then a join condition needs to be defined between the tables.  The typical naming convention for a Source Qualifier transformation is SQ_* or sq_*.

2. Joiner
The Joiner transformation is used to join tables in different data sources.  The typical naming convention for a Joiner transformation is JNR_* or jnr_*.

3. Expression
The Expression transformation is used to perform simple row-based calculations or derivations.  The typical naming convention for an Expression transformation is EXP_* or exp_*.

4. Filter
The Filter transformation is similar to a where clause in SQL – it adds a conditional filter to the data passing through the mapping.  The typical naming convention for a Filter transformation is FIL_* or fil_*.

5. Aggregator
The Aggregator transformation is used to perform aggregate calculations on the data passing through the mapping, for example, performing a sum or max.  The typical naming convention for an Aggregator transformation is AGG_* or agg_*.

6. Lookup
The Lookup transformation is used to lookup values based on another known/submitted value, and pass the looked up value into the mapping.  There are 2 types of Lookups – connected and unconnected.  The typical naming convention for a Lookup transformation is LKP_* or lkp_*.

7. Update Strategy
The Update Strategy transformation is used to determine and perform the appropriate course of action for data in the mapping.  Based on the determined state of the data, the transformation is used to insert, update, delete or reject records.  The typical naming convention for an Update Strategy transformation is UPD_* or upd_*.

Business Intelligence Platform

Oracle PeopleSoft General Ledger data model and data flow

The PeopleSoft General Ledger is a module in the Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise suite of applications. This post gives a brief overview of the data flow and data model of PeopleSoft General Ledger.  General Ledger applications are generally a central point for key financial reporting and this is also the case for PeopleSoft applications.

Oracle Business Intelligence Applications (OBIA) offers pre-built integration with Oracle Peoplesoft Enterprise, and the tables here are some of the source tables for Oracle Business Intelligence Application Financial Analytics.

PeopleSoftGeneralLedgerDataModelDataFlow

Data is brought into the GL Journal Header (JRNL_HEADER) and Journal Lines (JRNL_LN) tables via a number of methods – spreadsheet template import, flat-file import, or via a load process from other PeopleSoft modules.  There are multiple Journal Lines for each Journal Header.

The Journals are edited, and when valid, they can be Posted.  The Posting creates records in the Ledger table (LEDGER).  Ledger data is a common source for reporting – for example, P&L and Balance Sheet reporting will be done against Ledger data.

Some supporting tables for the GL module are:
GL_ACCOUNT_TBL:  contains the value and description of Account values
PRODUCT:   contains the value and description of Product values
DEPT_TBL: contains the value and description of Department values
BUS_UNIT_TBL_GL:  contains the value and description of Business Unit values
ACCT_TYPE_TBL:  contains the descriptions of Account Types – Asset, Liability, Equity, Expense, Revenue

Business Intelligence Platform, Data Governance, Data Modeling

Oracle EBS Payables Data Flow and Data Model

This post gives a quick overview of Oracle Payables data flow and data model for some of the most used tables in the module. This is not a complete coverage of the topic but aims to give a general idea of how records are stored in and moves through the module.

OraclePayablesDataflowDataModel

In Oracle Payables, before an AP transaction can be generated, a supplier must exist in the system.  When suppliers are created, records are created in AP_SUPPLIERS and AP_SUPPLIER_SITES.  Invoices are saved in AP_INVOICES (invoice header records) and AP_INVOICE_LINES (invoice lines records).

Payments generate records in AP_INVOICE_PAYMENTS and AP_PAYMENTS_SCHEDULE.  These tables will have 1 record for an invoice if the invoice is paid using a single payment, but will have multiple records for an invoice if the invoice is paid in installments or with more than one payment.

When an invoice is approved and when it is paid, accounting transactions are generated.  These transactions make their way to the GL_INTERFACE table via Payables Transfer to GL process.  In addition to interfacing with GL, Payables also interfaces with many other Oracle modules, such as, Purchasing, Assets, Projects, Inventory, and others (but will not be covered in this post).

Invoices can be entered into Oracle Payables from external systems via the AP_INVOICE_INTERFACE and AP_INVOICES_LINES_INTERFACE tables.  When the Payables Open Interface Import program is run, the records are brought into the regular header and lines tables (AP_INVOICE and AP_INVOICE_LINES).

When payments are made, the information about the payment is recorded in AP_CHECKS.

These are some of the sources for the star-schemas (dimension and fact tables) used in Oracle Business Intelligence Applications (OBIA) Financials module, and in particular, the Payables dashboard and analyses.

Business Intelligence (BI) Development, Business Intelligence Platform, Data Modeling, Data Security

Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) Foundation Tables

This post is simply a list of Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) Foundation tables. The Foundation tables contain data that relate to the entire suite of applications – they are not specific to any one module.

Some foundation tables are used in Oracle BI Applications (OBIA), for example, the FND_USER, FND_USER_RESP_GROUPS, and FND_RESPONSIBILITY_VL tables are used in security-related Initialization Blocks.

In general, it’s good to be familiar with these tables when working on OBIEE projects or any BI platform with EBS as a source system.

Foundation Table Purpose
FND_APPLICATION Stores applications registered with Oracle Application Object Library.
FND_APPLICATION_TL Stores translated information about all the applications registered with Oracle Application Object Library.
FND_APP_SERVERS This table will track the servers used by the E-Business Suite system.
FND_ATTACHED_DOCUMENTS Stores information relating a document to an application entity.
FND_CONCURRENT_PROCESSES Stores information about concurrent managers.
FND_CONCURRENT_PROCESSORS Stores information about immediate (subroutine) concurrent program libraries.
FND_CONCURRENT_PROGRAMS Stores information about concurrent programs. Each row includes a name and description of the concurrent program.
FND_CONCURRENT_PROGRAMS_TL Stores translated information about concurrent programs in each of the installed languages.
FND_CONCURRENT_QUEUES Stores information about concurrent managers.
FND_CONCURRENT_QUEUE_SIZE Stores information about the number of requests a concurrent manager can process at once, according to its work shift.
FND_CONCURRENT_REQUESTS Stores information about individual concurrent requests.
FND_CONCURRENT_REQUEST_CLASS Stores information about concurrent request types.
FND_CONC_REQ_OUTPUTS This table stores output files created by Concurrent Request.
FND_CURRENCIES Stores information about currencies.
FND_DATABASES It tracks the databases employed by the eBusiness suite. This table stores information about the database that is not instance specific.
FND_DATABASE_INSTANCES Stores instance specific information. Every database has one or more instance.
FND_DESCRIPTIVE_FLEXS Stores setup information about descriptive flexfields.
FND_DESCRIPTIVE_FLEXS_TL Stores translated setup information about descriptive flexfields.
FND_DOCUMENTS Stores language-independent information about a document.
FND_EXECUTABLES Stores information about concurrent program executables.
FND_FLEX_VALUES Stores valid values for key and descriptive flexfield segments.
FND_FLEX_VALUE_SETS Stores information about the value sets used by both key and descriptive flexfields.
FND_LANGUAGES Stores information regarding languages and dialects.
FND_MENUS It lists the menus that appear in the Navigate Window, as determined by the System Administrator when defining responsibilities for function security.
FND_MENUS_TL Stores translated information about the menus in FND_MENUS.
FND_MENU_ENTRIES Stores information about individual entries in the menus in FND_MENUS.
FND_PROFILE_OPTIONS Stores information about user profile options.
FND_REQUEST_GROUPS Stores information about report security groups.
FND_REQUEST_SETS Stores information about report sets.
FND_RESPONSIBILITY Stores information about responsibilities. Each row includes the name and description of the responsibility, the application it belongs to, and values that identify the main menu, and the first form that it uses.
FND_RESPONSIBILITY_TL Stores translated information about responsibilities.
FND_RESP_FUNCTIONS Stores security exclusion rules for function security menus. Security exclusion rules are lists of functions and menus inaccessible to a particular responsibility.
FND_SECURITY_GROUPS Stores information about security groups used to partition data in a Service Bureau architecture.
FND_SEQUENCES Stores information about the registered sequences in your applications.
FND_TABLES Stores information about the registered tables in your applications.
FND_TERRITORIES Stores information for countries, alternatively known as territories.
FND_USER Stores information about application users.
FND_VIEWS Stores information about the registered views in your applications.
FND_USER_RESPONSIBILITY
FND_RESPONSIBILITY_VL
FND_ORACLE_USERID
FND_DATA_GROUP_UNITS
Business Intelligence (BI) Development, Business Intelligence Platform, Data Governance, Data Modeling, Reporting

Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) List of Flexfields

This post is simply a table listing of the Key Flexfields (KFFs) in Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) (aka Oracle Applications). The table contains the flexfields, along with their Code, Owning Application and base table. 

Flexfields are commonly used in OBIEE reporting for EBS source systems. Flexfields are also an integral part of the Oracle Business Analytics Warehouse (OBAW) data model. It is worthwhile to be familiar with them.

  Name Code Owning Application Table Name
1 Account Aliases MDSP Oracle Inventory MTL_GENERIC_DISPOSITIONS
2 Accounting Flexfield GL# Oracle General Ledger GL_CODE_COMBINATIONS
3 Activity Flexfield FEAC Enterprise Performance Foundation  
4 AHL Route AHLR Complex Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul  
5 Asset Key Flexfield KEY# Oracle Assets FA_ASSET_KEYWORDS
6 Bank Details KeyFlexField BANK Oracle Payroll PAY_EXTERNAL_ACCOUNTS
7 CAGR Flexfield CAGR Oracle Human Resources  
8 Category Flexfield CAT# Oracle Assets FA_CATEGORIES
9 Competence Flexfield CMP Oracle Human Resources  
10 Cost Allocation Flexfield COST Oracle Payroll PAY_COST_ALLOCATION_KEYFLEX
11 Grade Flexfield GRD Oracle Human Resources PER_GRADE_DEFINITIONS
12 Item Catalogs MICG Oracle Inventory MTL_ITEM_CATALOG_GROUPS
13 Item Categories MCAT Oracle Inventory MTL_CATEGORIES
14 Job Flexfield JOB Oracle Human Resources PER_JOB_DEFINITIONS
15 Location Flexfield LOC# Oracle Assets FA_LOCATIONS
16 Oracle Service Item Flexfield SERV Oracle Inventory MTL_SYSTEM_ITEMS
17 People Group Flexfield GRP Oracle Payroll PAY_PEOPLE_GROUPS
18 Personal Analysis Flexfield PEA Oracle Human Resources PER_ANALYSIS_CRITERIA
19 Position Flexfield POS Oracle Human Resources PER_POSITION_DEFINITIONS
20 Public Sector Budgeting BPS Oracle Public Sector Budgeting  
21 Sales Orders MKTS Oracle Inventory SALES_ORDER_ID
22 Sales Tax Location Flexfield RLOC Oracle Receivables AR_LOCATION_COMBINATIONS
23 Soft Coded KeyFlexfield SCL Oracle Human Resources HR_SOFT_CODING_KEYFLEX
24 Stock Locators MTLL Oracle Inventory MTL_ITEM_LOCATIONS
25 System Items MSTK Oracle Inventory MTL_SYSTEM_ITEMS
26 Territory Flexfield CT# Oracle Receivables RA_TERRITORIES
27 Training Resources RES Oracle Learning Management