Oracle OLE DB source in SSIS

An OLE DB source to Oracle can be added to a SSIS package.

Example data

Server: locksnlatches.mydomain.com
Oracle instance/SID: dwh
Username/schema: scott
Password: tiger

An OLE DB source to Oracle can be added as follows:
  • From the menubar, select SSIS -> New connection... -> OLEDB -> Add -> New
    Provider: Oracle Provider for OLE DB
    Server or filename: locksnlatches/dwh
    User name: scott
    Password: tiger
Notes: 
  • The "Oracle Provider for OLE DB" provider always exists in SSIS. It is a wrapper around the Oracle Client driver that is installed when installing Integration Services. However, the Oracle Client has to be installed separately. It can be downloaded from the Oracle website: instantclient-basiclite-nt-11.2.0.2.0. Install the 32 bit version of the driver to be able to use it in the design environment. The Visual Studio / SSIS IDE does not support 64 bit components
  • It is possible to use the 64 bit Oracle Client driver during execution of the package, e.g. via dtexec, but it needs to be installed additionally. The SSIS package has to be configured to use this different version during runtime.
  • If the server cannot be found, then use the fully qualified name. One reason might be that the Oracle server is located in a different (Windows) domain as the SSIS server.

Reference SQL Server table with spaces from Oracle

It is possible to select data from a SQL Server table that contains spaces by using a database link from Oracle.

The syntax is as follows:

SELECT * FROM "DBO$TABLE WITH SPACES"@MYDBLINK

with

SQL Server login/user: dbo
SQL Server table name: table with spaces
DB link: mydblink

Query Oracle from SQL Server

Start with the following steps:
  • Install the Oracle Instant Client (OIC) on the machine where SQL Server is running and add the "Oracle Provider for OLE DB" driver, e.g. to folder c:\oracle11g.
  • Inside SQL Server Management Studio:
    Linked Servers -> Providers -> OraOLEDB.Oracle -> Allow inprocess = true
  • Optional: to enable adhoc querying (querying without a linked server), then enable this:
    • SQL Server 2005 via surface area configuration tool
    • SQL Server 2008 via facets: inside SQL Server Management Studio, right click the server -> facets -> facet: surface area configuration -> AdHocRemoteQueries = true
  • Optional: if the connection to Oracle should be based on a TNS names entry, then add an "admin" folder to the OIC folder. Put or create an tnsnames.ora file there, e.g. c:\oracle11g\admin\tnsnames.ora
  • Optional: use "tnsping" to test the entry from the command prompt, e.g. "tnsping dwh.world". If it doesn't recognize the entry, then create an environment variable called "TNS_ADMIN" and let it point to this "admin" folder, e.g. c:\oracle11g\admin
  • Optional: if the following steps to get data from an Oracle instance don't work, then edit this registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSDTC\MTxOCI.
    Set the following values:
    OracleXaLib=oraclient11.dll
    OracleSqlLib=orasql11.dll
    OracleOciLib=oci.dll
Note: these DDLs can be found in the c:\oracle11g\product\11.2.0\client_1\BIN folder. The specific version depends on the Oracle Client and might be for example oraclient10.dll en orasql10.dll. Use the names of the DDLs as found in this folder.

Three ways to get the data from an Oracle instance

Example:

Server: locksnlatches
Oracle instance (SID): dwh
Port: 1521
Schema/user: scott
Password: tiger
tnsnames.ora entry:

dwh.world =
(DESCRIPTION=
  (CID=DWH_APP)
  (ADDRESS_LIST=
    (ADDRESS=
      (PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=locksnlatches)(PORT=1521)
     )
   )
  (CONNECT_DATA=
    (SID=dwh)
  )
)

1) Using a linked server
  • Linked Servers -> New linked server... ->  General ->
    • linked server: lnk_locksnlatches (this name can be anything)
    • provider: Oracle provider for OLE DB
    • product name: oracle (this name can be anything)
    • data source: (DESCRIPTION=(CID=DWH_APP)(ADDRESS_LIST=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=locksnlatches)(PORT=1521)))(CONNECT_DATA=(SID=dwh)))
    • provider string: leave empty!
    • location: leave empty!
    • catalog: leave empty!
  • Linked Servers -> New linked server... ->  Security ->
    • Be made using this security context
    • Remote login: scott
    • With password: tiger
Use the four-point notation to retrieve data from Oracle:

SELECT 1 FROM lnk_locksnlatches..scott.dual

Note: the "security" tab specifies the Oracle schema/user and password used by the connection!

2) Without a linked server (TNS-less)

SELECT * FROM OPENROWSET('OraOLEDB.Oracle', '(DESCRIPTION=(CID=DWH_APP)(ADDRESS_LIST= (ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=locksnlatches)(PORT=1521)))(CONNECT_DATA=(SID=dwh)))';'scott';'tiger','SELECT 1 FROM DUAL') x

3) Without a linked server (TNS-full)

SELECT * FROM OPENROWSET('OraOLEDB.Oracle', 'dwh.world';'scott';'tiger','SELECT 1 FROM DUAL') x

Power view on analysis services tabular


How to create a Power View report using Sharepoint 2010 and Analysis Services 2012 Tabular as the data source?

0) Prerequisites
A server called "bisql01" with the following services installed:
  •   sql server 2012 (mssqlserver = default instance)
  •   analysis services 2012 (mssqlserver = default instance)
  •   analysis services 2012 tabular mode / vertipaq (astabular = named instance)
  •   reporting services (mssqlserver = default instance)
  •   sharepoint 2010 installed at https://powerview.locksnlatches.com
All services run under user "cloud\bi01_sql". Work is done locally on this server and refered to as "localhost". Data is loaded from the SQL Server database "CPDV" into the Analysis Services database "CPDM".

INSIDE VISUAL STUDIO 2012

1) create project
new project -> analysis services tabular project
  name: cp_windows7

2) set deploy target of model
rightclick project "cp_windows7" -> properties ->
  server: localhost\astabular
  database: cpdm
  impersonation settings: default

note: there is probably also a default instance of analysis services running; this is the regular multidimensional cube instance like the previous versions of sql server, not the named tabular model instance

note: the cpdm tabular database will be created on deploy

note: there will also be a work tabular database for the current project named after the project, first data source and a guid, e.g. CPDV_BI01_SQL_01e0810e-c8ab-46fd-afe6-098348336a9a. Do not delete this database from the analysis server server!

3) add tables to model
model -> import from datasource -> microsoft sql server:
  server name: bisql01 (or "localhost")
  log on to the server: use windows authentication
  database: cpdv
  use service account,
  select tables/views,
  finish

edit the bism model: model -> model view -> diagram view. If there are no relationships in the source, then they can be added here by dragging and dropping fields from a child to a parent table or vice versa.

change connection type: model -> existing connections -> edit
  use sql server authentication
  name: sa
  password: ***

note: use model -> existing connections, to add tables later on from the same connection

4) set date dimension
view the data: model -> model view -> data view

click the date column, table -> date -> mark as date table

note: mark as date table does not work in the diagram view, only in the data view

note: make sure the date column is unique and continuous

note: a fact table can join to the date dimension on this date field, but also on a unique number field. A date field also needs to be selected in the latter case for "mark as date table" to work.

5) set authorization
models -> roles -> new
  name: reader
  permissions: read

models -> roles -> members -> add
  cloud\bi01_sql
  cloud\bi01_admin (=sharepoint account from which powerview is started)

note: if members are added to this role from management studio to the tabular model instance database then they will be overwritten at the next deploy of the project! So, specify the members in the project.

6) build -> deploy

INSIDE SHAREPOINT 2010

7) create semantic model connection
documents -> new document -> bi semantic model connection ->
  filename: model.bism (this is the name of the document in sharepoint; it can be anything)
  servername: bisql01\astabular
  database: cpdm

note: to fix error "database cannot be found", double check that the reader role has read permissions and that the windows accounts used by Sharepoint are added to that group

8) create report data source to semantic model connection
documents -> new document -> report data source ->
  data source type: microsoft bi semantic model for power vier
  connection string: datasource='https://powerview. locksnlatches.com/Shared%20Documents/model.bism'
  credentials: stored credentials
    username: cloud\bi01_sql
    password: ***
  availability: enable

9) create powerview report
click dropdown arrow of report data source -> create power view report

note: to fix error "User 'DOMAIN\user' does not have required permissions": start IE in "run as administrator" mode and connect using "localhost" iso. the server name.

note: the reporting services logfiles are located here C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\14\WebServices\LogFiles

Annoying search engine abroad question

Google Chrome asks you if you would like to use another omnibox search engine when you move from one country to another. When you move across the border a lot, then this becomes quite an annoying message:

"Would you like to search with google.country1 instead of google.country2?"

If you always want to use e.g. google.nl, then make the following change:
  • Wrench -> Options -> Basics -> Manage search engines
  • Scroll to the bottom and fill in the columns:
  • In the first column: GoogleNEW
  • In the second: Google
  • In the third: http://google.nl/search?{google:RLZ}{google:acceptedSuggestion}{google:originalQueryForSuggestion}{google:searchFieldtrialParameter}{google:instantFieldTrialGroupParameter}sourceid=chrome&ie={inputEncoding}&q=%s
  • Hit Enter/Return, else the results will no be saved
  • Hover over the third column and click "make default"

Quipu connections

Several ways to create a database connection in the open source data warehouse generator Quipu.

SQL Express
  • SQL Server configuration manager -> 
    • Protocols for SQLExpress -> TCP/IP: enabled
    • TCP/IP -> IP Adresses -> IP All -> TCP Dynamic Ports: empty
    • TCP/IP -> IP Adresses -> IP All -> TCP Port: 666
  • SQL Server management studio -> SQL Express server properties -> Security -> Server Authentication: SQL Server and Windows Authentication mode
  • Create a SQL Server authentication login on the database server and assign it to the database that will be used by the connection, e.g. login: quipu, password: quipu
  • If the database runs on the same machine as Quipu, use "localhost" as the host name. Otherwise use the remote host name
Note:
  • Do not use the instance name, e.g. using "AdventureWorks;instance=sqlexpress" as database works, but will, depending on the SQL Server version, result in an "unable to get information" error.

Live calendar displays incorrectly in Chrome

At last the Windows Live calendar displays appointments correctly again in the latest Google Chrome beta release, 14.0.835.2. They fixed the improper displaying of events.

Up until now you had to use a workaround to have the bars visible in the month view:

Working with dates in OBIEE

Here are several options to set date formats in OBIEE. Option #1 is the best way to work with dates and comparison of dates to strings containing dates in a particular format.

See also: http://gerardnico.com/wiki/dat/obiee/cast_as_date

The most important settings (with example values) are:
  • DATE_DISPLAY_FORMAT parameter in nqsconfig.ini: YYYY/MM/DD
  • DATESHORTFORMAT parameter in localedefinitions.xml (based on the locale set in nqsconfig.ini): M/D/YYYY
  • NLS_DATE_FORMAT parameter of the session (or database default): DD-MON-RR
Do not confuse these with parameters in dbfeatures.ini. There this format is the default for almost all database platforms in parameter DATE_FORMAT parameter.

Method 1 is used for implicit casting only if physical -> Database -> Features: CAST_SUPPORTED is available and enabled. Otherwise the settings described in method 4 (nqsconfig.ini) are used.

1) Tell Oracle how to interpret the casting of a string to date or vice versa (preferred method)

Explicitly set the Oracle NLS property for this to work unambiguously. This property can be set on a database level, affecting all connections made to the database. Alternatively, the property can also be set on the OBI connection in the physical layer of the Admin tool to only affect the current session:
  • Double-click "Connection pool" for the Oracle connection
  • Select "Connection Scripts" tab
  • Add "Execute on Connect" script and type:
    ALTER SESSION SET NLS_DATE_FORMAT='YYYYMMDD'
Then, use the following function in Answers formulae:

CAST('20110215' TO DATE)

Note: to check the value of the NLS_DATE_FORMAT parameter at the database level, e.g. from SQL Developer, execute the following statement:

SELECT * FROM (
SELECT 'instance' as domain, parameter, value FROM NLS_INSTANCE_PARAMETERS UNION
SELECT 'database' as domain, parameter, value FROM NLS_DATABASE_PARAMETERS UNION
SELECT 'session' as domain, parameter, value FROM NLS_SESSION_PARAMETERS
) x WHERE PARAMETER ='NLS_DATE_FORMAT'

2) Convert a date to string or vice versa using an Oracle database function

Use the OBIEE function EVALUATE to make use of an Oracle database function. In this case, TO_DATE:

Convert string to date:
EVALUATE('TO_DATE(%1,%2)' AS DATE,'20111231','YYYYMMDD')

Examples of what doesn't work:
EVALUATE('TO_DATE(%1)' AS DATE,'20100101')
--> does not work, unless the date happens to be in the nls parameter format

CAST('20110215' TO DATE) 
--> does not work, unless the string happens to be in the nls parameter format

Convert date to string:
EVALUATE('TO_CHAR(%1,%2)' AS CHAR,DIM_DATE.TODAY,'YYYYMMDD')

EVALUATE('TO_CHAR(%1,''YYYYMMDD'')' AS CHAR,DIM_DATE.TODAY)

Examples of what doesn't work:
Conversions may fail with "date format not recognized" or "datetime value does not match the specified format".

EVALUATE('TO_CHAR(%1,%2)',DIM_DATE.TODAY,'YYYYMMDD')
--> does not work, because the result needs to be explicitly cast to a text datatype

EVALUATE('TO_CHAR(%1)',DIM_DATE.TODAY)
--> does not work, unless the date happens to be in the nls parameter format

3) Convert a date to string using different OBIEE functions

An alternative method is to convert the date to a string in stead of converting a testing string to a date. The difference is this:

DATE = ConvertToDate(STRING) 
vs 
ConvertToString(DATE) = STRING

Convert date to number:
year(FACT_ORDERLINE.DATE) * 10000 + month(FACT_ORDERLINE.DATE) * 100 + dayofmonth(FACT_ORDERLINE.DATE) = 20110231

Note: here the lefthand and righthand side are numbers, not strings, but the idea is the same.

4) Convert a string to date using the OBIEE function "DATE"

In OBIEE, an equivalent of the Oracle function TO_DATE is the DATE function which has a fixed syntax:

YYYY-MM-DD. 

For example:

DATE '2011-01-15'

Note:
  • This syntax cannot be configured and does not depend on locale or nls settings
  • The function cannot be found in the list of functions when adding a formula in Answers. 
  • It does not use ( or ) signs, but only single-quotes
5*) Set uniform datatypes in the Physical Layer

Set the datatype property in the physical layer on the fields/attributes. Allowed date/time datatypes are:
  • DATE
  • TIMESTAMP
Try to use one, e.g. DATE, as the default to achieve a more universal way of working with dates. TIMESTAMP is required when there is an essential time part. If it is always "00:00:00", then use DATE.

6*) Locale definitions in configuration files
  • [bipath]\web\config\localedefinitions.xml
    -- displays possible formats to choose from
    -- locale "us-en" is based on locale: us
    -- locale "us" contains all possible attributes to choose from, so is independend of the regional settings
    -- of the Windows server
    locale: us-en
  • [bipath]\server\config\nqsconfig.ini
    -- for displaying messages
    -- this maps to "us-en" in localedefinitions.xml
    LOCALE = "English-usa";
    -- for input and output of dates
    DATE_TIME_DISPLAY_FORMAT = "yyyy/mm/dd hh:mi:ss";
    DATE_DISPLAY_FORMAT = "yyyy/mm/dd";
    TIME_DISPLAY_FORMAT = "hh:mi:ss";
    -- when on, obi does not guess what a string containing a date means
    STRONG_DATETIME_TYPE_CHECKING = ON;
7*) Locale definitions in Answers webinterface

Set the locale, e.g. "English - United states" on the connection window or in your account settings: Settings -> Account

8*) Save display format

The default display format of a date is set in dbfeatures.ini (?)

It can be overriden for all date datatypes or specific attributes in Answers:
Criteria -> Column properties -> Save -> As the system-wide...

Test casting of date to string

Example: database or session NLS parameter = 'YYYYMMDD'

CAST(DIM_DATE.TODAY AS CHAR)
CAST('20110211' AS DATE)
CAST('01-FEB-11' AS DATE) --> will fail if nls parameter is set to YYYYMMDD

Notes:
  • Column properties -> date format (i.e.date or text) is set automatically after the result of a conversion. It does not steer, in any way, the input of functions.