Smart View Shared Connection in an XML 21


You might have heard/used the new feature in Smartview, which allows you to define shared connection in an XML file. I like the idea of accessing Essbase, Planning and Reporting with a single URL, compared to multiple URLs (in Private Connections) in Smart View. The part that I didn’t like was to use different URLs for different environments.

The new feature just solved my problem.

Starting from Smart view 11.1.2.2.310, now you can add Shared Connection information can be added to an XML.

You can create an XML as given below and use that in Shared Connections URL

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<res_GetProvisionedDataSources>
<Product id="APS" name="APS-11.1.2.2" displayVersion="version">
<Server name="Oracle Hyperion Provider Services - DEV" context="http://DEV:19000/aps/SmartView"></Server>
</Product>
<Product id="HP" name="HP-11.1.2.2" displayVersion="version">
<Server name="Oracle Hyperion Planning, Fusion Edition - DEV" context="http://DEV:19000/HyperionPlanning/SmartView"></Server>
</Product>
<Product id="RAFramework" name="RAFramework-11.1.2.2" displayVersion="version">
<Server name="Reporting and Analysis Framework - DEV" context="http://DEV:19000/raframework/browse/listXML"></Server>
</Product>
<Product id="APS" name="APS-11.1.2.2" displayVersion="version">
<Server name="Oracle Hyperion Provider Services - QA" context="http://QA:19000/aps/SmartView"></Server>
</Product>
<Product id="HP" name="HP-11.1.2.2" displayVersion="version">
<Server name="Oracle Hyperion Planning, Fusion Edition - QA" context="http://QA:19000/HyperionPlanning/SmartView"></Server>
</Product>
<Product id="RAFramework" name="RAFramework-11.1.2.2" displayVersion="version">
<Server name="Reporting and Analysis Framework - QA" context="http://QA:19000/raframework/browse/listXML"></Server>
</Product>
<Product id="APS" name="APS-11.1.2.2" displayVersion="version">
<Server name="Oracle Hyperion Provider Services - Prod" context="http://Prod:19000/aps/SmartView"></Server>
</Product>
<Product id="HP" name="HP-11.1.2.2" displayVersion="version">
<Server name="Oracle Hyperion Planning, Fusion Edition - Prod" context="http://Prod:19000/HyperionPlanning/SmartView"></Server>
</Product>
<Product id="RAFramework" name="RAFramework-11.1.2.2" displayVersion="version">
<Server name="Reporting and Analysis Framework - Prod" context="http://Prod:19000/raframework/browse/listXML"></Server>
</Product>
<Product id="APS" name="APS-11.1.2.3" displayVersion="version">
<Server name="Oracle Essbase - Local" context="http://myserver:9000/aps/SmartView"></Server>
</Product>
<Product id="HP" name="HP-11.1.2.3" displayVersion="version">
<Server name="Oracle Hyperion Planning, Fusion Edition - Local" context="http://myserver:9000/HyperionPlanning/SmartView"></Server>
</Product>
<Product id="RAFramework" name="RAFramework-11.1.2.3" displayVersion="version">
<Server name="Reporting and Analysis Framework - Local" context="http://myserver:9000/raframework/browse/listXML"></Server>
</Product>
</res_GetProvisionedDataSources>

I was looking for an option to upload that to a server and distribute it to all users.
I started looking at the problem from a Web Application server perspective and was looking at options to upload this into Weblogic server. In the end I thought of adding this to workspace tmp directory and was able to achieve what I was looking for.

The problem is it is a tmp directory.

It was then the great “John Goodwin” told why are you trying to load the file to a tmp directory of Application server when you have ohs (Web server).
Sometimes you need someone to tell you that there are different options.
If you look at the documentation HTTP Access for Shared Connection XML File it talks about HTTP server 🙁
You can follow the below given steps to make the XML file accessible from a server.
If you just want to access the file without any modification to http config file then keep the file under <EPM Drive>:OracleMiddlewareEPMSystem11R1commonepmstatic
You can then access the file using this URL http://servername:port/epmstatic/xmlfilename.xml
If you are interested in adding the XML to a different folder, then you’ll have to add an Alias in http config file.
If you are using automatic configuration and ohs then the file will be under <EPM Drive>:OracleMiddlewareuser_projects<instance>httpConfigautogeneratedohs.
Add an entry in epm.conf similar to the one given below. (Remember to keep this one as the last entry)

I created a folder call SmartViewXML under epmstatic and an Alias entry was added.
Alias /SmartViewXML “C:/Oracle/Middleware/EPMSystem11R1/common/epmstatic/SmartViewXML”
You can then access the file using http://servername:port/epmstatic/SmartViewXML/SmartView_Connections.xml









This is how it looks if everyone goes well.

It would have been lot easier if we can load this file to workspace and then use the Smart Cut 🙂
Hope that will be considered and hope that we can add custom names to Essbase connections, No matter what name you use for APS, it shows up as Oracle®Essbase (bug ????)

Update 11/13/2013

For Essbase Server names are not picked up and that was the bug that I was talking about. Now that Aarthi Krishnan gave us a nice hack, here is how it looks after the change.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<res_GetProvisionedDataSources>
<Product id="Oracle Essbase - DEV" name="APS-11.1.2.2" displayVersion="version">
<Server name="Oracle Essbase - DEV" context="http://DEV:19000/aps/SmartView"></Server>
</Product>
<Product id="HP" name="HP-11.1.2.2" displayVersion="version">
<Server name="Oracle Hyperion Planning, Fusion Edition - DEV" context="http://DEV:19000/HyperionPlanning/SmartView"></Server>
</Product>
<Product id="RAFramework" name="RAFramework-11.1.2.2" displayVersion="version">
<Server name="Reporting and Analysis Framework - DEV" context="http://DEV:19000/raframework/browse/listXML"></Server>
</Product>
<Product id="Oracle Essbase - QA" name="APS-11.1.2.2" displayVersion="version">
<Server name="Oracle Essbase - QA" context="http://QA:19000/aps/SmartView"></Server>
</Product>
<Product id="HP" name="HP-11.1.2.2" displayVersion="version">
<Server name="Oracle Hyperion Planning, Fusion Edition - QA" context="http://QA:19000/HyperionPlanning/SmartView"></Server>
</Product>
<Product id="RAFramework" name="RAFramework-11.1.2.2" displayVersion="version">
<Server name="Reporting and Analysis Framework - QA" context="http://QA:19000/raframework/browse/listXML"></Server>
</Product>
<Product id="Oracle Essbase - Prod" name="APS-11.1.2.2" displayVersion="version">
<Server name="Oracle Essbase - Prod" context="http://Prod:19000/aps/SmartView"></Server>
</Product>
<Product id="HP" name="HP-11.1.2.2" displayVersion="version">
<Server name="Oracle Hyperion Planning, Fusion Edition - Prod" context="http://Prod:19000/HyperionPlanning/SmartView"></Server>
</Product>
<Product id="RAFramework" name="RAFramework-11.1.2.2" displayVersion="version">
<Server name="Reporting and Analysis Framework - Prod" context="http://Prod:19000/raframework/browse/listXML"></Server>
</Product>
<Product id="Oracle Essbase - Local" name="APS-11.1.2.3" displayVersion="version">
<Server name="Oracle Essbase - Local" context="http://myserver:9000/aps/SmartView"></Server>
</Product>
<Product id="HP" name="HP-11.1.2.3" displayVersion="version">
<Server name="Oracle Hyperion Planning, Fusion Edition - Local" context="http://myserver:9000/HyperionPlanning/SmartView"></Server>
</Product>
<Product id="RAFramework" name="RAFramework-11.1.2.3" displayVersion="version">
<Server name="Reporting and Analysis Framework - Local" context="http://myserver:9000/raframework/browse/listXML"></Server>
</Product>
</res_GetProvisionedDataSources>

Who would have thought to change Product ID, where the documentation asks to change the Server name. I still think it is a bug 😉


About Celvin Kattookaran

I’m an EPM Consultant, my primary focus is on Hyperion Planning and Essbase. Some of you from Hyperion Support team might recognize me or have seen my support articles, I was with the WebAnalysis Support Team. I'm an Independent Consultant with “Intekgrate Corporation” based out of Aurora office. I’m from God’s Own Country (Kerala, India), lived in all southern states of India, Istanbul and Johannesburg (and of course United States). I’m core gamer :) and an avid reader. I was awarded Oracle ACE Director for my contributions towards EPM community.

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