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How to create an empty catalog in OBIEE 12

Hi experts,

We installed a new OBIEE 12 installation 12.2.1.1.0 with option "Clean slate". Now the question is how do we create an empty catalog if no catalog exists? I cannot find anything in the Oracle documentation. I understand how to use a BAR file or how to migrate from an older version but we just want to start with something new.

Kind regards,

Quinten

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Gbenga Ajakaye

See this article https://www.datavail.com/blog/create-an-empty-obiee-12c-web-catalog-easy-as-123/

Joel Acha

You modify your instanceconfig.xml by pointing the catalog to the location where you'd like your new catalog to be created and then restart the Presentation Services.

Quinten Berg

Hi Joel,

thanks for your reply. In OBIEE 11 and before you could specify the catalog name in the instanceconfig.xml but in OBIEE 12 I doubt that this works. We have an OBIEE 12 instance running (migrated from OBIEE 11) and if I look into the instanceconfig.xml there is no location mentioned or name of the catalog. I wonder how it is configured. In the OBIEE 12 documentation I cannot find any usefull information about creation a new catalog by scratch.. Are you using OBIEE 12?

Kind regards,

Quinten

Quinten Berg

Hi Gbenga,

I have seen this article but this assumes you have sample app installed. In our case we dont want to install the samplesales and just want to start from scratch..

rmoff

I'm not quite following. First you've said "we just want to start with something new" but then "We have an OBIEE 12 instance running (migrated from OBIEE 11)".

There's not really the same concept of a standalone catalog in 12c. You can import and export service instances (for example, as a upgrade from 11g, or to import from another environment), and as part of the service instance you'll get your catalog (along with RPD and security model).

So if you want a blank instance, you import either the starter BAR or empty BAR (see About Oracle Business Intelligence Application Archive (BAR) Files ) for details, and then build your catalog on top of that, and optionally upload an existing RPD into the service instance with datamodel.sh/cmd.

This article might help you too: https://www.rittmanmead.com/blog/2016/12/source-control-and-automated-code-deployment-options-for-obiee/

Quinten Berg

Thanks for your reply Robin. What I was trying to say is that we have 2 different projects with both it's own OBIEE (12) installation on a separate server. 1 was migrated from OBIEE 11 and is running fine, the other installation will be completely from scratch (option "Clean slate"). After installation both the presentation server (obips) and bi server (obis) have status SHUTDOWN. I thought this had to do that by scratch you need an rpd and an empty catalog (folder).. We tried importing an empty (but valid) rpd file (uploadrpd) but this is not working (error: ). The catalog folder is also empty so I was thinking how to create and activate a catalog. But if I read your reply installing the empty BAR should give you a starting point right?

Kind regards,

Quinten

[Deleted User]

That'd be how things worked back in 11...

[Deleted User]

Did you read the documentation link?! It doesn't get more precise than that:

What Predefined BAR Files are Available?

Oracle provides a number of predefined BAR files, containing BI metadata to use with a service instance.You can choose one of the following BAR files during installation:Empty BAR - oracle.bi.application.empty.barThe empty BAR file enables you to have complete control over metadata and security policy, or you may simply have an existing BAR from another system that you might want to import.ORACLE_HOME/bi/bifoundation/admin/provisioning/oracle.bi.application.empty.barThe Empty BAR file contains only enough permissions for the administrator user to login and administer the system.

rmoff

[...]The other installation will be completely from scratch (option "Clean slate"). After installation both the presentation server (obips) and bi server (obis) have status SHUTDOWN. I thought this had to do that by scratch you need an rpd and an empty catalog (folder).. We tried importing an empty (but valid) rpd file (uploadrpd) but this is not working (error: ). The catalog folder is also empty so I was thinking how to create and activate a catalog. But if I read your reply installing the empty BAR should give you a starting point right?

So ... it's always waaaay better to describe your actual situation, than guess at the cause and ask a different question from the one that's facing you

You've created a blank installation, and OBIPS/OBIS won't start up. From those two facts, I would not be wondering about creating a blank catalog. As as mentioned already, in 12c the idea of a catalog is integrated into the concept of a service instance, which is what a BAR encapsulates and will get set up at the initial install (clean slate).

You need to go and look at your OBIS/OBIPS logs and actually look at the messages they're outputting when you try to start them up, to determine what *the actual cause is*.

Quinten Berg

Ok that makes sense, so we have to make sure the installation with the "clean slate" starts all services without any errors instead of trying to implement an empty rpd file and catalog while 2 services get status SHUTDOWN. Thanks for your advice and help!

Kind regards,

Quinten

PS: It seems like the issue is related to the way we rollout the binairies. We use RPM but the binaries are not created in the OBIEE home directory but in /home/rpmbuild/BUILDROOT. We probably need to relink.