What is the best health check rule to create for load balancing OBIEE (Analytics only)?

3240307

Hello,

We are trying to use an external load balancer hardware (F5 Big IP) and would like to create a health check/monitor configuration rule for the Analytics piece (in case 1 server is down, requests need to be routed to the 2nd). We are looking for the best URI to use for that purpose. Please help provide the best rule (GET/POST) in your experience so far.

OBIEE 11.1.1.9.5

WLS 10.3.6

RHEL 6.x

Gianni Ceresa

Hi,

It's a bit more complicated than just check a URL if you really want to check OBIEE.

Sure you can load a page like /analytics, but this doesn't mean that the login work for example.

So you can simulate a login (posting the form etc. or using nqUser and nqPassword in the url).

But here again it just means the login work and not that analysis will work.

So you can then load an analysis and check if you get the result of a query inside. That would probably be the best simple test.

So you can start with a simple check which will fail only when the managed server or the presentation server service is down, or you can try to make a bit more complex scenario which will go through few more pieces (like the bi server etc.).

3240307

Thank you Gianni for the insight. I'm unclear as to how to do this with a GET or POST request. That's what I was originally looking for, even though your answer is helpful in a general direction sort of way. Can you help with that piece?

Referring to this part of your comment: So you can simulate a login (posting the form etc. or using nqUser and nqPassword in the url).

Joel

Hello @3240307

An Oracle product can be used to monitor your OBIEE deployment. It is called Enterprise Manager Cloud Control which requires some configuration (installation of the Business Intelligence Management Pack which requires additional licensing).

Once installed and configured, it has some standard checks on the OBIEE components. You can set up custom tests to simulate specific activities including URL checks.

Some blogs with with more detail of the product below:

Oracle Middleware Enterprise Management

https://www.rittmanmead.com/blog/2013/04/obiee-oem12cr2-and-the-bi-management-pack-part-1-introduction-to-oem12cr2/

https://www.rittmanmead.com/blog/2013/04/obiee-oem12cr2-and-the-bi-management-pack-part-2-installation-and-configuration…

https://www.rittmanmead.com/blog/2013/04/obiee-oem12cr2-and-the-bi-management-pack-part-3-but-what-does-it-do/

Gianni Ceresa

If all you have (or look for) is a GET or POST and you then check the HTTP code you get back try with this:

http://<hostname/ip>:<port>/analytics/saw.dll?bieehome&nqUser=<username>&nqPassword=<password>

This one will open the homepage doing the login automatically.

It will return you a HTTP 302 with a redirect to the URL doing the login for real.

I hope your check will manage to follow the redirect (or maybe has an option to make it follow the redirect).