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Delete a file/folder from catalog got error 'path not found - Check the input path entered.'

Hi, I was deleting a folder from the catalog menu, and got the following error message ' path not found - Check the input path entered.'. I can't delete it using Catalog Manager too. When there is a special character like '🔥' in the path I got this error. How can I remove the folder/file without using the full path name?

The version is Oracle Analytic 2023 update. Example shown below. Actually the CLEANUP folder is empty. It is migrated from OBIEE 12.1.1.4.

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Betty.ca

For the empty folder 'CLEANUP' I couldn't remove, I renamed the parent folder, the 'CLEANUP' was renamed to 'NUP' automatically and there were some folder and files appear under that 'NUP' folder. However this time the folder and the stuff under the folder can be removed without errors.

For the one with a special character in the file name, I archived the parent folder and unarchived it somewhere else. The file with the special character disappeared in the unarchived folder. I copied the parent folder from unarchived folder and overwrote it, the file with the special character disappeared again.

Not know how the backend worked however the issue was fixed.

BTW, I can't find the table CSS_SI_FILES from BIPLATFORM.

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Gianni Ceresa

Hi,

I'm guessing here as I didn't give it a try in OAS 2023. There was (is, if you didn't patch) a bug that when you import a snapshot and restore it (that's what you did for your OBIEE 12.2.1.4 migration I believe), some objects could become like "zombies" in the catalog. There are there, but not really there: you can't touch them, you can't open them, you can't delete them, and often you don't even see them anymore.

The bug is because of the major change between OBIEE 12c and OAS: the catalog isn't on disk anymore but has been moved to the database. The bug in question happened with objects having a trailing space, they were badly encoded when imported from a catalog "on disk" (like the one inside the BAR) and the database version.

Because you mention a path containing a special character, an emoticon, I suspect that something similar maybe happened: a bad encoding during the import and that corrupted those objects in the catalog.

As said, this is just me guessing what is maybe causing what you see, and preventing you from deleting those objects. Now, what can you do?

I see a fully unsupported solution, a partially supported one, and the clean way of doing it.

The fully unsupported way is by doing the job in the catalog tables in the database. Let me repeat it: this is not supported and nobody should do anything on those tables manually. It's one of those cases of "do as I say, not as I do".

The partially supported one would be to export a BAR of your environment, unpack it, use catalog manager "offline" on disk to do the job, reimport the BAR and restore the catalog from it. It is partially supported because messing with the BAR file is a touchy task: it is documented (by mistake, Oracle generally delete that part from the doc when they find it) but it isn't something that we are meant to do. (This is another case of "do as I say, not as I do".)

The fully supported solution in my opinion is to open a SR and let Oracle provide you with a supported way to handle the case.

PS: the "do as I say, not as I do" is because when I mess around in unsupported ways with the product, I take full responsibility for what I do. But there are lot of chances to kill the environment if not done carefully and correctly. And if you do something that way you could also have issues with support if what is done could lead to other problems. That's why I don't go in many details in public forums about these methods.

Steve F-2

To add to @Gianni Ceresa 's thorough response, there is a patch for the trailing whitespace issue for OAS 2023

Catalog Objects Under the Folder With Trailing Whitespace May Lost after Importing the Bar File (Doc ID 3013280.1)

The patch is also included in the July 2024 CPU/bundle patch.

Now, special character in the path is a different case.

There is a workaround documented here:

OAS: Cannot Delete Or Rename A Catalog Folder When The Name Contains Special Characters (Doc ID 2827039.1)

Gianni Ceresa

Thanks for the links Steve.

I didn’t check if the database foreign key constraints on FILE_ID will do a cascade on delete. If they don’t, you can fully clean up your catalog tables by also deleting the record from the table with the object content, and you should also have a record in the table with the permissions.

But it’s the first time I see a MOS document that make you “do things” on that table. Sounds like I can start calling it “partially supported” when I mess around those tables.

They could have given the query to fix the record instead of deleting it, but that would definitely give away all the secrets of catalog tables allowing anyone to destroy their catalog by queries.

Steve F-2

@Gianni Ceresa , It was an approved workaround in the 5.5 timeframe.
The issue should actually be fixed.

@Betty.ca - If the workaround does not work, ensure you are patched to the latest July 2024 CPU/Bundle patch, then file a service request, if needed.

Betty.ca

Thank you everyone. I will open a service ticket.

Steve F-2

@Betty.ca

Post back the resolution for future searcher and followers.

Betty.ca

Not know how the backend worked however the issue was fixed.

BTW, I can't find the table CSS_SI_FILES from BIPLATFORM.

Steve F-2

Thanks for sharing @Betty.ca !