The first thing to recognize with infrastructure requirements prior to deploying Oracle BI 11g is that its memory and processor requirements have been increased since previous versions. The Java application server, WebLogic Server, gets installed with the full version of its software (though under a limited/restricted license as already discussed). A multitude of additional Java libraries and applications are also deployed. Ultimately, the authentication Application Development Framework (ADF) used to develop much of the platform accounts for a larger overall footprint. Be prepared for a recommended minimum 8 GB Read Access Memory (RAM) requirement for an enterprise deployment and a 4 GB minimum requirement for a developer workstation deployment. Other system requirement information can be found within the Oracle documentation at http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E23943_01/doc.1111/e15722/overview.htm#CJAHADHD.
Since release 11.1.1.5, Oracle BI 11g has a separate Client Tools installation that requires Microsoft Windows XP or a more recent version of the Windows OS. The Oracle BI 11g Client Tools provides the majority of client to server management capabilities required for normal day-to-day maintenance of the Oracle BI repository and related artifacts. The Client Tools installation is usually reserved for Oracle BI developers who design and maintain the Oracle BI metadata repository, better known as RPD, which stems from its binary file extension (.rpd). Compared to previous versions of the product, there are two tools now, which have been removed from the Client Tools installation:
Oracle BI ODBC Manager
Oracle BI Catalog Manager (available with version 11.1.1.6)
The Oracle BI 11g Client Tools installation provides each workstation with the Administration Tool, Job Manager, and all command-line Application Programming Interface (API) executables.
One of the key features of Oracle BI development is the ability for multiple metadata developers to develop simultaneously. Although the use of the term "simultaneously" can vary amongst the technical communities, the use of concurrent development within the Oracle BI suite requires Oracle BI's Multiuser Development (MUD) environment configuration.
The configuration itself is fairly straightforward and ultimately relies on the Oracle BI administrator's ability to divide metadata modeling responsibilities into projects. Projects—which are usually defined and delineated by logical fact table definitions—can be assigned to one or more metadata developers.
In previous versions of Oracle BI, a metadata developer could install the entire Oracle BI product suite on an up-to-date laptop or commodity desktop workstation and successfully develop, test, and deploy an Oracle BI metadata model. The system requirements of Oracle BI 11g prevent developers from installing the full Oracle BI 11g server suite on a legacy workstation as the minimum memory requirement is 4 GB. Most of the 32-bit workstations operate with 3 GB or less requirement.
If an organization currently leverages the Oracle BI MUD environment, or plans to leverage with the current release, this raises several questions:
How do we get our developers to the best environment suitable for developing our metadata?
Do we need to procure new hardware?
Most of the developers' desktop workstations or laptops run 32-bit Microsoft Windows XP or Windows Vista. Microsoft Windows is a requirement for the Oracle BI Client Tools. However, the Oracle BI Client Tools does not include the server component of the Oracle BI 11g environment. It only allows for connecting from the developer's workstation to the Oracle BI server instance. In a multiuser development environment, this poses a serious problem as only one metadata repository can exist on any one Oracle BI server instance at any given time. If two developers are working from their respective workstations at the same time and wish to see their latest modifications published in a rapid application development (RAD) cycle, this type of iterative effort fails as one developer's published changes will overwrite the others in real time.
To resolve the above issue there are two recommended solutions. The first is an obvious localized solution. This solution merely upgrades the Oracle BI developers' workstations or laptops to comply with the minimum requirements for installing the full Oracle BI environment on said machines. This upgrade should be both memory (RAM) and processor (MHz) centric. A dual-core processor and a 4 GB plus RAM are recommended.
However, in order for a Windows operating system to acknowledge and use more than 4 GB memory, a 64-bit operating system kernel is required. Without an upgraded workstation, from which to work, Oracle BI 11g metadata developers will sit at a disadvantage for general iterative metadata development and especially be disenfranchised if interfacing within a multiuser development environment.
The second solution is one that takes advantage of virtual machines (VM). The virtual machines have become a staple within most IT departments as they are versatile and allow speedy proposition of server environments. For this scenario, it is recommended to create a virtual machine template of an Oracle BI 11g environment, from which individual virtual machine images for each metadata developer on the Oracle BI development team can be duplicated or stood up. This solution effectively provides each metadata developer with their own Oracle BI development environment server which contains the fully deployed Oracle BI server environment. Then, developers have the ability to develop and test iteratively by connecting to their assigned virtual server without fear that their efforts will conflict with another developer's. The following diagram illustrates how an Oracle BI 11g MUD environment can leverage either upgraded developer workstation hardware or VM images to facilitate development:
This book does not cover the installation, configuration, or best practices for developing in a MUD environment. However, the Oracle BI development team deserves a lot of credit for documenting these processes in unprecedented detail. The Oracle BI 11g MUD environment documentation provides a case study (http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E21764_01/bi.1111/e10540/case_study.htm#CHDGIBBD), which conveys best practices for managing a complex Oracle BI development lifecycle. When you are ready to deploy a MUD environment, it is highly recommended to peruse this documentation first.
The information in this section seeks to convey these best practices in facilitating a developer's workstation when using a MUD environment, but the mentioned resources will delve further into this.
Now that the Oracle BI 11g is part of the larger enterprise Fusion Middleware stack, the Oracle BI tool suite complies largely with the overall Fusion Middleware infrastructure. This common foundation allows for a centralized model to communicate with operating systems, web servers, and other ancillary components which are compliant. The certification matrix for Oracle BI 11g can be found on the Oracle website at http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/middleware/ias/downloads/fusion-certification-100350.html.
The certification matrix document is usually provided in a Microsoft Excel format and should be referenced before you begin any project or deployment of Oracle BI 11g. This will ensure that infrastructure components such as the selected operating system, web server, web browsers, LDAP server, and so on will actually work when integrated with the product suite.