Online and Offline Repository Modes

You can open a repository for editing in either online or offline mode. You can perform different tasks based on the mode in which you opened the repository.

This section includes the following topics:

• Opening a Repository in Offline Mode
• Opening a Repository in Online Mode
• Checking In Changes

Opening a Repository in Offline Mode :

Use offline mode to view and modify a repository while it is not loaded into the Oracle BI Server. If you attempt to open a repository in offline mode while it is loaded into the Oracle BI Server, the repository opens in read-only mode. Only one Administration Tool session at a time can edit a repository in offline mode.

To open a repository in offline mode

1. In the Administration Tool, select File > Open > Offline.
2. Navigate to the repository you want to open, and then select Open.
3. In the Open Offline dialog box, type a valid user ID and password, and then click OK.

This opens the repository for editing.

NOTE:  If the server is running and the repository you are trying to open is loaded, the repository will only open in read-only mode. If you want to edit the repository while it is loaded, you have to open it in online mode. Also, if you open a repository in offline mode and then start the server, the repository will be available to users; any changes you make will become available only when the server is restarted.

Opening a Repository in Online Mode:

Use online mode to view and modify a repository while it is loaded into the Oracle BI Server. The Oracle BI Server must be running to open a repository in online mode. There are certain things you can do in online mode that you cannot do in offline mode. In online mode, you can perform the following tasks:

• Manage scheduled jobs
• Manage user sessions
• Manage the query cache
• Manage clustered servers
• Stop the Oracle BI Server

To open a repository in online mode

1. In the Administration Tool, select File > Open > Online.

The Open Online Repository dialog box appears, from which you select a data source.

The data sources displayed in the dialog box are all the User and System DSNs on your computer that are configured using the Oracle BI ODBC driver.

    2.  Select a data source, type a valid user ID and password, and then click OK.

The repository opens that contains the business model corresponding to the data source selected.

NOTE:  If you expect to work extensively with the repository (for example, you plan to check out many objects), select the Load all objects option. This loads all objects immediately, rather than as selected. The initial connect time may increase slightly, but opening items in the tree and checking out items will be faster.

Checking In Changes:

When you are working in a repository open in online mode, you will be prompted to perform a consistency check before checking in the changes you make to a repository.

If you have made changes to a repository and then attempt to close the repository without first checking in your changes, a dialog box opens automatically asking you to select an action to take. If you move an object from beneath its parent and then attempt to delete the parent, you will be prompted to check in changes before the delete is allowed to proceed.

Use the Check in Changes dialog box to perform the following tasks:

• Make changes available immediately for use by other applications. Applications that query the Oracle BI Server after you have checked in the changes will recognize them immediately. Applications that are currently querying the server will recognize the changes the next time they access any items that have changed.
• Specify that repository changes should be written to disk immediately. If the Oracle BI Server is shut down abnormally, using the Check Changes dialog box will make sure that checked-in changes to the repository can be recovered. Changes that are checked in but not saved to disk will be restored through the server's error recovery processing. (This processing takes place automatically whenever the Oracle BI Server has been shut down abnormally.)

To make changes available and have them saved to disk immediately

• In the Administration Tool, select File > Check in Changes.

If the Administration Tool detects an invalid change, an informational message appears to alert you to the nature of the problem. Correct the problem and perform the check-in again.

NOTE:  If you make changes to a repository open in online mode, and then attempt to stop the Oracle BI Server, this option will not be available. This is because your changes will be saved automatically when the server shuts down.