OBIEE Repository Sequence Numbers

Blog Index

We know that every time we activate a different repository in Fusion Middleware a new sequence number is appended to the repository (.rpd) file name.  Mark Rittman wrote an excellent blog entry that takes us about 95% of the way down the path to understanding the process.  This blog entry completes the journey.

The Rittman blog is located at:

http://www.rittmanmead.com/2011/03/so-how-does-enterprise-manager-work-within-obiee-11g/

In his blog, Mark introduces us to the System MBean Browser, accessible via Fusion Middleware as shown here:

Mark takes us through the why’s and wherefore’s of the entire path to the repository sequencer, and I won’t cover it here.  Instead, I’ll provide the Readers Digest version and skip to the answer in the back of the book to answer the question “Where is the sequence number stored?”

   1.        After accessing the System MBean Browser as shown above, navigate to this path:

Application Defined MBeans + oracle.biee.local + Server: bi_server1 + DomainConfigProxy + DomainConfigProxy

 

The notation in the Description column points us toward a file called biee-data-zip.  The file is actually biee-data.zip, located at

{mw home}\user_projects\domains\bifoundation_domain\config\fmwconfig \biee-data.zip

   2.        Open the biee-data.zip archive file.

   3.        Drill into the folder that is traveling incognito.

   4.        Open the info.properties file with a text editor.

   5.        Here we see the next repository version number.

   6.        For a final surprise, drill into the coreapplication folder.

   7.        In this folder are two files. 

   8.        The RPD file is a backup copy of the currently active repository as it existed at the time you clicked Activate Changes.

   9.        The info.properties file contains the history of all of the repositories that have been activated.

#Mon May 26 09:47:48 CDT 2014

file.added.time[Retro_Prod_BI0002.rpd]=1367545948718

file.added.time[MavProd1_BI0003.rpd]=1401115199014

file.added.time[MavProd2_BI0004.rpd]=1401115668675

file.added.time[SampleAppLite_BI0001.rpd]=1366982612863

 

The large numbers at the end of each line are the number of milliseconds elapsed since the beginning of January 1, 1970.