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Oracle Discoverer an overview. Brett Ford Feb 11, 2004 NorCal OAUG. What is Oracle Discoverer?. A relatively user-friendly reporting tool for retrieving data from Oracle databases Can be used for both “ad hoc” and “pre-defined” reports Useful reporting tool for both casual and power users
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Oracle Discovereran overview Brett Ford Feb 11, 2004 NorCal OAUG
What is Oracle Discoverer? • A relatively user-friendly reporting tool for retrieving data from Oracle databases • Can be used for both “ad hoc” and “pre-defined” reports • Useful reporting tool for both casual and power users • Integrated with Oracle E-Business Suite
Discoverer Reports(Common Usage) • Casual users can view pre-defined reports • Power users/analysts can create “ad hoc” reports • IT Business Analysts or Developers create “pre-defined” reports
Ease of Use • Viewing pre-defined reports Very Easy! • Creating ad hoc reports Easy but problematic • Creating pre-defined reports Moderate difficulty • Basic data formatting options (font size, summation, breakpoints, graphs, etc)
Security/Administration • Oracle Discoverer does require a system administrator to maintain an End User Layer (EUL) • Security is administered via the EUL • Business Folders (tables and views) are assigned to Business Areas (major groupings of Business Folders) • Users/Responsibilities are granted access to Business Areas
Security/Admin Cont’d • EUL can be created in “apps mode” to automatically integrate Oracle Application users and responsibilities • Pre-Defined Reports can be stored in the database and secured by the creating user • Creating user has the option to “share” pre-defined reports with other users • Can secure which users are allowed to save reports to database
“Out of the Box Integration” • User/Responsibility integration with Oracle E-Business Suite (apps mode EUL) • Business View Generator customizes business views for Key and Descriptive Flexfield definitions. • Auto-Creation of Business Areas and Folders from Business Views (BIS) • Discoverer Web Reports can be run from personal homepage in release 11i
Some Product Drawbacks • Users cannot set table/view linkages must be performed by EUL admin • Multiple table linkages can cause “fan trap” problems • New reports often require creation of new database view • Limit on number of rows retrieved (16,000) • Formatting and printing options are very basic
For Additional Information… Oracle Technology Network http://otn.oracle.com/products/discoverer AppsNet http://www.oracle.com/appsnet/technology/bi E-mail fordbw@excite.com