Explain about the Online and Offline Repository Modes in OBIEE and How to open a repository in Online and Offline mode?

For this post,I have referred so many articles,books and also oracle documents.I have consolidated it and posted here.Hoping you guys will find it useful.

Repositories can be edited in either online or offline mode.

Online

In online mode, the administrator edits a live repository that the server has in memory; that is, users can still access the repository while changes are being made. Changes to the repository are immediately applied to the server when they are checked in.

Oracle BI Server has already opened the repository file and the operating system has put a write-lock on the file. In this mode, Oracle BI Server act as an agent of the Administration Tool. When the Administration Tool tells it to, Oracle BI Server sends the Administration Tool a copy of its in-memory repository. Then it listens for messages from the Administration Tool about changes, makes those changes to its in-memory copy, and, when told by the Administration Tool, tells the OS to save the changed file.

Offline

In offline mode, the administrator can edit any repository and save the changes. The changes are applied when the BI Server next starts and loads the repository into memory. In offline mode the relationship between the Administration Tool and the repository is like the relationship between any Windows application and a file. An application, the Administration Tool in this case, opens a file for editing, makes changes to its in-memory copy, and tells the OS to save the changed file.

Modifying Repository

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.

You need to have access to offline editing of your RPD to edit necessary changes for connectivity to your database system. There are two alternative ways provided below to complete necessary RPD edits for your configuration

• Option 1 (general case) : Use Admintool to edit your RPD file

On OBIEE 11g, always open Admintool through the Start program menu within the Oracle Business Intelligence menu. Do NOT open the RPD by simply double clicking on the RPD file or typing Admintool.exe in a command line

• Option 2 (only for OBIEE 11G) : use RPD XML patching to update your RPD file

An alternate way of updating the RPD variables is by using an XML patch file. In this approach, you don‟t need to open the RPD through an Admin tool. Instead, the values of the variables will be updated in an XML file and then these values will be updated in the RPD by running a command line utility called biserverxmlexec. This will update the rpd in an offline 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

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.