Customizing Generated Content

This chapter provides information about customizing the NoetixViews content that the Angels Generator generates into Oracle Analytics.

Customizing Generated Repository Objects

This section provides information about the various customization methods available to tailor the content created by the generator to your specific business needs.

The Angels Generator provides administrators with a high level of customizability to modify what the generator creates. There are a number of methods that can be used to customize the generated repository. Before choosing one, it is important to understand the differences between them. Once this is done, you can choose the method most applicable to your specific needs.

The following table describes the different customization methods available.

Using Customization Methods

NoetixViews Hook Scripts

Hook scripts offer a powerful mechanism of suppressing, extending, and modifying the default objects in your NoetixViews schema. Changes you make via hook scripts will affect any downstream processes that rely on these objects. If you use hook scripts to customize generator output, you will need to re-run the appropriate NoetixViews stages prior to running the generator. For more information about creating hook scripts, see the NoetixViews product documentation and training materials.

Angles for Oracle Generator Hook Scripts

The Angels Generator also provides customization points that can be used to customize the content generated into the Oracle Analytics repository and into the Oracle Analytics Presentation Catalog. These customization points can be utilized by modifying the stock hook script files that come as part of the installation of the Angels Generator.

These hook script files can be found in the <Generator install folder>\Scripts folder and have names starting with “hk_”. Each hook script file will execute any PL/SQL statements contained within the file. These hook script files are executed at the end of the script file with a similar name. For example, the hk_popgvw.sql hook script executes at the end of the popgvw.sql script.

Contact insightsoftwareSupport for more information on utilizing these hook scripts.

If the Angels Generator hook scripts are used to customize the content generated by the Angels Generator, those files should be backed up in case the computer that the Angels Generator is installed on experiences an unrecoverable hardware or software failure.

Manually Adding Custom Objects to Generated Repositories

This section outlines how to add custom, non-Noetix objects to the physical, business, and presentation layers of the (Undefined variable: General.OraAna) repository.

Adding Custom Objects to the Physical Layer

The Angels Generator supports adding custom objects to the Angels Generator-generated physical database. This section describes the types of custom objects that are supported, as well as the appropriate way to add custom objects.

The Angels Generator allows administrators to make the following kinds of customizations in the physical layer:

• Custom physical tables can be added to the Angels Generator-generated database.
• Custom connection pools can be added to the Angels Generator-generated database.
• Custom primary keys can be added to the Angels Generator-generated physical tables.
• Custom physical foreign key joins can be added between custom and Angels Generator-generated physical tables.

To add custom objects to an Angels Generator-generated database

1. Import the custom physical tables using Angels Generator Administration’s Import utility or create them manually. If you choose to import the physical tables, they should be cut and pasted into the Angels Generator-generated database.

   Ensure that the user account specified in the Angels Generator-generated connection pool has access to query the underlying database objects described by the new custom physical tables. If it doesn’t, create a separate physical database and connection pool for the custom physical tables.

2. Add physical foreign key joins between the Angels Generator-generated physical tables and the custom physical tables as needed. For additional information about NoetixViews, see Noetix Search, if you are unsure about which columns are good candidates to be joined to.

   The custom physical complex joins are not supported. Create physical foreign keys instead. The existence of similar columns between custom objects and NoetixViews does not necessarily indicate a valid join candidate. Improperly created joins may have a significant impact on the underlying database and may return unexpected or incorrect results. Contact insightsoftwareSupport if you need assistance in determining how to join custom objects to NoetixViews.

3. Add new primary keys to the appropriate physical tables to support the new custom foreign keys, if necessary.
4. Add each custom physical table to the “Noetix-Custom” physical display folder. The Angels Generator will read the contents of this folder during regeneration and will preserve any physical tables, and associated foreign key relationships it finds there.

Any custom physical tables in the Angels Generator-generated database that are not present in the “Noetix-Custom” physical display folder will be deleted during regeneration.

To add custom database and link it to Angels Generator-generated physical tables

1. Create the custom database by importing physical tables using (Undefined variable: General.OraAna) Administration’s Import utility or create it manually. Create physical schemas and connection pools as needed.
2. Add physical foreign key joins between the Angels Generator-generated physical tables and the custom physical tables as needed. For additional information about NoetixViews, see the NoetixViews Help File, or Noetix Search, if you are unsure about which columns are good candidates to be joined to.

   The custom physical complex joins are not supported. Create physical foreign keys instead. The existence of similar columns between custom objects and Angels Generator-generated ones does not necessarily indicate a valid join candidate. Improperly created joins may have a significant impact on the underlying database and may return unexpected or incorrect results. Contact insightsoftwareSupport if you need assistance in determining how to join custom objects to NoetixViews.

3. Add new primary keys to the appropriate Angels Generator-generated physical tables to support the new custom foreign keys, if necessary.
4. Add a physical display folder named “Noetix-Custom” to the newly created database. The spelling and capitalization must match the spelling and capitalization in this document.
5. Add any custom physical tables that have been joined to Angels Generator-generated physical tables to the “Noetix-Custom” physical display folder. The Angels Generator will read the contents of this folder during regeneration and will preserve any primary and foreign key relationships added to the Angels Generator-generated physical tables that reference the custom objects in the “Noetix-Custom” display folder.

Adding Custom Objects to the Business Layer

The Angels Generator supports adding custom objects to the Angels Generator-generated business models. This section describes the types of custom objects that are supported, as well as the appropriate way to add custom objects.

The Angels Generator allows administrators to make the following kinds of customizations in the business layer:

• Custom logical tables can be added to Angels Generator-generated business models.
• Custom dimension objects can be added to Angels Generator-generated business models.
• Custom logical complex joins can be added between custom and Angels Generator-generated logical tables.
• Custom logical table sources that reference custom physical tables can be added to Angels Generator-generated logical tables.
• Custom aggregate content mappings referencing custom dimension objects can be added to Angels Generator-generated logical table sources.

To add custom objects to an Angels Generator-generated business model

1. Create new logical dimension and fact tables as needed. These logical tables can reference custom physical tables created earlier or Angels Generator-generated physical tables.
2. Create new dimension objects as needed based on the custom logical tables.
3. Add logical complex joins between the Angels Generator-generated logical tables and the custom logical tables as needed.

   The custom logical foreign keys are not supported. Create logical complex joins instead.

4. Add each custom logical table and dimension to the “Noetix-Custom” logical display folder. The Angels Generator will read the contents of this folder during regeneration and will preserve any logical tables, dimensions, and associated complex join relationships it finds there.

To add custom logical table sources to an Angels Generator-generated logical table

1. Create new logical table sources on existing Angels Generator-generated logical tables as needed. These logical table sources must reference custom physical tables.
2. Associate the new logical table sources with the appropriate dimension levels. The Angels Generator will preserve the new logical table sources because they are based on custom physical tables that were added to the “Noetix-Custom” physical display folder earlier.

To add custom aggregate content mappings to Angels Generator-generated logical table sources

1. Open the properties screen for a Angels Generator-generated logical table source that you want to link to a custom dimension object that was previously created.
2. Navigate to the Content tab, then find the new dimension object in the list of dimensions displayed.
3. Choose the logical level of the dimension object that you want to associate with the logical table source.

   The Angels Generator will only preserve custom aggregate content mappings for dimension objects that have been added to the “Noetix-Custom” logical display folder. Failing to include the dimension object in this logical display folder will cause the Angels Generator to eliminate the custom aggregate content mapping.

Any custom logical tables and dimensions in Angels Generator-generated business models that are not present in the “Noetix-Custom” logical display folder will be deleted during regeneration.

Clearing all of the NoetixViews roles associated with an organizational unit associated with a business area will cause the business model to be deleted during regeneration. Any custom objects that have been added to the business model will be deleted, even if they were added to the “Noetix-Custom” logical display folder.

Adding Custom Objects to the Presentation Layer

The Angels Generator supports adding custom objects to the Angels Generator-generated presentation catalogs. This section describes the types of custom objects that are supported, as well the appropriate way to add custom objects.

The Angels Generator allows administrators to make the following kinds of customizations in the presentation layer:

• Custom presentation tables can be added to Angels Generator-generated presentation catalogs.
• Custom presentation columns can be added to Angels Generator-generated presentation tables.
• Custom presentation hierarchies can be added to both custom and Angels Generator-generated presentation tables.

To add custom presentation table to an Angels Generator-generated presentation catalog

1. Create new presentation tables in the Angels Generator-generated presentation catalogs. These custom tables may have any name desired, but cannot start with “Nx_”. That prefix is reserved for Angels Generator-generated presentation tables and is used by the generator to determine which presentation tables were originally generated by the generator.
2. Move the new presentation table up or down in the sort order so that it appears under the appropriate NoetixViews role, sorted alphabetically with the other presentation tables associated with the NoetixViews role. The custom presentation table must appear before the next NoetixViews role in the list. This presentation table is created so that the presentation table appears in a hierarchy in Angels Generator Answers, organized by NoetixViews role. For example, a custom presentation table named “My_Custom_AP1_Table” should be sorted under the “Nx_AP1_Payables” presentation table and before the “Nx_AR2_Receivables” presentation table. That will cause it to appear under “AP1_Payables” in the hierarchy in Angels Generator Answers.
3. Prefix a minus sign to the presentation table’s name. This is necessary so that Angels Generator Answers knows to display the presentation table as a child of the NoetixViews role above it. For example, My_Custom_AP1_Table” should be renamed to “- My_Custom_AP1_Table”. The minus sign will not be displayed in Angels Generator Answers.

   This step is required. Failing to add a minus sign in front of the name will cause Angels Generator Answers to treat the presentation table as a parent node in the hierarchy. That behavior is not supported by the generator and that customization will not be preserved after regeneration.

The Angels Generator will sort the custom presentation tables alphabetically with the Angels Generator-generated presentation tables, based on their display name (the “-Nx_” prefix will not be taken into account while sorting). If they were not added in alphabetical order, their location relative to the other presentation tables may change after regeneration.

To add custom presentation columns to an Angels Generator-generated presentation table

1. Create new presentation columns by dragging over columns from the appropriate custom logical tables in the business layer.
2. Ensure that the new presentation columns are sorted alphabetically with the Angels Generator-generated columns. The Angels Generator will preserve the custom presentation columns because they are based on custom logical tables that were added to the “Noetix-Custom” logical display folder earlier.

The Angels Generator will sort custom presentation columns alphabetically with the Angels Generator-generated presentation columns during regeneration. If they were not added in alphabetical order, their location relative to the other columns may change.

To add custom presentation hierarchy to a presentation table

1. Create a custom dimension in the business layer as described above.
2. Drag this dimension into a custom or Angels Generator-generated presentation table.
3. Edit the resulting presentation hierarchy as needed.

The Angels Generator-generated dimensions may not be used in custom presentation hierarchies, and custom presentation hierarchy levels may not point to Angels Generator-generated logical levels. This functionality is disabled to prevent future collisions with Angels Generator-generated presentation hierarchies.

Define Implicit Fact Columns for NoetixViews

For the NoetixViews metadata generated in a repository, you can use the hk_popgpres.sql hook script to define an implicit fact column for each subject area (presentation catalog) in the presentation layer. To define the column, use the hook script to update the FACT_COLUMN_ID column in the N_GEN_PRES_FOLDER_GROUPS table with the appropriate LOGICAL_COLUMN_ID column value of the N_GEN_LOGICAL_COLUMNS_V view. Thereafter, perform a regeneration to apply the changes. For implementing this feature, contact insightsoftwareSupport.