14
Oracle9iAS Discoverer and Oracle Applications

14.1 Oracle9iAS Discoverer and Oracle Applications

This chapter explains how Oracle9iAS Discoverer provides capabilities for integrating with Oracle Applications, and contains the following topics:

• Section 14.2, "About Discoverer connections and Oracle Applications"

• Section 14.3, "About Discoverer configuration settings for Oracle Applications"

• Section 14.4, "How to configure Discoverer for an Oracle Applications only environment"

• Section 14.5, "How to configure Discoverer for a mixed application environment"

14.2 About Discoverer connections and Oracle Applications

When you want Oracle Applications end users to use Discoverer Viewer and Discoverer Plus, you can deploy Discoverer in two ways:

• If you are using Discoverer in an Oracle Applications only environment, you can set the default connection type to Oracle Applications (for more information, see Section 14.4, "How to configure Discoverer for an Oracle Applications only environment").

• If you are using Discoverer in a mixed application environment (i.e where some users use Oracle Applications and some do not), you can give end users a choice of connection type. In this type of deployment, you also set the default private connection type (for more information, see Section 14.5, "How to configure Discoverer for a mixed application environment").

In the figure below, Discoverer is deployed in a mixed application environment. Therefore, the Create Connection: Connection Details page displays an Oracle Applications User check box to enable end users to specify Oracle Applications connections. Oracle Applications connections enable a user to specify an Oracle Applications user ID and responsibility as their connection details. In Oracle Applications-only environments, you can remove the Oracle Applications User check box from the page (for more information, see Section 14.4, "How to configure Discoverer for an Oracle Applications only environment").

Figure 14-1 Create Connection: Connection details page with Oracle Applications check box

Text description of the illustration app1.gif

Notes:

• You can also create public Oracle Applications connections using Oracle Enterprise Manager. For more information, refer to Oracle9i Discoverer Administrator Administration Guide or Oracle9iAS Enterprise Manager Help.

• A default Oracle Applications Gateway User ID, password, and Foundation Name is specified in the pref.txt configuration file (for more information, see Section 14.3, "About Discoverer configuration settings for Oracle Applications")

14.3 About Discoverer configuration settings for Oracle Applications

When you deploy Discoverer in an Oracle Applications environment, there are two preference settings that you can override in the pref.txt file:

• AppsGWYUID - this preference specifies a Gateway User ID and Password (the default value is 'APPLSYSPUB/PUB')

• AppsFNDNAM - this preference specifies a Foundation Name (the default value is 'APPS')

Notes:

• If you do not set these values, Discoverer uses default Oracle Applications values.

• For more information about the location of configuration files, see Section A.2, "List of Discoverer file locations".

14.4 How to configure Discoverer for an Oracle Applications only environment

In an Oracle Applications only environment, it is convenient for Discoverer end users to always create private Oracle Applications connections. You therefore remove the Oracle Applications User check box from the Create Connection: Connection Details page and set the default connection type to Oracle Applications.

To configure Discoverer in an Oracle Applications-only environment:

First, you remove the Oracle Applications User check box from the Create Connection: Connection Details page.

1. Open the ui_config.xml file (for more information about the location of configuration files, see Section A.2, "List of Discoverer file locations".

2. To remove the Oracle Applications User check box, set the value of the display_login_method_control tag to false.

3. Save the file.

   Having removed the Oracle Applications User check box from the Create Connection: Connection Details page, you now set the default connection type to Oracle Applications.

4. Open the pref.txt file in a text editor (for more information about the location of configuration files, see Section A.2, "List of Discoverer file locations").

   Hint: If you are using Windows, you can open the pref.txt file in Notepad from the Windows Start menu by choosing Programs | Oracle9iAS Discoverer Server Setup | Edit Preferences.

5. To set the default connection type to Oracle Applications, set the value of the DefaultUserTypeIsApps preference to 1.

6. Save the file and close the text editor.

   For the changes you have made to pref.txt to take effect, you must apply the preferences.

7. Apply the preference changes you have made, as follows:
   • on UNIX, navigate to the directory containing the applypreferences.sh file and type the following at the command prompt:

     > applypreferences.sh
     
     

     For more information about the location of configuration files, see Section A.2, "List of Discoverer file locations".

   • on Windows, from the Windows Start menu choose Programs | Oracle9iAS Discoverer Server Setup | Apply Preferences. Alternatively, enter the following command at the command line:

     > dis51pr -apply
     
     

     Hint: Check the error.txt file in the current directory to verify that the preferences were applied correctly.

8. Stop and restart the Oracle9iASDiscoverer service, as follows:
   • for a UNIX platform, see Section 6.7.1, "How to start and stop the Discoverer Preferences component on UNIX"

   • for a Windows platform, see Section 6.7.2, "How to start and stop the Discoverer Preferences component on W indows"

Discoverer end users can now only create Oracle Applications connections that enable them to connect as Oracle Applications users.

14.5 How to configure Discoverer for a mixed application environment

In a mixed application environment (for more information, see Section 14.2, "About Discoverer connections and Oracle Applications"), you want Discoverer end users to be able to choose what type of private Discoverer connections they can create. You therefore typically display the Oracle Applications User check box from the Create Connection: Connection Details page and set the default connection type to Oracle Applications.

To configure Discoverer in a mixed application environment:

First, you display the Oracle Applications User check box on the Create Connection: Connection Details page.

1. Open the ui_config.xml file.

   For more information about file locations, see Section A.2, "List of Discoverer file locations".

2. To remove the Oracle Applications User check box, set the state of the display_login_method_control variable to true.

3. Save the file.

Having displayed the Oracle Applications User check box on the Create Connection: Connection Details page, you can now specify whether or not the Oracle Applications User check box is selected by default.

4. Open the pref.txt file in a text editor (for more information about the location of configuration files, see Section A.2, "List of Discoverer file locations").

   Hint: If you are using Windows, you can open the pref.txt file in Notepad from the Windows Start menu by choosing Programs | Oracle9iAS Discoverer Server Setup | Edit Preferences.

5. Set the value of the DefaultUserTypeIsApps preference as follows:
   • if you do not want the Applications User check box to be selected by default, set the DefaultUserTypeIsApps variable to 0

   • if you do want the Applications User check box to be selected by default, set the DefaultUserTypeIsApps variable to 1

6. Save the file and close the text editor.

   For the changes you have made to pref.txt to take effect, you must apply the preferences.

7. Apply the preference changes you have made, as follows:
   • on UNIX, navigate to the directory containing the applypreferences.sh file and type the following at the command prompt:

     > applypreferences.sh
     
     

     For more information about file locations, see Section A.2, "List of Discoverer file locations".

   • on Windows, from the Windows Start menu choose Programs | Oracle9iAS Discoverer Server Setup | Apply Preferences. Alternatively, enter the following command at the command line:

     > dis51pr -apply
     
     

8. Stop and restart the Oracle9iASDiscoverer service, as follows:
   • for a UNIX platform, see Section 6.7.1, "How to start and stop the Discoverer Preferences component on UNIX"

   • for a Windows platform, see Section 6.7.2, "How to start and stop the Discoverer Preferences component on W indows"

   Discoverer end users can now choose what type of private Discoverer connections they create. In the example below, an Oracle Applications user is creating a new connection. The Oracle Applications User check box is displayed and is selected by default because:

   • DefaultUserTypeIsApps = 1

   • display_login_method_control = true

   Figure 14-2 Create Connection: Connection details page with Oracle Applications check box selected by default

   
   
   Text description of the illustration app2.gif