BI Publisher configuration is automatic starting with Enterprise Manager 13c Release 1 (13.1.0.0.0). Refer to Configuring BI Publisher with Enterprise Manager for more information. BI Publisher high availability, when used with Enterprise Manager, is now supported.

When Enterprise Manager is first installed (either during a new installation, or during an upgrade from a prior release of Enterprise Manager), the "first" BI Publisher server, called "BIP", will have been configured. We will refer to this as the primary BI Publisher server.

BI Publisher stores all configuration data, and report definitions, in an Operating System file system-based repository. This volume is known as the Config Volume.

An additional shared file-system is used to store WebLogic related scheduling binaries. This volume is known as the Cluster Volume.

In order for support BI Publisher high availability to function, read/write permissions must be available to these file systems, from all the OMS systems. This is accomplished using standard Network file system technologies as shown in the following graphic:

Refer to Configuring BI Publisher with Enterprise Manager for more details on this screen.

BI Publisher High Availability requires that the BI Publisher shared storage file systems are also highly available. In addition, the Config Volume system needs to be periodically backed up (for example, daily or hourly) using standard Operating System commands, or a professional backup solution. It is also highly recommended that a high availability disk solution also be used, such as a RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Drives) storage device for the Config Volume. At least RAID 1 (redundancy) should be used. Other RAID levels (such as RAID5, RAID0+1, RAID 10, etc) are also acceptable. Do not use RAID 0, as this is intended for speed, and not redundancy. Please note that RAID1, in and of itself, is not to be confused with a backup solution. RAID protects against disk drive failures and other file system corruption, but periodic backups are still required. If the files stored on the Config Volume are lost, all BI Publisher servers (both primary and secondary) will no longer be functional. In addition, all customized report definitions will also be lost.

The shared storage volumes (Config Volume and Cluster Volume) must be mounted on all Enterprise Manager Systems. Standard Operating System commands can be used for this mount (for example, NFS). As Enterprise Manager is configured to automatically start during an operating system startup, certain Operating System configuration files must be edited to insure these shared storage volumes are mounted. For example, on Linux, the file /etc/fstab is used for this purpose.

When Enterprise Manager is installed, BI Publisher shared storage is automatically configured.

However, during Enterprise Manager installation, you can 'uncheck' the 'Configure Shared Storage for BI Publisher' section of the installer screen shown above. If this has been done, before additional Enterprise Manager systems are added, or upgraded from a prior release, the following command must be run:

emctl config oms -bip_shared_storage -config_volume <vol1> -cluster_volume <vol2>

To configure secondary BI Publisher server(s) on additional OMS systems, you can use the standard "Add an Oracle Management Service" provisioning job. An additional OMS system will automatically be configured with a secondary BI Publisher server.

Determining BI Publisher Shared Storage Locations

The BI Publisher shared storage locations are stored as Enterprise Manager OMS properties. You can query for the shared storage locations using the following emctl commands:

emctl get property -name
oracle.sysman.core.eml.ip.bip.SharedStorageConfigVolume
 
emctl get property -name
oracle.sysman.core.eml.ip.bip.SharedStorageClusterVolume

Example:

-bash-3.2$ emctl get property -name
oracle.sysman.core.eml.ip.bip.SharedStorageConfigVolume
 
Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control 13c Release 4
Copyright (c) 1996, 2019 Oracle Corporation.  All rights reserved.
SYSMAN password:
Value for property oracle.sysman.core.eml.ip.bip.SharedStorageConfigVolume at
Global level is /oracle/BIP/config

emctl config oms -bip_shared_storage -config_volume <vol1> -cluster_volume <vol2>

1. The supplied credentials are validated.
2. Certain pre-requisite tests are run. These include:

   • The two volumes must not be the same as the previously configured shared storage volumes (if any).

   • The two volumes must be distinct

   • The file system mount points for the two volumes must exist.

   • The two volumes must be completely empty.

   • The two volumes must be writable.

3. The BI Publisher server on the local system (the primary BI Publisher server named "BIP") is stopped.
4. The existing BI Publisher file system-based repository, which was installed when the primary BI Publisher was configured, is copied to the Configuration Volume (-config_volume).
5. The primary BI Publisher server, named "BIP", is reconfigured to use WebLogic JMS Queues and WebLogic Persistence Stores (used by the BI Publisher scheduler) that are stored in the Cluster Volume (-cluster_volume).
6. The BI Publisher scheduler is reconfigured to support multiple BI Publisher servers and to use the new locations discussed previously.
7. The values for the two volumes are stored as OMS properties in the Enteprise Manager repository database.
8. The primary BI Publisher is configured to point at the new Configuration Volume.
9. BI Publisher is started.
10. An overall status is displayed.

$ emctl config oms -bip_shared_storage -config_volume /BIP_STORAGE/config -cluster_volume /BIP_STORAGE/cluster                                
Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control 13c Release 4
Copyright (c) 1996, 2019 Oracle Corporation.  All rights reserved.
Enter Admin User's Password :
Enter Enterprise Manager Root (SYSMAN) Password :
Stopping BI Publisher Server...
BI Publisher Server Successfully Stopped
BI Publisher Server is Down
Copying The BI Publisher repository from the location '...
...gc_inst/user_projects/domains/GCDomain/config/bipublisher/repository' 
to the location '/BIP_STORAGE/config/bipublisher/repository'. 
This can take some time.  Do not interrupt this command while it is running.
Copied BI Publisher repository to the location '/BIP_STORAGE/config/bipublisher/repository'
Configuring BI Publisher server named 'BIP' for use in a High Availability environment. This operation can take some time. Do not interrupt this command while it is running.
Updating BI Publisher Scheduler configuration ...
Updating BI Publisher shared storage properties ...
The BI Publisher properties have been updated.
The BI Publisher storage for configuration data is in the location '/BIP_STORAGE/config'
The BI Publisher storage for cluster data is '/BIP_STORAGE/cluster'
BI Publisher has been configured to point to the BI Publisher repository in the location '/BIP_STORAGE/config'
Starting BI Publisher Server ...
BI Publisher Server Successfully Started
BI Publisher Server is Up
BI Publisher storage has been configured for the BI Publisher server named 'BIP' running at the URL: https://em.example.com:9702/xmlpserver
Overall result of operations: SUCCESS

1. The primary BI Publisher Server is automatically configured, and optionally disabled. However, automatic configuration of BI Publisher shared storage is disabled.
2. Configure BI Publisher shared storage using emctl config oms -bip_shared_storage
3. Add OMS using the Add OMS provisioning job

   A secondary BI Publisher server is automatically configured along with the additional OMS system.