Best Practices (6/6): Administration of the Export Service

    In this Blog Post, we will discuss the recommended server settings – configuration parameters and Connection Templates, which are used for the Booklet generation. We will also describe the tasks that have to be performed if you update the export solution.
    Export Templates are centrally stored in folder C:\OPENBI\export_resources – see parameter RESOURCE_DIRECTORY below.
    The Export Traces (export logs and export temp files) are centrally stored in folder C:\OPENBI\export_temp – see parameter TEMP_DIRECTORY below.
    If you are using Load Balancing (recommended in export scenarios with heavy load), you should always keep the parameters of the different Export Nodes in sync.
    We recommend installing separate instances of the Export service for productive usage and development / quality assurance!

    Load Balancing

    If you are combining Online Exports and Booklet Exports, we recommend setting up load balancing as follows. Load Balancing has to be licensed separately.

    PORT DESCRIPTION INSTALLATION DIRECTORY
    9091 / 9092 / 9093 Dedicated Server for Online Exports C:\OPENBI_DEDICATED
    9191 / 9192 / 9193 Load Balancing Node for Booklet Exports C:\OPENBI
    X091 / X092 / X093 Export Node X for Load Balancing C:\OPENBI_X

    Create as many Export Nodes X as you need for your scenario. Replace “X” with a number from 1 to 9. For details on how to setup Load Balancing, see section 1.2.5 of the User Manual).

    Configuration Parameters

    The following general parameters shall be defined for each Export Node via the openbi Configurator:

     PARAMETER VALUE INSTALLATION DIRECTORY 
     SMTP_SERVER   <server name>  Exchange Server, which shall send the export mails
    RESOURCE_DIRECTORY  C:\OPENBI\export_resouces

    Directory, in which you upload the Export Templates.
    We recommend using one central folder for all export nodes.

    EXPORT_ENGINE GECKO  The Export Service uses the GECKO engine by Firefox for document generation.
    EXPORT_NODES  http://localhost:1091;
    http://localhost:2091;
    http://localhost:3091;
    http://localhost:4091;
    http://localhost:5091;
    http://localhost:6091     		To be maintained only on the Load Balancing Node!
    Used to connect the single Export Nodes to the Load Balancer

    The following parameters have to be defined to enable tracing:

     PARAMETER VALUE INSTALLATION DIRECTORY 
     EXPORT_TRACE   ERRORS (Dedicated and Export Nodes)
    BASIC (Load Balancer)

     Only errors are logged on the Export nodes. The Load Balancer shows all messages, e.g. how exports are routed to the Export nodes. This simplifies the trace analysis.
    These logs are written to the trace file, but also shown in the «Console» window, which can be accessed in the Configurator via “Settings” >"Server Status”.
    No Export Temp files are written into the trace folder.

    If bi excellence support requests a trace file, set this parameter to ALL. With this setting, all trace messages are logged and also the Export Temp files are generated.

    TRACE X

    Only if this parameter is set to “X”, the trace file is stored in the folder specified via TRACE_PATH. The parameter EXPORT_TRACE defines the granularity.
    TEMP_DIRECTORY  C:\OPENBI\export_temp

    Folder, into which the Export Temp files are stored, in case EXPORT_TRACE is set to ALL.
    We recommend using one central folder for all export nodes.

    TRACE_PATH  C:\OPENBI\export_temp\
    trace_node_XXX.txt

    File, into which the trace log is written, if parameter TRACE is set to X.
    We recommend using one central folder for all export nodes and to create a seperate trace file for each node (XXX).

    The following parameters have to be defined to enable Booklet exports:

     PARAMETER VALUE INSTALLATION DIRECTORY 
    EXPORT_TIMEOUT 1.200.000 

    The maximum period of time, which the Export Service waits for an http response from the BO server when executing a URL during Booklet export.
    If no response or no valid response is returned, a TIMEOUT occurs and the Export Service tries to perform the request again.

    If the application needs a long time to load and this parameter iss et too low, the application will not occur in the Export document!
    EXPORT_WAITTIME  3.000

    Corresponds to 3 seconds.
    The fixed period of time, which the Export Service waits until the result has been received from the BO server. Even if the application has been fully loaded, custom scripts or animations can run afterwards.<br/f you do not set this parameter, components may not be rendered completely or correctly in the Export document.

    For performance optimization you should try out lower and higher values for this parameter!

    EXPORT_PROCESSES  1

    Iterations (single URL calls) of a single Booklet generation are performed one after another. This setting prevents an overload on the BO server!

    For performance optimization you should try to raise this parameter to 2 or 3!

    EXPORT_PROCESSES_MAX  1

    Booklet generations are performed one after another. A second Export request is queued.

    Connection Templates for Booklet Exports

    Connection Templates allow the Export Service to connect to the BO server. You should maintain a connection to the productive BO server on the productive Export Service. On the development / quality assurance Export Service, you can create two Connection Templates for the two BO servers.
    If you use load balancing, you have to create the Connection Templates on all Export Nodes in the same way. Only the USERNAME should be different, to assure optimal performance on the BO server. You so not have to create the Connection Templates on the Load Balancing Node.
    The parameter CMS_URL must correspond to the URL, which is used to run the Design Studio application in the browser.
    For more information, see section 1.2.4 of the User Manual.

    Updates

    Once you update SAP Design Studio, we recommend updating the Export Service and Component versions as well. Also you should update if you need a newly developed function or bugfix.
    In all other cases, you should stay with the running version!

    How to update the Design Studio Export Component:

    1. Log in to www.biexcellence.com/downloads. Select group „SAP Design Studio“
    2. Download the SAP Design Studio Component
    3. In Design Studio, go to “Tools” > “Install Extension to Design Studio”
    4. Select the ZIP file that you just downloaded from the web site. Design Studio indicates that the component is already installed and only allows to “Cancel”.
    5. Go to „Help“ > „About..:“ and click on „Installation Details“
    6. Select the biExport component and click on „Udate“
    7. Go to  „Tools“ > „Platform Extensions“
    8. Select all biExport components on the left side and click on „Install on Platform“
    9. Depending on the BO platform version, you might need to restart the Design Studio platform service

    How to update the openbi Design Studio Export Plugin:

    1. Log in to www.biexcellence.com/downloads. Select group „SAP Design Studio“
    2. Download the SAP Design Studio openbi Plugin (and optinally the Load Balancer)
    3. Stop all Export Services
    4. Copy the Export Node DLLs from C:\OPENBI_DEDICATED\httpserver\plugins to C:\ OPENBI_DEDICATED \httpserver\backup
    5. Replace the DLLs in C:\OPENBI_DEDICATED\httpserver\plugins and C:\OPENBI_x\httpserver\plugins  (Load Balancing only) with the files from the ZIP file that you just downloaded.
    6. Load Balancing only: Copy the Load Balancing DLLs from C:\OPENBI\httpserver\plugins to C:\OPENBI\httpserver\backup
    7. Load Balancing only: Replace the Load Balancing  DLLs in C:\OPENBI\httpserver\plugins with the files from the Load Balancer ZIP file.
    8. Check the IMPORTANT_RELEASE_NOTES.xlsx, which is included in the UIP file for additional update taks.
    9. Start all services 

    How to update the OPENBI Server:

    1.  Log in to www.biexcellence.com/downloads. Select group „BI Software “
    2. Download the OPENBI Repository Server
    3. Stop all Export Services
    4. Copy the C:\OPENBI_DEDICATED folder to C:\OPENBI_BACKUP
    5. Deinstall the OPENBI Server (Note: This only deinstalls the files in the C:\OPENBI_DEDICATED folder!)
    6. Execute the OPENBI Setup to C:\OPENBI\DEDICATED
    7. Load Balancing only: Copy and replace the folders C:\OPENBI_DEDICATED and C:\OPENBI_x  – select „replace all files“!
    8. Start all services
    9. Check if a newer version of the Configurator is available. If yes, run the new setup.
    Thilo Knötzele
    Author: Thilo Knötzele
    Creation date: 25.08.2017
    Category: Best Practice
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