The technological landscape changes at a rapid pace, disrupting the status quo on a regular basis. This was the case when Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition (OBIEE) emerged as a powerful business intelligence platform in the analytics marketplace.
Launched in the mid-2000s, OBIEE represented a significant progression in how organizations consumed and acted on data. By integrating robust analytics and interactive dashboards, OBIEE grew in popularity as a preferred solution for enterprises of all sizes.
As digital transformation gained momentum and cloud adoption became the next choice for companies, Oracle shifted its focus towards cloud-based analytics solutions. With the launch of Oracle Analytics Cloud (OAC), Oracle signalled a new direction; one that favored cloud-based deployments over traditional on-premises solutions. Oracle promoted migration paths from OBIEE to its modern analytics platforms, Oracle Analytics Server (OAS) for on-premises users and Oracle Analytics Cloud (OAC) for cloud environments.
Oracle continues to offer limited support for OBIEE, but it insists on transitioning users to either Oracle Analytics Server (OAS) or Oracle Analytics Cloud (OAC). OBIEE has struggled to remain competitive, and its functionality continues to be phased out as more organizations embrace cloud-native solutions.
This shift presents an opportunity for organizations seeking to move from OBIEE to explore the benefits of Oracle’s cloud-based analytics offerings, which are more aligned with the needs of modern businesses.
Oracle Analytics Cloud (OAC) represents the next generation of analytics platforms, offering a range of features designed to empower organizations with smarter insights, efficient collaboration, and enhanced scalability.
OAC combines business intelligence, data visualization, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI) on a single platform, making it a powerful tool for both technical and non-technical users.
The following features make Oracle Analytics Cloud a powerful platform for modern business intelligence and analytics:
Oracle Analytics Cloud offers several strategic advantages. Some of the advantages that can be leveraged are:
Oracle Analytics Cloud consistently ranks in the “Leader” quadrant in reports by Forrester and Gartner, due to its robust feature set, scalability, and integration capabilities.
Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for ‘Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms’ highlights OAC’s strength in data management, security, and advanced analytics, making it a top choice for organizations looking to modernize their analytics capabilities.
For organizations looking to fully embrace the cloud, Oracle Analytics Cloud (OAC) offers a comprehensive suite of analytics tools better than what OBIEE could offer.
OAC combines traditional business intelligence with advanced analytics, machine learning, and predictive capabilities, all in a cloud-native environment. This capability allows organizations to scale their analytics efforts, improve collaboration, and reduce the infrastructure burden that comes with maintaining on-premises systems.
DiLytics works extensively with customers to conduct migrations from legacy systems to the latest software. As per our experience in OBIEE to OAC migration, our approach had the following phases which required tailored planning and execution, to provide a smooth transition.
The migration process typically involves the following steps:
We revise the existing OBIEE environment, including infrastructure, customizations, reports, dashboards, and data sources. We identify dependencies and integrations with other systems. After this, we assess the performance and usage metrics to understand the current BI workload.
After this, we identify the business goals for migrating to OAC, such as scalability, cost reduction, enhanced analytics, etc. DiLytics also documents user groups, roles, and their respective policies. We compare current OBIEE functionalities with OAC’s offerings to identify gaps or areas where customizations will be required for duplication or substitution in OAC.
We create a migration plan with detailed timelines, resource allocation, and milestones and verify user access to objects like the dashboard, along with data level access as per constraints.
DiLytics sets up the OAC environment on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). This involves configuring security settings, access controls, and user roles in OAC.
We initiate a backup of the existing OBIEE environment to ensure that no data is lost during migration. We will ensure to conduct a validation exercise to ensure that the backups are complete and that all critical elements are included.
We clean and prepare the data for migration. This could involve deduplication, data validation, and cleansing processes to ensure that the data is accurate and ready for OAC. Usage data tracking is included as per customer request.
Using Oracle’s BI Migration Tool Kit, we migrate the RPD files from OBIEE to OAC. This tool helps convert existing OBIEE metadata to be compatible with OAC. We validate the migrated repository in OAC to ensure that all metadata has been accurately transferred. Toolkit will also migrate catalog that will be uploaded to OAC and deployed.
DiLytics reconnects OAC to the data sources, including any on-premises or cloud-based data sources, ensuring the validation of the connections and data access.
We also migrate any custom scripts, such as JavaScript, and review them for compatibility with OAC. We will ensure to reconfigure security settings, including role-based access controls and data security rules, to align with OAC’s security model.
DiLytics will perform comprehensive functional testing to ensure that all reports, dashboards, and analytics features are function as designed in OAC. We test the data accuracy and compare results with the OBIEE environment to ensure consistency.
The team will engage end-users and stakeholders in the UAT process to validate that the migrated environment meets their needs.
DiLytics provides training sessions to end-users, covering OAC’s new features, user interface, and any differences from OBIEE. We create updated documentation for users, which includes Quick-start guides, FAQs, and support resources.
Our team implements a change management plan to ensure a smooth transition for users. This might include phased rollouts, ongoing support, and feedback mechanisms.
Once testing is complete, DiLytics moves the OAC environment into production. We ensure that all necessary configurations, data connections, and security settings are in place.
We monitor the OAC environment closely after go-live to identify and address any issues that may arise. The team sets up automated monitoring tools to track system performance, data accuracy, and user activity.
After Go-Live, DiLytics ensures that all necessary data, reports, and analytics are successfully migrated to OAC before decommissioning OBIEE. Our team conducts a final review of the OBIEE environment to identify any remaining dependencies or data that need to be preserved.
As part of the final stage, DiLytics decommissions the OBIEE infrastructure, including servers and storage, to eliminate ongoing maintenance and operational costs. We provide backup copies of critical data and reports for archival purposes if needed.
DiLytics migrated the clients’s on-premises OBIEE 12c environment to Oracle Analytics Cloud (OAC), converting SSIS ETL packages to Oracle Data Integrator (ODI) cloud packages. We transitioned the on-premises SQL Server data warehouse to an Oracle Cloud database. We conducted incremental data loads, validated data, and provided ongoing support post-migration. We used OBIEE’s functionalities to “lift and shift” the OBIEE 12c RPD and catalog, ensuring no loss of development work.
A notable example is DiLytics’ work with a leading container leasing company, that wanted to migrate from OBIEE to OAC for its reporting and analytics needs.
The organization wanted to modernize its analytics capabilities and reduce its dependence on IT. The client wanted to move to Oracle Analytics Cloud to leverage the platform’s advanced features and cloud-native infrastructure.
The migration resulted in significant improvements in the client’s analytics capabilities, which included faster report generation, enhanced data visualization, and better collaboration across departments. The client was also able to reduce infrastructure costs by switching to a “pay-as-you-go” cloud strategy, while benefiting from the scalability and flexibility provided by OAC.
Migrating from OBIEE to Oracle Analytics Cloud can be a complex process; Best practices can help ensure a successful transition for organizations of all sizes. Here are some best practices to consider:
DiLytics has extensive experience in helping organizations transition from OBIEE to Oracle Analytics Cloud. We are passionate about analytics as a domain and are proud of the fact that in the last 12+ years of our existence, we have been able to maintain a laser-like focus on everything that has to do with analytics. Our implementations are enabled by a team of 60+ individuals spread across the USA, Canada, and India.
Over the years, DiLytics has worked with numerous clients to assess their existing analytics environments, design migration strategies, and implement successful transitions to OAC. DiLytics’ expertise in both on-premises and cloud analytics platforms enables us to provide tailored solutions that meet each client’s unique needs.
Migrating from OBIEE to Oracle Analytics Cloud is a strategic move that allows organizations to modernize their analytics capabilities and take advantage of cloud-based features.
By following best practices and leveraging the expertise of experienced partners like DiLytics, organizations can ensure a successful transition and unlock the full potential of Oracle Analytics Cloud. We’re excited to help you start your migration journey with our scalable services.
DiLytics helps organizations modernize analytics, improve decision-making, and turn complex data into a competitive advantage.