What tools do you use to make your job easier?

server administration XI Server Discussion
1

Can you please list the Tools you use to make your life as a BI Admin easier? I am currently looking for some automation tools, that help with windows file cleanup (i.e Deleting files, moving files (log) on a regular basis.

My list.

  1. mremoteng (Allow opening multiple rdp tabs in one window).
  2. Flex Log Reader (to view BI logs)
  3. query CMS from biclever.com to run queries against CMS.
  4. Repository Documentor (from BOB’s Downloads)
  5. Security Matrix (from BOB’s Downloads).
  6. POwershell (Although google what I need).

sapaa (BOB member since 2014-02-21)

2

Triple shot of Espresso.

NotePad++ (Had to do a lot of reverse-engineering from other products like Cognos and Tableau. It’s a good place to document the SQL)

charlie :us: (BOB member since 2002-08-20)

3
  1. Repository Diagnostic tool
  2. SAP Enterprise manager - Requires Wily Introscope to be installed on the servers. This tool is used to troubleshoot performance issues.
  3. SAP End To End Tracing Tool

Regards,
Sukesh

sukrav :india: (BOB member since 2008-01-29)

4

SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform Support Tool
Auditor Reports
Setting Group Preferences (SAP Note:1659566)

shekar25 (BOB member since 2004-05-11)

5

Nice, I just got the BIS 2.0 Tool to work correctly…

What do you mean by Auditor reports?

and would love to see how enterprise manager comes into play here.

sapaa (BOB member since 2014-02-21)

6

Still trying to figure out that BIPST

Version 1 (1.18 or 1.19) used to work, but not any more.
Came version 2 (2.0) : OK, could analyse the environment etc.
Never could bring the “windows Server Team” to either configure the JMX part (on tomcat) or the install/run “SAP HOST AGENTS” on other servers.
So I only found “partial” reports.
stil interesting to see that some-service might need more ram, other-service needs not be duplicated (on every CMS : dev, unittest, prod, prod for external )
Then forward these reports to “windows server team” … only to hear they "cannot follow up on recommendations generated by a non-official tool . Now if it were a MicroSoft or even SAP “backed” tool … something with a helpdesk etc … maybe

Then, in september , the BIPST “informed” me that it was “not the newest version”.
Check scn : indeed, there is a 2.0.8 , we have (sorry: I have) 2.0.4

Install 2.0.8 : OK
Run 2.0.8 : nice, no new errors, but is there much difference beside being “new” ?
Save the landscape analysis ( I had been doing so in xml for some time now) but … “you don’t have the rights to write in that directory”
Why not ? I have with 2.0.4 , why not with the new version ?

So no way to give that analysis to someone else.
Well, knowing “they” didn’t really use it …

But is it normal that I get this error ?

Had a case open with SAP Support (mind: fficially not a supported tool, but the guy was really nice)
Then - during his call - I mistakenly launch the 2.0.4 , only to notice that “well, now it saves. Nobody knew what happened/changed” (untill AFTER I closed the call.

Will need to figure this out though.
Is it a Win7 thing ? Or what does the 2.0.8 “expect” to find on my machine, that isn’t there ?
Or vice versa ?

Luckily there are blogs around on SCN and wiki’s.

Added june 2018:
found 2 excellent tools to “document a universe” : unvdoc and unxdoc.
They are “free as in beer” on the site of “bivlever.com” , and (AFAIK) do not include sellware/nagging stuff.
I had a little problem with it recently: analysing a third-party unv (vendor of our accountancy package creates a universe on their tables) and …
maxed out the database connections to accountancy DB/scheme.

Checking I found that “Universe Designer” would not close down after generating the excel extraction.
Killing UDT (Universe Design Tool) from windows task manager the DB connections were released.
( so I only need to wait untill the accounting staff goes home to “analyse” their universe, and manually kill the UDT )

Yes I sent a mail to inform biclever. Not a “demand to correct this”, just to inform about unexpected side result.
I am not their “customer” , just someone trying to use their free tool.

Which gives a REALLY interesting view on universe internals.
Can serve as a base to find data lineage from universe-object to database (DB, scheme, table, field … ) and make an inventory of joins too.
Yes, nice tool.

RensH :belgium: (BOB member since 2007-06-18)

7

open a ticket, it took some working around to get host agents to work.

sapaa (BOB member since 2014-02-21)

8

Surprised no one has mentioned Beyond Compare 8)

Mak 1 :uk: (BOB member since 2005-01-06)

9

DTM ODBC Manager Graphical and command line tool for managing, exporting, and importing ODBC DSNs.
Version Control Software Your favorite here. Place to store and maintain your customized files.
Visual Studio I like it for editing xml files. The colorization of the key words makes it easier to see what you are doing. Other editors may work just as well.
Password Safe Place to store all your database passwords. Can be used for other passwords as well.
Active Directory plug in for Microsoft Management Console You can at least see the Active Directory groups and the membership to verify users are in the groups they should be.
Softerra LDAP Browser Easier to see SPN configuration and delegation for Kerberos if you access in Active Directory is restricted.

10

thx for all of the shares…

Adding to list “portecle”

RemoveBI4
Wireshark
and windirstat.

sapaa (BOB member since 2014-02-21)