How Can I Search for Objects?

Basic Catalog Search

The basic catalog search, which is the standard search delivered with Oracle BI Enterprise Edition, enables users with the proper privilege to search for objects from the global header, home page, or the Catalog page. In the Catalog page, you can use the basic catalog search to locate an object by searching for its exact name, description, location, and type, only. You find only those objects for which you have the appropriate permissions. When the desired object is located, you can click it to display it for viewing or editing, as your permissions allow.

Full-Text Catalog Search

Full-text catalog search enables users with the proper privilege to conduct an expanded search for an object. This expanded search functionality is only available if your administrator configured Oracle BI Enterprise Edition to use Oracle Secure Enterprise Search or Oracle Endeca Server. When configured, the full-text catalog search, like the basic catalog search, is available from the global header, home page Browse/Manage... area, or the Catalog page.

You can use the full-text search to find objects by entering various search values, such as name, description, author, and the names and values of columns of data that the object references. Only those objects to which you have the appropriate permissions are found. When the search is initiated and the desired object is located, you can click it to display it for viewing. Or, if Oracle BI EE is integrated with Oracle Endeca Server, then the following guidelines apply:

• While you search using keywords, the search results include both data and metadata. For each catalog object, both the metadata (such as the name, path, author, modification date, last accessed date, type, and description) and the data (such as column name, header names, column values, prompt formulas, column formulas, and prompt values) are indexed.

• The default search operator is OR. You can specify multiple search terms and the highest search hit includes the largest number of search terms.

• You can apply search terms to dashboard prompts and analysis prompts. For example, suppose that you have a dashboard prompt that includes the name of a product and the years of sales. You enter the following as a search string:

  sales cellphones 2010 2011 2013

  You receive a search hit for the dashboard that contains the prompt. When you select Open with filter, the valid search terms are used with the dashboard prompt, thereby filtering the dashboard content based on the valid search terms.

• You can use the attribute categories that display in the "Search pane" to browse the search results by attributes.

For more information about search attributes, see "What Results are Returned from a Full-Text Catalog Search?"

You can search for nearly all types of objects in the Oracle BI Presentation Catalog, with a few exceptions such as Marketing Segmentation objects and hierarchical columns. You can also search for attachments to objects, such as a PDF file that is included on a dashboard page. You can search for objects such as dashboard prompts that are saved within other objects.