BI Publisher Glossary: 18 Key Terms & Concepts

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There are many terms used to describe the various features of BI Publisher. Below is a quick guide to the various terms and their definitions.

BI Publisher Desktop – A layout template development tool provided by Oracle that exists as a Microsoft Word Plug-in.

Bursting – The act of taking a single file with multiple documents included and creating individual filesfor each document.

Bursting Control File – XML based file that defines how to burst a file generated by BI Publisher, where and how to deliver it and how to format it.

Bursting Status Report – Shows each document that was burst from the batch, the delivery method of the document and the status of the delivery. Note: the status in this report may not be the true indicator of actual delivery. “Success” on this report means the concurrent manager did something with the output.

CUPS – The Common UNIX Printing System is open source software that acts as a print spooler and communicates with printers using IPP.

Data Definition – Part of the Oracle EBS Template Manager that allows users to associate a Data Template, Bursting Control File and XML Preview Data for a Concurrent Program. Simply, it registers the data source that BI Publisher will use to merge with a template and create a finished report.

Data Template – XML based document that defines how XML is to be generated for use with BI Publisher. A Data Template is made up of SQL queries to pull data from database as well as a definition of how the final XML data should be structured. This is different from the Layout Template required for BIP – see “layout template”

Delivery Manager – A set of Java APIs that exposes delivery options for BI Publisher. Delivery options include Email, Fax, Print, File and FTP.

Delivery Options Button – New in R12.1.3 this option lives on the “Submit Request” form and allows the use of the BI Publisher Delivery Manager manager for IPP Print, email, fax, and ftp delivery from within Oracle.

IPP –Internet Printing Protocol. Standards based protocol that defines how clients should communicate with printers.

Layout Template – The user created file that defines the look and feel of the final BI Publisher output. The layout template is typically a RTF or PDF file but can also be created in other formats such as eText and XSL-FO. The layout template is typically created with the BI Publisher Desktop Microsoft Word Plug-in.

Oracle Report – Legacy reporting solution used to create output from Oracle EBS.

RTF – One of several layout template types that can be used with BI Publisher. RTF seems to be the preferred template type among the options.

Template Definition – Creates the association between the template and the data definition in order to format the finished report. Like the data definition, the template definition is registered using the Template Manager.

xdodebug.cfg – a simple configuration file that enables debugging of all things BIP. It is especially useful when troubleshooting bursting issues.

XDODTEXE – Concurrent Program executable name for concurrent programs based on a Data Template. XDO = short name of BI Publisher Application in Oracle EBS, DT = Data Template, EXE = Executable.

XML Publisher – The original name of BI Publisher. References to XML Publisher can be found throughout Oracle EBS.

XML Publisher Administrator – The new reponsibility for managing BI Publisher tasks within Oracle EBS. Allows administrators to setup Data Definitions and Templates for use with Concurrent Programs within Oracle EBS. Additionally, allows for the administration of configuration options for BI Publisher.

For more information:

• Understanding the BI Publisher Standard Implementation (The Many Faces whitepaper)
• BI Publisher University: A Collection of Free Resources To Help You Master BI Publisher (BIP)
• AventX Oracle Connector Datasheet
• AventX Oracle Connector Demo Video

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