Dataedo software, Part 04: Importing objects - 01

It's time to see how the software works. In my previous post, I saw that is possible to connect to the database with a user and retrieve the metadata of another user. This is a very important feature because you don't need to know the password of the application in order to write some documents.

For example, you can have the "apexuser", for the application and "docuser" for documenting all objects of the application. Because of this, I use the "nagios" user (I use it for monitoring the db) for almost the analysis on the database, so I'm going to do the same in this case.

At this step, it takes a lot of time. Why? I'm curious. So I query the database in order to discover what is happening.

First of all, I have to know what there is when Dataedo is not connected.

This is me connected to database through SQL*Plus from my PC. Now I can check what happening

Ok. Nothing to report: I expect this kind of wait event. And because of my curiosity, I check also the statements running on the database. As I expect there is a where condition like

AND C.OWNER = 'PORTALPIADM_PRD1'

So, the wait time during the import is just because Dataedo is reading the data dictionary: more objects you have to import more time you have to wait.

This is what I have after the import

Just to be sure I check the number of objects querying the database

Objects from database

Unfortunately, the Dataedo 5 doesn't support SEQUENCEs, PACKAGEs. But what about INDEXes and TRIGGERs? Here I see that there are 178 TRIGGERS and 1296 INDEXES. It seems that Dataedo hasn't imported them.

(continue)

Update

2017/08/04 - About SEQUENCEs, PACKAGEs and INDEXes, Dataedo tell: we don’t import indexes yet. We are still concerning it, as well as with the sequences and packages. But the indexes are on the top of those three

Dataedo software, Part 03: First Oracle connection - 02

As DBA, I would like to save info on some Performance views (V$/GV$) and save other info of the data dictionary.

In the last post, I connected to nagios user. He has SELECT ANY DICTIONARY privilege, but I can't see anything except the table he owns.

So, I can't use nagios user to see the data dictionary. I try to use the system user.

System own a lot of objects

but there isn't anything about the performance views. So I import nothing

I try again. There is another option when I create a new connection: the "Advanced settings"

I can choose what I want to import. I set V$ performance views...

...but nothing.

Now it's time for sys user.

Great: I can't use the sys user. This proof that the software is safe for this point of view.

Well, there is the last test I have to do. I can use the nagios user to connect the db, and import the objects of another user.

As you can see, the system user does not appear in the list.

"Bravo!" two times. First I can connect to the database and import the objects of another user. This is an important security concept: I don't need to know the password of the application schema.

Second, in the list of the users, "system" is not included. This is another security concept.

So, I can't use Dataedo for commenting and/or documenting the Oracle Data Dictionary. I don't think that Dataedo made for this scope.

It's OK. It's just as Dataedo works. Anyway, I would like to build my personal subset of objects to import. Also Data Dictionary.

In the next post, I connect to an application schema.

Update

2017/08/04 - From Dataedo: We don’t import sys data on purpose since you only want to document your data not all of them

Dataedo software, Part 03: First Oracle connection - 01

After the installation, it's time to start.

The window lets me choose what I have to create. Because I'm using Oracle database I choose "File repository -> New file repository"

I choose the "File location" and the "File name"

At this time I have to insert the license

I hide the key, here.

  The license will be finished in 90 days

This is the email with serial key, that Dataedo sent me.

Email with license key

The Main page shows as

and on the left side

Ok. but how can I connect to the Oracle? There isn't some button or tab where I find "New connection". So I need help

Help

The "Tutorial" link, send me to the tutorial page

Tutorial page

Oracle Documentation page

How to connect

Wow. Really simple. I need to check the connection I want to use. In order to do this I use tnsping on my PC

At this point I can fill the blank. Because I'm connecting to a RAC, I use the scan listener

Connecting to Oracle 12cR1 RAC, using SCAN Listener

The nagios user has just 2 tables

and I choose of importing nothing

This is how Dataedo appears after the login

Nagios view

Just to be sure, I check on the database which objects the nagios user own:

Perfect: just 2 tables. Because I didn't imported the tables, and because my user has nothing else, Dataedo shows me nothing. The interesting thing is that after I clicked on "Refresh view" button, the connection to the database, appear 2 times.

Not a real problem: I just dropped the second one, click. I create a new connection using the system user, and after the refresh ("Refresh view" button), I again have two connections for this last user.

My suspect is that this is because I'm connected to a RAC 2 nodes. So if a RAC is of 6 or 12 or more instances, I'll have 6, 12 or more connections?

Update

2017/08/03 - Dataedo wrote me about the double connections: It only happens when you import nothing to your REPO. We will take care of it in the future update

Dataedo software, Part 02: About versions

Before I go ahead, I want to talk about the versions of the software.

There are 3 kind of licenses

Licensing

The one I'm using is the "Pro". The difference between "Pro" and "Pro 5" is just the lifetime. The "Pro" version is billed by year so you will receive all update. The "Pro 5" never end, but you have to pay just an extra in order to upgrade from one release to another one.

Pro and Pro 5, are the same

The Pro version is without limit, so I can test all features of the software. You can use Dataedo for free, but it has limited functionality. Anyway you can download and try the "Pro" version for free for 30-days.

Lite version and 30-day free Pro

In this case you have to compile a web form:

The trial form

There are a lot of discount or opportunity to get Dataedo. Please see the discount section of the Pricing page.

Discount

Also, there is an Upgrade section

Upgrade

Dataedo software, Part 01: The web site and the installation.

Some times I read about Oracle software provided by not Oracle. In this case, I read about Dataedo,

Dataedo home page

so I asked if were possible to have a license in order to try the software and Blog on it. Well, the company sent me a 90-day version of Dataedo PRO, so I can use it.

The pricing page, show the price in USD, EUR and GB. Very nice.

Prices

Also, the price seems to be nice. The good news is that there is a free version. Obviously, it is a limited version.

Lite version

You can use the software on SQL Server, Oracle and MySQL. I'll use it on Oracle.

The download page gives you the chance to download the installer file (Dataedo_5.2.8_setup.exe, when I'm writing) and the zip file (Dataedo_5.2.8.zip) if you want to use it in portable mode.

Download page

I love this, in fact, I downloaded the second one. After the download, I unzipped the file in "C:\oracle\product" directory. The name is "Dataedo 5" (the full path is C:\oracle\product\Dataedo 5) and its size is 93MB

Size

(The interface of my PC is in Italian). In the main Dataedo directory (C:\oracle\product\Dataedo 5, in my case), there is Dataedo5.exe.

Executable files

I suppose that it works on both 32bit and 64bit, so this is why you find "Dataedo5.exe" and "Dataedo5_32.exe". My PC is 64bit (see the update below).

The "exe" file run the main window:

Main window of Dataedo 5

If you need help, you can click on the question mark or click on the tutorial link. Following are pictures of the helps

File repository, question mark

Server repository, question mark

Docs, tutorials & support, link

Wow. Until now it awesome, really user and friendly. I'll write as soon I learn more on the software.

Update

2017/08/02 - About the versions of "exe" files ("Dataedo5.exe" and "Dataedo5_32.exe"), Dataedo wrote me: The two versions of the client 32 and 64 bit are mostly because of the Oracle client is also in two versions. So use the same version of both clients to get it a go.