Introduction

By default all users with the BI Consumer role can view and run any analyses, dashboards, and agents directly though the Catalog UI.  This article discusses why that may be undesirable and the steps required to alter the default setting to hide the Catalog UI from the Global Header of the BI Consumers role.

Main Article

By default all users with the BI Consumer role can browse the Catalog UI via the Global Header.

BI Consumer is “the the base-level role that grants the user access to existing analyses, dashboards and agents, allows them to run or schedule existing BI Publisher reports, but not create any new ones.  The Consumer can only view and run existing dashboards, analysis and reports provided to them.  These objects will be published in a shared area with proper security rights.  Consumers typically are the broadest user base across the institution” (Rittman, 2012).

Referenced from: http://www.rittmanmead.com/2012/03/obiee-11g-security-week-understanding-obiee-11g-security-application-roles-and-application-policies/

In most cases, Dashboards have been designed and developed to encourage a desired navigation path and execution procedure.

For example:

• Filters are positioned on Dashboards to force users to run reports with chosen parameter combinations.
• Guided navigation may be used to show and hide objects on the dashboards.
• Dashboards may be hidden from the user as they are in development or have been decommissioned.

If users can run analyses directly from the Catalog UI they are able to bi-pass these processing rules put in place by the Dashboard.

Additionally, if the catalog has not been fully secured and users have been granted update permissions; they may also be able to perform tasks such as open, edit, delete, copy, rename, archive, unarchive, upload, view properties and view permissions of the catalog objects.  This could lead to unwanted modifications being made on catalog objects as well as possible security violations of the source data.

Steps to Hide the Catalog UI

1) Click Administration (top right)

2) Click Manage Privileges (under Security)

3) BI Consumer Role of Access Catalog UI

4) Remove BI Consumer.  Add BI Administrator Role and BI Author Role or chosen custom role(s)

5) Click OK.  The new chosen roles will be reflected in Access Catalog UI.

Summary

This article identifies why an administrator may want to hide the Catalog UI from the Global Header of the BI Consumers role.  Additionally, it lists the steps necessary to modify who can view the Catalog UI from the Global Header.  The article proposes that it is undesirable for the BI Consumer role to have access to the Catalog UI and advises reserving this access to BI Administrator and BI Author roles.

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