Pentaho CDE Samples

This is a collection of Dashboard examples already shared by bloggers that are recreated and tested on Pentaho Server CE 8.1 community edition.</p>

Most of these tutorials, presented in alphabetical order, are still online but some required minor changes to work in the current suite.

You can upload the code to see it in action or use it as reference. At the bottom you’ll find the link and instructions to upload them to your system.

Annual Sales

An interesting Dashboard is “Annual Sales” from Tercer Planeta (post) that shows the table component with columns like the databar or sparkline. It’s also interesting that it uses functions to change extension points, protovis colors or CSS in CCC charts.

The database is AdventureWorks (see previous post to upload it in SQL statements for MySql).

Bullet Graph Dashboard

The original post of 2012 provided a step by step guide to build this Dashboard that uses a MDX query (Mondrian model from a star schema) and a tabular component to show the monthly data, it also gets that information in Kettle/PDI (ETL) and adds metrics data (like a scorecard/KPI) and shows them on a Bullet Chart. Its a simplified example (processes, bullet graph metrics and aggregations on mondrian) of a real Dashboard that I did for a client. There are also samples in pre-excecution and format functions to modify values in parameters or CSS to change the Chart style.

The chart data is refreshed by updating the queries when the year or month selectors change.

For this to work on your system check last section.

Data Dashboard Steels-Wheels

This is a Dashboard that ATOL Conseils & Développements shared a while back. I couldn’t find the tutorial link but they have more complex and beautifull Dashboards in their site or articles like this one that talks about data access in a mondrian cube.

In this example you can see the use of pie and line charts and also the table component. At that time the arrows had to be drawn in javascript (use an if to show a gif file), now its a type of column. There is also code for the tooltip data.

Sales Overview YTD Dashboard

This one was one of the first Dashboards that I saw. In 2011 Slawomir Chodnicki showed in his blog the complete procedure to build a Dashboard from a draft up to detail javascript that modified a graph (at that time no bullet graph component existed) to show what he wanted. I updated the components but the post is a jewel.

Steel Wheels Demo Dashboard

This was a Dashboard included in CE. It shows bar graphs updated by a selector.

Welcome Dashboard in CTools

I guess this is a previus version of the current Dashboard example. The current one even lets you select views so this one could be used as a startup point to lear this tools.

New Dashboard (RequireJS)

CDE used by default the 24 column blueprint design framework, now its the 12 column, but it also supports Bootstrap, it even has a button to generate a skeleton layout in the Layout view. When you craete a new CDE Dashboard it enables the RequireJS javascript library, you can change to node.js in the settings toolbar. That is important as some events are referended diferently in the former is this.dashboards and in the later is Dashboards with some events and methods available in each one.

This sample is documented at theat Hitachi-Vantara site and is built using the bootstrap framework in layout and RequireJS code. It is built differently that the old ones and further in the tutorial it says it can be embeded in pages outside the server.

More samples

There are three more examples, two are components to use in more complex Dashboards, one has bars and the other dots.

And the thirth is a report from Will Gorman. This one needs tables from google analytics to work, but its a beautifull sample built with Pentaho Report Designer (PRD).

The Dashboard’s Code

To get this files into your system you have to:

1. Get this zip file.
   You can confirm that it contains a manifest in xml and a folder with the different CTools files.
2. Then login into yor Pentaho-server , select the home button and select Browse Files → click on Public folder.
3. In the right menu the upload option will appear. Click on it. Click on the Browse button and navigate to the downloaded file and click Open and Ok.

After a few momments you can navigate in the Additional Examples folder. To see all the files you have to click on the top menu view and click on Show Hidden Files.

Most of them work with the SampleData Datasource so they should work on your system as it is.

[Edit]

If you want to see Geo Localization examples then check Kleyson de Sousa Rios Github page and download and upload the zip file with his examples for the NewMapComponent (NMC-samples).

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* Mondrian schema location (Bullet Graph Dashboard)

I could’t find a way to reference the mondrian schemas on the system JCR repository taht is needed in the Mondrian Input Step, so I edited the Datasource Kettle Component → dsBulletGraph by clicking in (…)

And used ${Internal.Transformation.Filename.Directory} and move two levels up “/../..” to refer to your tomcat/pentaho solutions.

If you develop your PDI transformation, the Catalog location field must contain the complete path-filename to your mondrian XML specification, then afer you upload it in your Pentaho Server, make the edit to your schema path.

So, for this example to work, you have to download a copy of steelwheels.mondrian.xml that’s in your Pentaho Demo system repository to the /tomcat/pentaho-solutions directory, or download this copy in a Zip file.

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Additional Databases

Sample Databases

The Pentaho Demo comes with SampleData (SteelWheels based) HSQLDB that will suffice for modeling and learning all the Pentaho tools. But you may want to model metadata* or mondrian from scratch, require more rows in your tables, or want to replicate lots of samples that refer to the Microsoft Server. Well, at least that what crossed my mind when I started using these tools.

So I looked up the links to recreate two additional databases in MySQL for you to use. 🙂

I. DATABASE

Two Databases

The classic databases for learnimg SQL and MDX are AdventureWorks (OLTP) [Updated link on 2022] and FoodMart (DW). AdventureWorks is a relational database and FoodMart is a Data Wharehouse database.

Download them and Unzip them. You need to add this line on the top of FoodMart file:

CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS foodmart; USE foodmart;

Upload them to your MySql database and grant access to pentaho_user.

mysql -u root-user -p root-password < AWBackup.sql
 mysql -u root-user -p root-password < foodmart_mysql.sql
 echo "grant all on adventureworks.* to pentaho_user@localhost identified by 'password';`" | mysql -u root-user -p root-password
 echo "grant all on foodmart.* to pentaho_user@localhost identified by 'password';" | mysql -u root-user -p root-password

II. CONFIG

Add datasources to jndi list

1. Go to ~/Pentaho8/pentaho-server/pentaho-solutions/system/simple-jndi
2. Open jdbc.properties
3. For new datasources, add (You can define it also in the web app if you like)

   FoodMart/type=javax.sql.DataSource
   FoodMart/driver=com.mysql.jdbc.Driver
   FoodMart/url=jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/foodmart
   FoodMart/user=pentaho_user
   FoodMart/password=password
   AdventureWorks/type=javax.sql.DataSource
   AdventureWorks/driver=com.mysql.jdbc.Driver
   AdventureWorks/url=jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/adventureworks
   AdventureWorks/user=pentaho_user
   AdventureWorks/password=password

Add datasources in the web app

Download the FoodMart mondrian (snowflake schema) here and unzip them. We will use the FoodMart file in next section.

Add datasources in the web app

1. Click at the left top menu: File → Manage Data Sources
2. Create a JDBC Data Source for each Database:
   a. Click on the New Data Source button
   b. Name the Datasource and type: FoodMart, Database. Click Ok.
   c. Create (plus sign icon) a new Connection: FoodMart.
   Name: FoodMart; Select Type: MySql; Host: localhost; Database: foodmart;
   user name: pentaho_user; password: password.
   d. Click Test and it should report a succesfull connection, click Ok.
   e. Repeat for AdventureWorks just change name and Database: adventureworks.
   f. After you create both data sources, click Cancel to return to the Data Source Dialog.
3. Create the Analisys Data Source for the FoodMart model:
   a. Click in the Gear Icon.
   b. Select New Connection.
   c. Click on Import Analysys.
       select the downloaded FoodMart.Mondrian.xml file.
   d. Click Import.

That’s it.

To use FoodMart.mondrian.xml you can use the Desktop Tools Schema-Workbench and Aggregation-Designer (here is an excelent tutorial by Diethard Steiner), but for the Pentaho-Server you will need to install jPivot4J from the marketplace as jpivot or Saiku cannot read it.

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* There are two tutorials for using the meta-data editor to configure user or group business models and to provide restriction access to databases. The first one is by Diethard Steiner on 2009 or one written by Herwin Rayen in 2014. The PRD can be programmed to use this access. But I have to tell that no client has ever asked/payed for it. 🙂

Pentaho Server 8.1 with MariaDB (MySql)

[Edited on:
– December 2018 to correct config drivers for MariaDB.
– June 13th 2018, to add the solution note to Sql parameters.]

Migrate your Database

The official way to change the database is at pentaho-wiki and pentaho-doc. These are notes to my 2011 post that modifies the DEMO to use MariaDB instead of the HSQLDB that comes with it.

Important: I verified this on a Ubuntu 18.04 and MariaDB 10.1, keeping the  jcr (Jackrabbit repository) in thefilesystem and have a problem with JINDI SQL Queries that I have to substitute with JDBC SQL Queries (see the final note).

I. DATABASE DRIVER

Download the driver [Connector/J mariadb-java-client-2.3.0.jar] to ~/Pentaho8/pentaho-server/tomcat/lib.

If you have the desktop tools, copy the driver also to ~/Pentaho8/report-designer/lib, ~/Pentaho8/data-integration/lib, ~/Pentaho8/shema-workbench/lib.

II. DATABASE CONTENT

Create content in Database

Start the MariaDB engine and run the suplied scripts in ~/Pentaho8/pentaho-server/data/mysql5, to create required databases:

cd ~/Pentaho8/pentaho-server/data/mysql5
 mysql -u root-user -p root-password < create_quartz_mysql.sql
 mysql -u root-user -p root-password < create_repository_mysql.sql

Download the Sample Database (here), unzip and upload it:

mysql -u root-user -p root-password < SampleData_2018_mysql.sql

III. TOMCAT CONFIG

Hibernte Settings

1. Goto to ~/Pentaho8/server/pentaho-server/pentaho-solutions/system/hibernate
2. Open hibernate-settings.xml.
3. Find the  tag config-file and change it to

   system/hibernate/mysql5.hibernate.cfg.xml

4. Open mysql5.hibernate.cfg.xml change the class drivers

   <property name="connection.driver_class">org.mariadb.jdbc.Driver</property>
   <property name="connection.url">jdbc:mariadb://localhost:3306/hibernate</property>

System connections

1. Go to ~/Pentaho8/pentaho-server/tomcat/webapps/pentaho/META-INF/
2. Open context.xml
3. Change classname, url and SQL query to:

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
   <Context path="/pentaho" docbase="webapps/pentaho/">
   	<Resource name="jdbc/Hibernate" auth="Container" type="javax.sql.DataSource"
   		factory="org.apache.tomcat.jdbc.pool.DataSourceFactory" maxActive="20" minIdle="0" maxIdle="5" initialSize="0"
   		maxWait="10000" username="hibuser" password="password"
   		driverClassName="org.mariadb.jdbc.Driver" url="jdbc:mariadb://localhost:3306/hibernate"
   		validationQuery="select 1" />
   
   	<Resource name="jdbc/Quartz" auth="Container" type="javax.sql.DataSource"
   		factory="org.apache.tomcat.jdbc.pool.DataSourceFactory" maxActive="20" minIdle="0" maxIdle="5" initialSize="0"
   		maxWait="10000" username="pentaho_user" password="password"
   		driverClassName="org.mariadb.jdbc.Driver" url="jdbc:mariadb://localhost:3306/quartz"
   		validationQuery="select 1"/>
   
   </Context>

Spring config

1. Go to ~/Pentaho8/pentaho-server/Pentaho-solutions/system/
2. Open applicationContext-spring-security-hibernate.properties
3. Change driver, url and dialect to

   jdbc.driver=org.mariadb.jdbc.Driver
   jdbc.url=jdbc:mariadb://localhost:3306/hibernate
   jdbc.username=hibuser
   jdbc.password=password
   hibernate.dialect=org.hibernate.dialect.MySQL5Dialect

Add datasources to jndi list

1. Go to ~/Pentaho8/pentaho-server/pentaho-solutions/system/simple-jndi
2. Open jdbc.properties
   1. Change the driver definitions to mysql

      SampleData/type=javax.sql.DataSource
      SampleData/driver=org.mariadb.jdbc.Driver
      SampleData/url=jdbc:mariadb://localhost:3306/sampledata
      SampleData/user=pentaho_user
      SampleData/password=password
      Hibernate/type=javax.sql.DataSource
      Hibernate/driver=org.mariadb.jdbc.Driver
      Hibernate/url=jdbc:mariadb://localhost:3306/hibernate
      Hibernate/user=hibuser
      Hibernate/password=password
      Quartz/type=javax.sql.DataSource
      Quartz/driver=org.mariadb.jdbc.Driver
      Quartz/url=jdbc:mariadb://localhost:3306/quartz
      Quartz/user=pentaho_user
      Quartz/password=password
      SampleDataAdmin/type=javax.sql.DataSource
      SampleDataAdmin/driver=org.mariadb.jdbc.Driver
      SampleDataAdmin/url=jdbc:mariadb://localhost:3306/sampledata
      SampleDataAdmin/user=pentaho_admin
      SampleDataAdmin/password=password

Stop HSQLDB from starting

1. Go to ~/Pentaho8/pentaho-server/tomcat/webapps/pentaho/WEB-INF/
2. Open web.xml
3. Find the word HSQLDB. There are to points to edit. You will delete “–>” on the first line and “<–” on the last, to make it into a comment.In version 8.1 go to lines 25 and 167. They should look like this:

   <!-- [BEGIN HSQLDB DATABASES]
    <context-param>
    <param-name>hsqldb-databases</param-name>
    <param-value>sampledata@../../data/hsqldb/sampledata,hibernate@../../data/hsqldb/hibernate,quartz@../../data/hsqldb/quartz</param-value>
    </context-param>
    [END HSQLDB DATABASES] -->

   and

   <!-- [BEGIN HSQLDB STARTER]
    	<listener>
    	<listener-class>org.pentaho.platform.web.http.context.HsqldbStartupListener</listener-class>
    </listener>
    [END HSQLDB STARTER] -->

IV. Change Web Server Datasources

1. Start your BI server and log-in  (localhost:8080/pentaho) as Admin.
2. Click at the left top menu: Manage Data Sources
3. You need to select SampleDataJDBC data-source and click on the gear icon to open the config window.
4. Change the database type to MariaDb. Then change the Database Name to sampledata (the database name is in lowercase), port to 3306, type again the password (password). Click on TEST. Click OK if its succesfull.

Here, you can define a connection to your databases or you can return later.

That’s it, you should have a working Server with MariaDB. To test it by using the samples: Browse: Samples → Public → Steel Wheels.

V. Modify your SQL Queries that uses Parameters

But there is a problem if you want to use a query wit SQL with parameters. Maybe there is a missconfiguration in CDA or the repository, or a problem with the MySql driver for a MariaDB engine, as the parameters in the JNDI configuration report an error and do not work.

To get a result I use only SQL JDBC, by supplying these config parameters on each query

driver:    org.mariadb.jdbc.Driver
 url=      jdbc:mariadb://localhost:3306/sampledata?generateSimpleParameterMetadata=true
 user:     pentaho_admin
 password: password

Troubleshoot Log

If you have problems check the log file is ~/Pentaho8/pentaho-server/tomcat/logs/catalina.out its very verbose so look for ERROR lines