Managing Object Instances

BI platform creates instances from objects; for example, a report instance is created when you schedule a report object to run and finishes successfully. A report instance is a report object that includes specific report data; the report data can be retrieved from one or more data sources. Each instance includes data that is current at the time the report is processed.

Similarly, BI platform creates a program instance when the Adaptive Job Server runs a scheduled program object. Unlike report instances, which can be viewed in their completed format, program instances exist as records in the object history. BI platform stores the program's standard output and standard error in a text output file.

You can view and manage instances by the following methods:

• Opening the History dialog box for an object.

• Using the BI platform Instance Manager.

The following link displays the History dialog box for individual objects:

Viewing instance information

The Instance Manager lets you view and manage all instances in the BI platform. You can use the Instance Manager to carry out the following tasks:

• Find specific instances.
• Select several instances and do batch operations on them (for example, pause, resume, or delete them).
• View detailed information for a single instance.

To find specific instances quickly, you can create filters in the Find instances that meet the following criteria section of the Instance Manager. You can base filters on one or more of the following criteria:

• Owner
• Status
• Object Type

The following link shows Finding instances in the Instance Manager

Finding instances in the Instance Manager

When you finish specifying the search criteria, choose Find. Only instances that meet all the criteria display.

BI Launch Pad Instance tile is available on the Home tab of the BI Launch Pad. The tile lets you view and manage all the instances in your BI platform deployment from one location. You can use the "Instances" tile for the following activities:

• Find specific instances using:
  • Instance Time
  • Status: Success, Partial Success, Failed, Running, Recurring, Paused, or Expired
  • Type: Publication, Analysis Workbook, Crystal Reports, Web Intelligence, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Excel, or Text
  • Title
• Execute the following actions:
  • Run Now
  • Re-schedule
  • Pause
  • Details
  • Delete

You set limits, at the object or folder level, to cleanup instances.

You can limit the number of instances that continue to exist in the BI platform for an object, user, or group. You can limit the number of days that an instance exists in the platform for a principal. Object level limits override any limits set for the folders.

These instance limits are per object in the folder (and would apply to objects in sub folders, by default). Instance limits for specified groups apply to each member of the group. For example, if you set a limit on a folder for the Global Sales Team to 100 instances, then each user who is a member of that group is allowed 100 instances of each and every object in the folder. In other words, the limits by user/group are not cumulative across multiple users and objects in the folder.

See the following video to know how to apply limits on instances from the CMC.