OBIEE generated SQL differs if it's a Physical Table or Select Table...

Question

Hi!
I have some tables defined in the Physical Layer, which some are Physical Tables and others are OBIEE "views" (tables created with a Select clause).
My problem is that the difference in the generated SQL for the same table, differs (as expected) whether it is a Physical Table or a "Select Table". And this difference originates problems in the returned data. When it a Physical Table, the final report returns the correct data, but when it is a Select Table it returns incorrect/incomplete data. The report joins this table with another table from a different Database (it is a join between Sybase IQ and SQL Server).
This is the generated SQL in the log:
-- Physical Table generated SQL
select T182880."sbl_cust_acct_row_id" as c1,
T182880."sbl_cust_acct_ext_key" as c2,
T182880."sbl_cust_source_sys" as c3
from
"SGC_X_KEY_ACCOUNT" T182880
order by c2, c3
-- "Select Table" generated SQL
select
     sbl_cust_acct_ext_key,
     ltrim(rtrim(sbl_cust_source_sys)) as sbl_cust_source_sys,
     sbl_cust_acct_row_id,
     sbl_cust_acct_camp_contact_row_id,
     ods_date,
     ods_batch_no,
     ods_timestamp
from dbo.SGC_X_KEY_ACCOUNT
As you may notice, the main difference is the use of Aliases (which I think that it has no influence in the report result) and the use of "Order By" (which I start to think that it its the main cause to return the correct data).
Don't forget that OBIEE server is joining the data from this table, with data from another table from a differente database. Therefore, the join is made in memory (OBIEE Engine). Maybe in the OBIEE Engine the Order by is essential to guarantee a correct join...but then again, I have some other tables in the Physical Layer that are defined as "Select" and the generated SQL uses the aliases and the Order by clause...
In order to solve my problem, I had to transform the "Select Table" into a "Physical Table". The reason it was defined as a "Select Table" was because it had a restriction in the Where Clause (which I eliminated already, althouth the performance wil be worse).
I'm confused. Help!
Thanks.
FPG

Answer 1

Hi FPG,
Not sure if this is a potential issue for you at all, but I know it caused me all kinds of headaches before I figured it out. Had to do with "Features" tab Values in the database object's settings in the Physical Layer:
Different SQL generated for physical table query vs. view object query?
Mine had to do with SQL from View objects not being submitted as I would expect, sounds like yours has more to do with "Order By"? I believe I remembered seeing some Order By and Group By settings in the "Features" list. You might make a copy of your RPD and experiement around with setting some of those if they aren't already selected and retesting your queries with the new DB settings.
Jeremy