Oracle Essbase 9 Implementation Guide

Joseph Sydney Gomez, Sarma Anantapantula

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Overview

Table of Contents

Author

Reviews

Support

Sample Chapters

Build multidimensional Essbase database cubes and develop analytical Essbase applications
Step-by-step instructions with expert tips from installation to implementation
Can be used to learn any version of Essbase starting from 4.x to 11.x
For beginners as well as experienced professionals; no Essbase experience required

Book Details

Language : English
Paperback : 444 pages [ 235mm x 191mm ]
Release Date : June 2009
ISBN : 1847196861
ISBN 13 : 9781847196866
Author(s) : Joseph Sydney Gomez, Sarma Anantapantula
Topics and Technologies : All Books, Oracle Database, Enterprise, Oracle

Preface
Chapter 1: Installing Oracle Essbase
Chapter 2: Essbase Data and Design Considerations
Chapter 3: Building the Essbase Outline
Chapter 4: Loading Data into Essbase
Chapter 5: Calculating your Essbase Cube
Chapter 6: Using your Essbase Cube
Chapter 7: Getting the most out of the Microsoft Excel Add-in
Chapter 8: Automating your Essbase Cube
Chapter 9: Advanced Techniques
Chapter 10: Essbase Analytics Option
Chapter 11: Essbase System 9 Components
Appendix: A New Essbase Companion—Oracle Smart View
Index

Preface

Chapter 1: Installing Oracle Essbase
- Installing the Essbase analytic server
- Installing Essbase Administration Services
- Starting the EAS
- Installing the Essbase Add-in for Microsoft Excel
- A typical network setup
- Summary

Chapter 2: Essbase Data and Design Considerations
- Introduction to OLAP
- Determining the data requirements
- Determine data storage options
- Types of Essbase applications
  - Aggregate Storage Option (ASO)
  - Block Storage Option (BSO)
  - Unicode and Non-Unicode applications
- Creating your first Essbase application
  - Essbase Application Properties
    - Startup section
    - Security
    - Minimum access level
- Types of Essbase databases
  - The normal (non-currency) database
  - Essbase currency database
- Database components
  - The database outline
  - Linked Reporting Objects
  - Partitions
  - Calculation scripts
  - Report scripts
  - Database load rules files
- Allowing duplicate member names
- Create your first Essbase database
  - General tab
  - Dimensions tab
  - Statistics tab
  - Caches tab
  - Transactions tab
  - Storage tab
  - Currency tab
  - Modifications tab
- Types of Essbase users
- Summary

Chapter 3: Building the Essbase Outline
- Before we begin
- The Essbase outline—the foundation
- Dimensions and members
  - Outline member descriptors
  - Generations and Levels
    - Generation
    - Level
- Types of dimensions
  - Standard dimension
    - The Account dimension type
    - The Time dimension type
    - The Country dimension type
    - No dimension type or general dimension
    - The Currency Partition dimension type
  - The Attribute dimension
  - Dense and Sparse dimensions
- Build your first outline
- Member properties
  - Member consolidations
  - Valid consolidation operators
  - Member storage
  - Member formulas
  - Member alias
    - Alias table
- Build your first data rules file
  - Step 1: Start the Data Prep Editor
  - Step 2: Associate the Dimension Build Rules file
  - Step 3: Open data load file or the SQL data source file
  - Step 4: Set the Data Source Properties
  - Step 5: Set the View to Dimension build fields
  - Step 6: Select Dimension build method
    - Generation reference
    - Level reference
    - Parent-child reference
  - Step 7: Format file
  - Step 8: Associate fields with dimensions
  - Step 9: Validate the Dimension Build rules file
- Update your outline using a rules file
  - Update your outline using the EAS Outline Editor
  - Update using MaxL Shell
    - Executing MaxL from EAS editor
    - Executing MaxL from command prompt
- Attribute dimensions
- User Defined Attributes (UDA)
- Dynamic Time Series
- Shared members
- Summary

Chapter 4: Loading Data into Essbase
- Make your data Essbase-friendly
  - Essbase-friendly thoughts
    - Essbase-friendly example
- Types of data sources
  - Type of data
    - Types of files used for data loads
    - Relational databases
- Data load methods
  - Data file freeform (no load rule)
  - Essbase export and import (no load rule)
  - Structured data load (load rule used)
  - Microsoft Excel Lock and Send (no load rule)
- Building your first data load rules file
  - Step 1: Starting the Data Prep Editor
  - Step 2: Associating the data load rules file
  - Step 3: Opening data load file or the SQL data source file
  - Step 4: Setting the View to Data Load Fields
  - Step 5: Setting the Data Source Properties
  - Step 6: Updating the Data Load Settings
  - Step 7: Setting the Data Load Values
    - Clearing Data Combinations
    - Header Definition
  - Step 8: Associating fields with Data Load Properties
    - Global properties
    - Data Load Properties
  - Step 9: Validating the data load rules file
  - Step 10: Saving the data load rules file
- Loading data into your database
  - Using the EAS to load data into your Essbase cube
  - Loading data using MaxL
- Data Load vs. Dimension Build
- Summary

Chapter 5: Calculating your Essbase Cube
- Calculating your database
  - The Essbase calculation script
  - Essbase outline member formula
- Calculation types explained
  - Calculation Scripts
  - Stored data member formula
  - Dynamic Calc and Dynamic Calc and Store
- Essbase calculation terminology
- Default database calculation script
- Calc All
- Calculate/Aggregate dimension
- Essbase Calc commands and functions
  - Data declarations
  - Control flow
    - FIX/ENDFIX
    - EXCLUDE/ENDEXCLUDE
  - Functional
    - SET command functions
  - Conditionals
    - IF/ENDIF
  - Boolean
  - Relationship functions
  - Operators
  - Member set
  - Range (Financial)
  - Forecasting
  - Statistical
  - Date and Time
  - Miscellaneous
- Order of calculation
- Two-Pass Calc
- Using Substitution Variables
  - Substitution Variables using EAS
  - Substitution Variables using MaxL
    - Create variables at the server level
    - Create variables at the application level
    - Create variables at the database level
    - Displaying the Substitution Variable and its value
    - Displaying the Substitution Variable in the SQL editor
- Building your first Calculation Script
  - Writing and saving a Calculation Script
- Executing your Calculation Scripts
  - Running Calculation Scripts manually using EAS
  - Running a Calculation Script using an Essbase Command Script (EssCmd)
    - What the EssCmd script looks like
  - Running a Calculation Script using a MaxL Script
  - Running a Calculation Script using the Essbase API
  - Running a Calculation Script from Microsoft Excel
    - Running a Calculation Script through the Essbase Add-In
    - Running a Calculation Script using Microsoft Excel VBA
- Summary

Chapter 6: Using your Essbase Cube
- Using your Essbase database
  - How do you use your data in the real world
    - Ad hoc data
    - Canned reporting
    - Export data
    - Forecast analysts
    - Planning analysts
    - Budget analysts
    - Financial analysts
    - The real target users of your Essbase data
- Ways to extract your Essbase data
- The Essbase Report Script
  - How to create an Essbase Report Script
  - Report script commands and functions
    - Report layout commands
    - Data range commands
    - Data ordering command
    - Member selection and sorting commands
    - Format commands
    - Column or row calculation
    - Member names and aliases
  - Building your first Essbase report script
- Executing your report scripts
  - Run reports using EAS
  - Running a report script using an Essbase command script
  - Running calc using a MaxL script
- Previewing data in EAS
  - Cubeview
  - Properties
- Summary

Chapter 7: Getting the most out of the Microsoft Excel Add-in
- Reporting with the Microsoft Excel Add-in
  - Connecting to Essbase
    - Connecting to Essbase from Microsoft Excel
  - Disconnecting from Essbase
  - Launching the Essbase Query Designer
  - Retrieving data from Essbase
  - Setting the add-in spreadsheet options
    - Display tab
    - Zoom tab
    - Mode tab
    - Global tab
  - Selecting Essbase members for your query
  - Using the Keep Only function
  - Using the Remove Only function
  - Zooming in on your data
  - Zooming out on your data
  - Pivot Essbase members on your spreadsheet
  - Flashback: The Essbase Add-in Undo
  - Locking the data and retrieving
  - Locking the data
  - Unlocking the locked data
  - Sending your data to the database
  - Running a database calculation
  - Retrieving your sheet without data
  - Zooming in on sample data
  - Linking objects to your data
  - Creating graphical data representations
  - Using the currency conversion tool
  - Custom Microsoft Excel workbook reporting
  - A final word on the Essbase add-in
- Using the Essbase Query Designer
  - Where do I find the Essbase Query Designer
  - Creating a query with Essbase Query Designer
    - Page dimensions
    - Row dimensions
    - Column dimensions
    - Sample query
    - Report script by-product
- Summary

Chapter 8: Automating your Essbase Cube
- Essbase command scripts (EssCmd)
  - Creating an Essbase command script
  - EssCmd commands and categories
  - Coding a basic EssCmd
    - Always remember EssCmd logging
    - Connecting to an Essbase server
    - What about error checking
    - Adding some functional commands
    - The finished script
    - Executing an EssCmd
- Essbase MaxL scripts
  - Logging on to the Essbase server
  - Working with an Essbase application in MaxL
    - Creating an application
    - Altering the application
    - Display application
    - Drop application
  - Working with an Essbase database from MaxL
    - Creating or replacing a database
    - Altering a database
    - Display database
    - Drop database
  - Working with data in MaxL
  - Working with database calculations in MaxL
    - Create calculation
    - Display calculation
    - Execute calculation
    - Drop calculation
  - Working with user privileges in MaxL
    - Create user
    - Alter user
    - Display user
    - Drop user
    - Grant user
  - Working at the System level with MaxL
    - Alter system properties
    - Display system properties
  - Substitution variables
  - Executing a MaxL statement
  - Executing MaxL from Command Prompt
  - Executing MaxL from EAS
- Essbase Application Programming Interface (API)
  - Installing the Essbase API
  - What you should know to use the Essbase API
  - What functions are available in the Essbase API
  - Essbase API programming tips
    - Essbase nested coding style examples
    - Essbase API function declarations
    - How to code an API function
    - Essbase API code sample blocks
    - The sample API subroutine explained
- Summary

Chapter 9: Advanced Techniques
- Performance tuning your database
- The shape of your database outline
  - The hourglass outline
  - Database block size
- Database configuration settings
  - Data retrieval buffers
  - Data cache settings
  - Data load and storage settings
- Partitioning databases
- Analytic server configuration file
  - Configuration categories
  - Configuration settings to consider
    - Ports and connections
    - Logging and error handling
    - Calculation
    - Data import/export
- Memory management
  - essbase.cfg memory settings
- Summary

Chapter 10: Essbase Analytics Option
- What is ASO
  - Creating an aggregate storage Application|Database
  - Hierarchies
    - Stored hierarchies
    - Dynamic hierarchies
  - Outline paging
  - Aggregation
- MDX query language
  - MDX functions for ASO
    - MDX function examples
  - MDX query syntax
  - Executing an MDX query
  - Tuples and Sets
- Pros and cons of ASO and BSO
  - Pros and cons of BSO
    - Pros
    - Cons
  - Pros and cons of ASO
    - Pros
    - Cons
- Summary

Chapter 11: Essbase System 9 Components
- Overview of System 9 components
  - Essbase Analytic Services (Essbase agent)
  - Essbase Planning
  - Essbase analytics
  - Hyperion Application Link/Oracle Application Link
  - Oracle Business Rules
  - Oracle Reports
  - Essbase Shared Services
  - Oracle Essbase Provider Services
  - Essbase Smart Office
  - Oracle Essbase Financial Reporting
  - Smart View for Microsoft Office
- Summary

Appendix: A New Essbase Companion—Oracle Smart View
- Reporting with Oracle Smart View
  - Adding a data source with the connection manager
  - Retrieving data using Smart View in Microsoft Excel
  - POV Manager
  - Submitting data and calc scripts in Smart View
  - Using Smart View in other Microsoft Office products

Index

Joseph Sydney Gomez

Joe Gomez has been an Essbase developer, designer, and administrator for almost 10 years. Originally educated as a Graphic Designer in the field of Computer Graphics Technology, Joe took a job as a mainframe Y2K bug fixer and the rest is history.

Joe currently works as an Essbase technical specialist and is his company's OLAP Center of Excellence lead. Not a complete computer geek, Joe also enjoys basketball, fishing, bicycle riding, and photography. Volunteer work at a senior citizen apartment, and occasional free-lance design jobs fill out the picture. Oh yes, Joe has a special interest in collecting antique glass telegraph insulators.

Sarma Anantapantula

Sarma Anantapantula currently works as an Essbase Consultant in the OLAP Center of Excellence at the Ford Motor Company. He has over 11 years of experience in the Software industry as a developer, designer, and administrator and has worked in various technologies involving client-server architecture, and Data Warehousing projects (tools like HOLOS and Essbase). Sarma also has expertise in web interface development (both Microsoft and J2EE).

Sarma is a board member of the Hyperion User Group (http://www.hug-mi.org), and has presented on how Essbase is implemented at the Ford Motor Company. He has also published on "Executing DTS Packages from ASP" in ASP Today.

Sarma is well known for his magic fixes; he has a fix for any kind of issue in any technology. In his free time, Sarma likes to spend time answering new technology questions in user forums. If he is not in front of computer he will be playing ping pong or chess with family and friends. He also likes listening to The Beatles, and reading English novels. Sarma is known for being ever smiling and friendly, and can be reached at Sarmaa@gmail.com.

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What you will learn from this book

Dig into the concept of multidimensional database cubes and explore the similarities to and differences from traditional relational databases
Build effective database outlines including dimensions and members
Extract data from source systems like SQL Sources or Input Data Files and load them into Essbase cubes
Create fast and efficient database calculation scripts for your Essbase applications
Extract data into reports or downstream systems by writing professional database report scripts
Make your work easier by automating Essbase processes like cube building or running calc and report scripts
Generate quality dynamic ad hoc spreadsheets and reports by using Microsoft's Excel Add-In effectively
Perform required and optional maintenance and performance-tuning tasks just like an experienced Essbase administrator

In Detail

The hot new data analysis trends involve business intelligence and analytics. The technology that supports business intelligence and analytics better than anything else is today's multidimensional OLAP technology – and there is none better than Oracle Essbase! Although storing data in a cube and developing analytical applications leaves many people grasping for understanding, especially if their experience is with relational databases, embracing OLAP technology will pay big dividends in the long run.

It's easy to develop multidimensional analytic OLAP solutions when you have got this Oracle Essbase book to hand. It is a step-by-step guide to timeless Essbase fundamentals, which takes you from a basic software installation through to launching a fully functioning Essbase database cube.

This book will guide you through every stage of installing Oracle's Essbase software on your analytic server, the Essbase Administration Services client, and the client software itself. You will learn, in easy-to-understand language, the concepts of multidimensional database technology as you are taken step by step through building an actual Essbase application complete with database, database calculation scripts, and database report scripts.

Once you have your system built and functional, the next course of instruction covers the available automation features included in your Essbase software package and how to use them. These chapters alone are worth the price of admission!
As an IT professional you quite rightly have a desire to understand multidimensional OLAP – this book gives you that understanding. Should you wish to embark on an exciting career as an Essbase developer/administrator, this book provides a fantastic foundation from which to grow.

Best of all, this book is filled with the tips and tricks that you can only get from many years and countless hours spent playing with Essbase. You get them all in just the time it takes you to complete this book.

A complete step-by-step guide covering timeless Essbase fundamentals to gain an immediate understanding of multidimensional database technology

Approach

This book uses a practical step-by-step approach with the next chapter always building on the knowledge foundation created by the previous chapter.

Understanding and really grasping the multidimensional concept is difficult enough without a lot of confusing jargon thrown in. This book speaks to the reader in plain English with plenty of easy-to-follow examples. You will create, build, and maintain data for a fictional automobile company.

Who this book is for

This book is primarily for the IT professional who has a good understanding of IT principles and processes but is a multidimensional OLAP novice. Experienced OLAP professionals will also gain insight from this book.

Simply put, if you are in the IT field and wish to gain a functional level of knowledge in the world of Oracle Essbase, whether it be for a developer role or a PM or BA role, this is the book you need.