finit solutions getting the most out of essbase - understanding the basics

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The Finit Solutions Series

Getting the Most out of Essbase: Understanding the Basics

December 16, 2009

Presented by Cindy Eichner

http://www.finitsolutions.com/�



About Finit Solutions


www.finitsolutions.com- 3 -



The Finit Solutions SeriesFinit IntroductionFinit Solutions specializes in consulting services in the Oracle Hyperion Enterprise Performance Management Solutions suite of products:

Financial Consolidation and Reporting

– Financial Management (HFM)

– Hyperion Enterprise

– BI+ Reporting Tools

Data Integration

– Financial Data Quality Management (FDM)

– Oracle Data Integrator (ODI)

– Data Integration Management (DIM)

Planning and Business Intelligence

– Planning

– Essbase

Financial Consolidation and Reporting

Data Integration

Planning and

Business Intelligence





The Finit Solutions SeriesFinit’s Essbase Expertise• Finit’s certified Essbase consultants differentiate themselves by combining advanced product expertise with financial and accounting backgrounds

• Our consultants have been working with the Hyperion suite of products since the 1990’s

• Finit’s Essbase implementations deliver efficient, high value applications that solve relevant business issues for middle market companies to some of the largest companies on the Fortune 500

• We specialize in leading edge Essbase implementations, in which we improve / streamline the process to ensure high data integrity and ease of maintenance

• Some of Finit’s Essbase services include:

– New implementations of Essbase

– Essbase optimization

Partitioning

Database tuning

ASO / BSO conversions

– Hyperion Essbase application reviews

– Redesigns of existing Essbase applications to provide enhanced functionality

– Conversions from other analysis tools to Essbase





The Finit Solutions SeriesFinit’s Client Service

We take client service very seriously.

Our methodology of efficiently developing effective solutions and exceeding expectations on every

project has resulted in a 100% client satisfaction rate at more than 100 clients.





The Finit Solutions SeriesSome Finit Clients

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About the Presenter

Cindy [email protected]

• Essbase Certified Consultant• Over 25 years experience in

delivering information systems• Has been designing and

implementing Hyperion tools for over 12 years

• Specializes in Essbase and Planning implementations, enhancements, performance tuning and conversions


mailto:[email protected]�




The Finit Solutions SeriesHow to Ask a Question





The Finit Solutions SeriesAgenda

• What is Essbase?

• Why use Essbase if you have HFM?

• Components

• Building a cube

• Demonstration

• More features

• Q&A





The Finit Solutions SeriesWhat is Essbase?

• Essbase - Extended spreadsheet database

• OLAP – OnLine Analytical Processing

• Multi-dimensional data model

• Cube - Often referred to as a Rubik’s cube

• Rapid data retrieval

• Proprietary storage – Essbase was release by Arbor Software in 1992





The Finit Solutions SeriesWhat is Essbase, continuedIn August 2005, Information Age magazine named Essbase as one of the 10 most influential technology innovations of the previous 10 years, along with Netscape, the Blackberry, Google, virtualization, Voice Over IP (VOIP), Linux, XML, the Pentium processor and ADSL.

Editor Kenny MacIver said: "Hyperion Essbase was the multi-dimensional database technology that put online analytical processing on the business intelligence map. It has spurred the creation of scores of rival OLAP products –and billions of OLAP cubes".





The Finit Solutions SeriesWhy use Essbase if you have HFM?• Essbase starts with a blank canvas and is more flexible

• Essbase does not require specific dimensions

• Essbase can handle larger volumes of data

• Essbase works with non-financial data

• Essbase allows calculation of parts of the database

• Essbase allows formulas on any member in any dimension

• Essbase doesn’t only aggregate, it calculates

• Essbase allows the determination of how the data should be stored

• Essbase does not have financial intelligence built in but does have hundreds of functions

• Essbase is licensed per CPU vs. per user for HFM

• If the answer can be derived using math, then the model can be built in Essbase





The Finit Solutions SeriesComponents (the minumum)

• Essbase server

• Web application server (i.e. WebSphere or WebLogic)

• Essbase Administration Services (EAS)

• Shared Services

• Data store – RDBMS – for security only

• SmartView (Provider Services) and/or

• Essbase Excel Add-In





The Finit Solutions SeriesBuilding a Cube, the Metadata• Application

– Block Storage Option (BSO - the original) or Aggregate Storage Option (ASO)

• Database

• Outline

• Dimensions

– Dense or Sparse

– Accounts or Time or Attribute

– Hierarchical or Flat

• Members

– name and alias (multiple alias tables possible)

– properties (+, -, *, /, ~ , stored, dynamic calc, expense reporting, time balance)

– Formulas, over 350 out-of-the-box functions

– User defined attributes (UDAs)





The Finit Solutions SeriesASO vs. BSO• Block Storage Option (BSO)

– Original storage mechanism for Essbase

– For applications that perform interactive planning, allocations, and sophisticated analytics, such as sales forecast applications or profitability analysis applications

– Where extensive write-backs and procedural calculations are required.

• Aggregate Storage Option (ASO)– Developed in 2005

– For large-scale, sparsely distributed data that is categorized into many, potentially large dimensions

– Greater flexibility for reporting and analysis

– Much larger data volumes can be accessed

– Not available: Expense tag, Dynamic Time Series, Currency support, Member formulas (stored), Procedural calc, mix and match storage types







• Database

• Outline

• Dimensions

– Dense or Sparse



• Members









The Finit Solutions SeriesDense or Sparse and StorageDesignating dimensions as Dense or Sparse determines how the data is stored and

indexed

– Dense dimensions determine the number of cells in each block is 13 * 3 = 39

– Block size is 39 * 8 = 312

– Sparse dimensions determine the possible # of blocks is 6 * 16 * 19 = 1824

In RDBMS terms, think of a table with three columns making up the primary key (the sparse dimensions), 39 data columns and the possibility of 1824 unique rows in the table.

Blocks should be <100K for Windows and <200K for Unix







• Database

• Outline

• Dimensions

– Dense or Sparse



• Members









The Finit Solutions SeriesBuilding a Cube, continued• Currency

• Dynamic Time Series

• Build rules – used to build the outline

• Load rules – for loading the data

• Calc scripts – custom calculations, order of calc

• Filters - security

• System variables

• Alias tables

• Attribute dimensions

• Partitioning





The Finit Solutions SeriesOptimization

• 80% of tuning in Essbase should be done during the design

• Batch process vs. query response

“An art form approached systematically if not scientifically”





The Finit Solutions SeriesLoading and Calculating DataLoading data

– Using a load rule

– Without a load rule

– Directly from SQL (Essbase Integration Services or Essbase Studio)

– User input using “Lock and Send”

– Data integration tools like FDM, ODI, EIS

Calculating Data

– Default calc within Essbase

– Calc script

– Dynamic calc





The Finit Solutions SeriesData Retrieval

• Essbase Excel Add-In

• Smartview

• Essbase Reports





The Finit Solutions SeriesDemonstration• Let’s build a simple database ,

• Create a load rule and load some data, then

• We’ll calc it, and

• We’ll retrieve data. Then

• Let’s create a calc script which will allow us to calculate part of the database and see the results. Then we’ll

• Make some members dynamic calcs instead of stored,

• Lock and send some data, and

• See the results.





The Finit Solutions SeriesEssbase can do it!

• One version of the truth is important. This can be achieved by building in calculations which used to be performed in other tools (i.e. Excel, reporting)

• Attribute dimensions

• Shared Members (alternate hierarchies)

• APIs and macros for templates and solutions

• What If analysis

• Complex calculations





The Finit Solutions SeriesScripting

Everything that can be done in EAS can be performed with a script

• Esscmd – pronounced Ess-command

• MXL – pronounced max-L

• Batch jobs (Windows) or shell scripts (Unix)





The Finit Solutions SeriesAll core features included in base product

• Storage Methods

– ASO (Aggregate Storage Option)

– BSO (Block Storage Option)

– Hybrid

– Advanced Relational Access

• Essbase Administration Services (EAS)

• Essbase Studio (EST)

• Essbase Integration Services (EIS)

• Analytic Provider Services (APS)

– High Availability / Clustering / Failover

– Java / XMLA APIs

• Foundation Services

– Smart View for Microsoft Office

– Shared Services

– Workspace

• 32/64 bit

• Currency Conversion

• Partitioning

• SQL Interface

• Classic Essbase Add-In





The Finit Solutions SeriesOther Products

• Hyperion Planning uses Essbase as the data store while it uses an RDBMS for metadata, task lists, annotations, process management, supporting detail, cell text, etc.

• Other third party software is available for data retrieval; for example, IBM Cognos TM1 Executive Viewer

• Essbase is now part of the EPM Business Intelligence Foundation






Questions and Answers




Contact and Future Webinars





The Finit Solutions SeriesUpcoming WebinarsGetting the Most out of Integration:Understanding the Various Products

On January 20, you will learn about the differences and business use cases for Oracle integration products:

• Financial Data Quality Management (FDM) • Oracle Data Integrator (ODI) • Data Integration Management (DIM) • Data Relationship Management (DRM) • Hyperion Application Link (HAL) • Enterprise Performance Management Architect (EPMA) • ERP Integrator (ERPi) • ‘Classic’ Metadata Management Tools

This webinar will provide examples of typical integration requirements and will discuss the considerations that your company should weigh when selecting from among these integration tools. .

To register, go to www.finitsolutions.com/Insights_Webcast.html


http://www.finitsolutions.com/Insights_Webcast.html�




Finit Contacts

Questions?

Email us for a

copy of the slides or

for a link to the recording.

Cindy Eichner

[email protected]

302-834-8722

Ed DeLise (VP of Sales)

[email protected]

678-296-3611




finit solutions getting the most out of essbase - understanding the basics

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