Work a Rounds for What the Essbase Developers Forgot MIOAUG(3)

8/3/2019 Work a Rounds for What the Essbase Developers Forgot MIOAUG(3)

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Workarounds for What theEssbase Developers Forgot!

Edward [email protected]

BLOG: Looksmarter.blogspot.com

WEBSITE: www.interrel.com

TWITTER: ERoske
mailto:[email protected]://www.interrel.com/http://www.interrel.com/mailto:[email protected]


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About interRel

2008 Oracle Titan Award winner - EPM Solution of the year

18 presentations at Collaborate 2009, 14 presentations atKaleidoscope, 6 at OpenWorld 2008

2008 Oracle Excellence Award winner with Pearson Education

One of the fastest growing companies in the world (Inc. Mag., 08)

We have two of the three Hyperion Oracle ACE Directors in theworld

Founding Hyperion Platinum Partner; now Oracle Certified Partner

Focused exclusively on Oracle Hyperion EPM software

Consulting

Training

Infrastructure and Installation

Support

Software sales

2


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5 Hyperion Books Available:

Essbase (7): Complete Guide Essbase System 9: Complete Guide

Essbase System 9: End User Guide

Smart View 11: End User Guide

Essbase 11: Admin Guide

eBooks available on Amazon Kindle

Coming Soon

Hyperion Planning for End Users(September)

Hyperion Planning for Admins

To order, check out www.lulu.com

Copyright 2007, Hyperion. All rights reserved.3
http://www.lulu.com/http://www.lulu.com/


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Disclaimer

These slides represent the work and opinions of the presenterand do not constitute official positions of Oracle or any otherorganization.

This material has not been peer reviewed and is presented herewith the permission of the presenter.

This material should not be reproduced without the writtenpermission of interRel Consulting.

We will send you a copy of the slides shortly after thepresentation.


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Agenda

Converting #Missing to Values in Excel

Essbase Workarounds with Data Load & Dimension Build Rules

Essbase Workarounds with Substitution Variables

Planning Metadata Filters

Drill Through to Planning using Studio

Native Essbase Security Other Miscellaneous Tips (if we have time)

Questions and Answers


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Workarounds forConverting #Missing to Zeros in Excel


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Excel Trick

If you try to do something like subtract #missing (or another nonnumeric value), you can get the silly #val in your calculated cell.

To get around this, you can modify the formula. Just add N()around the cell references.


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=N(C2)

Result

Excel Trick


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Excel Trick

Now, what if we wanted to have Essbase return a numeric zeroinstead of a text zero

We all know how to do the text zero right?

Simply go into the Add-In and under OPTIONS do this:


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Excel Trick


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Excel Trick

Problem is now when we do an Essbase RETRIEVE, ourspreadsheet has a text zero where there was a #MISSING


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Excel Trick

We want a numeric zero to be returned from Essbase

This is easy!

We simply go into the Add-In and under OPTIONS place

parentheses around the zero like this:


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Excel Trick


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Excel Trick

Now we have numeric zeros in our spreadsheet


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Excel Trick

Disclaimer This should not be used if you are sendingdata back to Essbase

It will cause the database size to grow since you wouldnow be storing data instead of #MISSING


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Workarounds for

Data Load & Dimension Build Rules


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Rules Quotation Marks

Watch out for in data files

The load will break the data into multiple columns if itencounters unbalanced quotes

Like if you had a product called 12 diamond necklace

Rules will also remove paired quotes around words

New York will be evaluated as New York


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Rules Quotation Marks cont.

What if youre using a dim build rule to add a formula like

this:

=New York + Oregon;

Putting that in a column will not work.

The key is getting Essbase to treat the quotes ascharacters

Do this by putting a \ before each quote:

=\New York\ + Oregon;


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Rules Direct Editing

Its possible to open a rule in an editor that preserves all

characters

Hexadecimal editors

Wordpad.exe

Heres Sample.Basic.Act1 rule in Wordpad:


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Rules Direct Editing cont.

Note that most of it is gibberish

But also notice that plain text in the original rule comesacross as plain text in the editor


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Rules Direct Editing cont.

If you keep the characters the same, you can change the

RUL file in the editor, save it, and run it.

This rule has Actual in the header since all data in the fileis actual. What if we want it to load budgets instead?

Lets change Actual to Budget at the end of line 3


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Free-form Data Loading

Free-form data loading is an easy-to-use process if thefollowing characteristics are recognized:

Data file is loaded as is without any explicit description of itscontents

Data must be in natural order for Essbase

Any valid dimension/member/alias name combination isacceptable

Data is read according to the member names Essbase finds

Free-form data load is optimized for fast loading


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Free-form File Requirements

Each data point tagged with a member from each

dimension

Data scanned from top of file and from left to right

Each item separated

Some types of member names or aliases withdouble quotes

Members from same dimension in same column orrow

Members from different dimensions together only onpage header


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Free-form File Requirements

AASt Cola Actual Jan Sales $10

AASt Cola Actual Feb Sales $21AASt Cola Actual Mar Sales $30

AASt Cola Actual Apr Sales $35

AASt Cola Actual May Sales $40

AASt Cola Actual Jun Sales $45

AASt Cola Actual Jan Marketing $8

AASt Cola Actual Feb Marketing $16

AASt Cola Actual Mar Marketing $20

Markets YearScenarioProducts Measures


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Free-form Data Loading, Example 2

East 100-10 Actual

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

Sales 10 21 30 35 40 45Marketing 8 16 20 33 38 40

Markets Year ScenarioProductsMeasures


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Load Data via Free Form

1. SelectActions / Load data for dbname

2. The Load Data window will open


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Load Data via Free Form

3. Specify SQL or data files4. Select Find Data Fileand navigate to the data file

5. DO NOT select Find Rules File;NO RULES FILE isnecessary for a free form load

6. Click OK


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Free-form Purpose

So, why would I bother?

Because a free-form data load is ALWAYS faster thanthe equivalent load with the rule

Its more flexible than a data load rule

You just have to get it right, because one error will

stop the whole process


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Replacement of empty values in a load rule

Lets say we have a data file that looks like this:

Notice that we have someempty values in the product

column or Field1


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Create a text column with an obscure character or word

(like a ~ or ZZZZZ)


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Join the text column to the problem column


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In the field replacements replace the special character with

a default value like NoProduct selecting replace wholeword only


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Now we have:


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Next replace ZZZZZ with nothing and do not select Match

Whole Word

That Does

it!


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Essbase Workarounds usingSubstitution Variables

S b i i V i bl H Th W k


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Substitution Variables How They Work

A substitution variable is set up by an administrator to

simplify maintenance of things like calc scripts and retrieves

The question I always get is: what can I put in a variable?

Are these valid in a substitution variable?

1. Jan

2. Jan

3. Jan:Feb

4. Jan:Feb

5. Jan,Feb6. Jan,Feb

All can be put in a variable, but you wouldnt want to do #4


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Substitution Variables How They Work cont

Before a calc script (or whatever it is) runs, it replaces the

variable with the value the variable is saved to. It thenvalidates and runs the calc script (or whatever it is).

Do you need double-quotes around a variable value like

Actual->Sales?

No, because you wouldn't normally put the term"Actual->Sales" in double-quotes in a calc script

Youd just say Actual->Sales

In other words, put quotes around something in a variable ifyoud want quotes around them in a calc script (or whatever)


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Substitution Variables The Fun Part

You can actually set a variable to any darned thingyou want.

Check out this substitution variable:

&ClrCommand = CLEARDATA Actual->Feb->Sales->Cola->Texas;


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Substitution Variables Calc Lines

Yes, that's a full line from a calc script (including asemi-colon).

Watch how you can call it and then run it in a calcscript:

And yes, it actually runs.


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Substitution Variables Whole Scripts

You can even take this a step further and put aseries of lines into a script like this:

And then call it like this:

And then call it like this:


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Substitution Variables Whats The Point?

You can put the common lines from all of your calc scripts

into a substitution variable and call them from all your scripts

No more repeating SET UpdateCalc Off; at the top of everyscript

Just put &Header at the top of each script

And if your header needs change, just change the variable

Basically, youre writing your own macros usingvariables


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Workaround for Filtering Metadata inPlanning (using Essbase)


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Planning Metadata Filters from Planning Web

Planning will filter the dimensions within the Planningweb client, showing users only the members for whichthey have read or write access

Instead of seeing the full Entity

hierarchy (for example):


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Planning Metadata Filters from Planning Web

They see the hierarchy and members where they haveread or write (e.g. Latin America entities):


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Planning Metadata Filters from Reporting

Great in the Planning

web client but whatabout reporting in SmartView or other reportingtools?

The problem Users see the complete

dimension, even thosemembers with none

access Note they receive a#NoAccess message ifthey try to retrieve datafor members with Noneaccess


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The Solution

So what if you want to filter the metadata in reporting aswell as Planning?

Copy the Read filter that Planning creates in Essbase

Change the copied read filter to metaread Metaread security takes precedence over Read so you

can leave the Planning read filter

Metaread Essbase filters will filter both dimensions and

data for end users (just like the Planning web)

Is that it? Nope.

Planning refreshes will wipe out the new Metaread filters


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The Solution Part 2

You need to create a process / script that:

1) Refresh Planning dimensions and security2) Apply METAREAD access to those filters

In more detail

1. Refreshes Planning through CubeRefresh.cmd

2. Writes the filters to disk via MaxL

3. Reads them into memory in VBScript

4. Programmatically generates MaxL code to apply aMETAREAD to each of those filters

5. Run that new MaxL script

For more info/code samples, see interRels Cameron Lackpours blog: http://camerons-blog-for-essbase-hackers.blogspot.com/2009/07/fixing-plannings-filters.html
http://camerons-blog-for-essbase-hackers.blogspot.com/2009/07/fixing-plannings-filters.htmlhttp://camerons-blog-for-essbase-hackers.blogspot.com/2009/07/fixing-plannings-filters.htmlhttp://camerons-blog-for-essbase-hackers.blogspot.com/2009/07/fixing-plannings-filters.htmlhttp://camerons-blog-for-essbase-hackers.blogspot.com/2009/07/fixing-plannings-filters.htmlhttp://camerons-blog-for-essbase-hackers.blogspot.com/2009/07/fixing-plannings-filters.htmlhttp://camerons-blog-for-essbase-hackers.blogspot.com/2009/07/fixing-plannings-filters.htmlhttp://camerons-blog-for-essbase-hackers.blogspot.com/2009/07/fixing-plannings-filters.htmlhttp://camerons-blog-for-essbase-hackers.blogspot.com/2009/07/fixing-plannings-filters.htmlhttp://camerons-blog-for-essbase-hackers.blogspot.com/2009/07/fixing-plannings-filters.htmlhttp://camerons-blog-for-essbase-hackers.blogspot.com/2009/07/fixing-plannings-filters.htmlhttp://camerons-blog-for-essbase-hackers.blogspot.com/2009/07/fixing-plannings-filters.htmlhttp://camerons-blog-for-essbase-hackers.blogspot.com/2009/07/fixing-plannings-filters.htmlhttp://camerons-blog-for-essbase-hackers.blogspot.com/2009/07/fixing-plannings-filters.htmlhttp://camerons-blog-for-essbase-hackers.blogspot.com/2009/07/fixing-plannings-filters.htmlhttp://camerons-blog-for-essbase-hackers.blogspot.com/2009/07/fixing-plannings-filters.html


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Workaround - Drill Through to Detailfrom Planning Using Essbase Studio


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Essbase Studio

Next generation tool for Essbase application buildingand administration

Graphical modeling environment ease of use

Integrate Cube creation capabilities of EIS and EAS

Promote reuse and consistency

Manage change through impact analysis and artifact lineage Update data source administration and access


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Essbase Studio 11.1.1

Create, deploy and maintain cubes

Unifies many sources for modeling

RDB

OBIEE

Flat Files

EPMA Dimension Library

Support for new Essbase 11 features (Varying attributes, Textand date lists)

Catalog browsing and exploring

Manage change through impact analysis and artifact lineage

Graphic modeling environment Drill Through

Role based security

Improvements in architecture (parallel loads, optimized forTeradata TPT API)

Does anyone seePlanning listedhere?


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Essbase Studio Components

Data source definitions

Mini schemas

Hierarchies

Logical elements

Measures

Cube schemas

Cube deployments

Drill through reports

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Essbase Studio - Layout


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Essbase Studio Layout

Minischema tab in the Data SourceNavigator

Data Sources tab in the Data SourceNavigator

Metadata Navigator A tree view ofthe metadata repository

Folders created by user to organizecontents in the repository

A dimension element of that is of ameasure type

A dimension element that is boundto a physical column in the database

Hierarchy - A higher level metadataelement that has been created frombase dimensional elements

Cube schema A higher levelmetadata element that consists ofhierarchies and measures.

Essbase Model A cube schemathat has all the properties necessaryto create an Essbase application

Thumbnail navigator to obtain aminiaturized view of the minische

C d M E b C b i S di


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Create and Manage an Essbase Cube in Studio

1. Create data source

2. Create mini-schema (similar to metamodel in EIS)

3. Create hierarchies

4. Create cube schema Add hierarchies

5. Create Essbase model All Essbase properties under Essbase Model properties

6. Cube deployment wizard

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C D ill Th h R


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Create a Drill Through Report

Define the context

For what dims and members should the report display

Define report content

Wizard driven selection

You can customize the SQL

Associate cubes

Can associate multiple models

How does a user know a drill through exists?

Apply coloring in Smart View

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S C I U S di i h Pl i ?


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So Can I Use Studio with Planning?

Technically no

But I need to drill through from a Planning application to arelational table containing source details or even better, an actualinvoice

Heres the workaround to make that happen

D ill Th h S t U St


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Drill Through Set Up Steps

First you must have a relational source that contains tables for each

of the drill through dimensions that match the dimensions in thePlanning application

Hierarchies, member names

Create a Essbase Studio components for the Planning application

Data Sources

Mini-model

Hierarchies (only need those dimensions for the Drill Through reports)

Cube Schema

Essbase Model

Drill through reports

Studio Redeployment of cube model to the Planning Application >>Update All Hierarchies

Will associate the drill through reports with the defined dimensions

Must Redeploy / Update All Hierarchies after every refresh

C t Mi i S h


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Create Mini-Schema

C t C b S h


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Create Cube Schema

Th E d U E i (S t Vi )


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The End User Experience (Smart View)

Use formatting to highlight data intersections or

members where drill through reports exist

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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXxx xxxxx

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xxxxxxXxx xxxxx

Xxx xxxxx



Th E d U E i (S t Vi )


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The End User Experience (Smart View)

In Smart View, select Adhoc Analysis >> Drill Through

Reports

Select the Drill Thro gh Report


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Select the Drill Through Report

For the member or data value, a list of valid drill through

reports will display Yes you can have more than one drill through report (to

different sources even)

Relational Source Detail Displayed


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Relational Source Detail Displayed

Based on selected members, those are passed as parameters /

context for the drill through data See example below detailed invoice amounts for a specific account

for a specific month and year are returned

Can drill from any level in the Essbase database

Although watch out for the number of records to be returned

xxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxx

Drill Through to Images


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Technologies like Imagenow or Oracles Stellant provides access

to document images via web URLs

xxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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xxxxxxxxXXXXXXXX

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XXXXXX

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Remember Making This Work in Planning


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Remember Making This Work in Planning

Dimensions and hierarchies in source must match

Planning

Studio Redeployment of cube model to the PlanningApplication >> Update All Hierarchies

Will associate the drill through reports with the defined

dimensions

Must Redeploy / Update All Hierarchies aftereveryPlanning refresh

Other Tips


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Other Tips

Backup your Planning application and database!

Deploy the model to a blank / new Essbase database first Make sure the hierarchies are building correctly before deploying

over the Planning database

Dont rebuild dimensions youll lose all the properties

You must update all hierarchies (otherwise the drill through report

wont attach to the dimensions)

Today drill through is only available in Smart View and WebAnalysis

Remember you can drill on data and/or members

Many other tips and tricks for Essbase Studio But that is a different presentation (or 1 day interRel class)


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Can I Still Use Native EssbaseSecurity?

Native Security vs Essbase


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Native Security vs. Essbase

Shared Services is where you manage security for all

of your Hyperion / Oracle EPM products (beginning inSystem 9)

Did you know you could actually still use nativeEssbase security (if you wanted to)?

Pros / Cons of Native Essbase Security


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Pros / Cons of Native Essbase Security

Pros

Manage users and groups directlywithin Essbase administrationservices

Able to use external authentication(MSAD) for users

Able to use Essbase API

commands to manage security Application copies/migrations in

EAS can include security evenacross Essbase servers

Ability for Essbase administrators

& application owners to quicklyadd groups & users

Cons

Double maintenance sort of..

Doesnt allow use of External

(MSAD) groups

Shared Services isnt the single

security portal for all Hyperionproducts

LCM (Life Cycle Management)utility isnt available for Essbase

objects

No segregated Provisioning

Manager role separate from

server or applicationadministration

Pros / Cons of Shared Services Security forE b


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EssbasePros

More comprehensive External

authentication (MSAD) integration withprovisioning

LCM utility is available for Essbaseobjects

Able to have Provisioning Manager

users that are not Essbaseadministrators

EssCMD and MaxL statements can stillbe used to add/update/delete users

Addition/removal of users withinExternal (MSAD) groups is handled

outside of the Hyperion system Security audit/reporting tools that

reference the External (MSAD)directory can include Essbase in theirreporting

Cons

Shared Services and Essbase have

to be synchronized (can be a timeconsuming process depending onnumber of users)

Application copies/migrations in EAScannot include security but securitycan be migrated separately through

Shared Services

Essbase API calls cannot be used toadd/update/delete users

External (MSAD) and native(Hyperion) groups must have unique

names No way to force all security to be

External (MSAD) so some native(Hyperion) users and groups couldexist outside of the auditing/reportingdone against MSAD

What is the right answer for you?


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What is the right answer for you?

What Oracle EPM products are you using? Do you use more thanone EPM product? Or are you strictly an Essbase / Excel Add-inshop?

What version are you using?

You decision may be different in a 931 world vs. 11 world with LCM

Who are the users and do they use more than one Oracle EPM

product? How many users do you have for Essbase?

Who maintains security? Who maintains security for which OracleEPM product?

How are groups set up in your external directory? Can you

leverage existing groups? Do you have to migrate / create groupsin the external directory? If a new external group is required, whatis the turn around time to create the group and assign the user(so that you can then leverage it in Shared Services)?

What are nightly batch windows?

In Summary


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In Summary

EssbaseSecurity

Shared

ServicesSecurity

Good: Less duplicativesecurity work, auditcontrols, lessmaintenanceBad: Less control asEssbase admin

Good: More control as

Essbase adminBad: Duplicativesecurity work, moremaintenance if you ownmore than one EPMproduct


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Other Miscellaneous Tips

Recent Customer Questions

Copy Filters (or other Essbase Objects)


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Copy Filters (or other Essbase Objects)

Situation: I have defined a number of filters on my

Essbase database. At the end of each month, Iarchive a copy of database and then I would like toreattach the filters. After the database is created, Ican use the EAS Console to copy the filters from thecurrent database to the archived version...but I want ascripted / automated way to do this?

Where is the copy command in MaxL?

Create As


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Create As

Use the As FilterYouWantToCopy optional argument

to the Create Filter command

For instance, say you had a filter calledSample.Basic.West and you wanted to copy it toAppCopy.DBCopy.West (note the change in the

application name and database name) Create filter AppCopy.DBCopy.West as

Sample.Basic.West ;

Apply this for other Essbase objects as well in MaxL

Are You Having this Issue?


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Are You Having this Issue?

If you are experiencing slow response time when you

are bringing up the sessions dialog in EAS (or MaxL),you can add the following to your Essbase.cfg file

NO_HOSTNAME_LISTCONNECT True

When set to TRUE, IP addresses are not converted tohostnames, which improves the performance of thedisplay session MaxL statement

Agenda


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Agenda

Converting #Missing to Values in Excel

Essbase Workarounds with Data Load & Dimension Build Rules Essbase Workarounds with Substitution Variables

Planning Metadata Filters

Drill Through to Planning using Studio

Native Essbase Security Other Miscellaneous Tips (if we have time)

Questions and Answers

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS


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Edward Roske

[email protected]

BLOG: Looksmarter.blogspot.com

WEBSITE: www.interrel.com

TWITTER: ERoske
mailto:[email protected]://www.interrel.com/http://www.interrel.com/mailto:[email protected]

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Work a Rounds for What the Essbase Developers Forgot MIOAUG(3)