Oracle Essbase 9 Implementation Guide

Oracle Essbase 9 Implementation Guide

by Joseph Sydney Gomez, Sarma Anantapantula
Released June 2009
Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
ISBN: 9781847196866

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Book description

Develop high-performance multidimensional analytic OLAP solutions with Oracle Essbase 9 with this book and eBook

About This Book

  • 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

    • 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.

    What You Will Learn

  • 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.

    Style and 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.

    Table of contents

    1. Oracle Essbase 9 Implementation Guide
      1. Table of Contents
      2. Oracle Essbase 9 Implementation Guide
      3. Credits
      4. About the Authors
      5. About the Reviewer
      6. Acknowledgements
      7. Preface
        1. A brief history on Essbase
        2. Why Essbase
        3. What this book covers
        4. Who this book is for
        5. Versions covered in this book
        6. Data warehousing concepts
        7. The fathers of the data warehouse
          1. What is a data warehouse
        8. Different types of data warehouses
        9. Data warehouse data modeling
        10. The Third Normal Form (3NF)
        11. The Dimensional Data Model
        12. Where does Essbase fit in this
        13. Conventions
        14. Let's get started
        15. Reader feedback
        16. Customer support
        17. Errata
        18. Piracy
        19. Questions
      8. 1. Installing Oracle Essbase
        1. Installing the Essbase analytic server
        2. Installing Essbase Administration Services
        3. Starting the EAS
        4. Installing the Essbase Add-in for Microsoft Excel
        5. A typical network setup
        6. Summary
      9. 2. Essbase Data and Design Considerations
        1. Introduction to OLAP
        2. Determining the data requirements
        3. Determine data storage options
        4. Types of Essbase applications
          1. Aggregate Storage Option (ASO)
          2. Block Storage Option (BSO)
          3. Unicode and Non-Unicode applications
        5. Creating your first Essbase application
          1. Essbase Application Properties
            1. Startup section
            2. Security
            3. Minimum access level
        6. Types of Essbase databases
          1. The normal (non-currency) database
          2. Essbase currency database
        7. Database components
          1. The database outline
          2. Linked Reporting Objects
          3. Partitions
          4. Calculation scripts
          5. Report scripts
          6. Database load rules files
        8. Allowing duplicate member names
        9. Create your first Essbase database
          1. General tab
          2. Dimensions tab
          3. Statistics tab
          4. Caches tab
          5. Transactions tab
          6. Storage tab
          7. Currency tab
          8. Modifications tab
        10. Types of Essbase users
        11. Summary
      10. 3. Building the Essbase Outline
        1. Before we begin
        2. The Essbase outline—the foundation
        3. Dimensions and members
          1. Outline member descriptors
          2. Generations and Levels
            1. Generation
            2. Level
        4. Types of dimensions
          1. Standard dimension
            1. The Account dimension type
            2. The Time dimension type
            3. The Country dimension type
            4. No dimension type or general dimension
            5. The Currency Partition dimension type
          2. The Attribute dimension
          3. Dense and Sparse dimensions
        5. Build your first outline
        6. Member properties
          1. Member consolidations
          2. Valid consolidation operators
          3. Member storage
          4. Member formulas
          5. Member alias
            1. Alias table
        7. Build your first data rules file
          1. Step 1: Start the Data Prep Editor
          2. Step 2: Associate the Dimension Build Rules file
          3. Step 3: Open data load file or the SQL data source file
          4. Step 4: Set the Data Source Properties
          5. Step 5: Set the View to Dimension build fields
          6. Step 6: Select Dimension build method
            1. Generation reference
            2. Level reference
            3. Parent-child reference
          7. Step 7: Format file
          8. Step 8: Associate fields with dimensions
          9. Step 9: Validate the Dimension Build rules file
        8. Update your outline using a rules file
          1. Update your outline using the EAS Outline Editor
          2. Update using MaxL Shell
            1. Executing MaxL from EAS editor
              1. Syntax of Import Dimension statement
            2. Executing MaxL from command prompt
        9. Attribute dimensions
        10. User Defined Attributes (UDA)
        11. Dynamic Time Series
        12. Shared members
        13. Summary
      11. 4. Loading Data into Essbase
        1. Make your data Essbase-friendly
          1. Essbase-friendly thoughts
            1. Essbase-friendly example
        2. Types of data sources
          1. Type of data
            1. Types of files used for data loads
              1. Microsoft Excel files
              2. Text files
              3. Essbase data export text files
            2. Relational databases
        3. Data load methods
          1. Data file freeform (no load rule)
          2. Essbase export and import (no load rule)
          3. Structured data load (load rule used)
          4. Microsoft Excel Lock and Send (no load rule)
        4. Building your first data load rules file
          1. Step 1: Starting the Data Prep Editor
          2. Step 2: Associating the data load rules file
          3. Step 3: Opening data load file or the SQL data source file
          4. Step 4: Setting the View to Data Load Fields
          5. Step 5: Setting the Data Source Properties
          6. Step 6: Updating the Data Load Settings
          7. Step 7: Setting the Data Load Values
              1. Data values
              2. Sign flip
            2. Clearing Data Combinations
            3. Header Definition
          8. Step 8: Associating fields with Data Load Properties
            1. Global properties
            2. Data Load Properties
          9. Step 9: Validating the data load rules file
          10. Step 10: Saving the data load rules file
        5. Loading data into your database
          1. Using the EAS to load data into your Essbase cube
          2. Loading data using MaxL
        6. Data Load vs. Dimension Build
        7. Summary
      12. 5. Calculating your Essbase Cube
        1. Calculating your database
          1. The Essbase calculation script
          2. Essbase outline member formula
        2. Calculation types explained
          1. Calculation Scripts
          2. Stored data member formula
          3. Dynamic Calc and Dynamic Calc and Store
        3. Essbase calculation terminology
        4. Default database calculation script
        5. Calc All
        6. Calculate/Aggregate dimension
        7. Essbase Calc commands and functions
          1. Data declarations
          2. Control flow
            1. FIX/ENDFIX
              1. Basic FIX and ENDFIX examples
            2. EXCLUDE/ENDEXCLUDE
              1. Basic EXCLUDE/ENDEXCLUDE examples
          3. Functional
            1. SET command functions
          4. Conditionals
            1. IF/ENDIF
          5. Boolean
          6. Relationship functions
          7. Operators
          8. Math
          9. Member set
          10. Range (Financial)
          11. Forecasting
          12. Statistical
          13. Date and Time
          14. Miscellaneous
        8. Order of calculation
        9. Two-Pass Calc
        10. Using Substitution Variables
          1. Substitution Variables using EAS
          2. Substitution Variables using MaxL
            1. Create variables at the server level
            2. Create variables at the application level
            3. Create variables at the database level
            4. Displaying the Substitution Variable and its value
            5. Displaying the Substitution Variable in the SQL editor
        11. Building your first Calculation Script
          1. Writing and saving a Calculation Script
        12. Executing your Calculation Scripts
          1. Running Calculation Scripts manually using EAS
          2. Running a Calculation Script using an Essbase Command Script (EssCmd)
            1. What the EssCmd script looks like
          3. Running a Calculation Script using a MaxL Script
          4. Running a Calculation Script using the Essbase API
          5. Running a Calculation Script from Microsoft Excel
            1. Running a Calculation Script through the Essbase Add-In
            2. Running a Calculation Script using Microsoft Excel VBA
        13. Summary
      13. 6. Using your Essbase Cube
        1. Using your Essbase database
          1. How do you use your data in the real world
            1. Ad hoc data
            2. Canned reporting
            3. Export data
            4. Forecast analysts
            5. Planning analysts
            6. Budget analysts
            7. Financial analysts
            8. The real target users of your Essbase data
        2. Ways to extract your Essbase data
        3. The Essbase Report Script
          1. How to create an Essbase Report Script
          2. Report script commands and functions
            1. Report layout commands
            2. Data range commands
            3. Data ordering command
            4. Member selection and sorting commands
            5. Format commands
            6. Column or row calculation
            7. Member names and aliases
          3. Building your first Essbase report script
        4. Executing your report scripts
          1. Run reports using EAS
          2. Running a report script using an Essbase command script
          3. Running calc using a MaxL script
        5. Previewing data in EAS
          1. Cubeview
          2. Properties
        6. Summary
      14. 7. Getting the most out of the Microsoft Excel Add-in
        1. Reporting with the Microsoft Excel Add-in
          1. Connecting to Essbase
            1. Connecting to Essbase from Microsoft Excel
          2. Disconnecting from Essbase
          3. Launching the Essbase Query Designer
          4. Retrieving data from Essbase
          5. Setting the add-in spreadsheet options
            1. Display tab
            2. Zoom tab
            3. Mode tab
            4. Global tab
          6. Selecting Essbase members for your query
          7. Using the Keep Only function
          8. Using the Remove Only function
          9. Zooming in on your data
          10. Zooming out on your data
          11. Pivot Essbase members on your spreadsheet
          12. Flashback: The Essbase Add-in Undo
          13. Locking the data and retrieving
          14. Locking the data
          15. Unlocking the locked data
          16. Sending your data to the database
          17. Running a database calculation
          18. Retrieving your sheet without data
          19. Zooming in on sample data
          20. Linking objects to your data
          21. Creating graphical data representations
          22. Using the currency conversion tool
          23. Custom Microsoft Excel workbook reporting
          24. A final word on the Essbase add-in
        2. Using the Essbase Query Designer
          1. Where do I find the Essbase Query Designer
          2. Creating a query with Essbase Query Designer
            1. Page dimensions
            2. Row dimensions
            3. Column dimensions
            4. Sample query
            5. Report script by-product
        3. Summary
      15. 8. Automating your Essbase Cube
        1. Essbase command scripts (EssCmd)
          1. Creating an Essbase command script
          2. EssCmd commands and categories
          3. Coding a basic EssCmd
            1. Always remember EssCmd logging
            2. Connecting to an Essbase server
            3. What about error checking
            4. Adding some functional commands
            5. The finished script
            6. Executing an EssCmd
              1. EssCmd processing from command prompt
              2. EssCmd processing in batch mode
        2. Essbase MaxL scripts
          1. Logging on to the Essbase server
          2. Working with an Essbase application in MaxL
            1. Creating an application
            2. Altering the application
              1. Using the SET properties statement
              2. Using load/unload database
              3. Clear application log
              4. Enable/Disable start up/auto startup
            3. Display application
            4. Drop application
          3. Working with an Essbase database from MaxL
            1. Creating or replacing a database
            2. Altering a database
              1. Enable/Disable commands
              2. Archive commands
              3. Set commands
              4. Reset database
              5. Rename database
            3. Display database
            4. Drop database
          4. Working with data in MaxL
          5. Working with database calculations in MaxL
            1. Create calculation
            2. Display calculation
            3. Execute calculation
            4. Drop calculation
          6. Working with user privileges in MaxL
            1. Create user
            2. Alter user
            3. Display user
            4. Drop user
            5. Grant user
          7. Working at the System level with MaxL
            1. Alter system properties
            2. Display system properties
          8. Substitution variables
          9. Executing a MaxL statement
          10. Executing MaxL from Command Prompt
          11. Executing MaxL from EAS
        3. Essbase Application Programming Interface (API)
          1. Installing the Essbase API
          2. What you should know to use the Essbase API
          3. What functions are available in the Essbase API
          4. Essbase API programming tips
            1. Essbase nested coding style examples
            2. Essbase API function declarations
            3. How to code an API function
            4. Essbase API code sample blocks
            5. The sample API subroutine explained
        4. Summary
      16. 9. Advanced Techniques
        1. Performance tuning your database
        2. The shape of your database outline
          1. The hourglass outline
          2. Database block size
        3. Database configuration settings
          1. Data retrieval buffers
          2. Data cache settings
          3. Data load and storage settings
        4. Partitioning databases
        5. Analytic server configuration file
          1. Configuration categories
          2. Configuration settings to consider
            1. Ports and connections
            2. Logging and error handling
            3. Calculation
            4. Data import/export
        6. Memory management
          1. essbase.cfg memory settings
        7. Summary
      17. 10. Essbase Analytics Option
        1. What is ASO
          1. Creating an aggregate storage Application|Database
          2. Hierarchies
            1. Stored hierarchies
            2. Dynamic hierarchies
          3. Outline paging
          4. Aggregation
        2. MDX query language
          1. MDX functions for ASO
            1. MDX function examples
          2. MDX query syntax
          3. Executing an MDX query
          4. Tuples and Sets
        3. Pros and cons of ASO and BSO
          1. Pros and cons of BSO
            1. Pros
            2. Cons
          2. Pros and cons of ASO
            1. Pros
            2. Cons
        4. Summary
      18. 11. Essbase System 9 Components
        1. Overview of System 9 components
          1. Essbase Analytic Services (Essbase agent)
          2. Essbase Planning
          3. Essbase analytics
          4. Hyperion Application Link/Oracle Application Link
          5. Oracle Business Rules
          6. Oracle Reports
          7. Essbase Shared Services
          8. Oracle Essbase Provider Services
          9. Essbase Smart Office
          10. Oracle Essbase Financial Reporting
          11. Smart View for Microsoft Office
        2. Summary
      19. A. A New Essbase Companion—Oracle Smart View
        1. Reporting with Oracle Smart View
          1. Adding a data source with the connection manager
          2. Retrieving data using Smart View in Microsoft Excel
          3. POV Manager
          4. Submitting data and calc scripts in Smart View
          5. Using Smart View in other Microsoft Office products
      20. Index

    Product information

    • Title: Oracle Essbase 9 Implementation Guide
    • Author(s): Joseph Sydney Gomez, Sarma Anantapantula
    • Release date: June 2009
    • Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
    • ISBN: 9781847196866