VARYING ATTRIBUTES IN ESSBASE

VARYING ATTRIBUTES

Though Varying Attributes feature is launched in 11.1.x version and is not new to Essbase,
I have seen, still this is new to many. The reason for my new post about Varying Attributes is to explain in detail about Varying Attributes features with examples. 

Varying Attributes Overview

A product typically has attributes that describe or define the product. 
For example, a product could have an attribute describing the size of the product in liters and an attribute describing the flavor of the product. 
In such a scenario, Product would be a base dimension while Liters and Flavor would be attribute dimensions.

An enhancement to Attribute Dimensions starting from version 11.1.x gives us more 
flexibility by without the necessity of creating new stored members or even a new dimension, and thus affecting the database size in a negative way. 
This new option is called Varying Attributes.

As an example, consider this scenario:

Cool drink with 200 ml is newly launched in the last quarter of the year. Sales of cool drinks in the last six months are as follows:

Varying Attributes example: newly launched cool drink in 200 ml

Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb
Coke500ml	Coke500ml	Coke500ml	ThumsUp200ml	ThumsUp200ml	ThumsUp200ml

In this example, cool drink with 200 ml is Varying attribute. Data retrievals show that cool drink sold in Sep, Oct and Nov months total of 1500 ml of quantity and from Dec, Jan and Feb the cold drinks sold for 3 months are 600 ml. Without using Varying Attribute, the total quantity in liters would  be 2.1lts

In order to create varying attributes (assuming, that the other standard dimensions, like Product and Time, already exist), a common Attribute Dimension with its members needs to be created in the outline.

Parallel and Serial Calculation

PARALLEL AND SERIAL CALCULATION

Essbase supports Parallel and Serial Calculations:

Serial Calculation is the default. With serial calculation, each calculation pass is scheduled to run on a single processor. If invoked from a calculation script, the calculations are executed sequentially in the order in which they appear in the calculation script.

Parallel Calculation breaks each calculation pass into sub-tasks. The sub-tasks that can run independently of one another are scheduled to run simultaneously on up to 64 or 128
threads. Block storage databases running on 32-bit platforms support up to 64 threads. Block storage databases running on 64-bit platforms and aggregate storage databases (whether running on 32-bit or 64-bit platforms) support up to 128 threads. Each thread may be on a different processor.

To change from the default serial calculation to parallel calculation, change, at most, two
configuration settings and restart the server, or add an instruction to the calculation script.

Checking Current Parallel Calculation Settings:

You can check either the server configuration file or the calculation script that you plan to use to see if parallel calculation is enabled.

To check whether parallel calculation has been enabled in the server configuration file:

1. Open the server essbase.cfg file with a text editor.
2. Search for the parameter CALCPARALLEL, and check its specified value.

To check whether a calculation script sets parallel calculation, look for the SET
CALCPARALLEL command. Review the script carefully, because the script may enable or
disable parallel calculation more than once.

Essbasse File Types for Applications and Databases and File Extensions

File Extension       Description

bak	Backup of Security file. Essbase automatically creates a backup of the  security file before and after migration.
cfg	Essbase Server Configuration file
exe	.exe is a file extension for an executable file format.
sec	Security file. The Essbase security file is located in Arborpath/bin directory. The  content of essbase.sec is encrypted
app	Application file, defining the name and location of the application and other application settings. .app, .apb and application log file will be created once we create a new application.
apb	Back up of application file. .app, .apb and application log file will be created once we create a new application.
arc	Archive file
csc	Essbase Calculation Script. Scripts that define how to calculate data.
db	Database file. .db, .dbb, .esm, .tct and .ind files are created once we create the database.
dbb	Back up of database file. .db, .dbb, .esm, .tct and .ind files are created once we create the database.
esm	Essbase kernel file that manages pointers to data blocks and contains control information used for database recovery. .db, .dbb, .esm, .tct and .ind files are created once we create the database.
ind	Essbase Index file.This file holds the pointers to the data available in Page files and this will be only one. .db, .dbb, .esm, .tct and .ind files are created once we create the database.
log	Server or application log
lro	LRO's are linked to a data cell - not to the data contained in the cell.
lst	List of files to back up
Mxl	MaxL script file. MaxL is the scripting language for Essbase which is used to automate various tasks and functions. Some of the common actions that MaxL is used for are: Loading a database, Building dimension, Adding a user
otg	Ooutline change log
otl	Essbase Outline file. The structure in the outline determines how data is stored in the database.
pag	Essbase database data (page) file. The  page file consists of data and each file size is 2GB. If the data file size is more than 2GB the system will creates another page file with capacity of 2GB and this process continue till the system able to accommodate the entire data. page file is not readable as it is compiled code.
rep	Essbase report script.Scripts that generate reports on data
rule	Essbase rules file. A rules files defines which build method to use.
tct	Essbase database transaction control file that manages all commits of data and follows and maintains all transactions. .db, .dbb, .esm, .tct and .ind files are created once we create the database.

  

Hyperion URL's - Worth noting

Thin Client:

http://servername:10080/easconsole/console.html 

Workspace:

http://servername:19000/workspace/index.jsp

Shared services:

http://SERVERNAME:19000/interop/

http://SERVERNAME:28080/interop

Planning:

http://servername:8300/HyperionPlanning/

The Essbase Agent manages Essbase Server. The Agent process starts and stops all applications and act as  the traffic coordinator for Essbase Server. 

Essbase Agent - 1423

Understanding Essbase Partitioning

Essbase Partitioning

A partition is the region of a database that is shared with another database. Depending on the type of partition, data can be shared directly between databases (Transparent Partition), copied from one database to another (Replicated Partition), or used as a predefined launching point from one database to another (Linked Partition).

Partition Types:

Types of partitions that are supported in Essbase:

1) Replicated
2) Transparent 
3) Linked

Replicated Partitions - A replicated partition is a copy of a portion of the data source that is stored in the data target. Some users then can access the data in the data source while others access it in the data target. 

Transparent Partitions - A transparent partition allows users to manipulate data that is stored remotely as if it were part of the local database. The remote data is retrieved from the data source each time that users at the data target request it. Users do not need to know where the data is stored, because they see it as part of their database. 

Linked Partitions - A linked partition connects two databases with a data cell. When you click the linked cell in the data target, you will drill across to a second database-the data source-and view the data there. Unlike replicated or transparent partitions, linked partitions do not restrict you to viewing data in the same dimensionality as the target database. With linked partitions, data in not physically transferred from the source to the target. Instead, a data cell or range of cells on the target provides a link point to a cell or range of cells on the source.

Combinations of Data Sources and Data Targets Supported by Partition Type

Source	Target	Replicated	Transparent	Linked
Block storage	Block storage	Yes	Yes	Yes
Aggregate storage	Block storage	No	Yes	Yes
Aggregate storage	Aggregate storage	No	Yes	Yes
Block storage	Aggregate storage	Yes	Yes	Yes

To create a new partition:

Right Click on the Source Database - Create new partition

Select the Partition type: 

Provide the  connection details for "Data Source - Essbase Server" and "Data Target - Essbase Server" 

MEMBER CALCULATION ORDER

MEMBER CALCULATION ORDER

When you perform a default calculation (CALC ALL) on a database, Essbase calculates the dimensions in the following order:

If both a dimension tagged as accounts and a dimension tagged as time exist, and if formulas are applied to members on the account dimension, Essbase calculates in this order:

1. Dimension tagged as Account
2. Dimension tagged as Time
3. Other Dense dimension
4. Other Sparse dimensions 

Otherwise, Essbase calculates in this order:

1. Dense dimension
2. Sparse dimensions

Dense dimensions are the dimensions that define the internal structure of the data block. They should reside at the top of the outline. 

Aggregating Sparse dimensions are dimensions that will be calculated to create new parent values. These dimensions should reside directly below the last Dense dimension in the Outline.  

Attribute  dimensions,  which are not included in the database consolidation, do not effect consolidation order. 

Provisioning Users And Groups

PROVISIONING USERS AND GROUPS WITH PLANNING APPLICATION ROLES

Functional Administrator and Planning Provisioning Managers can provision
Planning application users using Shared Services Console

You must provision planing users separately to each application. 

To provision users and groups with Planing application roles:

1. Access Shared Services Console as a Functional Administrator or as a Provisioning Manager role of   the Planning application that you want to provision.

2. Provision users and groups to Planning application.

3. Find a User or Group to Provision.

4. Right click  the user of group, and then select Provision.

5. In Available Roles, expand the application group (for example, Planning) that contains your Planning application.

6. Expand the node that represents your application.

7. Select roles and click Add.

8. The selected roles are displayed in Selected Roles list

9. Click Save.

10. Click OK