Oracle Essbase New Features Release 11.1.2.4

Thread Pool for Parallel Operations

Historically, Essbase dynamically created threads for parallel operations such as parallel calculation, parallel data load, and parallel restructure. However, beginning this release, the following parallel operations do not dynamically create threads, but instead use a set number of threads from a pre-created pool of threads:

• Parallel calculation, with CALCPARALLEL or FIXPARALLEL
• Parallel data load, for aggregate storage and block storage databases
• Parallel export, for block storage databases
• Parallel restructuring

You can customize the size of the thread pool. For more information, see the WORKERTHREADS configuration setting topic in the Oracle Essbase Technical Reference.

XML Outline Editing

XML outline editing enables you to use an XML file to make basic changes to the database outline. This method is a streamlined way to make outline edits without needing to use a rules file nor invoke the Outline API. To perform XML outline editing, you reference a provided .xsd file, create an .xml file, and call the C Main API function EssBuildDimXML (or the Java API method buildDimensionXml). For more information, see EssBuildDimXML in the Oracle Essbase API Reference.

To use the XML outline editing feature in Essbase 11.1.2.4, aggregate storage outlines that were created in an earlier release must first be migrated to 11.1.2.4.

Enhancements to Hybrid Aggregation

Hybrid aggregation mode was introduced in Release 11.1.2.3.500 as a way to bring improved calculation efficiency to block storage databases. In this release, Time-balance tagged members and Dynamic Time Series members can also be calculated in hybrid aggregation mode.

Additionally, many more calculation functions are included in the list for member formulas that can be calculated in hybrid aggregation mode. For the full list, see the topic “Functions Supported in Hybrid Aggregation Mode” in the Oracle Essbase Technical Reference.

Optimizations for Oracle Exalytics In-Memory machine

Enhancements have been introduced for Essbase Server running on Oracle Exalytics In-Memory machine. An accompanying increase in virtual memory usage is normal and expected. Virtual memory usage is increased by the size of page files.

On SPARC T5/Solaris Exalytics In-Memory machine, for best performance, configure swap space on the system to be greater than the sum of the expected sizes of dynamic calculator caches, for all databases on the system.

Supporting POV and Pivot Enhancements for Smart View 11.1.2.5.400

Essbase and Oracle Hyperion Provider Services are enhanced to support the Oracle Smart View for Office Point of View (POV) toolbar and pivoting behavior as follows:

• Multiple members can be pivoted from the grid to the POV toolbar.
• Multiple members can be pivoted from the POV toolbar to the grid.
• A single dimension can remain on the POV toolbar.

In prior releases, only one member in a dimension could be pivoted from the grid to the POV, and from the POV to the grid. Also in prior releases, Essbase and Oracle Hyperion Provider Services only supported having at least two dimensions on the Oracle Smart View for Office POV toolbar.

Calculation Enhancements

New Calculation Functions
@RELXRANGE—Generates a cross dimensional list based on the relative position of the cell that is currently being calculated and the offsets.


Calculation Function Changes

Support for the XrangeList parameter is added to a number of functions. XrangeList is a range of members from one or more dimensions, and can help you incorporate time continuum navigation. The functions that support XrangeList are:

@COMPOUND

@COMPOUNDGROWTH

@CORRELATION

@COUNT

@DECLINE

@DISCOUNT

@GROWTH

@INTEREST

@IRR

@IRREX

@MEDIAN

@MODE

@NEXT

@NEXTS

@NPV

@PRIOR

@PRIORS

@PTD

@RANK

@RELXRANGE (new function)

@SHIFT

@SHIFTMINUS

@SHIFTPLUS

@SLN

@SYD

@VARIANCE

@VARIANCEP

Configuration Setting (essbase.cfg) Changes

New Configuration Settings

WORKERTHREADS—See Thread Pool for Parallel Operations.

CRASHDUMPLOCATION—Sets the location where Essbase saves a core dump file when an abnormal termination occurs.

CONNECTIONTIMEOUT—Specifies the maximum time that Essbase should wait for a SQL connection before timing out.

QUERYTIMEOUT—Specifies the maximum time that Oracle Essbase should wait for a SQL query to execute before timing out.

MaxL Grammar Changes

The MaxL export data statement includes grammar you can use to make exported data anonymous, wherein real data is replaced with generated values. This removes the risk of sensitive data disclosure, and can be used in case a model needs to be provided to technical support for reproduction of certain issues.

Essbase API Changes

New C Main API Function
EssBuildDimXML—See XML Outline Editing.

New C Outline API Function

EssOtlVerifyOutlineEx3—A new API function for verifying outlines. This function differs from EssOtlVerifyOutlineEx in that it provides both member warnings and formula errors.

Changed API Functions and Structures

ESS_PERF_CUSTCALC_T and ESS_PERF_ALLOC_T have an additional field, dataloadOption. Generated calculation or allocation values can be added to existing values, instead of overwriting them.