Essbase Analytics Option [ 380 ] Pros and cons of ASO The ASO is fast becoming the standard for extra large Essbase databases. Where the need for high speed data retrieval for reporting and analysis can eclipse the need for full-featured functionality, ASO lls in nicely. Here we will describe what we feel are some of the positive features of the ASO as well as some of the not so positive features for you. Pros Listed below are just a few high-level features that we feel makes the Essbase ASO a good choice: • Easy optimization, massive data scalability, reduced disk space, and upto 100 times faster. • Database creation is accomplished by either migrating a BSO outline or dened as new after application creation. • Outline dimensions will not need to be designated as dense or sparse. • Outline is validated every time a database is started. • Database calculation or aggregation of the database can be predened by dening aggregate views. • Calculation order is not relevant for database calculation, but is relevant for dynamic calculation formulas. • Limited write back ability. • At the end of a data load, if aggregation exists, the values in aggregation are recalculated and updated automatically. • Aggregate storage database outlines are page-able. This feature signicantly reduces memory usage for very large database outlines. Cons Listed below are a few high-level features that we feel you may need to be wary of when using the Essbase ASO: • Aggregate storage applications have some limitations that do not apply to block storage applications with regard to consolidations, calculations, and overall robust functionality. • Can store only one database per application. • Names reserved for table spaces cannot be used as application or database names. This material is copyright and is licensed for the sole use by Paul Corcorran on 5th July 2009 8601 ave. p #1, , lubbock, , 79423 Download at Boykma.Com Chapter 10 [ 381 ] • Accounts dimension does not support time balance members and association of attribute dimensions. • On non-account dimensions, there are restrictions on label only members and dynamic time series members. Members tagged as dynamic hierarchies have no restrictions on the consolidation settings. Stored hierarchy members can only be tagged as label only or (+) addition. • Non-account dimensions support only consolidation operator (+) addition • Calculation scripts are not supported. • Formulas are allowed only on account dimension members and allowed with certain restrictions. • Only Level 0 cells whose values do not depend on formulas in the outline are loaded. • Data values are cleared each time the outline is structurally changed. Therefore, incremental data loads are only supported for outlines that do not change. • Currency conversion is not supported without the use of special MDX queries. This method can have a negative effect on performance. As you can see, there are some substantial differences and some very good reasons to use one type of database over another. To give you our idea of the ideal application of ASO and BSO, read below: • ASO Database: The ASO database is ideal for dynamically built Essbase cubes that are usually Read Only and used for reporting, presentation, and analysis. This type of database would also tend to have a rather large outline where at least one dimension has a signicant amount of members. A parts dimension or product dimension comes to mind. Behind this ASO database would be a large BSO parent Essbase database, from which the dynamic ASO databases are built on the y. • BSO Database: The BSO database is ideal for virtually any size cube, but where performance is not necessarily the number one priority. Accuracy and completeness of data would be the main consideration. The BSO database is ideal as the large parent database where users from many different departments can trigger jobs which will dynamically build ASO reporting cubes on an as needed basis. The typical BSO database is ideally suited for nancial analysis applications. This material is copyright and is licensed for the sole use by Paul Corcorran on 5th July 2009 8601 ave. p #1, , lubbock, , 79423 Download at Boykma.Com Essbase Analytics Option [ 382 ] Of course, these are just one possibility or scenario. The beauty of Essbase is that you can do most anything with it. Heck, you could easily have a large Oracle relational database as the backend data source for your ASO cubes. The possibilities are endless! Summary We hope you have found the information in this chapter as fun, exciting, and useful as we have. As we've said repeatedly throughout this book, it should be no wonder to you why Oracle Essbase is the number one data analytics tool in the world! It's almost as though Essbase is a product that is never nished, because just when you think it can't get any better, it gets even better! You should now have a good understanding of the two very different but complimentary Essbase database architectures. The BSO is the old standby foundation in the world of Essbase, and the ASO is the streamlined speedster. The differences in many cases between ASO and BSO are minor, but their affect can be dramatic. The BSO utilizes the standard data block method of storing data, while the ASO uses the aggregate method. The BSO is built for rugged and robust computing and analysis. The ASO is built for high speed, high volume data analysis and reporting. We're sure you see by now that whether you use ASO, BSO, or both together, you can be condent you have made the right choice. Yes, there are several imitators out there. There are some that are even pushing their product for free. We are condent you will agree with us that when all is said and done, Essbase is the clearly superior tool. Read on in fact, for an introduction to some of the new components available in what is now a suite of Essbase applications. This material is copyright and is licensed for the sole use by Paul Corcorran on 5th July 2009 8601 ave. p #1, , lubbock, , 79423 Download at Boykma.Com Essbase System 9 Components Here we are at the last chapter of this outstanding book. It has taken ten, occasionally long, chapters to get you to a point where you are procient and capable in the exciting world of Oracle Essbase. A lot has changed with Essbase since the early days back in the 1990's. Essbase itself has grown and ourished into the world's leading OLAP analytic software and now includes all of the bells and whistles you'd expect and more. The purpose of this chapter is to go over some exciting new additions to the Essbase family. No longer is it just Essbase, the multidimensional OLAP database. The future of Essbase, beginning with Essbase version 9.x, is now Essbase System 9. Essbase System 9 is now a suite of analytical applications or components of which Essbase is the cornerstone. Some of the components enhance the overall abilities of the suite and some are targeted more to specic computing purposes. Overview of System 9 components When Oracle purchased Hyperion and several other companies, they set out to organize their product catalog and bring together a standardized naming convention as well as standardized software versioning. The Essbase suite of tools and applications is no exception as Essbase version 9.x has become Essbase System 9, and there never really was a commercially released Essbase version 8.x. Oracle now has plans to further integrate the Essbase suite of tools and components into their product catalog and we'll just need to wait and see how this plays out with version 11 and beyond. This material is copyright and is licensed for the sole use by Paul Corcorran on 5th July 2009 8601 ave. p #1, , lubbock, , 79423 Download at Boykma.Com Essbase System 9 Components [ 384 ] What we are giving you in this chapter is a high level look at each new Essbase tool or component and also a slightly lower level look at the hot new additions to the Essbase family. Not to detract from any of the other Essbase family members, but the new Oracle Smart View, for one, is an awesome tool to have in your toolbox. Essbase Analytic Services (Essbase agent) The term Essbase analytic services, while commonly thought to refer to the Essbase suite of applications, actually refers to the common Essbase system structure that is built around the Essbase analytic database engine technology. We know this sounds confusing, but here is how it works. In your Essbase toolbox, you can have many different tools. Some of them are optional and can be added at an additional expense and some of them must be included from the beginning for proper system installation. No matter what tools you want to add to your Essbase toolbox, the Essbase agent or Essbase analytic services must be included and it is the cornerstone of the Essbase suite of applications. The Essbase agent is what you install on your server in order to make it an Essbase analytic server. The Essbase agent is what you use to build, deploy, and maintain your Essbase databases. In a nutshell, Essbase analytic services is the heart and soul of your Essbase system. Essbase Planning Also known as Hyperion Planning or even Oracle Planning, Essbase Planning is a centralized Microsoft Excel and web-based planning and forecasting tool that combines data from various internal business activities such as nance, marketing, and so on, into one integrated tool. Planning uses the data to provide a closer look at the company's overall business operations and helps improve the forecast predictability accuracy. Planning makes use of Essbase in an ingenious way. The data for each business activity is stored in its own custom Essbase database or cube. Several business activities can share the same cube and have their own set of dimensions and members. Therefore, Essbase must be started and running in the background so Planning can access the cubes. The various Planning functions are then supported by Planning's seamless accessing of the data from the Essbase cubes and by using the stored business rule feature to apply the customer dened business rules to the data for planning and analysis purposes. This material is copyright and is licensed for the sole use by Paul Corcorran on 5th July 2009 8601 ave. p #1, , lubbock, , 79423 Download at Boykma.Com . the Essbase family. No longer is it just Essbase, the multidimensional OLAP database. The future of Essbase, beginning with Essbase version 9. x, is now Essbase System 9. Essbase System 9 is. The Essbase suite of tools and applications is no exception as Essbase version 9. x has become Essbase System 9, and there never really was a commercially released Essbase version 8.x. Oracle. are procient and capable in the exciting world of Oracle Essbase. A lot has changed with Essbase since the early days back in the 199 0's. Essbase itself has grown and ourished into the