Essbase Interview Questions

Blalaji.J Hyperion FAQ’S

1 �:�9297052855

1. How many build methods are there?

Ans. There are three build methods;

Generation build method

Level build method

Parent – child build method (ancestors, sibling build methods

Descendents build method)

2. Are you currently responsible for Production Essbase Cubes?

Ans. Yes, I did produced Essbase cubes

3. How big is the largest cube?

Ans. The largest cube that I developed till now is 13.5 gig.

4. What is a data block?

Ans. The data block is a cell which is a combination of dense dimensions and it

has got some data.

5. How do you order the outline?

Ans. We order the outline by keeping the dense dimensions before the sparse

dimensions and in these dense and sparse dimensions keeping the users

requirements like the performance or the retrieval of the cube, we can arrange

the sparse dimensions having more members before the sparse dimensions

having less members or like the more queried dimension can be in the top than

others. But usually we prefer hour-glass order of outline.


2 �:�9297052855

6. Name 3 Esscmd commands (excluding Login)? And define their

functions?

Ans. 1, BUILDDIM: This command dynamically builds one or more dimension

from the data file or SQL source.

2. COPYAPP: This command copies an application.

3. COPYDB: This command copies the database.

7. How many partition types are present and what are they?

Ans. There are three types of partitions, they are replicated partition,

transparent partition and linked partition.

8. Why do you use Dynamic Calc?

Ans. Dynamic calc is used so as to save the space in the data block, when member

is tagged as a dynamic calc then that member is not calculated during the regular

calculation like calc all but it calculates when that member is retrieved in a

spreadsheet add-in or running a report script for that member.

9. What members in the outline cannot be Dynamic Calc?

Ans, level 0 members and the label only tagged members cannot be Dynamic

calc. With one exception of label only member with on-member formula.

10. For a member to be Two-Pass, what must exist in the outline?

Ans. Member must to be tagged as accounts or expense and they should be

dynamic calc.


3 �:�9297052855

11. What functions are you familiar with (min 8): Name them?

Ans. @VAR, @VARPER, @CHILDREN, @DESCENDENTS, @IDESCENDENTS,

@CURRMBR, @ANCESTORS, @UDA, @VARIANCE, @ISGEN,

@NAME………..@FIXCOLUMN

12. Using the AVG function, if you want to leave out zeros, what parameter

can you use?

Ans. Skip zero.

13. Do you like optimization or design better?

Ans. I like to design the cube as much as I like to optimize it.

14. What is the difference between FIX and IF statements? In what

situations they are used and what are its pros and cons?

Ans. FIX: this statement restricts the path of outline during calculation/retrieval

such that it doesn’t have to go through whole of the outline.

IF: this is conditional statement, when used if the given condition is true it takes

the given value in the condition and it moves forward or if the given condition is

false it takes another value to calculate/retrieval and it moves forward.

**With FIX u cannot restrict the members to be checked with, fix u can say which

one u need to check.

15. What are different types of memory caches? What are their optimal

memory settings?

Ans. Data file, pagefile 8kb, (page 1024)


4 �:�9297052855

16. What is the max length of filter we can write in Essbase 6.5 and lower

version?

Ans. 64kb

17. Which one of the following is fixed? Data file size, Data cache size, Page

files size, index file size.

Ans. Index file 8kb.

18. What is committed and Uncommitted Access?

Committed access provides a high level of data consistency because only one

transaction at a time is written to data block. Under committed access, Essbase

allows transactions to hold read/write locks on all data blocks involved with the

transaction until the transaction completes and commits. However, you can still

allow read-only access to the last committed data values. It is time consuming if

the data size is too large.

Uncommitted access (enabled by default), the Essbase kernel allows

transactions to hold read/write locks on a block-by-block basis; Essbase releases

a block after it is updated but does not commit blocks until the transaction

completes or until a specified limit (a “synchronization point”) has been reached.

You can set this limit, as described below. It is faster, but in case of catastrophic

conditions loads data again.

Concurrent users accessing the same data blocks might experience

unexpected results under uncommitted access, because Essbase allows read-only

access to data at its last commit point.

With uncommitted access, you can control when Essbase performs an

explicit commit operation by specifying synchronization point parameters:

� Commit Blocks (number of blocks modified before a synchronization

point occurs). The default is 3,000.


5 �:�9297052855

19. Give some MaxL statements and their syntax?

Ans. Create application: CREATE APPLICATION News amp as Sample;

Create function: CREATE FUNCTION '@COVARIANCE' AS

'com.hyperion.essbase.calculator.Statistics.covariance' SPEC

'@COVARIANCE (expList1, expList2)' COMMENT 'computes covariance of

two sequences given as expression lists';

CREATE USER: CREATE OR REPLACE user bala identified by ‘password’ as

Recycle Me;

Display application: display application;

20. What is data block size? (How do you find the size of the block?)

Ans. Data block size is determined by the amount of data in particular

combination of dense dimensions. For ex: when you change the dense or sparse

configuration of one or more dimensions in the database, the data block size

changes. Data block size is 8n bytes, where n is the number of cells that exist for

that combination of dense dimensions.

Note: Optimal range is 8 to 100 kb

21. Explain what the Never Share property is?

Ans. Never share: this property is tagged to any of the sparse member such that

it doesn’t share the data with its parent/children even though there is an explicit

relationship exits but the data is just duplicated.

22. What is a PS command?

Ans. PS command can be used to find the number of processes running in UNIX

environment.


6 �:�9297052855

23. How do find whether Essbase server is running or not on AIX UNIX?

Ans, ps –es! Grep

24. What is the difference between grep and egrep?

Ans. Grep: this statement is used to create or replace the file,

Egrep: this statement is used to append the existing file.

25. How many members can be there under a dimension?

Ans. There is no limit.

26. What is a calculator cache and why is it used?

Ans. Calculator cache is the buffer zone in the memory which is used to track the

data or create the data blocks at the time of calculation; calculator cache enables

the centralized control of the memory in the calculator cache and also reduces

the space and improves the performance of the cube. Essbase default is 20mb.

27. What is VBA?

Ans. VBA: Visual Basic Application Programming Interface (API) used for

accessing the data in the cube using the spread sheet add-in.

28. What is an ad-hoc Report?

Report that is created on the fly.

29. List some report writer commands?

Ans. ANCESTORS: <ANCESTORS ‘mbrname’

ASYM, ATTRIBUTE, {BLOCKHEADERS}


7 �:�9297052855

30. What are the different types of reports you can produce using report

scripts?

Ans. Sym, asym.

31. In how many ways can you get a data out of Essbase cube?

Ans. Using Report script, with export command or function and Excel spread

sheet add-in.

32. What does a Label only do? When you retrieve a Label Only tagged

member in a report which has three children what value would you see?

Ans. It just carries the first child’s value… Label only tag will be used so that the

data is not consolidated to the higher level or generation member or to the

parent and we don’t see any value if we retrieve a label only tagged member.

33. Why do you use a load rule?

Ans. Load rule is used to create or update outline and/or load the data in the

outline.

34. How do you clear a specific block in the cube?

Ans. CLEARBLOCK OR CLEARDATA with or without using FIX command.

FIX (Actual)

CLEARBLOCK NONINPUT;

ENDFIX

35. What is the limit on the name of app and database?

Ans. App: 8 bites and database: 8 bites


8 �:�9297052855

36. How do you zoom only to the next level in the report?

Ans. we need to go to view menu and click on the zoom in to the next level

37. How do you calculate number of existing blocks?

Ans. The number of sparse dimensions member combinations having the data

will give the number of existing blocks.

38. What is the optimized way to structure your outline?

Ans. Hour-glass method is best optimized way to structure the outline.

39. What is Generation and how would you compare it with level?

Ans. These two are build methods to develop the outline, generation is top-down

method of building the outline and level build is the bottom-up method of

building the outline.

40. What is a filter and why do you use them?

Ans. Filters are used for security purposes so that the users can only do what

they are permitted to do with an application or a database.

41. What is Dense restructure and why does this happen?

Ans. whenever we add/remove a dense dimension member from the outline, the

outline has to restructure itself so as to accommodate the changes happened to

the outline. This is called as dense restructure.


9 �:�9297052855

42. What are shared members and why do we use them?

Ans. If there are same named members in the outline we can tag one of the

members as the shared member such that the data won’t be saved for this but it

will point the original member instead when queried.

43. What files are created when you load a cube with data? How is their

structure?

Ans. Index file (.ind file), page file (.pag file), configuration file (.cfg file)

44. Which files have .otn extension and why are they used? (Hint: It is not

.otl)

Ans .otn is a temporary Hyperion essbase outline file,

45. What is expense reporting and why do you use it?

Ans. Expense reporting is tagged to the accounts dimension such that variance,

profit etc. member will not show the negative value when we calculate it.

46. What is Time Balancing and why is it used?

Ans. When we set time balance property to a member in accounts dimension, it

affects how Essbase affects the calculation of that parent member in the time

dimension. We need to tag the accounts dimension as expenses and should have

time dimension, we can calculate ending inventory and opening inventory using

this.


10 �:�9297052855

47. What is consolidation and why is it done?

Ans. Consolidation, the data of all the children/descendants will be added and

that will be rolled up to the parent member…

48. What is MASK and why is it used?

Ans. Mask is Essbase command. It is used if Essbase data is imported into a

program that requires delimiters.

Use INCMASK to re-enable the display.

Use SUPMASK to disable the display.

49. Differentiate between default calc and intelligent calc?

Ans. Default calc is used to calculate the whole cube and intelligent calc is used to

calculate the updated values only or the dirty cells.

50. Can you override default column grouping?

Yes.

1. Use the <SYM command when the selection of column members meets the

requirements of the rule for asymmetry, but you want to produce a symmetric

report. The <SYM command always produces a symmetric report, creating all

combinations of each column dimension.

2. Turn off the symmetric format and restore the rules for asymmetric reports

with the <ASYM command.

51. What is the difference from symmetric and asymmetric reports?

Essbase reports can contain symmetric or asymmetric column groups

A symmetric report, shown below, is characterized by repeating, identical groups

of members.


11 �:�9297052855

An asymmetric report, shown below, is characterized by groups of nested

members that differ by at least one member in the nested group. There can be

a difference in the number of members or the names of members.

By default, Essbase creates a symmetric report unless you select the same

number

of members for all column dimensions.

52. What is the maximum number of parallel threads used to calculate?

Ans. Four threads.

53. How does Report Extractor Retrieves Data?

The Report Extractor processes the report script and retrieves data in the

following Order:

Composes the member list, based on all possible member combinations.

For example, the following command retrieves member East and all of its

Descendants:

1. <IDESCENDANTS East

2. Applies member restrictions. For example, the following command refines the


12 �:�9297052855

member selection:

<LINK

3. Orders the member output. For example, the following command determines

the order in which members are sorted:

<SORT

4. Extracts data from the following areas:

● Local regions

● Partitioned regions

● Dynamically calculated data

5. Restricts data. For example, the following command suppresses the display of

all rows that contain only missing values:

{SUPMISSINGROWS}

6. Sorts data. For example, the following command returns rows with the highest

Values of a specified data column:

<TOP

7. Formats output. For example, the following command skips one or more lines

in the final output report:

{SKIP}

The order in which the Report Extractor retrieves data is important when using

complex extraction and formatting commands. For example, because the

Extractor restricts data (step 5) before sorting data (step 6), if you place

conditional retrieval Commands in the wrong order, the report output results

could be unexpected. Be aware of the data retrieval process when designing your

report scripts.

54. What is a batch POV (Point of View)?

Ans: The batch POV is a collection of all dimensions on the user POV of every

report And book in the batch. While scheduling the batch the members selected

on the batch POV’s may be set.


13 �:�9297052855

55. Point of View (POV)?

Ans: A Unique set of dimension members that define specific intersection of data.

56. EXtensible Markup Language (XML)?

Ans: A Language comprised of set of tags used to assign attributes to data that

can be interpreted between the applications based on the schema used.

57. What is a Grid POV?

Ans: The Grid POV enables designers to specify the members for a dimension on

a grid with out placing the dimension on the row, column or page intersection.

The report designer can set the POV Values at the grid level, preventing the user

POV from affecting the particular grid. If a dimension has only one value for the

entire grid, the dimensions should be put in to the grid POV instead of the row,

column or page.

58. Why do you need a batch POV?

Ans: It allows anyone scheduling the batch to use the same default values for all

the grids in all reports in the batch simultaneously when the batch is run. It is

specific to a data source for a single batch, but not specific to any report or grid

to a report in a batch. Since the batch POV values are only saved when the batch

is scheduled, you can set different values for the same batch. Changes to the

batch POV do not effect the designers POV the changes to the designers POV do

not effect the users POV.

59. What are Report member selections?

Ans: The Report member selections define the values for the values for any

dimensions not in the grid’s row, column, or page axis or set in the grid POV for

all reports in a specific report in the book.


14 �:�9297052855

60. Why do you need a book POV?

Ans: It allows anyone running the batch to use the same default values for all the

grids in all reports in the book simultaneously each time the book is run. It is

specific to a data source for a single book, but not specific to any report or grid

object in a report in that book. As the book POV values are saved with the book

itself, changes to the book POV does not affect the designers POV.

61. Linked Report object?

Ans: A report object saved to the Hyperion reports Repository that is linked to a

Hyperion report. Linked report objects can be grid objects, text objects, or

images.

62. What is Metadata?

Ans: A set of data that defines and describes the properties and attributes of the

data stored in a database or used by an application. Examples of metadata are

dimension names, member names, properties, timeperiods and security.

63. Repository?

Ans: A container of report objects, report designs, and report instances available

to the user.

64. Snapshot report?

Ans.A report that has been generated and stores the static data. Any subsequent

change of data in a data source doesn’t affect the report content. A snapshot

report is portable and can be stored on the network, locally, or e-mailed.


15 �:�9297052855

65. Report object?

Ans: A basic element in report design. Report objects have separate properties

that define their properties of appearance. Report objects include textboxes,

grids, images and charts.

66. What are non-dimensional models?

Ans: A type of model in Hyperion hub that includes application objects such as

security filters, member lists, calcscripts, and web forms.

67. Visual cue?

Ans: A formatted style, such as font or a color that highlights specific type of data

values. Data values may be dimension members; parent, child, or shared

members; dynamic calculations; members containing a formula; read only data

cells; read/write data cells or linked objects.

68. Time series reporting?

Ans: A Process of reporting data based on a calendar date (for example: year,

month, quarter or week).

69. Transperent Partition?

Ans: A form of shared partition that provides the ability and manipulates the

remote data transparently as though is a part of your local database. The remote

data id retrieved from the data source each time you request. Any updates that

are made to the data are written back to the data source and become

immediately accessible to both local data target users and transparent data

source users.


16 �:�9297052855

70. UDA?

Ans: A user- defined attribute. A UDA is a term associated with members of an

outline to describe particular characteristics of the member. Users can specify

UDAs with in calculation scripts and reports so that they return lists of members

that have the specified UDA associated with them. UDAs can be applied to dense

as well as sparse dimensions.

71. Symmetric multi processing (SMP)?

Ans: A server architecture that enables multi processing and multithreading.

Essbase supports multi-threads over SMP servers automatically. Thus

performance is not significantly degraded when a large no. of users connect to an

essbase server simultaneously.

72. Substitution variable?

Ans: A variable that acts as a global place holder for information that changes

regularly. You set the variable and a corresponding string value; the value can

then be changed at any time. Substitution variables can be used in calcsripts,

report scripts, essbase-spread sheet add-in, and essbase API.

73. Shared member?

Ans: A member that shares storage space with another member of the same

name. The shared member has a property that designate it has a shared. The use

of shared members prevents duplicate calculation of members that appear more

than once in an esssbase outline.

74. Report Scripts?

Ans: An ASCII file containing essbase report writer commands that generate one

or more production reports. Reports scripts can be run in batch mode, through

the ESSCMD command line interface, or through essbase application manager

.the report script is a text file that contains data retrieval, formatting and output

instructions.


17 �:�9297052855

75. Replicated partition?

Ans: A portion of a database defined through partition manager that you use to

propagate an update to data that is mastered at one site to copy of data that is

store at another site. Users are able to access the data as though it was the part of

the local database.

76. Partitioning?

Ans: The process of defining areas of data that or shared or linked between data

models. Partitioning can affect the performance and scalability of essbase

applications.

77. Location alias?

Ans: A location alias is a descriptor that identifies s data source. The location

alias specifies a server, application, database, username, and password. Location

alias are set by the database administrator at the database level using APP

Manager, ESSCMD, or the API.

78. Linked partition?

Ans: A form of shared partition that provides the ability to use a data cell to link

together two different databases. When a user clicks on a linked cell in a

worksheet, for example, essabse opens a new sheet displaying the dimensions in

the second database. The user can then drill down in to the available dimension

sin the second database.


18 �:�9297052855

79. Dynamic time series?

Ans: A process that is used to perform dynamic period – to – date reporting for

all values associated with a query.

80. Dirty block?

Ans :A data block containing cells that have been changed since the last

calculation .upper level blocks are marked as dirty if their child blocks are

dirty(that is have been updated).

81. Currency partition?

Ans: A dimension type that separates local currency members for a base

currency, as defined in an application. A currency partition identifies currency

types such as Actual, Budget and forecast.

82. Calculation Script?

Ans: A set of commands that define how a database is consolidated or

aggregated. A calculation script may also contain commands that specify

allocation and other calculation rules separate from the consolidation process.

83. Batch processing mode?

Ans :A method of using ESSCMD to write a batch or a script file that can be used

to automate routine server maintenance and diagnostics tasks.ESSCMD script

files can execute multiple commands and can be run from the operating system

command line or from within operating system batch files. Batch files can be

used to call multiple ESSCMD scripts or run multiple instances of ESSCMD.


19 �:�9297052855

84. Arithmetic data load?

Ans: A data load that performs operations on value sin the database, such as

adding 10 to each value.

85. Base dimension?

Ans :A standard dimension that is associated with one or more dimensions .to

classify a member of base dimension ,you associate with member of one or more

attribute dimensions that describes the calculation ,such as specific flavor. For

example, assuming the products have flavors, the product dimension is the base

dimension for the flavors attribute dimension.

86. Linked reporting object (LRO)

Ans: An external file that is linked to a data cell in an Essbase database. Linked

reporting objects (LROs) can be cell notes, URLs, or files that contain text, audio,

video, or pictures.

87. Missing data (#MISSING)

Ans: A marker indicating that data in the labeled location does not exist, contains

no meaningful value, or was never entered or loaded. For example, missing data

exists when an account contains data for a previous or a future period but not for

the current period.

88. Multithreading

Ans: Within a single program, concurrent handling of multiple, separately

executable sequences of program instructions.


20 �:�9297052855

89. Online analytical processing (OLAP)

Ans: A multidimensional, multi-user, client-server computing environment for

users who need to analyze consolidated enterprise data. OLAP systems feature

functionality such as drilling down, data pivoting, complex calculations, trend

analyses, and modeling.

90. Parallel calculation

Ans: An optional calculation setting. Essbase divides a calculation into tasks and

calculates some of the tasks at the same time.

91. Batch calculation

Ans: Any calculation on a database that is done in batch; for example, a

calculation script or a full database calculation. Dynamic calculations are not

considered to be batch calculations

92. What are the files eesabse uses while sparse restructures?

Ans.

• . ESSxxxxx.IND

• dbname.OTL

• dbname.ESM


21 �:�9297052855

93. What are Data Locks?

Ans. Essbase issues write (exclusive) locks for blocks that are created, updated,

or deleted, and issues read (shared) locks for blocks that needed to be accessed

but not modified. By issuing the appropriate locks, essbase ensures that data

changed by on operation cannot be corrupted by a concurrent update.

Essbase locks data blocks, not objects.

94. Transactions?

Ans.When a database is in read/write mode, essbase considered every update

request to the server (such as a data load, a calculation, or a statement in a

calculation script) as a transaction.

The transaction file contains an entry for each transaction and tracks the current

state of each transaction (Active, commited, or aborted).

95. Isolation Levels?

Ans. It determines how essbase commits data to disk. When data is committed; it

is taken from server memory and written to the database on disk. Essbase

automatically commits data to disk. There are no explicit commands that users

perform to commit data blocks. However setting the isolation level for a database

defines how essbase automatically commits data blocks.

Essbase offers two isolation levels for transactions: committed access and

uncommitted access. You can optimize data integrity by using committed access.


22 �:�9297052855

96. Rollback with Committed Access?

Ans. Under Committed Access, if the server crashes, Essbase rolls back all

database updated by transaction that were in progress when the server stopped.

Thus essbase ensures that changes made by the aborted transactions are

undone.

If a transaction is aborted due to non-fatal error, all changes made by the

transactions are rolled back.

97. Hybrid Analysis.

Ans. It offers a means of integrating a relational database with a

multidimensional database so that the lower level members and their associated

data remain in the relational data base whole upper level members and their

associated data reside in the relational data base.

This presents additional issue regarding the data consistency and integrity

98. Types of database Restructure.

Ans.>Full Restructure: If a member of a dense dimension is moved, deleted, or

added, essbase restructures the blocks in a data file and create new data files.

When Essabse restructures the data blocks, it regenerates the index

automatically so that index entries point to new data blocks.eesbase marks all

restructured block as dirty, so after a full restructure you need to recalculate the

database. Full restructure is the most time consuming of the restructures and, for

large databases, can take a very long time t complete.

>Sparse Restructure: If a member of a sparse dimension or a member of an

attribute dimension is moved, deleted, or added, Essbase restructures the index

and create new index files. Restructuring the index is relatively fast; the amount

of time depends on the size of the index.


23 �:�9297052855

>Outline-only Restructure: If a change affects only the database outline, Essbase

does not restructure the index or data files. Member name changes, creation of

aliases, and dynamic calculation formula changes are examples of changes that

affect only the database outline.

99. Backingup and restoring the database?

Ans : >Backing up the database.

A key part of database maintenance includes regular backups of Essabase

database. It is important to integrate regular database backup in to your

production server maintenance.

There are two methods of backing up the database.

• Preparing the database for file system backup.

• Exporting, which makes a copy of data in an ASCII text format?

Files to backup:

You should regularly backup server, database, and application files listed in.

FILE:

• Essn.ind

• Essn.pag

• dbname.esm

• dbname.tct

• dbname.ind

• appname.app

• dbname.db

• X.lro

• Essbase.sec

• Essabse.bak

• Essbase.cfg

• Database object files such as .otl, .csc, .rul, .rep, .eqd, and .sel.

• ESSCMD or MaxL Scripts.


24 �:�9297052855

File system backup.

A common method of creating database backup is by doing the file system

backup of the olap server. You can backup using the file system backup software

of your choice. You can backup specific directions or files, or you can backup the

entire essabase directory restructure.

In most cases the backups occur after essbase application and database as well

as the agent, are shut down. However due to user requirements, some essbase

databases must be up and running at the time of backup.

Be sure to backup data on every disk volumes Essbase uses.

Placing a database in read only mode.

Essabase provides a way to prepare a database for backup when the database

must remain running during the backup process. Placing the database in read

only mode protects the database from updates during the backup process. After

you perform the backup using the third-party backup utility of your choice, you

then return the database to read-write mode.

Begin Archive:

The begin archive command does the following;

• Commits any modified data to disk.

• Switches the data to read-only mode.

• Reopens the database files in shared, read-only mode.

• Creates a file containing a list of files that need to backup ed.By default,

the file is called archive.lst; it is stored in the databases directory.

If a user tries to modify the data during the backup then essbase throws the

Error.


25 �:�9297052855

The end-archive utility does the following:

• Returns the database to read-write mode.

• Re-opens database files in exclusive read-write, mode.

Caution: If you backup your data with out using a begin archive utility, make sure

that all essabase applications are closed and all the users are logged out of the

essabase during the backup. Otherwise you risk corrupting the database.

Performing a backup.

After putting the database in read-only mode, you are ready to perform the

backup.

>To backup data, use a third party backup utility to backup the files listed in the

archive.lst Make sure you backup the files listed in the Files to backup.

Alternatively you can backup the entire directory structure.

Returning a database to read-write mode.

After performing the backup, you need to return the database to read-write

mode.

� To return the database to read-write mode, issue an ‘alter database end

archive” statement in MAXL or the end archive command in ESSCMD.

Using Export to backup data.

You can backup data by exporting it. Exporting data copies to an ASCII text file

that you specify; it does not compress data. The export file contains data only

and not the outline, control or the security information.

You must consider exporting data for e following reasons.

� To transfer data across platforms.


26 �:�9297052855

� To backup only a certain portion of the data; for example level 0 blocks.

� To create an exported file in text format, rather than binary report.

Export considerations:

Using export to back up data provides the following advantages:

� You can use the resulting ASCII files to load data from the source database in

to database on other platforms.

� When loading an export file in to a database outline contains all the members

found with in the export file. If not the load will fail. Also if outline changes

between the time that the export files created or reloaded, the load time

might be significantly higher than if the outline were identical.

� During an export data integrity is verified because every block is checked to

confirm whether corresponding page and the index files match.

� You can reduce fragmentation in a database by exporting data in to an ASCII

file, clearing all at from the database and reloading the ASCII file.

� You can export a database in a column format from Application manager or

MaxL.Then you can use a data load rules file to load the column formatted

file. Using column format is helpful when you need to manipulate the export

file.

Disadvantages of the using data to export data.

� Because dynamic calculations are not execute data the time of export,

only stored data and data from previously calculated dynamic calc and

stored members are included in the report.

� At the time of data export, Essbase users can not write to the database.

Users receive an error message if they try to write to the database during

an export. After an export started, users can do read operations. Export of

large database require considerable amount of time, time during which

only users can read the data.


27 �:�9297052855

All methods require same operations.

� The amount of data to export.

All data

Level 0 blocks only. (Blocks contain only level 0 sparse member

combinations).

Data from input blocks only.

� Whether to export data in a columnar or non-columnar format.

To facilitate loading the exported data in to a relational daatabse, export

the data in columns. In each row, the columnar format displays a member

name from each dimension. Names can be repeated form row to row.

100. Essbase Product Family.

Ans. It includes the following features.

• Essbase Administration Services: It is the new framework for managing

and maintaining Essbase.It consists of a Client Console and a middle tier

server that communicate directly with Essbase OLAP Servers. Both of

these components can run on any platform Supported by Essbase.

• Essbase Application Manager: It is a Graphical environment for

developing and maintaining Essbase Application on a single OLAP server.

Tasks include building Outlines and dimensions, performing data load

and calculations, and defining Security Access.

• Essabse OLAP Servers: A multi dimensional database for storing data with

in an unlimited number of dimensions such as time, accounts, region,

channel or product. The Essbase server manages analytical data models,

data storage, calculation and defining security access.


28 �:�9297052855

• Essbase Spread sheet Add-in: The spreadsheet Add-in desktop software

enables Analysis of the data stored in the Essbase Server.Essbase Spread

Sheet Add-in Seamlessly Integrated with Microsoft Excel or Lotus 1-2-3

Spread sheets.

• Essbase Application Tools: The suite of tool is used for extending essbase

application. These tools include essbase currency conversions, essbase

SQL interface, Essbase spreadsheet toolkit and Essbase Application

programme interface.

• Essbase Partitioning: This suite of features makes it easy to design and

administer database than essbase application or servers. You can copy a

slice of large database to work with locally, or you can link from your

database directly to other databases.

• Essbase Hybrid Analysis: It integrates relational database with Essbase

database to combine the size and scalability of the relational database

with the conceptual power and analytic capabilities of the

multidimensional database. Hybrid analysis eliminates the need to store

lower-level members and data with in Essbase, virtually eliminating size

restrictions on outlines and giving you rapid analysis of large amount of

data.

101. Multidimensional Development Features:

Ans: Essbase offers man key advantages to help you develop effective

multidimensional applications.

• Essbase requires minimal programming experience and no knowledge of

query languages. You can manage and design applications using a

graphical interface to control most server functions.

• You can add dimensions, change calculations, and modify hierarchies to

reflect new business developments. The dynamic dimension builder

automatically defines and dynamically loads large amounts of data. You

can load spreadsheets, flat files, and SQL tables directly in to the database.


29 �:�9297052855

• Essbase provides secure data views a limit access to unauthorized areas.

You can define security for individuals, groups and customize views and

retrieval procedures for each user wit out writing a program.

• Essbase contains over 100 Analytical functions, all of which operate on

very large data sets. You can perform key analytical functions, Such as

trend analysis, ratios, and allocations, with out having to write a program.

You can define calculations quickly by using pre-defined functions for

depreciation, variances and other common formulas.

• Essbase is easy to deploy and supports standard applications, operating

systems, and networking protocols.

102. Dynamic dimensionality:

Ans. The Essbase server uses a method called dynamic dimensionality for storing

and retrieving data and for optimizing analytic performance. This method

separates data in to dense and sparse dimensions.

Dynamic dimension allows Essabse to provide sophisticated attribute reporting

with out impact to database storage requirements or batch calculation

performance.

103. Optimizing Reports and other Type of Retrieval:

Ans. The time require to generate a report varies depending up on factors such

as the database you are reporting from, the number of queries included in the

script, and the Size of the report buffer.

• Changing buffer size.

• Setting numeric precision.

• Generating symmetric reports.

• Organizing members to optimize data Extraction.

• Understanding Reports for outlines that contain dynamic or transparent

members.

• Limiting LRO File Sizes for Storage Conservations.


30 �:�9297052855

104. Setting Dimensions and member properties.

Ans. Setting the dimension type.

• Tagging a time dimension.

• Setting the time property.

• Tagging an accounts dimension.

• Tagging a Country dimension.

• Tagging a currency partition.

• Tagging an attribute dimension.

105. Introducing Dynamic Dimension Building:

Ans. Some Essbase dimensions, Such as those related to product codes and

customer numbers, contain hundreds or even thousand of members. It is more

efficient to build, change or remove these dimensions dynamically, using a data

source and a rule file, than it is to add or change each member manually in

outline editor.

• The data source can specify member names, their aliases, formulas and

consolidation properties, the names of generation and levels, currency

name and category, data storage properties, attributes and UDA’s.

• The rule file tells Essbase which build method to use, specifies whether

the data in stored or random order, and tells the essbase how to

transform the data before loading it. You use data prep editor to create

rule files. It is best to create separate rule file for each dimension.

It provides a background on dynamic dimension building.

• Workflow for creating Dimension using Rules files.

• Introduction to build methods.

• Using generation References.

• Using Level References.


31 �:�9297052855

• Using Parent – Child References.

• Building multiple – Rollups using level Reference.

• Adding a list of new members.

• Creating shared Roll – ups from multiple Data sources.

• Building attributes dimensions and Associating attributes.

• Building Shared members using a Rule file.

• Security and multiple User Considerations.

1. Security Issues: The security system provides unauthorized users

from changing the database. Only users with write to access to

database can add dimensions to the database. Write access can be

provided a global write access or by using filters.

2. Multiple User issues: You can not build dimensions while other

user’s are reading or writing to the database. After you build

dimensions, essbase restructures the outline and locks the

database for the duration of the restructuring operations.

In many institutions, the data for a dimension is in two or more data sources. If

you are building dimensions from more than one data source and want to create

multiple Roll – ups, use this procedures.

1. Load the first data source using the most appropriate build method.

2. Load all other data sources using the parent – child references build

method. Make sure that “Do not share” is not selected so that essbase

creates duplicate members as shared when it encounters them under the

new Parent.

106. Building Dimensions Using Rule File.

Ans. About dimensions and Rule files.

• Step 1: Defining Dimensions.

• Step 2: Choosing the build method.

• Step 3: Specifying changes to Dimensions.


32 �:�9297052855

• Step 4a: Setting Rules File Field types.

• Step 4b: Setting Rules File Field Information.

• Step 5: Setting Global Options.

• Step 6: Validating Dimension Build Rules.

• Manipulating the Data Source.

• Performing Dimension Builds.

• Debugging Dimension Builds.

• Understanding How Essbase Build Dimensions.

107. Managing Essbase Kernel Settings.

Ans. The Essbase Kernel settings, explains how essbase accesses and stores data,

and provides an overview of Essbase Kernel settings you can use to optimize

performance at the Essbas server level.

1. Understanding the Essbase Kernel.

• Handles disk storage and caching of essbase files.

• Handles data retrieval.

• Handles data update.

• Controls I/O functions related to Essbase.

• Consolidates free space for re – use.

• Manages concurrent operations.

• Recovers data base after a server crash.

• Issues Locks.

• Manages transactions.

The rest of the topic explains two available access modes, and Present an

overview of several essbase kernel components.

• Understanding Buffered I/O and Direct I/O: The Essbase Kernel uses

buffered I/O by default, but direct I/O is available on most of the

operating systems and file system that essbase supports.


33 �:�9297052855

1. Buffered I/O uses the file system’s buffer cache.

2. Direct I/O bypasses the file system’s buffer cache, and is able to perform

asynchronous, overlapped I/Os. The following benefits are provided.

• Fastest response time. A user waits less time for essbase to return data.

• Scalability and predictability. Essbase lets you customize the optimal

cache sizes for its database.

If you set a database to use direct I/O, Essbase attempts to use Direct I/O the

next time the database is started. If direct I/O is not available on your platform at

the time the database is started, Essbase uses buffered I/O, Which is the default.

However, Essbase will store the essbase I/O access mode selection in the

security filter, and will attempt to use the I/O access mode each time the

database is started.

• Setting the I/O access mode.

• Essbase Kernel components.

108. Components of Essbase Kernel.

Ans:

• The Index manager finds and tracks the location of requested data.

• The Allocation manager is part of the Index manager, allocates space and

manages some file operations.

• The data block manager retrieves the data that pointed to by the index

and stores the data.

• The LRO Manager handles retrieval and storage of linked reporting

objects (LROs).

• The Lock manager handles the locking of data blocks to regulate

concurrent data access.

• The transaction manager tracks transaction and handles internal commit

and abort operations.


34 �:�9297052855

1. Allocation Manager:

• Creation and extension of index data files on disk.

• File open and close operations.

• Designation of which volume to use for a new file.

• Sequence of volume use.

The allocation manager uses the below process to allocate space.

• It attempts to use free space in an existing file.

• If enough free space is not available, it attempts to expand an existing file.

• If enough free space is not available in existing files, it creates a new file

on the current volume.

• If it can not expand an existing file or create a new file on the specified

volume, it attempts to use the next specified volume.

• If all specified volumes are full, an error message is displayed, and the

transaction is aborted.

109. Understanding the Essbase Kernel settings.

Ans. The list of sequence of events during an Essbase Kernel start-up.

• After the OLAP server starts, a user connects to it from a client.

• The user starts a database.

• Essbase loads the database.

• The Essbase Agent passes database settings to the server.

• The essbase Kernel begins its initialization process.

• The essbase Kernel starts its components: The index manager, Lock

manager, LRO Manager, Data blocks manager, and Transaction manager.


35 �:�9297052855

110. Specifying Disk volumes.

Ans: use disk volumes to specify where you want to store Essbase Index files and

data files. If you do not use the disk volumes settings, essbase stores the data on

the volume where the Arbor path directory resides. If the Arbor path variable is

not set, essbase stores the data only on the volume where the server was started.

• Name of the volume

• Maximum space to use on the volume (called partition manager in App

Manager and volume size in ESSCMD.

• Maximum file size. The default and the recommended value are

2.097,152. Kilobytes. When essbase reaches the maximum file size.

Caution: If you use a volume name but not a volume size, Essbase uses all

available space on the volume.

• If the total sizes of all files reaches the maximum size you have specified

in the disk volumes settings. By default, the total is the sum of all index

and data file sizes. If you specify index as the file type, the total refers to

the sum of all index file son a particular volume. Likewise, if you specify

data as the file type, the total refers to the sum of all data files on a

particular volume.

• If the size of an individual index or data file on any volume reaches a size

of 2 GB.

Guidelines when specifying disk volumes.

• Specify the disk volumes in the order in which you want the volumes to be

used. You do not have to specify the volume on which Essbase is installed

as one of the volumes. You can install on one volume and store data on

another volumes.

• If a volume reaches capacity essbase moves on to the next volume.


36 �:�9297052855

111. Optimizing database restructure.

Ans:

• Understanding database Restructuring

• Optimizing Restructure Operations.

• Actions that improve preparation.

• Outline change Quick reference.

1. Designing an outline to optimize performance.

2. Sorting dimensions and members.

3. Moving Attributes.

4. Using alternative design operations.

HYPERION BUSINESS RULES ----- FAQ’s :

1. What database privileges do an Oracle user needs?

Ans: An oracle user must be able to connect with admin option, create any index ,

create procedures and create tables.

2. How do I assign security to a business rule?

Ans: In the designer desktop, click the business rule setting button, then select

the security tab. The available Hyperion Essbase groups will be listed. Selecting a

group from the list enables all members of the group to run the business rule.

3. When using the copy data component, why can’t I use a specific function

(that is, @levmbrs) in the source value?


37 �:�9297052855

Ans: The function @Levmbrs is only available in the multiple member selectors.

In order to use the member in source, define your target values and the source

values will inherit the target values.

4. What does not specified mean when defining an action area?

Ans: In the action components, all of the dimension values default to not

specified. If all dimensions are left as not specified, no action will take place. If

values are selected for one or more of the dimensions, the following occurs.

• Aggregate data – Each specified dimension will be aggregated/calculated

with in the boundaries of the other specified dimensions and for all values

of the unspecified dimensions.

• Clear data – Data values will be cleared for the intersection of all specified

dimension for all values of the unspecified dimension.

• Copy data – Data values will be copied from the source to the target with

in the dimensions of any specified dimensions that are the same for both

the source and target values of any unspecified dimension.

• Create Blocks – Data blocks will be created for sparse member

combination of selected member values with all stored members of

unspecified dimension.

5. How do I change a method formula to meet my company’s specific needs?

Ans: Use the customize toolbar located in the upper right section of the formula

work space. You can add/change or delete source blocks, operators, and

parenthesis. The standard order of operations will be formed during processing.

6. Can I use the Data condition tab to filer on member names or attributes?

Ans. No. The data condition tab can only be used to filter on data conditions.


38 �:�9297052855

7. What creates a valid data condition?

Ans: A valid data condition is statement that will result in true or false value. For

example {source} < 10,000 is valid, NOT {source} is invalid.

8. Can I define the run – time prompts if I am using the enhanced calc script

editor?

Ans: Yes. The process is same as for graphical business rules. Select

Task>Manage>Run time Prompts. Then click the new run-time prompt button.

9. How do you add a number run- time prompt to a specific component in

the graphical environment for a business rule?

Ans: Create a member run – time prompt by selecting Task. Then click, the new

run – time prompt button. Drag the component over to the process bar, and a

number source block. Click the number source block and a magnifying glass, is

displayed in the family detailed section. Click the magnifying glass and select the

number run – time prompt.

10. Can I have the spaces or special characters in the run – time prompt ID?

Ans: No. Spaces or Special characters are not supported with in the HBR run –

time prompts.

11. If I create a run – time prompt for a single or multiple member

selection, do I need to use them at that time?

Ans: You do not have to use that particular run – time prompt. However while

validating or launching the business rule, you will be prompted to enter a run –

time prompt value.


39 �:�9297052855

12. Enhanced Calc Scripts?

Ans: A Calc script created through HBR that can contain Run – Time prompts.

13. Formula Range?

Ans: A selected portion of the database that represents the dimensions that are

common to a particular component in a business rule.

14. Specifying a destination?

Ans: The destination value defines in a formula represent portion of database

that stores the calculated values. Any dimension values specified in the business

rule range or the formula range will already be locked in the destination and

displays in the italics. The default name of the destination is <Select destination>.

15. Specifying a formula range?

Ans: You specify a formula range to define the portion of the database that is the

same for the current formula. The formula range is processed in conjunction

with the business rule range and displays the values define in the business rule

range as the default in italics. You can redefine the values inherited in the

formula range more narrowly define the portion of the database for this formula.


40 �:�9297052855

REPORTS

Syntax Guidelines

• Separate commands with at least one space, tab, or new line. Report

processing is not affected by extra blank lines, spaces, or tabs.

• Enter commands in either upper or lowercase. Commands are not case

sensitive. If the database outline is case-sensitive, then the member

names used in the report script must match the outline.

• To start report processing, enter the ! report output command

(exclamation point or "bang"), or one or more consecutive numeric

values. You can place one or more report scripts, each terminated by its

own ! command, in the same report file.

• You can group more than one format command within a single set of curly

braces. For example, these formats are synonyms:

{UDATA SKIP}

{UDATA} {SKIP}

• Enclose member names that contain spaces or the member name

"Default" in double quotes; for example, "Cost of Goods Sold" "Default".

• If a formatting command is preceded by three or more of the characters

"=," "-," and "_," the Report Extractor assumes that the characters are

extraneous underline characters and ignores them. For example,

==={SKIP 1}

• Use // (double slash) to indicate a comment. Everything on the line

following a comment is ignored by the Report Writer. Each line of a

comment must start with a double slash.

Referencing Static Members

You can enter static (non-changing) member names, such as Sales and COGS,

directly into the report script. For static member names, use staticMbrDefinition

syntax, as described below:


41 �:�9297052855

Command

A staticMbrDefinition specifies the member to select.

Syntax

mbrName [ mbrName ]

mbrName

Dimension or member name of member to specify. When specifying multiple

member names, separate them with spaces. Enclose member names in double

quotes if they contain spaces or consist of numbers. For example: "Cost of Goods

Sold" or "100-10"

Description

A static member definition specifies a database outline member in a report

specification. This definition does not automatically reflect changes to the

database outline. If you change a member name in the database outline, you must

manually update each report script associated with that outline.

Example

Year

Selects the member Year.

Sales "Cost_of_Goods_Sold"

Selects the members Sales and Cost_of_Goods_Sold.

Documents

Essbase Interview Questions