Interactive Reporting & Essbase

interRel Consulting

2

interRel - Founded in 1997

2008 Oracle Titan Award winner for “EPM Solution” of the year

2008 Oracle Excellence Award winner with Pearson Education

One of the fastest growing companies in USA (Inc. Magazine, ‟08)

The only Hyperion consulting partner with 2 Oracle ACE Directors

and one Oracle ACE

Founding Hyperion Platinum Partner; now an Oracle Certified Partner

Focused on Oracle Hyperion EPM software

100% of our senior consultants are Hyperion Certified Professionals

250+ Hyperion projects completed

Optimization improvements of more than 99%

Regular presenter at Hyperion‟s users‟ groups and solutions

conferences

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Look Smarter Than You Are with Essbase

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Complete Guide

System 9 Complete Guide

End User Guide

Find out more at

www.interrel.com

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Copyright © 2007, Hyperion. All rights reserved.3

Disclaimer

These slides represent the work and opinions of

the presenter and do not constitute official

positions of Oracle or any other organization.

This material has not been peer reviewed and is

presented here with the permission of the

presenter.

This material should not should not be reproduced

without the written permission of interRel

Consulting.

Agenda

The New Way – Introduction to CubeQuery

The Old Way

The Details – Walk Through the Setup and

Query Process

Comparison to Web Analysis

QA

CubeQuery

New connection method for Essbase databases

Introduced in 9.3.1

Much better than OLAPQuery

Olap Query vs. Cube Query

OLAP Query Cube Query

Pre 9.3 Available in 9.3

Slicer Filters

Side Rows

Top Columns

Filters from multiple members may be

selected and applied from a single

hierarchy

One filter member can be selected per

dimension (filters for multiple members

within the same dim are not supported)

Measures are treated as distinct

dimensions and can be placed on in the

Facts pane of the data layout

Measures can be in row, column, or filter

panes

Member selection in the data layout is

unavailable

Member selections in the Row, Column,

and Filter panes of the data layout can be

edited in the Member Selection dialog box

Short cut menu enables access to the Filter

dialog box and Remove option

Shortcut menu enables access to Remove

option, Member Selection dialog, Data Filter

option, Variable option and Filter option

Cube Query Requirements

Essbase 7x or 9x

Essbase 9.3 or greater runtime client

Create a Database Connection

Create database connection

Database connection file is a .oce file

Create an Essbase Connection

Choose Essbase as software connection

Create an Essbase Connection

Enter ID, password, and server

Create an Essbase Connection

Select the application and database

Choose an Measures Dimension

Select the Measures dimension

*This has important implications

Save the Database Connection

Save the OCE

Save the Database Connection

Save the OCE

Cube Query Window

CubeQuery section is the Interactive Reporting

interface with Essbase 7.x , and 9.x databases

Provides access to the cube in which

multidimensional data can be analyzed and

complex calculations can be applied before and

after the queries are processed

Resulting data set can be shown with relational

data side-by-side in a dashboard report, or

downloaded to a results set and joined to

relational sources

Cube Query Window

Also called the data layout

Cube Query Catalog

Lower left hand part of the screen

Displays one or all dimensions in a tree model

The tree can be expanded to display additional

members

Generations are not included in the hierarchy.

Page to navigate through many members

You can define the Query Options - Number of

Members to display

Default is 50

Search by member name or alias

Toggle between single and all dimension modes

Create a CubeQuery Section

Select Tools > Options > Program Options >

OLAP and clear “Use Old OLAP Query” section

CubeQuery is the default Essbase query type

Select Insert > New Query

Select an IR .oce file for the Essbase

application.database

Enter an ID and password and click OK

In the catalog, select a member dimension and

select Query > Add to Rows or Add to Columns

or Add to Filters

Click Process

Add to Columns

Add to Columns

Add to Rows

Add to Filters

Query Result

Member Selection

Use Member Selection Browse and Search tabs

to define member criteria for each dimension

Available functions

Member

Children

Descendants

Bottom (level zero members under the selected

member)

Siblings

Same Level

Same Generation

Select Next / Previous

Subset (udas, attributes, levels, generations)

DTS

Browse Members

In the data layout, right click a dimension and

select edit

Member Selection

Member Selection

Member Selection

Member Search

Search tab by member name, alias or both

Use the * wildcard

Subsets

Subsets in Member Selection

DTS and CubeQuery

DTS members are predefined members for to

date reporting (YTD, MTD)

CubeQuery uses MDX to query Essbase and

MDX doesn‟t have the exact equivalent of DTS

functions

Combination of xTD and Sum functions are used

Watch out for those members with Two Pass and Time

Balance (order of calcs may not be right)

Variable

A variable is a constraint that a user selects

when the query is processed

In the data layout, right-click a dimension

member and select Edit

Select Use as variable

Click OK

You can also a member in the data layout and

on the shortcut menu, select Variable

Substitution Variables

Data Filters

Limit data retrieved from the database

Applied on the server (not the client)

Filter data based on top or bottom values

Apply sorts to the data or metadata

Apply show / hide criteria

Used to create asymetric reports

Data Filters

Data Filters

Set Conditions

Available for Show/Hide feature of Data Filters

From the Where Pane of the Show/Hide definition, select

Value for dim member value

Click Condition

Select operator for comparison

=

<>

<

>

<+

>=

In the Edit box enter the numeric value

Click OK

Click the Arrow icon to add the conditioned value to the

selected pane

Click ok

Conditions

Persisting Data Filters

Data filters (Top/BottomN, Sort, or Hide/Show)

are persisted even after the members selected

for the data filter are no longer in the query.

As long as the overall dimension selections in

the data layout are not modified, the data filter

can still be applied.

Enables users to retain the data filter definition

even when the query is modified or rebuilt

If the dimension selections in the data layout are

changed and the data filter definition is not

removed or modified, the results set may not be

synchronized with what has been requested.

Persistent Data Filters

Prompt to remove or updated data filter

Leave – preserves the data filter regardless of

members that have been added or removed from the

query

Remove – remove the data filter

Update – launches the Data Filter dialog box

Sometimes a user is not prompted

Various drilling / analytic activies

Query Options

Query Options

Auto refresh enables the

automatic query of the

database when an item is

added or removed from

the data layout

If not turned on you must

click Process to query

the db

Small queries – yes

Large queries - no

Catalog display –

specify the max number

of members to display

Query Options

Suppression

Use Aliases

#Missing label

Zero label

Query Options

Drill options

Next level or other

Member retention

Process Queries

Example

Navigating

Drill

Keep only

Remove only

Same Essbase functionality we know and love

Formatting Options

Font

Style

Number

Justify

Border

Auto-Size Width

Auto-Size Height

Corner Labels

Spotlighter (same as traffic lighting in WA)

Formatting Corner Labels

Spotlighter

Download Results

Render flat table representation of multi-

dimensional Essbase

Result section can be used for further analysis,

report creation, and joining with data from

relational sources

Once in result section, processing is done on the IR

side (not Essbase)

Results are only updated when you select the

Download to Results feature or when you

process results again

Consider Auto Generate results for small queries

Download Results

Download Results

Downloaded Results (Flat view)

Downloaded Results

How are ragged hierarchies handled?

Creating Charts

Select Query > Show As Chart

Pivot – Accounts as Facts

Can Measures go down my rows?

No – Not if Measures is defined as the Accounts dimension

Can Measures Go Down my Rows?

You have to define another oce and define

another dimension as the Measures dimension

This will be required if you are creating reports

with Essbase data

If you are using Dashboards only, then you can

insert the Essbase query into the dashboard

Essbase Queries in IR

One big query?

Many smaller queries?

Depends on what you need for dashboards

If you are only rolling out controlled dashboards with no

analytics or true adhoc analysis, then you can create

the specific queries you need for the dashboard

Depends on privileges you give end users

If you users need to perform adhoc analysis and

advanced analytics, then you need to consider if they

can create new queries or if they are limited to working

in predefined queries

WITH A COMPARISON TO

WEB ANALYSIS

The End User Perspective – Interactive Reporting and Essbase

The End User Perspective

In most cases, you aren‟t going to rollout the IR

Studio to your mass of users

So what can IR end users do via the web?

For basic drilling or other analytic capability, use

HTML or IR web client

To modify the query, use the Interactive

Reporting web client

Open As…

IR Drill Options

Web Analysis Drill Options

Member Selection in IR

Member Selection in WA

Data Display

Data Display Options

End User Capabilities – IR Web Client

Users can drill down and perform analysis in

Essbase

If the correct privileges are assigned, users can

make changes to the query

As long as the query is not saved to the

repository, then the main source query will not

be changed

Users can save their personal queries locally

If the correct privileges are assigned, they can

save their personal queries to the workspace as

well

Edit Permissions

To assign privileges, go to the properties of the

BQY

Select Edit permissions

Depending on your requirements, you will want

to set access to file and adaptive state

accordingly

Edit Permissions

Edit Permissions

How you set permissions in Essbase queries

may differ in how you set permissions in

relational queries

Advanced Analytics IR vs. WA

WA Studio WA

Workspace

IR Studio IR Web

Client

IR HTML

Basic

Drilling

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Swap Rows

and

Columns

Yes Yes Yes Yes No

Client install Required first

the first time

No install

necessary

Client

application

Required the

first time

No install

necessary

Adhoc

Query

Yes Yes Yes Yes No

Member

Selection

High High Medium Medium None

Traffic

Lighting

Yes Yes Yes – Called

Spotlighter

Yes – Called

Spotlighter

No

Formatting /

Presentation

Yes Yes Yes Yes No

Save

Personal

Queries

Yes Yes Yes Yes No

WITH A COMPARISON TO

WEB ANALYSIS

Essbase & Dashboards in Interactive Reporting

Reports vs. Dashboards

Reports

Offer greater flexibility in filtering (right click)

True analytics like drill down and swap rows and

columns

For analysts and power users

Dashboards

Guided user process

Allow radio buttons, drop downs

For execs and higher up managers or for novice, basic

users

Essbase and IR Reports

You can pull Essbase and relational data

together into one report

You cannot pull the Essbase query into the

report

You can pull Essbase query resulting options like

tables, pivots or charts into reports

You cannot add drop downs or other objects for

filtering across the two types of queries

That‟s where you create a dashboard

Essbase and IR Reports

Essbase and IR Dashboards

You can incorporate Essbase data into

dashboards just like any other query

You can pull the Essbase query itself on to the

dashboard or any other resulting objects

Although the Essbase analytic functions are not

available

Essbase and IR Dashboards

Dashboards IR vs. WA

Web Analysis Interactive

Reporting

Complexity to

Create

Medium Medium - Complex

Requires

Programming

None Yes – Java scripting;

Flexibility High Very high

Drillable within the

Dashboard

(Essbase sources)

Yes No

Present Essbase

Data with Relational

Data

Yes – but not well Yes

Data Controls Yes Yes

So if I‟m evaluation Web Analysis and Interactive Reporting, which

one?

Web Analysis vs. Interactive Reporting

Not really one right answer…

Technically you could use both but…

IR requires Java Scripting knowledge for creating and

maintaining dashboards

Learning curve for both products (similar concepts but

steps and design considerations are completely

different)

Web Analysis if you are only reporting on

Essbase

Interactive Reporting if you report against

relational sources

Interactive Reporting if you report against

Essbase and relational sources in the same

report or dashboard

Web Analysis vs. Interactive Reporting

Web Analysis if you don‟t have any technical

resources available / programmers

Web Analysis is easier to learn for administrators

No Java Scripting or “coding” required

From an end user perspective, you will want

users to report against Essbase in one of the

tools – either WA or IR

Don‟t have them try to learn both

IR and WA have the same functionality for the most

part (there may be a few more features in WA)

So then why not just use IR? Back to the note on

Dashboard building… more complex

The Future?

Future 11g

The Future

Answers

Dashboards

Reporting and Publishing (SQR & BI Publisher)

Delivers

Smart View

Financial Reporting (will continue to be supported)

Supported with Limited Enhancements

Interactive Reporting

Web Analysis

Compelled to move to Answers and Dashboards

Think Excel Add-in vs. Smart View

*11g coming next year sometime

Some items shown in the next slides are available today

89

What is OBIEE+?

90

Product Overview

OBI Server Create a virtual data warehouse of many sources

Data resides in the transaction systems (could be a burden on transaction systems)

Answers Analysis over the web for OBI sources

Dashboards Easy-to-create and use dashboards for OBI Sources

Delivers Delivery to emails, dashboards, web servicesAlerting capabilities

Mobile Analytics Content access via mobile devices

BI Publisher Formatted reports, pixel perfect reportsNot a tool for analysis

Financial Reporting

Printed, formatted reports for Oracle EPM System (Essbase, FM, Planning)

Interactive Reporting

Analysis, reporting and dashboards for relational and Essbase sources

Web Analysis Analysis and dashboards for Oracle EPM System (Essbase, FM, Planning, HPCM)

SQR Production Reporting

Pixel perfect, large volume reporting

OB

IEE

OB

IEE

+

OBI Server

Provides integration of many

sources

Intelligent caching services

Intelligent request generation

and optimized data access

services

Three layers

Physical

Business Model /Mapping

Presentation

91

Answers

Part of the OBIEE suite

Adhoc reporting

interface, pivot, charts

Point and click

Save organize and

share

Link content to

Dashboards

Answers+ coming soon

… full Hyperion feature

support

92

Dashboards

Part of the OBIEE suite

Fully interactive

graphical dashboards

Real time data across

enterprise sources

Point and click to

create and use

Guided analytics –

intelligent links to aid

users in their

investigations

Dashboards+ coming

soon … full Hyperion

feature support

93

Hmm… Many tools that do the same

thing?

OBI Server – Answers – Dashboards vs. IR and

WA?

OBI Server vs Essbase?

Future direction

Answers and Dashboards

Publisher

94

Comparing OBIEE to Interactive

Reporting TODAY

OBIEE Interactive Reporting

Components OBI Server / Answers /

Dashboards

Interactive Reporting

(Data models, BQY,

clients

Foundation / “Virtual

Schemas”

OBI Server

Awesome

IR Data Model

Good

Relational Reporting Strong Strong

Static Essbase

Reporting

Strong Strong

Analytic Essbase

Reporting?

Not available Yes, with CubeQuery

introduced in 9.3.1

End user perspective –

Dashboards

Strong Strong

Dashboard creation Easy Difficult (scripting

required

Integration with

Workspace

Yes Yes

Future Yes No

95

Answers and OLAP Style Queries for

Essbase - Future

Analytic Essbase analysis

Calculated members

Ragged and skip level hierarchies

And more…

96

Conclusion

The New Way – Introduction to CubeQuery

The Old Way

The Details – Walk Through the Setup and

Query Process

Comparison to Web Analysis

Future

QA

The Key Take Away – IR CubeQuery allows you

to easily combine relational and Essbase content

together in reports and dashboards

99

Upcoming HPCM Events

Solutions Road Trip to Dallas

Tuesday, December 16th

Breakfast Briefings with Live Demo

Tuesday, January 21st in Dallas, Texas

Wednesday, January 22nd in Houston, Texas

For more information on these events, please

contact Danielle White at

dwhite@interrel.com

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Tracy McMullen

interRel Consulting

tmcmullen@interrel.com

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