Getting Your Data Out of HFM

HFM Extended Analytics

Keith Berry
US-Analytics
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12+ Years Hyperion implementation experience
Certified in HFM and Essbase
Second year at Kscope
First EA presentation in 2004
Background
Tool for exporting HFM data to a relational database in star schema format
Prior to 11.1.2.2, the only way to export data not in <Entity Currency>
As of 11.1.2.2, fully integrated with Data Export
Extended Analytics What it is
Writes directly to a relational database (system to system)
Exports metadata and data
Flexible star schema format supports analysis and transformation
Why use it?
Setup
Create target database/schema
Separate from HFM application database
Can have multiple
Setup Target Databases
Create UDL (Universal Data Link) file
File containing target database connection information
One per target database
Copy to each HFM server
Setup Target Databases
Registers UDL with HFM server
11.1.2.1 and prior
Start All Programs Oracle EPM System Foundation Services EPM
System Configurator
11.1.2.2
Start All Programs Oracle EPM System Financial Management Extended
Analytics DSN Configuration
DSN will now appear on Data Extract screen
Configure DSN
Configure DSN
11.1.2.1 and prior
EA and Data Export separate tasks
Administration Extended Analytics
11.1.2.2
EA and Data Export fully integrated
Consolidation Extract Data
Create Export
Step #1 Set POV
Step #2 Set Extract Destination
Type
Database of flat file
Extract Format
Standard
Data Warehouse
Essbase
Metadata Only
Selected Metadata Only
Template
Extract Dynamic Accounts
Calculated Data
Derived Data
Values generated by ZeroView settings
Line Item Detail
n/a
Step #3 Set Options
Schema Actions
Create, Update or Delete
Destination Database
DSN configured earlier
Table prefix
ten alphanumeric characters
must start with character
no spaces
no underscore
Step #3 Set Options
What Happens
Create Database
Creates new tables if not already present
Clears Fact Table and re-exports data if tables already present and metadata has not
changed
Drops and rebuilds all tables if metadata has changed
Update Database
Adds or updates records in Fact Table for existing POV
Does not affect existing data outside of POV
Will not execute if metadata has changed or schema does not exist
Delete Database
Deletes all tables
Doesnt indicate if tables existed in the first place
What is Exported
Table layout optimized for dimensional data
Central fact table
One field for each dimension
One or more fields for data
Dimension tables
Dimension tables = look-up tables
Has corresponding value for each value in the related Fact table field
Dimension information in parent-child format
Contains additional information about the dimension field such as description,
user-defined fields, etc.
Fact table and dimension tables can be joined to manipulate and aggregate the
data along dimension lines
Database topology looks like a star
Star Schema Format
Star Schema Format
2 2013
43 Actuals
84 Jan
3 USD
88 California
19 Net Income
2 84 88 3 19 43 $100
Actuals, 2013, Jan, California, USD, Net Income - $100
Fact Table
Value Dim Table
Period Dim Table
Scenario Dim Table
Year Dim Table
Account Dim Table
Entity Dim Table
Table Sets
Assign table prefix during setup
HFM creates and populates tables during each export
All tables created during an export share the same prefix
Version exports via prefixes
Fact Table
ScenarioID
YearID
PeriodID
ViewID
EntityID
ParentID (for Entity parent)
ValueID
AccountID
ICPID
Custom1ID
Custom2ID, etc.
dData (float)
Each field contains a numeric ID which corresponds to the ID field of the appropriate
dimension table
ID numbers are stable across exports for the same set of metadata
Primary Key for the fact table is the composite of all dimension fields
Dimension Tables
Standard export format
Dimension Table (prefix_dimension name)
ID
Label
ParentID
ParentLabel
Description
IsShared
IsLeaf
The above fields are standard for all dimensions
Additional fields available based on individual dimension characteristics
Dimension tables also vary by export type
Boolean values (IsShared, IsLeaf) stored as Integer (1=True, 0=False)
Additional dimension fields
Scenario (prefix_SCENARIO)
UserDefined1
UserDefined2
UserDefined3
DefaultView (lookup to ID in View Dimension table)
Year (prefix_YEAR)
None
Period (prefix_PERIOD)
None
View (prefix_VIEW)
None
Additional dimension fields
Entity (prefix_ENTITY)
UserDefined1
UserDefined2
UserDefined3
IsICP
DefaultCurrency (lookup to ID in Value Dimension table)
Entity Parent (prefix_PARENT)
UserDefined1
UserDefined2
UserDefined3
IsICP
DefaultCurrency (lookup to ID in Value Dimension table)
Value (prefix_VALUE)
None
ICP (prefix_ICP)
None
Additional dimension fields
Account (prefix_ACCOUNT)
UserDefined1
UserDefined2
UserDefined3
IsCalculated
IsConsolidated
IsICP
AccountType
Custom (prefix_CUSTOMX)
UserDefined1
UserDefined2
UserDefined3
IsCalculated
SwitchSign
SwitchType
AggWeight
SQL View creates data table view from source tables:
Combined View
Standard SQL provided in appendix
Change table prefix
Adjust number of customs
Recommend all access to data through View
Combined View
Export types
Metadata Only
Selected Metadata Only
Standard
Data Warehouse
Essbase
Export types
Metadata Only
All metadata
Fact table empty
Standard export table format
Selected Metadata Only
Same as Metadata Only, but exports only members selected
Standard Export
One table per dimension
Separate dimension tables for Entity and Parent
Standard Export
Child repeated in dimension table each time it appears in under a new parent in the
source hierarchy
Separate join needed for base data and parent adjustment
ID and ParentID in Entity table
ID in Entity table and ID in Parent table
ENTITY Table
Data Warehouse
ParentID and ParentLabel are dropped from the dimension tables.
The entity parent table (prefix_PARENT) is also dropped
A second table is created for each dimension (prefix_dimension_PARENT) which holds
the parent-child information
Data Warehouse
Can join Fact table to Entity dimension table without duplicating values
More complex when parent information is required (three-table join)
ENTITY Table
ENTITY_PARENT Table
Essbase
Essbase
A second table for each dimension (prefix_dimension_BASE)
Parent entity table
Essbase
BASE table lists the base members under each parent in the dimension
ENTITY Table ENTITY_BASE Table
Understanding Data in HFM
Eliminations/Adjustments
HFM built to support multiple, alternate financial consolidations of the same
base data
Two levels of data:
Data and adjustments in base entity
No parent specified
Currency specified in Value Dimension member
Eliminations/adjustments in specific parent/child combinations
Parent specified
Named Value Dimension member
Currency not stated, but in currency of parent
Example
France base entity located in two alternate hierarchies
Europe parent in first hierarchy
Corp parent in second hierarchy
Three records loaded to France for 10K, 20K and 5K (total 35K)
Application consolidated
Automatic eliminations performed by HFM
Europe total now 30K
Corp total now 15K
France
Europe
Europe.France
France
HFM Consolidation
Corp
Data for France under Corp parent
Data for France under Europe parent
France
Corp.France
France
France
Europe
- 5K
35K
HFM Consolidation
Corp
Data for France under Corp parent
Data for France under Europe parent
France
-20K
35K
30K 15K
Translation
Default currency assigned to each member
Translation occurs for child member when consolidated to parent with different
currency
Translation occurs before parent adjustments
- USD
- USD
- CAD
- EUR
- GBP
Example
Data loaded to base members as follows:
USA 50K USD
Canada 40K CAD
France 15K EUR
UK 10K GBP
Consolidation/translation performed
- - EUR
Translation
- USD
- USD
- CAD
- EUR
- EUR
- GBP
Base data for each entity after consolidation/translation
Designing Your Exports
Assumptions
Can aggregate in target system
Target system needs base data in a single currency
Export in Data Warehouse format
Export only base members of Account, ICP, and Custom dimensions
Separate base data export from adjustment data export
Translation handled on case-by-case basis
Recommendations
Export in Data Warehouse Format
Each member present only once in dimension tables
Simple join with no duplicates
ENTITY Table
ENTITY_PARENT Table
Export Base Members for Accounts, ICP
and Customs
In HFM, parent members in ICP, Account and Custom dimensions calculated
dynamically in RAM as required
Overhead for processing
Overhead for virtual data into real
Base data
- Load to Entity
Split Export
Entity [Base]
Value Named currency, eg. USD, CAD
Adjustment data
- Load based on Entity Parent (except named currency Adjs)
- Create base members under parent in target system as needed
- Identify currency by Default Currency of the parent
Split Export
Entity [Hierarchy]
Named currency Adjs
Value [Parent Adjs]
[Eliminaton]
[Contribution Adjs]
Transform
Define all HFM parent members with the same default currency
Main or alternate hierarchy
If alternate, additional processing time
Force Translate
High overhead
Will not update during consolidation
Eliminations cannot be force translated
Special handling for <Parent Curr Adjs>
Translate downstream
SQL
Target application
Translation - Possible Solutions
Other Good Things to Know
Templates
Templates can be created to save export parameters
Cannot be shared between users
Not part of LCM export
Copy utility on HFM server
Start All Programs Oracle EPM System Financial Management
Utilities
Recommend Taskflows
Utility tables
HFM_EA_EXTRACT
Prefix (relational database prefix)
AppName (HFM application name)
Task (aggregation option)
Dimension (ID number)
dTimestamp (1900 date system)
Tracks the time each table was last updated
View provided to convert to readable form
HFM_LOCK_ACCESS
Tracks when schemas are being written to prevent simultaneous updates
Task flows
API Code
Http Listener (new) see HFM Developers Guide
Automation
Other Considerations
Correct upper level data depends on HFM being properly consolidated before export
EA does not trigger consolidation or translation
Data keeps the same sign it had in HFM
Revenue, Liabilities positive
Must accommodate if aggregating downstream
Dimension IDs in order they have been added to the system
Member ID
Not always suitable for dimension builds
Handy things you can do
with EA.
Approach
Export all base data for top entities in two HFM applications to be compared
Compare with database query
Benefits
Comprehensive comparison (all dimensions)
Automated
No maintenance
Always captures data present in one application, but not the other
Automated Reconciliation
Why it Works
Parent members in Account, ICP and Custom dimensions calculated dynamically in
RAM
Base data compare
Assumptions
Aggregation weights the same in both applications
Entity value changes are not offset in a higher entity
Automated Reconciliation
Setup
Create export template for first data set (prefix = TIE1)
Execute export
Create SQL data view
Repeat steps for second data set (prefix = TIE2)
Create comparison data view
Subsequent Steps
Rerun exports
Run compare query
Steps
Sample Export Parameters
Recon
Compare Query
Calculated Data Analysis
Tools for Accessing the Data
Oracle
Oracle SQL Developer
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/developer-tools/sql-
developer/overview/index.html
SQL Server
Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=8961
MS Excel
MS Access