ASO

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.

The ASO database efficiently stores not only zero level data, but can also store aggregated
hierarchical data with the understandings that stored hierarchies can only have the no-
consolidation (~) or the addition (+) operator assigned to them and the no-consolidation (~)
operator can only be used underneath Label Only members. Outline member consolidations are
performed on the fly using dynamic calculations and only at the time of the request for data. This
is the main reason why ASO is a valuable option worth consideration when building an Essbase
system for your customer.
Creating an ASO Essbase application and database is as easy as creating a BSO application and
database.

To create ASO outline-

 Create ASO appln to create ASO database, the ASO outline is created automatically
when we create a database.
 Convert BSO to ASO - Create ASO appln to contain ASO db and the outline.

Use the Aggregate Storage Outline Conversion Wizard in Administration Services to

convert the outline.
File -> New ->Wizards -> Aggregate Storage Outline Conversion Wizard
File -> Wizards -> Aggregate Storage Outline Conversion

1. Select File system or Essbase server which contains the application.

2. Then select the application, server and database
3. Now click on next and if any errors are there select the mode of correction – automatic or
interactive.
4. After the errors are corrected, then create an ASO appln, database and then click on finish
button.
5. ASO outline is created for the respective BSO outline with few changes.

ASO appln cannot be converted back to BSO.

An ASO appln can contain only one ASO database.

  In an ASO database, all dimensions are Sparse so there is no need to try to determine the
best Dense/Sparse settings as you would do with a BSO database.
 Although Essbase recommends that you only have one Essbase database in an Essbase
application, you can create more than one database per application when you are using the
BSO. When you create an ASO application, Essbase will only allow one database per
application

Types of hierarchies

Dimensions can have one or more hierarchies of the members.

An outline dimension in an ASO database can have any number of members and these members
can only be set as either stored members or dynamic members. They can even have both of the
hierarchies. In order to set the dimension to have both types of hierarchies, you need to
enable Multiple Hierarchies Enabled. If no hierarchy is defined, then by default it is tagged as
stored hierarchy.

 Stored
 Dynamic

Default – stored

The accounts dimension is tagged Dynamic automatically. Accounts dimension can’t be tagged
Stored.

Multiple hierarchies

 Multiple hierarchies should be enabled.

 Even if all the hierarchies in a dimension are stored, still multiple hierarchies should be
enabled.
 Both stored and dynamic can be enabled, but first hierarchy should be stored one.
 When you tag a dimension member as multiple hierarchies enabled, it is automatically
tagged Label only.

Stored Hierarchy

 Stored hierarchies are aggregated according to outline.

  ASO are used for fast aggregation, to enable this only two consolidation operators +
(addition), ~ (no consolidation) are used.
 They cannot have formulas.

The following members can be tagged as stored hierarchy.

Dimension (generation 1) – if a dimension is tagged as stored hierarchy

 The entire dimension is considered a single stored hierarchy.

 No other member in the dimension can be tagged as top of a stored hierarchy or top of a
dynamic hierarchy.

Child of main dimension (generation2) –

 All generation 2 members in the dimension also must be tagged as either top of a stored
hierarchy or top of a dynamic hierarchy.
 The first hierarchy in the dimension must be a stored hierarchy.

Dynamic Hierarchy

 They can have any consolidation operator, and can have formula.
 At the time of retrieval, Essbase calculates the required member combinations and
calculates any required outline member formulas.
 Due to calculations, retrieval time is longer.

Here also any Generation1 or Generation 2 member can be tagged as Dynamic Hierarchy.

If a member has the no-consolidation operator (~) on all its children, the member must be tagged
label only.

Alternate hierarchy -Used for shared members and attribute dimensions.

Shared members

The alternate hierarchy has shared members that refer to non shared members of previous hierarchies in
the outline.
Shared members on dynamic hierarchies can have formulas.
The nonshared instance of the member must occur in the outline before any shared instances of the
member.
In multiple hierarchies, the first hierarchy should not contain a shared member.
Stored hierarchy dimension cannot have a shared members where as stored hierarchy in multiple heir
http://www.packtpub.com/article/essbase-aso-enterprise-analytics-essbase-bso-essbase-analytics