Hyperion Essbase

What we will cover

Introduction To Essbase
Hyperion Essbase Demonstration
Designing & Explanation of Analytics Service Database
Loading Data
Understanding Analytics Services Structure
Consolidating and Calculating Data
Spreadsheet Addin

Corporate Information Pyramid

Mainframes and OLTP Data

RDBMS
SQL Reporting Applications
Text Files
Spreadsheet Applications

Information

Exploration /
SQL/
Relational/
Cleansing/

Data

Transaction

Multidimensionality

Multidimensionality converts two dimensional row and column oriented data into a
multidimensional cube. The faces of the cube represents dimensions.
Structures data around natural business concepts.
Provides foundation for efficient, sophisticated business analysis.

East
West
January

February

Actual Budget Actual Budget

Sales
Margin

TV
VCR
TV
VCR

Data Cube

Analysts prefer to view multidimensional data in the form of a data cube rather than in
relational tables.
Cube is a metaphor for multidimensional data storage.
N-D cube can be visualized as series of (n-1)-D cubes.
Relational table

Data cube

Product

Time

Sales

Diet Cola

January

166

Diet Cola

February

182

Root Beer

January

131

Root Beer

February

149

January

February

Diet Cola

166

182

Root Beer

131

149

3-D Cube

Dimensions
Time
Products
Markets
Members
Jan, Feb, Mar (Time)
Diet Cola, Root Beer, Cream Soda,
Fruit Soda (Products)
CA, CT, NY (Markets)
Measures
Sales

s
et
Y
k
N
ar
T
M
C
C

Products

Diet Cola

166

182

143

Root Beer

131

149

120

Cream Soda

123

150

115

Fruit Soda

267

196

231

Jan Feb Mar

Time
267 units of fruit soda sold in CA in Jan

The OLAP Solution-Hyperion Essbase

Online Analytical processing System (OLAP) is a category of software that lets

analysis ,managers and executables gain insight into data thru fast ,consistent,
interactive access to a wide variety of possible data views.

OLAP transforms raw data into transformation reflecting the real dimensionality of the
enterprise as understood by the user.

OLAP solution as Essbase XTD Analytics Services facilitates intensive analysis and
let managers invent their analysis interactively.

Provides multiple-user access to the analytic information.

Provides a graphical user interface.

Conforms to the client-server architecture.

Hyperion Essbase Demonstration

Hyperion Essbase Demonstration

Starting The Essbase Analytics Server

Starting Administration Server
Start Administration Server Console

Defining The database outline

Defining the automatic rules for developing complex outlines
Creating Calculation Script
Creating Load Rules for loading data into database
Providing log reports for trouble shooting.

Hyperion Essbase Product Architecture

Client Tier

Middle Tier

Hyperion Analyzer

Database Tier

TCP/IP

Hyperion Reports

Spreadsheet
Add-in

HTTP

Spreadsheet
Services

HTTP
Administration
Services
Administration
Console

HTTP

Administration
Services

TCP/IP

Essbase

Essbase

Multi-threaded OLAP database software

Based upon Web-deployable, thin-client architecture
Components:
Essbase Server
Essbase Client
Essbase Spreadsheet Add-in
ESSCMD
MaxL data definition language (MaxL DDL)
Data manipulation language (MDX)
Optional. Data Mining

Administration Services

Database and system administrators' interface to Essbase

Components:
Administration Server
Administration Console

Starting and Stopping the Essbase Server

To start the Essbase Server, launch the Essbase Server Agent executable:

To stop the Essbase Server, enter EXIT or QUIT in the Agent Console.

Essbase Server
Agent

Essbase Server
Agent Console

Essbase Server

Starting and Stopping the Administration Server

To start the Administration Server, launch the Administration Server Agent executable:

To stop the Administration Server, launch the following executable:

%EASPATH%\eas\server\bin\stopadminsvr.exe

Administration Server
Agent

Administration Server
Agent Console

Administration Server

Starting the Administration Console

To start the Administration Console:

1. Launch the console executable:

%EASPATH%\eas\server\console\admincon.exe
2. Log on to the console.

Enterprise View
Enterprise View displays your Essbase environment in a hierarchy.

Shortcut Menu

Custom View

Life Cycle of Essbase Database Design

Build MDB

Report
and
Verify

Load Data

Calculate

Creating an Essbase Application

1

Essbase Databases

Data repository that contains multidimensional analytic data

Database objects:
Database outline
Data sources
Rules files
Calculation scripts
Report scripts
Security definitions
Linked reporting objects
Partition definitions

Creating an Essbase Database

1

2
3

Designing An Analytics Services Database

Analytics Services Terminology

Outline : The presentation of the relationships among

the members in the database.

Dimensions : A perspective on the data being Analyzed

eg Time Units i.e Year ,quarter,months,weeks etc. There
are two types of dimensions as
Standard
Attribute

Members : Discrete component making up dimensions

Generation/ Levels : Describe position within the

hierarchy of the dimension.

Sibling: A child member at the same branch level as

another child member with the same parent.

Shared Member : The data values associated with a

shared member come from another member with the
same name. The shared member stores a pointer to
data contained in the other member and the data is only
stored once.

User Defined Attribute (UDA): Used to describe a

member.

Standard Dimensions
Essbase maximizes the performance by dividing the standard dimensions into two
types :

Dense Dimension : A dimension with a high probability that one or more data
points are occupied in every combination of dimension. Hence Accounts , Year &
Scenario are considered Dense Dimensions.
Sparse Dimension : A dimension with a low percentage of data position filled.

Essbase File Structure

Essbase Server creates a directory for each application and database.
%HYPERION_HOME%
%ARBORPATH%
Directory for all
applications

TBC application
directory
Sales database directory

Outline
Transaction control
Free fragment file
Database file
Database backup
Kernel
Data source file
Rules files
Index file
Data file
Calculation script

Database Outline

Tree structure for dimension hierarchies

Consolidations and mathematical relationships between members
Outline Editor

Outline Terms: Generations

Generation defines a members location within the outline hierarchy from
the top of the dimension.

Gen 1

Scenario

Gen 2

Actual

Gen 2

Budget

Gen 2

Forecast

Gen 2

Variances

Gen 3

Act vs Bud

Gen 3

Act vs Fcst

Gen 3

Bud vs Fcst

Dimension

Leaves

Branch

Leaves

Outline Terms: Levels

Level defines a members location within the outline hierarchy from
the bottom of the dimension.

Scenario

Level 1

Actual

Level 0

Budget

Level 0

Forecast

Level 0

Variances

Level 1

Act vs Bud

Level 0

Act vs Fcst

Level 0

Bud vs Fcst

Level 0

Level 2

Outline Terms: Genealogy

Genealogy names relationships between members in the outline.
Scenario
Actual
Budget
Forecast
Descendants
of Scenario

Variances

Ancestors of
Act vs Bud
Act vs Fcst
Bud vs Fcst
Parent

Act vs Bud

Child

Act vs Fcst

Child

Bud vs Fcst

Child

Time Dimension
Time dimension defines the time period of the analytic data.
Separate Dimension Model
Total Year

Fiscal Year Crossover Model

Year

Qtr1

FY03

Qtr2

FY04

Qtr3
Qtr4
Year
2003
2004

Qtr1FY04
Qtr2FY04
Qtr3FY04
Qtr4FY04

Outline Editor
Outline Editor enables you to design the database outline.

Toolbar
Tabs

Working pane

Control
buttons

Adding Dimensions and Members

You can add dimensions and members to the outline manually or
dynamically.
Adding a child

Adding a sibling

Setting the Dimension Type

Dimension Type Buttons
2

Assigned
Dimension
Type

Verifying and Saving the Database Outline

Essbase enables you to:
Check the database outline for errors
Save the outline to the Essbase server or the client file system

Outline errors

Enhancing Computational Capabilities

The database outline contains the following metadata that enhances
Essbase computational capabilities:
Consolidation operators
Member formulas
Variance reporting calculation
Time balance

Consolidation Property and Operators

Consolidation property defines how the member rolls up to its parent.
Valid consolidation operators are:
Addition (+)
Subtraction (-)
Multiplication (*)
Division (/)
Percent (%)
Ignore (~)

Excluded from
consolidation

Margin
Sales

(+)

COGS

(-)

Margin = Sales COGS

Defining Member Calculation

Member formulas define complex computations in the outline.
"Ending Inventory" = "Opening Inventory" - Sales + Additions;
Markup = (Retail - Cost) % Retail;

Essbase operators and functions return sets of member or data values.

Creating Member Formulas

Create the member formula in
Formula Editor.
2

3
Formula Editing pane

4
1

Variance Reporting Calculation

Members that represent expense must have the Expense Reporting tag.
Essbase provides two variance reporting functions:
@VAR(mbrName1, mbrName2)
@VARPER(mbrName1, mbrName2)
Example:
Actual

Budget

Variance

Variance %

Sales

100

120

-20

-16.67

COGS (Expense Reporting)

100

120

20

16.67

Variance equals Actual minus Budget.

Variance = @VAR(Actual, Budget);

Time Balance Property

Time balance property defines member consolidation across the Time dimension.
Skip option determines how Essbase treats zero and missing values.

Total Year
Qtr1

(TB First)

Additions
Ending Inventory

Feb

Mar

25

20

20

11

10

15

36

Qtr1+Qtr2+
Qtr3+Qtr4

31

25

30

30

Value of Qtr4

20

Inventory
Opening Inventory

Jan

(TB Last)

31

Label Only Members

Do not store data
Group members to ease navigation and reporting
Take the value of the first child that stores data

Total Year
Qtr1

Qtr2

Qtr3

Qtr4

120

125

150

150

545

Actual

120

125

150

150

545

Budget

110

140

140

170

560

Scenario

Label Only

Member Aliases
Aliases improve outline and report readability
Essbase stores aliases in the alias tables
You can create up to 10 alias tables

Default
Year

Year Total

Qtr1

Quarter 1

Jan
Feb
Mar

January
February
March

Year Total
Quarter 1
January
February
March

Attribute Dimensions
Attributes describe characteristics
of data such as the size and color
of products.

Through attributes you can group

and analyze members of
dimensions based on their
characteristics.

Attribute Dimensions
Analysis by attribute provides depth and perspective, supporting more informed
decisions

Base dimension

Products
Colas

Attribute dimensions

Caffeinated

Intro Date

Promotion

True

01-25-2003

Summer Time Fun

False

05-10-2002

Old Time Favorites

Caffeine Free

09-30-2001

New Millennium

Kool Cola

01-01-2001

Cola

Associating Attribute Dimensions

4

3
2
1

Associated Attribute Dimensions

Setting member storage properties

Storage
Property
Store
Dynamic
Calc and
Store
Dynamic
Calc
Never share

Label only
Shared
member

When to Use
Store the data value with the member.
Not calculate the data value until a user requests it, and then store the
data value.
Not calculate the data value until a user requests it, and then discard
the data value.
Not allow members to be shared implicitly.
Members tagged as Never share can only be explicitly shared. To
explicitly share a member, create the shared member with the same
name and tag it as shared.
Create members for navigation only, that is, members that contain no
data values.
Share values between members. For example, in the Sample Basic
database, the 100-20 member is stored under the 100 parent and shared
under Diet parent.

UDA (User Defined Attributes)

A user-defined attribute (UDA) is a word or phrase about a member.

Use UDAs in the following places:

Calculation scripts. After you define a UDA, you can query a member for its UDA in a
calculation script.
Data loading. You can change the sign of the data as it is loaded into the database
based on its UDA.

Loading Data

Loading Data Overview

Error File
Formatted
Data File
Administration
Console

+
Nonformatted
Data File

Essbase
Server

Rules File
MaxL Shell

Data Prep Editor

Database

Free-Form Data Loading

You can load a data source directly if it contains all information required to load its data
values into the database.
Measures

Scenario

Products

Markets

Budget "200-30"
Dallas
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Sales
150
160
150
140
130
COGS
60
60
60
50
50
Marketing 20
20
20
20
10
Payroll
20
20
20
20
20
Scenario

Markets

Budget
Budget
Budget
Budget

Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago

Products

"Kool
"Kool
"Diet
"Diet

Cola"
Cola"
Cola"
Cola"

Measures

Sales
COGS
Marketing
Payroll

Jun
110
40
10
20
Total Year

January
February
March
April

Total Year
Data

Data

1669.8
484
629.2
629.2

Performing Free-Form Data Loads

2
1

Structured Data Loading with Rules

You can format the data source to map its data to the database.
You can store the rules in a rules file.
You can apply the rules to many data sources.
Map fields to Markets, Products, and
Measures dimensions.

Aspen
Denver
Manchester

Map the header to Budget

in the Scenario dimension.

1st quarter Budget Data

Jan Feb Mar
Diet Cola
Sales
150 160 150
Kool Cola
COGS
60 60 60
C-Free Cola Marketing 20 20 20

Replace C-Free Cola with

Caffeine-Free Cola.

Qtr1
460
180
60

Ignore field
during data load.

Creating Data Load Rules Files

1
2

Opening Data Sources

1
2

Loading Data with the Rules File

2
1
3

Understanding Analytics Services Structure

Essbase Data Storage Options

Aggregate Storage
Large number of base dimensions

Extremely small batch window, or

many applications to compute

Combinations of large dimensions

Block Storage

Calculation script-based applications

Write-back capability

Interactive planning, allocations,

sophisticated analytics

Block Storage Overview

Block storage databases use dense and sparse dimensions.

Dense Dimensions
rio
a
en
c
S

Sparse Dimensions
ts
e
k
ar
M

Measures

Products

Total Year

Customers

Setting Dimensions as Dense or Sparse

2
Data-descriptor dimensions
Business-view dimensions
Attribute dimensions

Aggregate Storage Overview

A new storage kernel
Aggregate-intensive cubes
Larger numbers of dimensions and

members
Optimized for sparser data sets,
operational analytics
Significantly reduces calculation
times and disk footprint
Designed to work seamlessly with
existing interfaces and user skills
Reduces complexity when creating
Essbase databases

Consolidating & Calculating Data

Database Calculation
Data consolidation and calculation is performed upon retrieval.
Analytic Services offers two ways that you can calculate a database:
Outline calculation
Calculation script calculation
Retrieval performance can be improved by aggregating and storing selected level 0
data.
Level 0 Data

Report

Aggregated Data

Outline Calculations
By default, the calculation for a database is a CALC ALL of the database outline. CALC
ALL consolidates all dimensions and members and calculates all formulas in the
outline.
Used for less complex calculations
Follow outline relationships
Fastest way to calculate entire database

Calculated
Database

Input Data

Outline

Order of Outline Calculations

Essbase calculates the outline in the following order:
1. Accounts dimension
2. Time dimension
3. Other dense dimensions in top-down order
4. Other sparse dimensions in top-down order
5. Members that are tagged as Two-Pass calculations

1st Pass

Level 0 Data

2nd Pass

Calculated Data
(Before Two-Pass)

Calculated Data

(After Two-Pass)

Calculation Scripts
Calculation scripts enable you to:
A calculation script contains a series of calculation commands, equations, and formulas.
You use a calculation script to define calculations other than the calculations that are
defined by the database outline.
Calculate all or a portion of the database
Control the order in which dimensions are calculated
Perform complex calculations

Calculated
Database

Level 0 Data

Calculation Script

Creating Calculation Scripts

Dimensions and
Members

Opening the Calculation

Script Editor

Functions and
Commands

Outline Enhancements That Affect Calculations

Two-Pass Calculations
Dynamic Calculations
Dynamic Time Series

Two-Pass Calculations
Before Two-Pass

After Two-Pass

Dynamic Calculations
Advantages
Shorten batch database calculation time
Reduce disk storage usage
Reduce database restructure time
Reduce time to perform a backup
Disadvantages
May increase retrieval time
Change calculation order

Precalculated
Database

Data
Request

Calculated
Request

Report

Dynamic Time Series

Jan

Feb

Jan

Feb

January

February

March

Sales

100

120

130

QTD
Sales

100

220

350

Calc Script

Dynamic
Time Series

Stored QTD

Non-stored QTD

Spreadsheet Addin

Essbase Spreadsheet Add-in

Is a software program that is embedded in a client spreadsheet application
Enables you to retrieve data, create ad hoc reports, and analyze data
Provides the interface with Essbase Server

MS Excel with
Essbase Spreadsheet
Add-in

Essbase Server

Essbase Database

Essbase Menu and Toolbar

The Essbase menu and toolbar provide tools to access the database.
Essbase Menu

Essbase Toolbar

Hyperion
HyperionEssbase
Essbase
Spreadsheet
SpreadsheetAdd-In
Add-In
provides
providesad-hoc
ad-hocanalysis
analysis
ininExcel.
Excel.

Connect
ConnecttotoHyperion
Hyperion
Essbase
Server
Essbase Server

Connecting to and Disconnecting From

a Database
Connecting to the Database

Disconnecting from the Database

1
1

5
2

Retrieving Data
Select Essbase > Retrieve.
Essbase returns top-level data into an empty spreadsheet.

1
2
3
MS Excel

Essbase Server

4
Top-level Data

Essbase Database

Retrieving Multidimensional Data into a TwoDimensional Spreadsheet Report

All dimensions must be represented in the spreadsheet.
The spreadsheet layout has four sections:

Header Labels

Column
Labels

Row Labels

Data Cells

Display Options
Indentation

Totals

Replacement

Subitems

None

Display Options (cont.)

Suppress

Aliases

Use Aliases

Member Names

Use Both Member Names and Aliases

Questions

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