Essbase questions

1.       Ten differencers between ASO and BSO

	Aggregate storage	Block storage
1	more dimension	few dimension
2	Perform numerous calculation on larger Essbase outline	Perform numerous calculation on small outline
3	Calculation script not supported	Calculation script supported
4	One database under one application	Several but one recommended
5	One type of partitioning available: transparent	Three type of partitioning:  replicated, transparent and linked.
6	No concept of sparse and dense dimension	Concept of sparse and dense dimension
7	Contains data slices and can be merged	Data slice not supported
8	Copy database not supported	Copy database supported
9	Dense or sparse dimension designation not relevant	dense or sparse dimension relevant
10	Multiple hierarchies enabled, dynamic hierarchies or storage hierarchy designation relevant	Irrelevant

2.       What are LRO’s (linked Reporting Objects) and alias in Essbase? What are the maximum numbers of attributes we can have for a dimension member?

Linked Reporting Objects are the artifacts that are associated with a specific cell in the database in Essbase database.

Alias in Essbase is alternate name given to the member name for spreadsheet reporting, report reference, calculation reference and data loading reference.

We can assign 4 types of attributes to a dimension member.

3.       What are the build methods for building dimension? Do we use these build methods for data loading?

The various building methods are:

Generation reference: top down approach which start from the top hierarchy from generation 1

Level reference: bottom up approach which starts from bottom Level 0

Parent child reference:  the parent is followed by the child. A record can be child or parent.

	Generation	Levels	Parent	child
Jan	Gen3	Level0	Year	Q1
Feb	Gen3	Level0	year	Q2
Mar	Gen3	Level0	Year	Q3
Q1	Gen2	Level1	Year	Q4
Q2	Gen2	Level1	Q1	Jan
Q3	Gen2	Level1	Q1	Feb
Q4	Gen2	Level1	Q1	mar
Year	Gen1	Level2

A

We use build rule files for data loading.

4.       What are the differences between UDA and attribute dimensions and how does UDAs and attribute dimensions impact database size?

Attribute provide more flexibility than UDA. They provide much more reporting capability. Attribute only associates with sparse dimension but UDA associates with both dense and sparse dimension.

5.       Can we create UDA’s and attributes dimension and apply it to dense as well as sparse dimensions?

Attributes can only used for sparse dimension but we can assign UDA to sparse as well as dense dimension.

6.       Types of partition available are Essbase and what are the advantages and disadvantages?

Partitions are the region of the database that is shared with another database.

The types of partitions are:

Transparent partition:  allows user to access data from the data source as if it was stored in the target.

Advantages	disadvantages
Latest version of data is access from data target	Increases network traffic as every request on the target should fetch from data source and vice versa.
Calculation is faster	If source crash target application would be effected.
Need less  space
Any change in source is updated in target
Load data from source or target

1.       Replicated partition:  A copy of the portion of the data source that is stored in the data target. Some user can access data in data source while other can access data in data target.

Advantages:

a.       Replicated partition can decrease network activity, resulting in improved retrieval time for user.

b.      Data is more accessible to the entire user. Some user access data at data source while other access from data target.

c.       Since data is in more than one place so if failure occurs the data is still available in other sites.

d.      Local DBA can control the downtime of their local database.

e.      Database is smaller because only relevant data is kept at each site.

Disadvantages:

a.       Need more disk space because the same data is stored in multiple locations.

b.      User may not see the latest version of the database because the DBA must be manually refreshed.

2.       Linked partition: Sends user from one cell of the database to another database. Linked partitions give user a different perspective on data. When you click linked cell in the target, you drill across to the second database –the data source – and view the data there. There is no physical data transfer between target and source instead a data cell or range of data cells on the target provides a link point to the cell or range of cell to the source.

Advantages:

a.       You can view data in different context and can navigate between databases containing many dimensions.

b.      You need not keep data source and data target outline closely synchronized because less of data is shared.

c.       A single data cell can allow user to navigate through different database.

d.      Performance may improve because Essbase access database directly not through data target.

Disadvantages:

a.       It is applicable for small database.

b.      Network traffic is more but yet less compared to transition partition.

7.       What id hybrid analysis in Essbase?

Hybrid Analysis eliminates the need to load and store lower-level members and their data within the Essbase database. This feature gives Essbase the ability to operate with almost no practical limitation on outline size and provides for rapid transfer of data between Essbase databases and relational databases. Hybrid Analysis integrates a relational database with an Essbase multidimensional database so that applications and reporting tools can retrieve data directly from both databases.

8.        What are different Essbase storage properties and consolidation properties?

The types of storage properties are:

Store: stores data value with the member

Dynamic cal and store: Does not calculate data value until user request it, and then stores data value.

Dynamic cal: Does not calculate data value until user request it, and then discard the data value.

Never share: Does not allow member to share implicitly.

Label only: creates member for navigation only that contain no data value.

Shared members: share value between members.

Consolidation operators defined for each child member define how Essbase treats each value.

The consolidation operators are:

Operator	Description
+	Adds the member to the previous calculation performed on other members.
-	Multiplies the member by -1 and adds it to the sum of previous calculation performed on other members
*	Multiplies the member by the result of previous calculation performed on other members
/	Divides the member into the result of previous calculation performed on the other members
%	Divides the member into the sum of previous calculation performed on the other member
_	Does not use member in the consolidation to the parents
^	Does not use the member in any consolidation in any dimension

9.       What is dynamic time series, time balance, variance reporting?

Dynamic time series dynamically calculate period to date value.

Essbase provides eight predefined Dynamic Time Series members:

● HTD (history-to-date)

● Y-T-D (year-to-date)

● S-T-D (season-to-date)

● P-T-D (period-to-date)

● Q-T-D (quarter-to-date)

● M-T-D (month-to-date)

● W-T-D (week-to-date)

● D-T-D (day-to-date)

Time Balance Properties

TB first and TB last. These tags, called time balance tags or properties, provide instructions to Essbase about how to calculate the data in a dimension tagged as accounts. Using the tags requires a dimension tagged as accounts and a dimension tagged as time. The first, last, average, and expense tags are available exclusively for use with accounts dimension members.

Tags Description

Time Balance Last The value for the last child member is carried to the parent. For example, March is carried to Qtr1. Time Balance First; the value for the first child is carried to the parent. For example, Jan is carried to Qtr1.

Variance Reporting

One TBC Essbase requirement is the ability to perform variance reporting on actual versus

budget data. Variance reporting properties define how Essbase calculates the difference between actual and budget data in members with the @VAR or @VARPER function in their member formulas. When you tag a member as expense, the @VAR function calculates Budget – Actual. For example, if the budgeted amount is $100 and the actual amount is $110, the variance is –10 else it is 10.

10.   What is the role of provider services and what are the advantages of smart view?

Provider services are a middle tier source provider to Essbase for java API, smart view and XMLA clients.

Advantages of smart view:

Performs ad hoc analysis using Essbase cube in Microsoft interface

Manage variety of report using smart slice and report designer feature

11.   Dynamic cal decrease the retrieval time and increase batch database calculation time. How true is the statement?

Dynamic cal increases the retrieval time.

12.   How do we migrate applications from one environment to other and define the process of migration.

We migrate application by using migration utility tools provided by Essbase service console. Only objects are migrated but no data.

13.   Essbase database optimization process

We can optimize Essbase database by:

Restructuring outline:  specifying dimension dense or sparse and hourglass technique

During data loads:  Grouping sparse members,  positioning data source as outline, load from server, data source size

While calculation:  parallel calculation, two pass calculation, using formulas

15.   How do we set up new user in shared services and what is the filter in Essbase.

Filter is a method of controlling access to database cell in Essbase. It is as detailed level of security allowing you to define varying access level different user can have to an individual database values.