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How to get the data out of Essbase cubes into a relational DW for any re porting using tools like BO/OBIEE. we would have to extract using ODI or ETL tools via flat files from essbase cube s to DW. For business Objects, Unfortunately Essbase 11 is not yet supported with BO 3.x. There has been an Enhancement Request: ADAPT01333659 raised. According to the PAM Document the Essbase 11 is supported from BOE 4.02(SP02) un iverse designer. therefore for us to build Essbase universes for reporting in Infoview, we would need to upgrade our server and client tools to BO XI 4.02 (SP2) With ODI - Essbase can also be used a data source for OBIEE or for loading into specific targets like DW. examples of integration from Essbase as a data source to OBIEE. ================================================================= OBIEE dashboard can use Essbase cube as a source. This can be done in the Oracle BI administration tool to build dashboards off of an essbase cube as a data sou rce by defining the repository in OBIEE for this essbase data source. the .rpd o r repository file once defined in the Admin tool can then be used to built repor ts/dashboards. In addition, BI Publisher can connect to an Essbase cube.

2. Oracle claims OBIEE 11g is integrated with Hyperion. What does that mean ? What s the level of integration with OBIEE 10g (our existing version). Smartview connects to OBIEE data source for drill-down to details. Smartview (the reporting tool in excel for Hyperion) has the ability to connect to OBIEE server as a data source to build reports in Smartview. we just need to configure the server connection on Essbase Shared Services - thi s can be done as a private connection directly from smartview client or set up a s a shared connection on the server side so that all users have the ability to s elect the OBIEE connection if they are given that rights/privilege to connect to the OBIEE connection. Essbase and Oracle BI EE Integration Points 1. Essbase can be a data source for Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edit ion 2. The OBIEE Semantic Model can be a data source for Essbase cubes 3. SmartSpace can consume both Essbase and OBIEE data sources 4. Hyperion Workspace can host OBIEE Dashboards, Answers, Delivers and Publisher 5. Informatica PowerCenter is the standard ETL tool for Oracle BI Apps and Essba se 6. Oracle Data Integrator is the future ETL tool for both Oracle BI Apps and Ess base Essbase Integration with OBIEE 10.1.3.3.2+ OBIEE can connect to multidimensional as well as relational sources ? Microsoft Analysis Services, SAP B/W, now Essbase 9.3.1/11.1 Import process converts the multidimensional view into a relational view Essbase cubes, dimensions, hierarchies converted to a logical relational star sc hema

Essbase data can then be combined with data from sources Typically used to bring in budget,forecast data etc from Essbase into OBIEE logi cal model Oracle BIEE as an Essbase Studio Data Source Essbase Studio can connect to Oracle BI Server as a data source Oracle BIEE Presentation Layer Folders appear as databases Connects via HTTP rather than ODBC, JDBC Brings across tables, columns (not hierarchies) Provides access to the data federation & metadata capabilities of OBIEE 3. Can Essbase be used to create something like DW Billing/Backlog? Can it handle that much of details of invoice level data? You can use the Essbase studio tool to connect to a relational dw to build a sch ema for reporting down to invoice level detail and define the dimensions/facts i n the outline for reporting in Smartview. in general 2 types of data storage options available in Essbase - ASO or BSO. Block data storage option (BSO) enables driver-based scenario modeling, forecast ing, and predictive analytic applications. for example- modeling of actuals vs budget data totals by product, region, custo mer etc (focus is on intersection of totals between dimensions) Aggregate data storage option (ASO) is optimized for massive sparse data sets, s upporting thousands of concurrent business users performing sophisticated analys es at the speed of thought.

if we are using Block Storage option in Essbase to load DW data, recommendation is to aggregate data based on requirements on current reports to aggregate data. - use tools to drill down into trx level details - recommendation is to speed up retrieval of aggregated data and to use tools to drill back down into invoice number / gl adjustment details in DW. 2nd storage option that faciliates transactional level detail (i.e. invoice leve l detail) storage of invoice level detail just like DW Billing today is to use A SO (aggregate Storage option) database in Essbase. - Also suggested to use Hyperion ASO (aggregate storage option) by one of the cl assmates working for Nestle in LA, CA who is using it for loading PO# level deta ils from Access database used to store CRM source system data. Following a data load, Essbase ASO does not store any aggregate values, but inst ead calculates them on demand - note this can slow down reporting on aggregate t otals or USD amounts (translated from fx rates between func curr and USD - as do ne today for columns like Inv Amt (USD)). For large databases, where the time re quired to generate these values may become inconvenient, the database can materi alize one or more aggregate "views", made up of one aggregate level from each di mension (for example, the database may calculate all combinations of the fifth g eneration of Product with the third generation of Customer), and these views are then used to generate other aggregate values where possible. This process can be partially automated, where the administrator specifies the a mount of disk space that may be used, and the database generates views according to actual usage.

4. Other than, current industry specific apps what are other applications/b usiness processes that can be built in Essbase cubes? Sales and tracking, planning and budgeting performance and variance reporting Financial consolidation and reporting Product line analysis customer and profit analysis Custom APIs for front end customization (use essbase as storage db) like sales f ront end web portals as essbase does work with languages like Visual basic, Java and C++