Hi all,

at my workplace we currently use hyperion essbase; and at the moment a lot
of my time is spent adding new members to the hierarchy; loading data and
calculate.
I've been doing some research; and found that you can create script files to
do the above for you. My question at the moment, is there a special format
if i want to update the outline from a text file i.e. do members have to be
tab or comma seperated?

i spent a lot of time on google but material is pretty rare.

many thanks,
toufik

Toufic:

You can load data or build hierarchies in Essbase using flat files
(default is tab delimited, but comma or custom delimiters are allowed).
There are 3 main formats Essbase supports for this purpose:

1) Generation build (top down - this is the default)
2) Level Build (bottom up)
3) Parent/Child build

You use something called a Load Rule in Essbase that defines the columns
of the flat file, the type of dimension build it is, etc. There can be
quite a bit to go into in terms of specifics, but hopefully this helps
you get started.

Regards,
Jade
--------------------------------
Jade Cole
Senior BI Consultant
Clarity Systems

toufik ` wrote:

We now sell a .net tool solution - would your company look at an
enterprise solution?

toufik ` wrote:

Hi Toufik,

There is a tremendous amount of information available at
http://dev.hyperion.com/. There are also forums there were you can
post questions to the most knowledgable Essbase resources in the world:
the folks who built it.

Cheers,

Nenshad

Hello Toufik,

Yes, material is pretty scarce for Essbase-so you came to the right
place to ask your question! Forums like this are an excellent way to
get quick feedback and direction to your questions.

The questions you ask are very pertinent and typical of clients I've
work with-who want to automate and simplify their administrative
activities. Basically your approach is to identify the problem,
determine the best tool(s) you need to solve the problem, determine if
there are any gaps in your ability to deliver the solution, and then
ALLOCATE ENOUGH TIME to develop and automate the solution. Far too
often, in my experience, I have seen solutions implemented too quickly
without considering best practices or results that will achieve the
best return on your investment.

If you are seriously trying to find ways to optimize and improve the
time spent with your administrative activities (i.e. outline changes,
loading data, calculating, security, even reporting), I would recommend
that you sit down with an experienced Essbase resource (this may even
be a co-worker!) who can help you create a plan for solving. So, now
the pivotal question-What kinds of things should be considered when
tackling this type of problem? Here would be my general approach:

1. Define what you want. Perform a simple cost justification to
determine how much time you are spending on these activities now, and
how much you would be willing to pay to make these problems go away and
free up your time.
2. Identify those tools that could aid you in a solution. For example,
the ESSCMD and MaxL are certainly good options for scripting, but also
consider how to further automate these with Batch files, schedulers,
and even custom utilities for automating and maintaining the scripts.
Also, consider your Essbase license and what you have available. For
example, do you own EIS? This may be part of your over-all solution (IT
can probably help you on understanding your license and capabilities if
you do not already know this). Also, the API and/or Toolkit (geared
toward developers) can be good options to help automate many Essbase
activities.
3. Once you have identified the right path for a solution that will
meet your needs, weigh the costs/benefits, and then get-er-done! You
may also consider attending Essbase education if you implement the
solution independently.

Sorry if I went a little over-board on this response! You hit a
nerve-a common question/problem that I see many Essbase
administrators deal with. But if handled right, your administration can
be pain-free, and practically hands-free!

I'll stop typing now.

Good luck!

dan.
Certified Consultant
HCG, Inc.

Thanks all for the replies,

i did some fiddling around on my own and so far have managed to create
dimension build rules (previously we would add them all one by one in app
manager); next on my list is calculation scripts, reports and how to
optimize the database.
we have a consultant from hyperion coming over the next couple of days; and
am booked for training with hyperion; so i'll try and prepare as many
questions as i can.

thank you all for the help.

"dan" <dan (AT) harbinger-group (DOT) com> wrote