Creating Essbase Applications

To create Essbase Applications, we need a deep understanding of database artifacts, applications and database, data sources, database outlines, rules files for data load and dimension build, report scripts, calculation scripts, report script and security definitions.

Database artifacts

Artifacts are nothing but the files that are associated with Database. When we look into the actions of Database artifacts, it dispatches a lot of operations like reporting against data or defining calculations.

Essbase server stores artifacts in their respective database folder by default and it will be retrieved and stored in the client computer as well as any other existing network directories. Calculating and loading the data cannot be done on a client computer.

Applications and Database

Essbase server contains Essbase databases and applications. The Essbase server is very efficient in such a way that it can accommodate multiple applications within their storage system. Therefore, Essbase application can be defined as the management structure with multiple databases and related directories.

Database Outlines

The creation of outline for a database is defined as Database Outline. As soon as a database is created, an outline will be framed by Essbase and the name of the outline created will be same as the Database name.

Data Sources

The process of creating Data sources include an external data which will be loaded into an Essbase database. Some of the common types of Data sources are Spreadsheet audit log files, Spreadsheet files and Text files.

Rules Files for Data Load and Dimension Build

After an Essbase database is created, there will not be any data stored in it. The set of rules files will load the data and it will be loaded or copied into the Essbase database. The rules files have a .rul extension. Based on an external data source, the dimension will build, modify or create members and dimensions in an external data source dynamically.

Report Scripts

Report scripts are generally used to create a report from the database. The database has report scripts, which can be called as text files that contain data retrieval, output and formatting instructions. Report scripts are associated with the particular database; however it can also be created for the implementation of multiple databases. It has an extension, ‘.rep’

Calculation scripts

Calculation scripts will be used for the purpose of calculating data in the databases. Database outline has a major role to play for calculating data as mathematical operations and different combination of calculations will be defined within it.

Security Definitions

The process of designing a complete system in order to manage databases, applications and different artifacts will be performed in security definitions. An individual security definition will be implemented for every database and application which will eventually restrict the user access.

Summary

The following steps consolidate the process of creating applications and databases

1. Design of an application
2. Creation of an application
3. Database Creation
4. Allotting substitution variables at the application, database level or Essbase server (Optional)
5. Allotting location same as that of Database ( Optional)
6. Outline creation