Integrating Oracle Essbase with Oracle Business Intelligence Suite Enterprise

Edition

Purpose

In this tutorial, you learn how to integrate Oracle Essbase (Essbase) with Oracle Business
Intelligence Suite Enterprise Edition Plus (Oracle BI EE Plus).

Topics

This tutorial covers the following topics:

Overview
Scenario
Software Requirements
Prerequisites
Reference Material
Importing a Multidimensional Data Source into Oracle BI Server
Using Modeling Techniques to Enhance Analysis
Performing Ad Hoc Analysis Using an Imported Multidimensional Data Source
Summary

Viewing Screenshots

Place the cursor over this icon to load and view all the screenshots for this
tutorial. (Caution: This action loads all screenshots simultaneously, so response
time may be slow depending on your Internet connection.)

Note: Alternatively, you can place the cursor over an individual icon in the following steps to
load and view only the screenshot associated with that step. You can hide an individual
screenshot by clicking it.

Overview

Oracle BI Answers (Answers) is the Oracle BI interface within the Oracle BI Suite Enterprise
Edition that is used to query your organizations data. The results of your request can be saved,
organized, shared, and integrated with other content. Answers allows you to explore and interact
with information, and present and visualize your data using charts, pivot tables, and reports. You
can save, organize, and share the results.

Requests that you create with Answers can be saved in the Oracle BI Presentation Catalog and
integrated into any Oracle BI home page or Oracle BI Interactive Dashboard (Interactive
Dashboard). Further, your results can be enhanced through charting, result layout, calculation,
and drill-down features.
Oracle BI Presentation Services (Presentation Services) generates the user interface (UI) in the
Answers and Interactive Dashboards components used to visualize data from the Oracle BI
Server (BI Server). When a user begins a session, Oracle BI Presentation Server (Presentation
Server) submits the user's identity to the BI Server, authenticates the user, and then requests the
BI Server to provide the databases, tables, columns, and so forth that the user is entitled to see.
These objects are displayed in the UI as subject areas, folders, and columns. The BI Server also
provides metadata information to the Presentation Server about column properties, such as data
types, aggregation rules, and so forth.

You use the Oracle BI Administration Tool (Administration Tool) to build, manage, and
maintain repositories. The Administration Tool is a Windows application that displays the Oracle
BI Repository (BI Repository) into three separate panes named layers. These three layers are
named Physical, Business Model and Mapping, and Presentation. A repository stores the
business intelligence metadata that is rendered inside the Answers and Interactive Dashboards
clients, as well as other clients.

Specifically, the Physical layer contains information about the physical data sources to which BI
Server submits queries. The most common way to populate the Physical layer is by importing
metadata from databases and other data sources. The ability to use multidimensional data sources
allows the BI Server to connect to sources such as Essbase and Oracle OLAP to extract data.
When you import metadata, many of the properties of the data sources are configured
automatically based on the information gathered during the import process. These physical
objects are displayed in a tree structure.

This tutorial provides the following:

Instructions to connect to the Administration Tool

Steps to import two Essbase cubes into the Physical layer of the Presentation Services Catalog
Steps to copy the Essbase cubes from the Physical layer to the Business Model and Mapping
and Presentation layers
Steps to create Answers requests and an Interactive Dashboard using the imported Essbase
cubes

Back to Topic List

Scenario

In this OBE, you learn how to connect to the Administration Tool, access and import two
Essbase cubes into the Presentation Services Catalog, develop Answers requests, and add those
requests to an Interactive Dashboard.

Back to Topic List

Software Requirements

The following is a list of software requirements:

 Oracle Hyperion Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) System (11.1.1.0.0) that includes
the following components:

Foundation Services
Essbase
Oracle Essbase Administration Services
Oracle Hyperion Provider Services
For all other Hyperion components, refer to the Readme
file.
Supported browsers include:

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later

Firefox 2.0 and later
Client operating systems:

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 or later

(Refer to the EPM System documentation library for 64-bit binaries.)
Microsoft Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2 or later
Microsoft Windows Vista (all editions except Home series)
Oracle BI Suite EE Plus (10.1.3.4.0) for Microsoft Windows
(For Oracle BI EE Plus requirements, click this link.)

Back to Topic List

Prerequisites

Before starting this tutorial, you should:

1. Ensure that the following components are installed and configured properly:

Oracle Hyperion Enterprise Performance Management System (11.1.1.0.0)

Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition 10.1.3.4
Note: Essbase Client software must be installed on the same machine where
the Oracle BI Server is installed.
These components can be downloaded from here.
2. Ensure that you have the proper permissions for configuring the BI Repository on your company's
system and that SampleSales.rpd provided with Oracle BI EE was installed and is active as the
default RPD
Note: If you need to make SampleSales.rpd the default, follow the instructions in the installation
OBE, substituting SampleSales.rpd for SH.rpd.
3. Ensure that you have the proper permissions for administering Essbase on your company's system
4. Ensure that MS Windows is installed (versions listed above in Software Requirements)
5. Ensure that Java SDK 1.5.0 or later is installed
6. Ensure that your screen resolution is set to at least 1024x768
7. Identify the server location of your data sources (contact your local administrator) and ensure that
the Demo.Basic and ASOsamp.Sample databases provided during the EPM installation have
been installed
Note

The servers for this OBE are hosted locally (localhost). If your server is not
stored locally, the format is generally the IP address or the machine (server
name). Confirm this information with your administrator prior to beginning this
tutorial.
Screenshots for this tutorial were taken in a Windows 2000 Professional
environment; therefore, Start Menu options will vary.

Back to Topic List

Reference Material

If you need additional information, consult the following:

Documentation: To access the most current documentation for Oracle's Hyperion products,
located on Oracle's Technology Network (OTN), click this link.

Note: Oracle's E-Delivery Web site contains both software downloads and current
documentation, and can be accessed at this link.
 Education:

Oracle by Example (OBE)):

Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition
Creating Interactive Dashboards and Using Oracle Business Intelligence Answers
Creating a Repository Using the Oracle Business Intelligence Administration Tool
Instructor Led (InClass):
Oracle BI Suite EE 10g R3: Build Repositories (D53149GC11 )
Oracle BI Suite EE 10g R3: Create Reports & Dashboards (D53151GC10)
For additional courses, search Oracle University at this link.

Back to Topic List

Importing a Multidimensional Data Source into Oracle BI Server

The primary differences between setting up multidimensional data sources and setting up
relational data sources are in the Physical layer. The setup processes in the Business Model and
Mapping and Presentation layers for multidimensional data sources and relational data sources
are almost identical. During the import process, each cube in a multidimensional data source is
created as a single physical cube table. BI Server imports the cube, including its metrics,
dimensions, and hierarchies.

Note
Some companies model business hierarchies in relational databases using a table structure in which
each row contains the key of its parent. Because different branches of such a hierarchy may have
different depths from root to leaf, they are sometimes called ragged hierarchies. Although
relational databases can model ragged hierarchies very easily with the recursive join on the parent
organization key, it is difficult using standard SQL to traverse and query such a hierarchy. BI Server
(release 10.1.3.3.2 and above) will report columns below the leaf level as NULL.
A measure hierarchy will be imported as a flat list (measure hierarchies are explored in a subsequent
subtopic).

This topic describes how to access the Administration Tool, import cubes, and create the
Business Model and Mapping and Presentation layers.

Importing an Essbase Cube into the BI Repository

Creating a Measure Hierarchy
Creating the Business Model and Mapping and Presentation Layers

Importing an Essbase Cube into the BI Repository

This subtopic shows you how to import two cubes into the Physical layer of the BI Repository,
using the Administration Tool.
1. From the Start menu, select Programs > Oracle Business Intelligence > Administration. The
Oracle BI Administration Tool appears.

Click the Open Online ( )icon. The Open Online AnalyticsWeb dialog box appears.
 You can open a BI Repository for editing in either online or offline mode. You use online mode to
view and modify a BI Repository while it is loaded into the Oracle BI Server. Online mode allows
you to perform tasks such as managing scheduled jobs, user sessions, and so on.

2. Enter the password and click Open. The BI Repository layers appear.

Note: The initial default installation password is Administrator. Verify the password with
your administrator.
3. Select File > Import > from Multi-dimensional.
The Import from Multi-dimensional dialog box appears.
4. Enter the following information:

Field Name Value

Provider Type Essbase
Essbase Localhost
Server
Note: The Essbase Server points to the virtual directory hosting the cube.
If your server is not stored locally, the format for the Essbase Server is
generally the IP address or the machine (server name), for example, abc-
pc1.
Username <Essbase User Name>
Password <Essbase User Password>

Note: The Username and Password fields are assigned by your administrator.

Click OK. The Select Source dialog box appears.

5. A. Expand the localhost tree. Select the Demo database and click Import.

A localhost object is added to the Physical layer.

 B. Select the ASOsamp database and click Import. Click Close in the Select Source dialog box.

Note: Within the Physical layer of the BI Repository, the Physical Database corresponds to an
Essbase Server instance; the Physical Folder corresponds to an Essbase Application; and the
Physical Cube corresponds to an Essbase cube.

6. A. Expand the localhost tree.

B. Double-click Connection Pool. The Connection Pool dialog box appears.
 When you import an external multidimensional data source into the BI Repository, the Connection
Pool is automatically set up in the Physical layer. You can add a connection pool manually as well.
Click Cancel.

7. A. Click the plus sign (+) to expand the Demo database and the Basic cube.
Right-click the Basic physical cube table and select Properties.
The Physical Cube Table - Basic dialog box appears. A physical cube table type is automatically
set to Physical Table.
B. Click the Hierarchies tab. This tab displays all the imported hierarchies. Leave this dialog box
open.
8. The hierarchy dialog box lists all the defined levels for the selected hierarchy. The image below
depicts an example of these levels for a modified Market hierarchy. The highest level for the
hierarchy should be the first item in the list. Also note that this is a fully balanced hierarchy and
the member type is appropriately set to ALL.

Note: If the dimension is known to be unbalanced, you should change Hierarchy Type to
"Unbalanced."

If the hierarchy contains duplicate or shared members, you should deselect the "Use unqualified
member name for better performance" check box.

Note: When you import an Essbase cube into the BI Repository, all levels will have names such as
Gen1, Gen2, and so forth. To override the autogeneration of dimension level names and preclude
having to manually change them in the Physical layer, rename the dimension levels, using Essbase
Administration Services before import.

The graphic below indicates an example of this process for the Market dimension. From within
Oracle Essbase Administration Services, you right-click the specific dimension, and then select
Generations. In the Define Generations dialog box, you name each generation, and then click OK.

Back to Topic
Creating a Measure Hierarchy

This subtopic shows you how to create an alternative measure dimension.

1. As mentioned in the introduction to this topic, measures by default are imported as a flat list
versus a hierarchy. If the information that you need to present is more sophisticated, you need to
rebuild the Measures dimension.

This image is a sample report with flat measures that was built in Answers.

This image depicts the same measures as an alternate measure dimension, but displays the data in
a hierarchical, pivot-style where Gen 2, Accounts have been drilled on.

A. Double-click the Basic database. Click the Hierarchy tab. Double-click the Accounts hierarchy.
The Hierarchy - Accounts dialog box appears.

B. Select Other from the Dimension Type drop-down list.

 Click OK.

2. Oracle BI EE requires a measures dimension. In this tutorial, the Scenario dimension is used to
satisfy this requirement.

A. Double-click the Scenario dimension. The Hierarchy - Scenario dialog box appears.
B. Select Measure Dimension from the Dimension Type drop-down list. Click OK twice.
3. A. Select all flattened measures as indicated in the following image.
Hint: To select multiple objects, press and hold Ctrl and click each object. Select Edit > Delete
and confirm the delete by clicking Yes when prompted.
The Oracle Essbase Administration Services outline (outline) for the Demo Basic cube displays
the three measures that you need to add to the BI Repository.
B. Right-click Basic and select New Object > Physical Cube Column from the shortcut menu.
4. The Physical Cube Column dialog box appears.
Enter the following information:

Field Name Value

Name Actual
Type DOUBLE
External Name Actual
Aggregation rule Aggr_External

The dialog box should look like the following image:

Click OK. Add the Budget and Variance measures in the same manner. The following image
shows the Physical layer after you add the three measures:
 The Measures dimension is now complete.

Back to Topic

Creating the Business Model and Mapping and Presentation Layers

This subtopic shows you how to create the Business Model and Mapping and Presentation
layers.

1. Because an Essbase cube corresponds to your business model, creating the Business Model and
Mapping layer is simplistic because the metadata is implied by the structure of the Essbase cube.

Drag the Demo physical model to the Business Model and Mapping layer. The business model and
all its objects are created for you, including dimension hierarchies, logical dimension tables,
logical fact tables, logical columns, logical joins, and so forth.
Drag the ASOsamp physical model to the Business Model and Mapping layer.
2. Create the Presentation layer. Drag the Demo business model to the Presentation layer.
Drag the ASOsamp physical model to the Presentation layer.
Save your changes. Select File > Save and click OK when prompted to check in your changes.
You should also receive a message prompting you to check for global consistency.

BI Repository metadata must pass a consistency check before you can make the BI Repository
available for queries. The Consistency Check Manager allows you to enable and disable rules for
consistency checks, navigate to and fix inconsistent objects, and limit the consistency check to
specific objects. Click Yes.

Note: When you make a change to the repository, the Check In ( ) icon is enabled on the
toolbar. After you have completed a task, you can verify the consistency by clicking the Check In
icon and performing the consistency check.
3. You should receive a message stating that the business model is consistent along with a prompt to
mark the model available for queries. Click Yes.

Respond similarly for the ASOsamp business model.

The Consistency Check Manager dialog box appears. If you receive errors or warnings, you can
use this dialog box as a guide to correct the errors.

Click Close. The BI Repository is now ready to be used for queries and should look like this:
 Back to Topic List

Using Modeling Techniques to Enhance Analysis

Now that you have successfully created a Presentation layer for use in ad hoc queries, you can
build additional relationships and fine-tune the BI Repository to better suit your needs.

Creating a Drill Path in the BI Repository

Creating a Sort Order

Creating a Drill Path in the BI Repository

This subtopic shows you how to create a drill path in the BI Repository, allowing you to
seamlessly drill down into your data when you develop queries in Answers.
1. The following image shows the outline for the ASOsamp.Sample cubespecifically, the Stores
dimension. The Stores dimension has two associated attribute dimensions: Square Footage and
Store Manager.

When imported into the BI Repository, these dimensions are flattened. For reporting purposes, you
want to associate these hierarchies to the Stores hierarchy, which will allow you to seamlessly drill
down through the levels.

Begin by expanding the ASOsamp subject area within the Business Model and Mapping layer, then
expand the Stores dimension as indicated in the image below:
2. Double-click the Store object.
The Store Logical Level dialog box appears. (If you receive a read-only message, click Yes to
check out the object.)
3. Click the Preferred Drill Path tab, and then click Add.
The Browse dialog box appears.
4. Expand the ASOsamp subject area and the Square Footage dimension.
Click Gen1, Square Footage, and then click Select. (If the Check out objects dialog box appears,
click Yes.)
The Store Logical Level dialog box reappears with the selected drill path specified.
5. Click Add again and expand the Store Manager dimension. Click Gen1, Store Manager and click
Select. (If the Check out objects dialog box appears, click Yes.)
The Logical Level - Store dialog box reappears with the selected drill path specified.
 Click OK. The drill paths are added.

Back to Topic

Creating a Sort Order

This subtopic shows you how to manually create a sort order in the Business Model and
Mapping layer.

1. When you sort a column in Answers, Answers returns dimension members in alphabetic (or
numeric) order. However, Essbase users, such as individuals in the financial arena, may prefer to
see dimension members in the order that they are physically stored in the outline.

You can specify an alternate sort order in the Business Model and Mapping Layer, using the
EVALUATE function.
Expand the Demo subject area in the Business Model and Mapping layer and select Accounts.

Right-click and select New Object > Logical Column from the shortcut menu.
The Logical Column dialog box appears.
2. A. Enter Sort Order in the Name field and click OK.
The column is added to the Accounts dimension.
3. Expand the Sources folder.
Double-click the Basic source object. The Logical Table Source - Basic dialog box appears.
On the Column Mapping tab, select the Show unmapped columns check box. The Sort Order
column appears.
4. Click the Expression Builder ( ) icon. The Expression Builder dialog box appears.

In the Expression Builder pane, enter the following code:

EVALUATE('Rank( %1.dimension.currentmember,%2.members)' AS
INTEGER , "localhost"."Demo".""."Basic"."Gen4,Accounts",
"localhost"."Demo".""."Basic"."Gen4,Accounts")
Note: "Localhost" is the name of the server for this tutorial. Click this link for additional
information.

Hint: You can use the objects and buttons at the bottom of the Expression Builder pane to build
this expression. Additionally, in the tutorial, you can copy and paste the above code into the
pane.

Click OK. The Basic Logical Table Source dialog box reappears with the Sort Order column
expression specified.
 Click OK.

5. Next, you must associate the Sort Order column with the columns that you want to sort. Double-
click Gen4,Accounts.
On the General tab, click Set to establish the sort order.
The Browse dialog box appears.
6. Select the Sort Order column and click OK.

The Sort order column is associated to Gen4,Accounts and will display appropriately when used
in Answers to run requests.

Click OK again.

Note: At this point, you might want to check in your changes to the repository. Click the Check
In ( ) icon and check for global consistency. Close Consistency Check Manager.
7. Click File > Exit to close the Administration Tool. If prompted to save your changes, click Yes.

Back to Topic List

Performing Ad Hoc Analysis Using an Imported Multidimensional Data Source

This topic shows you how to create ad hoc queries using Answers and add these to an Interactive
Dashboard.
 Creating a Simple Query and a Chart in Answers
Creating a Pivot Table in Answers
Adding Your Requests to an Interactive Dashboard

Creating a Simple Query and a Chart in Answers

This subtopic shows you how to create an Answers request. Answers provides details to business
questions. It allows you to explore and interact with information, and present and visualize
information using charts, pivot tables, and reports. You can save, organize, and share the results.

Requests that you create with Answers can be saved in the Presentation Catalog and integrated
into any Oracle BI home page or dashboard. Results can be enhanced through charting, result
layout, calculation, and drill down features.

1. A. From the Start menu, select Programs > Oracle Business Intelligence > Presentation
Services. The Oracle Business Intelligence Log In window appears.

B. Enter Administrator in the User ID and Password fields and click Log In. The My
Dashboard page appears.
C. Click the Answers link. The Answers Start page appears.
2. The Answers Start page is composed of two panes: Selection and Workspace.

The Selection pane on the left contains the Catalog and Dashboard tabs from which you select
items to manipulate.

The Presentation Catalog (Catalog) stores the content created with Answers and Interactive
Dashboards. The content can be organized into folders that are either shared or personal. Types of
content that can be stored in the Catalog include requests created with Answers, HTML content,
and links to other images, documents, and sites.

A dashboard is made up of sections of information that can contain items, such as results from
Answers requests, external Web content, HTML text, graphics, links to other sites, embedded
objects such as requests, and so on. Dashboard content is organized into pages. Pages appear as
tabs across the top of the screen in Interactive Dashboards.
The Workspace pane on the right contains a list of the actions you can perform and the subject
areas that are available to you. Oracle BI presents data in subject areas. A subject area contains
columns that represent information about the areas of your organizations business, or about
groups of users within your organization. Subject areas have names that correspond to the types of
information they contain, for example, Marketing Contracts, Service Requests, and Orders.
Columns also have names that indicate the types of information they contain, such as Account and
Contact.

The subject areas that you see in the image are the same ones represented in the Administration
Tool.
The "feature links" listed at the top of the Workspace pane provide access to other Oracle BI
functions.
3. Click the Demo subject area.

The Answers workspace page appears.

 The Answers workspace displays the following tabs for working with a request:

Criteria: Provides access to the columns selected for the request, and buttons to access
the most common view types
Results: Allows you to work with the results of the request
Prompts: Allows you to create prompts to filter the request
Advanced: Allows advanced users to work with the XML and logical SQL for the request

Each tab contains on-screen information and buttons to help you create, access, and manage
requests.

4. The next few steps show you how to create a query that provides product family information for
accounts, indicating the actual versus budget expenses.

A. Click the Plus Sign ( ) icon next to the Basic, Product, and Accounts folders.

B. Click Family in the Products folder to add it to the Criteria workspace.

C. Click Gen4,Accounts in the Accounts folder to add it to the Criteria workspace.

Gen4,Accounts is added to the right of Family.

D. Click Actual and Budget in the Basic folder to add both to the Criteria workspace.
Your workspace should look like the following image:

Click Display Results. Your query appears.

5. By default, the query appears in the Compound Layout format, that is, a Title and a Table.

A. Click the Edit View ( ) icon in the Title pane. In the Title text entry box, enter Product
Expenses - Actual vs. Budget.

B. Deselect the check box for Display Saved Name. Click OK. Your title is added to the report.
6. Now add a chart to your report. By default, a chart is displayed as a Vertical Bar graph.

A. Select Chart in the View menu.

The Chart View appears.

B. Select Line Bar Combo from the Graph drop-down list. Your Chart View should look like
this:
7. Add the Chart View to your layout.

A. Select Compound Layout from the View drop-down menu.

B. Click the Add View link and select Chart to add the Chart View to the Compound Layout
View.
The Chart View is added to the query layout.
8. Save your report.

A. Click the Save ( ) icon. The Save Request dialog box appears.

In the Name field, enter Budget_vs_Actual.

B. Click OK.

Back to Topic

Creating a Pivot Table in Answers

This subtopic shows you how to create a pivot table. Pivot tables allow you to view your data
from different perspectives. They provide an interactive view that allows you to rotate the rows,
columns, and section headings to obtain different perspectives of the data. Pivot tables are
navigable and drillable, and are especially useful for trend reports.

1. In this practice, you use the ASOsamp subject area to build a pivot table query.

Click the Answers link.

Click the ASOsamp subject area link.

The Answers workspace page appears.

2. The next few steps show you how to create a query that provides the regional store manager
return information across the current three quarters.

A. Click the Plus ( ) icon next to the Geography, Time, Stores, Store Manager, and Sample
folders.

B. Click Region in the Geography folder to add it to the Criteria workspace.

C. Click Quarters in the Time folder to add it to the Criteria workspace.

D. Click Gen2, Store Manager in the Store Manager folder to add it to the Criteria workspace.

E. Click Store Type in the Stores folder to add it to the Criteria workspace.

F. Click Returns in the Sample folder to add it to the Criteria workspace. Your workspace
should look like the following image:
 Click the Results tab and select Pivot Table from the View menu.

This opens the Pivot Table Layout page.

3. Examine the default pivot table that is created and displayed below the layout controls. Measure
labels for the measures in your query appear in blue as columns in the pivot table. Row headings
for the dimensional attributes in your query are displayed in gray as rows by default. The
measures are displayed at the intersection of the rows and columns. As you modify the members
in the pivot table, the changes are reflected in the Display Results area.
Drag Region to the Pages area. When you see a blue line appear around the control, you have a
valid insertion point and can release the column.
4. A. Drag Store Type to the Pages area and to the right of Region and release it when the insertion
point line appears. You can constantly monitor your progress by using the Display Results area,
or you can deselect the check box for faster performance.

B. Drag Quarters beneath the Measure Labels control and release when a valid insertion point
line (as indicated in the image) appears.

Your pivot table should look like the following image:

5. Examine the other regions. From the Region - Store Type drop-down list, select South - Brick
& Mortar.

Note: If you deselected the check box for Display Results, you must select it now.

Your query should look like this image:

6. Add the Pivot Table View.

A. Click the Combine individual views and arrange ( ) icon.

B. Click the Add View link and select Pivot Table from the View menu.
C. The Pivot Table View is added to the bottom of the request. The Title and Table Views are
not needed for this request. Click the Delete ( ) icon for each view.
7. Save your report.

A. Click the Save ( ) icon. The Save Request dialog box appears. In the Name field, enter
Quarterly Regional Store Manager Returns.
 B. Click OK.

Back to Topic

Adding Your Requests to an Interactive Dashboard

This subtopic shows you how to add your two requests to a dashboard. An Interactive Dashboard
is a page in an analytics application that is used to display the
results of Oracle BI requests and other content. Based on your permissions, you can view
preconfigured dashboards, and create or modify dashboards.

Interactive Dashboards provide personalized views of corporate and external information. A

dashboard consists of one or more pages, which appear as tabs across the top of the dashboard.
Pages can display anything that you can access or open with your Web browser, such as saved
Oracle BI requests, alerts from Oracle BI Delivers, images, charts, tables, text, and links to Web
sites and documents. The type of content that a dashboard can contain are dashboard objects,
content that is saved in the Presentation Catalog, BI Publisher reports, and views of folders in the
Presentation Catalog.

The table below describes the common terminology used in developing Interactive Dashboards:

Term Description
Columns Columns are used to align content on a dashboard. (Sections
within columns hold the actual content.) You can create as many
columns on a dashboard page as you need. Every new dashboard
page automatically contains one empty column with one empty
section in it. The columns used in Interactive Dashboards are not
related to the columns used in Answers.
Dashboard Dashboard objects are items that are used only in a dashboard.
objects Examples of
dashboard objects are sections to hold content, navigation links,
and
embedded content, appearing within a frame in a dashboard.
Folders Folders are organizational constructs that hold content saved in
the Presentation Catalog, such as requests created with Answers.
A folder is similar to a UNIX directory, or a Microsoft Windows
folder.
Pages Pages contain the columns and sections that hold the content of a
dashboard. Every dashboard has at least one page. In Interactive
Dashboards, pages are identified by tabs across the top of the
dashboard. Multiple pages are used to organize content. For
example, you might have one page to store results from Oracle
BI Answers that you refer to every day, another that contains
links to the Web sites of your suppliers, and one that links to
your corporate Intranet.
Results Results, also called reports, are the output returned from the BI
Server that matches the request criteria specified using Answers.
The default format for viewing results in a dashboard is to show
them in a table. (Your Presentation Services administrator may
have configured a different default results view for your
organization.) Results can also be shown in other formats, such
as charts. You can examine and analyze results, and save, print,
or download the results to a spreadsheet.
Sections Sections appear in columns in the dashboard layout. They hold
the content dragged and dropped from the selection pane, and are
used to organize content within a column.
1. Click the Dashboards link to add your queries to the My Dashboard page.

Click Page Options > Edit Dashboard.

The Dashboard Editor window appears.

2. Drag the Budget_vs_Actual request (located in My Folders) from the pane on the left to the
gray workspace area on the right. This gray area is actually a "Section" placeholder.
 Your request is added to Section 1.

3. Click the Add Column ( ) icon. A new column is added to the right of Section 1.
4. A. Drag the Quarterly Regional Store Manager Returns request to the new section. Your
workspace should look like this:

B. Click Save. The My Dashboard page appears with your two reports added.

Back to Topic List

Summary

In this tutorial, you should have learned how to:

Connect to the Administration Tool

Import two Essbase cubes into the Physical layer of the Presentation Services Catalog
Copy the Essbase cubes from the Physical layer to the Business and Model Mapping and
Presentation layers
Create Answers requests and an Interactive Dashboard using the imported Essbase cubes

Back to Topic List

Place the cursor over this icon to hide all screenshots.