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Glossary

!

See bang character (!).

#MISSING

See missing data (#MISSING).

accounts dimension

A dimension type that makes accounting intelligence available. Only one dimension can be tagged as Accounts. An accounts dimension is not necessary.

Administration Server

A Java middle-tier server that handles communication between the Administration Services Console and Essbase Analytic Servers. It authenticates users as they connect to Analytic Servers.

Administration Services

An Essbase product used to manage the Essbase environment from a single point of access. It consists of a Java client console and middle-tier server that communicate directly with Essbase Analytic Servers.

Administration Services Console

A Java graphical user interface that communicates with Essbase Analytic Servers by way of the Essbase Administration Server. The console enables administrators to manage Analytic Servers from a single, graphical representation of the Essbase environment.

administrator

An individual who installs and maintains the Essbase system, including setting up user accounts and security. See also database administrator (DBA) and system administrator.

agent

A process on the server that starts and stops applications and databases, manages connections from users, and handles user-access security. The agent is referred to as ESSBASE.EXE.

aggregate

See consolidate.

aggregate cell

In aggregate storage databases, cells with values that are rolled up from lower-level cell values and potentially stored in aggregations. Input (level 0) cells and accounts dimension cells are not aggregate cells.

aggregate storage database

The Essbase database storage model supporting large-scale, sparsely distributed data which is categorized into many, potentially large dimensions. Selected data values are aggregated and stored, typically with improvements in aggregation time.

aggregate view

A collection of aggregate cells based on the levels of the members within each dimension. For example, a single aggregate view in a five-dimension outline can be represented as 0,0,1,0,2. The numbers are listed in the order of the dimensions in the outline. Each number represents the member level in the dimension. If the dimensions are Measures, Year, Months, Products, and Geography, the aggregate view 0,0,1,0,2 includes aggregate cells for intersections including level 0 members of Measures, Year, and Products; level 1 members of Months; and level 2 members of Geography. Aggregate views are not defined for accounts dimension levels above level 0.

aggregation

The process of rolling up and storing values in an aggregate storage database; the stored result of the aggregation process.

alias

An alternative name for a dimension, member, or description.

alias table

A database table that stores aliases for the dimensions or members.

Analytic Server

The server component of Analytic Services.

Analytic Server log

A record of actions performed by the Analytic Server (agent).

Analytic Services

The product that provides OLAP capabilities in the Hyperion platform. An instance of Analytic Services is an Analytic Server.

ancestor

A branch member that has members below it. For example, in a dimension that includes years, quarters, and months, the members Qtr2 and 2001 are ancestors of the member April.

application

A management structure containing one or more Essbase Analytic Services databases and the related files that control many system variables, such as memory allocation and autoload parameters.

application designer

An individual who designs, creates, and maintains Essbase Analytic Services applications and databases.

application log

A record of user actions performed on an application.

application programming interface (API)

A library of functions that can be used in a custom program. Provides programmatic access to the data or services of an application.

area

A predefined set of members and values that makes up a partition.

arithmetic data load

A data load that performs operations on values in the database, such as adding 10 to each value.

asymmetric report

A report characterized by groups of members that differ by at least one member across the groups. There can be a difference in the number of members or the names of members under each heading in the report. For example, a report based on Sample Basic can have three members grouped under "East" and two members grouped under "West."

attribute

A classification of a member in a dimension. For example, a Product dimension can have several attributes, such as Size and Flavor. A specific member of the Product dimension can have the Size attribute, 8, and the Flavor attribute, Cola.

attribute association

A relationship in a database outline whereby a member in an attribute dimension describes a characteristic of a member of its base dimension. For example, if product 100-10 has a grape flavor, the product 100-10 has the Flavor attribute association of grape. Thus, the 100-10 member of the Product dimension is associated with the Grape member of the Flavor attribute dimension.

Attribute Calculations dimension

A system-defined dimension that performs the following calculation operations on groups of members: Sum, Count, Avg, Min, and Max. This dimension is calculated dynamically and is not visible in the database outline. For example, by using the Avg member, you can calculate the average sales value for Red products in New York in January.

attribute dimension

A type of dimension that enables analysis based on the attributes or qualities of the members of its base dimension.

attribute reporting

A process of defining reports that is based on the attributes of the base members in the database outline.

attribute type

A text, numeric, Boolean, or date type that enables different functions for grouping, selecting, or calculating data. For example, because the Ounces attribute dimension has the type numeric, the number of ounces specified as the attribute of each product can be used to calculate the profit per ounce for that product.

axis

In MaxL DML, a specification determining the layout of query results from a database. For example, for a data query in Sample Basic, an axis can define columns for values for Qtr1, Qtr2, Qtr3, and Qtr4. Row data would be retrieved with totals in the following hierarchy: Market, Product. A different arrangement of data would require a different axis definition. For example, in the MaxL DML query "SELECT {Jan} ON COLUMNS FROM Sample.Basic", the axis specification is "{Jan} ON COLUMNS" (quotation marks are used for clarity but are not part of the syntax).

bang character (!)

A character that terminates a series of report commands and requests information from the database. A report script must be terminated with a bang character; several bang characters can be used within a report script.

base currency

The currency in which daily business transactions are performed.

base dimension

A standard dimension that is associated with one or more attribute dimensions. For example, assuming products have flavors, the Product dimension is the base dimension for the Flavors attribute dimension.

batch calculation

Any calculation on a database that is done in batch; for example, a calculation script or a full database calculation. Dynamic calculations are not considered to be batch calculations.

batch file

An operating system file that can call multiple ESSCMD scripts and run multiple sessions of ESSCMD. On Windows-based systems, batch files have .BAT file extensions. On UNIX, batch files are written as a shell script.

batch processing mode

A method of using ESSCMD to write a batch or script file that can be used to automate routine server maintenance and diagnostic tasks. ESSCMD script files can execute multiple commands and can be run from the operating system command line or from within operating system batch files. Batch files can be used to call multiple ESSCMD scripts or run multiple instances of ESSCMD.

block

The primary storage unit within Essbase Analytic Services. A block is a multidimensional array representing the cells of all dense dimensions.

block storage database

The Essbase database storage model categorizing and storing data based on the sparsity of data values defined in sparse dimensions. Data values are stored in blocks which exist only for sparse dimension members for which there are values.

build method

A method used to modify database outlines. Choice of a build method is based on the format of data in data source files.

cache

A buffer in memory that holds data temporarily.

cache memory locking

An Essbase Analytic Services database setting that, when enabled, locks the memory used for the index cache, data file cache, and data cache into physical memory, potentially improving database performance. This setting is disabled by default.

calculated member in MaxL DML

In MaxL DML, a member designed for analytical purposes and defined in the optional WITH section of a MaxL DML query.

calculation

The process of aggregating or of running a calculation script on a database.

calculation script

A set of commands that define how a database is consolidated or aggregated. A calculation script may also contain commands that specify allocation and other calculation rules separate from the consolidation process.

cascade

The process of creating multiple reports for a subset of member values.

CDF

See custom-defined function (CDF).

CDM

See custom-defined macro (CDM).

cell

A unit of data representing the intersection of dimensions in a multidimensional database; the intersection of a row and a column in a worksheet.

cell note

A text annotation of up to 599 bytes for a cell in an Essbase Analytic Services database. Cell notes are a type of linked reporting object.

change log

See outline change log.

child

A member that has a parent above it in the database outline.

clean block

A data block marked as clean. A data block is clean if the database is fully calculated, if a calculation script calculates all dimensions at once, or if the SET CLEARUPDATESTATUS command is used in a calculation script.

client

(1) A client interface, such as the Essbase Spreadsheet Add-in software, a custom API program, or Essbase Administration Services Console. (2) A workstation that is connected to a server through a local area network.

code page

A mapping of bit combinations to a set of text characters. Different code pages support different sets of characters. Each computer contains a code page setting for the character set requirements of the language of the computer user. In the context of this document, code pages map characters to bit combinations for non-Unicode encodings. See also encoding.

column

A vertical display of information in a grid or table. A column can contain data from a single field, derived data from a calculation, or textual information. The terms column and field are sometimes used interchangeably. Contrast with row.

column heading

A part of a report that lists members across a page. When columns are defined that report on data from more than one dimension, nested column headings are produced. A member that is listed in a column heading is an attribute of all data values in its column.

committed access

An Essbase Analytic Services Kernel Isolation Level setting that affects how Analytic Services handles transactions. Under committed access, concurrent transactions hold long-term write locks and yield predictable results.

consolidate

The process of gathering data from dependent entities and rolling up the data up to parent entities. For example, if the dimension Year consists of the members Qtr1, Qtr2, Qtr3, and Qtr4, its consolidation is Year. The term roll-up also describes the consolidation process.

crosstab reporting

A type of reporting that categorizes and summarizes data in a table format. The cells within the table contain summaries of the data that fit within the intersecting categories. For example, a crosstab report of product sales information could show size attributes, such as Small and Large, as column headings and color attributes, such as Blue and Yellow, as row headings. The cell in the table where Large and Blue intersect could contain the total sales of all Blue products that are sized Large.

currency

The monetary unit of measure associated with a balance or transaction.

currency conversion

A process that converts currency values in a database from one currency into another currency. For example, to convert one U. S. dollar into the euro, the exchange rate (for example, 0.923702) is multiplied with the dollar (1* 0.923702). After conversion, the euro amount is .92.

currency partition

A dimension type that separates local currency members from a base currency, as defined in an application. A currency partition identifies currency types, such as Actual, Budget, and Forecast.

currency symbol

A character that represents a currency. For example, the currency symbol for the U. S. dollar is $ and the currency symbol for the British pound is £.

custom-defined function (CDF)

Essbase Analytic Services calculation functions that are developed in the Java programming language and added to the standard Analytic Services calculation scripting language by means of MaxL. See also custom-defined macro (CDM).

custom-defined macro (CDM)

Essbase Analytic Services macros that are written with Analytic Services calculator functions and special macro functions. Custom-defined macros use an internal Analytic Services macro language that enables the combination of calculation functions and they operate on multiple input parameters. See also custom-defined function (CDF).

cycle through

To perform multiple passes through a database while calculating it.

data block

See block.

data cache

A buffer in memory that holds uncompressed data blocks.

data cell

See cell.

data file

A file containing data blocks; Essbase Analytic Services generates the data file during a data load and stores it on a disk.

data file cache

A buffer in memory that holds compressed data (.PAG) files.

data load

The process of populating an Essbase Analytic Services database with data. Loading data establishes actual values for the cells defined by the structural outline of the database.

data load rules

A set of criteria or rules that Analytic Services uses to determine how to load data from a text-based file, a spreadsheet, or a relational data set into an Analytic Services database.

data mining

The process of searching through an Analytic Services database for hidden relationships and patterns in a large amount of data.

data security

Security set at the data level to control which data users have access.

data source

External data, such as a text file, spreadsheet file, relational database, or data warehouse that will be loaded into an Analytic Services database.

data value

See cell.

database

A repository of data within Essbase Analytic Services that contains a multidimensional data storage array. Each database consists of a storage structure definition (a database outline), data, security definitions, and optional calculation scripts, report scripts, and data loading scripts.

database administrator (DBA)

An individual who administers database servers, such as Essbase Analytic Server, and who may also design, maintain, and create databases.

database designer

In Essbase Analytic Services, the highest type of access that can be assigned per database. This type of access allows complete calculate and update access as well as the ability to change the database design, export data, query against the database, and run report and calculation scripts.

DBA

See also database administrator (DBA).

dense dimension

In block storage databases, a dimension with a high probability that data exists for every combination of dimension members.

descendant

Any member below a parent in the database outline. For example, in a dimension that includes years, quarters, and months, the members Qtr2 and April are descendants of the member Year.

dimension

A data category that is used to organize business data for retrieval and preservation of values. Each dimension usually contains a hierarchy of related members grouped within it. For example, a Year dimension often includes members for each time period, such as quarters and months. Other common business dimensions may be measures, natural accounts, products, and markets.

dimension build

The process of adding new dimensions and members (without data) to a Essbase Analytic Services outline. Contrast with data load.

dimension build rules

Specifications, similar to data load rules, that Essbase Analytic Services uses to modify an outline. The modification is based on data in an external data source file.

dimension type

A dimension property that enables the use of predefined functionality. Dimensions that are tagged as Time have a predefined calendar functionality.

dimensionality

In MaxL DML, the represented dimensions (and the order in which they are represented) in a set. For example, the following set consists of two tuples of the same dimensionality because they both reflect the dimensions (Region, Year): { (West, Feb), (East, Mar) }

dirty block

A data block containing cells that have been changed since the last calculation. Upper level blocks are marked as dirty if their child blocks are dirty (that is, they have been updated).

disabled username

A inactive username, meaning that the user is not able to log on to Analytic Server.

drill down

The process of retrieving progressively detailed data relative to a selected dimension by expanding a parent member to reveal its children. For example, drilling down can reveal the hierarchical relationships between year and quarters or between quarter and months.

dynamic reference

A pointer in the rules file to header records in a data source. Header records define data load or dimension build criteria for the fields in a data source.

Dynamic Time Series

A process that is used to perform dynamic period-to-date reporting for all values associated with a query.

encoding

A method for mapping bit combinations to text characters for creating, storing, and displaying character text. Each encoding has a name; for example, UTF-8. Within a specific encoding, each character maps to a specific bit combination; for example, in UTF-8, uppercase A maps to HEX41. See also code page, UTF-8 (Unicode Transformation Format, 8-bit encoding format), and locale.

Enterprise View

An Administration Services feature that enables viewing and managing of the Essbase environment from a graphical tree view. From Enterprise View, you can operate directly on Analytic Services objects.

Essbase kernel

A layer of the Essbase Analytic Server that provides the foundation for a variety of functionality, including data loading, calculations, spreadsheet lock&send, partitioning, and restructuring. The Essbase kernel reads, caches, and writes data; it manages transactions; and it enforces transaction semantics to ensure data consistency and data integrity.

essbase.cfg

The name of an optional configuration file for Essbase Analytic Services. Administrators may enter parameters and values in this file to customize Analytic Server functionality. Some of the configuration settings may also be used with Analytic Services clients to override the Analytic Server settings.

EssCell

The Essbase Analytic Services cell retrieve function. An EssCell function is entered into a cell in Essbase Spreadsheet Add-in to retrieve a single database value that represents an intersection of specific database members.

ESSCMD

A command-line interface that is used to perform Analytic Services operations interactively or through a batch file.

ESSCMD script file

A text file that contains ESSCMD commands, executed in order to the end of the file. A script file can be run from the operating system command line or from within an operating system batch file. The default extension is .SCR.

ESSLANG

The Analytic Services environment variable that defines the encoding that Analytic Server uses to interpret text characters. See also encoding.

essmsh

See MaxL Shell.

external authentication

The practice of storing user logon credentials in a corporate authentication repository (such as a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol [LDAP] directory) as an alternative to maintaining users and groups that are native to each Hyperion product.

extraction command

A type of reporting command that handles the selection, orientation, grouping, and ordering of raw data extracted from a database. These commands begin with the less than (<) character.

field

A value or item in a data source file that will be loaded into an Essbase Analytic Services database.

file delimiter

One or more characters, such as commas or tabs, that separate fields in a data source.

filter

A method for controlling access to values and metadata in Essbase Analytic Services databases. A filter enables the placing of access restrictions on specific data and metadata for specific users.

formula

A combination of operators and calculation functions, as well as dimension names, member names, and numeric constants. Formulas are used to perform specific calculations on members of a database.

free-form reporting

A method of creating reports in which you type members of dimensions or report script commands in a worksheet. Free-form reporting is available in both Advanced Interpretation mode and Free-Form mode.

function

A predefined routine that returns a value, a range of values, a Boolean value, or one or more database members.

generation

A layer in a hierarchical tree structure that defines member relationships in a database. For example, generations are ordered incrementally from the top member of the dimension (generation 1) down to the child members.

generation name

A unique name that describes a generation.

global report command

A command that is executed when it occurs in the report script file and that stays in effect until the end of the report file or until another global command replaces it.

grouping

A set of members that is selected by a filtering process and that may be treated as a separate aggregate group. This group behaves very much like a parent to all of its specific members, and it supports full calculation logic, including additive and non-additive calculations. For example, you can use the attribute Small to view and work with all members with the attribute Small.

header record

One or more records at the top of a data source. Header records describe the contents of the data source.

hierarchy

A set of multidimensional relationships in an outline, often created in a tree formation. For example, parents, children, and generations represent a hierarchy.

Hybrid Analysis

The integration of a relational database with an Essbase Analytic Services multidimensional database so that lower-level data remains in the relational database and is mapped to summary-level data residing in the Analytic Services database. Hybrid Analysis enables Analytic Services to take advantage of the mass scalability of a relational database while maintaining a multidimensional view of the data in a live environment.

index

(1) A method that Essbase Analytic Services uses to retrieve data. The retrieval is based on the combinations of sparse dimensions. (2) The index file.

index cache

A buffer in memory that holds index pages.

index entry

A pointer to an intersection of sparse dimensions. Each index entry points to a data block on disk and locates a particular cell within the block by means of an offset.

index file

A file that Essbase Analytic Services uses to store data retrieval information. It resides on disk and contains index pages.

index page

A subdivision of an index file containing entries that point to data blocks.

input block

A type of data block that has at least one loaded data value.

input data

Any data that is loaded from a data source and is not generated by calculating the database.

intelligent calculation

A calculation method that tracks which data blocks have been updated since the last calculation.

interactive mode

A method of using ESSCMD by entering commands in the ESSCMD window and responding to prompts if necessary

interdimensional irrelevance

A situation in which a specific dimension does not intersect with other dimensions. The data is not irrelevant, but because the data in the specific dimension cannot be accessed from the other dimensions, those other dimensions are not relevant to the specific dimension.

isolation level

An Essbase Analytic Services kernel setting that determines the lock and commit behavior of database operations. Choices are committed access and uncommitted access.

latest

A key word that is used within Essbase Spreadsheet Add-in or within Report Writer to extract data values based on the member defined as the latest period of time.

layer

A generic way to refer to either a generation or a level. Refers to the location of members within the hierarchical tree structure of relationships in a database. That location is not specifically identified using numbered steps counted from the bottom up (as with levels) or from the top down (as with generations). For example, in the Sample Basic database, Qtr1 and Qtr4 are in the same layer.This means that Qtr1 and Qtr4 are also in the same generation. However, in a different database with a ragged hierarchy, Qtr1 and Qtr4 might not necessarily be in the same level simply because they are in the same generation.

leaf member

A member that has no children.

level

A layer within the hierarchical tree structure of member relationships in a database. The levels are numbered incrementally from leaf members (level 0) towards the top member of the dimension.

level 0 block

A data block that is created for sparse member combinations when all of the members of the sparse combination are level 0 members.

level 0 member

See leaf member.

level name

A unique name that describes a level.

linked object

A term that encompasses linked partitions and linked reporting objects.

linked partition

A form of shared partition that provides the ability to use a data cell to link together two different databases. When a user clicks a linked cell in a worksheet, for example, Essbase Analytic Services opens a new sheet displaying the dimensions in the second database. The user can then drill down into the available dimensions in the second database.

linked reporting object (LRO)

An external file that is linked to a data cell in an Essbase Analytic Services database. Linked reporting objects (LROs) can be cell notes, URLs, or files that contain text, audio, video, or pictures.

locale

A computer setting that identifies the local language and cultural conventions such as the formatting of currency and dates, sort order of the data, and the character set encoding to be used on the computer. Analytic Services uses only the encoding portion of the locale. See also encoding and ESSLANG.

locale header record

An additional text record, at the beginning of some non-Unicode-encoded text files such as scripts, that identifies the encoding locale.

location alias

A descriptor that identifies a data source. The location alias specifies a server, application, database, username, and password. Location aliases are set by the database administrator at the database level using Application Manager, ESSCMD, or the API.

log

A system-maintained record of transactional data resulting from actions and commands.

Log Analyzer

An Administration Services feature that enables filtering, searching, and analysis of Essbase logs.

log delimiter

A character inserted between fields of a log file to allow a program to parse and manipulate log file information.

log file

A system-maintained file that records transactional data resulting from actions and commands. For example, an application log file records user actions that are performed on that application; a client log file records client messages, actions, and errors.

LRO

See linked reporting object (LRO).

mathematical operator

A symbol that defines how data is calculated. A mathematical operator can be any of the standard mathematical or Boolean operators; for example, +, -, *, /, and %. Mathematical operators are used in formulas and outlines.

MaxL

The multidimensional database access language for Essbase Analytic Services, consisting of a data definition language (MaxL DDL) and a data manipulation language (MaxL DML). MaxL DDL statements make possible the performance of batch or interactive system-administrative tasks on the Analytic Services system. MaxL DML statements enable the performance of data querying and extraction. See also MaxL Shell.

MaxL Perl Module

A Perl module (essbase.pm) that is part of the MaxL DDL component of Essbase Analytic Services. The essbase.pm module can be added to the Perl package to provide access to Analytic Services databases from Perl programs.

MaxL Script Editor

A script-development environment that is part of the Essbase Administration Console interface. The MaxL Script Editor is an integrated alternative to using a text editor and the MaxL Shell for creating, opening, editing, and running MaxL scripts for Essbase Analytic Services system administration.

MaxL Shell

An interface for passing MaxL statements to Essbase Analytic Server. The MaxLShell executable file, located in the bin directory for Essbase, is named essmsh (UNIX) or essmsh.exe (Windows).

member

A discrete component within a dimension. For example, a time dimension might include such members as Jan, Feb, and Qtr1.

member filtering (member selection)

The process of selecting specific members that will be used in a query. Selection criteria can be applied, such as generation names, level names, pattern match, attributes, and UDAs.

member load

In Essbase Integration Services, the process of adding new dimensions and members (without data) to an Analytic Services outline. Contrast with data load.

member selection

See member filtering (member selection).

member selection report command

A type of Report Writer command that selects ranges of members based on database outline relationships, such as sibling, generation, and level.

member-specific report command

A type of Report Writer formatting command that is executed as it is encountered in a report script. The command affects only the member to which it is associated and executes the format command before it processes the member.

metadata sampling

The process of retrieving a portion of the members of a selected dimension when performing a drill-down operation. This portion of members is defined by the spreadsheet end user as a percentage of the members to retrieve during drill down. By drilling down to a portion of the members instead of all members in a dimension, retrieval is rapid and you can perform analysis with a focus on trends.

metadata security

Security set at the member level to control users from accessing certain members in an outline.

metaoutline

In Essbase Integration Services, a template containing the structure and rules for creating an Essbase Analytic Services outline from an OLAP model.

Minimum Database Access

An option group that controls the default security to all the databases of an application, using access settings (such as Read or None) that are applied globally to the application.

missing data (#MISSING)

A marker indicating that data in the labeled location does not exist, contains no value, or was never entered or loaded. For example, missing data exists when an account contains data for a previous or a future period but not for the current period.

multidimensional database

A method of organizing, storing, and referencing data through three or more dimensions. An individual value is the intersection of a point for a set of dimensions.

multithreading

Within a single program, concurrent handling of multiple, separately executable sequences of program instructions.

named set

In MaxL DML, a set with its logic defined in the optional WITH section of a MaxL DML query. The named set can be referenced multiple times in the query.

nested column headings

A column heading format for report columns that displays data from more than one dimension. For example, in the Sample Basic database, a column heading that contains both Year and Scenario members is a nested column. This is scripted as follows: <COLUMN (Year, Scenario). The nested column heading shows Q1 (from the Year dimension) in the top line of the heading, qualified by Actual and Budget (from the Scenario dimension) in the bottom line of the heading.

numeric attribute range

A feature used to associate a base dimension member that has a discrete numeric value with an attribute that represents a range of values. For example, to classify customers by age, an Age Group attribute dimension can be defined that contains members for the following age ranges: 0-20, 21-40, 41-60, and 61-80. Each member of the Customer dimension can be associated with a particular Age Group range. Data can then be retrieved based on the age ranges rather than based on individual age values.

object

A program component that is related to an application or database. Objects can be outlines, rules files, calculation scripts, report scripts, or data sources. They are stored within the application or database subdirectory on the server or client machine.

OLAP

See online analytical processing (OLAP).

OLAP Metadata Catalog

In Essbase Integration Services, a relational database containing metadata describing the nature, source, location, and type of data that is pulled from the relational data source. Essbase Integration Server accesses the OLAP Metadata Catalog to generate the SQL statements and the information required to generate an Essbase Analytic Services database outline.

OLAP model

In Essbase Integration Services, a logical model (star schema) that is created from tables and columns in a relational database. The OLAP model is then used to generate the structure of a multidimensional database.

online analytical processing (OLAP)

A multidimensional, multiple-user, client-server computing environment for users who need to analyze consolidated enterprise data. OLAP systems feature functionality such as drilling down, data pivoting, complex calculations, trend analyses, and modeling.

outline

The database structure of a multidimensional database, including all dimensions, members, tags, types, consolidations, and mathematical relationships. Data is stored in the database according to the structure defined in the outline.

outline change log

A record of changes made to an Essbase Analytic Services database outline.

outline synchronization

For partitioned databases, the process of propagating outline changes from the outline of one of the partitions to the outline of the other partition.

page file

See data file.

page heading

A type of report heading that lists members that are represented on the current page of the report. All data values on the page have the members in the page heading as a common attribute.

paging

A storage scheme that makes use of spare disk space to increase the available memory.

parallel calculation

An optional calculation setting. Essbase Analytic Services divides a calculation into tasks and calculates some of the tasks at the same time.

parallel data load

In Essbase Analytic Services, the concurrent execution of different stages of a single data load by multiple process threads.

parallel export

The ability to export Essbase Analytic Services data to multiple files. This may be faster than exporting to a single file, and it may resolve problems caused by a single data file becoming too large for the operating system to handle.

parent

A member that has an aggregated branch of children below it.

partition area

A subcube within a database. A partition is composed of one or more areas. These areas are composed of cells from a particular portion of the database. For replicated and transparent partitions, the number of cells within an area must be the same for both the data source and the data target to ensure that the two partitions have the same shape. If the data source area contains 18 cells, the data target area must also contain 18 cells to accommodate the number of values.

partitioning

The process of defining areas of data that are shared or linked between data models. Partitioning can affect the performance and scalability of Essbase Analytic Services applications.

Password Management

A group of options in the server settings that are used to limit a user's allowed number of login attempts, number of days of inactivity, and number of days using the same password.

pattern matching

The ability to match a value with any or all characters of an item that is entered as a criterion. A missing character may be represented by a wild card value such as a question mark (?) or an asterisk (*). For example, "Find all instances of apple" returns apple, but "Find all instances of apple*" returns apple, applesauce, applecranberry, and so on.

period

An interval within the time dimension.

permission

A level of access granted to users and groups for managing data or other users and groups.

persistence

The continuance or longevity of effect for any Essbase Analytic Services operation or setting. For example, an Analytic Services administrator may limit the persistence of username and password validity.

Personal Essbase

A version of the Analytic Server that is designed to run on one computer.

pivot

The ability to alter the perspective of retrieved data. When Essbase Analytic Services first retrieves a dimension, it expands data into rows. You can then pivot or rearrange the data to obtain a different viewpoint.

precalculation

The process of calculating the database prior to user retrieval.

preserve formulas

The process of keeping user-created formulas within a worksheet while retrieving new data.

property

A characteristic of a member, such as two-pass calculation or shared member. Properties affect how Essbase Analytic Services works with the data.

query governor

An Essbase Integration Server parameter or Essbase Analytic Server configuration setting controls the duration and size of the queries made to the data source.

record

In a database, a group of fields that make up one complete entry. For example, a record about a customer might contain fields for name, address, telephone number, and sales data.

redundant data

Duplicate data blocks that Essbase Analytic Services retains during transactions until Analytic Services commits the updated blocks.

replicated partition

A portion of a database, defined through Partition Manager, that is used to propagate an update to data that is mastered at one site to a copy of data that is stored at another site. Users are able to access the data as though it were part of their local database.

report

The formatted summary information that is returned from a database after a report script is run. One or more reports can be generated from a report script.

Report Extractor

An Essbase Analytic Services component that retrieves report data from the Analytic Services database when a report script is run.

report script

A text file containing Essbase Analytic Services Report Writer commands that generate one or more production reports. Report scripts can be run in batch mode, through the ESSCMD command-line interface, or through Essbase Administration Services. The report script is a text file that contains data retrieval, formatting, and output instructions.

Report Viewer

An Essbase Analytic Services component that displays the complete report after a report script is run. Saved reports typically show the file extension .RPT.

request

A query sent to Essbase Analytic Server by a user or by another process; for example, starting an application, or restructuring a database outline. Requests happen in the context of sessions. Only one request at a time can be processed in each session. A request can be terminated by another user with the appropriate permissions (for example, by an administrator). See also session.

restore

An operation to reload data and structural information after a database has been damaged or destroyed. The restore operation is typically performed after you shut down and restart the database.

restructure

An operation to regenerate or rebuild the database index and, in some cases, the data files.

root member

The highest member in a dimension branch.

row

A horizontal display of information in a grid or table. A row can contain data from a single field, derived data from a calculation, or textual information. The words row and record are sometimes used interchangeably. Contrast with column.

row heading

A report heading that lists members down a report page. The members are listed under their respective row names.

sampling

The process of selecting a representative portion of an entity for the purpose of determining the characteristics of that entity. See also metadata sampling.

scope

The area of data encompassed by any Essbase Analytic Services operation or setting; for example, the area of data affected by a security setting. Most commonly, scope refers to three levels of granularity, where higher levels encompass lower levels. From highest to lowest, these levels are as follows: the entire system (Essbase Analytic Server), applications on Analytic Server, or databases within Analytic Server applications. See also persistence.

security platform

A framework providing the ability for Hyperion applications to use external authentication and single sign-on.

serial calculation

The default calculation setting. Essbase Analytic Services divides a calculation pass into tasks and calculates one task at a time.

server

A multiple-user computer that accesses data values based on the intersection of dimension members.

server application

See server.

server console

For Essbase Analytic Services, the computer on which Agent commands are entered and messages from the Agent are shown. If you run Analytic Services in the foreground on either Windows or UNIX, you can enter Agent commands. On UNIX, a telnet session is used to access Analytic Services remotely. On Windows, Analytic Services can be accessed only from the server console.

server interruption

Any occurrence that stops the server, including an abnormal shutdown, a power outage, or a user pressing the Ctrl+C keys.

session

The time between login and logout for a user connected to Essbase Analytic Server.

set

In MaxL DML, a required syntax convention for referring to a collection of one or more tuples. For example, in the following MaxL DML query, SELECT { [100-10] } ON COLUMNS FROM Sample.Basic { [100-10] } is a set.

shared member

A member that shares storage space with another member of the same name. A storage property designates members as shared. The use of shared members prevents duplicate calculation of members that occur more than once in an Essbase Analytic Services outline.

sibling

A child member at the same generation as another child member and having the same immediate parent. For example, the members Florida and New York are both children of the member, East, and siblings of each other.

single sign-on

The ability of an externally-authenticated user to access multiple, linked Hyperion applications after logging on to the first application. The user can launch other applications from the first application (and from other linked Hyperion applications) without logging on again. The user's ID and password are already authenticated.

slicer

In MaxL DML, the section at the end of a query that begins with and includes the keyword WHERE.

sparse dimension

In block storage databases, a dimension with a low probability that data exists for every combination of dimension members.

Spreadsheet Add-in

Essbase Analytic Services software that works with a spreadsheet. Essbase Spreadsheet Add-in is an add-in module to spreadsheet software.

standard dimension

A dimension that is not an attribute dimension.

subset

A cross-section of data. Subsetting further defines members that meet specific conditions.

substitution variable

A variable that acts as a global placeholder for information that changes regularly. The variable and a corresponding string value is set; the value can then be changed at any time. Substitution variables can be used in calculation scripts, report scripts, Essbase Spreadsheet Add-in, Essbase API, and Hyperion Planning forms.

suppress rows

The option to exclude rows that contain missing values and to underscore characters from spreadsheet reports.

swapping

See paging.

symmetric multiprocessing (SMP)

A server architecture that enables multiprocessing and multithreading. Essbase Analytic Server supports multiple threads over SMP servers automatically. Thus, performance is not significantly degraded when a large number of users connect to an single instance of Analytic Server simultaneously.

system administrator

A person who maintains the hardware, software, disk space distribution, and configurations for running software applications, such as Essbase Analytic Services.

TCP/IP

See Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

template

A predefined format that is designed to retrieve particular data on a regular basis and in a consistent format.

time series reporting

A process of reporting data based on a calendar date (for example, year, quarter, month, or week).

toolbar

A series of shortcut buttons providing quick access to commands. The toolbar is usually located directly below the menu bar. Not all windows display a toolbar.

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

A standard set of communication protocols that is adapted by many companies and institutions around the world and that links computers with different operating systems and internal architectures. TCP/IP utilities are used to exchange files, send mail, and store data to various computers that are connected to local and wide area networks.

transparent partition

A form of shared partition that provides the ability to access and manipulate remote data transparently as though it is part of a local database. The remote data is retrieved from the data source each time a request is made. Any updates made to the data are written back to the data source and become immediately accessible to both local data target users and transparent data source users.

triggers

An Essbase Analytic Services feature that enables efficient monitoring of data changes in a database. If data breaks rules that you specified, Analytic Services alerts the user or system administrator.

tuple

In MaxL DML, a required syntax convention for referring to a member or a member combination from any number of dimensions. For example, in the Sample Basic database, (Jan) is a tuple, and so is (Jan, Sales), and so is ( [Jan], [Sales], [Cola], [Texas], [Actual] ).

UDA

A user-defined attribute. A UDA is a term associated with members of an outline to describe a particular characteristic of the members. Users can specify UDAs within calculation scripts and reports so that they return lists of members that have the specified UDA associated with them. UDAs can be applied to dense as well as sparse dimensions.

unary operator

A group of mathematical indicators (+, -, *, /, %) that define how roll-ups take place on the database outline.

uncommitted access

An Essbase Analytic Services kernel setting that affects how Analytic Services handles transactions. Under uncommitted access, concurrent transactions hold short-term write locks and can yield unpredictable results.

Unicode

An approach to encoding character text such that thousands of text characters from hundreds of different languages are all supported within a single encoding form. See also encoding.

Unicode-mode Analytic Server

An Analytic Server with the setting enabled so that Unicode-mode applications can be created and non-Unicode-mode applications can be migrated to be Unicode-mode applications. See also Unicode-mode application.

Unicode-mode application

An Analytic Services application wherein character text is encoded in UTF-8, enabling users with their computers set up for different languages to share the application data.

Uniform Resource Locator (URL)

An address for a resource located on the World Wide Web, such as a document, image, downloadable file, service, or electronic mailbox. URLs use a variety of naming schemes and access methods, such as HTTP, FTP, and Internet mail. An example of a URL is http://www.hyperion.com. A URL can also point to a file located on a local or network drive, such as file:///D:/essbase/docs/essdocs.htm.

URL

See Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

UTF-8 (Unicode Transformation Format, 8-bit encoding format)

A Unicode encoding format that maps characters in a sequence of one to four bytes for each character. The first 128 characters of this encoding form use the same bit combinations as the common Latin1 encoding used for English characters. See also Unicode and encoding.

UTF-8 signature

An internal mark, at the beginning of a text file, that indicates that the file is encoded in UTF-8.

validation

A process of checking a rules file, report script, or partition definition against the outline to make sure that the object being checked is valid.

visual cue

A formatted style, such as a font or a color, that highlights specific types of data values. Data values may be dimension members; parent, child, or shared members; dynamic calculations; members containing a formula; read only data cells; read and write data cells; or linked objects.

WITH section

In MaxL DML, an optional section of the query used for creating re-usable logic to define sets or members. Sets or custom members can be defined once in the WITH section, and then referenced multiple times during a query.

workbook

An entire spreadsheet file with many worksheets.

write-back

The ability for a retrieval client, such as a spreadsheet, to update a database value.



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