Loading Metadata

When you load a metadata file, Oracle Hyperion Financial Management replaces metadata with new metadata from the load file. Replacement is useful for making minor changes to the metadata, such as adding an account. For example, if your application includes a North America entity, and you load entities from a metadata file, the attributes for the North America entity in the file replace the attributes for the North America entity in the application.

Note:

Do not use the ampersand character (&) in a metadata file. If you do, an error occurs.

When you load metadata files, the system waits for other tasks such as consolidation, data entry or other load processes to finish before proceeding to load the files. Oracle recommends that you load metadata during periods of light activity across the server cluster instead of, for example, during a long-running consolidation. You can check the Running Tasks page to see which consolidations or data loads, for example, are in progress.

Loading large metadata files can result in a proxy timeout error. If this error occurs, increase the Web proxy timeout setting.

After you load a metadata file to an application, users using the application are notified that the system has changed and that they must log off from the application and log back on.

Caution:

You must delete orphaned members before loading; if orphaned members are not deleted, metadata is not updated.

You must select either the Merge or Replace load option. You can clear all metadata before loading the new metadata and also check the data integrity.

Table 4-14 Metadata Load Options

Load Option Description

Merge

If a dimension member exists in the load file and in the application database, then the member in the database is replaced with the member from the load file. If the database has other dimension members that are not referenced in the load file, the members in the database are unchanged.

For example, a database contains entities CT, MA, and CA. You use the merge method to load a metadata file containing new information for CA only. In the database, CA is updated with the new information and MA and CT remain in the database and remain unchanged.

Replace

All dimension members in the application database are deleted and the members from the load file are put into the database.

For example, a database contains entities CT, MA, and CA. You use the replace method to load a metadata file containing new information for CA only. In the database, CT and MA are deleted, and the only entity is CA with the new information from the load file.

Clear All Metadata Before Loading

All dimension members and corresponding data, journals, and intercompany transactions in the application database are deleted.

If this option is selected, it overrides the function of the merge and replace methods.

Check Integrity

Checks the metadata against the data to ensure integrity. See Metadata Referential Integrity.

Note:

Oracle recommends that you add Financial Management to the exceptions for your Web pop-up blocker. When you perform some tasks such as loading data, a status window pops up showing the task status. If you have a pop-up blocker enabled on your computer, the status window is not displayed.

To load metadata:

  1. Open the application.
  2. Select Consolidation, then Load, and then Application Elements.
  3. In the Metadata section, enter the file name to load or click Browse to locate the file.

    Note:

    By default, metadata files use the XML or APP file extension. The load process also accepts the TXT file extension, however, Oracle recommends that you use the XML or APP file extension.

  4. Optional: Select Clear metadata and data.

    Note:

    If you select this option, you cannot select elements in the Metadata Options section.

  5. Optional: Select Check Integrity to check the metadata file against the data in the current application.

    It is highly recommended that you select this option, because it ensures that the application is not adversely affected by the metadata in the load file.

    Note:

    If integrity errors occur, they are written to the metadata log file, and no portion of the file is loaded into the application.

    You must fix the errors before you can continue with this procedure. See Metadata Log File Referential Integrity Errors.

  6. In the Load Options section, select a load method:

    • Merge

    • Replace

  7. From Delimiter, select the character to be used to separate the metadata in the file.

    Delimiter characters are required only for ASCII files with the APP file extension. Delimiter characters are not required for XML files. These characters are valid:

    , ~ @ $ % ^ | : ; ? \

    Note:

    Use a character that is not used in the file name or in any other way in the file. For example, if you use the comma in an entity description, you cannot use the comma as the delimiter.

  8. From the Filters section, select the types of metadata to load.

    Tip:

    To reset the filter selections, click Reset.

  9. Optional: Click Scan to verify that the file format is correct.
  10. Click Load.
  11. Optional: To download the log file, click Download Log. Click Open to display the log file, or Save and select a location to save the file locally.