About Semantic Model Customization

You can customize the semantic model to extend it for your business requirements. You extend the semantic model to make the data that you moved into the warehouse more useful for reporting.

Oracle NetSuite Analytics Warehouse currently provides these methods for extending the semantic model:

If your instance has the semantic model extensions Sandbox framework, then you can use the information about extending the semantic model using the Sandbox framework. If your instance has the semantic model extensions Branch framework, then you can migrate to the semantic model extensions Sandbox framework because the Branch framework is planned to be deprecated in a future release. See Migrate to the Sandbox Framework for Semantic Model Extensions.

If your production and lower environments such as development and test environments are on different Semantic Model Extensions frameworks; for example, production is on Sandbox and development or test is still on Branch, you have two options:
  • You can migrate all instances to the Sandbox framework.
  • If there is a business case preventing migrating to Sandbox, log a support ticket to have the instance on the Sandbox downgraded to Branch.
Here's a comparison of the capabilities of the Branch and Sandbox framework for semantic model extensions:
Branch Framework Sandbox Framework
Action centric view. Model centric view.
Steps done one-by-one but are independent of each other. Related steps are grouped together making it easier to complete a fully consistent unit of work.
Has the concept of branches that can contain steps that are unrelated. Has the concept of a sandbox that can contain fully formed dimensional models or “stars”. All objects within a star are related.
No graphical view of the model. Complete graphical view of each star that shows the ready-to-use and custom objects.
Publish branches to test. Merge to main when completed. Publish sandbox to test, merge to main when completed.
Customization steps are disconnected. Different steps done on the same object can override each other in different branches. All customizations done to an object are visible together. You see the result of all operations at any time.
The semantic model consists of these components:
  • Oracle Content: This is the base model provided by Oracle. Your customizations are layered on this.
  • System Extensions: Your descriptive flexfield and data augmentation changes are available in this component. See View Activity History of Semantic Model Extensions to know about the scenarios in which Oracle NetSuite Analytics Warehouse applies the system extensions.
  • User Extensions: Your extensions are available in this component.
  • Security Configurations: You can secure the objects of all the other components against the application roles in this component.

Oracle NetSuite Analytics Warehouse periodically evaluates the customizations and sends notifications to the users with Modeler Administrator and Modeler privileges to correct errors and warnings in the extensions as soon as possible to prevent errors during patching. If these errors aren't fixed and a patch is initiated (or a mandatory patch is auto-applied), then patching may encounter issues. In that case, customizations that haven't been merged to the main branch are removed and the factory semantic model is upgraded. You must reapply the applicable customizations after the patching is complete.