1. Using Oracle Essbase
  2. Create and Manage Cube Outlines Using the Web Interface
  3. Set Dimension and Member Properties
  4. Set General Properties

Set General Properties

On the General tab, you can view or modify basic Essbase dimension or member information (such as consolidation properties, storage properties, and comments).

The options available on the tab vary, depending on the outline type, and the dimension and member type. For example, the items available vary depending on whether the cube is block storage or aggregate storage, or whether you selected a dimension name or a member within a dimension.

The following is a partial list of properties.

Table 11-5 Dimension and Member General Properties

Field Name Description Applies to...

Name

Enter a dimension or member name.

Use no more than 1024 bytes when naming dimensions, members, or aliases.

  • Aggregate storage dimensions and members

  • Block storage dimensions and members

Comment

Enter a comment.

Comments can contain up to 255 characters.

  • Aggregate storage dimensions and members

  • Block storage dimensions and members

Dimension type

For a dimension, select:

  • None

  • Accounts

  • Time

  • Attribute

  • Aggregate storage dimensions

  • Block storage dimensions

Dimension storage type

For a dimension, select:

  • Dense

  • Sparse

There are two types of dimension storage available for block storage cubes: dense, and sparse. Dense dimensions have most of the data points filled, while sparse dimensions have most of the data points empty. The default storage type is sparse, but at least one dense dimension is required.

Block storage dimensions

Consolidation

For a member that is not a dimension or an attribute, select a consolidation operator:

  • + (addition)

  • – (subtraction)

  • * (multiplication)

  • / (division)

  • % (percentage)

  • ~ (ignore)

  • ^ (nonconsolidating)

Addition (+) is the default. The ^ (nonconsolidating) operator applies only to block storage cubes.

  • Aggregate storage members

  • Block storage members

Two-Pass

Select the Two-Pass calc check box to calculate the member during a second pass through the outline.

  • Block storage stored members
  • For dynamic members, set solve order instead

Data Storage

Select an option to determine how data values for the current dimension or member are stored:

  • Store data

  • Dynamic calc (This option does not apply to aggregate storage cubes.)

  • Never share

  • Label only

  • Shared member

  • Aggregate storage dimensions and members

  • Block storage dimensions and members

Member solve order

Specify a solve order between 0 and 127 to indicate the priority in which the member is calculated.

  • Aggregate storage members

  • Dynamic block storage members

Hierarchy

Specify Stored (the default) or Dynamic or, for a dimension within an aggregate storage outline, select the Multiple hierarchy enabled option (which equates to selecting both Stored and Dynamic).

The storage option that you select is applied to the hierarchy headed by the dimension or generation 2 member.

  • Aggregate storage dimensions

  • Generation 2 aggregate storage members

Aggregate level usage

Select one of these options to provide a way for an administrator to influence both default and query-based view selection:

  • Default: Internal mechanisms decide how to create aggregations.

  • No aggregation: Aggregation is not performed along this hierarchy. All views selected are at the input level.

  • Top level only: (Applies to primary hierarchies.) Queries are answered directly from input data.

  • No intermediate levels: (Applies to primary hierarchies.) This selects top and bottom levels only.

Aggregate storage dimensions

Variance reporting expense

Members from the dimension tagged as type Accounts can have an Expense property value of True or False. When @VAR or @VARPER formulas are evaluated, Account members whose expense property is False will have opposite sign to those whose expense property is True.

Example: Scenario dimension member Variance with formula @VAR(Actual, Budget). For Account dimension member Sales [with Expense property False], Variance member will be calculated as Actual-Budget. For Account dimension member COGS [with Expense property True], Variance member will be calculated as Budget-Actual.

Block storage accounts dimension and members

Account information

Time Balance: To use time balance properties, you must have a dimension tagged as Accounts and a dimension tagged as Time.

  • None: Apply no time balance property. Member values are calculated in the default manner.

  • Average: A parent value represents the average value of a time period.

  • First: A parent value represents the value at the beginning of a time period.

  • Last: A parent value represents the value at the end of a time period.

Skip option: Select an option (None or Missing) to determine what values are ignored during time balance calculations. If you select None, then no values are ignored, and, if you select Missing, then #MISSING values are ignored. You can specify skip settings only if the time balance property is set as first, last, or average.

  • None

  • Missing

You can set these properties for any members except Label Only members.

Block storage Accounts dimension only