Getting the Most Out of FDM - Integrating with Essbase and Planning

Getting the Most out of FDM:
Integrating with Essbase and Planning

November 16, 2012
Scott Peters
speters@finitsolutions.com

www.finitsolutions.com

Getting the Most out of FDM: Integrating with Essbase and Planning

Finit Introduction
Finit Solutions specializes in consulting services in the Oracle Hyperion Enterprise
Performance Management Solutions suite of products:
Financial Close and Consolidation Planning and Business Intelligence
 Financial Management (HFM)  Planning
 Hyperion Enterprise  Core Planning
 Financial Close Management (FCM)  Modules (Workforce, CapEx,
 Disclosure Management Project Financial Planning)
 Account Reconciliation Module (ARM)  Essbase (ASO / BSO)
Integration Reporting Tools
 Financial Data Quality Management (FDM)  Financial Reporting
 Oracle Data Integrator (ODI)  Smart View / Essbase Excel Add-In
 Enterprise Performance Management  OBIEE
Architect (EPMA)  Financial Management Analytics
 Data Relationship Management (DRM) (OFMA)
 Other (ERPi, EIS, etc.)  Web Analysis

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Finit Services
Finit’s consulting services cover a broad range of implementation
and post implementation options.

Finit Solutions: Implementation Services

– Full cycle implementations – Infrastructure Services
– Discovery and Requirements – Data Services (historical data, GL data
– Global Design integration)
– Detailed Design and Build – Project / Program Management
– Testing and Training – Product Upgrades
– Deploy – Redesign / Enhancements

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Finit Answers
Finit Solutions Official Support Offering:
Answers & Support with Efficient, Responsive Service
Finit Answers provides the proper support offering for your Business
 Hyperion Product Expertise: Finit has been offering Oracle Hyperion EPM services and support as a
company since our inception (July 2002) - staffed by our Hyperion Subject Matter Experts.
 Finit is providing a unique pledge for Hyperion Enterprise Customers: Any Hyperion Enterprise related fees
can be applied to a future project to replace Hyperion Enterprise with Finit Solutions.
 Allow Finit Answers to be your personal Hyperion Insurance Policy
 Flexibility: We offer a ‘pay as you go’ option (pay for only the time you use) along with several other levels
of support that we can customize to meet your needs:

1. Time And Materials Support: You only pay for the time you use (no monthly fees)
2. Dedicated Critical Support: Technical Application Support with a guaranteed 2-hour response time
3. Remote Consulting Assistance: Ask us to review your HFM Rules, Essbase Calcs, consolidations, FDM Integrations,
custom reports, etc.
4. Managed Services: Application Administrator Assistance (Primary or Secondary)

 http://www.finitsolutions.com/Support_Finit_Answers.html
 CONTACT Greg Barrett (gbarrett@finitsolutions.com) for more information

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Finit’s Focus
We strongly believe that Service + Solutions = Maximum Value
Service
 Our compensation model is based upon client satisfaction with consultant’s
work, not how many hours they charge.
 Finit has no external owners and Finit partners are involved in every full-
cycle implementation.
 Finit uses its own employees, no subcontractors.

Solutions
 Finit consultants are Hyperion product experts who enjoy designing, building
and deploying great solutions, applications and processes.
 Finit works closely with Oracle Hyperion development on product strategy
and beta testing.

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Finit’s Values

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Finit’s Client Service

Our client service approach has led to 100%
customer satisfaction for every Finit client (170
and counting) for every Oracle Hyperion project
(over 300 and counting).

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Some Finit Clients
•

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About the Presenter

Scott Peters
(speters@finitsolutions.com)
• Partner, Director of Data Integration Practice
• 7+ years of experience implementing Hyperion products at
approximately 50 clients
• Has designed and implemented multiple FDM integrations with
HFM, Enterprise, Essbase, Planning and Data Warehouses

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Agenda
 Integrations with Essbase and Planning
– FDM Overview
– Design Considerations
– Integration Basics and Best Practices
 FDM and Calc Scripts
– Best practices to Clear and Calculate Data
 Case Study
– Using FDM to manage Planning data loads
– Using FDM to Load Cost Center Essbase Cube
 Q&A

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FDM Overview
• Oracle Hyperion Financial Data Quality Management
– Web-based ETL tool developed by Upstream, acquired by
Hyperion in 2006, then Oracle in 2007
– Created to provide the business community with a user-friendly
interface for loading data to Oracle Enterprise Performance
Management (EPM) target applications
– Promotes a centralized, repeatable process for populating
target systems across an organization
– Can support a virtually unlimited number of concurrent users

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FDM Overview
• FDM has a suite of Integration Adapters used to
communicate with other products.
– Each adapter contains the API to allow FDM to communicate
with each product.
– Adapters allow FDM to directly load data to another product or
stage a data file to be picked up as well as perform calculations,
consolidations, pull back values, etc.
• HFM
• Enterprise
• Essbase (for Essbase and Planning)
• Strategic Finance
• Data Extract (Tax)
• DataMart
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FDM Overview
• Adapter components include:
– Dimensions that are associated with target system dimensions
during set up
– Scripts based on VBScript
• Custom – used for development of advanced solutions (e.g. batch
processing)
• Event – automatically launched based on system activities
• Import – used to modify incoming data
– Actions that contain all of the coding that FDM uses during its
processing steps
– Options that dictate how FDM communicates with the target
system

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FDM Overview
• A single FDM application can integrate with multiple
Essbase/Planning apps or multiple products such as an
Essbase/Planning app and an HFM app.
• You can apply different adapters to different locations.

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Design: Business and IT Factors
• User Community – Is it a centralized or decentralized
reporting process?
– Designing a process for end users will likely differ from a
process owned by a group of administrators.
• Business workflow requirements
– How is data currently reported?
– Are end users accountable for mapping all source data?
– How important is it to have visibility into the mappings?
– How important is it to have an audit trail?
– Is there an existing FDM application integrated with other
products?

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Design: Business and IT Factors
• Frequency of Data Loads
– It is common that data loads to Planning contain all entities at
once. Loads can be scheduled.
• Cube Design
– How many cubes are there and how does data need to flow
between them?
– How are calculated accounts handled?
• Server Environment
– The Essbase Runtime client must be installed on the FDM
Server.

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Integration Basics
• Required Settings
– Application Name
– Database Name

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Loading Data to Essbase
• Using an Essbase Load Rule to Load Data.
– There is an option in the Essbase adapter to call a load rule that
sits on the Essbase server.
– Load Rules offer benefits such as data manipulation, setting of
dimension values, and data accumulation.
– For files with multiple errors, using a load rule will display errors
all at once instead of one at a time.
• Can also just use API in the adapter to load file
– This does not need any additional set-up
– However, you don’t get the benefits above of using a Load Rule

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Loading Data to Essbase

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Calculating Data In Essbase
• FDM has two options for calculating data
– The File option is used to call an Essbase calc script.
• FDM will initiate running the calc script as is.
• This option does not allow FDM to dynamically update the script.
– The Dynamic option allows FDM to process a calc script that is
coded in FDM.
• The calc script can be written in
FDM using variables that can be
dynamically updated.

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Adapter Modifications
• Dimensions
– Each FDM dimension has to be assigned to a particular
Essbase/Planning dimension

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Adapter Modifications - Actions
• Export Action
– Allows a change in the order of the dimension layout in the .dat
file that FDM creates for the target system.
– Helpful in cases where the order is dictated by a Load Rule.*

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• Consolidate Action
– Can control what should be aggregated or calculated.

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Best Practices
• Enable Entity Base Calc Setting
– Essbase/Planning loads a lot of times contain all or multiple
entities in one data file.
– You can calculate each base entity, bypassing FDM’s Validation
Entity setup.

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Best Practices
• Versions
– For Planning integrations, the “Versions” dimension needs to be
accounted for.
– Setting this up as one of the mapped dimensions could cause
issues with loading and calculating.
– It has become common practice to include the version as a part
of the scenario name in the POV since this is usually selectable.

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Best Practices
• Versions
– Among other items, a typical POV in FDM includes the FDM
category and corresponding target system scenario.

– To accommodate Versions in Planning, we can update each
Essbase scenario with a version name.

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Best Practices
• Creating an Entity string
– By default, FDM will loop through each individual entity that
was loaded and run through the calc script.
– Generating an entity list outside of the loop is best so that the
calculation is performed once on the full set of entities.

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Best Practices
• Building an Essbase Intersection Check Report
– Unlike other Hyperion target systems, Essbase does not have an
inherent intersection check that takes place during FDM’s
validation process.
– Finit has created a script that will essentially query the Essbase
outline and check for invalid intersections of data.
– A list of invalid members for each dimensions can be returned
to the user during the validation (mapping) process.

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FDM & Essbase Calc Scripts
• There are 2 main points of the process where FDM can
call an Essbase calc script
• Load
– This will clear data before it loads to Essbase
• Consolidate
– This will calculate or aggregate the data after it loads to Essbase

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FDM & Calc Scripts - LOAD
• The loading of data to Essbase is inherently a merge of
data, replacing only intersections that are in the load file.
• There are 2 options to handle the clearing of data to
avoid data getting “stuck” in the system before loading to
Essbase
– Writing Calc Script in the LOAD action of FDM that fixes on
certain intersections
– Using Finit “SmartMerge” solution for Essbase

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• Writing Calc Script in the LOAD Action of FDM
– Can Fix on certain intersections that should clear and then write
a Clear Calc Script
– Can have multiple Calc Scripts using If Then Logic
• i.e. If FDM Loc is Balance Sheet, Fix on Descendants of Balance Sheet
– Calc Scripts will also use FDM Parameters passed from the POC
• i.e. Period, Year, Version, Entity, etc.

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• Using Finit “SmartMerge” solution for Essbase
– Custom merge load solution eliminates the need for multiple
calc scripts to handle data protection.
– At Export, FDM creates a .dat file that is compatible with
Essbase.
• There is no “Accumulate in File” option with FDM to Essbase
integrations. Unless a Load Rule is used, only the last of like
intersections will load.
– The script will archive the previously loaded data file and
compare it with the current load.
– Intersections from the previously loaded file with be added at
the beginning of the new load file with #MI to clear out
intersections that are not in the new load file
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• Previous .dat file

• Current load records

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• New .dat file

• Data loaded by methods other than FDM will not be
touched when the new file loads.

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Verdict and Best Practice
• For Clearing data, the SmartMerge is what I implement
now and has the least amount of maintenance with the
best results
• It saves time in creating Clear Calc Scripts and in a few
implementations, there were many nuances in the calc
scripts and it was becoming very difficult to code all of
those calc scripts in FDM

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FDM & Calc Scripts - CALCULATE
• There are a few options to handle the calculation or
aggregation of data once it loads to Essbase
– Writing Calc Script in the CONSOLIDATE action of FDM that fixes
on certain intersections and runs a calc script.
– Have FDM create/edit and place a batch script on the Essbase
server that runs calc scripts or have FDM run that batch file
itself.

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• Writing Calc Script in the CONSOLIDATE action
– Just like the Clear Calc Script, we can Fix on certain intersections
for the Aggregate Calc Script
– Can have multiple Calc Scripts using If Then Logic
• i.e. If FDM Loc is Balance Sheet, Fix on Descendants of Balance Sheet
– Calc Scripts will also use FDM Parameters passed from the POC
• i.e. Period, Year, Version, Entity, etc.
• With this option, all calc scripts need to be written in the
FDM Actions

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• Have FDM create/edit and place a batch script on the
Essbase server that runs calc scripts or have FDM run
that batch file itself.
– Can utilize parameters in the FDM POV without having to
replicate entire calc scripts in FDM
– Can have the batch file get updated by FDM and moved to a
folder that is looking for the batch file and then it runs
– Can also have FDM update the batch file and then execute it.

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• Update Text file with FDM parameters

• Save file as Batch file and move to folder that has a
scheduled task running looking to run the batch file

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Verdict and Best Practice
• A simple aggregation calc script can be replicated in FDM
as it probably won’t change much.
• Also, if there is only 1 location loading data so there isn’t
a need for many calc scripts in FDM, the FDM Action can
be used as well.
• However, if a complicated calc script needs to run and
you don’t wish to maintain it in FDM as well, the batch
file solution has worked quite well and is easier to
maintain going forward.

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Planning Case Study-Environment
• HFM is the primary consolidation and reporting tool.
• Actual data is handled in HFM.
• The Budget and Forecast data is managed in Planning.
• All data needs to be included in both applications.
– Planning requires data at a lower level of detail than HFM does.

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Planning Case Study-Requirements
• Loading data to Planning
– Create a solution that can leverage the data imported into FDM
for the existing HFM load process
• Accommodate capturing lower level of detail for Planning
– Design a process that does not give end users additional work
– Develop a process that can be managed by Corporate
• Loading data from Planning to HFM
– Create a process to continually capture the most current budget
and forecast data for HFM
– Develop a process that can be managed by Corporate

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Planning Case Study-Requirements

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Planning Case Study-Planning Workflow

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Loading HFM and Planning from 1 File
• Additional dimensions are activated in the HFM adapter
to capture the data required by Planning.

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• Existing HFM import formats are updated so that these
new dimensions for the Planning load are populated
upon importing the data file.

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• When the data files are loaded to the HFM locations, the
attribute dimensions capture the lower level of detail
required by Planning.

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Planning Case Study – Planning to HFM

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Essbase Case Study-Environment
• HFM is the primary consolidation and reporting tool.
• Actual data is handled in HFM.
• A Cost Center cube was created in Essbase to collect cost
center detail not contained in HFM

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Essbase Case Study-Requirements
• Loading data to Essbase
– Create a solution that can leverage the data imported into FDM
for the existing HFM load process
• Accommodate capturing cost center detail for Essbase
– Design a process that does not give end users additional work
– Develop a process that can be managed by admins
– Process must initiate calc scripts after the load

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Essbase Case Study-Cost Center Workflow

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Loading HFM and Essbase from 1 Source
• Tag the FDM to HFM location with the Essbase location
• Create an Import Integration script for the FDM to
Essbase location to source from the FDM to HFM
locations

Essbase Dim Source or Target
Account Target (HFM mapped)
Entity Source (EBS)
C1 Source (EBS)
C2 Source (EBS)
Activity Source (EBS)

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Loading HFM and Essbase from 1 Source
• Click on Import for the Cost Center location and it will
loop through all FDM to HFM locations that are tagged
and import the data
• The data can then be mapped to the greater detail in the
Cost Center cube and load to Essbase
• The Calc Script uses the batch file method to run the calc
scripts that are needed for the particular Cost Center
cube.

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Thank you for attending!
- > Scott Peters
Questions? speters@finitsolutions.com

- > Insights@finitsolutions.com
Email us for a
- > General Questions
copy of the slides or  Greg Barrett
(gbarrett@finitsolutions.com)
link to the recording.  Joe Mizerk
(jmizerk@finitsolutions.com)

- 55 -

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