Understanding Data Loading and Dimension Building

In This Section:

Introduction

Process for Data Loading and Dimension Building

Data Sources

Rules Files

Situations that Do and Do Not Need a Rules File

Data Sources that Do Not Need a Rules File

Security and Multiple-User Considerations

The information in this chapter applies to block storage databases and aggregate storage
database. As some rules file options and data source requirements vary for aggregate storage
databases, also see Preparing Aggregate Storage Databases.

Introduction
An Essbase database contains dimensions, members, and data values.

 Loading data is the process of adding data values to an Essbase database from a data
source, such as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet or SQL database. If the data source is
not perfectly formatted, you need a rules file to load the data values.
 Building dimensions is the process of loading dimensions and members to an Essbase
database outline by using a data source and a rules file. You can also use Outline
Editor to add dimensions and members manually.

Process for Data Loading and Dimension Building

To load data values or dimensions and members into an Essbase database, follow these steps:

1. Set up the data source.

If you are not using a rules file, you must set up the data source outside Essbase. See
Data Sources.

2. If necessary, set up the rules file.

See Rules Files.

3. Perform the data load or dimension build.

 See Performing and Debugging Data Loads or Dimension Builds.

Data Sources
Data sources contain the information that you want to load into the Essbase database. A data
source can contain:

 Data values
 Information about members, such as member names, member aliases, formulas, and
consolidation properties
 Generation and level names
 Currency name and category
 Data storage properties
 Attributes
 UDAs

The following sections describe the components of any kind of data source.

Supported Data Sources

Essbase supports the following types of data sources:

 Text files (flat files) from text backups or external sources

 SQL data sources
 Essbase export files (export files do not need a rules file to load)
 Microsoft Excel spreadsheet files
 Spreadsheet audit log files
 Oracle BI Enterprise Edition (OBIEE)

Note:

When using spreadsheet files to load data or build an outline in Essbase, the spreadsheet files
must reside on a Windows computer, regardless of the tool you use. Spreadsheet files that
reside on a UNIX computer or are transferred via FTP to a UNIX computer are not
supported. If Essbase Administration Server is installed on a UNIX computer, data loads and
dimension builds from client-side spreadsheet files are not supported.

To avoid rules file, data load, and dimension build errors, remove formatting in Microsoft
Excel data source files; for example, in Excel, set color to “Automatic” and “No Fill,” and
remove font settings such as bold and italic.

Items in a Data Source

As illustrated in Figure 60, Records and Fields, a data source comprises records, fields, and
field delimiters.

 A record is a structured row of related fields.

 A field is an individual value.
  A delimiter indicates that a field is complete and that the next character in the record
starts another field.

Essbase reads data sources starting at the top and proceeding from left to right.

Figure 60. Records and Fields

As illustrated in Figure 61, Kinds of Fields, data sources can contain dimension fields,
member fields, member combination fields, and data fields.

Figure 61. Kinds of Fields

 Dimension fields identify the dimensions of the database, such as Market. Use
dimension fields to tell Essbase the order of the dimensions in the data source. In
Figure 61, Kinds of Fields, for example, the dimension fields are Market, Product,
Year, Measures, and Scenario. Fields in the Market column, such as Texas, are
members of the Market dimension, and fields in the Product column, such as 100-10,
are members of the Product dimension. Although you can set dimension fields in the
data source, usually you define dimension fields in the rules file.
 Member fields identify the members or member combinations of the specified
dimensions. Use member fields to tell Essbase to which members to map new data
values, or which members to add to the outline. In Figure 61, Kinds of Fields, for
example, Texas, 100-10, Jan, Sales, and Actual are member fields.
 Data fields contain the numeric data values that are loaded into the intersections of the
members of the database. Each data value must map to a dimension intersection. In
Figure 61, Kinds of Fields, for example, 42 is the data value that corresponds to the
intersection of Texas, 100-10, Jan, Sales, and Actual.

You can specify information in the header and in an individual record. In the
following example, 100 is the data value that corresponds to the intersection of Jan,
Actual, Cola, East, Sales, and 200 is the data value that corresponds to the intersection
of Jan, Actual, Cola, West, Sales.

Jan, Actual
Cola East Sales 100
Cola West Sales 200
Cola South Sales 300

Data fields are used only for data loading; dimension builds ignore data fields.

The following sections describe each item in a data source.

Valid Dimension Fields

In a data load, if the data source does not identify every dimension in the Essbase database,
the rules file must identify the missing dimensions. For example, the Sample.Basic database
has a dimension for Year. If several data sources arrive with monthly numbers from different
regions, the month itself may not be specified in the data sources. You must specify the
month in the data source header or the rules file. See Defining Header Records.

A dimension field must contain a valid dimension name. If you are not performing a
dimension build, the dimension must already exist in the database. If you are performing a
dimension build, the dimension name can be new, but the new name must be specified in the
rules file.

Valid Member Fields

A member field can contain the name of a valid member or an alias. In Figure 61, Kinds of
Fields, for example, Texas and Ohio are valid members of the Market dimension. A blank
member field inherits the member name from the previous record. Essbase must know how to
map each member field of the data source to a member of the database.

To be valid, a member field must meet the following criteria:

 The member field must contain or inherit a valid member name or member property.
See Using the Data Source to Work with Member Properties. If you are not
performing a dimension build, the member must already exist in the outline. If you are
performing a dimension build, the member can be new.
 Either the data source or the rules file must specify which dimension each member
field maps to.
 A member field can map to a single member name, such as Jan (which is a member of
the Year dimension), or to a member combination, such as Jan, Actual (which are
members of the Year and Scenario dimensions).
 Member names that contain the same character as the file delimiter must be
surrounded by double quotation marks. For example, if the data source is delimited by
spaces, ensure that a member containing spaces, such as “New York,” is enclosed by
double quotation marks. If you are performing a data load without a rules file,
member names containing some other characters also must be enclosed by quotation
marks. See Data Sources that Do Not Need a Rules File.

When a rules file is not used, blank dimension and member fields are valid. When Essbase
encounters a blank dimension or member field while loading data without a rules file, it uses
the last dimension or member name encountered for that dimension or member column.

Note:

While it processes each record in a data source for a data load, Essbase does not check to
ensure that a member specified in a member field belongs to the dimension specified for the
dimension field. Essbase loads the data value to the data cell identified by the member
combination in the record. In Figure 61, Kinds of Fields, for example, if the second record
reversed Jan and Sales (Texas, ‘100-10’, Sales, Jan, Actual, 42), Essbase would load 42 to the
correct data cell. The exception is for fields in the rules file set as dimension reference
method.
Valid Data Fields
If you are performing a dimension build, skip this section. Data fields are ignored during a
dimension build.

Either the data source or the rules file must contain enough information for Essbase to
determine where to put each data value. A data field contains the data value for its
intersection in the database. In Figure 61, Kinds of Fields, for example, 42 is a data field. It is
the dollar sales of 100-10 (Cola) in Texas in January.

In a data field, Essbase accepts numbers and their modifiers, with no spaces or separators
between them, and the text strings #MI and #MISSING, as listed in Table 37.

Table 37. Valid Data Field Modifiers

Valid Modifiers Examples

Currency symbols:
$12 is a valid value.
 Dollar $
$ 12 is not a valid value because there is a space
 Euro
between the dollar sign and the 12.
 Yen ¥

Parentheses around numbers to indicate a

(12)
negative number
Minus sign before numbers. Minus signs
-12
after numbers are not valid.
Decimal point 12.3
Large numbers with or without commas 1,345,218 and 1345218 are valid values.
#MI or #MISSING to represent missing or
See Replacing an Empty Field with Text.
unknown values

If the data source contains a member field for every dimension and one field that contains
data values, you must define the field that contains data values as a data field in the rules file.
To read the following data source into the Sample.Basic database, for example, define the last
field as a data field.

Jan Cola East Sales Actual 100

Feb Cola East Sales Actual 200

To define a data field, see “Defining a Column as a Data Field” in the Oracle Essbase
Administration Services Online Help.

If the data source contains blank fields for data values, replace them with #MI or #MISSING.
If there is no value in the data field (or the value is #MISSING), Essbase does not change the
existing data value in the database. Essbase does not replace current values with empty
values.

Valid Delimiters
You must separate fields from each other with delimiters. If you are loading data without a
rules file, you must use spaces to delimit fields.

If you are using a rules file, delimiters can be any of the following:

 Tabs (default)
 Spaces
 New lines
 Carriage returns
 Commas

Extra Delimiters Without a Rules File

In data sources that are loaded without a rules file, Essbase ignores extra delimiters. In the
following example, the fields are separated by spaces. Essbase ignores the extra spaces
between the fields.

East Cola Actual Jan Sales 10

East Cola Actual Feb Sales 21
East Cola Actual Mar Sales 30

Extra Delimiters with a Rules File

In data sources that are loaded with a rules file, Essbase reads extra delimiters as empty
fields. For example, if you try to use a rules file to load the file below into the Sample.Basic
database, the load fails. Essbase reads the extra comma between East and Cola in the first
record as an extra field. Essbase then puts Cola into Field 3. In the next record, however,
Cola is in Field 2. Essbase expects Cola to be in Field 3 and stops the data load.

East,,Cola,Actual,Jan,Sales,10
East,Cola,Actual,Feb,Sales,21
East,Cola,Actual,Mar,Sales,30

To resolve the problem, delete the extra delimiter from the data source.

Valid Formatting Characters

Essbase views some characters in the data source as formatting characters only. Essbase
ignores the characters listed in Table 38:

Table 38. Valid Formatting Characters

Formatting Character Description
== Multiple equal signs, such as for double underlining
-- Multiple minus signs, such as for single underlining
__ Multiple underscores
== Multiple IBM PC graphic double underlines (ASCII character 205)
__ Multiple IBM PC graphic single underlines (ASCII character 196)

Ignored fields do not affect the data load or dimension build.

For example, Essbase ignores the equal signs in the following data source and loads the other
fields normally.

East Actual "100-10"

Sales Marketing
===== =========
Jan 10 8
Feb 21 16

Rules Files
Rules define operations that Essbase performs on data values or on dimensions and members
when it processes a data source. Use rules to map data values to an Essbase database or to
map dimensions and members to an Essbase outline.

Figure 62. Loading Data Sources Through Rules Files

Rules are stored in rules files. A rules file defines which build method to use, whether data
values or members are sorted or are in random order, and how to transform data values or
members before loading them. It is best to create a separate rules file for each dimension.

Essbase reads the data values or members in the data source, changes them based on the rules
in the rules file, and loads the changed data values into the database and the changed
members into the outline. Essbase does not change the data source. You can reuse a rules file
with any data source that requires the same set of rules.

After you create a dimension build rules file, you may want to automate the process of
updating dimensions. See Using ESSCMD.

Situations that Do and Do Not Need a Rules File

You need a rules file if the data source does not map perfectly to the database or if you are
performing any of the following tasks:

 Loading data from a SQL data source

 Building dimensions
 o Adding dimensions and members to the database
o Changing existing dimensions and members in the database
 Changing the data in any way, including the following:
o Ignoring fields or strings in the data source
o Changing the order of fields by moving, joining, splitting, or creating fields
o Mapping the data in the data source to the database by changing strings
o Changing the data values in the data source by scaling data values or by
adding data values to existing data values in the data source
o Setting header records for missing values
o Rejecting an invalid record and continuing the data load

You do not need a rules file if you are performing a data load and the data source maps
perfectly to the database. See Data Sources that Do Not Need a Rules File.

Note:

If you are using a rules file, each record in the rules file must have the same number of fields.
See Dealing with Missing Fields in a Data Source.

Data Sources that Do Not Need a Rules File

If you are performing a dimension build, skip this section.

If a data source contains all of the information required to load the data values in it into the
database, you can load the data source directly in a free-form data load.

To load a data value successfully, Essbase must encounter one member from each dimension
before encountering the data value. For example, in Figure 61, Kinds of Fields, Essbase loads
the data value 42 into the database with the members Texas, 100-10, Jan, Sales, and Actual.
If Essbase encounters a data value before a member of each dimension is specified, it stops
loading the data source.

To map perfectly, a data source must contain all of the following and nothing else:

 One or more valid members from each dimension. A member name must be enclosed
in quotation marks if it contains any of the following:
o Spaces
o Numeric characters (0–9)
o Dashes (minus signs, hyphens)
o Plus signs
o Ampersands (&)

If you are performing a data load without a rules file, when Essbase
encounters an invalid member field, it stops the data load. Essbase loads all
fields read before the invalid field into the database, resulting in a partial load
of the data values. See Loading Dimension Build and Data Load Error Logs.

 One or more valid data values. See Valid Data Fields.

 If the data source contains blank fields for data values, replace the blank fields with
#MI or #MISSING. Otherwise, the data values may not load correctly.

 Valid delimiters. See Valid Delimiters.

The fields in the data source must be formatted in an order that Essbase understands. The
simplest way to format a record is to include a member from each dimension and a data field,
as illustrated below:

Sales "100-10" Ohio Jan Actual 25

Sales "100-20" Ohio Jan Actual 25
Sales "100-30" Ohio Jan Actual 25

An incorrectly formatted data source will not load. You can edit the data source using a text
editor and fix the problem. If you must perform many edits (such as moving several fields
and records), consider using a rules file to load the data source. See Rules Files.

The following sections describe more complicated ways to format free-form data sources.

Formatting Ranges of Member Fields

If you are performing a dimension build, skip this section.

You can express member names as ranges within a dimension. For example, Sales and COGS
form a range in the Measures dimension. Ranges of member names can handle a series of
values.

A data source can contain ranges from more than one dimension at a time. In the example
below, Jan and Feb form a range in the Year dimension and Sales and COGS form a range in
the Measures dimension.

Actual Texas Sales COGS

Jan Feb Jan Feb
"100-10" 98 89 26 19
"100-20" 87 78 23 32

Notice that Sales is defined for the first two columns and COGS for the last two columns.

The following sections describe additional types of ranges.

Setting Ranges Automatically

If you are performing a dimension build, skip this section.

When Essbase encounters multiple members from the same dimension with no intervening
data fields, it sets up a range for that dimension. The range stays in effect until Essbase
encounters another member name from the same dimension, at which point Essbase replaces
the range with the new member or new member range.
The following example contains a range of Jan to Feb in the Year dimension. It remains in
effect until Essbase encounters another member name, such as Mar. When Essbase
encounters Mar, the range changes to Jan, Feb, Mar.

Texas Sales
Jan Feb Mar
Actual "100-10" 98 89 58
"100-20" 87 78 115

Handling Out of Range Data Values

If you are performing a dimension build, skip this section.

When Essbase encounters a member range, it assumes that there is a corresponding range of
data values. If the data values are not in the member range, the data load stops. Essbase loads
any data fields read before the invalid field into the database, resulting in a partial data load.

The following example contains more data fields than member fields in the defined range of
members. The data load stops when it reaches the 10 data field. Essbase loads the 100 and
120 data fields into the database.

Cola Actual East

Jan Feb
Sales 100 120 10
COGS 30 34 32

For information on restarting the load, see Loading Dimension Build and Data Load Error
Logs.

Interpreting Duplicate Members in a Range

If you are performing a dimension build, skip this section.

Structure ranges in the source data so that Essbase interprets them correctly. If a member
appears more than once in a range, Essbase ignores the duplicates.

The following example shows duplicate members for Actual, Budget, Sales, and Budget and
two ranges: Actual to Budget and Sales to COGS. Essbase ignores the duplicate instances of
Actual, Budget, Sales, and COGs (as shown in bold text).

Cola East
Actual Budget Actual Budget
Sales Sales COGS COGS
Jan 108 110 49 50
Feb 102 120 57 60

For Actual, the first member of the first range, Essbase maps data values to each member of
the second range (Sales and COGS). Essbase then proceeds to the next value of the first
range, Budget, similarly mapping values to each member of the second range. As a result,
Essbase interprets the file as shown below:
Cola East
Actual Budget
Sales COGS Sales COGS
Jan 108 110 49 50
Feb 102 120 57 60

Reading Multiple Ranges

If you are performing a dimension build, skip this section.

As Essbase scans a file, it processes the most recently encountered range first when
identifying a range of data values. The example above contains two ranges: Actual and
Budget and Sales and COGS. While reading the file from left to right and top to bottom,
Essbase encounters the Actual and Budget range first and the Sales and COGS range second.
Because the Sales and COGS range is encountered second, Essbase puts data fields in the
Sales and COGS part of the database first.

Formatting Columns
If you are performing a dimension build, skip this section.

Files can contain columns of fields. Essbase supports loading data from symmetric columns
or asymmetric columns.

Symmetric Columns
If you are performing a dimension build, skip this section. Dimension builds require a rules
file.

Symmetric columns have the same number of members under them. In the following
example, each dimension column has one column of members under it. For example, Product
has one column under it (100-10 and 100-10) and Market has one column under it (Texas and
Ohio).

Product Measures Market Year Scenario

"100-10" Sales Texas Jan Actual 112
"100-10" Sales Ohio Jan Actual 145

The columns in the following file are also symmetric, because Jan and Feb have the same
number of members under them:

Jan Feb
Actual Budget Actual Budget
"100-10" Sales Texas 112 110 243 215
"100-10" Sales Ohio 145 120 81 102

Asymmetric Columns
If you are performing a dimension build, skip this section.
Asymmetric columns have different numbers of members under them. In the following
example, the Jan and Feb columns are asymmetric because Jan has two columns under it
(Actual and Budget) and Feb has one column under it (Budget):

Jan Jan Feb

Actual Budget Budget
"100-10" Sales Texas 112 110 243
"100-10" Sales Ohio 145 120 81

If a file contains asymmetric columns, label each column with the appropriate member name.

The example above is valid because the Jan label is now over Actual and Budget. It is clear to
Essbase that both columns map to Jan.

The following example is not valid because the column labels are incomplete. The Jan label
must appear over the Actual and Budget columns.

Jan Feb
Actual Budget Budget
"100-10" Sales Texas 112 110 243
"100-10" Sales Ohio 145 120 81

Security and Multiple-User Considerations

Essbase supports concurrent multiple users reading and updating the database; therefore,
users can use the database while you are dynamically building dimensions, loading data, or
calculating the database. In a multi-user environment, Essbase protects data by using the
security system described in User Management and Security.

 Security Issues

The security system prevents unauthorized users from changing the database. Only
users with write access to a database can load data values or add dimensions and
members to the database. Write access can be provided globally or by using filters.

 Multi-User Data Load Issues

You can load data values while multiple users are connected to a database. Essbase
uses a block locking scheme for handling multi-user issues. When you load data
values, Essbase does the following:

o Locks the block it is loading into so that no one can write to the block.

See Ensuring Data Integrity for information on Essbase transaction settings,

such as identifying whether other users get read-only access to the locked
block or noting how long Essbase waits for a locked block to be released.

o Updates the block.

 See Data Locks for information on whether Essbase unlocks a block when its
update is complete or waits for the entire data load to complete before
unlocking the block.

 Multi-User Dimension Build Issues

You cannot build dimensions while other users are reading or writing to the database.
After you build dimensions, Essbase restructures the outline and locks the database
for the duration of the restructure operation.