Creating a Hyperion Essbase(Analytic Server) Cube

In this example, I would be using Sales Warehouse data that comes in Oracle SH schema. It would make a lot of sense if one creates a cube out of transactional data. But for the sake of simplicity I would be focussing on the cube creation process with a simple warehouse schema.

Before you start, ensure that you have all the components (Analytic Server and Analytic Integration Services up and running)

Open up the Analytic Integration Services Console. As soon as you start, it would prompt you to create an OLAP catalog.

 

Enter connection details for a schema that you generally use for storing metadata (recommended to create a separate schema in order to store the metadata). Once that is done it would automatically take us to the following screen

 

 

On to the left is the OLAP metadata connection. Enter the details that you entered in the previous screen. On to the right is the Analytic Administration Services connection. Enter those details here. The next step is to create an OLAP Model.

 

Next is the screen to establish a connection to the data source. As I said, I would be connecting to the Sales Warehouse schema.

 

 

 

There are two types of files that we would be dealing here. They are

ü      Olap Model

ü      MetaOutline

In Olap Model one can establish all the joins of the tables that they want in their schema. It requires a fact table and their corresponding dimensions. Hierarchies should be specified here.

 

 

Metaoutline is a file type wherein one can create the dimensions and specify the measures. Once the Olap model is created the next step is to design the Metaoutline.

 

 

The next step is to load the data.

Then one can use the excel add in to view the data.

This is one of the ways to create a cube. One can also create the cube directly from the Analytic Administration Services. Also, I have not gone into lots of other features that would make essbase stand part. This was just to show an overview for people would like to start with Essbase but do not know where to begin from.