Hyperion Essbase!!!!

Overview:

I have seen many people ask this question - What is Hyperion Essbase and How it is Different from real time transaction based relational Database(RDBMS)..... let me give some highlights in layman terms!!!

Hyperion Essbase is a Multi Dimensional Database - It is MOLAP(Multi Dimensional Analytical Processing) . In Simple term you can say , It enables you to Visualize and Analyse your data in multiple angle with more than two Dimension(which is Row and Column in Relational Database).

EssBase Stand for Extended Spreed Sheet Database


Business Limitation With Excel

• Excel was never designed for complex calculations.
• Its error-prone and difficult to audit
• Disconnected from networks or backups
• Data Security Risks with distributed environment with multiple workbooks
• Doesn’t scale up to enterprise standard
• No controls / audit trails when someone try to manipulate data
• Multiple calculations
• Spreadsheets are inefficient for more than two dimensions

When you want to look at your Organization Data in Multiple Angle , either you will add more columns in the Same Excel Worksheet or you will add multiple Workbook. That is where your Problem Exacerbates...

That is where EssBase Come into picture to play a Bigger role!!

What is Essbase:

• The leading enterprise multi-dimensional database engine in the world
• Provides real-time analytic infrastructure for business intelligence and enterprise performance management (EPM) applications. 
• Engineered for scalability, security, and rapid-response.
• Through an intuitive interface, business users can manipulate large data sets to model complex scenarios, forecast outcomes, and perform “what-if” analyses to identify trends and optimize business results. 
• Essbase utilizes  a multi-dimensional database.
• Multi-dimensional database are usually queried top-down – the user starts at the top and drills into dimensions of interest.
• An Essbase database is considered a “cube”, with each cube axis representing a different dimension, or slice of the data (accounts, time, products, etc.)
• All possible data intersections are available to the user at a click of the mouse.

Why Essbase:

• Enterprise Budgeting and Forecasting
• Historical Budget and forecast performance Analysis
• Budget variances Analysis
• Variance and profitability analysis
• Performance trends
• Profitability metrics and Foreign Exchange impact
• Multidimensional database management system (MDBMS) that provides a multidimensional database platform upon which to build analytic applications.
• One Version of the Truth
• Speed-of-thought analysis for thousands of concurrent users
• Easy for users to consume data via spreadsheets
• Write-Back capability of data and Powerful calculation engine
• Scalable to enterprise-level user base
• Premium Performance & Optimized Storage
• Ease of development, deployment and maintenance.
• Stand Alone Application to eliminate spreadsheet reporting

What is Multi-Dimensional:

It is All about Data Surrounded by Metadata In the form of Star Schema

You can get Basic idea on Star Schema: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_schema

Look at your Data in Multiple Angle is called Multi Dimensional View

Take a Example :

If  I will give you a number $15000, does it make any sense to you?  Answer is NO

But if i Say, In the month of  May 2015 , the Routers & Switch Sales Revenue in North America is $15000. This make absolute sense to anyone. 

15000 is the Data or Fact. The Elements provide the information about this data is called Metadata or Dimensions.

What is 3-D (Dimensional) Cube:

You look at your data in three different angle. We call Essbase Database as Essbase Cube.

Here three Dimensions are  PRODUCT, MARKET, TIME PERIOD

MOLAP: Data sits in Multi Dimensional Database and End User access it via OLAP server

ROLAP: Data sits in Relational Database within tables(Rows x Columns) and accessed by end user using PL/SQL Statements

HOLAP: Combination of Rational and Multi-dimensional 

Continue reading the Next blog on concept of Essbase Database Design and Dimension Hierarchy !!!!!