Smart View Release 11.1.2.5.720 & More

Happy to see another version of the Smart View for Office Add-in release! 11.1.2.5.720

You can go and download the patch set update PSU 26783864 here

And the Readme as well.

Documentation: Oracle Smart View for Office Documentation Release 11.1.2.5.720

There are a number of New Features added in this release, very exciting!

Take a look at the list:

• Improved MDX and Smart Query Management
• Cascade from Multiple Dimensions
• Business Rule Template Support
• New and Enhanced VBA Functions
• HsGetValue Accepts Additional Data Types
• Streamlined Extension Update Process
• New Option for Displaying or Suppressing Floating Toolbar in Forms
• Updated Look and Feel for User Preferences Dialog Box
• New Essbase Option for Preserving Comments and Unknown Members

Based on the first update, and specifically about Smart Query, I am going to have to go back to the post that I have had pending as a draft for a long long time ..

But at the moment, what does this update look like?

This give you a better way to manage all queries, modify, rename, run, etc.

Cascade Members from Multiple Dimensions

When selecting multiple members for a single dimension in the POV, now when you decide to cascade the report, a new dialog box appears kindly asking not only about the 'multi-members' but also the additional dimensions!! :)

I would be careful with this option,
you can see from the info stat that the number of sheets going to be cascaded for this is 3

This slight modification is going to cascade 36!!

After I clicked okay, my Windows machine was going haywire to say the least. There was flashing, cursor jitter, scroll bar shaking, the Excel window was '(Not Responding)' and turned black. There is good news. The queries all finally finished running and the workbook updated all 36 new query sheets and added them to the workbook.

HsGetValue Accepts Additional Data Types

This was something that as I was using the Cube Designer found interesting. I could create the Smart Lists from the wizard/workbook, create and load them into the cube, but not be able to easily validate that the lists looked as desired.

[HsGetValue] - {syntax to be updated here}

New Essbase Option for Preserving Comments and Unknown Members

Unknown members and comments for OAC users.
Also note that this option is found in the Smart View / Options / Member Options tab (Not the Data Options tab)

Extension Update Process has been streamlined!!

Now when you go into Smart View / Options / Extensions a new dialog box
appears when you click the hyperlink "⚠️  Check for Updates, New Installs, and Uninstalls"

This is great! Now that I have established a connection I can use that or any other connections/locations to find updates. Select and click 'Get Updates'

In real time you will see the job running the check for updates, etc. the location used to check.

Once complete, you can close the window and see in the Extension list if there is indeed an update available.

Like these Smart View Extension 11.1.2.5.720 updates:

Oracle Journals

OracleBI EE!

Smart Query




Detailed blog posts to follow!

Since it has been snowing now for a few days here where I live,
I think it is appropriate to say officially that #WinterIsHere!

OAC Essbase & DV Hit Play

Have to say that I am really liking the OAC DV and the custom Plug-Ins that you can easily download and drag and drop the zip file!

I mentioned a few of them in my prior post with the Tree Viz and the Row Expander


This is another custom plug-in that is really fun to use, Dim Player

Again, a few
Easy Prep Steps:

• Navigate using your favorite browser to -> https://www.oracle.com/solutions/business-analytics/data-visualization/library.html
• Click the 'Plug-ins' tab
• Find the Plug-in that you are interested in adding to your set of visualizations
• Download the Zip file

Here are a few tips to make sure that you are able to properly use this plug-in

You need to have a Dimension with the Dimension Type = Time (required)





Years dimension is shown with a clock 🕒




Start creating your Project, select your dataset(source), visualization.. add measure(s) etc.

Next you want to navigate on the left menu column and click the vertical bar icon for Visualizations.





Scroll to find your next viz to add, in this case DimPlayer, drag it onto your canvas






The magic of this plug-in is that it uses the Time tagged dimension as the Play Axis




In my MLB cube, I have the Years dimension, drag the desired Generation in as the PlayAxis





But we are not ready. We need to ensure a few more items.

Open the 'menu' of this newly added viz.




Click/check ' Use as Filter'





You also have the ability to change the speed of the refresh rate of the viz, just use the interval and key-in +/- the # of seconds you would prefer.




You are now ready to Just.Hit.Play

All of the MLB Homeruns hit over time in approx. 1min!

OAC Data Viz & BI + New DBX v12.2.1.1.108

It has not been that long since the Halloween  👻  💀  🎃  holiday season.
So let's have a little trick or treat spirit to this blog post shall we.

And in that spirit, we will only be getting tips and treats and less on the tricks. 🍬 🍭 🍫

Let's begin.

As per one of my prior posts, I was able to 'connect' OAC DV/BI to OAC -Essbase and the amazingly fun Major League Baseball cube (And Yes I owe a few of you a copy of the Oracle Cube Designer for Excel model)

🍬  Fun Fact: the format for these Workbooks is called DBX format (Structured Excel)



🍭  It is also worth mentioning that there is also a New version of the Cube Designer Extension available to download and install; 12.2.1.1.108 Build 117

There are a few updates to note in this version:

• Member Formula validation
• Hierarchy Viewer Duplicate Member Outline Support
• Transform Data enhancements

Moving on. OAC DV/BI

I will be using the MLB STATS cube that I created to share my examples.

I noticed that there are a number of Visualizations already available, nice, but there are also more Plug-ins that can be easily download/uploaded for your use as well.

Easy Prep Steps:

1. Navigate using your favorite browser to -> https://www.oracle.com/solutions/business-analytics/data-visualization/library.html
2. Click the 'Plug-ins' tab
3. Find the Plug-in that you are interested in adding to your set of visualizations
4. Download the Zip file

🍫  Next Steps within OAC DV/BI:



Login ;) -> http://<your IP address>/va/?pageid=home

Click 'Console'


Click 'Custom Plugins'


Either 'Upload Custom Plugin' or drag-and-drop the downloaded zip file into OAC



Time to create your New Project and add one of these newly added Custom Plugins



One of the ones that I recently got feedback "That is REALLY cool!" was the use of the 'Collapsible TreeViz' Plugin.



This Plugin does NOT require a #Measure! Take a look.

This example was for the MLB World Series matchup between the Dodgers and the Astros.
Looks like the list of Teams aligned to the Active Franchises of the Dodgers is 9 and the Astros is 3.




This in my opinion IS REALLY COOL!
Wonder what it would look like against DRM?!?! I might need to create that as a Data Source.


Another Custom Plugin that I added was 'RowExpander'



There are times in DV that I want to see my data easily in an expandable Tree View (Hierarchy). My dataset is naturally 'built' that way in Essbase. And I want an easy way to navigate my dataset accordingly.

To simplify my example, I filtered the data to only include Players that Last Names begin with 'AA'.























Notice that there is a 'carrot-arrow' symbol '>' next to each row member that is available for expansion. This makes me feel a little nostalgic and creating HFR reports .. checking the checkbox to 'Allow Expansion'. Maybe it is just me and the good ole days of learning to use it, and, well .. since it has stood the test of time of it's look and feel of 1997 .. But I would like to have HFR available in OAC to create highly structured and formatted reports, books and even batches, that is, at least for Essbase, Planning, or other EPM datasources created in OAC. One can only hope, although, HFR is now only Web version supported and no more desktop client installer (HFR desktop client install, you were my nemesis! Hope you rode off into the sunset of product installers well my friend). I digress.

So, for me the Player above with 755 Career Homeruns is obvious. Do you know who this MLB Player is?


Another Fun Fact in closing this post.
In order to see my Viz/analysis via Smart View, I needed to create Reports using the Classic OBIEE  Designer.

Only then was I able to create a Smart View connection, see the repository and add these objects into Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word).



Until next time. Stay safe while using OAC. Your Alias Table(s) might not be  👻   😞   🙁  👻

Smart View Query Designer Gets Emotional

Smart View and Query Designer

I can't recall ever seeing this 'Warning Box' before while using Smart View and creating Query Designer Worksheets, etc. 

So, here is a little blog post about it.

  

And it is a Sunday GAMEDAY with less than an hour before kick-off, so I better complete this short but loving post in time..

I was creating a few Ad-Hoc Essbase queries and wanted to take one of my analysis sheets and turn that into a nice dynamic Query Designer report.

So, I followed the steps that I normally do. I usually start with an Ad-Hoc Query first. Then let Smart View and the Query Designer do a bit of the heavy lifting and transform that sheet into a 'Query'. I applied the query and got the desired results that I wanted.

A part of my analysis required me to start over and so I went ahead and started deleting the worksheets from the workbook. When I was done, I went to save my work. Clicked Save. And then the error appeared..

Sometimes when working with Smart View, I have to admit, I am reminded of this wonderful Disney Movie, Inside Out and all of the emotions.

Good news is that it looks to only be a warning-suggestion. But it feels a bit sad or even angry that the Query Designer worksheets were missing. Sorry to upset you Smart View.

Borderline anger?

I went ahead and clicked 'OK'. Closed the workbook, re-opened and everything worked just fine.

Glad to see that Smart View was only maybe giving me a suggestion or trying to remind me :)

Well, phew, glad this was a short post. Now time for me to grab a bite to eat and watch the game!

OAC Patch 17.3.5 - Version 12.2.1.1.107 Essbase & Cube Designer

Oracle Analytics Cloud Service (OACS) 17.3.5 is Available - apply the latest patch

This caveat to the latest patch was talked about a TON at OOW this year .. 

• OAC 17.3.5 does NOT offer IDCS integration (targeted for next release)

Essbase Version 12.2.1.1.107 & Smart View Extension - Cube Designer

Along with this patch was an update to the Cube Designer Extension

Previous Cube Designer Extension - 12.2.1.1.106

New Cube Designer Extension - 12.2.1.1.107





OAC - DV


I know that there have been a few others that have posted about how to do this but I don't think it would hurt to continue to share how to be able to set up
OAC - Essbase as a Data Source in OAC - DV

It is really all about creating two (2) Access Roles on the OAC - Essbase-side

This is the Oracle Support document that is easy enough to walk through
OAC : How to create connection to Essbase from Visual Analyzer (VA) in Oracle Analytics Cloud (OAC) (Doc ID 2265410.1)


Once the roles are created you are then able to set up OAC - Essbase as a data source in OAC - DV, pretty cool! Happy visualizing 💭  👀
More posts on OAC DV coming soon.



My MLB Baseball Essbase cube in the cloud fun side project (Yes, that is what i consider something fun to work on nights and weekends when I am not doing work-work, creating dioramas, reading, listening to all sorts of Disney movies, songs, dancing, etc.) has been coming along very nicely.

I am looking forward to seeing what that data looks like in OAC DV now! 😎


More blog posts to follow

OAC - Cube Designer 12.2.1.1.106

### -> 106 -- 106 -- 106 <- ###


12.2.1.1.106   --  Smart View Cube Designer Extension



Yes, just a few days ago I blogged about 105 (Cube Designer Extension 12.2.1.1.105)
and now ready to Update!




A few email exchanges and a few days later, here we are with another version AND with updates to features.

Let's take a look at a few of those additions



Outline Order - Outline Dimension Order

If you are building using the Cube Designer from scratch. When you click 'To Sheet' the Worksheets get created and the Outline Order is now auto populated, starting with the first dimension you typed into the Extension panel; Beginning with 1, 2, 3, etc.

If you have started by downloading/copying the cube workbook and deleted the number ordering, you can simply click on the 'To Sheet' button and the worksheet will get the Outline Order Numbering added directly into the worksheet "Essbase.Cube".




Application Properties section

Now added to the Cube Designer workbook is the ability to change the application level configuration settings (essbase.cfg settings). These at the moment are added manually and are required in a similar syntax/format as Substitution Variables; meaning Setting Name and Value in side-by-side cells.

via Cube Designer




via OAC Web (settings)





Text Lists


















Generate Generations (Generation Names/Naming) for each Dimension

Happy to see the updates!!

Hope we see more updates, especially for the Hierarchy Tree View!