Next Generation Essbase Outline Extractor Released!

After a bunch of work, we have finally released the Next Generation Essbase Outline Extractor. So, what is the Next Generation Essbase Outline Extractor?  Well, the original outline extractor was written in Visual Basic and Visual Basic has has not been supported by Microsoft for a number of years.  In addition, the original Essbase Outline Extractor requires the 32-bit runtime client which is getting harder and harder to support.  In addition, users have asked for new functionality over the years and it just wasn't feasible to add the new functionality to a VB based product.

Some people have asked me "What about the new Maxl Outline Extractor?"  That is a good question, but keep in mind it only works with 11.1.2.x and higher plus it gives you an XML output. You still have to do something with the XML format for it to be useful.

The Next Generation Essbase Outline Extractor was completely redesigned from scratch.  The main design goals were:

• Design for long term
• Extensible
• Use Oracle’s strategic technology
• Design for supportability
• Wider adoption
• Wider platform choices
• Less support calls

It was also architected for extensibility to enable new functionality to be added and to allow programmers to write their own extensions to the code.  I chose to write the extractor in Java for a number of reasons.  First, it is Oracle's strategic API for the future which means new features of Essbase will be available in the Java API first.  In addition, Java is multi-platform which means it runs on Windows, Linux, AIX, Solaris, and MacOS regardless of whether it is 32-bit or 64-bit.  In addition, with the Java API, we can ship a single zip download that has everything it needs (except Java itself).  There is no need for the runtime client with the new extractor!

The new Outline Extractor also supports a number of features.  Many of these features are ne:

• Export one or more dimensions in an outline.
• Filter members to to be exported by dimension.
• Write to multiple outputs on a single pass of the outline.
• Output multiple alias tables into a single output file.
• Write to Hyperion Planning Outline Load Utility format.
• Output to real relational databases via JDBC.

The extractor was also designed to be run by a batch process using Java properties files.  The properties files can be written from the GUI interface and directly executed from the GUI.  There is even built-in functionality that optionally encrypts the username and password on first usage.

Here are a few screenshots of the new extractor.  The first screenshot shows the GUI screen where you can select one or more writers for output.

The second screenshot shows the option screen showing the options for the Load File Text Writer.

The final screenshot shows the execution screen. 

The Next Generation Outline Extractor is available on our website at www.appliedolap.com.  If you have any questions on the new extractor, don't hesitate to contact us at support@appliedolap.com.

EPM 11.1.2.3 Available for Download

Oracle Enterprise Performance Management 11.1.2.3 became available over the weekend, so let the rush of upgrading begin!

Here at Applied OLAP, we have already started our work with Essbase 11.1.2.3.  We have added the new version to our build list and have started testing Dodeca with Essbase 11.1.2.3.  We will make the 11.1.2.3 version of our server available to our customers within a few days.

One interesting fix that we have seen so far is that EPM 11.1.2.3 uses an upgraded version of Java, Java 1.6 update 35.   The previous EPM version, 11.1.2.2, shipped with Java 1.6 update 29 which contained a bug related to the SQL Server JDBC Driver.  The issue, known as the BEAST vulnerability, caused SQL Server JDBC connections to hang unless you made a fix to the Windows registry.  I, for one, am glad that issue is resolved.

Oracle Excellence Awards 2013 - Nominations Open

One of my friends at Oracle asked me to help get the word out about the Oracle Excellence Awards for Oracle Fusion Middleware Innovation. These awards recognize customers for their cutting-edge solutions using Oracle Fusion Middleware and are featured in Oracle publications, videos and case studies. If you think you have a cutting-edge solution and would like to compete for a free pass to Oracle OpenWorld 2013, this is your chance to shine! Here is a more information on how to enter.

The deadline for your nomination is Tuesday, June 18th, 2013. Good luck and, if you win, let me know so I can see your application at Open World!

Dodeca Dashboard Screenshot

One of our customers recently sent us a screenshot of a dashboard they developed in Dodeca. This application, which is deployed to over 1,000 Essbase users worldwide, allows users to easily analyze over 250,000 SKU-level products by customer and by business unit. The application, which was implemented to replace a failed attempt at forecasting within SAP, uses Essbase and went live in less than 20% of the time that was put into the SAP system.

We think it looks great.  How about you?

Happy Birthday Applied OLAP

Last Monday, we reached a milestone at Applied OLAP as it was the 15th anniversary of our incorporation.  I founded Applied OLAP on March 18, 1998, because I was not satisfied with the status quo of Essbase reporting at the time which was, of course, the classic Excel add-in.  And, despite the fact that I was one of the original five Microsoft Excel MVP's in the world, I was frustrated by inherent limitations in the add-in which meant limitations to what users could do with the spreadsheet.   So, being the totally unreasonable* person that I am, I quit my job in order to start a company focused on making it easier for users to leverage Essbase.  Flash forward 15 years and now we have Dodeca!

*One of my favorite quotes is from the playwright, George Bernard Shaw:

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man." 

Am I unreasonable?  Why yes.  Yes I am!

We Don't Make Essbase, We Make Essbase Better!

We have always claimed that Essbase was better with Dodeca, but until now we had only anecdotal evidence about how our customers get more return on their Essbase investment using Dodeca.  Now we have something a bit more concrete.  Recently, the annual BI Survey, which bills itself as the “world's largest vendor-independent survey of Business Intelligence and Performance Management users”, published the results of their annual survey, The BI Survey 12.  As in past years, we asked our customers to participate in the survey and, as a result, we earned a mention in the survey.  More importantly, we are thrilled by how we were mentioned.

One particular question in the survey asks customers how well they achieved their goals with their selected product.  In the past, Essbase has not scored well on this metric but, this year, for the first time ever, Essbase attained the highest score in goal achievement among all the products in the BI Survey.

• Better than Microsoft Analysis Services?  Yes!  
• Better than SAP BW?  Yes!  
• Better than Cognos?  Yes!   
• Better than Microstrategy?  Yes!  
• Better than TM1 / Tableau / QlikTech???   Yes! Yes! Yes!   
• Even better than OBIEE?   Yep!  

The analysis provided in the survey provides clues as to why the Goal Achievement Index for Essbase was the highest of all 25 products reviewed:

"This year for the first time we have a BI Giant with the highest goal achievement level. Oracle Essbase which has had quite low goal achievement scores in previous years, performs very well this year.  The sample includes more answers this year from companies that use Essbase in conjunction with front-end tools like Dodeca. These seem to increase the ratings for Essbase compared to ratings from users that only use the Excel Add-in."

That’s right.  Dodeca appears to be the reason that more customers achieve their goals with Essbase than with any other product.  If you are still using one of the Excel add-ins as your interface to Essbase, what are you missing?  Contact us today to learn more about how you can make Essbase better at your company using Dodeca and don't forget to ask about our no-cost evaluation program!

We have just released some exciting innovations in our most recent release.  Click here to read about the newest innovations inside the Dodeca Spreadsheet Management System.

ODTUG/EPM Coming to Australia!

I can’t believe it has been nearly a year and a half since I visited Sydney and spoke at the ODTUG EPM Seriously Practical Conference.    It seems just like yesterday and I can’t wait to get back to the Land of Oz, but I am not making the trip this time.  However, my good friend Cameron Lackpour is going to make the trip and is working on some great presentations for the ODTUG EPM Seriously Practical Conference coming up March 21 and 22 in Melbourne, Victoria. New Queensland (Note to self: Remember to google things like this before you post your blog).  Cameron brings some great experience to share at this conference and, in fact, when I have an Essbase or Planning question, who do I call? I call Cameron.

Cameron will be stopping by New Zealand on his way to the Australia and speaking March 18 and 19 at the NZOUG Conference in Wellington.  If you are in either Australia or New Zealand, make sure to catch Cameron on this trip.

As a side note, I really wish I could be in Wellington for a couple of reasons.  First, the NZOUG Conference was really fun when I was there last year.  The other reason is more personal in that my wife’s grandfather spent significant time near Wellington, in Paekakariki, during World War 2.  Many Marines were there on the ground staging and training for the major beach invasions of the islands of the South Pacific.  He stormed the beach in four of the bloodiest battles of the war including Tawara where his unit lost nearly 90% of their men on the first day.  He remembers every detail to this day.  Many local New Zealand communities have organizations called the RSA (Returned Services Association) that operate to, among other things, welcome military personnel back to New Zealand.  I hope to visit the RSA in Paekakariki sometime in the future.