oracle essbase 11.1.2.3.500 patchset readme

8/12/2014 Oracle Essbase 11.1.2.3.500 Readme

https://updates.oracle.com/Orion/Services/download?type=readme&aru=17421473 1/23

Oracle Essbase

Release 11.1.2.3.000 Patch Set Update (PSU): 11.1.2.3.500

Readme

About this Patch

Patch Type

Supported Paths to this Patch

Prerequisites

Required User Rights

Supported Platforms

Supported Languages

Defects Fixed in this Patch

Known Issues in this Patch

Applying this Patch

Rolling Back this Patch

Troubleshooting FAQs

Why do I get the following patch conflict error message when running OPatch?

Why do I get the OUI-67078 warning message when applying OPatch?

How can I find out which releases and patches of EPM System products are installed in adeployment?

I applied the patch successfully but I don’t see the changes from the patch in the product.What should I do?

Documentation Updates in this Patch

Hybrid Aggregation Mode in Block Storage Databases

Managing Block Storage Application Caches

Directories for Hybrid Aggregation Mode

Faster Queries for MDX Aggregate and Sum Functions

Using FIXPARALLEL Parallel Calculation

Enabling CALCPARALLEL Parallel Calculation with @XREF and @XWRITE

Enabling In-Place Data Writing with Exalytics

Troubleshooting/Tuning CALCPARALLEL with Log Messages

(17982371) XOLAPENABLEHEURISTICS Configuration Setting is Not Supported

(17651016) VLBREPORT Configuration Setting is Not Supported

(17276881) Restructuring an Essbase Database on Exalytics Requires a TemporaryIncrease in the Index Cache Size and/or the Data File Cache Size

Considerations for Essbase Intelligent Calculation on Exalytics

Configuring the JVM Heap Size for Essbase Running on Solaris 64-bit



Increase in the Maximum Size of the Dynamic Calculator Cache

About this Patch

Essbase 11.1.2.3.500 PSU addresses key performance areas to help our customers achieve theirbusiness goals. These areas include enhancements to parallel calculation using the FIXPARALLELcalculation command block method, performance improvements for MDX Aggregate and Sumfunctions, an initial introduction of the ability to use aggregate storage hybrid aggregationperformance in block storage databases, and improvements in block storage performance withsignificant gains for highly concurrent environments for Essbase running on Oracle Exalytics In-Memory machines and non-Exalytics machines.

See the "Documentation Updates in this Patch" section in this Readme for documentation on thesenew features:

· Hybrid Aggregation Mode in Block Storage Databases

· Faster Queries for MDX Aggregate and Sum Functions

· Using FIXPARALLEL Parallel Calculation

· Enabling CALCPARALLEL Parallel Calculation with @XREF and @XWRITE

· Enabling In-Place Data Writing with Exalytics

· Managing Block Storage Application Caches

This Readme file also describes the defects fixed in this patch and the requirements andinstructions for applying this patch.

Caution: You are urged to carefully read and understand the following requirements. Failure tocomply may result in applying a patch that can cause your application to malfunction, includinginterruption of service and/or loss of data. Before installing or applying this patch:

Verify that your system configuration (product version, patch level, and platform) exactly matcheswhat is specified in the Readme.

Patch Type

This is a patch set update (PSU).

This patch replaces files in the existing installation and does not require a full installation.

Supported Paths to this Patch

You can apply this patch to the following releases:

· 11.1.2.3.000

· 11.1.2.3.001

· 11.1.2.3.002

· 11.1.2.3.003

Prerequisites



Required User Rights

The user applying the patch should be the user who was set up to install and configure EPMSystem products. Required user privileges or rights:

Windows:

Use the user account that has Local administrator rights and was set up for installation andconfiguration. This user is an administrator and is the same for all EPM System products. Assignlocal policies if required by the product. Such assignments typically are: “Act as part of theoperating system, Bypass traverse checking, Log on as a batch job, Log on as a service.”

UNIX/Linux:

Use the account that was used to install EPM System products and has Read, Write, and Executepermissions on $MIDDLEWARE_HOME. If you installed other Oracle products, the user who installedEPM System products must be in the same group as the user who installed the other Oracleproducts. OPatches are not intended to be applied using a root user.

Supported Platforms

Applies to all supported platforms.

Information about system requirements and supported platforms for EPM System products isavailable in a spreadsheet format in the Oracle Enterprise Performance Management SystemCertification Matrix. This matrix is posted on the Oracle Fusion Middleware Supported SystemConfigurations page on the Oracle Technology Network (OTN):

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/middleware/ias/downloads/fusion-certification-100350.html

Supported Languages

Applies to all supported languages.

Information about supported languages for EPM System products is available in a spreadsheetformat on the Translation Support tab in the Oracle Enterprise Performance Management SystemCertification Matrix. This matrix is posted on the Oracle Fusion Middleware Supported SystemConfigurations page on OTN:


Defects Fixed in this Patch

Defect Number Defect Fixed

· 13045609 Essbase Server: System may slow down over time or terminate.

• 13775513 MaxL: Application fails to delete after consecutive dump views MaxLcommands are invoked on database.

• 13934093 Smart View: In a Smart View retrieval, when there are multiple dimensionsin a column and you drill down, the resulting sheet displays blank columns.

• 13952971 Essbase Server: Essbase Server terminates abnormally when error recordsexceed the loading buffer.





• 14268690 MaxL: When a clear data MaxL script is executed against an aggregatestorage database, an exception is created.

• 14635176 Data Load: Memory leak when SQL Interface loads a large amount of dataon AIX or Windows.

• 14638364 Calculation: Running a successful calculation from ESSCMD may result in anetwork error message.

• 15924303 Dimension Build: A dimension build that references an unknown membermay cause the application to terminate abnormally.

· 15924303 Dimension Build: An application shuts down abnormally during a dimensionbuild with an erroneous null field.

• 16040810 Logging: Essbase_ODL log writes an error stating that the platform andprotocol are invalid.

• 16211251 MDX: Performance of the MDX Aggregate() function is slower thanexpected with one member in a tuple.

• 16211308 MDX: Performance of the MDX Aggregate() function is slower than expectedwith PeriodsToDate.

• 16213002 MDX: Essbase MDX query times are too slow using OBI.

• 16272408 Data Load: Japanese characters are not displayed correctly in EssbaseAdministration Services SQL Interface.

• 16291779 Aggregate Storage: Forcibly stopping an application may lead toinconsistent data; retrieving this data can cause the application toterminate abnormally.

• 16412331 Varying Attributes: The Data Values toggle between varying attributes,ignoring the specified range.

· 16412331 Varying Attributes: Data values are intermittently incorrect for a rangewith varying attributes in an aggregate storage database.

• 16441451 Essbase Studio: Timeout error occurs during building of Essbase Studioaggregate storage cube

• 16443799 Dimension Build: Updating block storage and aggregate storage outlinesfail.

• 16447968 Dimension Build: Essbase fails to synchronize outlines when the UDA ofmember in the source outline is changed.

· 16619768 Calculation: Execution of calculation script takes longer than in a previousversion of Essbase.

• 16629955 MDX: MDX query that uses the Aggregate function causes Essbase Serverto terminate abnormally.

• 16658115 Failover: Add diagnostic logging information in the Essbase failover leasemanager log

• 16688752 Outline: The alias for shared members is not displayed when the alias is setto Default

• 16693931 Smart View: Empty rows are inserted between data rows when drilling downand formula fill is turned off.

· 16725062 MDX: MDX query that uses non-empty clause only on rows axis causesEssbase Server to terminate abnormally.



• 16735727 Essbase Server: Copying an application while a calculation is in progresscauses Essbase Server to terminate abnormally

· 16756121 Smart View: Zooming when suppress rows for no data or #MISSING isenabled and formula fill is turned off results in a growing number of blankrows.

· 16756564 Calculation: Blocks are not created when using a member name, which isincluded in a FIX statement, inside the CREATEBLOCK function.

· 16763034 Smart View: Binary spreasheet table token error occurs on the secondrefresh after zooming in on all levels and then applying suppression.

· 16781566 Smart View: When a formula exists in the last row, suppress rows for nodata or #MISSING does not work.

• 16782339 Smart View: Blank rows are inserted on zoom-in operation when formula fillis turned off.

• 16826695 Essbase Server: Essbase application terminates abnormally when anattribute dimension is added to the query.

· 16862252 Partitioning: Data in an aggregate storage database is corrupted after it isreplicated from a block storage database due to a dimension order mismatchbetween the block storage source and the aggregate storage target.

• 16954507 Smart View: Essbase encountered an ODBC error when retrieving XOLAPdata from Netezza.

• 16993227 Smart View: Error encountered when retrieving data from a transparentpartition:

Error (1040023) Invalid network data. Type is matched butlength is zero. An application protocol error might existbetween server and client processes.

• 16998253 Essbase Server: Essbase agent can hang in some cases.

• 17008885 Smart View: Zooming in on data and then zooming out by double-clickingresults in an invalid grid definition.

• 17012728 Essbase Server: Data is missing after an Essbase application terminatesabnormally.

· 17055879 Outline: Aliases for shared members do not show in Smart View nor inPreview Data in EAS.

· 17059672 Essbase Server: After increasing the retrieval buffer and retrieval sortbuffer sizes, ad hoc queries return incorrect results.

· 17074868 Dimension Build: On Exalytics, a dense restructure fails with error message"Corrupted Node Page in the B+tree."

· 17087917 Essbase Server: An application stops responding during a Smart Viewzoom-in operation to level 0 members.

• 17192761 MDX: Using the MDX InStr or InString functions with an alias-table-namestring returns a syntax error. Workaround: Replace the alias name, [Default],with the MEMBER_ALIAS property.

• 17215424 Aggregate Storage: An aggregate-storage transparent-partition retrievalreturns the wrong results on the target.

• 17308175 Aggregate Storage: A dimension build fails to a Unicode-mode, aggregate-storage database. The load rule indicates to remove unspecified members.

• 17324203 Aggregate Storage: The Essbase application shuts down abnormally during



a dimension build to an aggregate-storage database when a parent memberwith siblings gets deleted.

· 17331555 Calculation: A calculation fails when a negative number is used on the leftside of an IF comparison.

· 17349292 Smart View: Zoom out on a grid with a comment moves the comment to anincorrect cell.

· 17350699 Smart View: Zooming in adds empty rows on child members.

· 17351894 Essbase Server: On Exalytics, an application shuts down abnormally duringinitialization when the index cache is set to 40 GB.

• 17375500 Smart View: An Essbase network timeout error occurs during a Smart Viewquery with Formula Preservation and Suppress Missing options enabled.

• 17388997 MDX: An MDX query using the Aggregate function returns no data for adatabase with no Accounts dimension.

• 17407666 Smart View: The last row with #MISSING is displayed when suppress rowsfor no data or #MISSING is enabled and Excel formulas exist in the grid.

· 17424491 Essbase Server: An application shuts down abnormally after saving adefault calculation script and then restarting.

• 17431248 MDX: Using the MDX StrToNum function in a query with properties results ina syntax error.

• 17442242 MaxL: An application stops responding during a MaxL script that clears datafrom an aggregate storage database region.

• 17474235 Smart View: Essbase stops responding after applying a certain query inSmart View from Query Designer.

• 17490337 Exalytics: Retrieving data from an aggregate storage database is slow onExalytics until the database is restructured.

· 17503192 Calculation: The @CREATEBLOCK function fails to create a block wheninvoked within an IF statement.

· 17528292

· 17782718

MDX: MDX query execution time is too slow when run against a transparentpartition between two aggregate storage databases.

• 17569767 Smart View: The Essbase Agent stops responding during a Smart Viewzoom-in to the bottom level.

• 17617330 Smart View: Application terminates abnormally when performing a refresh orzoom-in.

• 17623715 MaxL: An Essbase application stops responding when using MaxL to create atransparent partition with a null value in the area specification.

• 17643071 Smart View: An application stops responding during a Smart View querywith Formula Preservation and Repeat Member Label options checked.

· 17663229 Smart View: When formula preservation is enabled, an error is encounteredwhen zooming out.

• 17787602 MDX: An MDX query containing a calculated member that sums usingIntersect and Currentmember runs too slowly.

· 18043480 Calculation: During calc operations, some queries allocate more than 4GB ofmemory and cannot be performed, causing Essbase error 1200712.

· 18161998 Essbase Server: If Essbase terminates abnormally after an index page isswapped out but before other transactions are completed, the page written



can incorrectly refer to a page that was not written to the disk. The fixensures that only pages without references to other pages can be swappedout.

· 18162005 Essbase Server: After an abnormal shutdown, free index pages with anuncertain status within the database index are invalidated and set aside toprevent incorrect allocation.

· 18162010 Essbase Server: During a restructure operation, a temporary storagemanager is created with an index cache. Previously, Essbase used a defaultsize for the index cache of the new storage manager regardless of the sizealready configured for the database (usually much larger). This sometimesincreased the amount of page swapping. The fix ensures that the temporarystorage manager uses the configured size for index cache. This may result infaster restructuring but could cause a sudden demand for memory equal tothe size of the index cache.

· 18162026 Essbase Server: When an inconsistency in the block is detected, therecommended procedure is to restore from a backup. Messages have beencorrected to match the appropriate situation:

"Invalid block header: Illegal block type -- Please restore from backup"

"Invalid transaction status for block -- Please restore from backup".

· 18162026 Essbase Server: "Restore from backup" error message incorrectly refers toIBH utility.

· 18167547 SQL Interface: Data load hangs if it is searching for a non-existing membername.

· 18205650 Calculation: The automatic task dimension selection logic for parallel calcsdoes not handle more than two task dimensions.

· 16863373,16024046

Essbase Server: An Essbase Studio cube deployment using a MaxL scripttimes out.

· 17049605,16762749,16863954

Smart View: Repeated members are incorrectly returned in a Smart Viewquery with Suppress Repeated Members option enabled.

Known Issues in this Patch

This patch does not contain any known issues.

Applying this Patch

The section includes important information about applying this patch for Essbase.

Component Patch ID

Essbase Client MSI (Windows) 17767307

Essbase Client (OPatch) 17767301

Runtime Client 17767299

Essbase Server 17767302

https://bug.oraclecorp.com/pls/bug/webbug_edit.edit_info_top?report_title=&rptno=17767307&query_id=576100&rptno_count=9&pos=3






To apply this patch for Essbase Client on Windows 32-bit and 64-bit platforms:

1. Uninstall the Essbase Client.

2. To apply this patch, run the EssbaseClient.exe, pick a destination folder, and complete theinstallation.

NOTE: After applying the Essbase Client patch, you might need to set the ESSLANG variable toyour local language.

To apply this patch for Essbase Client on UNIX and Linux platforms:

1. Stop the Essbase service(s).

2. Download and unzip the downloaded patch file <patch id>_<platform>.zip to

<EPM_ORACLE_HOME>/OPatch.

NOTES:

o <patch id>_<platform>.zip is the name that My Oracle Support assigns to this patch.

When you download the file, a message indicates the file name.

o After you unzip the patch file, verify that the executable and library files have execute

permission before you apply the patch. If you apply the patch and the executable andlibrary files do not have execute permission, you will not be able to start Essbase afterapplying the patch.

3. On the Essbase Server machine, launch command prompt and change the current directory tothe <EPM_ORACLE_HOME>/OPatch.

4. To apply the patch, enter the following command on one line:

Windows:opatch.bat apply <EPM_ORACLE_HOME>/Opatch/<PATCH DIRECTORY> -oh<EPM_ORACLE_HOME>

-jre <MIDDLEWARE_HOME>/jdk160_35

NOTE: The default for <EPM_ORACLE_HOME> is C:/Oracle/Middleware/EPMSystem11R1. The

default for <MIDDLEWARE_HOME> is C:/Oracle/Middleware.

UNIX/Linux:./opatch apply <EPM_ORACLE_HOME>/OPatch/<PATCH DIRECTORY> -oh <EPM_ORACLE_HOME>-jre <MIDDLEWARE_HOME>/jdk160_35 -invPtrLoc <EPM_ORACLE_HOME>/oraInst.loc

NOTE: The default for <EPM_ORACLE_HOME> is $HOME/Oracle/Middleware/EPMSystem11R1. The

default for <MIDDLEWARE_HOME> is $HOME/Oracle/Middleware.

5. If you use<MIDDLEWARE_HOME>/EPMSystem11R1/products/Essbase/EssbaseClient/api/redist you will

need to update these files from<MIDDLEWARE_HOME>/EPMSystem11R1/common/EssbaseClient/11.1.2.0/bin

NOTE: The default for <MIDDLEWARE_HOME> is C:/Oracle/Middleware.

6. Restart Essbase.

NOTE: After applying the Essbase Client patch, you might need to set the ESSLANG variable toyour local language.

To apply this patch for runtime client:






NOTES:

o <PATCH ID>_<PLATFORM ID>.zip is the name that My Oracle Support assigns to this patch.




3. On the Essbase Server machine, launch command prompt and change the current directory tothe <EPM_ORACLE_HOME>/OPatch.









5. If you use<MIDDLEWARE_HOME>/EPMSystem11R1/products/Essbase/EssbaseClient/api/redist you will

need to update these files from<MIDDLEWARE_HOME>/EPMSystem11R1/common/EssbaseRTC/11.1.2.0/bin

NOTE: The default for <MIDDLEWARE_HOME> is C:/Oracle/Middleware.

6. Restart Essbase.

To apply this patch for Essbase Server:




NOTES:

o <PATCH ID>_<PLATFORM ID>.zip is the name that My Oracle Support assigns to this patch.




3. On the Essbase Server machine, launch command prompt and change the current directory to



the <EPM_ORACLE_HOME>/OPatch.









5. Copy localized files to your bin directory:

Copy all the files from<EPM_ORACLE_HOME>/products/Essbase/EssbaseServer/localized/<Language ID>/bin to <EPM_ORACLE_HOME>/products/Essbase/EssbaseServer/bin

Replace <Language ID> in the preceding lines with the appropriate language identifier for your

installation. The following are the language identifiers for each language available for thisrelease:

o Arabic – ar

o Chinese (Simplified) - zh_CN

o Chinese (Traditional) - zh_TW

o Czech - cs

o Danish - da

o Dutch – nl

o English - en

o Finnish – fi

o French – fr

o French (Canadian) - fr_CA

o German - de

o Greek - el

o Hebrew - he

o Hungarian - hu

o Italian - it

o Japanese - ja

o Korean - ko

o Norwegian – no

o Polish - pl



o Portuguese - pt

o Portuguese (Brazilian) - pt_BR

o Romanian - ro

o Russian - ru

o Slovak - sk

o Spanish - es

o Swedish – sv

o Thai - th

o Turkish - tr

6. Restart Essbase.

Rolling Back this Patch

To remove this patch for Essbase Client on Windows:

1. In Windows Control Panel, navigate to Add or Remove Programs.

2. Select the appropriate item, and then click Remove.

3. Reinstall the previous version of the Essbase Client console.

To roll back this patch for Essbase Client on UNIX and Linux platforms, Essbase RuntimeClient, or Essbase Server:

1. From a command line, change the directory to <EPM_ORACLE_HOME>/OPatch (by default,

Oracle/Middleware/EPMSystem11R1/OPatch).

2. To roll back the patch, enter the following command on one line:

Windows:opatch.bat rollback -id <PATCH ID> -oh <EPM_ORACLE_HOME> -jre<MIDDLEWARE_HOME>/jdk160_35



UNIX/Linux:./opatch rollback -id <PATCH ID> -oh <EPM_ORACLE_HOME> -jre <MIDDLEWARE_HOME>/jdk160_35 -invPtrLoc <EPM_ORACLE_HOME>/oraInst.loc



Troubleshooting FAQs

Why do I get the following patch conflict error message when runningOPatch?

If the patch that you apply conflicts with a previously applied patch, you may receive the followingerror message when running OPatch:

Patch(es) <PreviousPatch#> conflict with the patch currently being installed



(<NewPatch#>).

If you continue, patch(es) <PreviousPatch#> will be rolled back and the new patch(<NewPatch#>) will be installed.

If a merge of the new patch (<NewPatch#>) and the conflicting patch(es)(<PreviousPatch#>) is required, contact Oracle Support Services and request aMerged patch.

This error is returned when one patch attempts to update a previously patched file. When thisconflict happens, you can either (1) roll back the previous patch and apply the new patch (thisaction might be appropriate if the previous patch was not critical) or (2) request a “merged patch”consisting of the new patch and the patch that it conflicts with. To request a merged patch,contact your Oracle Support representative.

Why do I get the OUI-67078 warning message when applying OPatch?

This warning means that the patch being applied is a superset of a patch already on thedeployment and the existing patch will be rolled back. The following snippet shows the context ofthis warning.

The following warnings have occurred during OPatch execution:1) OUI-67078:Interim patch 12345678 is a superset of the patch(es) [77777777] in OHC:\Hyperion-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------OPatch Session completed with warnings.

How can I find out which releases and patches of EPM System products areinstalled in a deployment?

In EPM System Release 11.x, you can use the lsinventory command to OPatch to find the release

and patches that are installed in an Oracle Home. For example, enter the following command on oneline:

Windows:

opatch.bat lsinventory -oh <EPM_ORACLE_HOME> -jdk <MIDDLEWARE_HOME>/jdk160_35

UNIX/Linux:

./opatch lsinventory -oh <EPM_ORACLE_HOME> -jdk <MIDDLEWARE_HOME>/jdk160_35 –invPtrLoc <EPM_ORACLE_HOME>/oraInst.loc

I applied the patch successfully but I don’t see the changes from the patch inthe product. What should I do?

When patching an .EAR file for an application, you may need to delete the cached files in thefollowing folders in order to see the changes provided with the patch:

<MIDDLEWARE_HOME>/user_projects/domains/<DOMAIN_NAME>/servers/<MANAGED_SERVER_NAME/tmp/

<MIDDLEWARE_HOME>/user_projects/domains/<DOMAIN_NAME>/servers/<MANAGED_SERVER_NAME/cache



Documentation Updates in this Patch

Hybrid Aggregation Mode in Block Storage Databases

A new Essbase configuration setting, ASODYNAMICAGGINBSO, controls whether block storagedatabases use hybrid aggregation mode. Hybrid aggregation for block storage databases meansthat wherever possible, block storage data calculation executes with efficiency similar to that ofaggregate storage databases.

The following are some scenarios where hybrid aggregation is highly likely to improve calculationperformance:

· A block storage database has stored members that are not level 0, and are calculatedaccording to hierarchy (rather than by calculation scripts).

· A Dynamic Calc member has more than 100 children.

· You are using a transparent partition between an empty aggregate storage target and a blockstorage source. If the formulas on the aggregate storage target are simple and translatable toblock storage formula language, you can achieve fast results on block storage using hybridaggregation.

· You are using a transparent partition between two block storage databases, and calculationperformance is a concern.

Syntax

ASODYNAMICAGGINBSO [appname [dbname]] NONE | PARTIAL | FULL

Parameter Description

appname Optional. If you specify only an application, all the databases in thatapplication are affected. If you leave out the application and databasename parameters, the setting applies to the entire server.

dbname Optional. If you specify an application and database, the database youspecify is affected by the setting.

NONE Disable hybrid aggregation in block storage databases (the default).

PARTIAL Turn on hybrid aggregation only for simple outline aggregations based onthe consolidation operators +, -, and ~, but excluding the operators *, /,and %. Leave formulas to be calculated in block storage mode.

FULL Turn on hybrid aggregation for simple aggregations and formulacalculations. See Notes for formula limitations.

Outline Structure for Hybrid Aggregation

To use hybrid aggregation most effectively:

· If there are non-level-0 stored members that are batch calculated based solely on theirhierarchy, it's recommended that you convert them to Dynamic Calc members.

· If the conversion to Dynamic Calc members affects solve order for dependent formulas, youmay also need to adjust the outline's order of dimensions, and/or their dense or sparseconfigurations, to align the solve order with the previous batch calculation order.

Notes

During hybrid aggregation, Dynamic Calc and Store members are treated as stored members.



If enabled, hybrid aggregation is supported for member formulas using any of the followingfunctions: @CHILDREN, @EXP, @INT, @ISMBR, @MIN, @MINSRANGE, @MOD, @MODE,@NOTEQUAL, @POWER, @RANGE, @REMAINDER, @ROUND, @VAR, @VARIANCEP, and @VARPER.

The following types of calculations are not supported for hybrid mode. Essbase detects when theseconditions are present, and calculates them in block storage mode.

· Time-balance tagged members

· Attribute calculations

· Formulas with cross-dimensional operators

· Dynamic Calc members with formulas that are a target of transparent partitions

· Queries which include both two-pass and one-pass dynamic calc members from the samedimension

· XOLAP

If a query mixes supported and unsupported hybrid mode calculation types, Essbase defaults toblock storage execution.

Formulas with dimension references can run in hybrid mode in the following cases:

· Sparse-to-Sparse: The formula is set on a sparse dimension member, and the formula onlyreferences member combinations from sparse dimensions.

· Dense-to-Dense: The formula is set on a dense dimension member, and the formula onlyreferences member combinations from dense dimensions.

· Sparse-to-Dense/Sparse: The formula is set on a sparse dimension member, and the formulareferences member combinations from both dense and sparse dimensions. The dense dimensionmembers must be stored.

Example: On a sparse Product dimension, a Dynamic Calc member [Stereo_HY1] has the formula@MINSRANGE("Stereo","Qtr1":"Qtr2");.

The formula depends on the dense Year dimension for [Qtr1] and [Qtr2], and the sparseProduct dimension for [Stereo].

Managing Block Storage Application Caches

With the addition of hybrid aggregation in block storage databases, the following MaxL grammar isnow available for managing block-storage application caches:

alter application <app-name> set cache_size <size-string>;query application <app-name> get cache_size;

The application cache can help you manage memory usage for retrievals. For more information, seethe aggregate storage version of these statements in the Oracle Essbase Technical Reference.

Directories for Hybrid Aggregation Mode

Related to the addition of hybrid aggregation in block storage databases, in this release, thefollowing subdirectories are created under $ARBORPATH/hybrid/AppName:

defaultlogmetadatatemp



These subdirectories are similar to those found in aggregate storage application directories. Whenthe application stops, the directories are removed, and when the application restarts, they arereplaced.

To change the location of the directories, edit the following setting in essbase.cfg:

ASODYNAMICAGGINBSOFOLDERPATH [appName] path-to-directory

AppName is optional. path-to-directory specifies the new directory after you have moved it.

Faster Queries for MDX Aggregate and Sum Functions

In aggregate storage databases, performance is improved for MDX queries containing theAggregate or Sum functions. Essbase performs dependency analysis and uses a formula cache toexecute these requests dynamically.

For the optimized performance of these functions on aggregate storage databases, include in yourquery the following elements:

· Any of the following functions, used within the named set and/or as an argument to thisfunction: Intersect, CurrentMember, Distinct, CrossJoin, PeriodsToDate. The use of any otherfunctions (such as Members) disables the optimization.

· The second parameter, accounts_member, must be included for optimal performance.

Note: Optimal query performance may require a larger formula cache size. If you get an errormessage like the following, adjust the Essbase.cfg setting MAXFORMULACACHESIZE accordingly:

Not enough memory for formula execution. Set MAXFORMULACACHESIZE configurationparameter to [1072]KB and try again.

Using FIXPARALLEL Parallel Calculation

Overview of FIXPARALLEL

Although parallel calculation can be performed using the CALCPARALLEL configuration setting, incertain cases it might be beneficial to use the FIXPARALLEL command block method.

In a FIXPARALLEL command block, you input some commands to be executed, along with a numberof threads (numThreads) and a member list (mbrList) specifying the database regions (slices) tobe calculated. Essbase creates a list of tasks from the combinations in the member list, and dividesthe tasks across the threads.

The FIXPARALLEL method can be advantageous in the following cases:

· If you need to use temporary variables during parallel calculation

· If you need to use the DATACOPY, DATAEXPORT, or CLEARBLOCK commands

· In conjunction with the @XREF or @XWRITE functions (You can now also use these withCALCPARALLEL; see SET FORCEPARALLELCALC)

· If you need to export regions of the database in parallel. See the Example in this topic.

· In cases where CALCPARALLEL is not meeting performance requirements, and your outlinegenerates many empty tasks, or contains many task groupings with fewer tasks than threadsmade available to the calculation. See also “Task Selection Comparison of FIXPARALLEL andCALCPARALLEL.”

When considering converting FIX statements to FIXPARALLEL within a calculation script, followthese guidelines:



· Focus on FIX statements that do not meet your performance needs using CALCPARALLEL.

· Focus on FIX statements that require a substantial amount of work. Parallelizing a FIXstatement requires some overhead, so trying to parallelize calculation passes with lightworkloads may not be beneficial. Heavier workloads, such as AGG and CALC DIM, are goodcandidates for FIXPARALLEL.

· First, try parallelism with a single large sparse dimension, or by restricting mbrList to one ormore hierarchies with a limited stored member count. You may continue adding dimensions tothe member list to see if the calculation time continues to improve.

Note that when "parallel" calculation of tasks occurs, it means that the tasks are divided andexecuted concurrently in any order. In other words, there is no guarantee that any task will beexecuted before any other tasks. This is why the regions you specify must not have any data orcalculation dependencies. For example, assume there are two parallel threads, and there is adivision of work into tasks A, B, C, and D.

The possible sequence of calculation might be:

Thread #1 executes A and then C.

Thread #2 executes B and then D.

Or,

Thread #1 executes A.

Thread #2 executes B, then C, then D.

Or,

Thread #1 executes C and then A.

Thread #2 executes D and then B.

Syntax and Usage of FIXPARALLEL

The FIXPARALLEL…ENDFIXPARALLEL command block enables parallel calculation on a block ofcommands by using up to a specified number of parallel threads.

FIXPARALLEL (numThreads, mbrList)

COMMANDS;

[ POSTFIXPARALLEL ( [ varName = ACCUMULATEVAR (threadVarName ); ]* ); ]ENDFIXPARALLEL


numThreads A positive integer specifying the number of threads to be made availablefor parallel calculation.

mbrList A selection of slices for restricting the calculation. These slices becomethe task members for the FIXPARALLEL calculation. Can be one of thefollowing:

· A member name or list of members. Note: If mbrList is a single memberfrom one or more sparse dimensions, then it only generates one task,and cannot benefit from parallel execution. Multiple members from oneor more sparse dimensions generate multiple tasks.

· Member set functions, which are used to build member lists based onother members.



The database regions (slices) you specify must be independent of oneanother.

From mbrList, Essbase generates tasks to be calculated in parallel.

Essbase uses only non-dynamic, non-shared, sparse members to createthe tasks, which in turn determine the blocks to be calculated.Therefore, mbrList must contain at least one non-dynamic, non-shared,sparse member. In order to use multiple threads, mbrList should containtwo or more members from each sparse dimension. mbrList shouldindicate at least as many tasks as the numThreads you specify.

To avoid setting too many tasks in a FIXPARALLEL calculation, onlythose member combinations that are to be used for tasks should be inthe mbrList. All other sparse member combinations belong in an inner orouter FIX.

COMMANDS The commands you want to be executed for the duration of theFIXPARALLEL. These commands are applied to the database regionsdescribed by mbrlist. May include THREADVAR commands.

POSTFIXPARALLEL Optional block of operations to copy THREADVAR variables to VARvariables. Essbase executes POSTFIXPARALLEL block once, before theFIXPARALLEL command finishes.

varName Name of a VAR variable.

threadVarName Name of a THREADVAR variable.

ACCUMULATEVAR Used within optional POSTFIXPARALLEL. Adds up all the thread values ofa given THREADVAR variable. The sum is then assigned to a specifiedVAR variable.

ENDFIXPARALLEL Closes the FIXPARALLEL command block.

Notes

You control thread activity by using:

· The numThreads parameter

· The THREADVAR command

· The ACCUMULATEVAR command (inside POSTFIXPARALLEL)

· The mbrList parameter. The member list is an important tool for optimizing calculations,because it tells Essbase how to divide the calculation regions into tasks. As mbrList becomeslarger, each task becomes smaller. When tasks become too small, calculation memory overheadcould slow down performance. However, when tasks are too large, there might not be enoughtasks for parallel calculation threads to work on.

Task Selection Comparison of FIXPARALLEL and CALCPARALLEL

CALCPARALLEL creates tasks from the last sparse dimension first, then the second from the last,and so on, until it has enough tasks. FIXPARALLEL can choose from any sparse dimension that isnot in its COMMANDS block. For example (as is true with FIX), you cannot FIXPARALLEL on (Level0, Product) and also AGG (Product).

FIXPARALLEL can help you customize task selection, but it also assumes no interdependencieswhen generating tasks from the selected region. CALCPARALLEL must consider sparsity, outlineorder, dependencies, and member formulas in generating a task list.

Example

FIXPARALLEL used with DATAEXPORT enables you to export restricted regions of database in



parallel. The following example uses two threads to export data relating to [California], [Oregon],[Washington], [Utah], and [Nevada].

FIXPARALLEL (2, @CHILDREN("West")) DATAEXPORT "File" " " "dataOfWest.txt" "#MI";ENDFIXPARALLEL

See also the example for POSTFIXPARALLEL.

Syntax and Usage of THREADVAR

The THREADVAR command declares one or more temporary, thread-level variables within aFIXPARALLEL...ENDFIXPARALLEL block.

THREADVAR varName [, varName ] ;


varName Name of the temporary variable(s).

Notes

· THREADVAR variables must be declared within the FIXPARALLEL...ENDFIXPARALLEL block, andcan only be used within that context.

· Essbase creates an instance of a THREADVAR variable for each child thread.

· A THREADVAR variable cannot be initialized; Essbase initializes it to #MISSING.

· A THREADVAR variable cannot have the same name as a VAR variable.

Syntax and Usage of POSTFIXPARALLEL

The POSTFIXPARALLEL command block is an optional, post-processing block withinFIXPARALLEL...ENDFIXPARALLEL. You can use it to copy temporary, thread-level THREADVAR valuesinto longer-persisting VAR variables that you can use outside the FIXPARALLEL block.

POSTFIXPARALLEL ( [ varName = ACCUMULATEVAR (threadVarName ); ]* );


varName Name of a VAR variable to store the sum of all the thread’s values of aspecified THREADVAR variable.

ACCUMULATEVAR Keyword to add up all the thread values of a specified THREADVARvariable. The sum is then assigned to a specified VAR variable.

threadVarName Name of a THREADVAR variable.

Notes

To copy temporary THREADVAR values into VAR variables you can use outside FIXPARALLEL, usethe following task flow:

3. Declare a VAR variable (outside of FIXPARALLEL block) to store the computed result.

4. Declare a THREADVAR variable that you use within the FIXPARALLEL block.

5. Use a POSTFIXPARALLEL block to copy the THREADVAR to the VAR.

Example

The following example accumulates Sales values from THREADVAR variables to a VAR variable.



/* Store computed result of four tasks */VAR totalSalesAmnt = 0;

/* Four tasks */FIXPARALLEL (2, "New York", "California", "Oregon", "Florida")

/* Accumulate results of tasks into threads */THREADVAR s_entitySalesAmnt;

/* Use for computation in each task */THREADVAR entitySalesAmnt;

/* Use/change THREADVARs within member formula blocks */"Sales" ( /* Initialize variables for this task */ entitySalesAmnt = 2;

/* Use the THREADVARS ... */

/* Accumulate task-data into thread-data */ s_entitySalesAmnt = s_entitySalesAmnt + entitySalesAmnt; );

/* Copy computed data into longer-persisting VAR */POSTFIXPARALLEL ( totalSalesAmnt = ACCUMULATEVAR ( s_entitySalesAmnt ););

ENDFIXPARALLEL

Limitations of FIXPARALLEL Parallel Calculation

· FIXPARALLEL is not supported on partitioned databases.

· The following calculation commands are not supported in a FIXPARALLEL block:

o DATAEXPORT with options other than flat files

o DATAIMPORTBIN

o EXCLUDE...ENDEXCLUDE

· For non-Exalytics platforms, FIXPARALLEL supports up to 8 threads. The data structurescreated in each thread and the algorithms used for scheduling and executing tasks requiresignificant CPU and memory resources. Executing highly parallelized activities on servers withlimited resources might have a negative impact on performance and system stability. Therefore,using FIXPARALLEL with more than 8 threads, when the ORACLEHARDWAREACCELERATIONconfiguration setting is set to FALSE, is not supported.

Calculator Cache Sizing Notes for FIXPARALLEL Parallel Calculation

For FIXPARALLEL, calculator cache sizing is as important as it is for CALCPARALLEL, and follows thesame methodology as described in the Oracle Essbase Database Administrator's Guide, in thechapter "Optimizing Essbase Caches," and in the section "Calculating the Calculator Cache Size."

When selecting dimensions to include in the calculator cache, Essbase always begins with the firstsparse dimension, and progresses in outline order, selecting bitmap dimensions until no more will fitin the calculator cache.

The following is unique for FIXPARALLEL calculations:

· Task dimensions may be scattered throughout the sparse dimension list, rather than clustered



at the bottom of the outline as is the case with CALCPARALLEL.

· For task dimensions included in the bitmap, the appropriate stored member count to use forcalculator cache size estimation is 1, rather than the total stored members in the dimension. This is because each FIXPARALLEL task will contain a single member from each task dimension.

For all other bitmap dimensions, the stored member count is the appropriate value to use toestimate calculator cache (same as for CALCPARALLEL).

Enabling CALCPARALLEL Parallel Calculation with @XREF and @XWRITE

In previous releases, Essbase would not attempt parallel calculation in scripts where @XREF or@XWRITE were present, or in cases of complex formula dependencies. However, in some cases (forexample, with currency conversion, or read-only @XREF), you might be certain that dependenciesprecluding parallel calculation do not exist. For such cases, you can force CALCPARALLEL parallelcalculation using the calculation command SET FORCEPARALLELCALC.

Syntax and Usage of SET FORCEPARALLELCALC

SET FORCEPARALLELCALC{ XREF ON|OFF; XWRITE ON|OFF; COMPLEXFRMLDEP ON|OFF;};

Keyword Description

XREF ON|OFF When ON, force CALCPARALLEL calculation even when @XREF is in use.The default is OFF.

XWRITE ON|OFF When ON, force CALCPARALLEL calculation even when @XWRITE is inuse. The default is OFF.

COMPLEXFRMLDEPON|OFF

When ON, force CALCPARALLEL calculation even when complex formuladependencies are detected. The default is OFF.

Notes

· Turning this setting on for XREF is recommended only if you know that the remote data rarelychanges, and there are no circular XREFs or partitions back to the source database.

· When forcing parallel calculation, you should monitor whether remote calculations are taking toolong to execute.

· If you set COMPLEXFRMLDEP to ON and there are complex formula dependencies, there is a riskof inaccurate results.

Example

SET FORCEPARALLELCALC{ XREF OFF; XWRITE OFF; COMPLEXFRMLDEP OFF;};

Enabling In-Place Data Writing with Exalytics

The INPLACEDATAWRITE setting in essbase.cfg enables or disables in-place data writing.

Prior to this release, each time a data block was updated, it was written to a new disk location.



With this release, for Exalytics, Essbase enables in-place data writing.

In-place data writing means that when updates occur, the data block can be written to the samelocation, as long as the compressed size of the data block fits in its original location on the disk.

In-place data writing can help reduce data fragmentation and lower the need for frequentrestructuring of database. It also reduces the need for frequent index updates, resulting inimproved performance.

Syntax and Usage of INPLACEDATAWRITE

INPLACEDATAWRITE [appname [dbname]] TRUE | FALSE

Keyword Description

appname Optional. If provided, the setting applies only to the specified application;otherwise, the setting applies to the Essbase Server.

dbname Optional. If provided, specifies the database.

TRUE In-place data writing is enabled for Exalytics. This is the default.

FALSE In-place data writing is disabled.

Notes

· This configuration setting applies only when the ORACLEHARDWAREACCELERATIONconfiguration setting is set to TRUE.

· If you set INPLACEDATAWRITE to TRUE, there is a risk to data integrity if Essbase terminatesabnormally.

Example

INPLACEDATAWRITE Sample Basic FALSE

Troubleshooting/Tuning CALCPARALLEL with Log Messages

If you are using CALCPARALLEL parallel calculation, you may encounter the following log messages:

· Current selection of task dimensions [n] will generate insufficient number of tasks [n] forparallel calculation. See whether calculation time can be improved by increasing the number oftask dimensions by one (see SET CALCTASKDIMS topic in the Technical Reference). Also,consider using FIXPARALLEL to make custom task selections that are different fromCALCPARALLEL.

If this message is encountered, it means that during a parallel calculation, Essbase refrainedfrom increasing the number of task dimensions, in case that would have resulted in tasksbecoming too small. When tasks become too small, calculation scheduling overhead couldovertake the benefits of parallelism. However, when tasks are too large, there might not beenough tasks for parallel calculation threads to work on.

If the next potential task dimension is not the first sparse dimension, consider increasing thenumber of task dimensions by one using SET CALCTASKDIMS, and observe whether thatimproves the speed of the calculation. Also, consider using FIXPARALLEL to make custom taskselections that are different from CALCPARALLEL (see "Using FIXPARALLEL Parallel Calculation").

· Current number of task dimensions [n] for parallel calculation might have caused too manytasks [n] to be generated. See whether calculation time can be improved by decreasing thenumber of task dimensions by one (see SET CALCTASKDIMS topic in the Technical Reference).



Also, consider using FIXPARALLEL to make custom task selections that are different fromCALCPARALLEL.

For parallel calculation, having a sufficient number of tasks helps to reduce the effects of dataskew. However, too many tasks (even for appropriately sized tasks) can cause the schedulingoverhead to outweigh the benefits. Essbase targets an optimal range. If you see the abovemessage, it means that Essbase tried to meet the recommended minimum number of tasks byadding one more task dimension; in doing so, it is possible that the upper boundary for taskcount may have been crossed.

If the last task dimension selected by Essbase is not the only task dimension, considerdecreasing task dimensions by one using SET CALCTASKDIMS, and observe whether thatimproves the speed of the calculation. Also, consider using FIXPARALLEL to make custom taskselections that are different from CALCPARALLEL (see "Using FIXPARALLEL Parallel Calculation").

(17982371) XOLAPENABLEHEURISTICS Configuration Setting is NotSupported

Oracle no longer recommends using the XOLAPENABLEHEURISTICS configuration setting.

(17651016) VLBREPORT Configuration Setting is Not Supported

The VLBREPORT configuration setting is deprecated. Setting it to TRUE has no effect.

(17276881) Restructuring an Essbase Database on Exalytics Requires aTemporary Increase in the Index Cache Size and/or the Data File Cache Size

The following functionality applies only to Essbase running on an Oracle Exalytics In-Memorymachine.

Oracle Exalytics machine running on Solaris or Linux:

Restructuring an Essbase database results in a temporary increase (double at most) of the indexcache size. When the restructure is completed, the index cache size returns to the size before therestructure was performed.

Oracle Exalytics machine running on Solaris with direct I/O enabled:

Restructuring an Essbase database results in a temporary increase (double at most) of the indexcache size and the data file cache size. When the restructure is completed, the index cache sizeand data file cache size return to their respective sizes before the restructure was performed.

Considerations for Essbase Intelligent Calculation on Exalytics

The following functionality applies only to Essbase running on an Oracle Exalytics In-Memorymachine.

Status bits for Intelligent Calculation on a block storage database are not persisted. Therefore,Intelligent Calculation works as intended only if both of the following conditions are true:

· The whole index fits in the index cache

· Related calculation scripts that use Intelligent Calculation complete within the lifetime of theEssbase Server

For Intelligent Calculation, set the index cache size large enough to fit the whole index and toaccount for future index growth due to data load or calculation.



Configuring the JVM Heap Size for Essbase Running on Solaris 64-bit

This information applies only to Essbase running on Solaris 64-bit.

By default, Essbase sets the JVM heap size to 512 GB when the JVM is initialized. To set a differentheap size, specify an ESS_JVM_OPTION environment variable.

Syntax:

ESS_JVM_OPTIONn -XX:HeapBaseMinAddress

Increase in the Maximum Size of the Dynamic Calculator Cache

The maximum amount of memory that can be allocated for the dynamic calculator cache dependson the bitness of Essbase:

· Essbase 64-bit: 256 GB

· Essbase 32-bit: 4 GB

See the DYNCALCCACHEMAXSIZE configuration setting in the Oracle Essbase Technical Reference.

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