The presentation discusses various tools and methods for automating processes in Oracle Hyperion Enterprise Performance Management (EPMA), including the EPMA Batch Client for automating tasks like application deployment and data loading, the Life Cycle Management utility for migrating and backing up EPM artifacts, and MaxL scripts for exporting outlines and performing calculations in Essbase. The goal of process automation is to streamline processes, add reliability, and free up resources by eliminating manual tasks. Examples are provided of how various organizations have benefited from implementing process automation.

1. Automation Nation
RJ Linehan
&
Pete Cammisa

2. Today’s Agenda
• Company Profile
• Citizens of the Automation Nation
• Process Automation
• History Lesson
• EPMA Automation
• LCM Automation
• History Lesson Learned
• Essbase Automation - MaxL
• Questions

3. Company Profile – Innovus Partners
• Oracle Hyperion Enterprise Performance Management
• Oracle Gold Partner
• Oracle Certified Specialists
• Based in the NY Tri-State Area
• Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn

4. Speaker Biography – RJ Linehan
• 12+ Years Consulting in the Oracle Hyperion EPM
Space
• 40+ Projects Completed
• Essbase and Planning Certified
• Favorite Automation Tool
 MaxL Scripting

5. Speaker Biography – Pete Cammisa
• 4+ Years Consulting in the Oracle EPM Space
• 15+ Projects Completed
• Essbase and Planning Certified
• Favorite Automation Tool
 EPMA Batch Client

6. Process Automation – What is it?
• Process
 Method for executing a set of related tasks to achieve a desired
outcome
• Automation
 Streamlining a method through a means other than manual
execution
• Process Automation
 Using a tool or utility, an approach that applies automation to a
process to ensure the process achieves the desired outcome

7. Process Automation – What is it?
• Business Requirement – The Need
 Support the reporting of FY12 P&L actuals by months
• Process Flow – The What
 Export FY12 P&L actuals from PeopleSoft GL
 Create and copy flat file with data export to Essbase server
 Load flat file to Essbase
 Execute aggregation in Essbase
• Automation Flow - The How
 Execute scheduled Control-M job
 Execute SQL script against PS GL
 Execute batch copy command to copy file to Essbase server
 Execute MaxL command to load and calc Essbase

9. Process Flow Automation Flow Control-M Job Source System Source Server Source Job Name Source Flat File Source File Location Target System Target Server Target Job Name Target Load File Target File Location Target Load Rule
Load CY Actuals Load PS Actuals PS-ESS-Act PeopleSoft GL PS-PROD ExpCYAct.sql ExpCYAct.txt PS-PRODdata P&L Cube ESS-PROD LoadPSAct.bat ExpCYAct.txt PS-PRODdata L_ACT.rul
Load PY Actuals Load PS Actuals PS-ESS-Act PeopleSoft GL PS-PROD ExpPYAct.sql ExpPYAct.txt PS-PRODdata P&L Cube ESS-PROD LoadPSAct.bat ExpPYAct.txt PS-PRODdata L_ACT.rul
Load PY-1 ActualsLoad PS Actuals PS-ESS-Act PeopleSoft GL PS-PROD ExpPY-1Act.sql ExpPY-1Act.txt PS-PRODdata P&L Cube ESS-PROD LoadPSAct.bat ExpPY-1Act.txt PS-PRODdata L_ACT.rul
Load PY-2 ActualsLoad PS Actuals PS-ESS-Act PeopleSoft GL PS-PROD ExpPY-2Act.sql ExpPY-2Act.txt PS-PRODdata P&L Cube ESS-PROD LoadPSAct.bat ExpPY-2Act.txt PS-PRODdata L_ACT.rul
Load PY-3 ActualsLoad PS Actuals PS-ESS-Act PeopleSoft GL PS-PROD ExpPY-3Act.sql ExpPY-3Act.txt PS-PRODdata P&L Cube ESS-PROD LoadPSAct.bat ExpPY-3Act.txt PS-PRODdata L_ACT.rul
Load CY HR Load PS HR PS-ESS-HR PeopleSoft HR PS-PROD ExpCYHR.sql ExpCYHR.txt PS-PRODdata WF Cube ESS-PROD LoadPSHR.bat ExpCYHR.txt PS-PRODdata L_ACT.rul
Load PY HR Load PS HR PS-ESS-HR PeopleSoft HR PS-PROD ExpPYHR.sql ExpPYHR.txt PS-PRODdata WF Cube ESS-PROD LoadPSHR.bat ExpPYHR.txt PS-PRODdata L_ACT.rul
Source Target
Process Automation Documentation

10. Process Automation – Why use it?
• Frees up limited resources in the organization
• Eliminates or minimizes errors in the process
• Adds structure and stability to the process
• Introduces reliability to the process
• Creates opportunities to improve the process
 Provides audit trail
 Increases security
 Supports user notification

11. Process Automation – Goals
• Identify when process automation is warranted
• Leverage native tools to minimize complexity
• Build a solution that promotes standardization
• Avoid a solution with the following characteristics
 Lacks core functionality such as error handling and
notification
 Hinders migration across environments
 Provides instability to the process

12. History Lesson
• Company X
 Oracle Hyperion EPM Shop for 8 Years
 Manually-driven on-demand EPM environment
 Lack of task knowledge with regards to processes supporting
EPM environment
 Lack of communication and understanding between
functional and technical resources
 Current environment negatively impacts stability of
management reporting cycles
 Resources supporting EPM environment are reactive instead
of proactive

13. EPMA Automation
• EPMA Batch Client
 The EPMA Batch Client operates in two modes:
o Command line mode is an interactive mode
o Script mode is an automated, lights-out mode
o Script mode requires 2 parts:
o Batch File to call Command File
o Command file to execute actions
 The EPMA Batch client takes the place of a number of different
existing tools (i.e. OutlineLoadUtility)
 This is the native utility to automate EPMA processes.
 Unfortunately there is no native password encoding utility as
exists for the Planning utilities.

14. Process Overview
Source
• Flat File
• Interface Tables
• DRM
EPMA
• Shared Library
• Local Application
Dimensions
Application
• Essbase
(BSO/ASO)
• Planning
• HFM
• HPCM
BATCH
CLIENT
BATCH
CLIENT

15. EPMA Automation
• EPMA Batch Client
 Some key processes that can be automated:
o Create applications, databases, dimensions, members
o Deploy / re-deploy applications and databases
o Copy applications and dimensions
o Import dimensions to an application or the shared library
o Create associations
o Validate applications
o Execute data synchronization
o Delete applications, associations, dimensions, members

17. EPMA Automation
• Batch file that calls a command file
 Call the epma-batch-client.bat
 -C = Pass the Command file
 -R = Specify the location of the results file
 -L (on/off) = Log the commands (default is off)
 -S (true/false) = Stops the script on failure (default is true)
 -U = Username
 -P = Password

18. EPMA Automation
• Command file for importing meta-data from an ADS file to an application
• Imports can also be done from an Interface Table source as well as a
DRM source.

19. EPMA Automation
• Command file for re-deploying an application, for example after meta-
data is updated

20. EPMA Automation
• Example of a results file, where if produced, error codes can be found. Note
that you can also view the progress in the Library Job console via Workspace.

21. LCM Automation
• The Life Cycle Management Utility
 Command-line utility that allows for hands-off or lights-out
processing of LCM migrations
 Ideally this utility can be used for automated backups as well
as automated migrations*
 There are 2 pieces required for the utility to run:
o A batch/command file to initiate the utility
o A migration definition file to define the migration itself

22. • The batch/command file is used to initiate the utility
and pass the migration definition file. Below is a basic
example. Other batch scripting features can and
should be included for logging, error-checking, etc.
LCM Automation

23. LCM Automation
• The Migration Definition file:
 Specifies the who, what, where and how.
 Can be generated via the GUI in Shared Services or manually
created as an XML.
 A good practice to follow would be to use the GUI to
generate an XML for a starting point and modify, re-use the
file going forward.
 The LCM utility will automatically encrypt the password on
the first run.

24. LCM Automation
• Here is an example of a migration definition file used to export the Native
Directory from Shared services to the file system, perhaps for backup purposes.

25. LCM Automation
• Here is an example of a migration definition file used to export the planning
application “Samp_Pln” to the file system, perhaps for backup purposes or to be
moved into another environment.

26. Key Benefit of LCM Automation
• Incremental Backup and Restore of EPM
Artifacts
 Similar to file-based backup of Essbase Object files
 Applying similar approach allows for efficient
recovery of artifacts
 Less dependence on organization’s infrastructure
team to restore backup
 NOT a Replacement for RDBMS Backups for EPM
Repositories

27. History Lesson Learned
• Company X
 Better understanding of processes in EPM environment that drive
management reporting cycles
 Improved communication between functional and technical
resources
 Identified key processes that could be automated through
scheduled and on-demand jobs
 Improved stability through the elimination of manual processes
 Approach to maintaining the EPM environment has become more
of a proactive task

28. Essbase Automation - MaxL
• Export Outline Statement
 Exports meta data from an Essbase outline to an XML file
 Supports both BSO and ASO outlines
 Supports selective dimensional export
 Supports alternate alias tables

29. Essbase Automation - MaxL
• Execute Allocation
Statement
 Allocate source data to a
target range of cells in an
ASO database
 Leverages MDX to define
members sets for source
and target
 Limited drivers for
spreading data

30. Essbase Automation - MaxL
• Execute Calculation Statement
 Performs a calculation against an ASO database based on a
script defined in MDX

31. Automation Nation – Useful Links
• EPMA Batch Client
 http://bit.ly/epmabatch
• LCM Utility (Navigate to ‘Using Life Cycle Management Utility’
Section)
 http://bit.ly/lcmutil
• Essbase Technical Reference (Navigate to MaxL Section)
 http://bit.ly/esstechref
• Oracle Magazine, “Using Oracle Essbase Release 11.1.2
Aggregate Storage Option Databases”
 http://bit.ly/OracleMagASO
• Innovus Partners Blog
 http://bit.ly/invprtblog

32. RJ Linehan
rj@innovuspartners.com
Pete Cammisa
pete@innovuspartners.com