Linking Objects to Analytic Services Data Skip Navigation
Essbase® Analytic Services Database Administrator's Guide | Update Contents | Previous | Next | Print | ? |
Information Map

Linking Objects to Analytic Services Data


This chapter describes how you can link various kinds of data with any cell in an Analytic Services database, using a linked reporting object (LRO). This ability is similar to the file attachment features in an e-mail software package.

An LRO provides improved support for planning and reporting applications and can enhance your data analysis capabilities.

Note: The information in this chapter is not relevant to aggregate storage databases. For detailed information on the differences between aggregate and block storage, see Comparison of Aggregate and Block Storage.

This chapter contains the following sections:

Understanding LROs

LROs are objects that you associate with specific data cells in an Analytic Services database. Users create linked objects through Spreadsheet Add-in and Spreadsheet Services by selecting a data cell and choosing a menu item. There is no limit to the number of objects you can link to a cell. The objects are stored on the Analytic Server where they are available to any user with the appropriate access permissions. Users retrieve and edit the objects through the Spreadsheet Add-in and Spreadsheet Services Linked Objects Browser feature, enabling them to view objects linked to the selected cell. For the maximum sizes of the types of linked objects described in Table 16, see Limits.


Table 16: Types of Linked Objects  

Object Type
Description

Cell note

A text annotation

File

An external file, such as a Microsoft Word document, an Excel spreadsheet, a scanned image, an audio clip, or an HTML file (for example, mypage.htm).

URL

An acronym for Uniform Resource Locator. A string that identifies the location of a resource on the World Wide Web, such as a document, image, downloadable file, service, electronic mailbox, or other resource.

For example:

http://www.hyperion.com
ftp://ftp.hyperion.com
file:///D|/ESSBASE/docs/index.htm

Linked partition

A set of data cells that you can link to in another Analytic Services database.



For example, a sales manager may attach cell notes to recently updated budget items. A finance manager might link a spreadsheet containing supporting data for this quarter's results. A product manager might link bitmap images of new products. A sales manager may link the URL of a company's Web site to quickly access the information on the Web site.

Understanding LRO Types and Data Cells

LROs are linked to data cells-not to the data contained in the cells. The link is based on a specific member combination in the database. Adding or removing links to a cell does not affect the cell contents.

When a user links an object to a cell, Analytic Services stores in the object catalog information about the type of object, the name of the last user to modify the object, and the date the object was modified.

How Analytic Services stores the LRO depends on the LRO type:

Before you perform any tasks related to LROs, be aware of these facts:

Setting Up Permissions for LROs

Users who add, edit, and delete LROs through client interfaces need to have the appropriate security permissions in the active database. If the object is a linked partition, the user must also have the required permissions in the database containing the linked partition.

Table 17 lists the permissions required for several different tasks.


Table 17: Permissions Required for LRO Tasks

Task
Permission

Add a linked object to a database

Read/Write

View an existing linked object

Read

Edit an existing linked object

Read/Write

Delete a linked object

Read/Write

Export the LRO catalog to a file

Read

Import the LROs from the LRO-catalog file

Read/Write



Sometimes you might want to prevent users from linking files to data cells without changing user access to other data in a database. You can accomplish this by setting the maximum file size for linked files to 1. Users can then create cell notes, link to a URL, or view linked partitions but can only attach very small files (under 1 kilobyte).

To set the maximum LRO file size for an application, see "Limiting LRO File Sizes" in Essbase Administration Services Online Help.

Viewing and Deleting LROs

Users work with LROs on a cell-by-cell basis through Spreadsheet Add-in or Spreadsheet Services. That is, they select a cell and open the Linked Object Browser, which displays the objects linked to the selected cell. With Administration Services, you can view LROs and you can delete all LROs for the entire database. You can also view LROs based on selection criteria such as user name and last modification date. For example, you might want to purge all objects that are older than a certain date, or remove the objects belonging to a user who has left the company.

To view a list of the linked objects for a database, use any of the following methods:


Tool
Topic
Location

Administration Services

Managing LROs

Essbase Administration Services Online Help

MaxL

query database

Technical Reference

ESSCMD

LISTLINKEDOBJECTS

Technical Reference



To delete the linked objects for a database, use any of the following methods:


Tool
Topic
Location

Administration Services

Managing LROs

Essbase Administration Services Online Help

MaxL

alter database

Technical Reference

ESSCMD

PURGELINKEDOBJECTS

Technical Reference



Exporting and Importing LROs

To improve backup and data-migration capabilities, you can export and re-import LROs from data intersections in a database.

To export and import linked objects for a database, use any of the following methods:


Tool
Topic
Location

Administration Services

Exporting LROs

Importing LROs

Essbase Administration Services Online Help

MaxL

export lro

import lro

Technical Reference



Limiting LRO File Sizes for Storage Conservation

Because Analytic Services stores linked files in a repository on the server, you might want to limit the size of files that users can link. By default, the size is unlimited. Limiting the size prevents a user from taking up too much of the server resources by storing extremely large objects. You can set the maximum linked file size for each application. If a user attempts to link a file that is larger than the limit, an error message displays.

To prevent users from attaching anything except very small files, enter 1. Setting the file size to 1, lets users link only cell notes, URLs, and files less than 1 kilobyte in size.

Note: The maximum file size setting applies only to linked files and does not affect cell notes or URLs. The lengths of the cell note, URL string, and LRO descriptions are fixed. For the maximum sizes of these objects, see Limits.

To limit the size of a linked object, use any of the following methods:


Tool
Topic
Location

Administration Services

Limiting LRO File Sizes

Essbase Administration Services Online Help

MaxL

alter application

Technical Reference

ESSCMD

SETAPPSTATE

Technical Reference





Hyperion Solutions Corporation link