I was planning to write about this for quite a long time. (When ASO Plan Type was released)
I can also see lot of people getting confused/having no clue of what is happening with this new behavior. So here we are.
When 11.1.2.3.500 was released it came up with a new Plan Type option and because of the difference in writing member formulas, Oracle had to come up with a way to facilitate both BSO and ASO style scripting.
So let’s look at how that effected rest of the functionality.
If you look at Gross Profit Margin, in Vision application it is a dynamic calc member. If you open Member Formula tab, you’ll see a drop down to select different plan types. You’ll even see that you can set different storage options.
I’m still not sure why all Plan Types are exposed here, also why all Storage options (guess someone was lazy ;))
Now let’s start changing the options.
Plan1, I’m going to make it as Store
Plan2, is going to be Dynamic Calc with a different formula
Plan3, is going to be Never Share (I had to add ; in there so that the default formula won’t kick in)
Perform a refresh and see what happens. Oh another change that was added was – Refresh from Planning unlocks the outline.
It won’t complain about Outline being locked.
I get it, I get it – you shouldn’t be updating formulas directly in Essbase outline. However think about those outlines which has HSP_UDF uda and has an Essbase formula, now if the admin was updating the formula and a Planning refresh unlocks his outline!!!!!
Ah you don’t believe me
That’s my Essbase Locked Objects and then Planning removes the lock and refreshes the database.
Now let’s look at the outline.
Plan1
It become a Store member with the default formula.
Plan2
Plan3
The Main screen will still say that it is a dynamic member, however the outline will tell you something else.
I had to struggle with this at a project, where Planning was changing this on it’s own!!!!
On a Sparse dimension, the main screen was showing me that a member was Store, however it added a “;” and updated Essbase outline as Dynamic Calc, you’ll never know what hit you!!!!
This is where I like the Smart View dimension editor and you’ll see why.
It’ll list what is the Storage and Formula on Individual Plan Types.
Yeah.. if Oracle had to make it more clear and easy, they should be providing 3 dropdowns for member storage property with the available plan types against them just like consolidation properties, i too wondered when i first came across this behaviour. 🙂