Scheduling Batch-Bursting Options

Purpose

This tutorial covers scheduling batches with batch-bursting options to run reports for multiple members and send batch output to multiple users.

Time to Complete

Approximately 45 minutes

Topics

This tutorial covers the following topics:

Overview

With scheduled batches, you can select bursting options to run reports for multiple members. For example, in a batch scheduled to run for the USReg and Europe entities, you can send the output for USReg to mgr1@oracle.com and send the output for Europe to mgr2@oracle.com.

For the bursting options, you can select one dimension from one data source from the batch POV for bursting. The setting for that dimension is disabled on the batch POV. If no reports or books have a member on the batch POV, batch bursting is unavailable. If the reports and books in the batch have multiple data sources, only one dimension in one of the data sources can be used for bursting.

After specifying the dimension, you select members from that dimension for batch bursting. The scheduled batch runs the reports for each member. You can specify additional options, such as email recipients for PDF files for each member, in a batch-bursting list file. The batch-bursting list file has a CSV file type.

Scenario

In Workspace, you create a batch to run multiple reports. You schedule the batch and select batch-bursting options, output destinations, and output labels. You also create and modify a batch-bursting list file to specify email addresses, PDF output destinations, and access to snapshot reports. You apply the batch-bursting list file to another scheduled batch.

Prerequisites

Before starting this tutorial, you should:

1. Have access to a database connection, such as Essbase or Financial Management.
2. Have access to Workspace and to a few reports.
3. Have experience creating batches in Workspace.

Creating a Batch with Bursting Options

In Workspace, you create a batch to run multiple reports. You select batch bursting options, output destinations, and output labels.

To create and schedule a batch with bursting options, perform these steps:

1. In Workspace, create a batch with multiple reports. The reports should have at least one common dimension from the same data source in the user POV to enable bursting. In this example, you create a batch with 2 sample reports for the Sample:Basic database connection. Both reports have the Market and Product dimensions in the user POV. You can use one of these dimensions for bursting.



2. With the batch open in the editor, select Edit > Schedule Batch.



3. In the Schedule Batch dialog box, enter a batch name and click Next.



4. In the repository list, select the batch and click Next.



5. If needed, enter your logon credentials and click OK.



6. Schedule the batch to run at a later time and select the dimension for bursting.
1. Select Later, Start At and specify a time.
2. Select the Run Batch for multiple members in the dimension check box.
3. From the drop-down list, select the dimension for bursting. You can select one dimension from the batch POV for bursting.

In this example, you select to run the batch at 6 PM. You select to burst the batch for the Market dimension. The Market dimension in the POV is then grayed out.



7. In the Bursting Options area, click the lookup icon to select the bursting members from the Market dimension.



In the Member Selection dialog box, select the bursting members.

In this example, you select East, West, and Central.



8. In the next Schedule Batch dialog box, select the destinations for the batch output.

In this example, you select to save the reports as snapshots in the /Bursted Output repository folder and to export the reports to an external directory as PDF files. Before you can specify an external PDF directory, you must define it in the fr_scheduler.properties file.



Snapshots are a batch destination option, but have added processing overhead, as access permissions in the Workspace are set when the Snapshot reports are processed.

9. In the Bursted Output Labels area, click the function icon to add text functions for the object or subfolder labels. The definitions for folder and file names are globally applied to all bursted members. You can override the global naming setting by defining the names for each bursted member in the batch-bursting list file.

In this example, you position the cursor in the Object Label area and select the Date function.



The Date function is displayed in the Object Label area. In this example, you also delete the <<MemberName()>> function in the SubFolder label area.



The subfolder and object labels are for the folders and objects that batch scheduler creates for snapshot reports and for PDF output. For this example, if you have two reports, Rep1 and Rep2, which you run for the Central, East, and West members, batch scheduler creates the following snapshot output in the repository:

Root Bursted Output (folder designated for snapshot output)
Rep1 (subfolder label)
<date>-Rep1-Central
<date>-Rep1-East
<date>-Rep1-West
Rep2 (subfolder label)
<date>-Rep2-Central
<date>-Rep2-East
<date>-Rep2-West

However, if you specify the Subfolder Label as <<FinancialReportingObjectName()>>-<<MemberName()>>, batch scheduler creates the following snapshot output in the repository:

Root Bursted Output (folder designated for snapshot output)
Rep1-Central (subfolder)
<date>-Rep1-Central (snapshot report)
Rep1-East
<date>-Rep1-East
Rep1-West
<date>-Rep1-West
Rep2-Central
<date>-Rep2-Central
Rep2-East
<date>-Rep2-East
Rep2-West
<date>-Rep2-West

As you run the batch on different dates, reports are added to each subfolder.

10. In the next Schedule Batch dialog box, add the email addresses for sending batch details.



These email addresses notify administrator users of the batch status. The email addresses do not specify standard end-user batch recipients.

11. At the bottom of the Schedule Batch dialog box, click Preview Bursting List.

    The Preview Bursting List dialog box displays your bursting options.



The batch output for the East, West, and Central markets will be emailed to user1.

12. In the Preview Bursting List dialog box, click Export to save the bursting list as a CSV file. You can modify the batch-bursting list file and use it for scheduling future batches.

The File Download dialog box is displayed.



You also save the bursting list if you want to change the email recipients so that output for each market is sent to different users. This topic is covered later in the tutorial.

13. Click Save. In the Save As dialog box, enter the file a name and click Save.

In this example, you save it as Regions.csv.



14. Close the Preparing Files dialog box, and click OK to close the Preview Bursting list dialog box.



15. Click Finish to exit the Schedule Batch dialog box.

Verifying the Batch Details and Batch Output

To verify the batch details and output, perform these steps:

1. After the batch start time has elapsed, verify that the batch status is Successful. Select Navigate > Schedule > Batch Scheduler.



2. After the batch completes, check the batch details.

Right-click the batch name and select Show Details.



The Show Details window is displayed. Review the batch details and click Close.



3. Check the batch output.

When you scheduled the batch, you specified snapshot reports as one of the batch output destinations. You selected the Bursted Output folder for the destination location.

In Workspace, select the Bursted Output folder and verify that snapshot reports were created.

Batch Scheduler created two folders below the Bursted Output folder. Select the Full Year Estimate folder. It contains the Full Year Estimate snapshot reports for each market, Central, East, and West. The report names include the date.



The second folder, Profit and Loss Variance, contains the Profit and Loss Variance snapshot reports for each market.



4. When you scheduled the batch, you specified PDF files as one of the batch output destinations. You selected the external directory, PDF_Export, for the destination location.

In Windows Explorer, select the PDF_Export folder and verify that the PDF files were created.

Two directories were created below the PDF_Export/Bursted+Output directory. One directory, Full+Year+Estimate, contains the PDF files for the Full Year Estimate reports for each market, Central, East, and West. The report names include the date.



The second directory, Profit+and+Loss+Variance, contains the PDF files for the Profit and Loss Variance reports for each market.

Modifying the Batch-Bursting List File

You modify the batch-bursting list file to perform these tasks:

• Modify the subfolder and reporting object labels
• Specify read access for users, groups, and roles to snapshot report output
• Assign different email recipients for the output of each bursted member
• Specify external directory names for PDF output
• Add rows to the file to specify more bursted members

You must import the batch-bursting file into the repository before you apply it to a batch.

To modify a batch-bursting list file and apply it to a batch, perform these steps:

1. In Excel, open the batch-bursting list file that you saved earlier. The file displays your bursting options.



2. Modify the file to add email addresses, external PDF directories, and access definitions.
1. In the email_list column, add user and group email addresses for each market member. This option enables you to define which users receive the batch output for each market. In this example, for the East member, you add mgrE, user1, and groupE to the email list.
2. In the external_pdf_root column, specify the name of the external directory for PDF output. Before you can specify an external PDF directory, you must define it in the fr_scheduler.properties file.
3. Define the groups, roles, and user names that receive Read access to snapshot reports created by the batch output. In this example, for the West market, the Dept1028 group and anyone with the Report Designer role are assigned Read access to the snapshot reports.



3. Modify the file to add a Market member.

In this example, you make a copy of row 4. In row 5, you change the Market member name to South, and you change the access and email address for the output.



4. Save the file and exit Excel.
5. You must import the file into the repository before you can apply it to a scheduled batch to define the batch bursting options.

In Workspace, select File > Import > File.



6. Browse for the file and click Finish.

The file is listed in the repository.



7. Select Navigate > Schedule > Batch Scheduler to display the Batch Scheduler window.
8. Right-click the batch name and select Duplicate and Edit Properties.



9. In the Schedule Batch dialog box, enter the batch name and click Next.



10. Select the batch from the repository and click Next.

If needed, enter the logon credentials and click OK.

In the Schedule Batch dialog box, select the start time.



11. In the Bursting Options area, click the ellipses to select a batch-bursting file from the repository.



12. Select the batch-bursting file that you created earlier and click OK. In this example, you select the Regions.csv file.



13. To copy the Market members from the selected batch-bursting file to the Select Members box, click Copy Members. In this example, the South member is now included in the Select Members box.



14. Click Next to proceed to the next Schedule Batch dialog box. Select the same destinations and output labels as before.



If you schedule the batch for the same members and with the same output naming conventions, Batch Scheduler overwrites the previous output files.

15. Click Next and then Finish to close the Schedule Batch dialog box and submit the batch to the Batch Scheduler.

Verifying the Batch Output Defined in the Batch-Bursting List File

In this section, you verify the snapshot report output and the PDF output created in the batch. You also verify the access rights to the snapshot reports.

To verify the batch output, perform these steps:

1. After the batch start time has elapsed, verify that the batch status is Successful.

Select Navigate > Schedule > Batch Scheduler.



2. After the batch completes successfully, check the batch output. When you scheduled the batch, you specified snapshot reports as one of the batch output destinations. You selected the Bursted Output folder for the destination location.

In Workspace, select the Bursted Output folder and verify that snapshot reports were created.

Batch Scheduler created two folders below the Bursted Output folder. One folder, Full Year Estimate, contains the Full Year Estimate snapshot reports for each market, Central, East, West, and South. The report names include the date.



The second folder, Profit and Loss Variance, contains the Profit and Loss Variance shapshot reports for each market.



3. Verify access to the snapshot reports.

In this example, you select the 2008-09-19-Profit and Loss Variance-West snapshot report, and select Edit > Edit Permissions.



4. In the batch-bursting list file, you specified that anyone with the Report Designer role and any members of the Dept1028 group should have access to the West market reports.

In the Permissions dialog box, verify that View access was assigned to the Report Designer role and the Dept1028 group.



5. When you scheduled the batch, you specified PDF files as one of the batch output destinations. You selected the external directory, PDF_Export, for the destination location.

In Windows Explorer, select the PDF_Export directory and verify that the PDF files were created. Two directories were created below the PDF_Export/Bursted+Output directory. One directory, Full+Year+Estimate, contains the PDF files for the Full Year Estimate reports for each market, Central, East, West, and South. The report names include the date.

The second directory, Profit+and+Loss+Variance, contains the PDF files for the Profit and Loss Variance reports for each market.

Summary

In this tutorial, you've learned how to:

• Create batches with bursting options
• Modify and apply the batch-bursting list file
• Verify the batch details and batch output

Related Information

• To learn more about creating batches with batch-bursting options, refer to the Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Workspace, Fusion Edition Release 11.1.1 User’s Guide