Refreshing Structures

Overview

Super administrators and administrators define structures that are appropriate for their users and distribute those structures to the shared database and to their users. Users must then refresh structures in their personal databases so that their view of the data is consistent with their related shared database.

When automatic refresh occurs

Budget workstation users can set the Automatic Refresh option in the Options dialog box so that a refresh process is automatically initiated if new structures are available to be refreshed when they log onto their systems. They can also choose not to set this option, which enables them to refresh structures manually.

Analyst and Administrator workstation users must always refresh newly available structures when they log in. For these users, the Automatic Refresh option is always on.

Previewing refresh information at logon

You can set the Show Refresh Preview option in the Options dialog box so that the Refresh Preview dialog box appears when you log onto your system and have structures to refresh. You can use this dialog box to view information about the structures that are available for refresh before you apply them to your database.

What happens during a refresh

Depending on the type of workstation that you are using, one of the following types of refresh processes will take place:

• Super administrator workstation -- The Super administrator creates all new structures that exist at the top level of the tiered reporting structure; therefore all structures that can be refreshed come from one or more external sources. Structures from an external source are loaded directly into the Super administrator's personal database.

• Administrator workstations -- Administrators can receive structures both from external sources and from the administrator at the next highest level in the tiered reporting structure. If structures have been loaded from an external source into the administrator's shared database, the refresh process brings those structures into the administrator's personal database. If structures have been distributed to the administrator, the refresh process brings those structures into the administrator's shared database.

• Budget workstations -- Budget workstations refresh structures from their administrators shared database. The structures are refreshed from the administrator's shared database into the Budget Workstation user's personal database.

Manually refreshing structures

You choose Refresh Structure from the Manage menu to manually refresh data structures. If there are new structures to refresh, the Refresh Preview dialog box appears. You can use this dialog box to view information about the structures that are available for refresh before you apply them to your database. When you choose Refresh, the structures are refreshed.

Related information

For more information about refreshing structures, search for the following topic in the Financial Analyzer Help system: "Refreshing Structures."