How Information Flows through Financial Analyzer

Data flow

Financial Analyzer has a multi-layered, or tiered, structure that follows the reporting structure of the organization or group of organizations that it supports. Data flows both upward and downward through this system in a specific controlled manner. Administrators can ensure the integrity of the data at each level and enable the users that they support to have access to the appropriate data.

When you make data available to users, you must also give the users access to the objects in the shared database that structure the data. When you distribute objects, you provide read and write access to the data referenced by those objects.

Structure flow

Database structures usually flow downward through the levels of the tiered structure. The super administrator, who occupies the top-most level of the structure, creates database objects based on the needs of the organization or organizations that the system supports and makes them available to users in the next level of the structure. Lower level administrators do the same for their organizations.

Administrator as gatekeeper

Data and structure flow is monitored and controlled by the administrator at each level, who maintains the shared database for the users at the level below. The administrator at each level of the reporting structure acts as a sort of "gatekeeper," allowing the appropriate information to flow upward and downward through the system.

Illustration: Information flow in a tiered environment

The following figure shows how information flows in an installation that uses a tiered architecture. Financial data, represented by the dotted line, is submitted and distributed and thus flows both up and down through the tiered architecture. Database structures, represented by the solid line, are distributed from administrators to lower level users. This process allows data that originates at one level of the tiered structure to be passed to other tiers.

Methods for transferring information

Financial Analyzer supports the following methods for transferring information.

Method of Transfer	Description
Distribute Structures	Enables administrators (including the system's super administrator) to transfer database objects to their users.
Distribute Data	Enables administrators (including the system's super administrator) to transfer data to their users.
Refresh Structures	Enables users to incorporate database objects distributed to them by their administrators.
Refresh Data	Enables users to update the data that they view or use with the most current version of that data from the shared database.
Submit Data	Enables administrators and Budget workstation users to contribute data to the shared database.