Installation Components and Workstation Types

Installation components

Before you install Financial Analyzer, you should design your system configuration.

There are three server components available:

1. Super administrator Component --This component must be installed first. Selecting this component installs all the necessary files and directories including the personal database for the Super administrator workstation. All other users of this component will be created through the Super administrator workstation using the Manage Users option.

2. Administrator Component -- Selecting this component installs all the necessary files and directories for an Administrator workstation. The Administrator workstation's personal database is not created during this installation but when an Administrator workstation user is created in the superior Administrator workstation.

3. Cluster Component -- Installing this component installs all the necessary files and directories to support a cluster of Budget workstations. You install a cluster component if a community of users is located on a different server from the Administrator's shared database, or if the community of users wants to use a different instance of Express Server.

These components can be installed on different NT or Unix servers. For example, you can install a Super administrator component on a Unix server and a cluster component on a NT server.

For more information about typical configurations and data distribution, see the Oracle Financial Analyzer User's Guide. For more information on creating users, refer to the topic "Creating Users" in the Financial Analyzer Help system.

Workstation types

Each component is made up of a number of workstations. You can install the following types of Financial Analyzer workstations.

Super administrator workstation

This workstation type enables the administrator at the highest level to perform the following functions:

• Define database structures and documents for system-wide use

• Control subordinate administrators' and users' access to financial data

• Process tasks submitted by users to update the Super administrator's shared database

Note: There can be only one Super administrator workstation for each Financial Analyzer installation.

Administrator workstation

This workstation type enables an administrator to perform the following functions:

• Define database structures and documents for users who report to the administrator

• Control users' access to financial data

• Process tasks submitted by users to update the administrator's shared database

In a multi-tiered installation, a Super administrator controls these administrators' access to financial data, and distributes structures and documents to them.

Task Processor workstation

This workstation type enables an administrator to monitor and control the transfer of data and structures between user workstations and the administrator's shared database.

A Task Processor workstation is automatically installed with each Administrator workstation. You can dedicate a client to running the Task Processor, which enables your system to process tasks without interruption, or you can launch the Task Processor as a background process on the server.

Budget workstation

This workstation type enables a user to prepare budgets and perform sophisticated financial analyses using models, worksheets, reports, and graphs.

Budget workstation users can accept slices of financial data from a shared database, work with the data locally in their personal database, and submit the changed data back to the shared database, where it can be accessed by other users. Each Budget workstation user keeps his or her personal database current by refreshing it periodically with data from the shared database.

Analyst workstation

This workstation type enables a user to create worksheets, reports, and graphs for analyzing and reporting financial data by working directly with the shared database. Although the primary purpose of an Analyst workstation is to analyze existing data rather than to contribute new data, an analyst is able to make ad hoc changes to data in the shared database using a worksheet.

Related information

For more information about workstation types and typical configurations, see the Oracle Financial Analyzer User's Guide.