Establishing Consolidation Options and Supporting Objects

This chapter provides an overview of consolidation options and supporting objects and discusses how to:

• Define system-wide security and processing options.

• Establish book code functionality.

• Define user preferences.

• Define ChartField value sets.

Defining System-Wide Security and Processing Options

This section provides an overview of system-wide security and processing options and discusses how to establish system-wide security and processing options.

Note. Consult a database administrator or a similar information technology professional within your organization when establishing these options.

See Also

Setting Up EPM Security

Understanding System-Wide Security and Processing Options

On the Global Consolidations General Options page, you can establish system-wide options for:

• Comparing consolidation runs.

• Enabling book code functionality.

• Row-level security options.

• Load balancing for the Ledger Preparation process.

Comparing Consolidation Runs

If you enable comparing consolidation runs, you will be able to compare the current results when processing either the Elimination or Equitization engines with the results from the last time the engine was run for that specific business unit, scenario, fiscal year, and period.

Enabling Book Code Functionality

Enabling book code functionality provides a way for you to segregate harmonization adjustments for local, statutory, reporting, and other needs.

Row Level Security Options

On the General Options page, you can establish row-level security for specific ledger business units, scenarios, operating units, accounts, book codes, and departments. If enabled, a user's access to specific data is controlled by the row-level security that you establish for that field. This security applies to these objects:

• Inquiry pages.

• Structured Query Report (SQR) reports.

• Manual Journal page.

• Matching Tag page.

For example, if you enable row-level security by business unit, users can only view data on the inquiry pages for the ledger business units that you permit them to access. Row-level security is set up within PeopleSoft EPM, but you must enable it within PeopleSoft Global Consolidations in order to use it. It is recommended that you select no more than two fields on which to enforce row-level security, or system performance may degrade.

You can also specify that the row-level security you set up to limit access also be extended to Global Consolidations SQR reports.

Note. You can also use PeopleTools security to limit access to menus or pages.

Load Balancing Options

To optimize performance during ledger preparation processing, the system performs load balancing to control the number of ledger business units that are processed concurrently using the Spawn (PF_SPAWN) application engine.PF_SPAWN. Load balancing is based on the total number of ledger business units, the number of record suites that are assigned, the size of your temporary tables, and the maximum number of load cycles.

The formula used to determine how many concurrent ledger business units are processed is:

(total number of ledger business units) ÷ ((record suites assigned) – 1)

Note. You subtract one from the record suites assigned because one of the assigned record suites is always used as the controlling record suite; this reduces the number of available records suites by one.

There are two fields on the General Options page in which you can specify factors that impact load balancing: Minimum Number of Ledger Business Units and Maximum Number of Load Cycles. If the processing run contains only a few ledger business units, there is no real benefit gained by using PF_SPAWN and processing concurrently. Therefore, if the result of the concurrent ledger business units calculation is less than the minimum number of ledger business units, the system processes everything in sequence. However, when the result of the concurrent ledger business units calculation is greater than the minimum number of ledger business units, the resulting amount is the number that the system processes concurrently, with the size of the chunk equal to that number divided by the maximum number of load cycles.

For example, suppose that you have 2,000 ledger business units to process, and 10 record suites allocated to ledger preparation. The Minimum Number of Ledger Business Units = 20. The Maximum Number of Load Cycles = 5 . Applying the formula to determine the number of concurrent ledger business units processed, calculates to 2000 ÷ (10 – 1) = 222.22 , or 223 when rounded up to the nearest whole number. Because 223 is greater than 20 (the minimum number of ledger business units to process), concurrent processing occurs. The system includes 223/5 (the maximum number of load cycles), or, when rounded, 45 ledger business units within each chunk.

By default the system performs general load balancing when you set both the minimum number of ledger business units and the maximum number of load cycles to one. This means that the system balances across the available record suites.

See Streamlining Processing with Jobstreams.

Concurrent Processing Options

The equitization process uses concurrent processing, therefore, it is possible that multiple child processes could attempt to insert into the same table during the merge phase and cause the process to abend. The concurrent processing options enable you to set delay times to prevent this from happening. The Process Wait Time option sets the maximum time a child process waits to merge data to the permanent records before it times out. The Process wait time option sets the time a child process will wait before repeating a merge attempt. If these fields are left blank or set to zero, the logic is not invoked during equitization processing.

Note. These options apply only to the equitization process.

Page Used to Define System-Wide Security and Processing Options

Establishing System-Wide Security and Processing Options

Access the General Options page (Global Consolidations, Define Consolidations, Common Definitions, General Options).

Get Prior Run Differences	Select this option to compare consolidation runs during processing. If this option is selected, the Get Prior Run Differences check box is available on the Eliminations and Equitizations run control pages.
Book Code Group Functionality	Select this option to activate the book code dimension for capturing multi-GAAP reporting functionality. This allows you to capture and segregate data for statutory consolidation or regulatory consolidation reporting.
Row Level Security	Within this region, select the fields on which to enforce row-level security. It is recommended that you select two fields at most; performance degrades if you select more than two. Row-level security it set up within PeopleSoft EPM, but you must also enable it on the General Options page to activate it in Global Consolidations. When viewing consolidation inquiry pages, you are limited to viewing only those rows to which you have access, based on the defined row level security set up in PeopleSoft EPM, for the fields that you specify. The Business Unit check box is used to control security to specific ledger business units, not the consolidation ledger business unit. Note. If the Ledger Record and Ledger Template do not contain all of the fields listed for row level security enforcement, then the system ignores the Row-Level Security setting for those fields.
Report Row Level Security	Select this option if you want to enforce row level security during Global Consolidations SQR report processing. This allows processing of selected dimensions based on the row level security setup. For example, the user ID that you use to sign in to the system may prevent you from processing reports for specific business units or accounts if Report Row Level Security is selected
Preparation Load Balancing	Enter the minimum number of ledger business units that you want to process concurrently, and the maximum number of load cycles.

Establishing Book Code Functionality

Book code functionality is an optional feature that is implemented at the Global Consolidations system level. This section discusses:

• Understanding book codes.

• Enabling book code functionality.

• Enabling row-level security by book code.

Understanding Book Codes

In Global Consolidations, you use the book code dimension to identify source data and specific types of adjustments, for example harmonization adjustments. You combine book codes into book code groups and use the book code groups to segregate source ledger amounts from harmonization and other types of adjustments in reports and inquiries.

Harmonization adjustments are journal entries and allocations that adjust the consolidation balances for consolidation reporting under the requirements of International Accounting Standards (IAS), United States-Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (US-GAAP), or other statutory requirements. Using book codes and book code groups enables you to maintain multiple accounting methods for separate local and consolidation reporting books within a single scenario.

If you enable book code functionality, the trial balance and other inquiry selection pages display a book code group option so that you can use a book code group as one of your inquiry criterion. When book code functionality is enabled, the trial balance inquiry contains columns for both the primary and secondary book codes within the book code group.

For example, after enabling book codes, you could establish these three book codes:

• COMN (common) used for source data.

• COAJ used for US GAAP adjustments.

• CORP used for US GAAP reporting.

You would then identify source data, journals, and allocations with the book codes COAJ (corporate adjustments) or CORP (for corporate reporting). You also combine these three book codes into a book code group, CORP, which you use when you want inquiries and reports to display the local GAAP plus adjustments that are identified by these book codes.

Note. You can group as many book codes together as needed to define a book code group. For example, you might define one book code group for US-GAAP reporting, another for IAS reporting, and another for local statutory reporting.

When you run a trial balance inquiry, you can specify the book code group to use and group the amounts in the first (primary) and second (secondary) columns.

See Access My Oracle Support to see the “Global Consolidations Implementation Guide Red Paper.”

Enabling Book Code Functionality

You enable book code functionality on the General Options page by selecting the Book Code Group Functionality check box.

Enabling Row Level Security by Book Code

After setting up and assigning EPM security user and user roles, you can restrict access to book codes based on the row-level security setup options on the General Options page in the Global Consolidations application. You can assign users to security groups that you tie to book codes and restrict their ability to enter and make inquiries of data for these specific book codes. You enable row-level security by book code by selecting the Book Code check box in the Row Level Security section.

Pages Used to Establish Book Code Functionality

Establishing a Book Code Group

Access the Book Code Group page (Global Consolidations, Define Consolidations, Common Definitions, Book Code Group).

Book code groups enable you to limit what data appears in inquiry and reports, so that you can view different sets of adjustments to the source data. For example, one book code could contain all the GAAP adjustments, another could contain local statutory adjustments.

Book Codes

Enter a row for each book code that you want to include in the book code group.

Note. The underlying book code group table (GC_BKCD_GRP) contains the date/timestamp and user ID information for audit purposes.

Defining User Preferences

This section provides an overview of user preference settings and discusses how to:

• Define user preferences for inquiry pages.

• Define user preferences for portal pagelets.

Understanding User Preference Settings

Completing the user preferences pages enables the system to use the field values that you specify as the default data that appears on various inquiry pages. For example, if you know that you'll want to review data for a specific business unit most of the time, then you would specify that business unit here. When you use an inquiry page, the business unit field is already populated with the value that you provided. This enables default values to be set by user ID; the user can override the defaults when running an inquiry.

Pages Used to Define User Preferences

Defining User Preferences for Inquiry Pages

Access the User Preferences - Inquiry Preference page (Global Consolidations, Define Consolidations, Common Definitions, User Preference, Inquiry Preference).

Primary Inquiry Options	Specify the default Business Unit, Tree Name, Scenario ID, Fiscal Year, Period, and Prep Phase (ledger preparation phase). For the year and period, either select Most Recent Period, so that the latest year and period appear by default, or clear Most Recent Period, and enter a specific year and period in the Fiscal Year and Period fields. Prep Phase is optional and allows you to specify the ledger preparation phase that you want to select as a primary inquiry. Your options for Prep Phase are Ledger Enrichment or Preparation Manager.
Additional Inquiry Options	Specify the default options to use for inquiry pages that enable you to compare data. Enter the Scenario ID, and for the time frame to compare, select one of these options: Prior Period of Primary Period: Compares data from the previous period. Prior Year of Primary Period: Compares data from the previous year. Same as Primary Period: Compares data from the same period and year. This is typically used when you are comparing two different scenarios. Specify: Compares data from the fiscal year and period that you enter.
Book Code Group	Specify the default book code group. Book Code Group appears on the User Preferences - Inquiry page when book code functionality is enabled on the General Options page.
Detail fields to show when drilling to ledger	Insert rows within this grid and specify which Dimensions to display when viewing details for the data. Select Show Description to display the dimension value's description.
Display Tree using Description	Select if you prefer to see on pages with trees the description for the nodes rather than the node IDs.

Defining User Preferences for Portal Pagelets

Access the User Preferences - Pagelet Preference page (Global Consolidations, Define Consolidations, Common Definitions, User Preference, Pagelet Preference).

The fields in the Primary Pagelet Options and Additional Pagelet Options group boxes are the same as those listed in the section for the User Preferences - Inquiry page.

Because Global Consolidations pagelets have limited space, you can specify the default dimensions to include by inserting rows into the Include Dimensions grid, and specifying which dimensions to display. Select Show Description to view the dimension values instead of the IDs. Only the first dimension that is inserted appears on pagelets.

Optionally, you can limit the default data shown in pagelets by selecting the Use Values Specified Below check box. Click Refresh, and insert one or more rows to enter the criteria for which data to view (based on the dimensions that are specified in the Include Dimensions grid).

Defining ChartField Value Sets

This section provides an overview of ChartField value sets and discusses how to establish ChartField value sets.

Understanding ChartField Value Sets

A ChartField value set is a group of related ChartField values (specific accounts, departments, and so on) that you use as when defining many of the rules that drive consolidations. They enable you to specify a set of ChartField values, instead of specifying each ChartField individually.

You define which ChartField values comprise a ChartField value set by selecting a tree node, a range of values, or a set of individual values. For example, you can define a ChartField value set for all of your equity accounts, based on an account rollup tree. Later, if you need to change the ChartField values included in that set, simply update it once in the ChartField value set definition; you don't need to update every consolidation rule that uses the ChartField Value Set.

Note. You must set up the trees upon which you base the ChartField value sets before you can use those trees within your ChartField value set definitions.

Pages Used to Define ChartField Value Sets

Establishing ChartField Value Sets

Access the ChartField Value Set page (Global Consolidations, Define Consolidations, Common Definitions, ChartField Value Set).

Select the Ledger Template associated with this ChartField value set. This should be the same ledger template that you use for your consolidation ledger. The ledger template controls which ChartFields are valid.

In the Values by ChartFields group box, specify the specific values to include in this ChartField value set. Insert multiple rows as needed to define all the ChartField values that comprise the ChartField value set that you are defining. You can specify the ChartField values by using a tree or by selecting specific values from a list. The method by which you specify the ChartField values depends on your selection in the How Specified field, as do the active fields in the grid:

1. In the Field Name drop-down list box , select which ChartField to use for this ChartField value set.

   This setting limits lookups to valid values from this ChartField.

2. In the How Specified, drop-down list box, select the method you want to use to specify the values to include, then specify your values by using the fields in the Select Values/Nodes grid. Select from these options:

   Detail - Selected Parents	Use this option to specify values by using parent nodes of a specific tree. If you select this option, the Tree ID field becomes active. Select the tree that contains the values to include. When you select this option, the Select Values/Nodes grid contains a single Select Value field, in which you select the tree node that you want to include. Insert an additional row for each tree node that you want to include in the ChartField Value Set
   Range of Values	Use this option to specify a range of values to include. When you select this option, the Select Values/Nodes grid contains both a Select Value field (the beginning value to include in the range) and a To Value field (the last value to include in the range). Insert an additional row for each range of values that you want to include in the ChartField Value Set.
   Selected Detail Values	Use this option to specify individual detail values to include. When you select this option, the Select Values/Nodes grid contains a single Select Value field. Insert an additional row for each value that you want to include in the ChartField Value Set

3. Specify values by using the fields in the Select Values/Nodes grid, by selecting a value or a tree node.

   	Click the Detail button to select the value from the list of available values. You can use this button to select a tree node or a specific value.
   	Click the Tree button to open an interactive view of the tree specified in the Tree ID field. Expand the nodes as needed to view the parent that you want to insert. Click the node description to insert it into the Select Values/Nodes grid.
   	Click the Refresh button to update your tree view. For example, if you change the tree ID, you need to click this button.