Assigning currency tags to members in the main database enables Essbase to automatically generate the currency database. A currency database always consists of the following four dimensions:
A time dimension, which is typically the same as the time dimension in the main database. This allows the currency database to track currency fluctuations over time, and to accurately convert different time slices of the main database.
A currency category dimension, which enables you to apply different rates to members of the dimension tagged as accounts in the main database. The categories defined for the accounts dimension are used to form the members in the currency category dimension of the currency database. For example, it may be necessary to convert Gross Profit and Net Profit using one category of rates, while other accounts use a different set of rates.
A country dimension, which simply stores rates for each actual local currency (e.g., U.S. dollars, Canadian dollars, Germany Euro, and so forth).
A currency type dimension, which enables different scenarios for currency conversion. For example, companies may wish to store Actual Rates and Plan Rates. To convert data between scenarios, select which type of rate to use.
This dimension is created when you generate the currency outline and is not directly mapped to the main database. Therefore, member names in this dimension are not required to match member names of the main database.
To generate a currency database outline from an existing main database outline:
Select Outline, and then Generate currency database.
In the Generate Currency Outline dialog box, select the currency database, or enter the name for a new currency database, following the proper naming conventions in the Oracle Essbase Database Administrator's Guide.
Click OK.
Essbase generates and displays the currency database outline. You can now add members to any dimension in the currency outline.
Note: | You can also create a currency database manually in the same way that you create a regular database. See Creating Databases. |