Understanding Cube Collections

A cube collection is a collection of related data cubes. You create cube collections to load data from the database into the analytic model, receive user input, persist data back to the database, and display calculated data to the end user at runtime.

When the end user loads an analytic instance, Analytic Calculation Engine loads the data from the database into the data cubes of the analytic model. These data cubes exist within cube collections. You map the main record from the database to the cube collection, and the main record's fields to the data cubes and dimensions within the cube collection.

After loading an analytic instance, the end user has access to one or more cube collections within the application. These cube collections which are displayed in PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture pages with analytic grids contain the data that end users can view or edit. You create these pages in PeopleSoft Application Designer.

See Understanding Analytic Grid Design.

Note: The analytic model may contain cube collections that are not visible to the end user.

For each record that you want to work with in the analytic model, you generally create read/write cube collection to load data into the analytic model, and a presentation cube collection for end user input, reporting and forecasting. The presentation cube collection calculates the data from the read/write cube collection's data cubes and displays the calculated data to the end user. Presentation cube collections may also receive end user input.

You can also create an intermediate/calculation cube collection to organize data cubes and create calculations whose results are not displayed to the end user.

In the General tab of the cube collection's properties, you map the main record, which stores the fact data that you want to load and persist. For a read/write cube collection, select one of the records that you selected in the analytic type definition that corresponds to the analytic model. For a presentation cube collection, select a derived/work record from the list of available records.

Note: Do not map intermediate/calculation cube collections to any records.

In the analytic type definition, you do not have to select the derived/work records that you want to map to presentation cube collections. However, the analytic type definition must include all derived/work records that are mapped to cube collections on which you use the NetChanges parameter of the GetData CubeCollection class method.

When a cube collection is mapped to either a Writable-only record or a record with the Readable and Writable attributes, all data cubes in the cube collection should share the same set of dimensions.

If desired, you can also use the General tab (in PeopleSoft Application Designer–Cube Collections) to map the cube collection to an aggregate record to persist the cube collection's aggregate data.

After you map the cube collection to the main and aggregate records, use the Field Map tab (in PeopleSoft Application Designer–Cube Collections) to map the cube collection's data cubes and dimensions to the fields of the main and aggregate records.

Note: You can map a data cube or dimension to one field within one record. After you have mapped a data cube or dimension to a particular record field, you cannot use that record field in another mapping. You can, however, reuse the same field if that field is from a different record.

Use the Dimensions tab (in PeopleSoft Application Designer–Cube Collections) to define these additional attributes for the dimensions in the cube collection:

  • How much aggregate data is saved.

  • Sort order.

  • Filter user function.