1. Working with Data Modeler in Oracle Analytics Cloud
  2. Understand Data Modeling
  3. About Modeling Data with Data Modeler

About Modeling Data with Data Modeler

A semantic model is a design that presents business data for analysis in a manner that reflects the structure of the business. Semantic models enable analysts to structure queries in the same intuitive fashion as they ask business questions. Well-designed models are simple and mask the complexity of the underlying data structure.

Using Data Modeler you can model data from various source types, such as star and snowflake, in various ways that make sense to business users. You must have the BI Data Model Author role to use Data Modeler.

Note:

If you modeled your business data with Oracle BI Enterprise Edition, you don't have to start from scratch with Data Modeler. You can use the Model Administration Tool to upload your semantic model .rpd file to the cloud. See Upload Semantic Model Files from Oracle BI Enterprise Edition or Oracle Analytics Server.

Although not all source objects have star relationships, Data Modeler presents data as a simple star structure in the semantic model. In other words, the semantic model represents measurable facts that are viewed in terms of various dimensional attributes.

When building a semantic model with Data Modeler, you perform the following tasks:

  • Connect to the database containing your business data.

  • Add source tables or views to the model and classify them as either a fact table or a dimension table.

  • Define joins between fact and dimension tables

  • Ensure that every dimension table maps to at least one fact table, and that every fact table maps to at least one dimension table.

  • Specify aggregation rules for different fact columns, create derived measures based on expressions, create dimension hierarchies to support drilling, and create level-based measures.

  • Publish your semantic model to permanently save the changes and make the data available for use in analyses.

After publishing your semantic model, you can start visualizing your data from your enterprise reporting Home page. Your semantic model displays as a subject area that you can use in visualizations, dashboards, and analyses. The name of the subject area matches the name of your semantic model.

When you model source objects with multiple star relationships, they’re all part of the same semantic model and are included in the same subject area.

Can I Use My Existing Semantic Model .rpd File vs Data Modeler

Yes. This chapter describes how to create semantic models from scratch using Data Modeler. If you modeled your business data with Oracle BI Enterprise Edition, you can upload the complete semantic model .rpd to Oracle Analytics Cloud and immediately start using your subject areas in visualizations, dashboards, and analyses. See Upload Semantic Model Files from Oracle BI Enterprise Edition or Oracle Analytics Server.

If you upload an existing semantic model file in this way:
  • Data Modeler is disabled.

    You see the message "Please use Oracle BI Administration Tool to manage your model".

  • You use Model Administration Tool to make the changes.

    See Edit a Semantic Model in the Cloud.