About Semantic Model Customization

You can customize the semantic model to extend it for your business requirements. You extend the semantic model to make the data that you moved into the warehouse more useful for reporting.

Oracle Fusion Data Intelligence currently provides these methods for extending the semantic model:

Migrate to the Sandbox Framework

If your Oracle Fusion Data Intelligence instance has the semantic model extensions Branch framework, then you must migrate to the semantic model extensions Sandbox framework because the Branch framework is planned to be deprecated in a future release. See Migrate to the Sandbox Framework for Semantic Model Extensions.

If your production and lower environments such as development and test environments are on different Semantic Model Extensions frameworks; for example, production is on Sandbox and development or test is still on Branch, you have two options:
  • Recommended: Migrate all instances to the Sandbox framework.
  • If you have a business case that prevents migration to the Sandbox framework, log a support ticket to have the instance on the Sandbox downgraded to Branch.

Benefits of the Sandbox Framework

You should migrate to the Sandbox framework to take advantage of the new capabilities and features, including:

  • Model centric/graphical view:
    • Enhanced user experience.
    • Related steps are grouped together making it easier to complete a fully consistent unit of work.
    • Has the concept of a sandbox that can contain fully formed dimensional models or “stars”. All objects within a star are related.
    • Complete graphical view of each star that shows the ready-to-use and custom objects.
    • All customizations done to an object are visible together. You see the result of all operations at any time.
  • Avoid development delays:
    • You can manually apply system extensions if you want to run the system steps manually instead of running automatically based on the configurations such as data augmentations, applications, and custom data configurations (for example, Descriptive Flex Fields, Configurable Account Analysis, Fusion Accounting Hub, and Supply Chain Planning Application). See Set Up the Global Report Parameters and Apply System Extensions.
  • Improved validation and reporting:
  • Configurable deployment features:
    • You can migrate and publish customized sandboxes to other instances. See Deploy a Bundle.
    • When you’re deploying the semantic extensions bundle or the composite bundle, you can either merge the sandbox content and security in the target environment or replace it. See Create a Bundle and Deploy a Bundle.
  • Leverage advanced functionality:
    • You can use these customization options to expand subject areas beyond the previous limitation of only being available in the custom subject areas. See Manage Subject Areas.
      • Reordering, renaming, and removing columns
      • Adding sub-folders to custom dimensions available in the pre-built subject areas
    • You can define a specific column to control the sorting order of a logical column while adding and extending dimensions as a part of extending the semantic model using the Sandbox framework. See Add a Dimension and Extend a Dimension.

Choose the Right Method to Extend Your Semantic Model

As an organization, selecting the most suitable method for extending your semantic model is crucial for success.

You should use the Sandbox framework when you:

  • Manage a small number of semantic model customizations.
  • Have a small number of semantic model developers.
  • Your developers prefer developing in a user-friendly graphical interface.

You should use External Applications when you:

  • Need to merge semantic models from Oracle Analytics Cloud (OAC), Oracle Analytics Server (OAS), or Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition (OBIEE).
  • Manage a large number of semantic model customizations.
  • Require multiple developers to work concurrently on the semantic model.
  • Have a development team that is highly technical or familiar with advanced tools.

Advantages and Limitations of External Applications

Advantages of External Applications

Leveraging external applications and tools for Semantic Model development rather than relying solely on the Sandboxes framework offers several key advantages:

  • Accelerated Development: External Applications can significantly reduce overall development time, allowing for faster iteration and deployment of customizations.
  • Efficient Quality Assurance: Consistency checks and data validations run more quickly, helping to ensure the quality and reliability of changes.
  • Familiar Development Environment: Users already experienced with Oracle Analytics tools, such as the desktop-based Administration Tool or Oracle Analytics Cloud Semantic Modeler, will find the development process familiar and intuitive.
  • Comprehensive Functionality: Most features of the Oracle BI Administration tool are accessible, supporting advanced modeling and configuration tasks.
  • Source Control Integration: Using external version control systems (e.g., Git) enables collaborative development, detailed change tracking, and parallel feature work, offering a more flexible, enterprise-grade source management approach compared to the Sandbox framework.
  • Model Reuse and Merging: You can easily reuse and merge semantic models across platforms such as Oracle Analytics Cloud (OAC), Oracle Analytics Server (OAS), and Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition (OBIEE) with minimal reconfiguration.
  • These two new features enable far more use cases for External Applications than previously possible:
    • With the application of the 25.R4.P1 content patch, the Semantic Model Template expands to encompass all dimensions, enabling more extensive customizations. To utilize this feature with your external applications, apply patch 25.R4.P1, download your most recently imported Semantic Model from the External Application tab, then apply your future changes to this newly downloaded semantic model. See Download the Imported Semantic Model.
    • The External Applications Merge capability enables you to import your custom dimensions into the external application and then link them with the existing pre-built facts in the sandbox.

Limitations of External Applications

  • The Sandbox framework is still required for:
    • Facilitating logical joins between custom dimensions and pre-built fact tables within the semantic model.
    • Managing security for pre-built objects.

Semantic Model Components

The semantic model consists of these components:
  • Oracle Content: This is the base model provided by Oracle. Your customizations are layered on this.
  • External Applications: You can create extensions with objects created using the merged external application.
  • System Extensions: Your descriptive flexfield and data augmentation changes are available in this component. See View Activity History of Semantic Model Extensions to know about the scenarios in which Oracle Fusion Data Intelligence applies the system extensions.
  • User Extensions: Your extensions are available in this component.
  • Security Configurations: You can secure the objects of all the other components against the application roles in this component.

Keep your Customization Error-Free

Oracle Fusion Data Intelligence periodically evaluates the customizations and sends notifications to the users with Modeler Administrator and Modeler privileges to correct errors and warnings in the extensions as soon as possible to prevent errors during patching.

See Validate Model and Resolve Common Errors in Semantic Model Extensions.

If these errors aren't fixed and a patch is initiated (or a mandatory patch is auto-applied), then patching may encounter issues. In that case, customizations that haven't been merged to the main branch are removed and the factory semantic model is upgraded. You must reapply the applicable customizations after the patching is complete.