1. Administering FreeForm
  2. Creating a FreeForm App
  3. FreeForm App Sources

FreeForm App Sources

You can build FreeForm apps by creating dimensions using the application creation wizard. Alternatively, you can use an outline (OTL) file or snapshot from an on-premises release 11.1.2.4.xxx (or later) single cube Oracle Essbase application to create a FreeForm app.

When you use an Essbase cube OTL file or Essbase application snapshot as the source for a FreeForm app, Account, Period (time), and Entity (country) dimensions are created and mapped automatically. Additionally, Version and Scenario dimensions of the Essbase application are created as custom dimensions. As a result, out of the box Workflow functionality is not supported in FreeForm apps.

Service Administrators build a FreeForm app using the application creation wizard or these sources:

  • An Outline file from on-premises release 11.1.2.4.xxx (or later) single cube Essbase application

    You may use an OTL file from an on-premises release 11.1.2.4.xxx (or later) single cube Essbase application to create the structure of the FreeForm app. New cubes may be added or created for this FreeForm app at a later time.

    Because the OTL file name is assigned to the cube created for the FreeForm app, the file name must be eight characters or less. Longer file names will cause the process to fail.

    Generally, the OTL file is available in the EssbaseServer/essbaseserver1/app/<app_Name> directory within your on-premises Essbase deployment.

    Because the OTL file does not contain application data, you must extract Essbase data to a file. Use MaxL, Essbase Studio, or another tool to export data from an Essbase application. The data must be exported in an Essbase data file format.

    After creating the application, import the extracted data, selecting Essbase as the source type. You can import from a locally stored data file or from a file that was uploaded to the Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud inbox. For detailed instructions, see Importing Data.

  • An application snapshot from an on-premises release 11.1.2.4.xxx (or later) single cube Essbase application

    This option simplifies application creation by migrating an existing Essbase application snapshot (ZIP file) that was created using Migration. This process automates dimensions loading, substitution variables creation, calculation scripts conversion as graphical rules, and data load. New cubes may be added or created for this FreeForm app at a later time.