Creating Dimensions with Dimension Management

For an overview of Dimension Management, see Viewing, Creating, and Editing Dimensions with Dimension Management.

See the following video for information about using the Dimension Management editor:

video symbol Updating Metadata with the Dimension Editor in Profitability and Cost Management

Tip:

After you create new dimensions, you should redeploy the application, which validates the dimensions and updates the database.

To create a dimension in Dimension Management:

  1. In the Home page, click Application, Application icon, and then click Dimension Management, Dimension Management icon.
  2. In Dimensions, click plus sign icon to create a dimension.
  3. On the Create Dimension page, set the dimension's properties:

    Table 6-6 Dimension Properties

    Property Description

    Name

    See Essbase Naming Conventions.

    Dimension Type

    Select the type of dimension. See Dimension Types.

    • Business
    • Point of View
    • Attribute

    Attribute Dimensions

    Optional: Select an attribute dimension from the list of existing attribute dimensions that aren't yet associated with another dimension. See Profitability and Cost Management Attribute Dimensions.

    POV Dimension Order

    Optional: Set the display order of the POV dimensions. For example, to set the display order in the POV as Year first, then Period, and then Scenario, set Year as 1, Period as 2, and Scenario as 3.

    Comment

    Optional: Describe the dimension's intended use

    Data Storage

    For aggregate storage (ASO) cubes, select the type of data storage:

    • Store Data: The default. Store Data aggregates the values of its members.

    • Label Only: Label only dimensions are virtual dimensions; they're typically used for navigation and have no associated data. Although a label only dimension has no data associated with it, the dimension displays the value of its first direct child.

    Hierarchy Type

    For aggregation storage (ASO) cubes, select the type of hierarchy:

    • Stored: The default. The stored hierarchy type is the simplest hierarchy and provides the fastest aggregation. The entire dimension is treated as a single hierarchy. This hierarchy type doesn't allow shared members, member formulas, nor alternate consolidation operators (other than +).

      Dynamic: The most customizable hierarchy type, but provides the slowest aggregation performance. The entire dimension is treated as a dynamic hierarchy, which allows shared members, members with formulas, and all consolidation symbols. Use dynamic hierarchies carefully to prevent performance degradation.

    • Enabled: In an enabled hierarchy type, the dimension is treated as multiple hierarchies, one for each of the generation 2 children (the children of the root). Each generation 2 child is the top of a unique hierarchy. The first hierarchy must be stored and can't contain shared members or use consolidation operators other than +. The second through the last hierarchies may be Dynamic or Stored. Stored hierarchies other than the first one may contain shared members.

    Dimension Sort Order

    Optional: With the increment counter, set the order of dimensions in the database; the lowest number is sorted first. This option also sets the default evaluation order when Dimension Sort Order and Dimension Solve Order are the same. Duplicates of numerical sort order values aren't allowed.

    Dimension Solve Order

    Optional: With the increment counter, set the evaluation order of dimensions; the lowest number is evaluated first. Multiple dimensions can have the same solve order value. Zero is the default.

    Aliases - <alias table name> fields

    Enter the alias you want to use for this dimension, for each defined alias table. See Profitability and Cost Management Alias Dimensions.

  4. When you make changes to dimensions, you must push those changes to the database by redeploying the application. You can redeploy now or, if you’re changing or adding multiple dimensions, you can redeploy the application after making multiple changes. Follow the steps in Deploying Databases to redeploy the application's metadata to the Oracle Essbase cube. Any validation errors are displayed in the Job Library.