1. Essbase Stack Deployment on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure
  2. Migrate Essbase Applications
  3. Migrate From Essbase 11g On-Premise
  4. Prepare to Migrate from Essbase 11g On-Premise

Prepare to Migrate from Essbase 11g On-Premise

If you have an existing Essbase 11g On-Premise application and cube to migrate, review the following considerations and prerequisites.

Differences Between Essbase 11g and Essbase 21c

Task Flow for Migrating

Note:

  • If you used EPM Shared Services in Essbase 11g On-Premise to configure an external security provider, then step 1 below isn't required. Based on the security mode chosen during configuration, you may need to configure your target EPM instance or WebLogic to use the same external security provider as used in Essbase 11g On-Premise.

  • If you're using Oracle Identity Cloud Service, configure it to use the same external security provider as used in Essbase 11g On-Premise.

  1. Migrate users and groups from source Essbase 11g On-Premise EPM Shared Services to Oracle Identity Cloud Service (for OCI deployment) or EPM Shared Services / WebLogic LDAP (for Independent deployments). See Migrate 11g Users and Groups.

  2. If you're exporting non-Unicode Essbase 11g On-Premise applications, you must convert the applications to Unicode.
    1. Use Alter System on the server, and then on a backup copy of the Essbase application, prior to running 11g LCM Export Utility, to enable Essbase itself to support the Unicode application.
    2. For non-Unicode, block storage applications, export the application using "-converttoutf8" option in the export command. See 11g Export Utility Options.

      For non-Unicode, aggregate storage applications, follow the manual Unicode conversion instructions in Convert Non-Unicode Aggregate Storage Cube Application to Unicode Mode.

  3. Migrate 11g applications:
    1. Export Essbase applications using the 11g LCM Export Utility, downloaded from target 21c instance, and running the utility on the computer where Essbase 11g On-Premise is installed.

      Note:

      To use the 11g LCM Export Utility, Java Development Kit (JDK) 8 or higher must be installed, and the following variables must be set: JAVA_HOME environment variable, and EPM_ORACLE_HOME and EPM_ORACLE_INSTANCE variables in the shell terminal.

    2. Import Essbase applications using the Essbase Command Line Interface (CLI) Utility, downloaded from the Essbase 21c instance. Run the utility for each exported zip file.

Supported Essbase Versions and Paths

The following releases have been tested for migration: 11.1.2.3.0nn, 11.1.2.4.0nn, 12.2.1, and later.

Note:

Migration from 11.1.2.3 is supported, however, not every application can be migrated from 11.1.2.3 to 21c. We recommend that you upgrade from 11.1.2.3.0.n.n to 11.1.2.4.0.n.n before attempting the migration to 21c.

The following migration paths are not supported:
  • Oracle Analytics Cloud - Essbase to Essbase 21c on Windows (independent deployment)
  • Essbase 19c or 21c on OCI (Marketplace deployment) to Essbase 21c on Windows (independent deployment)
  • Essbase 21c on Linux (independent deployment) to Essbase 21c on Windows (independent deployment)

Migrated 11g Artifacts

Review the 11g artifacts that are supported for migration. See Migrated 21c Artifacts.

Unsupported Application and Database Settings

The following application- or database-level settings aren't supported in migration: disk volumes.

CONFIGURATION NOTES

  • Hybrid Mode

    The default calculation and query processor is hybrid mode. Hybrid mode enables block storage cubes to have dynamic, upper-level sparse members, and fully dynamic query and calculation. You can query data immediately after updating it, without running batch calculations. In hybrid mode, there is no impact to your cubes if you choose not to apply dynamic calc to upper-level sparse members. Note: Hybrid mode is not the default if using calculation scripts - if your calculation scripts contain many sparse dependencies, consider enabling hybrid mode for calculation scripts as well.

  • Implied Sharing

    If you use the IMPLIED_SHARE configuration setting in your Essbase 11g On-Premise application, your implied sharing setting is migrated, for minimal disruption. For more details about implied sharing defaults in Essbase 21c, see the IMPLIED_SHARE_ON_CREATE configuration topic.

  • Configuration Settings

    Some default configuration values are different than they were in Essbase 11g On-Premise. Check the Configuration Reference.

    INDEXCACHESIZE and DATACACHESIZE settings now control cache sizes for all Essbase cubes (except for aggregate storage cubes). Formerly, these settings only affected newly created or migrated cubes.

    To modify the default values for application-level configuration settings, you use the Essbase web interface. See Set Application-Level Configuration Properties.

    Oracle recommends managing most configurations at the application level. When you migrate applications, your application-level configuration is preserved during the LCM export and import processes. Some configurations, however, are only applicable to the Essbase Server. Most of these server configurations you specify while configuring Essbase using the configuration tool, but you can also change server configuration defaults using essbase.cfg, if needed.

GENERAL NOTES

  • Upgrading EPM Applications - Calculations and Filters

    After upgrading EPM applications to Essbase 21.5, you can’t provision members to calculations or filters from EPM Shared Services console. You must use the Essbase Web Interface to assign members. See topics: Assigning Filters in Database Administrator’s Guide for Oracle Essbase, and Access to Calculations in Using Oracle Essbase.

  • Partitions

    When you perform the LCM import operation, import the source applications before the target applications. If you don't import source applications prior to target applications, then the partition definition won't work, and you must re-create the partition definition after importing source applications.

    After you roll back an OPatch, you may need to recreate transparent and replicated partitions, and re-validate the partitions.

  • Application Creation Options Other than LCM

    In addition to using LCM to migrate exported applications, you can also create applications in the following ways:

    • Import using Excel application workbooks
    • In Smart View, use the Cube Designer extension
    • MaxL create application statement

  • Location Aliases

    LCM doesn't support Location alias credentials migration. After you migrate your applications from Essbase 11g On-Premise, you must replace your location aliases. You can use the following automated method, or a manual method using MaxL.

    Automated method to replace location aliases

    1. Unzip the LCM exported zip.
    2. Go to {ApplicationName} \Databases{dbName}\Location Aliases.
    3. Open the file under this directory. This is an XML format file, where userName and password field are empty. You can provide the credentials.
    4. Zip the directory again.
    5. Import the application using the zip directory.

      Sample xml file

      <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<java version="$VERSION$" class="java.beans.XMLDecoder">
<object class="oracle.essbase.lcm.essbase.EssbaseLocationAlias">
<void property="aliasAppName">
<string>
{appName}
</string>
</void>
<void property="aliasCubeName">
<string>
{dbName}
</string>
</void>
<void property="aliasHostName">
<string>localhost</string>
</void>
<void property="password">
<string>password</string>
</void>
<void property="userName">
<string>lauser</string>
</void>
</object>
</java>

    Manual method using MaxL to replace location aliases

    An alternative option manual method uses MaxL. After you import source applications by performing the CLI LCMImport job, re-create location aliases using Create Location Alias.

  • Custom-Defined Functions and Macros

    FOR INDEPENDENT DEPLOYMENTS - If you have custom .jar file that you use for custom-defined calculation functions and macros, these are not migrated by the 11g LCM Export Utility. You must move them manually. To do this,

    1. Note the location of your <Essbase Path> and <Application directory> (ARBORPATH) in Essbase 21c. If you're not sure, see Environment Locations in the Essbase Platform.

    2. Migrate global (system-level) functions by copying your .jar files from <Essbase Path>/java/udf on your source instance to <Essbase Path>/java/udf on your target Essbase instance.

    3. Migrate local (application-level) functions by copying your .jar files from the application directory on your source instance to the application directory on your target Essbase instance. In other words, copy the .jar files from <ARBORPATH>/app/<app_name> on your 11g server to <Application directory>/app/<app_name> on your 21c server.

    4. On your target Essbase instance, add JVMMODULELOCATION to essbase.cfg, providing as an argument the path to the JVM library on your system.

  • Client Service URLs

    FOR INDEPENDENT DEPLOYMENTS - In Essbase 11g, Provider Services is the middle-tier data-source provider to Oracle Essbase for Java API, Smart View, and XML for Analysis (XMLA) clients.

    Provider Services functionality is integrated with WebLogic. Update the client URLs to the current format.

    Clients Former URL for Connecting Provider Services to the Specified Client New URL in Essbase 21c
    Java API http://server_name:port/aps/JAPI http://server_name:port/essbase/japi
    Smart View http://server_name:port/aps/SmartView http://server_name:port/essbase/smartview
    XML for Analysis (XMLA) http://server_name:port/aps/XMLA http://server_name:port/essbase/xmla

  • Outline Solve Order and Enabled Typed Measures

    FOR OCI MARKETPLACE DEPLOYMENTS - After you migrate an Essbase application from Essbase 11g On Premises server to Essbase deployed on OCI via Marketplace, you must enable typed measures in the outline before you can change the outline solve order.

    In Essbase deployed on OCI, the Typed Measures Enabled outline property is set to FALSE by default. In order to change the solve order, the Typed Measures Enabled property first needs to be changed to TRUE. To change this property, see About Typed Measures in Database Administrator's Guide for Oracle Essbase.