13 Application Preferences

In addition to Global Preferences, each of OFS Analytical Applications has its own local application preferences. In the same way as in Global Preferences, Application Preferences (for each application) employs a "delegation" model that allows Administrators to set some preference items for all users while allowing non-administrative users to personalize other preference items.

Application Preferences allow both Administrators and End Users to establish default values and to manage other core application parameters that affect the way business rules are created and the way Oracle Insurance Allocation Manager for Enterprise Profitability processes are run.

The procedure for working with and managing Application Preferences includes Updating Application Preferences.

Updating Application Preferences

Updating Insurance Allocation Manager for Enterprise Profitability Application Preferences is a one-step process. You navigate to the Application Preferences screen and define your Preferences.

To update the PFT INS application preferences, follow these steps:

  1. From the LHS Menu, select Insurance Allocation Manager, and then select Application Preferences to display the Application Preferences page.

    Figure 13-1 Application Preferences


    The Application Preference screen allows you to define the preferences that are used by the Insurance Allocation Manager for Enterprise Profitability application. This is a one-step process and defined the first time when you are going to use the application.

  2. Input values for all the Profitability Management Application Preference items as described in the following table.

    Table 13-1 Fields and Descriptions from the Application Preferences Screen

    Term Description
    Select Preference For
    Show Preferences For

    There are two modes in which you can access Application Preferences:

    • Administrator: If the user has Administrator privileges, he can define preferences for the “All User” group and for his own personal account, which may be the same or different from the “All User” settings. The Administrator can also designate the “All User” preferences as Editable or Non-editable on a row by row basis. If the individual preference is checked as “ is Editable”, then End Users can update or override the Administrator's default value for their own individual account. If the “is editable” box is not checked, then End Users are not able to change the default for their own account.
    • End User: If the user does not have administrator privileges, then certain preference items may have been pre-set by the administrator and the user may not be allowed to change the value. All Application Preference settings are displayed, regardless of access privilege.
    Active for Master Maintenance If a user has more than one application available on their Left-Hand menu, then they will need to designate Application Preferences from one of their applications as “Active for Master Maintenance”. Certain preferences such as the default folder and read/write access setting will be referenced by items within Master Maintenance based on this selection.
    Parameters - General
    Security Map This option allows you to select an existing security map. Security Maps can be used to control the dimensions and dimension members each user can access when building and executing rules. For more information on Security Mapping, see the Oracle Financial Services Analytical Applications Infrastructure User Guide.
    As-of-Date All processes reference this date at run time to determine the data to include in the process. The As-of-Date value you set in Application Preferences applies to interactive job execution (i.e., when you choose to execute a rule directly from a Summary screen). For batch processing, the As-of-Date is an input parameter.
    Show Execution Parameters If this option is selected, a pop-up window appears whenever you execute a process interactively from a Summary screen. Within this pop-up window, you may confirm or modify your run execution parameters (As-of-Date and Legal Entity).
    Legal Entity
    Similar to As-of-Date, all processes reference Legal Entity at run time to determine the data to include in the process. The value of the Legal Entity you set in Application Preferences applies to interactive job execution (i.e., when you choose to execute a process directly from a Summary screen). For batch processing, Legal Entity is an input parameter.

    Note:

    Legal Entity is designed to support implementations that require multi-entity or multi-tenant functionality. If your implementation does not require this functionality, you may utilize the Default Legal Entity in all your processes.

    No additional parameter is required for the Legal Entity for command-line execution. EPM Engines read the default Legal Entity from the Application preference value saved for the User who is executing from the command line.

    The default legal entity is a per-user preference setting. To set this, the following steps are required:

    1. Create a security map in AAI containing the legal-entity hierarchy as an app-admin.
    2. Set the default security map in user preferences.
    3. Navigate to the "execution parameters" block in user preferences and choose the default legal-entity member.

    If you do not want to use the Multi-Entity feature with Security, you need to save the Application preference for the user executing the batch. The usual choice for Legal Entity would be Default Member in Application preferences.

    Default implies -1 code.

    The default value for the Legal Entity dimension column in all instrument and ledger tables is -1.

    Note:

    Legal Entity only acts as a run-time parameter for Variable Allocation rules. Starting with release 8 Legal Entity is made an optional run-time parameter.

    Legal Entity is not applicable to allocation rules using the Management Ledger table.
    Disable Legal Entity If the "Disable Legal Entity" checkbox in the application preferences screen is checked, then Legal Entity will no longer be a run-time parameter. On disabling Legal Entity, the user should edit the already defined Variable Allocation rules and modify the value of Legal Entity dimension in all applicable tabs (Source, Driver, and Outputs) in the allocation specification screen. This is an optional parameter.
    Processing - General
    Default Total Error Message Limit Oracle Insurance Allocation Manager for Enterprise Profitability processes log error details into the FSI_O_PROCESS_ERRORS table. This parameter defines the limit on the total number of errors that will be logged for any ALM Process.
    Default Error Message Limit Per Item This parameter defines the total number of errors that will be logged for a given type of error.
    Debugging Output Level

    The debugging output level determines the amount of SQL that will be written to the processing log. There are three levels available:

    • Do not output SQL to log file: A log file will not be created.
    • Show Significant Calculation SQL: Log file is created and will contain those SQLs that are tagged as significant.
    • Show all SQL: Log file is created and will contain all the SQL that the engines execute.

    The Allocation Engine log files can be accessed by the system administrator in the following location on the server:

    • $OFSAA_LOG_HOME/<MIS_DATE>/<INFODOM>/Allocation Engine/ folder.

      The file names will be prefixed with the application initials and will also contain the unique batch run id of the execution request.

      For example: Allocation Engine_<INFODOM>_Task1_<Allocation SYSID>.log

      To UNDO log files can be accessed by the system administrator in the following location on the server:

    • $OFSAA_LOG_HOME/<SYS_DATE>/<INFODOM>/Allocation Engine/ folder.

      The file names will be prefixed with the application initials and will also contain the unique batch run id of the execution request.
    Processing - Application Specific
    Enable UNDO for Selected Allocations Set this value to Yes to enable UNDO functionality for individual allocation rules. For details, see Allocation Execution History.
    Enable Mass UNDO Set this value to Yes to enable Mass UNDO functionality. For details, see Allocation Execution History.
    Enable UNDO for Selected Batches Set this value to Yes to enable UNDO for selected batches. For details, see Allocation Execution History.
    Enable UNDO for Selected Allocation Models Set this value to Yes to enable UNDO for selected allocation models. For details, see Allocation Execution History.
    Maximum Circular Allocation Iterations This value governs the maximum number of circular iterations within a Circular Allocation Model. Its purpose is to ensure that circular models will terminate without going into an infinite loop even if the model does not converge on the value of the Threshold Source Balance or Threshold Percentage you have selected for your model. For details, see Allocation Models.
    Scenario Values

    The Application Preference setting for the Scenario dimension allows you to run the same rules for different scenarios, such as Actuals, Budget, and so on. These values are inherited by rules that specify Use Application Preferences in their Sources, Drivers, or Outputs. For details, see Allocation Specification.

    • Scenario for Source: When an allocation rule's Source is configured as Use Application Preferences in the Allocation Source section, the value used by the rule in its Source is the one specified in Application Preferences.
    • Scenario for Driver: When an allocation rule's Driver is configured as Application Preferences in the Allocation Source section, the value used by the allocation rule in its Driver is the one specified in Application Preferences.
    • Scenario for Output: When an allocation rule's Output (applicable to both Debit and/or Credit) is configured as Use Application Preferences in the Dimension section, the value used by the allocation rule is the one specified in Application Preferences.
    Assumption Management Defaults
    Folder Name This parameter allows you to define the default folder selection. The folder selection for all rule types will default to this selection within the summary page search screen and when creating a new rule. This selection acts as the starting value for convenience only and users can change to any other available value at their discretion.
    Access Type This parameter allows you to set the default access type setting. Selections include Read / Write and Read Only. This selection acts as the starting value for convenience only and users can change at their discretion.
  3. Click Apply to save the changes. Alternatively, click Reset to Default if you like to clear all the previously applied inputs and return to the original default state.