Setting Two-Pass Calculations

By default, Essbase calculates outlines from the bottom up—first calculating the values for the children and then the values for the parent. Sometimes, however, the values of the children may be based on the values of the parent or the values of other members in the outline. To obtain the correct values for these members, Essbase must first calculate the outline and then recalculate the members that are dependent on the calculated values of other members. The members that are calculated on the second pass through the outline are called two-pass calculations.

See Using Bottom-Up Calculation.

For example, to calculate the ratio between Sales and Margin, Essbase needs first to calculate Margin, which is a parent member based on its children, including Sales. To ensure that the ratio is calculated based on a freshly calculated Margin figure, tag the Margin % ratio member as a two-pass calculation. Essbase calculates the database once and then calculates the ratio member again. This calculation produces the correct result.

Although two-pass calculation is a property that you can give to any nonattribute member, it works only on the following members:

• Accounts dimension members

• Dynamic Calc members

If two-pass calculation is assigned to other members, Essbase ignores it.

To tag a member as two-pass, see Setting Two-Pass Calculation Properties.