Listed below are twelve of the most commonly asked questions by Essbase developers about Dodeca.
What can I do with Dodeca that I can’t do with Smart View?
Dodeca has many capabilities that are not provided by Smart View. One of the biggest differences is that Dodeca makes it easy for developers to design, publish, and distribute dynamic spreadsheet reports using the popular Excel format, filled with Essbase and/or relational data, in a matter of minutes.
With Dodeca, you can leverage the powerful calculation capabilities, charts, and easy-to-use formatting of spreadsheets and deliver customized applications to your entire user base from the entry level to the top level executive. As the report developer, you control the spreadsheet report templates and the settings used to build reports, and you can make sure your users have spreadsheets that are accurate and error-free.
Dodeca is optimized for Essbase performance and allows users to retrieve very large datasets very quickly. We recognize the continuing popularity of the classic Excel add-in for Essbase, so we modeled Dodeca’s ad-hoc capabilities on that popular product and have expanded them based on feedback from our clients.
What versions of Essbase does Dodeca support?
Dodeca supports every version of Essbase from Essbase 6.5.3 through the latest version, 11.1.2.3. Due to our unique design, support for new versions of Essbase is provided within days of Oracle releasing a new Essbase version.
How does Dodeca communicate with Essbase?
Dodeca uses a highly optimized web service to communicate with Essbase via http or https. The Dodeca web services are commonly installed on the same machine as Oracle Analytic Provider Services.
Can Dodeca retrieve Essbase data into a range in an Excel worksheet?
Yes. Dodeca can retrieve data into a range in an Excel worksheet. Dodeca uses Excel range names to define the range or ranges for the retrieval and these ranges can be configured to automatically grow or shrink based on the data returned from Essbase.
Can Dodeca retrieve data from more than one Essbase database in a single report?
Yes. Dodeca can retrieve data from multiple databases into different retrieve ranges in an Excel worksheet. Dodeca uses range names to indicate both the range of cells to be retrieved and the Essbase connection from which the retrieval occurs.
In Dodeca, can I build reports that automatically respond to changes in the Essbase outline?
Yes. Dodeca has built-in functionality that makes it easy to write reports that adjust their rows and/or columns based on changes to members in the Essbase outline.
Can Dodeca write data back to Essbase?
Yes. Dodeca can write data back to all Essbase BSO databases and, for Essbase 9.3.1 and higher, to ASO databases. Similar to how Dodeca uses range names to retrieve data from Essbase, Dodeca also uses range names to write data back to Essbase databases. Dodeca also utilizes optional range names to indicate the target database for Essbase updates, which gives you the flexibility to read data from one database while writing data back to a different database.
Does Dodeca maintain an audit log?
Yes. Dodeca automatically logs every change to the Essbase database in the Dodeca repository. Dodeca also logs configuration changes to the system. This configuration audit log even maintains pre-update and post-update copies of the Excel spreadsheet templates, so you know who has changed templates.
Do I need Excel, the Essbase Excel add-in, or Smart View to run Dodeca?
No. Dodeca is a dedicated spreadsheet application that was built to use the Excel file format without the need for Excel. Dodeca supports the Excel 97 through Excel 2013 formats and supports 398 Excel functions.
Does Dodeca support read and write operations to relational databases?
Yes. Dodeca can read and write to relational databases. With Dodeca, you have the flexibility to use both Essbase and relational databases on the same worksheet in order to provide the solutions your users require.
Which relational databases are supported with Dodeca?
Dodeca connects to relational databases from the Dodeca server using JDBC technology and supports nearly every database that is JDBC compliant. The most common relational databases used with Dodeca include Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, IBM D82, and MySQL.
Is Dodeca a better environment than Excel for Essbase developers?
Absolutely! Dodeca was built specifically around the needs of Essbase users and developers. Many, if not most, of the functionalities commonly written by developers are built into Dodeca, and all of them are configurable through point-and-click property editors. The properties manage the data, format, and behavior of any Dodeca view or report. Properties also control settings like the Essbase connection and Essbase options, the configuration of the point-of-view selectors available for a given report, and the source and placement of optional relational data on the worksheet.
Dodeca is also extensible using our innovative workbook scripting language. Workbook script provides report developers the ability to significantly tailor the data, formatting, and behavior of any report. Dodeca workbook script features over 200 built-in actions and 100 events, which makes it easy to meet the requirements of even the most demanding applications and changing business needs.
If you have questions about Dodeca that are not addressed here, please contact us today.
