IRF Business Objects

Using Multiple IRF Data Providers in a BO Report November, 2009

Why use Multiple Data Providers?

Pull disparate datasets that have common criteria that relate them
FR Account Status; sub-account, encumbrance, transaction and account attribute data

Pull disparate datasets where one provides the In List data for the other (but can also be used for
Pull mapped GL accounts for SL accounts Pull account data for list of current stimulus accounts

Add objects (measures or details) to a row on common dimensions (pulling data in same provider puts data in same column)
Add current Account name to multi-month range Pull YTD or End of period data along with multi-month range Pull mapped GL account attributes info for SL accounts Add debit/credit account attribute info for transactions Compare Year over year monthly data

Table of Contents
Data provider tools Data Manager Examples
Common condition between providers
Adding additional data providers

Dependant providers Linking data between providers

Caveats/Best Practices Troubleshooting Overview

3

Data provider tool Data Manager

Accessed on the Standard toolbar from the View data button Allows;
Renaming providers Link/Unlink Objects between providers Edit/Deleting providers Purge data Export raw data

Common Condition between Providers

Each data provider pulls results for a specific area of data to display on report tabs, but they share common conditions.
For example in FRAcctStatus.rep the SL Account 6 and Calendar Year/Mo conditions are common across all the data providers
Encumbrances
CalYrMo SL Acct6 No Encum SubAcct No Encum No Encum Desc Original Encum Amt Liquidated Curr Mo Liquidated to Dt Open Encum Amt

SL Sub Account
CalYrMo SL Acct6 No SubAcct No SubAcct Name Last Activity Dt Revised Budget Curr Mo Amt Fiscal YTD Amt Budget Bal Avail

Transactions
CalYrMo SL Acct6 No Trans SubAcct No Trans No Trans Desc Trans Amt

SL Account Attributes
CalYrMo SL Acct6 No Acct Name Acct Ver No PI Name Co-PI Name Acct Admin 1 Name Acct Admin 2 Name Acct Admin 3 Name

Adding additional data providers

On the main menu select Data and then New Data Provider
Select either Build a new query on the universe currently in use or Access new data in a different way and click on the Begin button If using a different universe, select Universe and click on the Next Button Select the universe to query;
Financial Reporting Transaction Tracking Payroll Matrix or OBS reporting

Adding additional data providers

On the query panel start by adding the common conditions and then additional conditions and result objects needed for the new query

Dependant Providers
One data provider pulls information that is used as part of an In List condition for another query. Similar to a Sub Query, but additional objects pulled in first query can be used in the report as well.
Note: Items with the same name in different providers are automatically linked
8

Dependant Providers (demo 1)

Data Provider #1 Result Objects: SL Acct6 No Acct Name SubAcct No GL Acct6 (Mapped) Revised Budget Amt Curr Mo Amt Open Encum Amt Fiscal YTD Amt Budget Bal Amt Conditions: Cal YrMo(s) Dept(s) Data Provider #2 Result Objects: GL Acct6 No Acct Name (GL) GL Acct10 Control No SL Acct6 (Mapped) Begin Bal Amt Curr Mo Amt Open Encum Amt Fiscal YTD Amt Conditions: Cal YrMo(s) Dept(s) (GL) GL Acct6 No

GL Acct6 in list of Mapped GL Acct6

Dependant Providers
Create the first data provider that will have the list of accounts or other data required for the second provider In the second provider;
Drag the result object to match in the list to the condtions (i.e. GL Acct6 No.0 Select the In List Operator Pick the Select Query Results operand Select the matching result object from the first provider
10

Dependant Providers (Demo 2)

Data Provider #1 (Stimulus Accounts) Result Objects: SL Acct6 No Acct Name Gift Grant Contract Cd Conditions: Latest Update Month Acct Name (ARRA%) Gift Grant Contract Cd (S%) SL Acct6 in list of Stimulus Accounts Data Provider #2 (Stimulus Trans) Result Objects: SL Acct6 No Acct Name Trans SubAcct No Sub Acct Name ... Trans Amt Conditions: Range of Months SubAcct <> (1%) Entry Cd (valid Trans) SL Acct6 No

11

Linking data between Providers

Linking similar or matched dimensions between queries to create a common data set (or extended data cube)
Note: these data providers will commonly have common conditions and/or be dependant providers

12

Linking data between Providers

To use the data from different providers together, one or more dimensions they have in common must be linked (dimensions with the same name are auto-linked)
This tells BO how the data can (and cant) be used together Note: there are occasions where autolinked objects need to be un-linked)
13

Linking data between Providers

Linking is performed in the Data Manager window on the Definitions tab
Highlight one of the objects to be linked and click on the Link to button Select the corresponding object in another data provider and click the Ok button Close the data manager when done linking objects

14

Linking data between Providers

When a linked object is selected, it and all objects it is linked to will display a checkmark (in the data manager window) Once an object is linked the link button changes to a un-link button. If you make a mistake and link unrelated objects, select one of the objects and click on the un-link button.

15

Linking data between Providers

In the Data tab of the report manager window you can select by data provider at the bottom of the window to organize the data objects available by provider
16

Linking data between Providers

Demo 3 Pulling data for a range of months pulls different account names for the same account. We only want to show the current account name.
Data Provider #1 Result Objects: CalYrMo SL Acct6 No Acct Name SubAcct No Sub Acct Name Curr Mo Amt Conditions: Range of Months Dept No Data Provider #2 Result Objects: SL Acct6 No Acct Name SL Acct6 in list of Provider #1 Sl Acct6(s) Conditions: Latest Update Month SL Acct Or Dept No

17

Linking data between Providers

The linked Acct Name objects are common items in the same column. When Un-linked they become separate and a detail can be created from the current names provider (#2) to the account number that is a separate column
Only Linked dimensions, details based on them or measures can used with dimensions from either provider.
18

Linking data between Providers

Demo 4 Pulling the same data (for comparison) for two different periods.
Data Provider #1 Result Objects: CalYrMo Fiscal Mo SL Acct6 No Acct Name Curr Mo Amt Fiscal YTD Amt Conditions: Fiscal Yr thru latest Close SL Acct6(s) Data Provider #2 Result Objects: CalYrMo Fiscal Mo SL Acct6 No Acct Name

All Common Dimensions Automatically Linked

Curr Mo Amt Fiscal YTD Amt Conditions: Fiscal Yr SL Acc6(s)t

19

Linking data between Providers

Selecting the Fisical Mo and not CalYrMo to display data moves the measures into rows where they can be compared.
CalYrMo 200807 200808 200809 200810 200811 200812 200901 200902 200903 200904 200905 200906 200907 200908 200909 200910 Fiscal Mo SL Acct6 No Acct Name Curr Mo Amt Fiscal YTD Amt 1 123455 Xxxxxx 10000 10000 2 123455 Xxxxxx 7500 17500 3 123455 Xxxxxx 4500 22000 4 123455 Xxxxxx 11000 33000 5 123455 Xxxxxx 12000 45000 6 123455 Xxxxxx 8000 53000 7 123455 Xxxxxx 9000 62000 8 123455 Xxxxxx 7500 69500 9 123455 Xxxxxx 6500 76000 10 123455 Xxxxxx 8500 84500 11 123455 Xxxxxx 11000 95500 12 123455 Xxxxxx 7000 102500 1 2 3 4 123455 123455 123455 123455 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx data set #2 Curr Mo Amt Fiscal YTD Amt 8000 8000 9000 17000 8500 25500 7000 32500

8000 9000 8500 7000

8000 17000 25500 32500

20

Linking data between Providers

Linked Dimensions do not have to have the same name (e.g. SL Acct6, Account No). But make sure they contain the same data! Linked dimension objects should have the same format (e.g. character, numeric, etc.) Common values must be in the same case (Jones and jones are treated unique values) A measure should only be aggregated to the lowest level of data based on the linked data providers
21

Caveats
Unlinked dimensions (or their details) from different data providers cannot be used together. BO will ghost the unlinked dimensions from one provider when an unlinked dimension from another is selected
Editing a data provider relinks all un-linked objects to objects with the same name in the other data providers (if you un-linked an object you will need to un-link it again) To filter Section values, the filter needs to be global Open the Format Filters window and drag and drop your filter to the Global area
22

Troubleshooting
Measures look too big
This indicates a Aggregation problem, check that the measures are being used with the correct dimensions and details (turn off aggregation in format table to check)

Measures are all the same

This could indicate a Cartesian product, check that the data providers are linked properly to each other Or you are try to aggregate to a lower level than the links between providers allow
23

Troubleshooting
When I try to create a table (or a Variable or Formula) I get a message variables are not compatible
A "combined block" that contains data from more than one data provider can only have objects that meet one of the following criteria:

You may not include:

A dimension object that is linked A detail object associated with a linked dimension object Any measure object Any un-linked dimension objects from a single (one only) data provider Unlinked dimensions from two (or more) data providers Detail objects that are not associated with a valid dimension object that can be used

Note that measure objects are always allowed, but may or may not provide the proper value based on the linked (or lack of linked) dimensions.

24

Overview
Different flavors of multiple data providers
Providers with common parameters Providers dependant on other providers Providers with linked objects

Link the data providers on common data columns Change Non-linked spreadsheet dimensions to details of the linked dimensions to use them in the report. Create your report with all the data you need from either data provider
25

Questions?
NSIT/Business Information Services Support (BIS) Email: IRF-support@lists.uchicago.edu or check out NSIT/BIS Website
(http://nsit.uchicago.edu/groups/bis/)

26