Michael Bowen – Essbase Experience Link to heading
Essbase + BI Details
3Q2003
I would like to elaborate on my Essbase & BI experience.
I first began using Essbase in 1996 when I hired on to Arbor Software as a post-sales consultant. I handled engagements for the Southeastern US for Arbor’s own consulting group. Previous to this work, I had been doing design and implementation of DB2 and Oracle star schemas for 6 years and working with Pilot Software’s multidimensional database, Time Server. So before I even laid eyes on Essbase, I had years of multidimensional database design experience. I instantly realized the potential of this database.
The following is a list of clients I have consulted for in various capacities representing Arbor, Hyperion and my own independent consulting businesses.
| Industry | Client | Project Type |
| Aerospace | Boeing – Huntington BeachBoeing – SeattleLockheed Martin, CARockwell, CA | Project Mgmt – WBS Fin.Gen’l ArchitectureP&LVarious |
| Banking / Financial | Citibank, NYCCharles Schwab, CACountrywide, CAKeyCorp, OHAT&T Universal Card, FLSunAmerica, CAGlendale Federal, CABanamex, Mexico CityCitibank, LIC | International Cash MgmtABCFinancialGeneralGeneralVariousVarious FinancialGen’l ArchitectureGen’l Architecture |
| Chemical | Vista Chemical, HoustonShell Services, TX | Various FinancialGen’l Web |
| Communications | Sprint PCSBell South Cellular, AtlantaPacific Bell, CANorstan, MNAT&T Transtech, FLSBC, CA | Billing MetricsGeneralOperator PerformanceGeneralHR Staffing & FinancialGen’l Architecture |
| CPG | CPC, NJPhilip Morris USA, NYCCocaCola, GAClorox, CADr. Pepper, TX | Sales & DistributionSales & Mkt ShareVarious Mktg.SalesVarious |
| Distribution | CHS/Merisel FLSealand, NCCocaCola Enterprises, GA | TreasuryABCSales |
| Energy | Northeast Utilities, CTMission Energy, CAEnron, ORComEd, ChicagoSoCal Gas, CAPG&E, CA | Various ComplianceO&M AccountingGen’l ArchitectureTuningVarious(SAP) |
| Health Care | BCBS, TXBCBS, RIKaiser, CAAbbott Labs, OH | General (tuning)Medicare BillingHRGeneral |
| Insurance | State Farm | Gen’l Architecture |
| Manufacturing | 3Com, CAAlcon Labs, TXBosch, SCScientific Atlanta, GAI2 Technologies, TXSola International, CAFujitsu, CAMitsubishi, CANUMMI, CADell Computer, TXSnapOn Tools, WIToyota Motors, CANissan-USA, CACingular, GA | SFA (300+ users, WW)Int’l. Product P&LQCQCSCMGen’l (SAP)(SAP)Sales & MktgQCVariousInventoryGL, P&L, Inventory, AssetsGL, P&LP&L |
| Other | Lawrence Berkeley Labs, CASAIC, CARoyal Caribbean, FLNielsen Media, FLDisney, CAWaste Management, TX | HR – Project MgmtPlanningGeneralVariousGen’l ArchitectureFinancial Planning |
| Real Estate | Hines, TXCitibank, NYC | Portfolio MgmtGeneral |
| Retail | JC Penney, TXKroger, COSafeway, CAGap, CA | Inventory & SalesFinancialGen’l ArchitectureSales |
Specific Essbase Related Technologies
| Area | Abstract | Details |
| Essbase Calc Scripts | I taught the Design & Optimization class for Arbor Software. | - Multiple Passes- Substitution Variables- Conditional UDA calcs- Binary Aggregations- Allocations- JD Edwards- Currency Partitions |
| Batch Automation / Productionization | I have automated all types of Essbase activities. | - Esscmd- Perl- KSH- MAXL |
| Front End Development | I have extensive design and implementation experience in a wide variety of front-end application platforms. | - Cognos Powerplay- Brio Query- AlphaBlox 2.x- Hyperion CRA 1.0- Analyzer v5, v6 (Fat, Web-Oracle, Web-Paradox)- Analyzer API (limited)- Essbase Objects- VBA API- ActiveOlap (limited)- Arcplan (limited)- Essbase Web Gateway- Crystal Reports- Hyperion Reports 1.7, 2.0 |
| ETL | Specialized ETL is only necessary when there are corporate requirements for metadata management. I generally can build whatever is necessary from SQL, Perl, ksh and load rules. But I am familiar with the leading tools. | - (limited) Informatica- Acta for SAP- Integration Sever- EIS Relational Drill-Through |
| Tuning, Optimization & Capacity Planning | - NT System Monitor- proctool- iostat- mpstat- top | |
| Other Advanced Essbase Features | - Transparent Partitions- Replicated Partitions- Attribute Dimensions- Security Filters- Security Migration- EAS | |
| Data Sources for load rules | - DB2, DB400, Oracle (6,7,8), Sybase 9, SQL Server (6,7,2000) MSAccess, SAP (various modules), I2 Rhythm, Manugistics, Siebel 6, Peoplesoft 7, 8 | |
| Interoperability & Platforms | - Citrix Winframe- HP UX 10, 11- Solaris 2.x- OS/2- NT 3.51, 4.0, 2000- S/390- AIX 4.x (including parallel ed. For SP)- Jrun 3- Websphere 4.0- Tomcat-Jakarta- Apache |
The gaps in my Essbase Experience
| Have done, but not in production | Have yet to do |
| Linked PartitionsDistributed OLAPMod_perl extensionsAlphaBloxArcplanAnalyzer API | EES Application ServerHyperion Application BuilderC APIJava API |
Seminars Presented
| Location | Context | Attendees |
| Acta Road Show – CA (2) | DW with SAP | 50 ea. |
| Boston DCI | eCRM + DW – Booth | 500+ |
| EBusiness Kickoff – San Mateo | Hyperion Sales | 150 |
| EBusiness World 2000 – San Jose | Trade Show | 1000+ & Wall Street Analysts |
| Hyperion / Ardent - NYC | EBusiness Analytics | 50 |
| Hyperion DW – AZ | Hyperion DW vs SAP BW | 100 |
| Hyperion Europe – Milan | Hyperion Sales | 20 |
| IBM – NJ | ECRM Joint Sales Training – IBM/Siebel/Hyperion, Hyperion Detail | IBM Database & eServer Salesforce 100, 20 |
| IBM Millenium – San Francisco | Hyperion eBusiness Intro – Select Booth | IBM WW Premier Partners 500+ |
| IBM Partnerworld 2000 – San Diego | Hyperion eBusiness Product – Booth | IBM Partners 5000+ |
| Solutions 2000 – NV | NTier ArchitectureWebsite Analysis | Hyperion Client Base |
I elaborate on all of this to say that at the moment, there is little question that Essbase is the premier multidimensional database system and is an optimal solution for Data Marts. I am a world class practitioner in this segment of the BI market.