Description
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions
Make the Most of Your Business I ntelligence
White Paper
November 2002
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions – Make the Most of Your Business Intelligence -
November 2002
1
INTRODUCTION
In recent years, the amount of data in companies has increased dramatically as enterprise resource
planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), and supply chain management (SCM)
systems take hold and log more and more transactional data. Most companies have tried to implement
Data Warehouse and Business Intelligence (DW/BI) applications to pull data from these systems and
analyze it in order to improve business performance but the systems have fallen short of expectations.
The main reason for the inability to effectively analyze and gain understanding from these vast pools of
data is clear. The system environment is inflexible and cannot adjust to the constantly changing business
needs driven by changes in the market, competitor strategies, and customer requests – just to name a few
of the influences. Management is struggling with the seemingly contradictory goals of accommodating
these needs while maintaining optimal control over the technology.
IAF Software’s solutions, IAF Coaster™ and IAF Vista™, were developed to provide the flexibility
required by the most demanding DW/BI applications. The Company’s extensive experience gives it the
insight needed to address both management’s concerns regarding data and technology management, while
empowering users by providing them with the tools needed to skillfully build analytic models – and most
importantly – be able to change those models, when necessary, to accurately reflect changing conditions in
their business environment.
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions – Make the Most of Your Business Intelligence -
November 2002
2
TRADITIONAL OLAP DEVELOPMENT
Traditionally, OLAP systems have pulled data from a central data warehouse or other RDBMS and
replicated it into a separate, standalone multidimensional database (MDBMS) to increase query
performance and allow users to more easily analyze the data. While this architecture has succeeded in
creating high-performance OLAP systems, there are several major drawbacks to this approach. First of all,
MDBMS are expensive to implement and maintain, because of the extra hardware required and the
additional data administrators, with specialized training, that must be hired to support it. The IT group that
supports MDBMSs must constantly grapple with the following issues:
There are two kinds of databases, RDBMS and MDBMS, that they have to learn and manage.
To create the analytic models, DBAs have to either write code by hand for each ETL process
(in SQL or a proprietary OLAP Server language) or they have to set up mapping paths from
scratch to map logical analytic models to physical tables for each OLAP cube.
When business users – a term we use to describe analysts, managers, executives and anyone
who needs to interpret data as part of their job – want to change business models, DBAs have
to change the dimension table in the corporate datawarehouse. For example, a business user
wants to add a “Platinum” category to the current customer dimension which has three
categories: “Gold,” “Silver” and “Bronze.” To accommodate this request, DBAs have to change
the current customer dimension table or add a new customer dimension table.
If changes are made in the dimension table, DBAs then have to change the ETL programs, or
mapping specifications between the logical analytic models and the physical tables.
Figure 1 illustrates a typical traditional OLAP environment, with a separate, proprietary MDBMS:
Figure 1: Traditional OLAP Development
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions – Make the Most of Your Business Intelligence -
November 2002
3
OLAP DEVELOPMENT WITH AN INTEGRATED RDBMS-MDBMS
Recently, it has become possible to take advantage of the benefits of an MDBMS without replicating large
amounts of data to specialized analytic databases. It is now possible to build an integrated RDBMS-
MDBMS and allow applications to support multidimensional calculations directly against the data
warehouse. There are many advantages to a fully-integrated RDBMS-MDBMS database – as compared to
separate, stand-alone MDBMSs. These include:
• Simplified management
• High availability
• Improved security
• Open access to both SQL and OLAP API clients
• Reduced information cycle time
• Improved data reliability
At the same time, the advantages of having a powerful, dedicated OLAP server are retained, such as:
• Faster query performance
• Specialized OLAP functions
• The ability to visually analyze the data
As the world’s largest enterprise software company and leading provider of relational databases for data
warehouses, Oracle Corporation offers the best solution for an integrated RDBMS-MDBMS approach.
Oracle9i Database now provides a comprehensive platform for BI applications. In addition to the benefits
listed above, Oracle provides:
• A complete range of analytic functionality including multidimensional and predictive functions
• Support for Internet-based applications
Illustrated below is the Oracle database architecture, which includes the Oracle9i OLAP Services.
Figure 2: Oracle9i R2 OLAP
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions – Make the Most of Your Business Intelligence -
November 2002
4
IAF SOLUTIONS EXTEND ORACLE9i OLAP
IAF Coaster and IAF Vista extend the Oracle9i OLAP environment and resolves the issues that limit
traditional OLAP systems.
IAF Coaster
Both relational and multidimensional data are stored in relational tables. This means that DBAs
do not need to duplicate the data and learn proprietary OLAP server technologies.
IAF Coaster manages the core elements of the analytic model, such as dimension, hierarchy and
measure, as parts in its metadata repository. These elements are completely divided from the
physical source so that modifying metadata for the specific change requested can be
accomplished without affecting the underlying source data structure.
The parts can be customized and reused. For instance, DBAs can copy the original customer
dimension part, add a “Premium” virtual category, and move appropriate customers into the
new “Premium” category. To exchange the current customer dimension and a new customer
dimension, the new analytic cube is created without changing the dimension table in the source
data warehouse.
IAF Vista
A BI application development tool developed using Oracle JDeveloper and BI Beans. It enables
business users to analyze the data as soon as an analytic model is built with IAF Coaster.
Figure 3: New Generation OLAP Development using IAF Coaster and IAF Vista
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions – Make the Most of Your Business Intelligence -
November 2002
5
IAF COASTER™
IAF Coaster is an innovative metadata management tool, for Oracle 9i OLAP Services, that allows
customers to create and manage their own analytic models without changing data structures in a corporate
data warehouse. This unique solution helps speed the design and administration of OLAP analytic models
by leveraging patent-pending technologies, such as flexible modeling features and powerful segmentation
functions.
POWERFUL MODELING FUNCTIONS
Most OLAP tools provide basic advanced data presentation functions (e.g. 3-D graphics, pivot tables,
crosstabs, 3D cubes), as well as advanced data aggregation, consolidation, and classification functions,
including: slice and dice, drill down, and roll up data. IAF Coaster’s business-oriented functions include
the ability to calculate market share, sales margins, financial and accounting ratios, statistics and
forecasting functions. In addition, advanced data modeling functions such as “what if” scenarios, variable
assessments, and business models are easily executed with IAF Coaster.
VIRTUAL HIERARCHY
IAF Coaster enables a DBA or an analytic producer to customize hierarchy structures, as the need arises,
without programming or dimension table changes in the data warehouse. This function is typically useful
for the following types of analysis:
- CRM – Customer segmentation
- Financial – Organizational changes or changes in accounting practices
- Sales – Product category or sales territory changes
The virtual hierarchies are stored in the metadata repository, so that business users can share and reuse
them as analytic know-how.
Figure 4: Virtual Hierarchy
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions – Make the Most of Your Business Intelligence -
November 2002
6
VALUE-BASED SEGMENTATION
Value-based segmentation allows business users to specify value ranges for the dimension attributes in the
metadata. As contrast, in traditional OLAP development, DBAs have to create a “price range” column in
the product dimension table in advance in order for users to analyze price range data. The business users’
work often requires range changes and they are frustrated when these changes cannot be done quickly.
IAF Coaster allows DBAs to create the value-based segmentation in the metadata so that dimension tables
do not have to be changed in the data warehouse.
Figure 5: Value-Based Segmentation
PRE-DEFINED AND CUSTOM FORMULAS
Measure formulas are a combination of existing measures and calculation functions that are stored on the
server. IAF Coaster has pre-defined measure formulas that are frequently used by business users, such as
“last-year-sales.” They are stored on the server and calculated by the OLAP engine when accessed.
In addition to pre-defined measure formulas, IT staff or analytic producers can create custom measure
formulas.
Figure 6: Pre-defined Formulas and Custom Formulas
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions – Make the Most of Your Business Intelligence -
November 2002
7
MULTIPLE HIERARCHIES
In the Oracle OLAP option, one dimension is able to have multiple hierarchies so that business users can
select the drill-path for each analytic viewpoint. Oracle DBAs can not only reduce disk space
consumption, but can also improve pre-aggregation performance by not using separate dimensions. The
following illustration represents the example of multiple hierarchies of product dimensions. This product
dimension has two drill-paths, product category and product price range, that share the same top level and
bottom level. However, if business users want to analyze the data by category and price range at the same
time, DBAs should use separate dimensions. IAF Coaster enables DBAs to specify the multiple
hierarchies easily.
Figure 7: Multiple Hierarchies
BUILDING CUSTOM MODELS
A model is a set of interrelated equations. IAF Coaster includes a model function that allows users to
easily set up a model of their own business. DBAs can perform calculations for individual dimension
members by following unique calculation rules. The model function is very often used for Financial
Analysis. The following illustration represents a Profit and Loss analysis. Revenues and Operating
Expenses are calculated by aggregating the values of their lower level members, while Operating Income
is calculated by subtracting Operating Expenses from Revenues. In traditional OLAP systems, DBAs have
to write specific OLAP DML to implement that kind of model. IAF Coaster enables them to easily specify
the DML from a GUI interface.
Figure 8: Model
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions – Make the Most of Your Business Intelligence -
November 2002
8
USING IAF COASTER TO BUILD OLAP CUBES AND SIMPLIFY METADATA MANAGEMENT
IAF Coaster also offers powerful administrative features that greatly simplify the administration and
maintenance of Oracle9i OLAP. Most importantly, with IAF Coaster, DBAs do not have to learn how to
write code in OLAP DML or the OLAP Catalog API.
As background, to build and manage analytic cubes in Oracle9i OLAP, DBAs must learn two main
processes. One is how to manage cubes in the Analytic Workspace, and the other is how to manage the
OLAP Catalog. In Oracle9i OLAP, analytic cubes are stored in Analytic Workspaces in relational tables.
To create the cubes, DBAs have to write OLAP DML that is similar in language characteristics to Oracle
Express SPL. After creating the analytic cubes with OLAP DML, DBAs have to register the information
in the OLAP Catalog (Common Warehouse Metadata) using the OLAP Catalog API, in other words
CWM2 PL/SQL packages. These processes are the most complicated processes for Oracle DBAs to learn
and write.
IAF Coaster generates not only OLAP DML, but also CWM2 packages automatically based on its
metadata repository information. As soon as DBAs design the analytic models by using sophisticated
modeling functions, they can implement these models in real cubes that will be accessible by business
users. Using IAF Coaster simplifies the building of OLAP cubes and management of metadata, therefore
saving time and effort.
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions – Make the Most of Your Business Intelligence -
November 2002
9
IAF VISTA™
For a BI application to be truly effective, business users must be able to use BI tools on their own, without
support from the IT staff or systems analysts. They must also be able to distribute their analysis results
quickly and easily. Unfortunately, the more powerful OLAP tools that are available on the market today
are difficult to use without IT support and are only offered as a client-server option. IAF Vista replaces
difficult-to-use BI tools with a robust BI application platform that helps business users easily analyze
corporate data and share it with any number of users via simple point-and-click web distribution.
OVERVIEW
IAF Vista is an easy-to-use BI application development and deployment environment that allows business
users to easily create OLAP reports without support from corporate IT staff. IAF Vista replaces complex
BI tools and enables business users to easily share data analysis know-how and company information.
Key features of IAF Vista include:
• An easy-to-use interface for both BI experts and novice users
- Set up reports and perform analysis by simple point-and-click operations
- Access via any Web browser (both HTML and Java client versions are available)
• Advanced OLAP analytic functions
- Drill-down, pivot table, create graphs, data exception formats, etc.
• Publish reports via the Web
- Store reports in the central data repository for access by other departments
- Collaborate internally or with external supply-chain partners
• Leverage the power of Oracle9i OLAP Services
- 3-tier for scalability and sharing
Figure 9: IAF Vista Java Client
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions – Make the Most of Your Business Intelligence -
November 2002
10
RAPID BI APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT WITH IAF VISTA
The IAF Vista Wizard enables rapid development of BI applications. It also allows step-by-step
development to include such items as title, layout (cross tab, graph, cross tab/graph coordination), and
initial data. These easily-created BI applications can be shared with others in the organization because
reports are stored in the repository on the server and can be accessed via users who have been granted
permission.
Figure10: BI application development steps using IAF Vista Wizard
SOPHISTICATED USER ADMINISTRATION
IAF Vista includes a powerful user administration function. Users can define limits on a referable BI
application by user and group. The user information is administered at the repository on the server as well
as at the BI application level. In addition, a simple customization allows users to sign on together and
collaborate on developing an application together.
Figure11: User group and report access management by IAF Vista
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions – Make the Most of Your Business Intelligence -
November 2002
11
WEB-BASED OLAP FUNCTIONS
All users can view and change the published reports from their Web browser. IAF Vista includes all the
OLAP functions that business users have come to expect, including slice and dice, drill down, data
retrieval (name list, hierarchy level, group, value, top ten/bottom ten, sort, graph), export to spread sheet,
and printing. Modified reports can be saved as personal reports.
Figure12: A Web-based OLAP application developed with IAF Vista
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions – Make the Most of Your Business Intelligence -
November 2002
12
FROM STATIC WAREHOUSES TO CONTINUALLY ENHANCED INTELLIGENCE
It’s been said that the secret of data warehousing success is “think big, start small.” Data warehouse
architects are advised to start with a small system that incorporates the basic end-user requirements of a
data warehouse and to add to it over time. However, DW and BI tools have not always allowed for
changes or additions without cumbersome programming and re-configuration. IAF believes that a system
should be able to evolve in a natural fashion and that the BI tools used should enable quick and easy
changes. Most importantly, systems should be able to incorporate the insight of business users into the
data warehouse modeling. Using IAF Coaster and IAF Vista users can create a feedback loop and
continually enhance Business Intelligence systems as more knowledge is gained about the data and how
that knowledge can be used to improve overall business performance.
Figure13: IAF Coaster and IAF Vista allow you to continually enhance your Business Intelligence system
IAF Software, Inc.
2221 Calle De Luna
Santa Clara, CA 95054
U.S.A.
Phone: +1-408-567-9460
Fax: +1-408-567-9465http://www.iafsoft.com/
IAF Consulting, Inc.
(World Headquarters)
Ginza Wing Bldg. 7F
1-14-5, Ginza, Chuo-ku,
Tokyo 104-0061 Japan
Phone: +81-3-3538-8277
Fax: +81-3538-8280http://www.iafc.co.jp/
This document is provided for informational purposes only, and the
information herein is subject to change without notice. Please report
any errors herein to IAF Software, Inc. IAF Software, Inc. does not
provide any warranties covering and specifically disclaims any liability
in connection with this document. Oracle is registered trademark of
Oracle Corporation. All other trademarks or names used herein are
trademarks of their respective owners.
Copyright © 2001 IAF Software, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
doc_662645008.pdf
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions
Make the Most of Your Business I ntelligence
White Paper
November 2002
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions – Make the Most of Your Business Intelligence -
November 2002
1
INTRODUCTION
In recent years, the amount of data in companies has increased dramatically as enterprise resource
planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), and supply chain management (SCM)
systems take hold and log more and more transactional data. Most companies have tried to implement
Data Warehouse and Business Intelligence (DW/BI) applications to pull data from these systems and
analyze it in order to improve business performance but the systems have fallen short of expectations.
The main reason for the inability to effectively analyze and gain understanding from these vast pools of
data is clear. The system environment is inflexible and cannot adjust to the constantly changing business
needs driven by changes in the market, competitor strategies, and customer requests – just to name a few
of the influences. Management is struggling with the seemingly contradictory goals of accommodating
these needs while maintaining optimal control over the technology.
IAF Software’s solutions, IAF Coaster™ and IAF Vista™, were developed to provide the flexibility
required by the most demanding DW/BI applications. The Company’s extensive experience gives it the
insight needed to address both management’s concerns regarding data and technology management, while
empowering users by providing them with the tools needed to skillfully build analytic models – and most
importantly – be able to change those models, when necessary, to accurately reflect changing conditions in
their business environment.
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions – Make the Most of Your Business Intelligence -
November 2002
2
TRADITIONAL OLAP DEVELOPMENT
Traditionally, OLAP systems have pulled data from a central data warehouse or other RDBMS and
replicated it into a separate, standalone multidimensional database (MDBMS) to increase query
performance and allow users to more easily analyze the data. While this architecture has succeeded in
creating high-performance OLAP systems, there are several major drawbacks to this approach. First of all,
MDBMS are expensive to implement and maintain, because of the extra hardware required and the
additional data administrators, with specialized training, that must be hired to support it. The IT group that
supports MDBMSs must constantly grapple with the following issues:
There are two kinds of databases, RDBMS and MDBMS, that they have to learn and manage.
To create the analytic models, DBAs have to either write code by hand for each ETL process
(in SQL or a proprietary OLAP Server language) or they have to set up mapping paths from
scratch to map logical analytic models to physical tables for each OLAP cube.
When business users – a term we use to describe analysts, managers, executives and anyone
who needs to interpret data as part of their job – want to change business models, DBAs have
to change the dimension table in the corporate datawarehouse. For example, a business user
wants to add a “Platinum” category to the current customer dimension which has three
categories: “Gold,” “Silver” and “Bronze.” To accommodate this request, DBAs have to change
the current customer dimension table or add a new customer dimension table.
If changes are made in the dimension table, DBAs then have to change the ETL programs, or
mapping specifications between the logical analytic models and the physical tables.
Figure 1 illustrates a typical traditional OLAP environment, with a separate, proprietary MDBMS:
Figure 1: Traditional OLAP Development
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions – Make the Most of Your Business Intelligence -
November 2002
3
OLAP DEVELOPMENT WITH AN INTEGRATED RDBMS-MDBMS
Recently, it has become possible to take advantage of the benefits of an MDBMS without replicating large
amounts of data to specialized analytic databases. It is now possible to build an integrated RDBMS-
MDBMS and allow applications to support multidimensional calculations directly against the data
warehouse. There are many advantages to a fully-integrated RDBMS-MDBMS database – as compared to
separate, stand-alone MDBMSs. These include:
• Simplified management
• High availability
• Improved security
• Open access to both SQL and OLAP API clients
• Reduced information cycle time
• Improved data reliability
At the same time, the advantages of having a powerful, dedicated OLAP server are retained, such as:
• Faster query performance
• Specialized OLAP functions
• The ability to visually analyze the data
As the world’s largest enterprise software company and leading provider of relational databases for data
warehouses, Oracle Corporation offers the best solution for an integrated RDBMS-MDBMS approach.
Oracle9i Database now provides a comprehensive platform for BI applications. In addition to the benefits
listed above, Oracle provides:
• A complete range of analytic functionality including multidimensional and predictive functions
• Support for Internet-based applications
Illustrated below is the Oracle database architecture, which includes the Oracle9i OLAP Services.
Figure 2: Oracle9i R2 OLAP
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions – Make the Most of Your Business Intelligence -
November 2002
4
IAF SOLUTIONS EXTEND ORACLE9i OLAP
IAF Coaster and IAF Vista extend the Oracle9i OLAP environment and resolves the issues that limit
traditional OLAP systems.
IAF Coaster
Both relational and multidimensional data are stored in relational tables. This means that DBAs
do not need to duplicate the data and learn proprietary OLAP server technologies.
IAF Coaster manages the core elements of the analytic model, such as dimension, hierarchy and
measure, as parts in its metadata repository. These elements are completely divided from the
physical source so that modifying metadata for the specific change requested can be
accomplished without affecting the underlying source data structure.
The parts can be customized and reused. For instance, DBAs can copy the original customer
dimension part, add a “Premium” virtual category, and move appropriate customers into the
new “Premium” category. To exchange the current customer dimension and a new customer
dimension, the new analytic cube is created without changing the dimension table in the source
data warehouse.
IAF Vista
A BI application development tool developed using Oracle JDeveloper and BI Beans. It enables
business users to analyze the data as soon as an analytic model is built with IAF Coaster.
Figure 3: New Generation OLAP Development using IAF Coaster and IAF Vista
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions – Make the Most of Your Business Intelligence -
November 2002
5
IAF COASTER™
IAF Coaster is an innovative metadata management tool, for Oracle 9i OLAP Services, that allows
customers to create and manage their own analytic models without changing data structures in a corporate
data warehouse. This unique solution helps speed the design and administration of OLAP analytic models
by leveraging patent-pending technologies, such as flexible modeling features and powerful segmentation
functions.
POWERFUL MODELING FUNCTIONS
Most OLAP tools provide basic advanced data presentation functions (e.g. 3-D graphics, pivot tables,
crosstabs, 3D cubes), as well as advanced data aggregation, consolidation, and classification functions,
including: slice and dice, drill down, and roll up data. IAF Coaster’s business-oriented functions include
the ability to calculate market share, sales margins, financial and accounting ratios, statistics and
forecasting functions. In addition, advanced data modeling functions such as “what if” scenarios, variable
assessments, and business models are easily executed with IAF Coaster.
VIRTUAL HIERARCHY
IAF Coaster enables a DBA or an analytic producer to customize hierarchy structures, as the need arises,
without programming or dimension table changes in the data warehouse. This function is typically useful
for the following types of analysis:
- CRM – Customer segmentation
- Financial – Organizational changes or changes in accounting practices
- Sales – Product category or sales territory changes
The virtual hierarchies are stored in the metadata repository, so that business users can share and reuse
them as analytic know-how.
Figure 4: Virtual Hierarchy
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions – Make the Most of Your Business Intelligence -
November 2002
6
VALUE-BASED SEGMENTATION
Value-based segmentation allows business users to specify value ranges for the dimension attributes in the
metadata. As contrast, in traditional OLAP development, DBAs have to create a “price range” column in
the product dimension table in advance in order for users to analyze price range data. The business users’
work often requires range changes and they are frustrated when these changes cannot be done quickly.
IAF Coaster allows DBAs to create the value-based segmentation in the metadata so that dimension tables
do not have to be changed in the data warehouse.
Figure 5: Value-Based Segmentation
PRE-DEFINED AND CUSTOM FORMULAS
Measure formulas are a combination of existing measures and calculation functions that are stored on the
server. IAF Coaster has pre-defined measure formulas that are frequently used by business users, such as
“last-year-sales.” They are stored on the server and calculated by the OLAP engine when accessed.
In addition to pre-defined measure formulas, IT staff or analytic producers can create custom measure
formulas.
Figure 6: Pre-defined Formulas and Custom Formulas
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions – Make the Most of Your Business Intelligence -
November 2002
7
MULTIPLE HIERARCHIES
In the Oracle OLAP option, one dimension is able to have multiple hierarchies so that business users can
select the drill-path for each analytic viewpoint. Oracle DBAs can not only reduce disk space
consumption, but can also improve pre-aggregation performance by not using separate dimensions. The
following illustration represents the example of multiple hierarchies of product dimensions. This product
dimension has two drill-paths, product category and product price range, that share the same top level and
bottom level. However, if business users want to analyze the data by category and price range at the same
time, DBAs should use separate dimensions. IAF Coaster enables DBAs to specify the multiple
hierarchies easily.
Figure 7: Multiple Hierarchies
BUILDING CUSTOM MODELS
A model is a set of interrelated equations. IAF Coaster includes a model function that allows users to
easily set up a model of their own business. DBAs can perform calculations for individual dimension
members by following unique calculation rules. The model function is very often used for Financial
Analysis. The following illustration represents a Profit and Loss analysis. Revenues and Operating
Expenses are calculated by aggregating the values of their lower level members, while Operating Income
is calculated by subtracting Operating Expenses from Revenues. In traditional OLAP systems, DBAs have
to write specific OLAP DML to implement that kind of model. IAF Coaster enables them to easily specify
the DML from a GUI interface.
Figure 8: Model
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions – Make the Most of Your Business Intelligence -
November 2002
8
USING IAF COASTER TO BUILD OLAP CUBES AND SIMPLIFY METADATA MANAGEMENT
IAF Coaster also offers powerful administrative features that greatly simplify the administration and
maintenance of Oracle9i OLAP. Most importantly, with IAF Coaster, DBAs do not have to learn how to
write code in OLAP DML or the OLAP Catalog API.
As background, to build and manage analytic cubes in Oracle9i OLAP, DBAs must learn two main
processes. One is how to manage cubes in the Analytic Workspace, and the other is how to manage the
OLAP Catalog. In Oracle9i OLAP, analytic cubes are stored in Analytic Workspaces in relational tables.
To create the cubes, DBAs have to write OLAP DML that is similar in language characteristics to Oracle
Express SPL. After creating the analytic cubes with OLAP DML, DBAs have to register the information
in the OLAP Catalog (Common Warehouse Metadata) using the OLAP Catalog API, in other words
CWM2 PL/SQL packages. These processes are the most complicated processes for Oracle DBAs to learn
and write.
IAF Coaster generates not only OLAP DML, but also CWM2 packages automatically based on its
metadata repository information. As soon as DBAs design the analytic models by using sophisticated
modeling functions, they can implement these models in real cubes that will be accessible by business
users. Using IAF Coaster simplifies the building of OLAP cubes and management of metadata, therefore
saving time and effort.
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions – Make the Most of Your Business Intelligence -
November 2002
9
IAF VISTA™
For a BI application to be truly effective, business users must be able to use BI tools on their own, without
support from the IT staff or systems analysts. They must also be able to distribute their analysis results
quickly and easily. Unfortunately, the more powerful OLAP tools that are available on the market today
are difficult to use without IT support and are only offered as a client-server option. IAF Vista replaces
difficult-to-use BI tools with a robust BI application platform that helps business users easily analyze
corporate data and share it with any number of users via simple point-and-click web distribution.
OVERVIEW
IAF Vista is an easy-to-use BI application development and deployment environment that allows business
users to easily create OLAP reports without support from corporate IT staff. IAF Vista replaces complex
BI tools and enables business users to easily share data analysis know-how and company information.
Key features of IAF Vista include:
• An easy-to-use interface for both BI experts and novice users
- Set up reports and perform analysis by simple point-and-click operations
- Access via any Web browser (both HTML and Java client versions are available)
• Advanced OLAP analytic functions
- Drill-down, pivot table, create graphs, data exception formats, etc.
• Publish reports via the Web
- Store reports in the central data repository for access by other departments
- Collaborate internally or with external supply-chain partners
• Leverage the power of Oracle9i OLAP Services
- 3-tier for scalability and sharing
Figure 9: IAF Vista Java Client
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions – Make the Most of Your Business Intelligence -
November 2002
10
RAPID BI APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT WITH IAF VISTA
The IAF Vista Wizard enables rapid development of BI applications. It also allows step-by-step
development to include such items as title, layout (cross tab, graph, cross tab/graph coordination), and
initial data. These easily-created BI applications can be shared with others in the organization because
reports are stored in the repository on the server and can be accessed via users who have been granted
permission.
Figure10: BI application development steps using IAF Vista Wizard
SOPHISTICATED USER ADMINISTRATION
IAF Vista includes a powerful user administration function. Users can define limits on a referable BI
application by user and group. The user information is administered at the repository on the server as well
as at the BI application level. In addition, a simple customization allows users to sign on together and
collaborate on developing an application together.
Figure11: User group and report access management by IAF Vista
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions – Make the Most of Your Business Intelligence -
November 2002
11
WEB-BASED OLAP FUNCTIONS
All users can view and change the published reports from their Web browser. IAF Vista includes all the
OLAP functions that business users have come to expect, including slice and dice, drill down, data
retrieval (name list, hierarchy level, group, value, top ten/bottom ten, sort, graph), export to spread sheet,
and printing. Modified reports can be saved as personal reports.
Figure12: A Web-based OLAP application developed with IAF Vista
IAF Business Intelligence Solutions – Make the Most of Your Business Intelligence -
November 2002
12
FROM STATIC WAREHOUSES TO CONTINUALLY ENHANCED INTELLIGENCE
It’s been said that the secret of data warehousing success is “think big, start small.” Data warehouse
architects are advised to start with a small system that incorporates the basic end-user requirements of a
data warehouse and to add to it over time. However, DW and BI tools have not always allowed for
changes or additions without cumbersome programming and re-configuration. IAF believes that a system
should be able to evolve in a natural fashion and that the BI tools used should enable quick and easy
changes. Most importantly, systems should be able to incorporate the insight of business users into the
data warehouse modeling. Using IAF Coaster and IAF Vista users can create a feedback loop and
continually enhance Business Intelligence systems as more knowledge is gained about the data and how
that knowledge can be used to improve overall business performance.
Figure13: IAF Coaster and IAF Vista allow you to continually enhance your Business Intelligence system
IAF Software, Inc.
2221 Calle De Luna
Santa Clara, CA 95054
U.S.A.
Phone: +1-408-567-9460
Fax: +1-408-567-9465http://www.iafsoft.com/
IAF Consulting, Inc.
(World Headquarters)
Ginza Wing Bldg. 7F
1-14-5, Ginza, Chuo-ku,
Tokyo 104-0061 Japan
Phone: +81-3-3538-8277
Fax: +81-3538-8280http://www.iafc.co.jp/
This document is provided for informational purposes only, and the
information herein is subject to change without notice. Please report
any errors herein to IAF Software, Inc. IAF Software, Inc. does not
provide any warranties covering and specifically disclaims any liability
in connection with this document. Oracle is registered trademark of
Oracle Corporation. All other trademarks or names used herein are
trademarks of their respective owners.
Copyright © 2001 IAF Software, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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