Viewing and Debugging Analytic Models

This chapter provides an overview of the Analytic Model Viewer and discusses how to:

• View analytic model properties.

• Use Analytic Model Viewer alongside PeopleSoft Application Designer.

• Use the application log fence to provide additional debugging information.

Understanding the Analytic Model Viewer

The Analytic Model Viewer is a debugging tool with which you can view intermediate results from calculations and modify data when testing calculations. This tool is provided in the runtime environment through the PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture. Using the Analytic Model Viewer, you can view metadata (such as virtual data cubes) that may not appear to the end user, and edit analytic model data to see how your results would then change.

Even though you create analytic model definitions in PeopleSoft Application Designer, you need to view an analytic instance of the analytic model during runtime to determine whether the analytic calculation engine is performing its calculations as intended. Simply viewing an analytic instance within the application during runtime is not sufficient, because some parts and data of the analytic model may not be visible to end users. Using the Analytic Model Viewer you can view, analyze, and debug all cube collections in the model. The Analytic Model Viewer operates during runtime because it depends on the analytic calculation engine (for calculation) and the analytic server (for data transformation). In the Analytic Model Viewer, you view a specific analytic instance of the analytic model.

Although you can modify data from within the Analytic Model Viewer, you cannot change metadata, including rules, from this environment. Conversely, from within the analytic model in PeopleSoft Application Designer, you can change metadata but cannot change the data itself. The ideal solution is to simultaneously view the design time analytic model, in PeopleSoft Application Designer, and the runtime analytic model, in the Analytic Model Viewer. This arrangement enables you to compare calculation results, and to change either data or metadata, based upon your needs.

After you load an analytic instance for use in the Analytic Model Viewer, closing the viewer does not automatically unload the analytic instance. You must do that manually from the Analytic Instance Load/Unload page.

Note. You can view causes, effects, and inputs in both PeopleSoft Application Designer and the Analytic Model Viewer. PeopleSoft Application Designer displays the causes, effects, and inputs of data cubes and cube collections. The Analytic Model Viewer displays not only causes, effects, inputs, but also displays overrides (which are determined during runtime), thus providing a more detailed display of causes, effects, and inputs.

Note. The Analytic Model Viewer utility is only available to system administrators. You cannot change its security settings to make it available to other users.

Viewing Analytic Model Properties

This section provides an overview of the Analytic Model Viewer and discusses how to :

• View analytic models.

• View and debug cube collection properties.

• View and debug data cube properties.

• View cell properties.

• View dimension properties.

• View user function properties.

• View organizer properties.

Understanding Analytic Model Properties

If you have already created an analytic instance, and do not need to change any of its settings, you can use the Analytic Model Viewer to search for, load, and open the analytic instance. (If the instance is not loaded, clicking its name both loads and opens it; if it is loaded, clicking its name opens the instance.) When you open an analytic instance, the Analytic Model Viewer opens to a Properties tab, which displays the parts, properties, and data of the current analytic instance.

See Creating, Deleting, and Copying Analytic Instances.

See Loading and Unloading Analytic Instances.

This example shows the Properties tab of the Analytic Model Viewer:

Analytic Model Viewer, Properties tab

Pages Used to View Analytic Model Properties

Viewing Analytic Models

Access the Analytic Model Viewer and select the name of an analytic instance:

Resolve circular formulas	Indicates whether circular formulas will be resolved. See Working with Circular Formulas and Circular Systems.
Maximum iteration in value	Indicates maximum iteration in value.
Maximum change in value	Indicates maximum change in value.
Warning circular formulas	Specifies whether the model contains circular formulas.
Notes	Lists notes related to this analytic model that the developer entered when creating the model. See Entering Notes for an Analytic Model Definition's Parts.
Reload Model	Reloads the analytic model. PeopleSoft recommends that you reload the analytic model after you update the analytic model definition so that you can view the resulting changes.

Viewing and Debugging Cube Collections

This section discusses how to:

• View cube collections and cube collection properties.

• Debug cube collections.

• Sort and filter cube collections.

See Understanding the Relationship of Analytic Types to Analytic Models.

Viewing Cube Collections and Cube Collection Properties

Access the Analytic Model Viewer and select a cube collection whose properties you want to view. You see a Cube Collection Properties panel displaying the properties of that cube collection.

The analytic grid underneath the Cube Collection Properties panel displays the cube collection data itself. You can drag and drop data cubes and dimensions within this grid. In addition, you can view selected slices of your data by choosing from the slice bar.

See Creating Analytic Grids.

Dimensions	Lists all of the dimensions that are attached to the data cubes within the cube collection.
Main Record	Lists the main record to which the cube collection is mapped.
Aggregate Record	Lists the aggregate record that stores the cube collection's aggregate data, if applicable.
Notes	Lists notes related to this cube collection that the developer entered when creating the model. See Entering Notes for an Analytic Model Definition's Parts.
Filter/Sort Criteria	Displays a secondary window enabling you to filter and/or sort a selected dimension within the cube collection.
Cell Properties	Displays a secondary window from which you can view the properties of a specified cell. You can view cell properties for data cubes and cube collections. See Viewing Cell Properties.
Save Recalculate	Recalculates the results of your analytic instance, if you modified it.

Debugging Cube Collections

Access the Debugging tab of the Analytic Model Viewer. The part browser, filtering and sorting features, and main grid on the Debugging tab work just like those features on the Properties tab. However, this tab also enables you to audit the data.

Select up to 3 cubes for comparison:	Choose from one to three cubes in the cube collection to audit.
Audit Type	Select from one of the audit types: all causes, all effects, all inputs, circular system, direct causes, direct effects.
View	Displays the results of the audit in an audit grid below the analytic grid.

See Auditing Data Cubes at Design Time.

Sorting and Filtering Cube Collections

Access the Filter/Sort Criteria page:

Members are only filtered when the filter condition is met. In addition, if an aggregate member is filtered, all its children are also filtered.

Viewing and Debugging Data Cubes

This section discusses how to:

• View data cubes and data cube properties.

• Debug data cubes.

See Creating Data Cubes.

Viewing Data Cubes and Data Cube Properties

Access the Analytic Model Viewer and select a data cube whose properties you want to view:

The analytic grid underneath the Cube Properties panel displays the data cube's values. As with cube collections, you can use drag and drop to manipulate this grid. You can also view slices of your data by choosing from the drop-down lists of dimensions.

Format Type	Displays the format type of the data cube—such as Number, Char, Date, and so on. These format types are attributes of the cube and are defined within PeopleSoft Application Designer. See Understanding the Relationship Between Field Definition Attributes and Data Cube Formats.
Virtual Cube	Indicates whether the selected data cube is a virtual cube. See Virtual Data Cubes.
Dimensions	Lists the dimensions that are attached to the selected data cube.
Calculation Aggregate	Indicates whether the analytic calculation engine calculates aggregates for the data cube.
Rule	Displays any rules that the analytic calculation engine uses to calculate the current data cube.
Notes	Lists notes related to this data cube that the developer entered when creating the model. See Entering Notes for an Analytic Model Definition's Parts.
Cell Properties	Displays a secondary window from which you can view the properties of a specified cell. You can view cell properties for data cubes and cube collections. See Viewing Cell Properties.
Save Recalculate	Recalculates the results of your analytic instance if you modified it.

Debugging Data Cubes

Access the Analytic Model Viewer, select a data cube whose properties you want to view, and click the Debugging tab:

You can also audit data cubes at design time.

See Auditing Data Cubes at Design Time.

Cell Properties	Displays a secondary window from which you can view the properties of a specified cell. You can view cell properties for data cubes and cube collections.
Audit Type	Select from one of the audit types: all causes, all effects, all inputs, circular system, direct causes, direct effects.
View	Displays the results of the audit in an audit grid below the analytic grid.

See Auditing Data Cubes at Design Time.

Viewing Cell Properties

Access the Cell Properties page:

Select Cube	Choose which data cube in the selected cube collection you want to view. Note. The Select Cube option is enabled only if you activated the Cell Properties page while viewing a cube collection.
Dimension Name	Displays the names of dimensions attached to the selected cube.
Member	Enter the member in the selected dimension whose properties you want to view.
Display Properties	Displays the properties—including cell type, calculation, calculation dimensions, reason for calculation choice, and rule—of the selected cell.
Return	Go back to the main page.

Viewing Dimension Properties

This section discusses how to view dimension properties.

See Creating Dimensions.

Access the Analytic Model Viewer and select a dimension whose properties you want to view:

When you select a dimension in the part browser, you see a Dimension Properties panel displaying the properties of that dimension:

Viewing User Function Properties

This section discusses how to view user functions.

See Creating Rules, Formulas, and User Functions.

Access the Analytic Model Viewer and select a user function whose properties you want to view:

Rule	Displays the user function's rule.
Notes	Lists notes related to this user function that the developer entered when creating the model. See Entering Notes for an Analytic Model Definition's Parts.

Viewing Organizer Properties

This section discusses how to view organizer properties.

See Organizers.

See Creating Organizers.

Access the Analytic Model Viewer and select an organizer whose properties you want to view:

Using Analytic Model Viewer Alongside PeopleSoft Application Designer

It can be profitable to use the Analytic Model Viewer side by side with PeopleSoft Application Designer. This approach enables you to update the analytic model within PeopleSoft Application Designer and then quickly see the results of those updates by reloading the analytic instance within the Analytic Model Viewer. This approach enables you to change both the data and metadata for your model at the same time.

To use the Analytic Model Viewer alongside PeopleSoft Application Designer:

1. Create an analytic model.

   See Creating Analytic Model Definitions.

2. Specify what analytic model works with what analytic type definition.

   See Defining an Analytic Type.

3. Access the Create Analytic Instance page, and create an analytic instance based upon the analytic type definition.

   See Creating, Deleting, and Copying Analytic Instances.

4. Access the Analytic Model Viewer, and open the analytic instance you created.

   See Viewing Analytic Model Properties.

5. From within PeopleSoft Application Designer, modify the analytic model.

6. From within the Analytic Model Viewer, click the Reload Model button.

Using the Application Log Fence

In addition to the model viewer, you can also use the application log fence settings to cause error messages created on the analytic server to be written to the analytic server log file.

If you set the application log fence to 3 or above, all the detailed messages created on the analytic server to be sent back to the application server are also logged in the analytic server log file.

In addition, if you set the application log fence to 4 or above, all tracing information is logged to the analytic server log file.

See Also

Using Application Logging