Getting Started with PeopleSoft Cube Manager

This chapter discusses:

Click to jump to parent topicPeopleSoft Cube Manager Overview

PeopleSoft Cube Manager enables you to build Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) databases, or cubes, which are specifically designed for data analysis. OLAP cubes are collections of related data—like a database with multiple dimensions. These dimensions, like database fields, are criteria that let you identify your data. An example dimension might be Time or Product. Dimensions in turn are subdivided into categories, called cube members. For instance, in the Time dimension, one member might be the year 2000.

Note. Cubes are not limited to three dimensions. They can consist of three, four, or more dimensions.

Click to jump to parent topicPeopleSoft Cube Manager Business Processes

The following process flow illustrates the PeopleSoft Cube Manager business processes.

PeopleSoft Cube Manager business process flow

Click to jump to parent topicPeopleSoft Cube Manager Integrations

You can use PeopleSoft Cube Manager in tandem with the third-party OLAP platforms Cognos PowerPlay and Hyperion Essbase . In addition, you can use PeopleSoft Tree Manager and PeopleSoft Query to describe metadata to PeopleSoft Cube Manager.

Note. You do not need Cognos PowerPlay or Hyperion Essbase installed to design cubes and dimensions with PeopleSoft Cube Manager. However, you do need to install one of them before you can build cubes. Basically, you use PeopleSoft Cube Manager to design platform-independent metadata that you can then use to build cubes on any of the supported platforms.

Click to jump to parent topicPeopleSoft Cube Manager Implementation

PeopleSoft Cube Manager implementation can be divided into the following phases:

Other Sources of Information

This section provides information to consider before you begin to use PeopleSoft Cube Manager.

Take advantage of all PeopleSoft sources of information, including the installation guides, release notes, PeopleBooks, red papers, the Updates + Fixes area of Customer Connection, and PeopleSoft's curriculum courses.

See PeopleSoft Cube Manager Preface.

See Enterprise PeopleTools 8.49 PeopleBook: Getting Started with PeopleTools.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicDesigning Cube Metadata

The initial piece of the process when creating cubes is to define their metadata—data that describes the cube's structure. You can do this with either PeopleSoft trees or queries.

To design cube metadata, perform the following steps:

Step

Reference

1. Create new trees or use existing trees.

2. Create new queries or use existing queries.

See Creating New Queries.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicDesigning Cubes

When you have established the cube metadata, you can design the cube itself. To design the cube, perform the following steps:

Step

Reference

1. Define the high-level dimensional structures of the cube.

See Defining the Dimensional Structures of the Cube.

2. Define dimension options by naming blank members in your hierarchy to view in your cube.

See Defining Dimension Options.

3. Define roll-up options by identifying prefix and suffix options.

See Defining Rollup Options.

4. Specify the source of the metadata for each roll-up.

See Specifying the Source of the Metadata for Each Rollup.

5. Map fields to a role in the roll-up.

See Mapping Fields to a Role in the Rollup.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicDesigning Cube Definitions

In addition, you need to design cube definitions using the following steps:

Step

Reference

1. Map data source to dimensions and select dimensions for the cube.

See Mapping Data Sources to Dimensions and Selecting Dimensions for the Cube.

2. Add cube inputs to a cube definition.

See Adding Cube Inputs to a Cube Definition.

3. Map source query fields to cube components.

See Mapping Source Query Fields to Cube Components.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicChoosing Cube Attribute Names

Finally, you need to choose cube attribute names using the following steps:

Step

Reference

1. Specify user-defined attributes.

See Specifying User-Defined Attributes.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicBuilding Cubes

After you have designed the cube, you are ready to build it.

To build the cube, perform the following steps:

Step

Reference

1. Build the cube instance.

See Building Cube Instances.

2. Build the cube itself.

See Building Cubes.