by Doug Correa | 05 27, 2015 | EPM, FDM, FDMEE
Tip 1 – Registering a New Target Application You access FDMEE via Oracle EPM Workspace. Like HFM, Essbase, and other EPM applications, FDMEE is fully baked into Workspace. As such, FDMEE is ready to communicate with any Oracle Hyperion application registered in Workspace. In FDMEE, simply go to Setup > Register > Target Application. From there, you can easily add a new Oracle EPM application for FDMEE to integrate with. That’s it. For more details on registering target applications in FDMEE, see Integrating with Hyperion Apps Should Be Easier. It is with...
by Doug Correa | 03 10, 2015 | EPM, FDM, FDM Classic, FDMEE
Oracle recently released FDMEE 11.1.2.4. Back when Oracle rolled out Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) System Release 11.1.2.3 in 2013, FDMEE was missing a number of core FDM Classic features (e.g. support for file-based data loads and scripting). Since the initial release, the Oracle development team published several patch set updates; each delivering more FDM Classic features to FDMEE. Now, with 11.1.2.4, FDMEE is FDM Classic and more. Like an aging superstar athlete in the twilight of a storied career, FDM Classic is looking ready to give way to its successor. Here are a few reasons why. Web-enabled Application – FDM Classic comes with a Windows client called Workbench. A Windows client is so 2005. Like most other Oracle EPM applications, FDMEE is a fully Web enabled application. Direct Connect to Any ERP System – Want to integrate data and metadata directly from an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) source system? With FDM Classic, you will need to use the ERPi add-on module. ERPi turns FDM Classic into a bit of a Frankenstein monster. With FDMEE, this functionality is baked into one product. Advanced Architecture – FDMEE’s underlying data transformation engine is Oracle Data Integrator (ODI). ODI is a world-class data integration tool on par with Informatica. FDM Classic doesn’t have ODI (unless you use it in conjunction with ERPi module). EPM Data Sync – Oracle Hyperion FDMEE Release 11.1.2.4 introduced data synchronization to the product. Using the data synchronization feature, you can now move data between EPM applications (e.g. from HFM to Planning). FDM Classic does not have this capability. Superior Performance on Exalytics – Want blazing data transformation performance using Exalytics,...
by Doug Correa | 03 03, 2015 | FDM, FDMEE
For you FDMEE pioneers on 11.1.2.3, Oracle has released patch set update (PSU) 530. You can download PSU 530 from My Oracle Support. Unlike patch set update 520 released in the Fall, PSU 530 doesn’t appear to have any new features. Instead, the 11.1.2.3.530 is solely focused on bug fixes, and man, there are lots of them. According to the ReadMe, 47 defects are addressed by 530. It’s good to see the Oracle EPM Product team addressing so many defects in this patch set update. Even though FDMEE 11.1.2.4 is out, Oracle is still committed to fine-tuning the first major release of FDMEE. This demonstrates Oracle’s commitment to those customers that took the maiden voyage on FDMEE 11.1.2.3. I have a couple of clients that have been waiting on the 530 release to address some critical bugs. They will be happy to see the following bug fixes on the list. 20494577 – Improve Hyperion Financial Management check process performance. 19631188 – When using the SQL Server database, frequent database locks occur when multiple users access FDMEE at the same time. 19817853 – A Hyperion Financial Management adapter database connection error occurs when the MS SQL server is not using the default port 1433. We’ll be testing 530 in our lab. Stay tuned for further...
by Doug Correa | 01 30, 2015 | EPM, FDM, FDM Classic, FDMEE
In late January 2015 , Oracle Corp. released the first sequel to FDMEE – Release 11.1.2.4. As expected, it’s chock full of some good stuff. 1) New Look FDMEE 11.1.2.4 has a new skin. (That’s geek speak for a new visual style.) With FDMEE 11.1.2.4 you get a slightly cleaner appearance than FDMEE 11.1.2.3. There’s less shading in various component borders. (If you’re using or have seen Oracle Planning and Budgeting Cloud Service (PBCS), it has the same look and feel.) A flatter user interface has been the trend for a couple of years now, as evidenced by the Windows 8 Modern user interface and Apple ditching it’s signature skeuomorphic design elements in iOS and Mac OS. 2) Fix Mapping Feature This important FDM Classic feature makes its way to FDMEE. Using the Fix Mapping Feature the end user can view and fix mapping errors right from the Validate screen. (In FDMEE 11.1.2.3, the end user had to leave the Data Load Workbench component and launch the Data Load Mapping component to fix the maps.) Fix Maps screen is a a handy end user feature, for sure. 3) POV Locking by Location Another critical FDM Classic feature finds it’s way to FDMEE – POV locking by location. By locking a point of view (POV) you can prevent the location from modifying data. FDMEE 11.1.2.3.520 provided the ability for the FDMEE administrator to lock all locations from the Application Settings component. With 11.1.2.4, the end user can lock his/her POV at the location level. Like FDM Classic, the end user even gets the groovy little lock symbol in the POV to...
by Doug Correa | 10 10, 2014 | EPM, FDM, FDM Classic, FDMEE
Building a Better Goldfish Many of my long standing clients have been using FDM Classic for years. For the most part, they’re very happy with their goldfish, a la the guided workflow. So, you can imagine they’re a little leery of this new thing called “FDMEE“. I get it. FDM Classic is easy-to-use, has internal controls baked-in the product, and it’s been around for years. But when it comes to a data transformation tool for Oracle EPM applications, I tell my clients that Oracle has built a better goldfish. And with the forthcoming release of FDMEE 11.1.2.4 there’s even more reasons to make the switch. With FDMEE, you go from this guy… To this guy… So, What’s Coming in 11.1.2.4? In the last three months, I’ve had the opportunity to attend KScope14, take part in Oracle’s FDMEE Summit, and I presented a FDMEE customer success story at OpenWorld. I’ve got the scoop on what’s coming in 11.1.2.4. Among the variety of enhancements and parity features, here’s a quick list of what my FDM clients will care the most about in 11.1.2.4. At this point I should point out Oracle’s standard “”Safe Harbor Agreement”. The Safe Harbor Agreement simply states that some of these features may never see the light of day. That’s right, no guarantees here (wink, wink). With that out of the way, here’s what to expect with FDMEE 11.1.2.4. New Stuff in 11.1.2.4 Here’s a list of four major enhancements coming to 11.1.2.4.x. 1) EPM to EPM Data Sync Learn More FDMEE 11.1.2.4.x will allow you to import data directly from a source EPM application (e.g. HFM) and...
by Doug Correa | 09 11, 2014 | EPM, FDM, FDM Classic, FDMEE
For many legacy FDM clients, locking the point of view is a vital step in the close process. By locking the point of view, the FDM administrator can ensure that end users don’t modify data for the specified category and period. Since the initial release of FDMEE 11.1.2.3.0 the Oracle Product Development Team for FDMEE has been working hard to incorporate any missing key functionality from FDM Classic. POV locking has been on the wish list since the dot zero release. With the patch set update 11.1.2.3.520, it’s available. How to Lock the POV in FDMEE After installing the .520 PSU in your environment, using POV locking couldn’t be easier. Here’s how it works. Step 1) In FDMEE, go to Setup tab and select Application Settings from the Configure task area. Step 2) From the Target Application drop down, select the target application for the category and period you wish to lock. Step 3) On the Settings header bar, you will notice two new buttons: Lock POV and Unlock POV. Click the Lock POV button. Step 4) The Lock POV for All Locations dialog box appears. On the dialog box select the category and period you want to lock and click OK. Step 5) You will be notified with a message indicated that the POV has been locked. Attempting to Import Data for a Locked POV If you attempt to import data for a locked point of view, you receive an error message indicating the POV is locked. Now, it would have been cool if the .520 release included the POV lock symbol like FDM Classic,...
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