ClearView Overview
Version 2.0 for Oracle OLAP (option to Database)
Version 2.0 for Oracle OLAP (option to Database)
ClearView and OFA/OSA similarities:
If you currently have Oracle Financial Analyzer (OFA) or Oracle Sales Analyzer (OSA), ClearView has a
set of features that closely resemble OFA and OSA namely:
- ClearView's Query Builder has the features similar to OFA Selector to select dimension members
- Supports OFA style drilling, modeling and write-back.
- Hooks to extend the product capabilities
- All reports and queries are saved to the Oracle database
- Reuse OFA/OSA Express DML programs in ClearView
Architecture
- ClearView combines the best breed of user interface and most robust OLAP Engine
- Microsoft Excel is the interface to the Oracle 10g/11g Database
- Oracle Database Enterprise Edition (10g or 11g) Enterprise Edition with OLAP Option
- Use Oracle Analytic Workspace Manager to manage Oracle OLAP Analytic Workspace
- Use Oracle SQL Developer/SQLPLUS utilities to manage database components
- Oracle OLAP Data Dictionary Views (built in for 11g, need to manage separately for 10g)
- ClearView Meta data (Tables, Stored Procedures…) for the Add-in to function
Front End (Client Tier):
- Microsoft Excel (Versions 2002, 2003 and 2007 supported)
- ClearView Automation COM Addin (a single dll)
- Oracle Database Client (requires only the ADO components for communication with database)
Excel interface has its merits and demerits:
- Excel is the preferred program interface by Financial Analysts
- Many view Excel as unacceptable in that usage of Excel Workbooks creates "Excel Silos" where
there is no real accountability for report creation - Wide spread errors occur when analysts typically connect a data dump worksheet to a formatted
report by linking worksheets and workbooks together - Difficulty sharing Excel Workbooks on personal computers and network drives
ClearView addresses these problems:
- Excel Workbooks and Data Submission forms are stored in the database
- A Folder concept is utilized to share Workbooks with other users
- All Excel Cells are individual queries. Once created, there is no need to export data to Excel and
link to formatted worksheets. Simply click the Refresh button and all data is refreshed in the
worksheet - Workbooks are saved and backed up within Oracle database. Clients no longer need to rely on
network or individual backups
To make life easier for the Excel user, ClearView has at its core features such as:
- WYSIWYG – place any Analytic Workspace cube data into any cell. Intersperse Cube data with
Excel calculations. Use Excel to modify and control the queries to do universal refreshes
- Simplified report construction and maintenance – without having to redo the query or reformat
insert new rows and columns of Cube data in reports
- Intelligent report expansion – expand pages out to individual worksheets keeping the formatting
of the top sheet. Refresh data in all worksheets “in-place” without recreating the queries or
reformatting the reports
- Report management – put multiple reports in a single workbook – even an entire set of monthly
financials
- Offline reports – convert reports to data only (no query formulas) for regular Excel users,
published reports, or work during travel when there is no connectivity
- Performance optimized – uses bulk data retrieval to refresh all cells in a worksheet in one call to
speed performance at remote sites
- Forecasting and Budgeting – create data collection and write back templates with no coding.
Monitor data submission tasks from within Excel
- OLAP Analytics – the standards like Rotate, Select and Drill are the starting points. Data can be
copied/pasted so the same data is analyzed different ways in the same sheet, independently of the
calculations in the database. These local metrics are preserved when the data is refreshed
- Complete hierarchy listing – ClearView will generate a drillable listing of any hierarchy
Oracle OLAP (option to Database)
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