N-Tier User’s Guide - OracleWelcome to the Hyperion System 9 Master Data Management N-Tier...

H Y P E R I O N ® S Y S T E M ™ 9

MASTER DATA MANAGEMENT™

R E L E A S E 9 . 2

N - T I E R U S E R ’ S G U I D E

Copyright 2005-2006 Hyperion Solutions Corporation. All rights reserved.

“Hyperion,” the Hyperion logo, and Hyperion’s product names are trademarks of Hyperion. References to other companies and their products use trademarks owned by the respective companies and are for reference purpose only.

No portion hereof may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval systems, for any purpose other than the recipient’s personal use, without the express written permission of Hyperion.

The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. Hyperion shall not be liable for errors contained herein or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use hereof.

Any Hyperion software described herein is licensed exclusively subject to the conditions set forth in the Hyperion license agreement.

Use, duplication or disclosure by the U.S. Government is subject to restrictions set forth in the applicable Hyperion license agreement and as provided in DFARS 227.7202-1(a) and 227.7202-3(a) (1995), DFARS 252.227-7013(c)(1)(ii) (Oct 1988), FAR 12.212(a) (1995), FAR 52.227-19, or FAR 52.227-14, as applicable.

Hyperion Solutions Corporation 5450 Great America Parkway Santa Clara, California 95054

Printed in the U.S.A.

Contents iii

Contents

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii

Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii

Document Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii

Where to Find Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

Additional Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x

Education Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x

Consulting Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x

Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x

Documentation Feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x

CHAPTER 1 About Hyperion MDM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Architecture, Features, and Hierarchical Data Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Key Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Hierarchical Data Management Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

System Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Hyperion MDM Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Hierarchies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Referential Integrity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Inheritance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Validations and Verifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Automator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Blender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Exports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Property Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Compare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Hyperion MDM Typical Data Life Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

iv Contents

CHAPTER 2 Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Starting Hyperion MDM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Creating Login Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Changing Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Hyperion MDM Desktop and Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Speed Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Main Menu Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Action Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Hot Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Using the Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

CHAPTER 3 Using Versions, Hierarchies, Nodes, and Properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Working with Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Version Control Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Creating As Of Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Using the Version Criteria Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Working with Hierarchies and Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Opening Hierarchies and Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Hierarchy Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Navigating Hierarchies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Adding and Inserting Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Next ID Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Model After . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Moving Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Using Node Deletion Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Orphan Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Merging Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Finding Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Sorting Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Node Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Working with Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Using the Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Version and Hierarchy Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Administrator Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

User Assignment to Property Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

User Assignment to Node Access Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

CHAPTER 4 Running Imports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Import Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Import Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Starting the Import Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Naming Import Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Contents v

Configuring Section and Processing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Configuring Mappings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Specifying File Format Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Configuring Duplicate Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Viewing Import Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

CHAPTER 5 Using Automator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Performing Automator Imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Running Automator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Reviewing Automator Processing Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Automator File Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Supported Automator Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Required Automator Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

CHAPTER 6 Using Blender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Blender Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Using the Blender Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Configuring Blender Versions and Hierarchies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Configuring Top Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Viewing Blender Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

CHAPTER 7 Running Exports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Export Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Starting the Export Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Top Nodes Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Select Columns Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Column Options Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Column Widths Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Parameter Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Hierarchy Export Parameters Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Hierarchy Compare Export Parameters Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Hierarchy Difference Report Parameters Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Hierarchy Export Parameters Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Lookup Export Parameters Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Property List Export Parameters Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Merge Log Export Parameters Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Transaction Log Export Parameters Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Version Export Parameters Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

Ancestor Export Parameters Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Verification and Filter Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Exclusion Filter Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Output Formatting Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Output Destination Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

vi Contents

Using Export Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

CHAPTER 8 Using Verifications and Validations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Validations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Verifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Validation or Verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Validation Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Validation and Verification Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Running Validations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Running Verifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Viewing Verification Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

CHAPTER 9 Running Property Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Working with Property Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Property Query Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Performing Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Property Query Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Hot Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

CHAPTER 10 Comparing Hierarchies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Hierarchy Compare Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Standard Compare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Property Compare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Renamed Node Compare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Comparing Hierarchies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

CHAPTER 11 Viewing Transaction History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Administrative Actions in Transaction History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Data Actions in Transaction History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Transaction History Range and Filter Specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Transaction History Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Preface vii

Preface

Welcome to the Hyperion System 9 Master Data Management N-Tier User’s Guide. This preface discusses the following topics:

● “Purpose” on page viii

● “Audience” on page viii

● “Document Structure” on page viii

● “Where to Find Documentation” on page ix

● “Conventions” on page ix

● “Additional Support” on page x

● “Documentation Feedback” on page x

viii Preface

PurposeThis guide provides information that you need to use Hyperion MDM. It explains Hyperion MDM features and options and contains the concepts, processes, procedures, formats, tasks, and examples that you need to use the software.

AudienceThis guide is for Hyperion MDM users who are responsible for running automators, blenders, imports, and exports.

Document StructureThis document contains the following information:

● Chapter 1, “About Hyperion MDM,” which introduces the system architecture, Hyperion MDM components, and a typical data lifecycle

● Chapter 2, “Getting Started,” which describes how to log on to Hyperion MDM and change your password and describes the menus and elements of the desktop user interface

● Chapter 3, “Using Versions, Hierarchies, Nodes, and Properties,” which describes how to structure data

● Chapter 4, “Running Imports,” which describes using the import wizard to run imports

● Chapter 5, “Using Automator,” which describes how to use Automator to run bulk hierarchy updates

● Chapter 6, “Using Blender,” which describes how to use the Blender tool to combine elements from different hierarchies

● Chapter 7, “Running Exports,” which describes using the export wizard to run exports

● Chapter 8, “Using Verifications and Validations,” which describes using verifications and validations to test that hierarchy rules are observed

● Chapter 9, “Running Property Queries,” which describes how to investigate the hierarchical structure and the property values of sets of nodes without the need for complex recursive programming

● Chapter 10, “Comparing Hierarchies,” which describes how to make comparisons between the structure and node properties of different hierarchies and versions

● Chapter 11, “Viewing Transaction History,” which describes how to review records of system transactions

● The Index contains a list of Hyperion MDM terms and their page references

Conventions ix

Where to Find DocumentationAll Hyperion MDM documentation is accessible from the Hyperion Download Center, which can be accessed from the Hyperion Solutions Web site.

➤ To access documentation from the Hyperion Download Center:

1 Go to the Hyperion Solutions Web site and navigate to Services > WorldWide Support > Download Center.

Note: Your Login ID for the Hyperion Download Center is your e-mail address. The Login ID and Password required for the Hyperion Download Center are different from the Login ID and Password required for Hyperion Support Online through Hyperion.com. If you are not sure whether you have a Hyperion Download Center account, follow the on-screen instructions.

2 In the Login ID and Password text boxes, enter your e-mail address and password.

3 In the Language list box, select the appropriate language and click Login.

4 If you are a member on multiple Hyperion Solutions Download Center accounts, select the account that you want to use for the current session.

5 To access documentation online, from the Product List, select the appropriate product and follow the on-screen instructions.

ConventionsThe following table shows the conventions that are used in this document:

Table i Conventions Used in This Document

Item Meaning

➤ Arrows indicate the beginning of procedures consisting of sequential steps or one-step procedures.

Brackets [ ] In examples, brackets indicate that the enclosed elements are optional.

Bold Bold in procedural steps highlights user interface elements on which the user must perform actions.

CAPITAL LETTERS Capital letters denote commands and various IDs. (Example: CLEARBLOCK command)

Ctrl+0 Keystroke combinations shown with the plus sign (+) indicate that you should press the first key and hold it while you press the next key. Do not type the plus sign.

Ctrl+Q, Shift+Q For consecutive keystroke combinations, a comma indicates that you press the combinations consecutively.

Example text Courier font indicates that the example text is code or syntax.

Courier italics Courier italic text indicates a variable field in command syntax. Substitute a value in place of the variable shown in Courier italics.

x Preface

Additional SupportIn addition to providing documentation and online help, Hyperion offers the following product information and support. For details on education, consulting, or support options, click the Services link at the Hyperion Solutions Web site.

Education ServicesHyperion offers instructor-led training, custom training, and e-Learning covering all Hyperion applications and technologies. Training is geared to administrators, end users, and information systems professionals.

Consulting ServicesExperienced Hyperion consultants and partners implement software solutions tailored to clients’ particular reporting, analysis, modeling, and planning requirements. Hyperion also offers specialized consulting packages, technical assessments, and integration solutions.

Technical SupportHyperion provides enhanced telephone and electronic-based support to clients to resolve product issues quickly and accurately. This support is available for all Hyperion products at no additional cost to clients with current maintenance agreements.

Documentation FeedbackHyperion strives to provide complete and accurate documentation. Your opinion on the documentation is of value, so please send your comments by going to http://www.hyperion.com/services/support_programs/doc_survey/index.cfm.

n, x Italic n stands for a variable number; italic x can stand for a variable number or a letter. These variables are sometimes found in formulas.

Ellipses (...) Ellipsis points indicate that text has been omitted from an example.

Mouse orientation This document provides examples and procedures using a right-handed mouse. If you use a left-handed mouse, adjust the procedures accordingly.

Menu options Options in menus are shown in the following format. Substitute the appropriate option names in the placeholders, as indicated.

Menu name > Menu command > Extended menu command

For example: 1. Select File > Desktop > Accounts.

Table i Conventions Used in This Document (Continued)

Item Meaning

http://www.hyperion.com/services/support_programs/doc_survey/index.cfm

About Hyperion MDM 11

C h a p t e r

1About Hyperion MDM

Hyperion MDM is a data management utility and repository that provides a centralized, controlled, graphical approach to synchronizing data across multiple systems.

In This Chapter Architecture, Features, and Hierarchical Data Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

System Architecture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Hyperion MDM Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Hyperion MDM Typical Data Life Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

12 About Hyperion MDM

Architecture, Features, and Hierarchical Data TypesHyperion MDM functions as a hub where reporting structures are maintained, analyzed, and validated before moving throughout the enterprise.

Figure 1 System Architecture

Key FeaturesHyperion MDM offers the following:

● Manages hierarchies, business rules, mappings, and validations

● Enforces referential integrity across all subscribing systems and hierarchies

● Enables users to create and manage alternate views

● Maintains historical versions for comparative reporting and analysis

Architecture, Features, and Hierarchical Data Types 13

● Tracks all hierarchy and attribute changes with a full-featured audit log

● Manages parallel hierarchies

● Can serve as the main point-of-entry to update subscribing systems or be used after-the-fact for reconciliation and analysis

Ease of UseAlthough Hyperion MDM is designed to manage and validate the most complex dimensional structures and their related metadata requirements, the interface provides the user with an intuitive and familiar look and feel.

For each system or data set that the tool manages (though import or direct input), there is a graphical representation of the data. To validate this dimensional data, a metadata repository is used to house user-defined business rules, validation instructions, and relationship information. As the dimensional data changes within each participating system or within Hyperion MDM, data integrity issues are regulated, validated, and reported.

EfficiencyHyperion MDM is specifically designed to synchronize data across multiple systems. All functionality within the tool is focused on adding efficiency to the hierarchical data-management process.

The implementation of Hyperion MDM involves a configuration process, as opposed to a custom development process. Configuration mitigates the inherent risks and testing cycles associated with custom programming.

After implementation, Hyperion MDM provides several data management features that support large-scale analysis and reconciliation of data.

Table 2 Efficiency Features

Feature Benefit

Versioning Multiple instances of data dimensions that can be saved and used for historical reporting, comparisons, reconciliations, and what-if analysis

Business rule enforcement User-defined validations, ranging from simple data verification to organizational policies, that can be applied across dimensions in a real-time or batch mode

Hierarchy debugging tools Instruments that enable the user to analyze integrity issues across multiple data sets

FlexibilityTo support the changing needs of a dynamic business environment, Hyperion MDM provides an intuitive, graphical configuration utility. This utility, designed for the non-technical user, enables immediate changes to Hyperion MDM functionality without the need for custom programming.


SecurityThe security model of Hyperion MDM manages user access at the following levels:

● Versions—User access is restricted based on the version status

❍ A working version is accessible to all users based on their access

❍ A submitted version is editable only to system administrators and functional administrators.

❍ Finalized and expired versions are read only to all users and administrators.

● Hierarchy—User access can be restricted to certain areas within a hierarchy. For example, within the chart of accounts, group y can only maintain the Asset structure. If a user does not have access to a hierarchy, the hierarchy is not displayed. If a user does not have access to any hierarchies in a version, the version is not displayed.

● Property categories—User access can be restricted to certain property categories for a specified node. In most cases property categories are based on a system basis. For example, user A may be allowed to access the Essbase property category with read/write permission and the Financial Management property category group with read only permission. If a user does not have access to a property category, the tab does not display.

● Administrative and User Types—Users can be grouped into four administrative types:

❍ System Administrator—have full access including to metadata

❍ Functional Administrator—have full access to the hierarchy data but do not have ability to change metadata

❍ Security Administrator—can only create and assign logins

❍ Normal user—only have access to the information based on the node access groups to which they are assigned and the property categories to which they are granted access

The configuration utility for Hyperion MDM supports user-defined validations that enforce integrity and policy issues. These business rules can be applied during the data entry process or routinely in a batch mode.

Hierarchical Data Management TypesTypes of hierarchical data managed by Hyperion MDM are:

● Organizational structures

● Charts of accounts

● Products

● Customer relationships

Hyperion MDM Components 15

System ArchitectureThe Hyperion MDM N-Tier application is based on an application server (n-tier) architecture rather than upon the model used in the Hyperion MDM Client Server product. Use of an application-server architecture enables the bulk of the system processing to be performed on a centralized server and simplifies the client requirements for each end user. The difference to the back-end of the system is significant, however, the difference to the user interface and thus to the user is minor.

Figure 2 N-Tier Architecture

The preceding diagram gives a top-level overview of the Hyperion MDM N-Tier architecture. Hyperion MDM Client is a Windows application that runs on the user’s local machine. The client connects to Hyperion MDM Application Server that can support multiple, simultaneous users. The Hyperion MDM database can be hosted on the application server machine or elsewhere.

Hyperion MDM ComponentsThe following topics describe the main components and features of Hyperion MDM.

ApplicationsA Hyperion MDM installation can use multiple back-end databases to support the many business needs for hierarchical data within an organization. Each database is referred to as an application, and each application is independent from any other application. If you are in doubt about which application to use, see your system administrator.


VersionsHyperion MDM groups sets of hierarchies into versions. A version represents a single, independent set of data that is arranged into related hierarchies. Versions are usually related to time periods or functions. Examples of versions are March 2001, 3rd Quarter 2000, and Planning. All Hyperion MDM maintenance is performed within versions; users cannot copy or move nodes across versions. The only features that work across versions are Compare and some exports.

Nodes and properties within a version are shared among the hierarchies within the version. Versions are typically used for the following purposes:

● To represent a set of hierarchies used during a particular month (or other business cycle period). Each month a version is created, maintaining an audit trail of hierarchies.

● To differentiate between real and test data during system testing.

● To compare different versions to identify changes made to the hierarchies within a time dimension.

You can create new versions by copying existing versions, but, after a version is created, it is totally independent of other versions. Versions can be copied, created, and deleted by the system administrator.

Each version has an associated status.

HierarchiesA hierarchy is a set of nodes that are all descendants of the same node. Thus, a hierarchy is defined by its top node and represents all nodes in the hierarchical relationships below that top node.

Hierarchies are contained within a version; and a version can contain multiple hierarchies. Hierarchies provide the main interface for a user when working with Hyperion MDM.

Each hierarchy is usually associated with a certain view, external system, or management report. Examples of hierarchies are Line of Business, Geographic, SAP - Legal, and Management Summary.

Table 3 Status Descriptions

Status Description

Working Users can edit the hierarchies within the version

Submitted System administrators are performing final validations on the hierarchies. No further changes by other users are permitted

Finalized No changes are permitted. From the current version, all exports to other systems are performed.

Expired The hierarchies are now out-of-date. Data is maintained for historical purposes and as an audit trail


NodesA node is a point within a hierarchy. Every point in a hierarchy is a node. For example, within a hierarchy that represents an organizational structure, a node might represent a department or a cost center.

Within a version, a node may be a part of more than one hierarchy. A node can have many user-defined properties that store information about the node and control the use of the node within the information systems of an organization.

The following terms are used to define the position of a node and node behavior within a hierarchy:

Referential IntegrityReferential integrity (RI) is a concept normally associated with relational databases. In Hyperion MDM, RI means that no relational data violates established keys or domain ranges. In this database context, RI refers to two core rules that the Hyperion MDM engine enforces while users are editing hierarchies:

● A node must have the same children in all hierarchies. Thus, a node always represents the same rollup structure regardless of context.

● A node cannot exist more than once in a hierarchy. Thus avoiding any “circular reference” problems.

By enforcing RI, Hyperion MDM inhibits errors related to structure and redundancy that might occur during the maintenance process.

Table 4 Node Terminology

Term Meaning

Leaf A node that cannot have children

Limb A node that can have children

Child A node directly below another node (if B is directly below A, B is a child of A)

Parent A node directly above another node (in the previous example, A is the parent of B)

Descendants All nodes below a specified node (including children and all children of children)

Ancestors All nodes between a node and the top of the hierarchy (including the parent, the parent of the parent, and so on)

Children All nodes directly below a node

Siblings All nodes that share a parent node in a particular hierarchy

Orphan A node not assigned to any hierarchy


PropertiesProperties are data elements that are similar to fields in a database. Properties can be defined and stored at four levels:

● Version

● Hierarchy

● Global node - the value for the node is the same no matter what hierarchy it is in or what parent it has

● Local node - the value for the node can be different for the node in different hierarchies

Most properties in Hyperion MDM are defined at the node level and contain node descriptions. Examples include the name of a node (called Abbrev in Hyperion MDM), the description for a node, and the number of children of a node. Properties at the version and hierarchy level are less common. Examples include properties used for header-level information in Hyperion MDM exports.

The system administrator can define as many properties as needed. Hyperion MDM is delivered with two categories of standard properties:

● System properties that define a node

● Statistical properties that provide information about a node

InheritanceInheritance is a feature that enables high-level nodes to share their property values with lower points in the hierarchy, eliminating the need to store and maintain redundant information. It enables newly entered nodes to automatically obtain their property values from the appropriate ancestors. Proper use of inheritance can greatly reduce data-entry requirements.

When defining a property, the system administrator can define the property as inheriting. This definition enables the values for the property to cascade down to its descendants.

Inheritance moves through a specific chain of events to determine the value for a property:

1. Hyperion MDM looks for a value entered at the current node. If a user has directly entered a value at the node, the entered value is used.

2. If a value does not exist, Hyperion MDM searches the ancestors of the node for a value. The first entered value that Hyperion MDM finds, moving up the hierarchy is used. Thus, a change to the properties of a node can affect any descendents.

3. If no ancestor has an entered value, the default value is used. A default value is assigned by the system administrator.

Global properties that inherit follow a slightly different path. In step 2, as Hyperion MDM moves up the hierarchy in search of an entered value, it encounters the ancestors in the controlling hierarchy. When the system administrator creates a global property, a controlling hierarchy must be designated for the property. A controlling hierarchy tells the system which hierarchy to use to determine the inheriting value for a global property.


Many tools are available in Hyperion MDM for maintaining inherited values:

● Locking a value so that it cannot be overridden at a descendant

● Clearing all descendant values for a particular property

● Removing an overridden value so that the property inherits from a node above

Validations and VerificationsValidations and verifications are tests to ensure that hierarchy rules are observed. They help enforce business rules.

● Validations—run automatically (in real-time) as users edit the structures and properties of hierarchies. Validations are automatically performed for the node being edited and also for its parent.

● Verifications—run on-demand (as a batch) after users make a set of changes. Users can choose specific verifications or run a set of verifications defined by the system administrator.

Validation and Verification ExampleAn organization has a business rule that requires that a sales representative assigned more than 20 customers obtain special approval from the marketing department.

● A validation using this business rule within Hyperion MDM permits no more than 20 customers to be added to a sales representative node.

● A verification using this business rule reports only upon sales representatives with more than 20 customers.

Comparing Validations and Verifications● Some business rules call for real-time enforcement and, therefore, should be defined by the

system administrator as validations.

● Other business rules only need to be monitored and should be established as verifications. In the preceding example, a verification is probably more appropriate because, in certain circumstances, it is appropriate for a sales representative to have more than 20 customers. Validations are more appropriate for rules that can never be broken and require immediate enforcement.

ImportsHyperion MDM can import data from external systems of various formats, including text files, data extracts, and other sources. An import is always performed on a new, empty version that is created as part of the import process. Thus, the user can verify that the import has run correctly before moving the imported data into a production environment. After the data is verified, Blender can be used to incorporate the new data. Imports can be customized and saved by any Hyperion MDM user who is authorized to run imports.


AutomatorAutomator is an alternative mechanism that enables Hyperion MDM users to make bulk hierarchy changes. The changes are defined in a text file. The functions supported are typical node and property manipulations. When Automator is used, the changes defined in a text file can be performed automatically and easily. Rather than using Automator, you can make corrections to the data as it is processed.

BlenderBlender enables you to combine elements of two versions into a new version or to combine elements into an existing version. The elements to be blended can include various combinations of structural elements such as hierarchies, nodes, and properties.

ExportsExports are tools that are used to transfer hierarchy data to external systems or to a database table. Exports are sometimes referred to as reports or extracts. Exports also serve as the main reporting mechanism for Hyperion MDM. Hyperion MDM provides users a wizard-like export builder that enables them to create and save exports.

Exports can create paper reports for distribution or text files to be imported by external systems. If an external system requires a complex export that cannot be generated by the report writer, a new class of export can be created by the programming team and added into the export builder. Each export class has a set of parameters that enable it to be customized for a user’s specific requirements.

Property Queries Using Structured Query Language (SQL) to query hierarchically structured data has always been difficult (if not impossible) due to the recursive nature of the required query. Property queries enable you to investigate the hierarchical structure and the property values of sets of nodes without the need for complex recursive SQL programming.

Property queries can be used for several purposes:

● To find nodes that meet certain criteria

● In exports and comparisons as a filtering mechanism

● As a parameter in a generic validation routine (providing queries additional functionality as validations)

Users create a list of criteria, similar to the WHERE clause in a conventional SQL statement, and run it against a set of nodes. The property query returns a list of nodes that meet the defined criteria.

Note that:


● Property queries can be saved, so Hyperion MDM users can create and share their own toolkit of queries

● The system administrator can create standard queries that are available to all users

Global property queries are similar to property queries but are run against the list of all nodes in a version instead of against a particular set of nodes within a hierarchy. Because a global property query runs against a set of nodes without reference to a hierarchy, only global properties can be included in the criteria.

Property queries can be used as the basis for filters for exports and compares as well as the basis for validations and verifications.

CompareThe Compare feature enables you to compare of the structure and node properties of hierarchies and versions.

Three Compare options are available:

● The standard Compare option requires that two points, one in each of two hierarchies, be selected. Their structures are then analyzed for differences. The points may be in different versions.

● The Property Compare option enables two points, one in each of two hierarchies. The representatives of a particular property within the hierarchies are then analyzed for differences.

● The Renamed Node Compare option duplicates the standard Compare option, except it treats renamed nodes as being the same for comparison purposes. For example, assume that Hierarchy 1 in a compare includes nodes A, B, and C, and Hierarchy 2 includes nodes A, B, and C, but node C has been renamed to CC. The Renamed Node Compare option does not identify differences between the two hierarchies. But the standard Compare option regards nodes C and CC as different.

Note: The Renamed Node Compare option should only be used between versions that are related (that is, one copied from the other).


A Compare process returns two lists:

● A list of all nodes that exist in the first hierarchy but not in the second

● A list of all nodes that exist in the second hierarchy but not in the first

Queries can be used to filter the lists of nodes to be compared.

Hyperion MDM Typical Data Life CycleMost organizations use Hyperion MDM on a cyclical basis that matches their management reporting periods (typically every four weeks or every month). Within each reporting period, the use of Hyperion MDM follows a predictable pattern:

Table 5 Data Life Cycle

Task Principal Players

A Hyperion MDM working version is created as a copy of the finalized version for the previous period. The new version may contain multiple hierarchies (for example, for the chart of accounts, the organization structure, and the product structure).

System administrator

Changes are made to the working version by business users who have access to Hyperion MDM. Validations are automatically performed as users enter or amend hierarchy data.

Hyperion MDM users

If necessary, bulk changes to hierarchy data are performed using Hyperion MDM Automator.

Hyperion MDM users and/or the system administrator

As the reporting period deadline looms, the version status is changed to submitted (changes by users are no longer permitted). Validations and verifications are performed to ensure the integrity of the data. Compare options can be used to identify changes.


When data integrity is assured, the version status is changed to finalized (no further changes are permitted). Simultaneously, the version status for the previous reporting period is changed from finalized to expired, and the version is stored for possible future use in historical analyses or as an audit record.


Exports are performed from the new finalized version to feed hierarchy data to participating systems. After all exports are complete (and have been loaded by the destination systems), all participating systems have consistent hierarchical data as a basis for the period end reporting process.


And the cycle repeats for the next reporting period.

Hyperion MDM Typical Data Life Cycle 23

Existing organizational workflow constraints can be enforced by Hyperion MDM:

● Business rules might require that all new cost centers be approved by Corporate Treasury. In this case, a property can be added to indicate approval, and no nodes are exported to other systems until the property is changed to approved. Corporate Treasury can be granted access to Hyperion MDM to update only the indicator property. A property query can also be defined to identify indicator nodes.

● Business processes might require that all hierarchy updates be redirected to a dedicated group responsible for implementing such updates. Following review and approval, using Automator, changes can be entered into a flat file for bulk loading into Hyperion MDM. This automated approach can significantly reduce potential typing errors.

Other tasks that are performed on an irregular basis:

● New hierarchies can be established to support an expansion in scope of the participating systems. Such an action is performed using a process similar to the initial load of Hyperion MDM with hierarchical data.

● Hierarchies can be restructured to match a change in business needs. Hyperion MDM includes tools, such as Blender, to facilitate this process.


Getting Started 25

C h a p t e r

2Getting Started

Hyperion MDM is a data management tool and repository that provides a centralized, controlled, graphical approach to synchronizing data across multiple systems.

In This Chapter Starting Hyperion MDM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Hyperion MDM Desktop and Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

26 Getting Started

Starting Hyperion MDM

➤ To start the Hyperion MDM client:

1 On the Windows desktop, double-click .

Figure 3 NTier Login Dialog Box

2 From the Connection drop-down list, select the login connection for the preferred application server.

If no login connections were defined, you are prompted to create a connection. For instructions, see “Creating Login Connections” on page 26.

3 In the User Name text box, enter a user name or use the default.

4 In the Password text box, enter a password.

Note: User names and passwords are not case-sensitive.

5 Click OK.

Creating Login ConnectionsThe ability to create and save login connections was designed to simplify the login process and avoid inadvertent connections to the wrong environment. If no login connections were defined, the user will is prompted to create a connection.

➤ To create a login connection:

1 In the NTier Login dialog box, click the [...] button to the right of the Connection list to display the Login Connections dialog.

Starting Hyperion MDM 27

Figure 4 Login Connections Dialog Box

2 Enter a meaningful name for the connection, such as DevServer or Production, to indicate the environment being used.

3 Enter the HTTP server URL for the Hyperion MDM application server.

4 Click Test to verify the specified URL.

5 Enter the primary User Name to be used with this connection.

6 Click OK to save and close the dialog box.

Additional connections can be created by clicking the […] button on the Login dialog. Existing connections can be subsequently edited or deleted.

Changing Passwords

➤ To change your password:

1 From the Hyperion MDM main menu, select Tools > Change Password.

The Change Password dialog box is displayed.

28 Getting Started

Figure 5 Change Password Dialog Box

2 Enter your old password in the Old Password text box.

3 Enter your new password in the New Password text box.

4 Enter your new password a second time in the Confirm Password text box.

5 Click OK.

Hyperion MDM Desktop and MenusThis topic describes the following areas of the Hyperion MDM Desktop:

● “Speed Buttons” on page 28

● “Main Menu Commands” on page 29

● “Action Menus” on page 32

● “Hot Keys” on page 32

● “Using the Options Dialog Box” on page 32

Speed ButtonsSpeed buttons enable rapid access to frequently used functions within Hyperion MDM. They are displayed just following the menu bar of the Hyperion MDM Desktop and at the top of most other Hyperion MDM windows. To review the function of a speed button, hold the mouse cursor over the button. In a few seconds, a hint will be displayed that explains the function of the button.

Hyperion MDM Desktop and Menus 29

Main Menu CommandsThe Hyperion MDM menu commands and their usage are listed following.

Table 6 Speed Buttons

Speed Button Action

Open

Open currently selected hierarchy

Print

Send current hierarchy tree view to a printer

Take

Perform Take (copy/move) operation on currently selected node

Put

Perform Put (paste) operation under currently selected node

Find Nodes

Open Find Nodes dialog box to search for a node

Expand All

Expand currently selected node to display it's children

Collapse All

Collapse currently selected hierarchy to only display top node

Properties Open Properties Editor for currently selected version or hierarchy

Table 7 File Menu Commands

Menu Item Description

Open Displays the Hierarchy Open dialog, to select a hierarchy (or set of hierarchies) to open

Close Closes the active Hierarchy Window

Close All Closes all open Hierarchy Windows

Import Opens the Import dialog, to import data from external files or systems

Export/Report Opens the Export dialog, to run an existing export or to build a new export

Blender Opens the Blender dialog, to blend data from two versions

Automator Opens the Automator dialog, to process transactions from a flat file

Printer Setup Opens the Print setup dialog box

Print Preview > From Top Displays the hierarchy from the highest point

Print Preview > From Here Displays the hierarchy from the selected node on down

30 Getting Started

Print > From Top Prints the hierarchy from the highest point

Print > From Here Prints the hierarchy from the selected node downward

Exit Closes Hyperion MDM

Table 8 Edit Menu Commands


Take Removes the selected node from its position in the hierarchy and places it in the clipboard

Put Pastes the contents of the last Take from the clipboard as a child of the currently selected node

Add Node Create a new node to insert into the hierarchy

Insert Node Insert an existing node into the hierarchy

Inactivate Opens the Inactivate Nodes dialog

Reactivate Reactivates an inactive node

Remove Removes selected node from the hierarchy

Delete Opens the Delete Nodes dialog

Annul Removes the node from the hierarchy, and deletes it if it is an orphan (For example, if a node has the same parent in all hierarchies in which it exists, then an annul will result in the node being deleted)

Annul all below Annuls all nodes following the selected node

Remove Duplicates Opens the Remove Duplicates dialog (enables property values to be removed)

Find Opens Find Node dialog box to search for node in currently selected hierarchy

Global Find Opens Find Node dialog box to search for node in all hierarchies of selected version

Select All Selects all the nodes in the list view pane of the active hierarchy

Table 9 View Menu Commands


Properties Displays the Property dialog, populated with the current node’s properties

Expand All Expands the entire selected hierarchy tree to display all nodes (this may take a few moments for large hierarchies)

Collapse All Collapses the selected hierarchs, so that only the top node is displayed

Table 7 File Menu Commands (Continued)



Nodes by > Default View Displays Default labels for nodes in the selected hierarchy

Nodes by > Description Displays Description labels for nodes in the selected hierarchy.

Nodes by > Default/ Description

Displays concatenated Default plus Description labels in the selected hierarchies

Nodes by > Defined Properties

Displays for each node the properties as defined by user

List > Ancestors Ancestors of the selected node

List > Siblings Siblings of the selected node

List > Descendants Descendants of the selected node

List > Children Children of the selected node

List > Links All instances of the node in other hierarchies

Refresh Refreshes the screen from the database.

Refresh All Refreshes all items in the Version control window

Table 10 Tools Menu Commands


Property Query Opens the Property Query dialog, to search the selected hierarchy for nodes that meet a defined set of criteria

Global Property Query Opens the Global Property Query dialog, to search the version node list for nodes that meet a defined set of criteria

Compare Opens the Compare dialog, to identify structural differences between two hierarchies

Property Compare Opens the Property Compare dialog, to identify property differences between two hierarchies

Renamed Node Compare Opens the Renamed Node Compare dialog (similar to a standard Compare, except that renamed nodes are not identified as 'different' between the two hierarchies)

Synchronize to > Display Search and synchronize a specified node based on display label

Synchronize to > Name Search and synchronize a specified node based on node name

Change Password Use to change user password.

Transaction History (Session)

Opens dialog box to view all (or desired subset) of transaction activity performed via Hyperion MDM

Options Opens the Options dialog box to customize the local Hyperion MDM installation

Table 9 View Menu Commands (Continued)


32 Getting Started

Action MenusThe action menu is a set of context-sensitive options that are displayed when the right mouse button is clicked. The action menu will change based on the active object.

Hot KeysHot keys allow frequently used functions to be accessed by pressing a certain key or combination of keys. If hot keys are available as a short cut for a function on a menu option, then the appropriate hot key will be displayed next to that menu option. For example the <F11> key will open the Property Editor.

Using the Options Dialog BoxThe appearance of the Hyperion MDM desktop can be customized using the Options dialog box accessed from the Tools menu.

➤ To set options:

1 From the Tools menu, select Options to display the Options dialog box.

On the General tab, various options can be configured that affect the way that the user interface looks and behaves.

Figure 6 Options - General Tab


2 Select the Properties tab.

The default properties to be displayed in the list view frame and hotlist of the Hierarchy window can be selected.

Figure 7 Options Dialog Box - Properties Tab

3 In the Category drop-down list, select All to display additional property categories.

4 Optional: In the Available list box, select a category and click the appropriate arrow to add a category.

5 Optional: In the Selected Properties list box, select a category and click the appropriate arrow to remove a category.

6 Optional: From the Default Category drop-down list, select a category to open when the property editor is started.

7 Optional: Select Display All Tabs to display in the property editor an additional property category tab that contains all properties.

8 Optional: Select Multi Line Tabs for the property editor to display all property category tabs stacked on multiple lines.

9 Select the Exports tab to set default parameters for running exports.

34 Getting Started

Figure 8 Options Dialog Box - Exports Tab

10 From the Default Output Mode text box, select an option from the drop-down list.

11 Optional: Select the User internal viewer option.

12 To use an external viewer, click to browse for the program that you want to use as the viewer, for example notepad.exe.

13 Click OK.

Using Versions, Hierarchies, Nodes, and Properties 35

C h a p t e r

3Using Versions, Hierarchies,

Nodes, and Properties

This chapter describes version, hierarchies, nodes, and properties.

In This Chapter Working with Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Working with Hierarchies and Nodes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Working with Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

36 Using Versions, Hierarchies, Nodes, and Properties

Working with VersionsHyperion MDM groups hierarchies into versions. A version represents a single, independent set of data that is arranged into related hierarchies. All Hyperion MDM maintenance is performed within a single version. Users cannot copy or move nodes across versions. Compare and export are the only features that work across versions.

Version Control WindowImmediately after logging in, the Hyperion MDM desktop displays the Version control window, which lists a tree view of the available versions, along with the hierarchies contained in each version.

Figure 9 Version Control Window

Version StatusThe icon to the left of each version in the Version control window indicates the status of the version. The version status is used to control the work flow of hierarchy maintenance and can only be changed by the system administrator using the Hyperion MDM Admin Tool. Table 11 describes each version status icon.

Working with Versions 37

Memory and Display StatusIn addition to version status, the memory status may be displayed as text, to the right of a version or hierarchy name. Table 12 describes memory and display status.

Note: The Open and Shown statuses are indicated by a bold version or hierarchy name.

Action MenuWhen a version is selected, various options are available on the right-click menu.

Table 11 Version Status

Status Description

WorkingUsers may edit versions with this status (Before running exports, users are warned that the data may be unfinished or incomplete)

SubmittedOnly system administrators are allowed to make changes to versions with this status (Users are not allowed to make changes, and, when running exports, are warned that data may be unfinished or incomplete)

FinalizedNo one can edit this version and no warning occurs during exports

ExpiredNo one can edit this version. Users are warned when running exports that the data may be out-of-date

Table 12 Memory Status

Status Applies To Description

Open Versions Indicates that the version has been loaded into memory.

Shown Hierarchies Indicates that the hierarchy is currently displayed in a hierarchy window

Detached Versions Indicates that the version is not attached to the database and changes are made in memory only (To retain the changes, this version must be manually saved)


Figure 10 Version Control Window - Right-click Menu

Table 13 describes the right-click menu options.

Table 13 Version and Hierarchy Right-click Menu Options

Menu Option Description

New > Version Create a new version in a detached state

New > Hierarchy Create a new hierarchy within the current version

Open Open the current hierarchy

Open All Open all hierarchies in the current version

Open Selected Prompts user to select which hierarchies to open

Open Baseline Prompts user to select a hierarchy to open in a baseline version

Close Version Close the current version

Close Baseline Close the baseline version of the current version

Copy to New Copy the current version to a new version in a detached state

Save Save a detached version

Working with Versions 39

Creating As Of VersionsFrom the right-click menu of the Version control window, the create as of option enables you to create a snapshot of a current version at some past date and time by rolling back transactions that occurred after that time. Whenever a version is created or copied, and the AllowAsOf system preference is set to True, a baseline version is also created. The baseline version is read-only and is not displayed in the Version control window. As changes are made to the version, the transactions are logged. These transactions can be used as a means to roll the baseline version forward to any point in time to generate a snapshot at that point.

The desired point in time for the As Of Version can be specified as one of the following:

● A date and time

● A date offset from the current date

● A specific transaction ID

➤ To create an as of version:

1 In the Version control window, right-click a version, and select Create As Of.

Create As Of Create snapshot (in a detached state) of current version as of some past date and time by rolling back transactions that occurred after that time

Use Save to save the as of version if a permanent copy is desired.

Delete Delete the currently selected version or hierarchy

Properties Show properties of currently selected version or hierarchy

Assign > Validation Assign existing validations to be run

Assign > Verification Assign existing verifications to be run

Verify > Assigned Run the assigned verifications

Verify > Selected Select verifications to run

Verification Messages View status messages from verifications

Clear Verify Results Clear the results of the verifications run

List > Global Nodes Display list of global nodes in current version

List > Orphan Nodes Display list of orphan nodes in current version

Controlled Properties Show list of global properties controlled by current hierarchy

Show Status Column Shows the version status column.

Table 13 Version and Hierarchy Right-click Menu Options (Continued)


Figure 11 Create Version As Of Dialog Box

2 Select one of the following time frames for the As Of version:

● Transaction Date/Time

● Transaction Date OFfset (Days)

● Transaction ID

For the Transaction ID option, click to open the Transaction History dialog. The ID of the desired transaction can then be determined. For more information, see Chapter 11, “Viewing Transaction History.”

3 Click OK.

Using the Version Criteria Dialog BoxIn some features of Hyperion MDM, the user may have the option to choose what type of version is desired for the specified operation. After a version is selected, the Version Criteria dialog box enables the user to select one of these options:

● Normal Version - The selected version in its current state is used.

● Use Baseline - The baseline version of the current version is used.

● Create As Of - A snapshot of the current version at some past date and time is used.

Working with Hierarchies and Nodes 41

Working with Hierarchies and NodesA hierarchy is a logical set of nodes within a version. Each hierarchy is usually associated with a certain view, external system, or management report. The set of nodes that makes up a hierarchy are all descendants from a single top node. In that way, a hierarchy is defined by its top node and represents all the nodes in the hierarchical relationships below that node.

● Hierarchies are contained within a version, and a single version may contain multiple hierarchies.

● Hierarchies provide the main interface for a user when working with Hyperion MDM.

Opening Hierarchies and NodesA hierarchy may be opened from the Version control window or from the main menu. When the first hierarchy for a particular version is opened, the entire version is loaded into memory.

➤ To open a single hierarchy, do one of the following tasks:

● From the Version control window, double-click the hierarchy name.

● From the Version control window, right-click the hierarchy and select Open.

➤ To open all hierarchies within a version, from the Version control window do one of the following:

● Right-click the version name and select Open All.

● Double-click the version name.

Each hierarchy within the version opens in a separate window.

➤ To open multiple hierarchies:

1 Right-click the version name (or any hierarchy within a version) and select Open Selected.

2 Select a version from the drop down list at the top of the dialog box.

A list of the hierarchies contained within the selected version are listed at the bottom of the dialog box.

3 Select hierarchies to open by using the <CTRL> key and then click OK.


Hierarchy WindowThe hierarchy window title bar shows the name of the hierarchy and version that are currently displayed.

● To move a Hierarchy Window, click anywhere in the window title bar. While holding the left mouse key down, move the window to the desired location.

● To change the size of a Hierarchy Window, slowly move the mouse across a window’s border. The cursor changes to a doubled arrow bar. Click and hold the left mouse key down, and then move the mouse up, down, or left and right, to resize the window.

● Hyperion MDM enables the opening of as many Hierarchy Windows as desired, although no hierarchy may be displayed in more than one window at a time. To select a specific hierarchy, click on any surface area of the desired window. The title bar that you click on changes colors and is displayed in the foreground.

● The top (or root) node of a specified hierarchy view can be changed. To change the top node of the view, select the desired node then right-click and select View From Here from the action menu. To revert to viewing the hierarchy from its true top node, right-click and select View From Top from the action menu.

The Hierarchy Window contains two main panes. The pane on the left is the tree view and presents the structure of the hierarchy. The pane on the right is the list view or child view and contains the children of the selected node. The list view also displays certain properties of the child nodes. The specific properties to be displayed can be configured using the View Nodes By button on the Hierarchy Window toolbar. You may also change the properties that are displayed via Tools > Options from the main menu.

The table following describes each Hierarchy Window speed button.

Table 14 Hierarchy Window Toolbar Speed Buttons

Speed Button Action

Clear all marked nodes Removes mark from all nodes in the hierarchy (Refer to section on Marked Nodes for additional information)


When a node in the hierarchy window is selected, various options are available on the right-click menu.

Expand to marked nodes

Expands hierarchy view to display all marked nodes

Move to next marked node

Changes selected node to next node in the hierarchy that is marked

Move to previously selected node Enables selected node to be toggled back and forth between 2 nodes

Hide/show child panel

Opens or closes the list view pane of the Hierarchy Window

Move to parent node Changes selected node to the parent of currently selected node if the parent is visible in the current view

View nodes by Determines the properties that are displayed by each node in the hierarchy Options are:

Default View – displays default properties

Description – displays description property for the node

Default/Description – displays default properties and description

Defined Properties – user may configure any of the available properties to display

Dock/undock the Property Edit

window

Determines the location in which to display the Property Edit window

Options are:

None – window not displayed.

Undocked – window displayed independent of Hierarchy Window

Show at Right – window displayed as right-most pane of Hierarchy Window

Show at Bottom – window displayed as bottom pane of Hierarchy Window

Table 14 Hierarchy Window Toolbar Speed Buttons (Continued)


Figure 12 Hierarchy Window - Right-click Menu

The hierarchy window right-click menu options are described below.


Properties Shows the properties for the selected node

Synchronize Synchronizes the node with other versions

Take Copies the currently selected node

Put Pastes from the clipboard under the currently selected node

Add Node Adds a new node to the hierarchy

Insert Node Inserts an existing node into the hierarchy

Model After Enables you to model a new node after an existing node

Copy Properties Enables you to copy properties from a node.

Paste Properties Enables you to paste copied properties to a node.

Inactivate Inactivates a node

Reactivate Reactivates a node


Navigating Hierarchies

➤ To select a node, click a node in the tree view or list view pane.

Note: To select multiple nodes, the list view pane must be used.

➤ To expand a node, do one of the following:

● Double-click on the limb in the tree view or list view pane.

● Click the plus (+) or minus (-) sign next to a limb. A plus sign (+) next to a limb indicates it is closed. A minus sign (-) indicates it is open.

Adding and Inserting NodesA node can be included in a hierarchy in one of two ways:

Remove Removes the node from the current hierarchy and any other hierarchies where it has the same parent (However, the node is not deleted from the version, so that it is available for later re-insertion)

Delete Removes the node from all hierarchies and deletes the node from the version.

Order Children Enables the sort order of limbs and leaves to be set graphically

Move to Previous Node Moves insertion point to the previously selected node.

Expand From Here Expands the hierarchy from the selected node.

Collapse From Here Collapses the hierarchy from the selected node

View > From Here Makes the selected node the top node of the hierarchy.

View > From Top Reverts from a selected node as the top node to the true top node for the hierarchy.

Lists > Ancestors Lists ancestors of the selected node

Lists > Siblings Lists siblings of the selected node

Lists > Descendants Lists descendants of the selected node

Lists > Children Lists children of the selected node

Lists > Links Lists links of the selected node

Verify > Assigned Runs the assigned verifications for the node

Verify > Selected Runs the selected verifications for the node

Transaction History (Node) Displays the transaction history for the node



● An existing node, not currently in the hierarchy, can be inserted.

● A new node can be created.

A new node can also be modeled after an existing node using the Model After function.

➤ To insert a node:

1 Select the point of insertion, which will be the future parent of the new node.

2 Do one of the following:

● Right-click to and select Insert Node.

● From the main menu, select Edit > Insert Node .

● Use the keyboard shortcut <ctrl-i>.

3 Select the name of the new node using one of these methods:

● Enter the name of the node. If a name is entered that does not correspond to an existing node, you are prompted to locate an existing node.

● Click and choose a node from an existing hierarchy.

4 Click Insert.

Note: Due to referential integrity, if the inserted node already exists and has any descendants, these descendants are also inserted into the targeted hierarchy. However, if any of these descendants fails either the rules of referential integrity or any assigned validations, then the entire insert fails.

➤ To create and add a new node:

1 Select the point of insertion, which will be the future parent of the new node.

2 Open the Add Node dialog box by performing one of the following:

● Right-click to display the action menu and select Add Node.

● From the main menu select Edit > Add Node.


3 Enter the name and description of the new node. If a name is entered that corresponds to an existing node, the user will be prompted to use the Insert Node dialog.

4 Define the new node as Limb or Leaf

5 Use the Copy Properties option to copy some or all properties of an existing node to the new node if desired.

6 Click Add to create and add the new node.

When common prefixes are being used for node names, an option is available to pre-fill the Add Node dialog box with the desired prefix. The hierarchy-level properties PrefillLeafProp and PrefillLimbProp can be set to point to any node-level properties. Then when creating a new node, the name field is pre-filled with the value of the designated property for the parent of the new node.

Next ID FunctionThe Next ID function enables the automatic generation of node names using sequential numerical IDs and node prefixes. For example, a set of nodes can be created where each of them have a name like Org000xxx, where:

● Org is the node prefix and can be any desired character string.

● 000xxx is the sequential ID and increments by 1 starting at 1.

This feature must be enabled by a Hyperion MDM system administrator for it to be visible to Hyperion MDM users:


● The System Preference Allow NextID Generation must be set to True.

● The System Preference Allow NextID Key Creation Level can be set to Admin, Funct, Any, or None and determines the level of user that is able to create new ID keys.

To use the Next ID function, type the desired prefix into the node name field and click the id button.

● If the prefix already exists in the system, then an ID value is returned that is one greater than the last ID previously generated.

● If the prefix has not been used before, then an ID value of 1 (with the appropriate number of leading zeros) is returned.

The total length of the ID (excluding the prefix and including any leading zeros as necessary) is determined as follows:

● The hierarchy properties IDLengthLimbProp and IDLengthLeafProp can be set to point to node-level properties that specify the desired ID length for the specified node.

● If the IDLengthLimbProp and IDLengthLeafProp properties are not set, then the length of the next sequential ID will be used without any leading zeros.

Model AfterWhen a new node is created, it typically shares many common characteristics with existing nodes. The Model After feature enables a new node to be modeled after an existing node and thus improves the efficiency of the node creation process by eliminating redundant steps.

To use this feature, open the Hierarchy Window and select the desired node to be modeled after. The Model After dialog box can be opened in one of the following ways:

● Right-click to display the action menu and select Model After.

● From the main menu select Edit > Model After.

● Use the keyboard shortcut <ctrl-M>


Figure 13 Model Nodes Dialog Box

The Node to Model field shows the name of the currently selected node. If another node is to

be used to model after, click to open the Select Node dialog box. Any node can then be selected from any hierarchy in the current version.

A node name can also be typed directly into the Node to Model field. However, if the name is not found as an existing node, it is displayed with strike through and cannot be used to model after.

In the New Node field, enter the name of the new node. If the name already exists, the name is displayed with strike through.

The node name can also be created using the Next ID function by clicking the id button.

In the New Description field, the description of the new node can be entered.

Copy PropertiesThe following options can be chosen for copying properties from the original node to the new node:

● None - no properties are copied.

● Defined - only defined properties are copied.

● Selected - clicking opens the Select Properties dialog box to select the properties to copy.

● All - all properties are copied.

After the desired properties option is selected, clicking the Fetch button populates each of the tabs following with the appropriate data.


Hierarchies TabThis tab lists each hierarchy in which the node to model after currently exists. The parent of the node in each hierarchy is also listed.

Global Properties TabThis tab lists each of the global properties of the node to model after based on the copy properties option selected.

Local Properties TabThis tab lists each of the local properties of the node to model after based on the copy properties option selected.

Figure 14 Model Nodes Dialog Box - Local Properties Tab

The local properties of the node to model after is listed for each hierarchy in which it exists. The various hierarchies can be selected from the Hierarchy drop-down list.

Automator ProcessingAfter each of the desired options for the model operation are set, clicking the Automate button displays the Hyperion MDM Automator dialog.


Figure 15 Automator Dialog Box

This window displays each of the underlying Automator commands that are used to create the new node and copy the desired properties. Clicking the Process button executes each of the commands. The result of each command can be verified by reviewing the Status column.

You can save the automator to a flat file that you can edit and reuse.

This completes the modeling of the new node. The Automator window and Model Nodes windows can now be closed.

Moving NodesNodes may be moved within a hierarchy or to a different hierarchy:

● Moving a node within a single hierarchy removes the node from its original parent and places it under the new parent.

● Moving a node to a different hierarchy is treated like a copy. The node is left unchanged in its original hierarchy. This function is identical to inserting an existing node.

➤ To move a node, perform one of the following steps:

● Drag and drop the node onto its new parent node in the hierarchy

● Use the Take and Put functions by selecting the node to be moved in one of the following ways:

❍ Right-click and select Take.

❍ Use the <ctrl-t> keyboard shortcut


❍ From the main menu, select Edit > Take.

● Select the new parent node for the move and do one of the following:

❍ Right-click and select Put.

❍ Use the <ctrl-p> keyboard shortcut

❍ From the main menu, select Edit > Put.

Node Move Problems

A move to a new hierarchy may be unsuccessful for any of the following reasons:

● A node with the same name already exists in the destination hierarchy.

● One of the descendants of the moved nodes already exists in the destination hierarchy.

● The new relationship fails an assigned validation.

Moving nodes within a hierarchy that has some shared nodes with alternate hierarchies and some non-shared nodes may cause a duplicate to be created in the alternate hierarchy. This fails the Hyperion MDM integrity constraint as described preceding and prevents the move operation. To accomplish the move, the user must first remove the node being moved from the alternate hierarchy before moving it to the main hierarchy.

For many users, this causes an issue in the extra maintenance steps needed to perform changes. This can also be a problem when the moves are being done via Automator scripts or through an automated system via the API.

Relaxed Move OptionTo facilitate a move that requires a node to be removed from an alternate hierarchy, you can use the Relaxed Move option. If the System Preference AllowRelaxedMove is set to True, the Relaxed Move is allowed. If the system preference is set to False or does not exist, then the normal integrity constraints are enforced.

When moving a node, the Relaxed Move enables the new parent in the main hierarchy to take precedence over any conflicting parental relationships for this node in other hierarchies.

Consider the four hierarchies in the following example:

Hier 1 Hier 2 Hier 3 Hier 4

A X Z S

+B +X1 +Z1 + C

| +C | +X2 +Z2 + 111

| +111 | +111 +111

+D +D

The intent is to move node 111 from C to D in Hier 1. When AllowRelaxedMove is false, the move fails due to the insert under D in Hier 2 causing a duplicate node.

When AllowRelaxedMove is true, the following occurs:


Hier 1 Hier 2 Hier 3 Hier 4

A X Z S

+B +X1 +Z1 + C

| +C | +X2 +Z2

| | +111

+D +D

+111 +111

Note that 111 is removed from under X2 in Hier 2 because it now exists under D in that hierarchy.

Using Node Deletion MethodsThere are four methods by which a node can be deleted. The subtle differences in the terminology used are significant. The methods are listed in the table following in decreasing order of severity.

Deleting NodesOnly nodes with no descendents can be deleted.

➤ To delete a node, select a node or set of nodes and do one of the following:

● Right-click and select Delete.

● Use the <ctrl-d> keyboard shortcut.

● From the main menu, select Edit > Delete.

Table 16 Node Deletion Methods

Action Result

Delete Removes the node from all hierarchies and deletes the node from the version

Remove Removes the node from the current hierarchy and any other hierarchies where it has the same parent (However, the node is not deleted from the version, so that it is available for later re-insertion)

Annul Performs a Remove on the node in all hierarchies where it has the same parent, and also Deletes the node if it is then an orphan:

● For example, if a node has the same parent in all hierarchies in which it exists, then an Annul will Remove the node from all hierarchies and then Delete it because it is then an orphan

● If the node does not have the same parent in all hierarchies, the Annul will produce the same result as the Remove

Inactivate Flags the node as inactive so that it can be easily filtered from an export


If the option to merge nodes is enabled, the Delete Nodes dialog box opens and presents the selected nodes and their associated merge status. The user can then choose which of the selected nodes to actually delete.

It is important to note that when deleting a hierarchy, the nodes within that hierarchy are not deleted. If the nodes do not exist in any other hierarchy within the version, then they become orphans after their resident hierarchy is deleted. If a large group of nodes needs to be deleted from a hierarchy, the Annul All Below command can be used.

Removing Nodes

➤ To remove a node, and all of its children, select the node and do one of the following:

● Right-click and select Remove.

● Use the <ctrl-r> keyboard shortcut.

● From the main menu, select Edit > Remove.

Annulling NodesWhen a node is annulled, the node is removed from the hierarchy, and deleted it if it is an orphan. For example, if a node has the same parent in all hierarchies in which it exists, then an annul will result in the node being deleted.

➤ To annul a node:

● Use the <ctrl-N> keyboard shortcut.

● From the main menu, select Edit > Annul.

➤ To annul a set of nodes:

● Use the <ctrl-L> keyboard shortcut.

● From the main menu, select Edit > Annul All Below.

Inactivating NodesOnly nodes with no active children can be inactivated.

➤ To inactivate a node, select a node or set of nodes and do one of the following:

● Right-click and select Inactivate.

● Use the <f12> keyboard shortcut.

● From the main menu, select Edit > Inactivate.


If the option to merge nodes is enabled, the Inactivate Nodes dialog box will open and present the selected nodes and their associated merge status. Merge nodes may then be selected in an identical manner as when a node is deleted. Inactivated nodes will be displayed with a red slash to indicate their status.

Reactivating Nodes

➤ To reactivate a node, select a node or set of nodes and do one of the following:

● Right-click and select Reactivate.

● Use the <ctrl-f12> keyboard shortcut.

● From the main menu, select Edit > Reactivate.

The node is displayed normally without the red slash.

Orphan NodesAn orphan node is defined as a node that exists in a version but that is not assigned to any hierarchy within that version. Orphans may exist pending a clean-up to completely remove them, or they may be awaiting re-allocation to one (or more) hierarchies in the version.

Orphan nodes within a version may be viewed by right-clicking on a version in the Version control window and selecting List > Orphan Nodes. A hot list of orphan nodes is displayed.

Figure 16 Orphan Nodes

You can add an orphan node to a hierarchy by doing one of the following:

● Insert node and type the name of orphan node

For more information, see “Adding and Inserting Nodes” on page 45.

● Drag an orphan from the orphan node hotlist into the hierarchy


It is possible for an orphan node to have descendants that are not orphans. To avoid this, the list of orphan nodes should be reviewed regularly. By right-clicking on each orphan in the hot list and selecting the View Structure option, a list of the orphan node's descendants is displayed.

Deleting Orphan NodesYou can delete one or more orphan nodes. With the Delete option, the user will be prompted for merge information if the system is configured to require merging. With the Destroy option, the node is deleted immediately regardless of the merge requirements.

Nodes with children can be deleted.

Merging NodesTracking merge information is a Hyperion MDM option that enables users to specify nodes that should be used in place of deleted or inactivated nodes. External transaction systems supported by Hyperion MDM may still have transactions that refer to the deleted node. By keeping a merge list, Hyperion MDM is able to feed these systems appropriate node mappings that allow them to roll the data to a new valid node.

Merging is an option that can be configured by the system administrator in the Hyperion MDM Admin Tool. If the option to merge nodes is enabled within Hyperion MDM, then an appropriate dialog box is displayed when an attempt is made to delete or inactivate a node. This series of forms ensures that valid merge nodes are selected for each deleted or inactivated node.

Figure 17 Inactivate Nodes Dialog Box

➤ To define a merge node from the Delete Nodes or Inactivate Nodes window,

1 Do one of the following tasks:

● Enter the name of the merge node in the Merge Node column.

● Click and select a node name from an existing hierarchy.

The merge node defaults to the parent of the selected node.


2 Click Next to continue the delete or inactivate process.

The results of the delete/inactivate validation process are displayed. Valid transactions are presented in the top portion. Invalid transactions, along with an explanation, are presented in the bottom portion. To fix an invalid transaction, click Back to return to the merge selection form.

3 To complete the operation for approved transactions, click Delete or Inactivate.

If the delete option is disabled or the delete function is unsuccessful, it may be due to one of the following reasons:

● A deletion can only be performed by users who are granted authority by the system administrator.

● A node may not be deleted if it has descendants.

● The delete may fail an assigned merge validation.

Finding NodesThere are two different ways to search for nodes. The Find feature searches for nodes within the selected hierarchy while the Global Find searches for nodes in any hierarchy within the selected version.

➤ To use either find feature:

1 Do one of the following:

● To use the Global Find feature, select a version in the Version control window and do one of the following:

❍ Use the <ctrl-G> keyboard shortcut.

❍ Use the main menu and select Edit > Global Find.

● To use the Find feature, select a hierarchy in the Version control window and do one of the following:

❍ Use the <ctrl-F> keyboard shortcut.

❍ Use the main menu and select Edit > Find.


Figure 18 Find Node Dialog Box

2 In the Search For text box, enter a string to search

3 From the Search In drop-down list, select one of the following node properties to search:

● Name

● Description

● DisplayByString (available for Find but not Global Find)

4 Select Perform Exact Match to find nodes that match the search string exactly. This option is only available when searching in Name.

5 In the Display Options section, select one of the following options:

● Show in Lists to display a Hotlist of the nodes found

● Mark Nodes to mark the nodes in the hierarchy window

● Both to display a Hotlist and mark nodes

6 Select Go to First Node in List to automatically locate the first node in the search results and select it in the hierarchy window.

7 Click Find to perform the search.

Sorting NodesNodes are sorted in Hyperion MDM according to the following default rules:

● Limbs are sorted ahead of leaves.

● Nodes are then sorted by their name.


This default sort order is similar to how folders and files are sorted by default in the Microsoft Windows Explorer.

Custom Sort OrderNodes can also be sorted in any explicit custom sort order (although limbs are always sorted ahead of leaves.) The sort order can be defined by any property that has a property data type of SortOrder. (The SortOrder data type is special case of an Integer data type.) By default, any Hyperion MDM installation includes a property called Sort Order (assigned to the Default property category) that can be used for this purpose.

To sort a hierarchy according to the value of a node-level sort order property, the hierarchy-level property StandardHierSort must have its value set to point to the appropriate node-level property that contains the sort order.

A custom sort order can also be used that applies only to a specific Hyperion MDM user ID, enabling users to customize their display of Hyperion MDM data without impacting other users of the same hierarchy. This is controlled by the hierarchy-level property UserHierSort. If this property has been set to point to a node-level property that has a data type of Sort Order, then this sort order takes precedence over both the StandardHierSort property and the default sort order.

If there is no value assigned to the hierarchy-level property StandardHierSort nor to UserHierSort, then the default sort order is applied.

The value of a custom sort order property can be set in any of the following ways:

● Sort order values can be loaded into a node-level sort order property when data is initially imported into Hyperion MDM (see following for details.)

● Explicit values can be defined for the sort order property for any node.

● If a sort order property has been selected for a hierarchy’s StandardHierSort or UserHierSort properties, then the Order Children menu option is available by right-clicking on any node in a hierarchy. This opens a dialog box that enables the sort order of limbs and leaves to be set graphically.

● A node-level sort order property might be defined as Derived, and so might be automatically populated with a sort order.

Removing Custom Sort OrdersTo disable the use of any sort order, the value of the hierarchy-level property controlling the sort order can be removed by right-clicking on it and selecting Remove Value.

Node SecurityNode security settings can only be assigned by a Hyperion MDM user with administrative privileges. Security settings are maintained as property values, just like any other properties of a node. They are maintained in Hyperion MDM (and not in the Hyperion MDM Admin Tool)


because Hyperion MDM offers better mechanisms for navigation within the hierarchy. For additional details, refer to the section on Node Access Group security in the Hyperion System 9 Master Data Management Administrator's Guide.

Working with PropertiesProperties are data elements that are associated with nodes, similar to fields in a database. Properties enable Hyperion MDM to store extra information about each node. While there are a set of default properties including Name and Description, the system administrator can add as many properties as needed to support the subscribed systems.

Using the Property EditorThe property editor enables users to examine and edit property values for the currently selected node.

➤ To access the editor, select a node and do one of the following:

● Right-click and select Properties.

● Use the <f11> keyboard shortcut.

The Property Editor will be displayed either docked at the bottom, docked at the right, or undocked to the hierarchy window based on the user preference defined under Tools > Options.

Figure 19 Property Editor

Working with Properties 61

Note that selecting View > Properties from the main menu or using the Properties speed button on the main tool bar will display the Property Editor for the currently selected version or hierarchy in the Version Control Window.

Note: You have edit rights to the property if property name is bold.

CategoriesThe Property Editor displays lists of properties categorized by a series of tabs which each define a Property Category. Each property category represents a set of logically related properties such as those belonging to a particular external system (for example, SAP or Essbase), or a specific functional area within the company. The system administrator can create as many property categories as needed. Hyperion MDM includes the built-in property categories listed in the table following.

Note that:

● Not all property categories are visible to all users, because the system administrator can restrict user access to specific categories

● The Validation, Verification, Leaf Access, and Limb Access categories are available to system administrators only

System and Stats properties typically displayed at the node level are listed following.

Table 17 Property Categories

Category Description

System Properties related to a node’s identifying characteristics, such as ID, Name and Description

Stats Properties that provide statistical information about the node such as number of children, number or siblings

Validation Validations assigned for the node – one property for each validation

Verification Verifications currently assigned for the node – one property for each verification

Leaf Access Node security groups and their leaf access levels for the node – one property for each group

Limb Access Node security groups and their limb access levels for the node – one property for each group

Table 18 System and Stats Properties

System Property Meaning

Node ID Numeric unique identifier for internal use

Name (Abbrev) Short, unique name


Property Value Scope and OriginThe property editor displays two icons to the left of each property.

The first icon indicates the scope of the property and if it can inherit its values.

Description Description of the node

Leaf Boolean flag to define node as a leaf or limb

● If True, then node cannot have children

● If False, then node may have children

Leaf Access Indicates level of access to this node for current user (only applies if node is leaf)

Limb Access Indicates level of access to this node for current user (only applies if node is limb)

Node Approved Boolean flag to indicate that node has been in a Finalized version

Ancestor List List of ancestor nodes

# Children Number of nodes, one level beneath

# Descendants Total number of nodes beneath (at all levels)

# Leaf Children Number of children that cannot have other children

# Leaf Descendants Number of descendants that cannot have children

# Leaf Siblings Number of siblings that cannot have children

Level Numeric level of node within hierarchy where top node level = 1

# Limb Children Number of children that may have children

# Limb Descendants Number of descendants that may have children

# Limb Siblings Number of siblings that may have children

Linked Flag indicating if the node exists in at least one other hierarchy

Links List of all other hierarchies in which the node exists (excluding current)

# Links Number of other hierarchies in which the node exists

References List of all hierarchies in which the node exists (including current)

# Siblings Number of nodes which have the same parent as this node

Table 19 Property Scope Icons

First Property Icon Description

Global The value of the property is constant across all hierarchies

LocalThe value of the property is specific to the hierarchy in which it exists

Table 18 System and Stats Properties (Continued)


The second icon denotes the origin of the property value.

Property StatusThe Property Status column in the Property Editor provides the name of the ancestor node and the hierarchy in which an inherited value originates. While editing properties this column also presents status messages that reflect how a value has been edited.

Global InheritedThe value of the property is global and inherited

Local InheritedThe value of the property is local and inherited

Table 20 Property Origin Values

Second Property Icon Description

DefaultThe value of the property is defined by a default value (as set by the system administrator.) Default values are used in two situations:

❍ when the property is non-inheriting and a user has not entered a value

❍ when the property is inheriting and no ancestor value was found

InheritedThe value of the property is being supplied by an ancestor node (The name of the ancestor node and the hierarchy from which the inherited value originates is displayed in the Status column of the Property window)

OverriddenThe value of the property was set by a user at this specific node

DerivedThe value of the property is derived from other values

LockedThe value of the property has been locked which means that it cannot be changed in any descendant node that inherits this property's value

If this property value is viewed in a descendant node, its status is indicated with the lightning bolt icon for Static (see following)

StaticThe value of the property has been inherited from an ancestor node, whose value has been locked:

● As a result, the value cannot be changed in the descendant node

● The name of the ancestor node and the hierarchy from which the inherited value originates is shown in the Status column of the Property window

Table 21 Property Status

Property status Meaning

[Modified] The value has been modified.

[Removed] The value has been removed - only applicable to Overridden property values.

Table 19 Property Scope Icons (Continued)


Updating Property ValuesProperty names displayed in a bold font may be edited. Property names in regular text are not available for change.

The value of a property cannot be edited if any of the following conditions exist:

● The property has a derived value. For example, a property indicating the total number of child nodes are derived by Hyperion MDM and cannot be edited.

● The user does not have appropriate security rights to edit the value.

● The value of the property has been inherited from an ancestor node, whose value has been Locked.

➤ To find a specific property:

1 Right-click in the property values area and select Find Property.

2 Select a property from the list and click OK.

The editor opens to the selected property.

➤ To find a specific property category, right-click in the category tabs area and select Go to Tab.

Removing Property Values

➤ To remove a value from a property, right-click the property and select Remove Value.

This removes the entered value and enables the inherited or default value to replace it.

Removing DuplicatesFor a normal, defined property, Remove Duplicates removes any value equal to the default value in the selected node and any of its children.

For an inheriting property, this option removes any value equal to the inherited value in the selected node and in any of its children.

For a read/write derived property, this option removes any value equal to the derived value in the selected node and any of its children.

[Locked] The classification of the property has been changed to Locked (i.e. the value cannot be changed in any descendant node that inherits the property.)

[Unlocked] The classification of the property has been changed to Unlocked (i.e. the value can be changed in any descendant node that inherits the property.)

[Cleared] A request has been made to Clear All Below for the selected property (i.e. clears the value on all descendant nodes which have overridden their inherited values.)

Table 21 Property Status (Continued)


Remove Duplicates is also available from the Action Menu of the Version control window, if a hierarchy is selected. In this case, a dialog box enables the user to select the version, hierarchy, and properties to acted upon.

Clearing All Descendant Values

➤ To clear the value of a property in all descendant nodes, right-click the property and select Clear All Below.

The value of this property in all descendant nodes is replaced using the inheritance rules. This option is only available for inheriting properties.

A typical use of this feature is to clear the values of a property in all descendent nodes, in preparation for setting and locking a new value that cannot be subsequently changed in the descendent nodes (for example, the property appears classified as Static in the descendant nodes.)

Locking Property ValuesIf a property is classified as inheriting a user can lock the value. This action disables any changes to that value in inheriting descendant nodes.

➤ To lock a property value, do the following:

1 Set the value of the property in the selected node.

2 Right-click the property and select Lock.

A padlock icon is displayed to the left of the property name. For all affected descendant nodes, a lighting bolt icon is displayed indicating the property is static.

Note that if prior to applying the Lock, a descendant had overridden its inherited value, the Lock does not affect that descendant. To affect all descendants with the Lock command, use the Clear All Below option before applying the Lock.

Saving Changes to a Property ValueTo save changes to any property values, click Save at the bottom of the Property Editor. The Save button is not available until a change to a property value has been made.

To exit the Property Editor without saving any changes, click Close. When you are prompted to save your changes, click No.

Version and Hierarchy PropertiesHierarchy properties are defined at the hierarchy level and are the same for all nodes in the hierarchy. By definition, hierarchy properties are always local, defined properties.


Version properties are defined at the version level and are the same for all nodes in all hierarchies. By definition, version properties are always global, defined properties. Version properties are rarely used. Examples include the version name, description, and status.

User-Defined Version and Hierarchy PropertiesUser-defined properties can be established at both the hierarchy and version levels. Thus, version and hierarchy properties can have different values for different users for the same property.

One example is the hierarchy-level property UserDisplayBy. This property enables two different users to see the same hierarchy displayed in different ways. For example, an SAP user views the hierarchy by the SAP short name, while an Essbase user views it by the description.

Table 22 Hierarchy Properties

Hierarchy Property Meaning

Hier ID Unique, internal identifier for the hierarchy.

Hier Name Hierarchy name

Hier Descr Hierarchy description

HierarchyNodeType Points to the node-level property that is used to determine if a specified node is a certain Node Type

Hier Sort Shows property currently used for sorting the hierarchy

Hier Sort Order Integer value to allow sorting the order in which hierarchies appear within the version

Hier System Category Indicates the System Category (folder) to which this hierarchy belongs, if any

DefaultDisplayBy Default for displaying nodes within the hierarchy

PrefillLeafProp Points to the node-level property that is used to pre-fill node name when creating new leaf node

PrefillLimbProp Points to the node-level property that is used to pre-fill node name when creating new limb node

StandardHierSort Points to a node-level property to determine default sort order within the hierarchy

Top Node Name of the top node for the hierarchy

Top Node ID Node ID of the top node

UserDisplayBy Determines how hierarchy nodes display for the current user

UserHierSort Points to a node-level property to determine sort order within the hierarchy for the current user

UserHierFilter Determines how hierarchy is filtered for the current user

Security 67

SecuritySecurity provides a brief overview of the security mechanisms within Hyperion MDM. For complete details, refer to the Hyperion System 9 Master Data Management Administrator's Guide.

All Hyperion MDM users require a username and password. There are four additional factors that affect the security access of a user in Hyperion MDM:

● Assignment of a user as a Hyperion MDM administrator (either system, functional, or security administrator).

● Version status

● For non-administrator type users, assignment of a user to node access groups

● For non-administrator type users, assignment of a user to property categories

Users with questions about their access privileges to Hyperion MDM should contact their Hyperion MDM system administrator.

Administrator TypesThere are three administrative types in Hyperion MDM:

● System Administrator

● Functional Administrator

● Security Administrator

System AdministratorIf the user is designated as a system administrator, the user can perform all tasks in Hyperion MDM.

The privileges of system administrators include the ability to:

● Perform exports from any version

● Edit submitted versions

● Assign security

● Assign validations and verifications

● Edit metadata including property definitions, users, validations, and verifications

Functional AdministratorIf the user is designated as a Functional Administrator, the user can perform all tasks in Hyperion MDM and edit lookup and lists tables for properties from the Admin menu.

The privileges of functional administrators include the ability to:

● Perform exports from any version


● Edit submitted versions

● Assign security

● Assign validations and verifications

● Edit property lookup and list tables from the Admin menu

Security AdministratorIf the user is designated as a security administrator, the user can only create users and assign users to node access groups and property categories

User Assignment to Property CategoriesProperty categories are groupings of properties.

● Property categories are visible to Hyperion MDM users as tabs in the property editor.

● Users can be assigned to multiple property categories to control their access to the hierarchies.

System administrator use the Hyperion MDM Admin Tool to define property categories and allocate users. If a user is assigned access to a property category, then the user may edit property values in accordance to their allocation to Node Access Groups.

User Assignment to Node Access GroupsNode access groups are used to control user access to hierarchies and nodes. Hyperion MDM users may be assigned to specific groups that have permissions to certain nodes within Hyperion MDM. Security based upon groups is more subtle than the on-off access determined by a user's allocation to a property category, because multiple tiers of access levels may be assigned to a specified group.

Running Imports 69

C h a p t e r

4Running Imports

Hyperion MDM can import data from external systems of various formats, including text files, data extracts, and other sources. An import is always performed on a new, empty version that is created as part of the import process. Thus, the user can verify that the import ran correctly before moving the imported data into a production environment. After the data is verified, the blender tool can be used to incorporate the new data.

Imports can be customized and saved by any Hyperion MDM user authorized to run imports.

You use the import wizard to run imports.

In This Chapter Import Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Import Sections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Starting the Import Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Naming Import Versions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Configuring Section and Processing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Configuring Mappings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Specifying File Format Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Configuring Duplicate Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Viewing Import Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

70 Running Imports

Import ElementsAn import consists of the following elements:

Import SectionsAn import can contain any or all of the following sections:

Table 24 Import Sections

Import Section Section Contents

Version Version property values

Required column: version name

Hierarchy Structural information about each hierarchy and top node to be imported and, perhaps, hierarchy property values.

Required columns: hierarchy name, top node

Node Structural information about each node to be imported and, perhaps, node property values

Required column: node name

Relationship Parent-child information about each relationship to be imported and, perhaps, node property values for the child in each pair.

Required columns: parent node name, child node name

Hierarchy Node Node values specific to a specified hierarchy

Required columns: hierarchy name, node name

Starting the Import Wizard

➤ To start the import wizard:

1 From the Hyperion MDM main menu, click File > Import to display the import wizard.

Table 23 Import Structure

Import element Description

Import Attributes of the import, such as version, error-handling settings, and filenames

Sections Information about the import, such as hierarchy, node, and relationship (Configuring a section can include designating section headers and delimiters)

Columns Data attributes to be imported (An Import Column is mapped to a corresponding non-read-only property in Hyperion MDM, such as name and description. Configuring a column involves selecting a property to populate, ordering the column, and sometimes mapping the column to a particular set of hierarchies. If the input format is a fixed-width text file, the column width should also be configured.)

Naming Import Versions 71

Figure 20 Import Wizard: Import Type

2 Select an import type or a saved import and click Next.

Selecting a parent import type (for example, Flat File Import) from the hierarchy creates an import of the selected type. Selecting a saved import, under an import type, retrieves the settings for the import and enables the user to edit and run the import.

Naming Import Versions

➤ To name the import version:

1 For Abbrev, enter a name.

Table 25 Import Wizard Controls

Import Dialog controls Description

Save and Save As Save the import to its current name or a new name

Delete Delete a saved import

Back and Next Move backward or forward through the import wizard

Run Run the import wizard

Cancel Close the wizard without saving or running imports

72 Running Imports

Figure 21 Import Wizard: Version and Output Options

2 For Description, enter a description.

3 For Log Output File Name, enter a path and file name for logging error and status messages.

4 Optional: In Max Errors, enter an integer value for the maximum number of errors permitted before the import process is stopped.

The default value is 20. If a value of zero is entered, the import engine runs to completion regardless of the number of errors encountered. In the event of an unrecoverable error, the import stops processing.

5 Click Next.

Configuring Section and Processing Options

➤ To configure section and processing options:

1 Under Sections, select each section to import.

If a section is not selected, it is not imported, even if it is displayed in the input source.

Configuring Section and Processing Options 73

Figure 22 Import Wizard—Section and Processing Options

2 Optional: Under Skip Blank Values for these Properties, select a property type to skip blank, source-file values in for the selected property types.

3 Optional: Under Skip Default Values for, select a property type to skip source-file values that equal the default value for the selected property.

4 Optional: Select Determine Leaf Nodes At End of Import Process to specify that, at the end of the import process, the import automatically sets the leaf property to True for any node that has no children.

If this option is not selected, the leaf property retains its system default value or any value explicitly included as part of the imported data.

5 Optional: Under Relationship Section Sorting, select Sort Relationships to enable the import to sort the nodes based on the order in which they are displayed in the relationship section of the source file, and complete both of the following actions:

● From Sort Property to Populate, select the node property in which to store the sort order

● For Hierarchy to be Sorted, enter the hierarchies to which to apply the sort

6 Click Next.

74 Running Imports

Configuring MappingsYou configure columns on the Mappings page of the import wizard.

➤ To configure mappings:

1 From Section on the Mappings page, select a section.

Figure 23 Import Wizard: Mappings

2 Optional: From Category, select a filter to limit the Available Properties list by type.

3 In Available Properties, double-click an item to add it to the Selected Properties list.

A special column called Ignore Column is available as a placeholder for any column in the input source that should not be processed during the import.

Note: A column listed in bold is a required column and cannot be removed.

4 Use the up and down arrows to position the column in the Selected Properties list.

The first item in the list is the first column, the second item in the list is the second column, and so on.

Specifying File Format Information 75

5 Optional: To map a column to one or more hierarchies, click Hierarchy List.

This feature applies only to hierarchy-specific (or local) properties.

To edit the hierarchy list:

● In the list box, enter the name of each hierarchy to which the current column applies. The property value is set only in the hierarchies designated in the list.

● Optional: Select Assign to All if values in that column should be applied to all hierarchies. By default, Assign to All is set to true.

● Click OK to save the hierarchy list values or Cancel to exit without saving.

6 Click Next.

Specifying File Format InformationWhen you edit or create a flat file import, a modified Section and Processing Options page is displayed. The primary required entry on this page is the file name for the import file.

➤ To specify file format information:

1 In the File Name text box, enter the file path and file name of the flat file to import.

You can click on the folder button to browse.

76 Running Imports

Figure 24 Import Wizard: Text File Format

2 Under File Format, select a file formats:

● Fixed Width

a. Click to display the Fixed Width Configuration dialog box.

Specifying File Format Information 77

Figure 25 Fixed Width Configuration Dialog Box

b. From Section, select a file section.

c. From Columns, select a column.

d. In Column Width, enter the width for the selected column.

Each column name in the list identifies the number of spaces that the column occupies in the input text file.

e. Repeat steps b, c, and d until you have set the width for each column in each section.

f. Click OK.

● Delimited

a. From the drop-down list, select a delimiter (comma, tab, or other).

b. If you select Other, enter the delimiter character.

3 Optional: Select Strip Quoted Strings to enable the import of data that encloses string values in quotation marks (double or single).

Selecting this option removes primary quotation marks and converts quotation marks embedded within quotation marks to primary quotation marks before importing the value.

For example:

'Mr. Harris''s Necktie'

is imported as:

Mr. Harris's Necktie.

4 Under Section Headings, enter the delimiter prefix.

The delimiter prefix is a character that is displayed at the beginning of a section heading, such as /, /**, or [. The delimiter suffix is optional.

5 Enter a heading for each section.

78 Running Imports

Each section has its own heading text, which, when combined with the delimiter, forms the heading.

An example of each heading is displayed on the right. For example:

Version Name[version]

6 Click Next.

Configuring Duplicate HandlingThe Duplicate Handling page enables the parameters that affect how the import processor handles duplicate nodes. Duplicate is defined as a node that is displayed under multiple parents within the same hierarchy. If a duplicate is identified during the import, the name of the duplicate is replaced with a newly-created unique node name, which is defined according to the guidelines set on the Duplicate Handling page.

As you edit the settings for handling duplicates, an example of the resulting value is displayed. Duplicate nodes can be queried to resolve underlying data issues.

➤ To set up duplicate handling:

1 Optional: For Unique String, enter a string.

The string is used to form part of the new unique node name.

Configuring Duplicate Handling 79

Figure 26 Import Wizard: Duplicate Handling

2 For Delimiter, enter a character.

The character is used to separate the original node name from the unique portion of the name.

3 For Unique ID Seed, specify a starting point for this ID.

For example, if NodeA occurs three times in a hierarchy and the unique ID seed is 1, the original node is not changed, and the other node names are replaced with NodeA1 and NodeA2. This example ignores the other Duplicate settings in order to illustrate the use of unique ID seed.

4 For Zero-pad Length, enter the minimum number of digits required in the unique ID portion of the duplicate name.

For example, a value of 3 for zero-pad length produces duplicate nodes named NodeA001, NodeA002, and so on.

5 Optional: Select Append unique text to the end of the Node Abbrev to append the unique portion of the name to the end of the original node name.

● If this option is selected, the unique portion of the name is added to the end of the original node name.

● If this option is not selected, the unique portion of the name is prefixed to the beginning. For example, 001NodeA, 002NodeA.

80 Running Imports

6 From Associated Property, select a property to enable duplicate nodes to be grouped so they can be easily queried after the import is complete.

If an associated property is set, the property is populated with the node name of the original node in all duplicate nodes, and is a global, associated node property.

7 From Duplicate Error Mode, select a mode to determine the severity with which the import processor treats a duplicate:

● Generate Warning—A warning message is added to the log for each duplicate.

● Generate Error—The processor adds an error message is added to the log.

Note: Processing stops if the number of errors exceeds the Max Errors value.

8 Click Run.

Viewing Import ResultsAfter an import is complete, the Import Results dialog box is displayed. This dialog box displays statistical information about the import and a detail of each message generated during the import process. If a log output file name was designated during definition of the import, the information in the Import Results dialog box is contained in the output file.

Data is imported to a newly-created version in a detached state. Thus, the data is not yet permanently saved. After the imported data is verified, it can be saved by right-clicking the version in the Version control window.

Viewing Import Results 81

Figure 27 Import Results

82 Running Imports

Using Automator 83

C h a p t e r

5Using Automator

Automator is designed to enable Hyperion MDM users to make bulk hierarchy changes that are defined in a flat file format. The functions supported are typical node and property manipulations. When Automator is used, the changes defined as rows in the flat file can be performed automatically.

In This Chapter Performing Automator Imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Automator File Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Supported Automator Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Required Automator Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

84 Using Automator

Performing Automator ImportsThe Automator functions by reading rows from the specified flat file. Each flat file row defines an action to be taken to modify Hyperion MDM hierarchies. Each row is read and the appropriate actions are performed sequentially. If any errors are encountered, a status message is displayed in the Automator window.

➤ The following steps must be followed to perform an Automator batch process:

1 Create a flat file containing the actions to be performed. Detailed definitions of the flat file format are listed below.

2 Run the Automator from within Hyperion MDM.

3 Check for the failure of any specified actions and the associated error messages.

Running Automator

➤ To access Automator from within Hyperion MDM:

1 From the Hyperion MDM main menu, select File > Automator.

Figure 28 Automator Window

2 Under Script File, enter the name and path for the file and configure any file options as necessary.

Click and select a flat file containing the actions to be taken.

Performing Automator Imports 85

3 Click Load to load the flat file contents into the window.

It may take a few seconds to parse and load the flat file. The actions defined in the flat file are now listed in the Automator Window. If any of the actions defined in the flat file do not have the appropriate number of parameters, an error message is displayed in the Return Value column of the window, and any action names that are not recognized by the Automator are ignored, and are not listed.

Figure 29 Loaded Automator Window

The list of actions (and their associated parameters) defined in the flat file may now be reviewed. If necessary, the check box adjacent to each Action Name on the list of actions may be clicked to exclude or include defined actions. The Select All, Check, Uncheck and Toggle buttons may be used to define the actions that are included or ignored when the automator list is processed.

4 If necessary, click Versions to map a version name to another existing version.

In the Automator Version Substitution dialog box, the Original list displays versions in the Automator file. The Substitute list displays versions in the system.

Note: You can type the version name into the Substitute text box.

86 Using Automator

Figure 30 Automator Version Substitution Dialog Box

5 Click the Process button to perform the automator process. The process is performed immediately.

6 Actions are implemented by Hyperion MDM in the order in which they are defined on the list in the Automator Window.

The status of each action (e.g. “Unprocessed”, “Failure” or “Success”) can be monitored in the Status column, and the progress of large processing lists are displayed in a progress bar.

7 While an automator process is in progress, the Cancel button may be clicked to halt the process.

8 The results of any actions having a returned value are displayed in the Return Value column.

Reviewing Automator Processing ErrorsWhen the processing of the automator is complete, the Automator Window may be reviewed for any errors. The Status column displays “Failure” for any errors, and a relevant error message is listed in the Return Value column.

● If required, the Status and Return Value columns can be added to the original flat file (they become columns G and H of the file) by clicking on the Save button.

● Alternatively, a new flat file can be created (including these columns) by clicking Save As. In this case, you are prompted to define an appropriate file name. The resulting flat file can be examined and changes can be made to the rows that resulted in error messages. The flat file can then be resubmitted to the Automator for processing of the corrected rows.

Automator File FormatThe Hyperion MDM Automator processes data from a flat file whose format can be specified by clicking the Options... button to display the Automator Flat File Script dialog box.

Automator File Format 87

Figure 31 Automator Flat File Script

In the Column Order field, the order in which the 6 required columns appear in the flat file can be modified. The type of column Delimiter (comma, tab, or other) can be set. The option to Strip Quoted Strings can also be enabled. Clicking the Defaults button resets all options to the default setting. Clicking OK saves the desired options and closes the dialog.

The data in the flat file must follow a simple, but precise, format.

● The first column of the flat file (column A) must contain the name of the Automator action that is to be performed. If this column does not contain a recognized action, then the row is ignored and not loaded. Note that a Remark action is available to allow comments to be added to the flat file.

● The remaining columns of the flat file contain a list of parameters that define each action. Typically, for most Automator actions, the first three columns of parameters (columns B, C and D) contain the names of the Hyperion MDM version, hierarchy and node upon which the action is to be performed. Columns E and F show other parameters relevant to each action.

● Columns G and H of the flat file can be populated by Hyperion MDM with the status and any comments resulting from the performance of the specified actions, if the appropriate command is selected in the Automator Window. In such cases, column G reports “Success” or “Failure”, and column H reports the reasons for any failures.

● Your Hyperion MDM system administrator should have an example Automator flat file template that can be examined and copied to clarify the required format. If necessary, this template can be requested directly from your Hyperion Solutions representative.

88 Using Automator

Supported Automator ActionsThe Automator supports the following actions:

Table 26 Automator Actions

Action Purpose

Rem Indicates a remark/comment row in the flat file (Any arbitrary text can be entered on other columns of this row for documentation purposes—it is ignored by the Automator process)

Add Adds the specified node to the specified hierarchy (This action can only be used for a node that does not already exist within the specified version)

Insert Inserts the specified node into the specified hierarchy (This action can only be used for nodes that already exist in another hierarchy within the specified version)

AddInsert Adds the specified node if it does not already exist in the specified version, otherwise the node is inserted

Delete Deletes the specified node from the version, and merges it with the merge node if one is specified

Destroy Destroys the specified node from the version

Activate Activates the specified node in the hierarchy

Inactivate Inactivates the specified node in the hierarchy, and merges it with the merge node if one is specified

Remove Removes the specified node from the hierarchy

Move Moves the specified node within the hierarchy

Annul Annuls the specified node

AnnulAllBelow Annuls all nodes following the specified node

ChangeProp Updates the value of the specified property of the specified node

RemoveProp Removes (clears) the value of the specified property of the specified node (The property itself is not deleted because many other nodes may be utilizing this property)

RemoveDupProps Removes (clears) duplicate properties for the specified node (Corresponds to the Remove Duplicates command that is available to users within Hyperion MDM)

ClearPropsBelow Clears the values of the specified property in all of specified node’s children (Corresponds to the Clear All Below command that is available to users within Hyperion MDM)

LockProp Locks or unlocks the specified property of the specified node

PropQuery Returns the value of the specified property of the specified node in the Automator result set

PropCompare Returns True if the value of the specified property of the specified node is equal to the value listed in the flat file, otherwise returns False

NodeExists Returns True if the specified node exists in the specified version, otherwise returns False

Required Automator Parameters 89

Required Automator ParametersThe parameters required by each action in each flat file column are as follows:

NodeExistsInHier Returns True if the specified node exists in the specified hierarchy, otherwise returns False

NodeHasAsParent Returns True if the specified parent node is the parent of the specified node, otherwise returns False

UpdateVersion PropValue Updates the value of a version property

RemoveVersion PropValue

Removes (clears) the value of a version property

AssignVersion Validations

Assigns validations/verifications at the version level

AddOrphan Adds an orphan node to a version

AddHier Adds a hierarchy to a version

DeleteHier Deletes a hierarchy from a version

ChangeHierTopNode Changes the top node for a specified hierarchy

UpdateHier PropValue Updates the value of a hierarchy property

RemoveHier PropValue Removes (clears) the value of a hierarchy property

AssignHier Validations Assigns validations/verifications at the hierarchy level

DeleteOrphan Deletes an orphan node

Table 27 Automator Parameters

Column A Column B Column C Column D Column E Column F

Rem Remark Remark Remark Remark Remark

Add Version Hierarchy Node Parent node Is a leaf (0=false, 1=true)

Insert Version Hierarchy Node Parent node

AddInsert Version Hierarchy Node Parent node Is a leaf (0=false, 1=true)

Delete Version Hierarchy Node (Merge node)

Destroy Version Hierarchy Node

Activate Version Hierarchy Node

Table 26 Automator Actions (Continued)

Action Purpose

90 Using Automator

Inactivate Version Hierarchy Node (Merge node)

Remove Version Hierarchy Node

Move Version Hierarchy Node Destination parent node

Anull Version Hierarchy Node

AnullAllBelow Version Hierarchy Node

ChangeProp Version Hierarchy Node Property label Value

RemoveProp Version Hierarchy Node Property label

RemoveDupProps Version Hierarchy Node Property label

ClearPropsBelow Version Hierarchy Node Property label

LockProp Version Hierarchy Node Property label Is Locked (0=false, 1=true)

PropQuery Version Hierarchy Node Property label

PropCompare Version Hierarchy Node Property label Value

NodeExists Version Node

NodeExistsInHier Version Hierarchy Node

NodeHasAsParent Version Hierarchy Node Parent node

UpdateVersion PropValue

Version Property label Value

RemoveVersion PropValue

Version Property label

AssignVersion Validations

Version Validation

AddOrphan Version Node Is a leaf (0=false, 1=true)

AddHier Version Hierarchy Description Top Node

DeleteHier Version Hierarchy

ChangeHierTop Node

Version Hierarchy New Top Node

UpdateHier PropValue

Version Hierarchy Property label Value

RemoveHier PropValue

Version Hierarchy Property label

Table 27 Automator Parameters (Continued)


Required Automator Parameters 91

AssignHier Validations

Version Hierarchy Validation

Delete Orphan Version Node

Table 27 Automator Parameters (Continued)


92 Using Automator

Using Blender 93

C h a p t e r

6Using Blender

Blender enables various elements of two versions to be combined, or blended, together. The elements to be blended can include various combinations of structural elements, such as hierarchies and nodes, and properties.

Blender provides these options:

● To process any combination of adds, moves, or deletes

● To act upon any combination of hierarchies

● To map top nodes from a source hierarchy to nodes in a target hierarchy

Blenders can be customized and saved by System Administrators or Functional Administrators.

In This Chapter Blender Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Using the Blender Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Configuring Blender Versions and Hierarchies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Configuring Top Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Viewing Blender Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

94 Using Blender

Blender ElementsA blender consists of the elements described below.

Using the Blender WizardYou use the blender wizard to run blenders. Table 29 describes the controls in the Blender dialog box.

The wizard enables you to set the source and target version, set options for hierarchy-level blending behavior, copy blended values to a new version, and so on.

➤ To run a blender:

1 From the Hyperion MDM main menu, select File > Blender.

Table 28 Blender Structure

Blender Element Description

Blender These are attributes of the Blender itself, such as what versions are being blended, default values, etc.

Source/Target Version These are the two versions being blended. Blending can occur from the source directly into the target, or into a third new version that is created during the blend process.

Hierarchy Sets Also called hierarchy/top-node pairs. These are mappings from the source to the target indicating which hierarchy top nodes in the target are to receive values from the source. Top nodes in the target can either be created on the fly, or mapped directly to existing top nodes, depending on the Blender settings.

Property Sets Lists of properties to be blended. Properties can be blended in one of three ways:

● All

● None

● Selected

If Selected is chosen, then the selected property set determines which properties are blended.

Table 29 Blender Dialog Box Controls

Blender Dialog Controls Description

Save and Save As Allow the blender to be saved under its current name, or a new name

Delete Delete a previously saved blender

Back and Next Move forwards and backwards through the import blender dialog

Cancel Close the dialog box without saving or running any blender

Configuring Blender Versions and Hierarchies 95

Figure 32 Blender Dialog Box—Choose a Blender

2 Select a new or saved a blender.

Selecting [New Blender] from the tree view creates a blender. Selecting a previously saved blender retrieves the settings for that blender and enables you to edit and run the blender.

3 Click Next.

Configuring Blender Versions and Hierarchies

➤ To set the version and hierarchy for a blender:

1 In Source, select the source version.

96 Using Blender

Figure 33 Blender Dialog - Version/Hierarchy Settings

2 In Target, select the target version.

3 Optional: Select Copy to New Version to specify that the blended values be stored in a new version rather than in the target version.

If blending to a new version, an Abbrev is required to name the version. A description for the new version is optional.

4 Selecting Apply to All Hierarchies applies the default settings to all hierarchy/top-node pairs; otherwise the same settings can be made for each pair.

Default values for hierarchy/top-node settings are required.

5 From the Property Select Options drop-down list, select one of the following ways to blend properties:

● All—all properties are blended

● None—no properties are blended

● Selected—the selected properties are blended

a. To select properties, click .

Configuring Blender Versions and Hierarchies 97

Figure 34 Select Properties Dialog Box

b. Select properties to be included in the blend process.

c. Optional: From the Propagate Mode drop-down list, select one of the following modes to determine how the property is populated in the target:

❍ Force - the property is assigned for every node in the target, whether that property is defined at that node, or is inherited, read/write inherited, and so on.

❍ Difference - populates the property for any node where the value is different, regardless of how that property is populated in the target.

❍ Defined - the property is blended only when it is specifically defined for the node in the source.

d. Select Propagate Property Locks if you want locks in the source to be blended to the target.

e. Click OK.

6 Optional: Select Allow Hierarchy Creation to create hierarchies in the target version that exists only in the source version.

If this option is not selected, and there are hierarchies that are being blended that exist only in the source and not in the target, then an error occurs.

7 Optional: Select Allow Leaf Promotion to promote a node in the source that contains children to a limb in the target.

If a node in the source has children, but its corresponding node in the target is a leaf node (an outermost node with no children allowed), then this option enables the Blender to promote the node to limb status. The child nodes from the source are then added to the limb node in the target.

98 Using Blender

8 Optional: Select one or all of the following options:

● Process Moves - causes any node which has a different parent in the source to be moved to that parent in the target.

● Process Adds - causes any nodes existing only in the source to be added to the target.

● Process Removes - causes any nodes existing only in the target to be removed according to the setting in the Remove Mode drop-down list and the Remove Indicator drop-down list.

If you selected Process Removes, select one of the following Remove Modes:

❍ Remove - the node is immediately removed during blending.

❍ Mark - the node is marked for later removal at the user’s discretion.

When the Remove Mode is set to Mark, the Remove Indicator field designates which property contains the value showing that the node is flagged to be removed.

9 Click Next.

Configuring Top NodesFrom the Hierarchy/Top-Node Settings page of the blender wizard, you can edit settings that are specific to each set of hierarchy/top-node pairs.

➤ To configure top nodes:

1 Optional: Select Blend All Hierarchies to blend all hierarchies using the defaults from the Blender.

If you select the Blend All Hierarchies option, no other options on this tab are enabled.

Configuring Top Nodes 99

Figure 35 Blender Dialog Box—Hierarchy/Top-Node Settings

2 Select a top-node pair and click one of the following options:

● New - to add a new hierarchy set

● Edit - to edit a hierarchy set

● Delete - to delete the selected hierarchy set.

3 Click the arrow buttons next to the hierarchy/top-node list to change the position of a hierarchy set within the list.

This controls the order in which sets are processed.

4 Optional: Select Hierarchy/Top Node Settings.

● Select Use Blender Defaults if you selected Apply to all Hierarchies on the previous page, and default values from the Version/Hierarchy Settings page are used and the corresponding options in this section are not enabled. Skip step 5.

● If you deselect Use Blender Defaults, you will need to perform step 5.

5 From the Property Select Options drop-down list, select one of the following ways to blend properties:

● All—all properties are blended

100 Using Blender

● None—no properties are blended

● Selected—the selected properties are blended

a. To select properties, click [...] next to the Property Select Options drop-down list.

b. Select properties to be included in the blend process.

c. Optional: From the Propagate Mode drop-down list, select one of the following modes to determine how the property is populated in the target:

❍ Force - the property is assigned for every node in the target, whether that property is defined at that node, or is inherited, read/write inherited, and so on.

❍ Difference - populates the property for any node where the value is different, regardless of how that property is populated in the target.

❍ Defined - the property is blended only when it is specifically defined for the node in the source.

d. Select Propagate Property Locks if you want locks in the source to be blended to the target.

e. Click OK.

6 Optional: Select one or all of the following options:

● Process Moves - causes any node which has a different parent in the source to be moved to that parent in the target.

● Process Adds - causes any nodes existing only in the source to be added to the target.

● Process Removes - causes any nodes existing only in the target to be removed according to the setting in the Remove Mode drop-down list and the Remove Indicator drop-down list.

If you selected Process Removes, select one of the following Remove Modes:

❍ Remove - the node is immediately removed during blending.

❍ Mark - the node is marked for later removal at the user’s discretion.

When the Remove Mode is set to Mark, the Remove Indicator field designates which property contains the value showing that the node is flagged to be removed.

7 If opened from the Hierarchy/Top Node Settings page, the Blender Hierarchy Set dialog box enables the matching of Hierarchy Sets from the Source to the Target Version.

Configuring Top Nodes 101

Figure 36 Blender Hierarchy Set Dialog Box

8 Use next to the Source Top Node box to browse through the Source version and to select a hierarchy and Top Node.

9 Select a Target option:

● If the Target Use Same as Source option is checked, then the target node editors and buttons are disabled and the blender uses the same node in both the Source and Target.

● Otherwise, click to browse through the target version and select a hierarchy and top node. If the Allow Hierarchy Creation option for the blender is true, then the Target text boxes are enabled and can be used to enter new values for hierarchy and top node.

10 The Blender Options page shows general processing options for the blender.

102 Using Blender

Figure 37 Blender Dialog - Blender Options

11 Under Max Iterations, enter a number.

The Max Iterations value determines the maximum number of attempts the Blender performs in reconciling the Source and Target versions. This prevents the Blender from running indefinitely in the case of irresolvable conflicts. The recommended value is 3.

12 Under Max Errors, enter a number.

The Max Errors value sets the maximum number of errors that can occur during processing before the Blender aborts.

13 Select a Propagate Mode.

The default Propagate Mode determines how each property is populated in the Target. The possible values are Force, Difference and Defined.

● In Force mode, the property is assigned for every node in the Target, whether that property is defined at that node, or is inherited, read/write inherited, etc.

● Difference mode populates the property for any node where the value is different, again regardless of how that property is populated in the Target.

Viewing Blender Results 103

● In Defined mode, the property is blended only when it is specifically defined for the node in the Source. The default option to Propagate Property locks determines whether locks in the Source are blended to the Target.

14 Select Blender Status Properties.

Blender status properties are special values set during Blender processing to indicate the actions taken on a particular version, hierarchy or node. They allow auditing of Blender activity to determine which elements were affected.

● Select Clear Values to set all Blender Status Property values to False during processing.

● Select Populate Values to set each Blender Status Property to True during processing.

● Select specific Blender Status Property option from the drop-down lists.

15 After all settings have been configured, click Run to process the blender.

Viewing Blender ResultsAfter a blender is complete, the Blender Results dialog box is displayed.

Figure 38 Blender Results

This dialog box displays an error count and status and a list of each message generated during the Blender process.

If the Copy to New Version option was selected, then the newly-created version that contains the blended data is in a Detached state. This means that the data has not yet been permanently saved. After the blended data is verified, it can be saved by right-clicking on the version in the Version Control Window.

104 Using Blender

Running Exports 105

C h a p t e r

7Running Exports

Customized export types may be available for certain clients, for example, XYZ Corporation Essbase Account Export. Such exports may use standard Export/Report dialog box pages and have additional customized dialog box pages, documented separately. Please contact your Hyperion Solutions representative for details about customized export types for your organization.

In This Chapter Export Classes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Starting the Export Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Using Export Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

106 Running Exports

Export ClassesHyperion MDM has many different export classes that can be used in exporting the data in different formats to external systems. Some of these classes are for general use while others are for very specific purposes. The exports are flexible in allowing the user to specify the content, filtering, formatting and output location. Understanding the classes will assist in determining the correct way to get the data out of Hyperion MDM.

The following table lists the main export classes for Hyperion MDM.

Note: Some clients may have more classes since they have custom export classes for their specific implementation.

Class Description Usage Frequency Database Export

Ancestor Export Deprecated - functionality is replaced by the Generation Export class Low - Deprecated No

Generation Export Create a generation-based or level-based export. In addition, it has the ability to balance the hierarchy by different mechanisms. Can be used to send hierarchies out to an external system in a generational or level-based format.

Medium No

Compare Export Produces comparison results between two hierarchies. They can be the same hierarchy in different versions giving a “what has changed” type of export. They can be different hierarchies in the same version giving a hierarchy content comparison. This kind of export can be used to send changes only to an external system.

Medium Yes

Difference Report Produces reports showing differences. The main difference between this and the Compare Export is that its format is in a more readable form rather than the column-based Compare Export.

Low No

Hierarchy Export This is the main export class for Hyperion MDM. This export goes through the nodes in the specified hierarchies and exports a record for each node. This is the export to use to create a parent-child type of export for external systems as well as a basic node list type of export.

High Yes

Lookup Export This export is a special use case and it only provides the export of a lookup set for a specified lookup property.

Low No

Merge Export This export is used to retrieve the Merge node data that is collected when Merge is used on a Delete or Inactivate.

Low No

Property List Export This export is a special use case and it only provides the export of a list for a specified list property.

Low No

Trans Log Export Exports the transaction history information. Medium Yes

Version Export The version export is similar to the Hierarchy export with the exceptions that it goes through all nodes in the version and cannot retrieve local or hierarchy level property information.

Medium Yes

Starting the Export Wizard 107

Starting the Export Wizard

➤ To run an export:

1 From the Hyperion MDM main menu, select File > Export/Report.

The Exports dialog box opens and displays the Select Export/Book page. This page is the starting point for all export types.

Figure 39 Select Export/Book Page

2 Select the Current Version to be used for the export. For comparison exports, a Previous Version must also be selected.

Click to open the Version Criteria dialog box if a Baseline or As of Version is desired.

3 Choose the desired export type.

● To create a new export, select the desired type from the tree and click the Next button.

108 Running Exports

● To run or edit an existing export, drill down the tree view under the appropriate export type and select the desired export, then click Next. Note that standard exports created by an administrator and available to all users are prefixed with "std:" and displayed in bold.

Depending upon the type of export being performed, the Export/Report dialog box presents a varying series of dialog box requesting further criteria for the export. Each dialog box is described in the sections that follow.

Top Nodes PageThe Top Nodes page is used in hierarchy exports to select the top nodes of the hierarchies to be exported.

Click Add to display the Select Node menu from which a top node may be selected. Select as many top nodes as required. When multiple nodes are added to the list, the data will be exported in the order that the nodes appear. The arrow keys on the right can be used to reorder the current node list. Use Delete to remove a node from the list.

For comparison exports, the top node for both the current and previous version must be selected

Check the Include Inactive Nodes check box if inactive nodes are to be included in the export.

Figure 40 Export/Report Dialog Box—Top Nodes For Non-Comparative Exports


In the Descendants section, a text file may be defined to list nodes to be included or excluded from the export. To use this feature, check the Use text file to include/exclude descendant Nodes check box and supply the appropriate file name. Select the appropriate option to determine if the text file contains nodes to be included or excluded. The format of the text file is just a listing of nodes with one node per line.

For comparison exports, an alternate Join property can be selected if desired. By default, the compare operation maps nodes from each hierarchy that have the same name. It is also possible to join nodes based on other properties. For example, if a property named SortCode was a unique key in the specified hierarchies, then this property is used in the Compare to identify differences/similarities between nodes having the same SortCode in each hierarchy.

Figure 41 Export—Hierarchy Compare Export Dialog Box—Top Nodes Page

Select Columns Page This page is used by nearly all export types to define the columns of data to be included in the export. For most export types, the columns represent property values.

● Click the arrow buttons in the center of the dialog box to move values from the Available list to the Selected list.

● If necessary, use the Category drop down list to make navigation of the Available list easier by restricting it to a single Property Category.

110 Running Exports

● Use the up and down buttons to the right of the Selected list to change the display order of the selected columns

Figure 42 Exports Dialog Box—Select Columns Page

For some export types there are additional options available.

For the Generation Hierarchy Export, the Column Set list is displayed to allow selecting columns as:

● Pre Columns: properties to export at the beginning of each row

● Bottom Node Columns: properties for the specified bottom node

● Ancestor Columns: node properties for the ancestor list of the specified bottom node

● Post Columns: properties to export at the end of each row

The specialty columns [Node Sequence #] and [Ancestor Sequence #] are also available to number each row in the export.

For the Hierarchy Compare Export, properties are duplicated in the Available list and suffixed with [From] or [To] to designate the source hierarchy of each property. The following specialty columns are also available in the list:


● [Action Type Code] - exports the type of action (Addition, Merge, Deletion, etc.) for each difference found

● [Merged Node] - the name of the merge node used during deletion

● [Property Label] - the name of the property updated

● [Property Value] - the updated value of the property

For Lookup Export, there are only two columns available because the Lookup Value and the Result Value are the only things being exported.

Figure 43 Exports—Lookup Export Dialog Box—Select Columns Page

For Merge Log Export, the available columns represent information on the merge operations performed.

112 Running Exports

Figure 44 Exports—Merge Log Export Dialog Box—Select Columns Page

For the Transaction Log Export, the available columns relate to Transaction History activity.

Figure 45 Export—Trans Log Export Dialog Box—Select Columns Page


Column Options PageThis page is used by hierarchy export types to configure options for each column in the export.

● Check the Skip Defaults check box to place a blank in the export if the field value is equal to the default value.

● Check the Pivot check box if the field contains a comma delimited value. Then, for each value in the list for that column, a row is exported with all other fields set to the same values. The Pivot option may be selected on just a single column.

● Check the Primary Key check box to define a field (or fields) as the primary key to be used when determining if duplicates exist. This is also used by the Remove Duplicates option of the Parameters pages.

Figure 46 Exports—Generation Hierarchy Export Dialog Box—Column Options Page

Column Widths PageThis page appears when fixed width columns are specified for the output. For each column, the following can be configured:

● Numerical value for column width - cannot be set to zero

● Justification – Left or Right

● Pad Character to pad unused character positions. Default is a space.

114 Running Exports

Figure 47 Hierarchy Export Dialog Box—Column Widths Page

Parameter PagesParameter pages capture the required additional parameters that are unique to each export type. There are many similarities and some subtle differences between these pages.

Hierarchy Export Parameters PageThe Hierarchy Export Parameters page is used to select the appropriate options that define how a Generation Hierarchy Export is generated.

Figure 48 Exports—Hierarchy Export Dialog Box—Parameters Page


● The Node Selection Options define whether all nodes are included in the export, or just those that are limbs or leaves.

● Check the Recurse from Top Nodes check box if the export should include a row for all nodes below the top node selected. If not selected, then only the selected top node is included in the export (which is typically not the desired result.)

● Under Format Options, select whether Tabbed output is desired. This adds a tab for every level of the node to give it a hierarchy-like view in the output file.

● Check the Root To Node check box to determine the ordering of the export (if this box is not checked, then the order option is Node to Root.) For example, for nodes A and B in a parent child relationship, if this check box is checked then the output is A,B. Otherwise, with this box unchecked, it is B,A.

The Repeat Level Options are typically used to generate exports for destination systems that require fixed-depth hierarchies (sometimes called a balanced tree.)

Figure 49 Exports—Int Layer Product Gen Report Dialog Box—Repeat Parameters Page

● Repeat Num Property defines a property that repeats a node within an export structure. For example, if node B within an A-B-C parent-child hierarchy has a Repeat Num Property with a value of 2, then the export looks like A,B,B,C (node B is repeated twice.)

● The Bottom Level Property and the Bottom Level Value determine the maximum depth of the export structure. This value can defined as a hierarchy-level property (Bottom Level Property) or as an absolute value (Bottom Level Value.)

116 Running Exports

● If a bottom level is defined, the repeat options are enabled to automatically repeat nodes down to the defined level in the export structure. For example, for nodes A-B-C in a parent-child hierarchy, if the Bottom Level Value is defined as 6, node B has a Repeat Num Property value of 2, and the Repeat Bottom Node option is selected, then the export structure is A,B,B,C,C,C (the export structure is six levels deep, the leaf node C is repeated until level 6 is reached, and node B is repeated twice).

● The Max Ancestor Levels is used to define the absolute maximum number of ancestor levels in the export structure.

● If Blank repeated levels is not checked, then a node may be repeated in the output to achieve the specified level. Checking this box will prevent the repeated nodes from appearing in the output.

Hierarchy Compare Export Parameters PageThe Hierarchy Compare Export Parameters page is used to select the appropriate options that define how a Hierarchy Compare Export is generated. This page is very similar to the Hierarchy Difference Report Parameters page.

Figure 50 Exports—Hierarchy Compare Export Dialog Box—Parameters Page

● The Type Codes define the text that is included in the export columns to identify the results of the compare for each type of result. These codes can be selected as output columns on the Columns page of the export.

● If checked, Additions includes all nodes in the target (to) hierarchy that are not in the source (from) hierarchy.


● Conversely, if checked, Deletions includes all nodes in the source (from) hierarchy that are not in the target (to) hierarchy.

● If checked, Merge includes merge information in the export (if the merge feature is enabled.)

● If checked, Moves includes all nodes that have different parent nodes in the two hierarchies being compared.

● If checked, Renames includes all nodes that have different names (the Abbrev property) but the same internal NodeID in the two hierarchies being compared.

● If checked, Property Updates includes all nodes that have different values in the specified list of properties in the two hierarchies being compared. Use the Add and Remove buttons to add properties to the list of properties to be used. Clicking Edit opens the Select Properties dialog box in which one or more properties may be selected.

Figure 51 Select Properties Dialog Box

Hierarchy Difference Report Parameters PageThe Hierarchy Difference Report Parameters page is used to select the appropriate options that define how a Hierarchy Difference Report is generated.

118 Running Exports

Figure 52 Export/Report—Test Diff Exp Dialog Box

● The functionality of the check boxes on this page is the same as on the Hierarchy Compare Export Parameters page described preceding.

● The Fixed Width Columns fields are used to define the column width of the Name and Parent Node name in the export. A fixed width cannot be set to zero.

Hierarchy Export Parameters PageThe Hierarchy Export Parameters page is used to select the appropriate options that define how a Hierarchy Export is generated.


Figure 53 Exports—Hierarchy Export Dialog Box—Parameters Page


● Check the Recurse from Top Nodes check box if the export should include a row for all nodes below the top node selected. If not selected, then only the selected top node is included in the export (which is typically not the desired result.)

● Check the Tabbed Output check box if a tab character should be inserted for every level of the node (so that it resembles a hierarchy when imported into other applications, such as Microsoft Excel.)

● Check the Remove Duplicates based on keys check box if the primary key defined on the Column Options page should be used to suppress the export of duplicates.

Lookup Export Parameters PageThe Lookup Export Parameters page is used to select the appropriate options that define how a Lookup Export is generated. This page is the same as the Property List Export Parameters page.

120 Running Exports

Figure 54 Exports—Lookup Export Dialog Box—Parameters Page

➤ To define the lookup export:

1 From the Property drop down box, select a property upon which to base this export.

2 Select any or all of the following options:

● Check the Column Headings check box to include column headings in the export.

● Check the Quoted Strings check box to enclose quotation marks around strings in the export.

● Check the Fixed Width check box to allow the explicit specification of field widths and separators.

● Check the Differences Only to filter out lookup pairs where the source and target are the same.

3 Select a field delimiter for the export from the Delimiter drop down box.

Property List Export Parameters PageThe Property List Export Parameters page is used to select the appropriate options that define how a Property List Export is generated. It is the same as the Lookup Export Parameters page.

Merge Log Export Parameters PageThe Merge Log Export Parameters page is used to select the appropriate options that define how a Merge Log Export is generated.


Figure 55 Exports—Merge Log Export Dialog Box—Parameters Page

● Use Begin and End to select a date range for the merge log export. Clicking the down arrow at the right of these field opens a calendar that can assist in the selection of dates.

● The Filters fields allow filters for the export to be defined.

● Enter a Deleted Node to filter by a node name that has been deleted.

● Enter a Merge Node to filter by a merge node name.

● Use the Status to define if all nodes, or just deleted or inactivated nodes are to be included in the export.

● Enter a User to filter by a user name.

Transaction Log Export Parameters PageThe Transaction Log Export Parameters page is used to select the appropriate options that define how a Transaction Log Export is generated.

122 Running Exports

Figure 56 Exports—Trans Log Export Dialog Box—Parameters Page

● Use From and To options to select a date range for the export. Clicking the down arrow at the right of these fields opens a calendar that can assist in the selection of dates.

● The From ID and To ID options allowing specification of a specified range of IDs.

● The Action fields can be used to filter the export to include just the specified action types from the transaction log.

● The Filters are used to filter the export. Most filters are a comma-delimited list of names (e.g. node names) that can be built by clicking the ellipses [...] buttons.

● The Node field is used to define a list of nodes that acts as a filter for the export.

● The User field is used to define a list of users that acts as a filter for the export.

● The Property field is used to define a list of properties that acts as a filter for the export.

● Other options allow the export to Include Child Nodes, Filter to Current Session, and Run Export for All Versions.

Version Export Parameters PageThe Version Export Parameters page is used to select the appropriate options that define how a Version Export is generated.



Figure 57 Exports—Version Export Dialog Box—Parameters Page

Ancestor Export Parameters PageThe Ancestor Export Parameters page is used to configure the following parameters:

● Node Direction: determines how the ancestor list is ordered

● Reporting Style: enables listing ancestors by Name or by Description

● Include Description: option to include the Description of the bottom node

Figure 58 Exports—Ancestor Export Dialog Box—Parameters Page

124 Running Exports

Verification and Filter PageThis page is used to select a verification and define a filter for the export. Any available verification can be selected from the drop-down list to be applied to the export.

To define a filter, click the Edit button to open the Property Query Editor. From the editor, a new query can be created or an existing one can be selected from the list.

The defined filter query is then displayed in the Property Filter section. Clicking the Clear button, removes the filter query.

For most export types, the filter is used to restrict the export output to only those nodes that meet the filter criteria. However, for Hierarchy Compare Exports, it is important to note that the filter determines the set of nodes from each hierarchy that will be compared. For example, when checking for node additions or deletions and a filter is not used, a node that exists in both hierarchies does not show up in the export result. However, if a filter is used and the node meets the filter criteria in one hierarchy but not in the other, that node appears as a difference (either an addition or deletion.)

Figure 59 Export/Report—Hierarchy Export Dialog Box—Verification and Filter Page

Exclusion Filter PageThis page is used by some export types to define a filter that excludes nodes from the export. The process for creating and editing the filter criteria is similar to that used on the Verification/Filter page.

The exclusion filter is used in two different ways:


● For the Generation Hierarchy Export, the filter is used to restrict the nodes that appear as Ancestor Columns.

● For the Hierarchy Compare Export, the filter is used to exclude nodes that exist in the comparison result from the export output.

Figure 60 Exports—Int Layer Product Gen Export Dialog Box—Exclusion Filter Page

Output Formatting PageThis page is used by most export types to specify formatting options for the export results.

126 Running Exports

Figure 61 Exports—Hierarchy Export Dialog Box—Output Formatting Page

In the Format section, select one or more of the following options:

● Column Headings - to include column headings in the export.

● Quoted Strings - to enclose quotation marks around strings in the export.

● Fixed Width - to allow the explicit specification of field widths and separators. If this option is selected, the next dialog box presented is the Column Widths page.

In the Delimiter section:

● From the Field drop-down list, select a field delimiter character.

● From the Record drop-down list, select a record delimiter character.

In the Header/Footer section:

The header and footer options are used to specify text to be printed on the header and footer of the export results. Multiple lines of text can be entered either directly into the text box or click

to open the pop-up text editor.


Customization tags can also be inserted to further enhance the readability of the export results. The tags use the format <%Tagname(parameters)%> and are replaced with the appropriate value at run time. In the list following, optional parameters are enclosed in [brackets].

The following customization tags are available for use:

The Blank line between Header/Footer and Body check box may be used to improve the readability of headers and footers by adding white space.

In the Replace section, select up to three characters from the lists on the right to be replaced by the characters selected from the lists on the left. All instances in the export output are replaced as specified. For example, all parentheses can be replaced by braces.

Output Destination PageThis is the final page in the dialog box sequence for all export types and determines the destination of the export output. Select one of the options and click Run to generate the export results:

Table 30 Customization Tags

Customization Tag Description

<%Date[(format)]%> Returns current date where format = MM/DD/YYYY

<%Time[(format)]%> Returns current time where format = HH:MM:SS AMPM

<%Timestamp%> Returns combination of date and time.

<%CurrentUser%> Returns current Hyperion MDM user.

<%CurrentVersion%> Returns current Hyperion MDM version for this export.

<%PreviousVersion%> Returns previous Hyperion MDM version for this export.

<%ExportName%> Returns name of export.

<%FileName%> ● Returns output file name if specified

● Returns default file name if not specified

<%RecordCount%> Returns count of records exported (only available in footer)

<%AppVersion%> Returns the Hyperion MDM product number (for example, 4.6.0.1)

<%PropValue()%> Returned value depends on the specified export type as described following:

<%PropValue([Previous|Current(Default)], PropName)%>

For Compare/Difference Exports, returns value of first node in CompareCriteria for Previous/Current version

<%PropValue([HierName], PropName)%> ● For Hierarchy Exports, returns value from first node in list

● If HierName is supplied, return value from the first node that matches HierName

<%PropValue(PropName)%> For Version Exports, returns only version properties

128 Running Exports

● File – results are written to a file. Enter file path or click to browse.

● Preview – results are displayed in a pop-up window.

● Table —results are exported to a database table.

Figure 62 Exports—Hierarchy Export Dialog Box—Output Destination Page

Using Export BooksSaved exports can be grouped and run together in Export Books. This enables a set of commonly used exports to be executed with one action rather than individually.

➤ To create an export book:

1 Select the Book icon in the Export dialog.

2 Right-click and select New Book.

Using Export Books 129

Figure 63 Manage Export Books Dialog Box—Content Tab

3 On the Content tab, enter a name and description for the book.

4 Optional: Select Standard Book to make the book available to all users.

5 From the Available list, select the exports that you want to include in the book and use the arrow buttons to move them to the Selected list.

6 On the Output tab, specify the desired file names if the output is to be combined.

The Pre File and Post File can be used to specify data that is prepended and appended, respectively, to the combined output file.

Note: When a book contains both exports configured to output to a file and some configured to output to a database table, the Combine option only affects the exports that are writing to files.

130 Running Exports

Figure 64 Manage Export Books Dialog Box—Output Tab

Using Verifications and Validations 131

C h a p t e r

8Using Verifications and

Validations

Validations and verifications are checks to ensure hierarchy rules are observed. They help enforce business rules.

In This Chapter Validations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Verifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Validation or Verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Running Validations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Running Verifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

132 Using Verifications and Validations

Validations● Run automatically (in real-time) as users are editing the structure and properties of

hierarchies.

● Are automatically performed for the node being edited and also for its parent.

● Have the primary function of denying an attempted update that is invalid. If any validation fails during an update, the update is denied.

Verifications● Run on-demand (batch) after users have made a set of changes.

● Can be run individually or run in sets defined by the system administrator.

● Can be inheriting or non-inheriting. If they are inheriting, they run for the node selected or assigned and all descendant nodes. Non-inheriting verifications run on the selected node only.

● Can be applied to a node and its descendants, a hierarchy, or an entire version. When applied at the version level, the verification is run for all nodes in every hierarchy.

● Are similar to queries in that they return a set of nodes that fail the business rule.

Validation or VerificationWhen is it appropriate to use a Validation and when is a Verification more appropriate? Assume that an organization has a business rule that requires that a sales representative who has been assigned more than twenty customers must obtain special approval from the marketing department.

● A Validation that supports this business rule within Hyperion MDM does not allow more than 20 customers to be added to a sales representative node.

● A Verification supporting the same business rule reports upon all of those sales representatives assigned more than 20 customers.

In summary, some business rules call for real-time enforcement, and such rules should be defined by the system administrator as Validations. Other business rules just need to be monitored, and should be established as Verifications.

Validation CharacteristicsIn order for a rule to be a candidate for a Validation, it must have the following characteristics:

● There are absolutely no exceptions to the rule.

● There no conceivable timing issues where the rule may temporarily be broken before it can be enforced.

Running Verifications 133

Note that many business rules have exceptions. And for those that do not have exceptions, many still need to be suspended temporarily in order to complete an update. For example, a common rule that Hyperion MDM enforces is called StrandedParent. This rule ensures that all nodes defined as limbs do, in fact, have children. However, the StrandedParent rule must be enforced as a Verification, because all new limbs start out with no children. If this rule were set up as a Validation then no new limb can be added.

Validation and Verification AssignmentBoth validations and verifications can be assigned by the system administrator to versions, hierarchies, or specific node chains.

● By assigning Validations, the system administrator is establishing a set of “hard” rules that cannot be broken and which are enforced real-time during hierarchy maintenance.

● Assigned Verifications are a list of rules that users can run on-demand in order to verify the accuracy of a hierarchy.

Running ValidationsValidations are run automatically whenever any changes to a node are saved. If a node fails a validation, the action is cancelled and an error message is displayed.

Running VerificationsVerifications run in a batch mode on request.

➤ To run a verification, perform the following:

1 Right-click a node and select Verify.

2 Select one of the following options:

● Assigned: Runs a list of Verifications (pre-assigned by the system administrator) on the selected node.

● Selected: Displays the Select Verifications dialog.

3 If you selected Selected in step 2, each available Verification is listed and can be selected to run by checking the box.

Click Assigned to select only the verifications assigned by the system administrator.

134 Using Verifications and Validations

Figure 65 Select Verifications Dialog Box—Verification Tab

4 Click the Options tab and select to one of the following options to configure the node list returned by the verifications.

● Show in list - all nodes that failed a Verification are displayed in a Hot List

● Mark Nodes - all nodes that failed a Verification are marked in the Hierarchy

● Both - nodes are marked and a Hot List is displayed

5 Click OK to run the selected verifications.

Figure 66 Select Verifications Dialog Box—Options Tab

Viewing Verification Results

➤ To view the results of the verifications:

1 Select the appropriate version in the Version control window.

2 Right-click and select Verification Messages to display the results window.

Running Property Queries 135

C h a p t e r

9Running Property Queries

A property query enables the investigation of the hierarchical structure and the property values of sets of nodes without the need for complex recursive programming. Historically, querying hierarchically structured data through a database using Structured Query Language (SQL) has always been difficult, if not impossible, due to the recursive nature of the required query.

Property queries can be used as the basis for filters for exports and compares and as the basis for validations and verifications.

In This Chapter Working with Property Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Property Query Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Performing Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Property Query Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Hot Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

136 Running Property Queries

Working with Property QueriesWithin Hyperion MDM, the Property Query supports a number of operators such as LIKE, IN, LENGTH, etc. A list of criteria can be created (similar to the WHERE clause in a conventional SQL statement) that can be run against a set of nodes. The Property Query returns a list of nodes that meet the defined criteria. Property Queries can comprise multiple criteria that can be grouped together using AND or OR to form complex queries.

Property queries may be saved so different users can develop a tool kit of queries. The system administrator can create “standard” queries that are available for use by all other users.

Typical uses of a Property Query might be:

● To locate nodes that meet certain criteria.

● As a filtering mechanism in exports and comparisons.

● As a parameter in one of the generic validation routines (this enables queries to have additional functionality as validations.)

Property Query TypesProperty queries have two distinct flavors:

● Normal Property Queries are defined and performed against a node and its children within a hierarchy. They can be run from the top node of a hierarchy or from a node within the hierarchy. The query can reference all properties.

● Global Property Queries are performed against all nodes in a version. Because the global query runs against a set of nodes without reference to any specific hierarchy, only global properties may be included in the criteria.

Performing QueriesThe drop down list at the top of the Property Query dialog box contains all previously saved queries.

➤ To create and perform a new query:

1 From the Tools menu, select one of the following options:

● Property Query

● Global Property Query

Performing Queries 137

Figure 67 Property Query Dialog Box

2 Select a version.

3 If not a Global Property Query, then select a hierarchy and top node for the list of nodes to be queried by doing the following:

a. Click the button to the right of the Hierarchy field to display the Select Node dialog box:

b. Select a hierarchy from the top drop-down box.

c. Navigate the hierarchy to select a top node.

d. Click OK.


Figure 68 Select Node Dialog Box

4 Click Add to build the query criteria.

Query criteria are the building blocks of the query system. Each consists of a property, a comparison operator, and a comparison value. Within the Property Query Item dialog box, select the Property to use, the Query Comparison Operator, and enter a Value to compare against. Add multiple criteria as needed.

Figure 69 Property Query Item Dialog Box

Note that:

● Only those query comparison operators relevant to the data type of the selected property is available.

● The list of properties can be displayed in full or filtered by the property category.

● By checking the Include Inherited option, the query runs against values that are both overridden and inherited (this is the default behavior.) If this option is not checked, then only overridden values are used in the search.

● The Defined checkbox is a special criteria that marks a node that has a value saved at that node (i.e. overridden.) It does not do any comparison of the actual value of these nodes.

Performing Queries 139

● For string properties, the Use String Length checkbox is available to allow comparisons to be done against the property string length instead of the absolute value of the string itself.

● The Compare Value is typed into the entry box. This box is unavailable if a value is not required.

The complete list of query comparison operators is listed below:

Table 31 Query Comparison Operators

Comparison operator Meaning of operator

Equal The value of the property is equal to the compare value

Not Equal The value of the property is not equal to the compare value

Greater Than The value of the property is greater than (but not equal to) the compare value

Greater Than, Equal The value of the property is greater than or equal to the compare value

Less Than The value of the property is less than (but not equal to) the compare value

Less Than, Equal The value of the property is less than or equal to the compare value

In Strings only—The value of the property is in the string in the compare value

Not In Strings only—The value of the property is not in the string in the compare value

Contains Strings only—The value of the list property contains the element in the compare value

Does Not Contain Strings only—The value of the list property does not contain the element in the compare value

Like Strings only—The value of the property is like (similar to SQL "LIKE" comparison operator) the string in the compare value

Not Like Strings only—The value of the property is not like (similar to SQL "LIKE" comparison operator) the string in the compare value

Above Returns all nodes in the hierarchy that are preceding (i.e. that are antecedents of) the node for which the value of the property is equal to the compare value

This is typically used to identify nodes in a hierarchy that are preceding a designated 'end point' (such as a reporting base node, which may be flagged by a Boolean property)

Not Above Returns all nodes in the hierarchy that are not preceding (i.e. that are not antecedents of) the node for which the value of the property is equal to the compare value

This is typically used to identify nodes in a hierarchy that are not preceding a designated 'end point' (such as a reporting base node, which may be flagged by a Boolean property)

Below Returns all nodes in the hierarchy that are below (i.e. that are descendants of) the node for which the value of the property is equal to the compare value

This is typically used to identify nodes in a hierarchy that are following a designated 'end point' (such as a reporting base node, which may be flagged by a Boolean property)


5 Go to the Options tab and set the output options.

Figure 70 Property Query Dialog Box

6 Use the speed buttons on the top of the dialog box to save the query.

7 Click OK to perform the query. A Hot List of nodes that match the query criteria are generated and displayed.

Property Query OptionsThe Options tab of the Property Query dialog box includes the following options:

Not Below Returns all nodes in the hierarchy that are not following (i.e. that are not antecedents of) the node for which the value of the property is equal to the compare value

This is typically used to identify nodes in a hierarchy that are not following a designated 'end point' (such as a reporting base node, which may be flagged by a Boolean property)

Is Blank The value of the property is blank (the compare value field is unavailable)

Is Numeric The value of the property is a numeric value (the compare value field is unavailable)

Is Not Numeric The value of the property is not a numeric value (the compare value field is unavailable)

Table 31 Query Comparison Operators (Continued)

Comparison operator Meaning of operator

Hot Lists 141

Hot ListsA hot list is a list of nodes returned as a result set from operations such as property queries, compares, and verifications. The hot list enables the user to jump from any node in the list to that node in its hierarchy.

● If the list contains nodes from more than one hierarchy, the hot list dialog box displays a tab for each hierarchy.

● Hot lists can be saved to a file or printed.

The Hide node feature enables nodes to be hidden or shown in the list for purposes of saving, printing, and reconciling.

Figure 71 Property Query—Hot List Dialog Box

Table 32 Property Query Options

Option Function

Include Match and Parents Returns all nodes that meet the criteria, plus their ancestors.

Include Match and Children Returns all nodes that meet the criteria, plus their descendants.

Include Match Only Returns only nodes that match the criteria (the default behavior.)

Show in list Returns a HotList of nodes that meet the criteria.

Mark nodes Marks nodes that meet the criteria in the hierarchy.

Both Returns a HotList of nodes and marks them in the hierarchy.


The options on the hot list toolbar are listed below:

Right-clicking on a node in the Hot List displays the following options:

Table 33 Hot List Toolbar Buttons

Toolbar Button Function

Refresh list Run the specified operation again and refreshes the result list

View Parameters

For query results, open the Property Query dialog box to view the specified query

Show/Hide Hidden Nodes

Toggle the display of nodes that are set to be hidden

Print Send the result list to a printer

Save to File Save the result list to a file

Find a Node Open the Find Node dialog box to search for a node

Find Next

Search for the next node meeting the current Find criteria

Table 34 Hot List Right-click Options

Option Function

Hide Set the node to be hidden in the list.

Show Set the node not to be hidden in the list.

Go To Jump to the node in its hierarchy.

Print Send the result list To Printer or To File.

View Ancestors Display another list with the ancestors of this node.

View Siblings Display another list with the siblings of this node.

View Descendants Display another list with the descendants of this node.

View Children Display another list with the children of this node.

View Links Display another list with all occurrences of this node in all hierarchies.

Transaction History Open the Transaction History dialog box filtered for just this node.

Comparing Hierarchies 143

C h a p t e r

10Comparing Hierarchies

The Hyperion MDM Compare feature compares the structure and node properties of different hierarchies and versions.

In This Chapter Hierarchy Compare Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Comparing Hierarchies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

144 Comparing Hierarchies

Hierarchy Compare TypesThree hierarchy compare types are available:

● “Standard Compare” on page 144

● “Property Compare” on page 144

● “Renamed Node Compare” on page 144

Standard CompareThe standard compare requires that two points in different hierarchies be selected. Their structures are then analyzed for differences. The points may be in different versions. This is one of the very few features of Hyperion MDM that transcends the boundaries of versions.

A standard compare returns two lists:

● a list of all the nodes that exist in the first hierarchy but not the second

● a list of all nodes that exist in the second hierarchy but not in the first

Property Compare

The property compare enables two points in different hierarchies to be selected, and then a particular property is analyzed for any differences.

A property compare returns two lists:

● a list of all the nodes where the properties are different showing the values of the properties in the first hierarchy

● a list of all the nodes where the properties are different showing the values of the properties in the second hierarchy

Renamed Node Compare

The renamed node compare is the same as the standard compare, but it treats renamed nodes as being the same for comparison purposes.

For example, if Hierarchy 1 in a compare includes nodes A, B and C, and hierarchy 2 contains the same nodes but with node C renamed to CC, then the renamed node compare does not identify any differences between the two hierarchies. A standard compare regards nodes C and CC as different if the differences option is selected.

A renamed node compare returns two lists:

● List of all the nodes that exist in the first hierarchy but not the second

● List of all nodes that exist in the second hierarchy but not in the first

Property queries may be used to filter the lists of nodes to be compared.


Comparing Hierarchies

➤ To perform an existing or create a compare, perform the following:

1 Select one of the following options from the Tools menu:

● Compare

● Property compare

● Renamed code compare

Figure 72 Compare Hierarchies Dialog Box

2 To use an existing definition of a Compare, make a selection from the Compare Name drop down box. You may then amend any of the saved definitions.

3 To create a new Compare, on the Top Nodes tab select the top node for each of the two hierarchies to be

compared (Hierarchy 1 and Hierarchy 2), by selecting a version and by then clicking and selecting a node from the hierarchical list of nodes in the Select Node window.

4 If a Property Compare was selected in step 1, then the Properties tab is available.


Figure 73 Property Compare Dialog Box

5 From the list of available properties, select the properties to be compared by clicking the arrow buttons in the center of the dialog box to move the required properties to the Selected Properties list.

6 On the Options tab select the Comparison Type, Filtering Options, Display Options and Property Filter (if any) for the comparison.


Figure 74 Compare Hierarchies Dialog Box

7 Select alternate join property if desired.

By default, the compare operation maps nodes from each hierarchy that have the same name. It is also possible to join nodes based on other properties.

For example, if a property named SortCode was a unique key in the specified hierarchies, then this property can be used in the Compare to identify differences/similarities between nodes having the same SortCode in each hierarchy.

8 If a Renamed Node Compare has been requested, the Comparison Type options are not available.

If a standard Compare is being performed, then the Treat renamed nodes as similar option is only available if the Comparison Type is Similarities.

9 When all desired options are defined, click OK to perform the comparison.

10 When running a new Compare, the Save As prompt will appear.

To save the new Compare configuration, enter the Name and Description. The Save as Standard option can be checked to make the new Compare available to other users.


The results of the compare are displayed in a list and the relevant hierarchy windows are opened.

Figure 75 Comparison Results Window

Viewing Transaction History 149

C h a p t e r

11Viewing Transaction History

All Hyperion MDM operations are logged in the Transaction History. This data can be viewed by selecting Tools > Transaction History from the Hyperion MDM main menu. Each operation is recorded with a time stamp, the user name, the type of action performed, and other relevant information.

In This Chapter Administrative Actions in Transaction History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Data Actions in Transaction History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Transaction History Range and Filter Specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Transaction History Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

150 Viewing Transaction History

Administrative Actions in Transaction HistoryThe Transaction History records all changes to metadata such as property definitions, system preferences, and export profiles. The following administrative actions are logged in the transaction history:

Node Access Groups

● Add Node Access Group

● Update Node Access Group

● Update Access Group Members

● Update Access Group Controlling Hiers

● Delete Node Access Group

● Node Types

● Add Node Type

● Update Node Type

● Apply Node Type Props

● Apply Node Type Validations

● Delete Node Type

Properties

● Add Property Definition

● Update Category List for Prop Def

● Update Property Definition

● Update Property Definition Parameters

● Update Controlling Hierarchy

● Update Property List Values

● Add Property Lookup Value

● Delete Property Lookup Value

● Delete Property Definition

Property Categories

● Add Category

● Update Category

● Update Category Users

● Update Category Properties

● Delete Category

Administrative Actions in Transaction History 151

System Preferences

● Update System Preference

System Categories

● Add System Category

● Update System Category

● Delete System Category

User Management

● Add User

● Set User Password

● Update User

● Assign User Node Access Groups

● Assign User Categories

● Delete User

● Update User Lockout

Validations

● Add Validation

● Set Validation Params

● Update Validation

● Delete Validation

Import

● Save Import

● Delete Import

Export

● Save Export

● Delete Export

Book

● Save Book

● Delete Book

Blender

● Save Blender

● Delete Blender


Property Query

● Update Criteria List

● Delete Criteria List

Compare

● Save Compare Criteria

● Update Compare Criteria

● Delete Compare Criteria

Data Actions in Transaction HistoryThe transaction history provides a record of all the data changes to the system such as version, hierarchy, and node data, as well as logging many basic functions such as user logins, verifications run, and so on. The data transactions are categorized by action types. Following is a list of the action types that are logged:

Version Hierarchy and Node Data Changes

● Add Hierarchy

● Add Node

● Add Orphan Node

● Add Version

● Annul Node

● Annul All Below Node

● Assign Hierarchy Validations

● Assign Version Validations

● Change Top Node

● Clear All Below

● Copy Version

● Delete Hierarchy

● Delete Node

● Delete Orphan

● Delete Version

● Detach Version

● Disable Real-Time Validations

● Inactivate Node

● Insert Node

● Lock Node Property

Data Actions in Transaction History 153

● Move Node

● Lost Property Value From Node

● Order Children

● Reactivate Node

● Remove Duplicate Property Values

● Remove From Orphan

● Remove Hierarchy Property Value

● Remove Node

● Remove Node Property Value

● Remove Version Property Value

● Save Version

● Unlock Node Property

● Update Hierarchy Property Value

● Update Node Property Value

● Update Version Property Value

Logging Actions

● Assigned Batch Verifications Run

● Selected Batch Verifications Run

● BCP Run

● Automator Run

● Blender Run

● Close Version

● Compare Run

● Export Run

● Global Query

● Import Run

● Log In

● Log Out

● Open Version

● Property Compare Run

● Query

● Rebuild Hierarchy Node Table

● Rename Compare Run


Transaction History Range and Filter SpecificationThe data displayed can be restricted to a desired range by specifying either:

● From Date/Time and To Date/Time

● From and To transaction ID

After setting the desired range, click the Refresh button to display data within the range.

Figure 76 Transaction History

The data can also be filtered on other columns including:

● Version

● Hierarchy

● Node

● Action

● Level

● User

● Property

Transaction History Details 155

Figure 77 Transaction History

By checking the Filter to Current Session box, the display is limited to only those operations performed because the current user logged in to Hyperion MDM.

The Max Records value can be set to limit the number of transactions displayed.

Clicking the Automate button opens the Automator Window and enables the user to save the transactions as an Automator file or process them through the Automator.

Transaction History DetailsTo view the details of a specified transaction, select the record in the grid then right-click and select the Properties option. This opens the Transaction History Detail dialog.


Figure 78 Transaction History Details

Figure 79 Transaction History Detail - Admin Action Detail

Transaction History Details 157

Figure 80 Administrative Action Detail


Index A 159

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Index

Aactions in Automator, 88

Activate, 41

allocating users

node access groups, 68

property categories, 68

ancestor export, 123

annulling a node, 54

audience for this guide, viii

Automator, 48

defined, 20

flat file format, 86

import errors, 86

required parameters, 89

running imports, 84

supported actions, 88

BBlender

defined, 20

elements, 94

setting up top nodes, 98

setting up versions and hierarchies, 95

viewing results, 103

Blender wizard

starting, 94

CCompare, 142

compare

defined, 21

property, 21

renamed node, 21

types, 21

consulting services, x

controlling hierarchy, 18

creating a new login connection, 26

custom sort order, 59

Ddeleting a node, 53

documents

conventions used, ix

feedback, x

documents, accessing

Hyperion Download Center, ix

Hyperion Solutions Web site, ix

Information Map, ix

online help, ix

duplicate handling, 78

Eeducation services, x

exclusion filter

export, 124

export

defined, 20

export books, 128

export classes, 106

export wizard

ancestor export, 123

column width, 113

exclusion filter, 124

export books, 128

generation hierarchy, 114

hierarchy compare, 116

hierarchy difference report, 117

160 Index F


hierarchy export, 118

lookup export, 119

merge log export, 120

output destination, 127

output formatting, 125

output page, 127

select columns, 109

starting, 107

top nodes, 108

transaction log export, 121

verifications and filters, 124

version export, 122

Ffile format

import, 75

flat file format in Automator, 86

Ggeneration hierarchy

export, 114

global node, 18

HHierarchy, 41

hierarchy

defined, 16

hierarchy compare

export, 116

hierarchy difference report

export, 117

hierarchy export, 118

hierarchy properties, 65

Hyperion Consulting Services, x

Hyperion Download Center

accessing documents, ix

Hyperion Education Services, x

Hyperion MDM

changing password, 27

starting, 26

Hyperion product information, x

Hyperion support, x

Hyperion Technical Support, x

Iimport

defined, 19

elements, 70

sections, 70

import errors, 86

import file format, 75

import mappings, 74

import processing options, 72

import results, 80

import wizard

duplicate handling, 78

file format, 75

naming the import version, 71

setting up mappings, 74

setting up sections and processing options, 72

starting, 70

Inactivate, 41

inactivating a node, 54

inheritance

defined, 18

Llocal node, 18

login connection

creating new, 26

lookup export, 119

Mmemory status, 37

merge logexport, 120

Model, 48

Model After, 48

Model Nodes, 48

Nnaming the import version, 71

Node, 41

node

defined, 17

node access groups

allocating users, 68

nodes

annulling, 54

Index O 161


deleting, 53

inactivating, 54

orphan, 55

reactivating, 55

removing, 54

Oorphan node, 55

output destination

export, 127

output formatting

export, 125

output page

export, 127

Pparameters in Automator, 89

prerequisites for using this guide, viii

Properties, 60

properties

hierarchy, 65

property

defined, 18

property categories

allocating users, 68

property category, 61

property compare, 21

property editor, 60

property status, 63

Rreactivating a node, 55

referential integrity

defined, 17

removing a node, 54

renamed node compare, 21

running Automator imports, 84

running validations, 133

running verifications, 133

Sselecting columns

export, 109

setting column widths

export, 113

setting up duplicate handling, 78

setting up import mappings, 74

setting up import sections and porcessing options, 72

setting up top nodes in Blenders, 98

sort order

custom, 59

specifying file format, 75

speed buttons, 28

starting export wizard, 107

starting Hyperion MDM, 26

starting import wizard, 70

system architecture, 15

Ttechnical support, x

top nodes

export, 108

transaction log export, 121

VValidations, 155

validations

defined, 132

running, 133

Verification, 155

verifications

defined, 132

running, 133

viewing results, 134

verifications and filters

export, 124

version

defined, 16

status, 16

version and hierarchies in Blenders, 95

version control window, 36

version export, 122

version status, 36

viewing Blender results, 103

viewing import results, 80

viewing results of verifications, 134

162 Index V

Date post:	11-Aug-2020
Category:	Documents
Upload:	others
View:	0 times
Download:	0 times

N-Tier User’s Guide - OracleWelcome to the Hyperion System 9 Master Data Management N-Tier...

Documents