ExoInsight enables you to connect Tableau to Oracle Essbase to create visualizations and dashboards using the data and hierarchies in these cubes. This guide will walk you through setting up and working with ExoInsight to enable integration between Oracle Essbase and Tableau.
Prerequisites
- ExoInsight must be installed, configured, and enabled at your organization.
- You must know the name of the ExoInsight Essbase environment(s) that you would like to connect to. If you do not know the name of the ExoInsight Essbase environment, please contact your ExoInsight admin.
If all the above prerequisites have been met, read on to get started.
Connecting to Essbase
The ExoInsight direct connection with Oracle Essbase uses the Web Data Connector source. The Web Data Connector works with data in an Extract connection type only.
Select Web Data Connector from the data source connection options:
The Tableau Web Data Connector screen will appear. Enter the ExoInsight query URL in the URL box. This URL can be obtained from your ExoInsight admin. The URL will be in the following format:
http(s)://ServerName:PortNumber/ExoInsight/query
Important! If you plan to publish your Tableau workbook to Tableau Server, it is critical to use the fully-qualified server name (server and domain) for your ExoInsight server.
Also please note that /ExoInsight/query is case-sensitive. Hit enter to navigate to the ExoInsight connection screen.
Environment: The ExoInsight environment name that references the Essbase server you are attempting to connect to. The drop-down will display the available list of environments. If you do not know what ExoInsight environment to choose, contact your ExoInsight admin.
Essbase username and Password: This is the same username and password you use to log into SmartView, Workspace, etc. The same permissions and security filters will apply.
Once you enter the required information, click the Log in using username/password button. The list of available Essbase applications will be displayed in the Application drop-down. Select the appropriate Essbase application and database (cube) that you would like to work with
Then click the View outline button. The outline of the cube will be shown in the left-hand pane.
Essbase application and database: The Essbase application and database (cube) that is to be queried.
Type of query:
- POV String: The default query language of ExoInsight. The POV String can be built by selecting the members and member sets in the outline viewer. For a complete discussion of the POV String, see POV String Documentation - Oracle Essbase Module.
- MDX Query: Any valid MDX query that runs successfully against Oracle Essbase can be used.
- Report Script: A valid Essbase Report Script can be used. The Essbase Report Script must follow a few basic rules, please see Report Script Documentation - Oracle Essbase Module for more information.
Saved POVs: Saved POVs are pre-defined named queries that have been added to the ExoInsight Saved POV library. If a Saved POV has been defined for the application and database you have selected, you can select the Saved POV from this drop-down box to have it automatically populate in the query window.
POV/MDX/Report: The main query window. This window accepts POV String syntax, MDX syntax, and Essbase Report Script syntax.
Once you have built your query, click on the Run Query button to see the results.
Once you are satisfied with the results, click the Load to Tableau button to bring the data result set as well as all the dimensions into Tableau.
The data will be stored in a table called Data and be presented in a true row/column format that Tableau expects.
Dimensions will be in a table with the same name as the dimension. Attribute dimensions are included.
You can associate the data in the Data table with the hierarchies in the DimensionName tables by pulling them both to the canvas. They will automatically join properly.
Now you can select the Go to Worksheet button to start working with your Essbase data and hierarchies directly in Tableau.
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