Using Metadata Download

Overview

Metadata Download will download the following from the Finance Cube for a Structured Planning, Consolidation, or Reporting application:

All dimensions and dimension members

Budget Entity hierarchy

Attributes

Note:

As a best practice, we recommend downloading metadata and data using a Calculation with the option to run in the background set to Yes.

Tip

A default member in Dynamic Planning is associated with all missing members in the attribute hierarchy. This applies when mapping attributes and attribute hierarchies from Structured Planning, Consolidation, or Reporting applications to Dynamic Planning.

Setting up the Source Model in Dynamic Planning

Power user access is required for these steps.

Manage > Application Administration > Metadata Download

This option has no screen associated with it. The previous screen remains visible while you download the metadata. Only the menu bar will change to show that you selected Metadata Download and to give you one available command, Run.

Selecting Run will download all dimensions and members from Structured Planning, Consolidation, and Reporting applications selected in the App Settings page under Tenant Code will store them in the HACPM_Financial model. This is a special model that exists only for the purpose of being a Source model for a Target/Master model, and to allow write back to the Structured Planning, Consolidation, and Reporting applications or external data source. When HACPM_Financial is created via the Metadata download, it is automatically generated by the system. There is no need to click on Generate Model.

At this point, a model of type Source has been created and generated, and it is called HACPM_Financial. It is populated with dimensions and members obtained from Structured Planning, Consolidation, and Reporting applications, but contains no data. Despite the fact that HACPM_Financial has been generated, it is not visible from the Analyze or Report tabs. There are no formulas, calculations, or scopes created with it.

Note:

If the Metadata Download fails, any metadata that previously existed in the HACPM_Financial model is removed.

Power or Contributor user access is required for the remaining steps.

Model > Setup

Select HACPM_Financial.

The type is Source.

The creation and modify dates are shown along with the status that it has been generated.

All dimensions from the Structured Planning, Consolidation, and Reporting applications are listed here. By default, all dimensions except for Measures are assigned as 'Key' type, while Measures is assigned as 'Value.' These initial types are required by Dynamic Planning to assign a type to each dimension in HACPM_Financial, but they carry no functional meaning on this page. You’ll assign relevant types when defining the dimensions in the Target/Master model.

Model > Dimension

The first dimension shown is Company (the first dimension listed on the Model > Setup page. You can scroll down and see all the members in the Company dimension, their parents, and rollup operators.

You can select a different dimension from the Dimension drop-down to view its members.

How to Download Metadata?

In SpotlightXL, navigate to Manage > Application Administration > Metadata Download.

Select Run to execute the API (application programming interface) that downloads metadata from Structured Planning to SpotlightXL.

At least one Power user must be defined before metadata can be downloaded. If you would like to include additional metadata added to Structured Planning run Metadata Download.