Data Storage properties in Essbase

Data Storage properties in Essbase:

There are six storage properties available in Essbase Database.
1. Store Data
2. Dynamic calc
3. Dynamic calc and store
4. Label only
5. Shared members
6. Never share

Store Data:
By default the storage type of any member is store data. That means data is stored for that member combinations. If it is a parent member, the member is calculated from its children and gets stored in database (i.e. in page file).

Dynamic calc:
When we tag a parent member as Dynamic calc, the member gets calculated during retrieval time and Analytic services don’t reserve the storage space for the member combinations. During default calculations, the member won’t get calculated.

Advantage: Storage space and default calculation time will get reduced.

Disadvantage: Retrieval time may increase now.

Note: we can’t tag Dynamic calc on level 0 members which are not having formulas.

Dynamic calc and store:
When we tag a parent member as dynamic calc and store, the member gets calculated during retrieval time and analytic services don’t reserve the storage space for the member combinations. During default calculations, the ember won’t get calculated. Instead it will get calculated during first retrieval only and it writes the data into Essbase database. Only first user may face some issues with retrieval time. For subsequent users, it is same as store data only.

Advantage: Default calculation time will get reduced.
Disadvantage: Retrieval time may increase now for the first user only.
If two many concurrent users are there, it will take more time to calculate.
Label Only:
We can tag label only on non level 0 members only. When we tag a parent member as label only, the parent will not get calculated from its child and there is no storage space reserved for the parent member also. We can save some time during default calculations and we can also save some storage space. Label only eases navigation in a report. It’s a dummy parent which is used to group together some members.

Note:
When we saw the report in excel the label only member will shows its first child value. It won’t occupy any storage space it just displays the first child value.

Shared members:
A shared member is used to create alternate hierarchies. The data for shared members come from the original member. There is no storage space reserved for the shared members.
The below rules must be followed for shared members.
1. A shared member name must be same as the original number name.
2. The shared member must come after the original number.
3. The shared member and the original member must belong to the same dimension.
4. We can create any number of shared members in an outline.
5. The shared member cannot have formula, UDA, attribute attached to it.
6. The shared member can have an alias.
7. The shared members cannot have child members.

Never share:
Tag the parent member, never share, when you don’t want the value of child to be implicitly shared with the parent member. We can add formula to the Never share member.