LCM and the magic of 7-zip

LCM is a great tool in the EPM world in terms of migrating artifacts from one environment to another, however, it being a real world, we know it is not perfect to the core. Moreover, when it comes to migrating reports from one environment to another, owing to the long, crazy, weird hard-to-remember paths that 

Hyperion is used to, we get those errors while trying to copy the “EXPORT FOLDER IN SOURCE ENVIRONMENT” to “IMPORT FOLDER IN TARGET ENVIRONMENT.” I think you understand what I mean, right, if you are used to LCM and those errors.

This is where 7-zip comes in handy. Windows comes with its very own Win-Zip, however, I am not a huge fan of it. 7-zip is a free tool and, I believe, it works a lot better when it comes to zipping the Hyperion kind-of files.

This is how it can be used in the process of LCM.

When you perform an LCM export in the source environment, a folder is created in the IMPORT-EXPORT folder.

For example, if you have performed an LCM export with the ADMIN account and named the export “REPORT 2013” the following would be the path/file you would be looking for –

\\Server\d$\oracle\Middleware\user_projects\epmsystem1\import_export\admin@Native Directory\REPORT 2013.

Here is the trick now. If you try to copy the folder “REPORT 2013” directly to the target environment, you can get errors, such as “file too long” OR “permission related” etc. This is where you can use 7-zip. As I have already mentioned earlier, it is free to download, and it takes only a minute or so to install it. Zip the “REPORT 2013” folder, and copy the “zipped” folder and paste it to the target IMPORT-EXPORT folder. Now you go to the target server and unzip it, and there you go, you have the files, ready to be imported in the target environment. 

Hyperion Planning Application Definition

If you had to create exact replica of a Hyperion Planning Application, knowing how to check Application definition of your planning apps comes in very handy.

For example, if you want to know what PlanTypes your planning application has or what kind of Weekly distribution has been set or if your planning application has been set for Multi-currency or not, etc can come very handy.

This is how you can achieve this using Hyperion Shared Services.

The steps:
1. Log in to Hyperion Shared Services.

2. Under "APPLICATION MANAGEMENT" expand
                 Application Groups
                           Planning. (You will see the list of all planning applications that you have)

3. Choose the application by clicking it.

4. On the right, under "ARTIFACT LIST" expand
                  Configuration
                            Properties (You will see "Application Definition" and "Application Settings")
5. Right-click "Application Definition" and "Export to Edit."

6. It will prompt you to SAVE the file in your local drive. The file extension is XPAD, which you can open using any text editor, such as NotePad or TextPad. You can also open it in Excel as "an XML table." In fact, you can open it in Excel and create a table of all your applications for easy access. 

The content of an XPAD file would look something like this - where you would get all the information that you would require to create a planning replica application:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>

 <application datasource="Candy" instanceName="Default" name="Sample" description="Candy application" project="Planning" calculationModule="BUSINESS_RULE" >

 <PlanningAppType>GENERAL</PlanningAppType>

 <Calendar>

 <BaseTimePeriod>12 Months</BaseTimePeriod>

 <WeeksDistribution>445</WeeksDistribution>

 <AppStartYear>2012</AppStartYear>

 <FiscalYearStartDate>SameCalendarYear</FiscalYearStartDate>

 <StartMonth>Jan</StartMonth>

 <NumberOfYear>9</NumberOfYear>

</Calendar>

 <Currencies>

 <DefaultCurrency>USD</DefaultCurrency>

 <MultiCurrency>N</MultiCurrency>

</Currencies>

 <PlanTypes>

 <ValidForPlan1>Y</ValidForPlan1>

 <Plan1Name>Candy</Plan1Name>

 <ValidForPlan2>N</ValidForPlan2>

 <ValidForPlan3>N</ValidForPlan3>

 <ValidForPlan4>N</ValidForPlan4>

 <ValidForPlan5>N</ValidForPlan5>

</PlanTypes>

</application>

Deprovision users using LCM

If we come across a situation where we have to deprovision users in Hyperion Shared Services, we can use the LCM tool to do so. If it is a matter of deprovisioning only one or two users, we can do it manually, however, if it has to do with a lot of users, the LCM deprovisioning comes in pretty handy. It works the same as regular LCM, however, with the DELETE option while importing provisioning.

Here is a step-by-step guide to deprovision users in a planning application in bulk.

In source EPM environment, log on to Shared Services.

Perform an LCM export >

Application Management

                Foundation

                           Shared Services

                                    Native Directory > Assigned Roles > Planning > Application (check this)

Execute Migration to a File System. Name it “SAMPLE” (just an example)

The Migration Wizard box (as shown below) has several steps such as Source, Source Option, Destination Option, Summary, etc. Fill them out as per requirement.

The execution of Migration exports the migration file to the Import-Export folder. If you navigate in to the Import-Export folder, you can see a folder which looks something like "USER@NATIVEDIRECTORY" or "USER@ACTIVE_DIRECTORY_NAME," etc. The export folder is created under the "user" who performed the migration. Same holds true in target environment.

We can view "Migration Status Report" under "Administration" in the menu bar in order to check the status of migration.

Open the file that is created after the export process. I prefer MS Excel for this.

Modify the file such that you will have only rows containing the users that you want deprovisioned. It means you need to delete the rows that contain the users/groups that you still would like to be provisioned after the process.

Save the file.

Move the file to the Import-Export folder in the target server, ie., where you have Shared Services installed. The path is usually "\oracle\Middleware\user_projects\epmsystem1\import_export" however, you may have different path as per your organization policies or whoever installed EPM in your organization.

Log on to Shared Services in target environment.



Perform LCM import from the File System by choosing “SAMPLE” from under File System in Shared Services. 

SAMPLE is created after the LCM export that you have performed earlier. If you do not see it, click “REFRESH” just below “File” on the top left corner of the screen/HSS menu.

On the right, expand “Native Directory” till you get to the application name. Check.

Click “Define Migration” and keep going.

On the “Migration Wizard” window, under “Destination Options” you will see “Import Operation Type” followed by a drop down. Choose “Delete” and click NEXT.

Execute Migration.

Log on to Planning, and refresh security filters.

The users you wanted deprovisioned should be gone by now.

ExportSecurity ImportSecurity in the Hyperion Environment

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In Hyperion Planning ExportSecurity and ImportSecurity are two very important utilities that can be used to give access to users.

They reside in the bin folder, therefore, in terms of Hyperion 11.1.2, it should be somewhere around D:\Oracle\Middleware\user_projects\epmsystem1\planning\planning1 (this is the regular path and one that we have in our environment, it may be a little different depending on how it is installed in your work environment). 

ExportSecurity exports the security features and creates a SECFILE.TXT file inside the BIN folder and ImportSecurity imports the security that is present in the SECFILE.TXT file to the specified application. For example, if you have a user called SAM whose access you want to export and import to user HARRY, then you need to use the ExportSecurity command with SAM and then use the ImportSecurity with user HARRY.

Please look at the syntax below. 

In order to run the command, please open the COMMAND PROMPT and go to the BIN folder.

ExportSecurity.cmd /A=applicationname, /U=adminusername, /S_USER=SAM

The above command creates a SECFILE.TXT inside the BIN folder. What you need to do here is open the file, change the username from SAM to HARRY, and save the file. 

If you want to export an application's overall security file, the syntax would be:

ExportSecurity.cmd /A=applicationname, /U=adminusername

This command exports the application overall security file and output a secfile.txt.

A batch script is of great significance if you have a lot of applications.
In my case, I have a batch file which I have named "KHOONKSSEC.BAT"
______________
REM Export security for the KHOONKS planning application


CALL D:\oracle\Middleware\user_projects\epmsystem1\Planning\planning1\ExportSecurity.cmd /A=KHOONKS,/U=ADMIN

We can specify the output file name/location by using the parameter "TO_FILE"
In the following example,
username is nirmal, application is khoonks, and we would like to export the resulting security file to a file named "mysec.txt" in E:\my_folder.
So the syntax would be something like:
ExportSecurity.cmd /A=khoonks,/U=nirmal,/TO_FILE=E:\\my_folder\\mysec

Moreover, we can also use the (-f) option to encrypt the password while doing the security export. In this case the syntax of a batch script to call the ExportSecurity.cmd would look something like:

call D:\oracle\Middleware\user_projects\epmsystem1\Planning\planning1\ExportSecurity.cmd -f:D:\oracle\Middleware\user_projects\epmsystem1\Planning\planning1\passwordFile /A=appname,/U=ADMIN,/TO_FILE=E:\\samplefolder\\subfolder\\mysec_secfile

The above script will create a file called mysec_secfile.txt inside the "subfolder" folder in the specified path. 

NOTE: In the above example, there is a space before "-f" and after "passwordFile"
The utility is very sensitive in terms of case and spaces. Therefore, make sure they are correct. 
_________________

Now that I have a batch file, I do not have to go to the BIN folder and type the syntax each time I want to export security, I can simply run the Batch file. Now you can enter the ImportSecurity command.

ImportSecurity.cmd “appname, username, password”

Security can be removed from Planning application by running the following ImportSecurity command -
ImportSecurity.cmd "MYAPP,ADMIN,,,,SL_CLEARALL"  - where MYAPP is the name of the application and ADMIN is the username. 
NOTE - make sure to have the four "commas" 

Hyperion Life Cycle Management: A migration tool

Life Cycle Management is a tool that comes loaded with Hyperion Shared Services which can be used to migrate Oracle EPM applications and artifacts from one environment to another.

During the migration using Life Cycle Management (LCM) tool in Hyperion Shared Services, first we export the applications and artifacts from the source environment and then we import them in to the target environment, therefore, we will first perform LCM export.

LCM EXPORT IN SOURCE ENVIRONMENT

While exporting, you could follow any order in terms of application-artifact export, however, I would recommend exporting in the following sequence.

1. Foundation/Shared Services
   1. Source option: leave default
   2. Destination: File System            example: SS_EXPORT_CONTENT
2. Planning/Application name
   1. Destination: File System            example: PLAN_EXPORT_CONTENT
3. Foundation/Calculation Manger (not available in our environment)
   1. Destination: File System            example: CALC_EXPORT_CONTENT
4. EssbaseCluster1/EssbaseCluster1
   1. Destination: File System            example: ESSBASE_EXPORT_CONTENT
5. Report and Analysis/Report and Analysis
   1. Source Option     UNCHECK "export with job output"
   2. Destination: File System            example: RA_EXPORT_CONTENT

 Here are the steps.

1. Log in to Hyperion Shared Services.
2. Under Application Management, expand Application Groups -> Foundation -> Shared Services and double-click Shared Services.
3. Under the Artifact List on the right, expand the Native Directory and choose the artifacts that you want to export. In this case, we can select Groups, Users, EssbaseCluster1, Planning
4. On the left pane, under Application Management, expand Foundation -> Calculation Manager. 
5. On the right, expand Planning and choose the application and artifacts to be exported.
6. Now under Application Management on the left, choose Planning -> Application name (FinSrv in this example). You will see the artifact lists, such as Configuration, Global Artifacts, Plan Type, Relational Data, Security, etc. Select ALL.
7. Under Application Management -> Application Groups, choose EssbaseCluster-1 and double click EssbaseCluster-1 under it. On the right, under Artifact list, Select ALL.



Add caption

8. Reporting and Analysis under Application Management -> Reporting and Analysis.
9. On the right, under Artifact List, expand Repository Objects and choose the ones to be exported. Then expand Security, and select the ones to be exported or select all depending on requirement. Remember to cross check Product Preferences as well. The figure below has everything selected under Repository Objects and Security and since everything could not fit, I have not expanded them. However, if you click the PLUS right before the objects, you will see all the artifacts.
10. Click on DEFINE MIGRATION to start the migration process, and this (following screenshot) is what we will get – the source screen for initiation of migration process. Choose Foundation/Shared Services and click NEXT.
11. On the source screen, like in the following screen, leave the defaults and click NEXT.
12. On the destination screen, give a file name under File System. Your Shared Services artifacts, etc will be exported under this folder/file. Click NEXT.
13. On the Destination options screen, leave the default and click NEXT.
14. We will see the following screen. We can see a green CHECKMARK on the left to Foundation/Shared Services, which means that we have chosen the artifacts under Shared Services that we want to migrate. Lets now go on to Planning by checking the RADIO BUTTON that is to the left of Planning/FinSrv.
15. Click NEXT to start the Migration wizard.
16. Leave the Source Option as default and click NEXT.
17. In the Destination screen, give a file name PLAN_EXPORT_CONTENT under the file system.
18. Leave Defaults on the Destination Options screen and click NEXT.
19. Like in the following screen, choose Foundation/Calculation Manager and click NEXT to start the migration wizard. There are green check marks before Planning/FinSrv as well.
20. On the source options screen, leave the defaults and click NEXT.
21. On the destination options screen, under the file system, give a name CALC_EXPORT_CONTENT and click NEXT.
22. Leave the defaults on the Destination options screen and click NEXT.
23. Now lets start the EssbaseCluster-1 migration process. Choose EssbaseCluster-1/EssbaseCluster-1 in the source screen and hit NEXT.
24. Leave the defaults on the source options screen, and under the Destination screen, enter a file system file name called ESSBASE_EXPORT_CONTENT.
25. Leave default on the Destination Option screen.
26. For Reporting and Analysis migration, choose the radio button on the left of Reporting and Analysis/Reporting and Analysis and click NEXT.
27. On the source options screen, uncheck "EXPORT WITH JOB OUTPUT" and click NEXT.
28. Under Destination screen, enter a file name called RA_EXPORT_CONTENT. Leave defaults under the Destination Options screen.
29. On the Summary Screen, click EXECUTE MIGRATION to execute migration.
30. Click LAUNCH MIGRATION STATUS REPORT in order to view the migration status. Migration STATUS REPORT can also be opened from the menu bar by clicking on Administration -> Migration Status Report.
31. We will see a report page which shows a list of artifacts/ applications that we have migrated from the past in a chronological order.
32. If the status is "IN PROGRESS" it means the migration is in progress. You can click REFRESH at the bottom right. If the migration completes successfully, the status will show COMPLETED. If migration fails due to any reason, we will see FAILED status. If the status is FAILED, we can click on it to get the report as to why the migration failed, like in the following screenshot.

 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

In order to import the artifacts/applications in the target environment, we will make use of the applications/artifacts that we just exported in the above steps.

Since we have exported the artifacts and application in the FILE SYSTEM, they will be saved under the IMPORT_EXPORT folder in the middleware home. So if we want to see where they are in the source environment, we can go to the Middleware home. The path would be something like D:\Oracle\Middleware\User_projects\epmsystem1\import_export.

Lets look at the contents under import_export folder and we will see folders such as admin@native_directory, etc. The files that we saved during migration will be found here. For example, while doing the Shared Services migration, we had entered a name SS_EXPORT_CONTENT under the file system. So, the file will be available in this folder.

Copy these folders (the exported ones) and paste it in the same folder in the target environment and then we will go ahead with the LCM import process in the target environment.

LCM IMPORT IN TARGET ENVIRONMENT

The steps:

1. Log in to Shared Services.
2. In Shared Services, under Application Management, expand File System. Select CALC_EXPORT. On the right pane with Artifact Lists, Select ALL.
3. One by one, select all the artifacts/applications (that we have exported earlier) on the left and Select ALL on the right.
4. Now click the SELECTED ARTIFACTS tab and you will see a screen similar to the following:
5. Click the DEFINE MIGRATION tab to start the import migration process.
6. On the source screen, select the Shared Services source (File System\SS_EXPORT) and click NEXT.
7. Leave the defaults on the Source Options screen.
8. Leave defaults on the Destination screen as well as the Destination Options screen. Click Next and then it will go back to the source screen again where we will choose the GlobalSubstitutionVariables, as in the following screen.
9. On the source option, destination (EssbaseCluster-1:EssbaseCluster-1), and destination options screens, leave the defaults. Click Next.
10. On the source screen, choose the Planning Application File System (File System\PLAN_EXPORT).
11. On source options, leave the defaults.
12. On the destination screen, select the application that you want to migrate to. For example, if you want to migrate to the application called SAMPLE, you can choose SAMPLE in this case.
13. On the destination options screen, leave the defaults. Click next and it will take you again to the Source screen.
14. Select File System\RA_EXPORT and click NEXT.
15. Source screen, destination screen (Reporting and Analysis: Reporting and Analysis), and destination options screen should have defaults. Click Next to return to source screen again.
16. On the source screen, select the File System Calculation Manager artifacts (File System\CALC_EXPORT). Click NEXT.
17. Source options should be left default and also the destination (Foundation: Calculation Manager) and destination option screens. Click NEXT.
18. Click EXECUTE MIGRATION in the Summary Screen to execute the migration process.
19. If you want to save the migration definition as a file, you can do so by clicking the SAVE MIGRATION DEFINITION tab. It will create an .XML file in the location of your choice.
20. After the migration is executed, we can check the status in the Migration Status Reoport.

 
Foundation/Shared Services
Summary screen before executing migration.
Need to click on EXECUTE MIGRATION tab in order to perform migration. The SAVE MIGRATION DEFINITION saves the file in the location of choice.

 
DataLoad after migration
After successfully exporting application/artifacts from source environment and importing them in the target, we can load data to the Essbase cube.