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2018
Oracle PBCS BizApp In Action
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OneCloud, Inc.
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So what is happening out there? Or what isn't?
The OneCloud BizApp for Oracle Planning Budgeting Cloud Service (PBCS) is a point & click solution to easily connect and automate PBCS with an array of cloud and on-premise technologies including Oracle Planning Budgeting Cloud Service (PBCS), Oracle Analytics Cloud (OAC), Salesforce, NetSuite, Workday, Namely and a range of relational technologies. OneCloud offers PBCS application-specific functions that include the ability to exchange data, execute business rules, generate reports, run Data Manager jobs, and bi-directionally convert PBCS's native "SUI" format to standard CSV. These capabilities in turn, provide PBCS application owners an ability to share and streamline data and tasks between applications in a controllable, auditable, and scalable environment. In addition, Business users can be granted access to manage, run or even build their own OneCloud automations through the user-friendly and self-service web and mobile interface. Later in this white paper, we will explore three possible use cases of the OneCloud Oracle PBCS BizApp: Automate PBCS Data Manager Operations. Directly extract and load Oracle PBCS to Oracle OAC. Directly load PBCS from a CSV source But first let's provide a bit more background and insight into the OneCloud platform.
| OneCloud PBCS BizApp
Jeff Brobst (VP Financial Planning, Seagate)
OneCloud is an integration and automation platform designed to boost end-user productivity and reduce the burden on IT. OneCloud seamlessly connects legacy and modern technologies and orchestrates complex handshakes across a hybrid mix of on-premise and cloud systems while making it easy for application owners and end-users to be self-sufficient in a code-free and intuitive environment. The focus of this white paper is to highlight specific OneCloud functionality that support Oracle PBCS. The intended audience are users and administrators of Oracle PBCS. To learn more about the OneCloud platform or other application specific support, please visit www.onecloud.io
About OneCloud
"The OneCloud platform enabled our corporate planning team to be self-sufficient from day 1 to connect and automate our cloud and on-prem apps…the easiest go-live we’ve ever experienced."
OneCloud Oracle PBCS Planning Analytics BizApp
Enterprise software has become so fragmented and unnecessarily complex that end-users struggle to use it. Enterprise software users rightfully complain about clunky interfaces that lack visibility and self-service. This places an extraordinary amount of pressure on IT departments to keep the data flowing and is having an adverse effect on productivity. One factor in boosting business productivity is to build an ecosystem of connected applications. To accomplish this, the first order of business is to tackle the integration of a vast number of fragmented enterprise applications. This integration challenge goes hand-in-hand with the need to orchestrate and automate the many processes that support critical business functions that are the heartbeat of every company including: operational planning, performance management and business intelligence. The final and most overlooked step to boost productivity is to empower the business user. Business users nowadays already bring to the workplace a savvy ability to use an array of digital tools from social media to ride hailing services and now every company with an eye on the future should enable its business users with a powerful tool-set to get more done with less. A user-friendly tool that allows end-users to easily run and manage their business processes on-demand is imperative, but the concept of self-service and self-sufficiency is still deafeningly and surprisingly absent in today’s enterprise. Let’s change that! - The OneCloud Team
OneCloud Terminology
The OneCloud Platform
OneCloud ensures that cloud and on-premise applications operate together. The platform's native connectivity to many of the most widely used enterprise performance management (EPM), business intelligence (BI), and resource management systems allows for a connected ecosystems of applications. OneCloud eliminates the challenges of integrating a hybrid mix of technologies that co-exist on premise and in the cloud. Key features of the OneCloud architecture include:
Deployment Architecture
Command Commands are the building blocks of OneCloud automation workflows (chains). A command is a single task that is pre-configured to perform an operation on a system. When building a command, the user links it with a connection in order to choose where the command is executed. Chain A linear sequence of commands that represents an automation workflow. Chains can be scheduled, run manually, or even triggered externally via the OneCloud API. Each chain allows a user to build commands based on conditional logic. Commands can also be grouped within a chain, and execute either serially or in parallel. Connection A connection consists of a resource (i.e. a server) that is pre-configured to run a certain type of command and the credentials associated with connection to a particular application (i.e. login information for a SaaS platform). Connections can be configured to use either a Linux or Windows environment. Commands are aware of which connections they need to run (for example, a command that can run only in a Windows environment), and cannot be created until an appropriate connection is configured. Environment Environments are used to manage the life-cycle of your chains. Chains can be moved between environments, and variables can be set per environment. The most common example is using a development environment to test your chain, and when you are happy with the results, you can promote the chain into a production environment. Resource Resources are files that are managed within the OneCloud platform. They be can attached to commands as inputs, and even support variable replacement for extensibility and re-usability throughout a user's workflows. Runner Runners are the agents that carry out commands and send the results to OneCloud. CloudRunners are managed by OneCloud, whereas GroundRunners operate within a user's the corporate firewall. Users control where commands are run by linking each connection to a particular runner. Variable In the context of OneCloud, variables are inputs that can be changed. Variables defined on a workspace can be used across chains that belong to that workspace, and variables defined in a chain can be used locally by the chain's commands. In addition, commands can use a variety of system-level (for example, current time) and metadata variables (chain name, environment, etc). Outputs Outputs are artifacts from previous Commands and can have the following types: Strings, Integers, Lists, Dates, JSON, Maps, File. They will appear as variables in subsequent commands in a chain. Workspace A grouping of related workflows that encapsulates multiple environments. In addition, workspaces can store variables that can be used within chains and commands. Lastly, connections are stored at the workspace level.
Connect & Automate Code-Free
Self-service to manage, view and run automated processes via web and mobile interfaces. CloudRunners and GroundRunners that natively integrate cloud and on-premise applications.
OneCloud allows technical and non-technical users to easily connect, automate, manage and run their applications. OneCloud Chains are created by simply adding automation commands and setting parameter values. In the example to the left, OneCloud is being configured to export data from PBCS, convert the native SUI format to CSV and finally load to OAC.
Step 2 - Convert from SUI to standard CSV OneCloud has a unique out-of-the-box function to convert PBCS' native Standard User Interface (SUI) format to CSV. This is especially handy to set up a predefined rule that maps the POV fields to standard columns that can be loaded to a target such as Oracle OAC.
Step 2 - Configure each command Each OneCloud command will have specific parameters that need to be set based upon the operation. The example to the left, are some of the parameters to run a Data Management load rule with the ablity to set start and end period, file name as well as the import and export modes.
OneCloud Oracle PBCS BizApp - Case Studies
Case Study I: Automate PBCS Data Manager Operations
Step 1 - Create a OneCloud Chain Creating a OneCloud Chain is the framework for an end-to-end process that will includes commands, logic, schedules and triggers.
Introduction OneCloud can natively interface with PBCS Data Management to run import and export mapping as well as manage the files loaded and retrieved from Data Management's inbox and outbox. These capabilities allow OneCloud to leverage all routines built in Data Management across other automations and integrations that OneCloud manages. The following case study highlights how OneCloud and orchestrate these operations.
Step 1 - Export and retrieve the plan Using PBCS' native data export functions, create a job to export the required slice of data and download the content. Leverage OneCloud's built-in feature to automatically decompress the data payload so it can be subsequently converted from SUI format to CSV in the next step.
Case Study II: Directly extract and load Oracle PBCS to Oracle OAC
Introduction OneCloud can quickly and easily extract data from Oracle PBCS, converted to a standard and open format and load to target application. The process is easy to setup, relies upon PBCS' native export jobs and eliminates challenges related to standard batch processing. In this case study, a OneCloud chain will be created to perform the following steps: Execute a PBCS Export Data job Download the export data payload Convert from native SUI format to CSV Filter unneeded columns Upload the converted CSV content to OAC Import the CSV content to the target cube via a load rule
Step 5 - Upload to OAC Once the data is in a standard tabular format, it can be used by an array of systems. In the example to the left, the output from the column filter is being uploaded directly to the application/database location in OAC.
Step 1 - Identify a sample tabular dataset.
Step 2 - Configure the conversion Based upon the dimensionality of the target PBCS cube, the SUI columns, Target (sparse dim), driver columns (dense dim) and POV columns need to be identified. Additionally, the target plan type needs to be set creating the final right-hand column for the PBCS import.
OneCloud can works with files in a variety of formats and delimiters as well as direct quires from a relational database.
Case Study III: Directly load PBCS from a CSV source
Case Study II: Directly extract and load Oracle PBCS to Oracle OAC (con't)
Introduction OneCloud can streamline how data gets loaded into PBCS from a tabular data source such as flat files and relational databases. The approach is via a simplified and intuitive interface that quickly and easily enables mapping of source data to the PBCS Standard User interface ("SUI") format.
Step 3 - Filter unneeded columns OneCloud has lightweight transformation capabilities to easily filter columns, rows, find & replace, join and split columns. In the example to the left, a column filter is being applied to the converted output from the prior step. The filter will strip off all columns except the columns 1 to 12 and 20 to 24 based upon the column index.
Step 4 - Preview results prior to loading to the target The example on the right demonstrates a "load ready" CSV format that has been converted from the PBCS SUI format and now ready to load to OAC.
Import & Export Operations Export Data Export Mapping Export Metadata Import Data Import Mapping Import Metadata Administrative Operations Clear Cube Get Substitution Variable Restart Refresh Cube User Audit Report User Provisioning Report Run Plan Type Map
The OneCloud Oracle PBCS BizApp has the following commands available to connect and automate PBCS with other applications supported by OneCloud. Each command has different parameter inputs and outputs that are relevant to the operation being performed. Please see http://docs.onecloud.io/ for more information.
Case Study III: Directly load PBCS from a CSV source (con't)
Data Management Operations Run Batch Run Data Management Rule Run Data Management Report Snapshot Operations Export Snapshot Import Snapshot Copy Snapshot Data Operations Run Business Rule Set Substitution Variables File Operations Delete File Download File Upload File List Files
Available Commands
More on the OneCloud Oracle PBCS BizApp
Step 3 - Configure the conversion The converted file can be easily viewed from within OneCloud. Note the special fields such as Point-of-View and Data Load Cube Name are populated with data based upon options selected in the prior step.
Technical data subject to modification and delivery subject to availability. Any liability that the data and illustrations are complete, actual or correct is excluded. Designations may be trademarks and/or copyrights of the respective company, the use of which by third parties for their own purposes may infringe the rights of such owner.
Disclaimer
All rights reserved, including intellectual property rights. Changes to technical data reserved. Delivery subject to availability. Any liability that the data and illustrations are complete, actual or correct is excluded. Designations may be trademarks and/or copyrights of the respective company, the use of which by third parties for their own purposes may infringe on the rights of such owner. For further information see http://www.onecloud.io ©2018 OneCloud, Inc
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