Spreadsheet Add-in User's Guide for Excel

Accessing Linked Partitions

Linked partitions are part of the Essbase Partitioning product. They provide the ability to link Essbase databases that contain different dimensions without losing access to all dimensions of both databases. If your organization has purchased and implemented the partitioning product, you can take advantage of its powerful capabilities. The Database Administrator's Guide describes how to design and implement a linked partition. The Essbase application designer usually sets up partitioning.

Note:

The Partitioning product also enables the Essbase application designer to set up transparent or remote partitions. For more information on partitioning, see the Database Administrator's Guide.

You can set visual cues, or styles, for cells tagged as linked objects. These cells are access points to the linked partition within the linked database. You have two options for accessing a linked partition from a data cell in Essbase Spreadsheet Add-in:

• Select the cell and select Essbase > Linked Objects.
• Enable double-clicking for linked object browsing.

  If you enable double-clicking for linked object browsing, double-clicking behavior changes for retrieving data and performing drill actions. For more information on these changes, see the Essbase Spreadsheet Add-in online help.

When you select Essbase > Linked Objects from a linked partition cell, Hyperion Essbase completes the following actions:

• Essbase displays the Linked Objects Browser dialog box, which contains a list of possible partitions to access. From this dialog box, select the partition to connect to.

  Note:

  The Linked Objects Browser dialog box may also contain a list of linked reporting objects, such as cell notes and external files. For more information, see "Using Linked Reporting Objects".

• After you select a partition, Essbase creates a new worksheet that contains corresponding members and dimensions for the cell in the linked partition.

  Note:

  Essbase does not preserve formulas across partitions.

• Essbase retrieves data values from the linked partition.

You can now perform operations such as drill down and drill up to get more information on the new worksheet.

Note:

The Sample Basic database that you are using for this tutorial does not contain a linked partition. Tasks that you should not perform as part of the tutorial are shown in light colored boxes.

Note:

You need to have the proper privileges to access a linked partition. If your user account and password match the account information for the linked partition, Essbase establishes a connection with the linked partition. Otherwise, Essbase displays the Essbase System Login dialog box for you to enter the user account and password information manually.