Questions and Answers

Foresight Analytics Platform key performance indicators may serve as dimensions in a data source. On the application level, it is possible to implement integration of the platform with various application systems to extract and load key performance indicators data using the built-in ETL tools, web services and other tools.

Foresight Analytics Platform supports the following data sources:

• ODBC.

• OLEDB.

• Drivers to a range of DBMS.

• The Netezza hardware and software suite.

• DBMS with column-by-column Sybase IQ storing.

• Multidimensional sources: SQL Server Analysis Services, SAP NetWeaver BW and others compatible with OLEDB for OLAP.

• XML files (supported with the ETL tool).

• MS Excel files.

• Unstructured files: VPF, DBASE, Paradox, CSV, TXT.

Supports MDX query to data sources on OLAP servers: SQL Server Analysis Services, SAP NetWeaver BW, Oracle Essbase and others compatible with OLEDB for OLAP.

Support of other sources such as RSS, Hadoop may be implemented on the application level.

Along with relational and MDX data sources Foresight Analytics Platform supports flat text files (TXT, CSV), dbase flat files, Excel files, MDB files, XML files with ability to specify XPath query for the sample, JSON files and REST services are supported.

Support of other sources such as RSS may be implemented on the application level.

Foresight Analytics Platform logs the queries run, but these logs are not available in the user interface. Visualization of the log is available at the application level.

Foresight Analytics Platform business users can join data sources at the level of cube creation, at the level of OLAP report by common dimensions and at the level of determining a virtual cube. Programming is not required.

Foresight Analytics Platform users can calculate and filter data simultaneously based on multiple data sources at the level of determining the data cube that links the sources and at the level of OLAP report (multi-OLAP) and also by setting up a virtual cube based on multiple sources and determining the required calculations. Programming is not required.

Foresight Analytics Platform supports creation of calculated data elements at the level of tables, dimensions, cubes, reports via visual wizards. Common transformation procedure is used. Users can create calculated cubes to execute various calculations (such as estimation techniques, and so on) without programming.

Foresight Analytics Platform does not provide special integration mechanisms. Integrating with ETL tools and data modeling tool is possible using common databases, files, web services, and so on. In some cases it may require additional platform customization.

Foresight Analytics Platform supports the following standards: ODBC, OLEDB, OLEDB for OLAP.

Foresight Analytics Platform does not require programming and it can be executed via the visual interface.

The ETL tool supports the loading of data from a large number of external data sources and the transformation of loaded data without programming. The BI tools also have simple data import wizard, which enables quick loading of data from external sources to platform data sources, such as cubes and time series databases. Programming can be used to fine-tune the data load process.

Foresight Analytics Platform uses native adapters for Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, DB2, PostgreSQL, Teradata, Excel, XML, flat files, VPF, dbase, Paradox, CSV and TXT. To access other DBMS, one can use ODBC, OLEDB, OLEDB for OLAP. Specific adapters can also be implemented at the application level via platform customization.

Foresight Analytics Platform supports creating in repository virtual tables based on SQL queries to data sources that can be used in reports, cubes, and so on. It also supports sending custom MDX queries on the application level. Data can be extracted from sources in real time without reloading data to the platform data warehouse.

If simultaneous work of domain and non-domain users is required, set up database connection in the following way:

1. Set using of password authorization.

2. Deselect the Use Login Credentials checkbox and enter login and password of the current user.

3. Select the Manage Rights on DBMS Objects checkbox.

4. If Oracle DBMS is used, specify prefix from Oracle server in advanced settings.