Top 5 OneStream MarketPlace admin solutions – part two

In the earlier blog ‘Top 5 OneStream MarketPlace admin solutions – part one’, we discussed the Log Cleaner, Snippet Editor and Dimension Comparison Utility. This second part of the post will describe the following solutions:

• Sample Import Templates (IMT) – PV420-SV100
• Diagnostics 123 (OSD) – PV500-SV102

1. Sample Import Templates

Another MarketPlace solution that is not imported into OneStream, at least initially. OneStream is a platform running on Microsoft and therefore all data and setup is stored in a set of SQL databases. As an administrator changes of a large quantity are often required and for those changes manually updating the application is too time consuming.

Many parts within OneStream allow an export- and import functionality to process larger changes. To help the administrator, OneStream has bundled some example files in this marketplace solution that can be used to make updates to the system.

The download file contains a zip file aimed at the relational blending side of the application, in this case Employee planning, but the templates can be used for many other purposes. The zip also contains a sample script to create a custom table in the OneStream database to be used in your relational blending solution.

Each Excel file works with a named range, based on the first three letters of this named range OneStream understands what to do. In this case XFT means that a table is directly updated from the Excel. The layout of such an Excel should exactly match the specifications of the fields in the table, which is why these templates are so useful.

The second zip in the solution contains regular templates to import CellDetail, Forms and Journals. The templates also contain a few sample lines so it is clear what needs to be entered in each column.

Pros and cons of Sample Import Templates

Pros
+ Easy to use
+ Good examples of different ways to import data/ artefacts

Cons
– An explanation about named ranges and setup is not included. This can be found in the Design and Reference Guide (chapter3)

There is no setup required, only an extraction of the zip files. Therefore, I classify this solution as plug and play (see my earlier post about classifications in the MarketPlace solutions).

2. Diagnostics 123

If next to your functional approach you are an administrator with a technical interest, this solution is a must-have as well. The Diagnostics 123 MarketPlace solution offers a central place to monitor and diagnose the health and performance of your environment. According to the documentation it offers:

• Detailed environment snapshots analysis across application and database servers.
• Live monitoring across application and database servers.
• Detailed task analysis including task concurrency, statistics and counts.
• Application server recycling.

Next to the general database server settings that apply to many MarketPlace solutions – and must be adjusted by your (technical) administrator/ installation partner if not done in the past -, this solution needs some additional technical set up. To allow OneStream to access the required information about your server and databases the SQL Server account running OneStream needs ‘View Server State Permission granted and a local administrator on the server to recycle application servers.

After that you just import the zip file, open the dashboard where you can create the tables and launch the solution.

The home screen let you select three options to analyze the system:

In ENV you can create, analyze and compare snapshots of the performance of your system. Standard reports are available to analyze your snapshots further.

From this page the server can also be recycled, where the user can do this smart (automatically when there is no user activity) or with force (terminating all running processes).

In TASK there is a graphical representation of executed tasks. The dashboard is very dynamic using filters and checkboxes so you can create the exact overview you need.

LIVE shows the actual environment and task health. Standard reports are available to analyze your monitoring sessions further.

Many tasks can also be automated using Data Management Tasks.

Pros and cons of Diagnostics 123

Pros
+ One overview of the performance of your entire environment
+ Very dynamic dashboards giving you exactly the information you need
+ Data management steps required for automation are provided with the solution

Cons
– To fully utilize this solution, you need some more configuration and task scheduling

The setup is described in detail in the documentation and there is no scripting required. Standard usage can be done by the (functional) administrator. If you really want to utilize this solution, scheduled snapshots and more configuration is required. Therefore, I classify this solution as admin configurable (see my earlier post about classifications in the MarketPlace solutions).

Let’s discover the OneStream MarketPlace together

Want to know more about the OneStream MarketPlace? In a series of blogs, we’ll delve into the details of the MarketPlace and the solutions available. In the blog ‘The One Stream MarketPlace in real life’ you’ll find more details about the basics of the MarketPlace. And in the blog ‘Top 5 OneStream MarketPlace admin solutions – part one’, we discussed the other MarketPlace solutions every OneStream admin should have.

Any questions or suggestions for a MarketPlace solution you would like to read about? Don’t hesitate to contact me!