Databases Reference
In-Depth Information
Using programs coded by you to make calls to functions within the Essbase API, data
or results are returned from the Essbase servers you are connected to. The Essbase API
contains much of the same functionality that the Essbase software included with your
system contains.
Typically you don't need to be concerned with where the physical Essbase server
machine is located on the network when writing a program that uses API calls.
Locating the server and transferring the data, is all handled by the API through
TCP/IP connections.
Installing the Essbase API
The API functionality is automatically installed and available to clients and application
servers from the Essbase analytic server when you install the Essbase analytic software
on your server.
To install the API software on a client machine, you simply need to make sure the
API selection is checked during your routine installation of the Essbase add-in. If
the desktop machine in question has the Essbase add-in already installed, but not
the Essbase API libraries, you can perform a complete reinstallation of the Essbase
add-in without harming your current add-in installation. When you get to the
installation step where it asks if you want to perform a routine or custom installation,
select
Custom.
Then, on the next screen, select only the Essbase API.
For application server installation, the process for older versions would be just like
the steps for a client PC for the API only. Simply perform a custom installation and
select only the Essbase API for installation. Newer versions of Essbase (6.x and higher)
are shipped with an Essbase Runtime Client which will install all of the required API
libraries onto the target machine and support Essbase API functionality.
You now have the Essbase API on all of the machines in your network and can
begin programming Essbase functions from the Essbase API.
What you should know to use the
Essbase API
As you are already aware, this entire topic is intended for use by IT professionals
that have at least some level of experience and understanding of database usage and
programming. Basic programming knowledge and experience with object-oriented
programming is required to really understand how to code effective programs that
take full advantage of the Essbase API functionality.
