Creating Database Standard Form Analytic Workspaces

Question

Just been looking through the new 9.2.0.4.1 documentation and came across the following. Thought it might be useful.
The 9.2.0.4.1 release of Oracle OLAP introduces a new concept known as �Database Standard Form� Analytic Workspaces. This is a way of constructing analytic workspaces in a standard way such that they can be used by tools such as the Analytic Workspace Manager, the Java OLAP API, and BI Beans.
When analytic workspaces are created from a relational star-schema using the Analytic Workspace Manager, it automatically creates the analytic workspace in standard form as part of the migration process. However, if you�re migrating an Express database to Oracle OLAP, the migrated database has to be processed to be in standard form before it is usable by any of the new Oracle OLAP GUI tools.
If you create an analytic workspace using PL/SQL or the OLAP Worksheet, of course you can create dimensions, variables, relations and so on in any form, just as you can create table structures, joins, views and columns in any form in a relational database. However, the database standard form requirement stipulates that;
Certain objects and properties need to be found in the analytic workspace, that are used by tools such as the Analytic Workspace Manager to perform tasks such as aggregation, data loads, and OLAP API enablement. OLAP DML views (beginning with AW$) need to created in the analytic workspace, to provide metadata and to identify relationships between objects in the analytic workspace. Objects need to be registered in the OLAP Catalog, and these registrations have to be kept in sync so that the OLAP tools are aware of changes to the base objects. Data that is migrated in to an analytic workspace, from a relational star-schema using the Analytic Workspace Manager, is already in database standard form and no further work is needed. However, some work is needed to get migrated Express databases into standard form, and Oracle have provided a utility with the 9.2.0.4.1 release of Oracle OLAP to help accomplish this.
This utility, known as CREATE_DB_STDFORM, is an OLAP DML program that takes existing Oracle Express Objects metadata in a migrated Express database, and uses this to create the additional metadata required to make the analytic workspace �database standard form�.
Once CREATE_DB_STDFORM has been used to create this additional metadata, it can also be used to import data into the workspace either from flat files, or from Oracle tables and views. If you don�t have Express Objects metadata in the Express database, CREATE_DB_STDFORM doesn�t work, and you�ll have to use Oracle Warehouse Builder 9.2 to initially create a relational star-schema that equates to the Express database, then use the OLAP Bridge within OWB to export the data into a database standard form analytic workspace.
CREATE_DB_STDFORM, once run, allows the migrated Express database to be accessed via BI Beans straight afterwards, as it creates all the OLAP Catalog entries required for the OLAP API. If the Express database only contains data at the lowest level (i.e. it hasn�t been rolled up), aggregation wizards in the Analytic Workspace Manager can be used to summarise the data as required.
CREATE_DB_STDFORM doesn�t do everything, however. First of all, you need to have created Oracle Express Objects metadata within the Express database, which is an additional step and not always appropriate for all systems. In addition, you need to create time dimensions in a particular way, which may require the data model to be adjusted to meet this requirement. Lastly, any Express language programs within the Express database may need to be adjusted to remove or change commands that have changed or become obsolete.
The new document, �Oracle OLAP Application Developers Guide Release 9.2.0.4.1�, available on metalink under note 251352.1, details how database standard form works, has code examples, and walks through the migration of the XADEMO Express database to an analytic workspace using database standard form.

Answer 1

In your message, you wrote "Certain objects and properties need to be found ... aware of changes to base objects". A large bit is represented by "...". Question is whether I have any commands or package functions that I can use to set up all the proper objects and relationships to make it have database standard form, short of regressing to a ROLAP star schema and usnig the AWM wizard. I have what appears to be working MOLAP activity, all created at the OLAP worksheet prompt, and loaded with DML program. Do I really have to put that all aside and start with a star schema? No way to put my AW in standard form for OLAP API without this?