FIX STATEMENT AND LARGE SPARSE DIMENSIONS

Question

Hello all,
We have the following Essbase BSO db;
Account (Dense) (285 Members) (Aggregating Dimension)
Period (Dense) (65 Members) (Aggregating Dimension)
D1 (Sparse) (3700 Members)
(Aggregating Dimension)
D2 (Sparse) (8900 Members)
(Aggregating Dimension)
D3 (Sparse) (15000 Members)
(Aggregating Dimension)
Version (Sparse) (3 Members) (NON-Aggregating Dimension)
Scenario (Sparse) (5 Members) (NON-Aggregating Dimension)
Year (Sparse) (3 Members) (NON-Aggregating Dimension)
Currency (Sparse) (11 Members) (NON-Aggregating Dimension)
D4 (Sparse) (20 Members) (NON-Aggregating Dimension)
Block Size = ~150KM
Index Cache = 4GB
Data Cache = 8GB
CPUs = 8
MEMORY FREE = 26GB
NOTE:
We are executing the database with data loaded for "JUST" 10 BLOCKS,
SO
VERY VERY SMALL VOLUME OF DATA!!!
We have come across a rather irritating and strange issue while executing
the following calc;
CASE 1: With LEVEL-0 OF RELEVANT
SPARSE DIMENSIONS IN FIX STATEMENT
//ESS_LOCALE English_UnitedStates.Latin1@Binary
SET MSG ERROR;
SET CACHE HIGH;
SET UPDATECALC OFF;
SET LOCKBLOCK HIGH;
SET AGGMISSG OFF;
SET CALCPARALLEL 4;
SET CREATENONMISSINGBLK OFF;
FIX(ACTUAL,"2013",@LEVMBRS(D1,0),@LEVMBRS(D2,0),@LEVMBRS(D3,0),@LEVMBRS(D4,0),
@RELATIVE("EBITDA",0))
DATACOPY ARS->CURRENCY_VERSION TO ARS->WORKING;
DATACOPY CAD->CURRENCY_VERSION TO CAD->WORKING;
DATACOPY CHF->CURRENCY_VERSION TO CHF->WORKING;
DATACOPY COP->CURRENCY_VERSION TO COP->WORKING;
DATACOPY EUR->CURRENCY_VERSION TO EUR->WORKING;
DATACOPY GBP->CURRENCY_VERSION TO GBP->WORKING;
DATACOPY MXN->CURRENCY_VERSION TO MXN->WORKING;
DATACOPY CNY->CURRENCY_VERSION TO CNY->WORKING;
ENDFIX
$$$$$$NOTE1: The above FIX STATEMENT
works just fine and executes in 1 sec as its just a DATACOPY. ESSENTIALLY I
HAVE CREATED THE BLOCKS I WANT TO PERFORM THE BELOW SPARSE CALCULATION$$$$$$
FIX(ACTUAL,"2013",@LEVMBRS(D1,0),@LEVMBRS(D2,0),@LEVMBRS(D3,0),@LEVMBRS(D4,0),
@RELATIVE("EBITDA",0))
ARS = ARS->CURRENCY_VERSION *
"ARS_RATE"->"NO_CURRENCY"->"C_NONE"->"L_NONE"->"S_NONE"->"U_NONE"->WORKING;
CAD = ARS->CURRENCY_VERSION *
"CAD_RATE"->"NO_CURRENCY"->"C_NONE"->"L_NONE"->"S_NONE"->"U_NONE"->WORKING;
CHF = ARS->CURRENCY_VERSION *
"CHF_RATE"->"NO_CURRENCY"->"C_NONE"->"L_NONE"->"S_NONE"->"U_NONE"->WORKING;
COP = ARS->CURRENCY_VERSION *
"COP_RATE"->"NO_CURRENCY"->"C_NONE"->"L_NONE"->"S_NONE"->"U_NONE"->WORKING;
EUR = ARS->CURRENCY_VERSION *
"EUR_RATE"->"NO_CURRENCY"->"C_NONE"->"L_NONE"->"S_NONE"->"U_NONE"->WORKING;
GBP = ARS->CURRENCY_VERSION *
"COP_RATE"->"NO_CURRENCY"->"C_NONE"->"L_NONE"->"S_NONE"->"U_NONE"->WORKING;
MXN = ARS->CURRENCY_VERSION *
"MXN_RATE"->"NO_CURRENCY"->"C_NONE"->"L_NONE"->"S_NONE"->"U_NONE"->WORKING;
CNY = ARS->CURRENCY_VERSION *
"CNY_RATE"->"NO_CURRENCY"->"C_NONE"->"L_NONE"->"S_NONE"->"U_NONE"->WORKING;
ENDFIX
$$$$$$NOTE2: The above FIX STATEMENT
is where we have a problem, THE CALC JUST HANGS AND DOES NOT CALCULATE$$$$$$
CASE 2: With “specific” members of
RELEVANT SPARSE DIMENSIONS IN FIX STATEMENT
//ESS_LOCALE English_UnitedStates.Latin1@Binary
SET MSG ERROR;
SET CACHE HIGH;
SET UPDATECALC OFF;
SET LOCKBLOCK HIGH;
SET AGGMISSG OFF;
SET CALCPARALLEL 4;
SET CREATENONMISSINGBLK OFF;
FIX(ACTUAL,"2013",W1,"2251026",MORSCREJWHITE,MORSCREJWHITE_S,KG,TRADESALES)
DATACOPY ARS->CURRENCY_VERSION TO ARS->WORKING;
DATACOPY CAD->CURRENCY_VERSION TO CAD->WORKING;
DATACOPY CHF->CURRENCY_VERSION TO CHF->WORKING;
DATACOPY COP->CURRENCY_VERSION TO COP->WORKING;
DATACOPY EUR->CURRENCY_VERSION TO EUR->WORKING;
DATACOPY GBP->CURRENCY_VERSION TO GBP->WORKING;
DATACOPY MXN->CURRENCY_VERSION TO MXN->WORKING;
DATACOPY CNY->CURRENCY_VERSION TO CNY->WORKING;
ENDFIX
$$$$$$NOTE3: The above FIX STATEMENT
works just fine and executes in 1 sec as its just a DATACOPY. ESSENTIALLY I
HAVE CREATED THE BLOCKS I WANT TO PERFORM THE BELOW SPARSE CALCULATION$$$$$$
FIX(ACTUAL,"2013","2251026",MORSCREJWHITE,MORSCREJWHITE_S,KG,WORKING)
ARS = ARS->CURRENCY_VERSION *
"ARS_RATE"->"NO_CURRENCY"->"C_NONE"->"L_NONE"->"S_NONE"->"U_NONE"->WORKING;
CAD = CAD->CURRENCY_VERSION *
"CAD_RATE"->"NO_CURRENCY"->"C_NONE"->"L_NONE"->"S_NONE"->"U_NONE"->WORKING;
CHF = CHF->CURRENCY_VERSION *
"CHF_RATE"->"NO_CURRENCY"->"C_NONE"->"L_NONE"->"S_NONE"->"U_NONE"->WORKING;
COP = COP->CURRENCY_VERSION *
"COP_RATE"->"NO_CURRENCY"->"C_NONE"->"L_NONE"->"S_NONE"->"U_NONE"->WORKING;
EUR = EUR->CURRENCY_VERSION *
"EUR_RATE"->"NO_CURRENCY"->"C_NONE"->"L_NONE"->"S_NONE"->"U_NONE"->WORKING;
GBP = GBP->CURRENCY_VERSION *
"GBP_RATE"->"NO_CURRENCY"->"C_NONE"->"L_NONE"->"S_NONE"->"U_NONE"->WORKING;
MXN = MXN->CURRENCY_VERSION * "MXN_RATE"->"NO_CURRENCY"->"C_NONE"->"L_NONE"->"S_NONE"->"U_NONE"->WORKING;
CNY = CNY->CURRENCY_VERSION *
"CNY_RATE"->"NO_CURRENCY"->"C_NONE"->"L_NONE"->"S_NONE"->"U_NONE"->WORKING;
ENDFIX
$$$$$$NOTE4: The above FIX
STATEMENT works just fine, as I am fixing on just ONE member from relevant
dimensions in the FIX STATEMENT$$$$$$
Please note the only difference between NOTE 2
and NOTE 4 is the FIX statements. I.e., Fixing all required lev-0 members from
required dimensions as opposed to Fixing on just single lev-0 members from
required dimensions.
Also please note that NOTE 1 FIX statement works
just fine! So, there is no problem with the FIX statement itself but rather
with the combination of Sparse Calculations and with Fixing all LEV-0 members
from required dimension in the FIX. Probably because the Sparse dimensions are
VERY LARGE.
Could anyone shed some light on what might be wrong here?
We are on Essbase standalone V11.1.2.
Your inputs are very much appreciated!
Thanks

Answer 1

Hi,
One minor thing I notice - your NOTE 2 problem script does not fix on your Working version, whereas the NOTE 4 script does.
With your small number of blocks, this should not be the problem, but it's probably worth quickly testing and eliminating before delving deeper.
Your script could be invoking member formulae from the Account dimension - does your outline validate ok..?
I cannot tell from your NOTE 4 script which member relates to the Account dimension - is it 2251026?
Whichever it is, it is worth expanding NOTE 4 script up to @RELATIVE("EBITDA",0)....
- if it runs, you know the problem is with your sparse member selections (ie number of blocks being calculated).
- If it doesn't run, then you know there is a problem in calculating one or more of the Accounts under EBITDA.  In which case, gradually narrow the range of Accounts to locate the Account or Accounts that trigger the issue.  Chances are there's a problem with the member formula