Usage of LastPeriods MDX function in OBIEE

Question

Hi guys,
First of all sorry for double-posting but maybe someone here knows about this.
I seem to have stumbled upon another bug in 10.1.3.4 with Essbase 9.3.1 integration which I would like to run by you.
Simplified case: display "Total Gross Sales" by "Fiscal Week" for the weeks t-4 through t-8 rolling.
Have: one variable in Essbase for t-4 ("vCurrentWk_4")
So starting in Answers I slap in "Fiscal Weeks" and "Total Gross Sales", working fine and resulting in this MDX:
With
set \[Time Period5] as '\[Time Period].Generations(5).members'
select
{ \[Account].\[324]
} on columns,
NON EMPTY {{\[Time Period5]}} properties ANCESTOR_NAMES, GEN_NUMBER on rows
from \[LOGIC_A.LOGIC]
Now I add my filter to already constrain it to only week t-4. I.e. "Fiscal Week" is equal to / is in VALUEOF("myserver:vCurrentWk_4"). This also works fine and produces the following MDX:
With
set \[Time Period5] as *'Filter(\[Time Period].Generations(5).members, (\[Time Period].currentmember.MEMBER_ALIAS = "Q4-09 2009/01/30" OR \[Time Period].currentmember.MEMBER_Name = "Q4-09 2009/01/30"))'*
select
{ \[Account].\[324]
} on columns,
NON EMPTY {{\[Time Period5]}} properties ANCESTOR_NAMES, GEN_NUMBER on rows
from \[LOGIC_A.LOGIC]
Up to making it rolling. Transform the filter into SQL and modify it to hold an MDX wrapped inside an EVALUATE to get the periods:
*"Time Period"."Fiscal Week" IN (EVALUATE('LastPeriods(4, %1)' ,VALUEOF("myserver:vCurrentWk_4")))*
Run it, fail with error
Essbase Error: Syntax error in input MDX query on line 6 at token ')'
and get the following MDX:
With
set \[Time Period5] as 'Filter(\[Time Period].Generations(5).members, (\[Time Period].currentmember.MEMBER_ALIAS = "Q4-09 2009/01/30" OR \[Time Period].currentmember.MEMBER_Name = "Q4-09 2009/01/30"))'
select
{ \[Account].\[324]
} on columns,
NON EMPTY *{LastPeriods(4, )LastPeriods(4, )LastPeriods(4, ){\[Time Period5]}}* properties ANCESTOR_NAMES, GEN_NUMBER on rows
from \[LOGIC_A.LOGIC]
Ok, that list of dimension members on rows looks weird since it loops and omits the variable I tried to pass. Members are referenced in "\[]" so let's try adding that:
Filter:
"Time Period"."Fiscal Week" IN (EVALUATE('LastPeriods(4, *\[%1]*)' ,VALUEOF("ch01s46:vCurrentWk_4")))
Error:
Essbase Error: Syntax error in input MDX query on line 6 at token '\['
MDX:
With
set \[Time Period5] as 'Filter(\[Time Period].Generations(5).members, (\[Time Period].currentmember.MEMBER_ALIAS = "Q4-09 2009/01/30" OR \[Time Period].currentmember.MEMBER_Name = "Q4-09 2009/01/30"))'
select
{ \[Account].\[324]
} on columns,
NON EMPTY {*LastPeriods(4, \[])LastPeriods(4, \[])LastPeriods(4, \[]){\[Time Period5]}*} properties ANCESTOR_NAMES, GEN_NUMBER on rows
from \[LOGIC_A.LOGIC]
Nope, not really better. Let's switch for the Essbase way of referencing variables:
Filter:
"Time Period"."Fiscal Week" IN (EVALUATE('LastPeriods(4, *\[&vCurrentWk_4])*'))
Error:
Essbase Error: Syntax error in input MDX query on line 2 at token 'OR'
MDX:
With
set \[Time Period5] as 'Filter(\[Time Period].Generations(5).members, (\[Time Period].*currentmember.MEMBER_ALIAS = OR* \[Time Period].*currentmember.MEMBER_Name =* ))'
select
{ \[Account].\[324]
} on columns,
*NON EMPTY {LastPeriods(4, \[&vCurrentWk_4])LastPeriods(4, \[&vCurrentWk_4])LastPeriods(4, \[&vCurrentWk_4]){\[Time Period5]}} properties ANCESTOR_NAMES, GEN_NUMBER on* rows
from \[LOGIC_A.LOGIC]
Err what?! Now I have the variable in the "on rows" but no longer in the currentmember.MEMBER_ALIAS or currentmember.MEMBER_NAME.
In SmartView it's as easy as this:
With
set \[Time Period5] as 'Filter(\[Time Period].Generations(5).members, (\[Time Period].currentmember.MEMBER_ALIAS = "Q4-09 2009/01/30" OR \[Time Period].currentmember.MEMBER_Name = "Q4-09 2009/01/30"))'
select
{ \[Account].\[324]
} on columns,
NON EMPTY LastPeriods(4, \[&vCurrentWk_4]) on rows
from \[LOGIC_A.LOGIC]
Has anyone stumbled across this before? Or do you know if this is an actual Oracle bug an known? (No, my customer hasn' tgiven me access to MetaLink, so I can't check :-( )
Cheers,
C.

Answer 1

Update:
Finally got a MetaLink account, raised an SR and they didn't even bother to ask more in detail. It's a definite bug in 10.1.3.4:
"I reproduced the issue and have logged bug 8290627 to have this addressed.
I did not find any workaround other than to enter real values instead of variables as arguments at this time."
So bug + no workaround. Nice.
Cheers,
C.