Spreadsheet Add-in User's Guide for Excel

Purpose

This guide provides all the information that you need to use the IBM DB2 OLAP Server Spreadsheet Add-in for Microsoft Excel. It explains the features and options and discusses the concepts, processes, procedures, formats, tasks, and examples that you need to use the software.

IBM DB2 OLAP Server Version 8.1, known as Essbase 6.5 in this guide, is an online analytical processing (OLAP) solution that satisfies the complex calculation requirements of financial, accounting, and marketing professionals. Essbase operates in a client-server computing environment on a local area network (LAN). In this environment, multiple users can use their desktop computers to retrieve and analyze centralized data.

You can create reports from the data residing on the Essbase server in several ways:

• Generate database reports through a spreadsheet interface, called Essbase Spreadsheet Add-in, as explained in this guide.
• Use Essbase Application Manager Report Writer to create a report script and run a report. For more information, see the Database Administrator's Guide.
• Use Essbase Application Programming Interface (API) to create and run database reports. For more information, see the Essbase API Reference.
• Use reporting tools, such as Hyperion Reporting for Essbase.