I created a thread on network54 to gauge the interest in a Google Sheets Essbase add-in. I developed a sidebar that can run an MDX query against an Essbase database and return the data to a Google Sheet.
The following video demonstrates this functionality: google_sheets_POC
As I mentioned in the network54 thread, please keep in mind the inherent limitation of Google Sheets is that it can only connect to a publicly-available (i.e. internet) URL. As we all know, most companies keep Essbase walled off from the internet behind their firewall. A couple I’ve worked with have, however, opened up a secure port (https) to the Provider Server URL (e.g. https://CompanyAPS:13080/aps) for partner companies to access data. So it’s not completely impossible that companies would be amenable to this option.
I can understand IT Security’s reluctance to expose the APS https URL to an external web server, but risks can be mitigated. It is a secure (https) protocol and access is still controlled by Shared Services usernames and passwords passed from the Google Sheet.
If there is sufficient interest, the next step would be to add the functionality contained in the Essbase Excel add-in (and Smart View) to the Essbase Google Sheet add-on.
Please leave a comment if this is something you are interested in.
Thanks,
Harry Gates
I think you are in the right road. Oracle grou up from zero to 23000 clients Planning Cloud.
I think your idea is great!
Is it possible to extend your add-in with write-back functionality?
Currently the add-on is only querying data from Essbase. To do so, it is using XMLA (read-only), which is installed as part of Provider Services. In order to write data back to Essbase, it would be necessary to create a web service that would run on a server that has access to the Essbase server. In addition, this web service would then need to be made available to the public internet – preferably through https. This, however, is also a precondition for reading data from Essbase through XMLA.
Creating this web service would not be difficult. In fact I already have most of it written from previous projects. Frankly, the interest shown in such a Google Sheets Essbase add-on has been underwhelming. I don’t want to spend a lot of time on a project that only 2 or 3 people will ever use.