For those in a hurry: video as text

Welcome to the second chapter of the video series "Hyperion Upgrade 11.2 - What's going on?". This chapter is about Oracle Essbase.  The multidimensional database has always been (and still is) a core technology in the Oracle world. Among others, Hyperion Planning as well as Oracle EPM Cloud are based on the product of the first hour of Hyperion.  This video is for anyone who is facing the question of what to do with their Essbase system as part of the Hyperion upgrade. So, stay tuned!

  I will answer these questions in the following minutes:
1.Where did we come from, where do we stand right now, what are the scenarios?
2.What are the options for the future?  
3.What's new in Essbase 21c?
4.In the last part, we link the first two chapters: we will answer the question which options are recommendable for which scenarios and how much the respective options cost.  
Let's start with the first question:

Chapter II.1 - Where do I stand? 
Essbase has had a confusing journey. Over the decades of its existence, it has not only been renamed a few times, but also incorporated into different product families due to its versatility. Let's take a look at the last few years:
Essbase 11g (11.1.2.4) is part of the "Oracle Hyperion EPM Suite - One Premise" and serves as database for the EPM tool "Hyperion Planning". The use is licensed with a "Restricted Essbase Plus"-licence.
In EPM 11.1 there is also the Essbase stand-alone version, which can be used with an "Essbase Plus" license.
Then there is Oracle Essbase 12c, which together with OBIEE is  
•part of the "BI Foundation Suite - On Premise",  
•part of the "Oracle Fusion General Ledger - On Premise" and  
•part of the "Oracle Analytics Cloud".
In 2019, Essbase has been cut out of Oracle Analytics Cloud to create the stand-alone version 19c. It is a version reprogrammed for the Cloud: it offers better performance than On Prem and brings new features, such as the Cube Designer, an Excel Addin. In exchange, the “Essbase Administration Services” is eliminated.  
This non-linear product history thus results in five different user groups or scenarios:
1. We have the 11.1. "Stand alone Essbase -On Premise" users with a "Essbase Plus" license.
2. We have the Essbase 11.1 On Premise users with a "Restricted Essbase Plus" license bundled with Hyperion Planning.
3. Then there are the Oracle Essbase 12c customers. Since this version was never a stand-alone database and the "parent products" each follow their own product roadmap, we will not dive into this scenario any further.
4. Next we have the Oracle Essbase 19c Cloud customers.
5. And last but not least of course our new Essbase customers. So we have 4 scenarios.
In the next step, let's see what options are available for these scenarios. Where can the journey lead to?
 
Chapter II.2 – What are the options?
Option A: Since Dec 2019, the On Premise version Oracle Hyperion 11.2 is available.  11.2 is basically a Planning and not an Essbase upgrade. In the new EPM 11.2 version there is no "Essbase stand alone" anymore, but only the old Essbase version 11.1.2.4, which is integrated in Planning. This has to do with the fact that Essbase is no longer organizationally part of the Hyperion EPM Suite since 2019, but is assigned to the database division of Oracle.  There are rumours that Oracle plans to replace the Planning database with the latest Essbase version 21c in the medium term. But an "Essbase stand alone" solution within the EPM Suite will no longer exist.
Instead, since Dec 2020 there is the stand alone solution" Oracle Essbase 21c On Premise". However, it will only be available for Linux. The Windows version will probably come in September/October 2021.
Additionally, since Feb 2021, there is the "Essbase 21c on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI)"
Hmm, 21c, that doesn't sound bad at first.
What is new in 21c? What are the differences between On Premise and Cloud?

Chapter II.3 – What is new in 21c?
This is an ideal question for an expert who has been in the Essbase business for over 25 years. Foxbot, can you please give Roland Schubert a call? With pleasure!

Hello Roland, I have 5 questions for you:
1. First, a general question. Essbase has been around for a few years now. The technology has developed rapidly over the years. Is Essbase still up to date?
2. What is new in 21c?
3. What exactly is the difference between 21c On Prem and Cloud? (Cloud no Saas!!!!!)
4. How complex is a migration actually?  
5. In theory, is it possible to migrate between "21c Cloud" and "21c On Premise" and vice versa?
Thanks for the info, Roland! Take care.

We now have 4 scenarios and 3 options for the future. Let's connect the two. Which option fits which scenario?

Chapter II.4 – What should I do?
The first two scenarios are self-explanatory: Planning customers should upgrade to 11.2, 19c customers to 21c, as support ends at the end of 2021 in each case. Hyperion 11.2 will be supported until at least 2032, ensuring a sustainable EPM strategy. In both scenarios, the existing licences are transferable. "Planning Plus" licences are not transferable to "stand alone Essbase" and vice versa.
Let's move on to the "Essbase Plus” customers who want to stay on 11.1. This is not such a good idea, as Premier Support ends at the end of 2021. Migrating to 11.2 is not an option either unless you want to buy new licences.  "Essbase Stand Alone " users should migrate to 21c On Premise or Cloud. This is both the cheapest and most sustainable option. Windows On Premise is not coming until the end of the year, you may want to wait for that. A migration takes about 5 days.  As we have already learned, Essbase 21 is the same product in Cloud or On Premise. By the way, existing licenses can be split between Cloud and On Premise. Therefore: why not test both options before making a final decision?
Now let's take a look at the new Essbase customers. They have many options and should start by thinking: do we only need Essbase, or do we also need planning functionalities? If so, then Hyperion Planning 11.2 or PBCS are good options.  
If you need Essbase as a stand-alone solution, the choice is clear: go directly to 21c.  
There are alternatives with the system environment: you could go to 21c Oracle Cloud right now or you can run 21c on your premises or, if you wish, on other common cloud providers such as AWS (Amazon) or Azure (Microsoft). Our partner Infranaut who has more than 10 years of experience will setup and operate Essbase in the Oracle Cloud or the cloud provider of your choice." infranaut offers you even an alternative with the infranaut Cloud, which is firstly more cost-effective and secondly compliant with privacy policy by storing the data in Germany. Simply send an email to info@epmfox.com , we will be happy to send you a non-binding offer.  
Quite a lot of information at once, isn't it? We are almost there ;-)

Summary – Chapter 2
Here is an overview that summarizes everything. Pick out the things that are relevant for you. My recommendation: Check again in your contracts which license type you have. Especially for "Essbase Plus" licensees, there are many paths to technological bliss and sustainability.

So, ladies and gentlemen. In about 10 minutes, you've learned everything that's important. So tell me: why would you want to sit through long webinars in the future? Register below and don't miss the next video: The topic is: "I use EPMA. What to do"?