Essbase reads essbase.cfg when you start Essbase Server and applies settings to the databases that you created using the methods described in Specifying and Changing Database Settings.
Database settings that you specify using Administration Services, ESSCMD, or MaxL always override essbase.cfg settings, even if you change a setting in essbase.cfg after you have applied a setting for a database. Only removing a setting triggers Essbase to use essbase.cfg, and then only after Essbase Server is restarted.