Merging Incremental Data Slices

You can merge all incremental data slices into the main database slice or merge all incremental data slices into a single data slice while leaving the main database slice unchanged. To merge slices, you must have the same privileges as for loading data (Administrator or Database Manager permissions).

When the data for a new data slice is in the data load buffer, Essbase scans the list of incremental data slices and considers whether to automatically merge them with the new slice. To qualify for an automatic merge, a slice must be smaller than 100,000 cells or smaller than two times the size of the new slice. Slices larger than 5,000,000 cells are never automatically merged. For example, if a new slice contains 300,000 cells, incremental data slices that contain 90,000 cells and 500,000 cells are automatically merged with the new cell. An incremental data slice that contains 700,000 is not.

After the new input view is written to the database, Essbase creates the aggregate views for the slice. The views created for the new slice are a subset of the views that exist on the main database slice.

Note:

You cannot export data when performing a merge.

If you cleared data from a region using the logical clear region operation, which results in a value of zero for the cells you cleared, you can elect to remove zero value cells during the merge operation. See Clearing Data from Specific Regions of Aggregate Storage Databases.

To perform merging operations, use the alter database MaxL statement with the merge grammar.

For example, to merge all incremental data slices into the main database slice, use this statement:

alter database AsoSamp.Sample 
   merge all data;

To merge all incremental data slices into the main database slice and remove zero value cells, use this statement:

alter database AsoSamp.Sample 
   merge all data remove_zero_values;

To merge all incremental data slices into a single data slice, use this statement:

alter database AsoSamp.Sample
   merge incremental data;

In Administration Services Console, you can merge data slices. See “Merging Incremental Data Slices (Aggregate Storage Databases)” in the Oracle Essbase Administration Services Online Help.