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5 April 2018, 11:36:17 am AEST
4 min
For starters, God's algorithm is a notion originating in discussions of ways to solve the Rubik's Cube puzzle, but which can also be applied to other combinatorial puzzles and mathematical games. It refers to any algorithm which produces a solution having the fewest possible moves, the idea being that an omniscient being would know an optimal step from any given configuration (source wiki). With ...
For starters, God's algorithm is a notion originating in discussions of ways to solve the Rubik's Cube puzzle, but which can also be applied to other combinatorial puzzles and mathematical games. It refers to any algorithm which produces a solution having the fewest possible moves, the idea being that an omniscient being would know an optimal step from any given configuration (source wiki).
With the constant barrage of messaging these days, almost pushing you over to adopt cloud, does the choice between “To Move” or “Not To” almost feel like cracking the “God’s Algorithm”? Well, hopefully by the time you are done reading this, you would have a fair bit of understanding around what it takes and what you should consider.
Okay, now that we have set the context, let’s try to understand why migration to cloud has become such an imperative.
There are primarily two major considerations; one being Cost and the other Business;
When it comes to Cost, anything and everything related to Application, Server, Storage, Network, IT, Labor, and other overheads (like space, power, cooling) are your main considerations. Main drivers of such expenses would be around Hardware & Software maintenance, its administration and compulsory skill sets (read labor).
Business consideration however is more around the efficiencies that a cloud adoption would drive, freeing up precious time, labor, effort & funds which can then be re-directed towards building an Agile Enterprise, which, responds faster to market changes & demands, can scale up or down instantly (without bothering too much about sunk costs) and thrives on Thought leadership & Innovation.
With all its advantages, it does however come neatly wrapped with “small prints”, which some organisations ignore to read and which is why they fail.
Let’s look at some of these;
So, coming back to where we started, is a “God’s Algorithm” out there which would ensure migration to cloud fail proof? Well, while a lot of us are still searching, philosophies are gaining good shape… here’s is one of them with lots of fan following
The key is to break your strategy into bite-size pieces. A well-planned migration along with an airtight transition approach which has a razor-sharp focus on continuous improvement almost always ensures success. After all, you would know by the time you plan whether your application or workload is worthy of a cloud move.
Hopefully this was some good food for your thought and optimistically has helped you make your decision between “To Move” or “Not To” a bit easier.
Who are we?
Octane Software Solutions Pty Ltd is an IBM Registered Business Partner specialising in Corporate Performance Management and Business Intelligence. We provide our clients advice on best practices and help scale up applications to optimise their return on investment. Our key services include IBM Planning Analytics (TM1) Consulting, Delivery, Support and Training.
Octane has its head office in Sydney, Australia as well as offices in Canberra, Bangalore, Gurgaon, Mumbai, and Hyderabad.
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3 September 2026, 3:31:06 pm AEST
17 min
Quick Summary: When Power BI board decks disagree with IBM Planning Analytics (TM1), batch CSV exports and scheduled ETL jobs are almost always the cause. Here is how modern finance teams eliminate data drift, protect payroll security, and connect TM1 directly to Power BI using live REST queries.
Target Readership: CFOs, Heads of FP&A, TM1 Architects, and Power BI Leads.
Every finance team recognizes the Friday afternoon reconciliation panic.
The CFO prepares to present the monthly forecast to the board. They open the executive dashboard in Microsoft Power BI. At the same time, the financial planning manager reviews the live consolidation model in IBM Planning Analytics (TM1).
The EBITDA numbers do not match.
The variance is small, but the damage is immediate. Executive trust evaporates. The finance team stops analyzing operational performance and spends the next four hours chasing spreadsheets across network drives.
This discrepancy is not a user error. It is an architectural failure known as data drift. Here is why traditional TM1 reporting pipelines drift, the security risks hiding in your flat files, and how to connect Power BI directly to TM1 without staging tables.
Figure 1: End-to-end integration architecture: IBM TM1 multidimensional in-memory cubes streaming directly to Microsoft Power BI via the DataFusion OData v4 REST connector.
1. In-Memory TM1 Cube: Analysts update dynamic forecast assumptions →
2. TurboIntegrator Export: Overnight batch script runs ASCIIOutput to dump unencrypted CSVs to network drive →
3. Scheduled Power BI Refresh: Gateway reloads stale file snapshots. Late-day adjustments are missed.
1. TM1 v12 Cube: Single authoritative financial model in memory with cell security preserved →
2. DataFusion REST Connector: Lightweight (< 100 MB) local Flask bridge querying TM1 via OData v4 REST API →
3. Power BI Dataset: Queries TM1 on demand or on schedule with zero intermediate CSV staging and zero external data storage.
To understand why numbers drift, look at the path data takes from your TM1 cube to your Power BI visuals. In most organizations, this path relies on a batch export loop:
print
ASCIIOutput scripts to dump multidimensional cube slices into flat CSV files.What happens if an analyst posts a late adjustment in TM1 at 10:00 AM?
The adjustment sits in TM1. Power BI will not reflect that number until the next overnight batch run. For an entire business day, your reporting layer shows stale figures. When organizations try to fix this by scheduling more frequent export scripts, they run directly into server locking issues, memory spikes, and fragile file dependencies.
Batch exports create problems far beyond stale dashboard views. They introduce operational vulnerabilities that affect audit compliance, server stability, and data security.
When you export TM1 data to CSV files, you strip away TM1 security. Unencrypted flat files containing sensitive payroll, executive compensation, and departmental margins often sit on network shares. Anyone with directory access can read these files. Staged reporting creates an unnecessary compliance risk for internal audit teams.
TurboIntegrator export scripts require hardcoded dimensions and element names. When your business adds a new entity, updates a cost center, or restructures a chart of accounts, those static TI scripts fail. Analysts must stop their planning work to debug broken scripts and adjust column mappings. If you want to review model health, read our TM1 Feeder Diagnostic Playbook.
Many IT teams try to solve flat-file drift by pushing TM1 data into an intermediate SQL database or Snowflake warehouse. This creates double data storage costs. You pay to store the data in TM1, and you pay again to host relational staging tables. Worse, you lose dynamic TM1 calculation rules. Every time rules change, engineers must rebuild ETL transformation pipelines.
Finance organizations generally choose between four integration methods. Here is how they compare in production:
| Integration Method | Latency | Cell Security | Setup Complexity | Server Load Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TI Flat-File CSV Export | 12 to 24 Hours | Stripped (Unencrypted) | High Script Maintenance | Moderate Disk I/O |
| Intermediate SQL Warehouse | 4 to 12 Hours | Rebuilt Manually | Very High (Custom ETL) | High Staging Overhead |
| Native Microsoft OData Feed | Real Time | Inherited | Moderate (Power Query) | High (JSON Memory Out) |
| DataFusion TM1 Connector | Scheduled & On-Demand | Inherited Automatically | Low-Code (< 100 MB .exe) | Low (OData v4 REST API) |
While TurboIntegrator flat-file exports remain common, they treat an in-memory calculation engine like a static file dump. Similarly, Microsoft Power BI standard OData feeds struggle to parse complex multi-dimensional JSON views, frequently running out of memory during peak month-end refreshes.
The modern alternative is automated REST integration. DataFusion connects Power BI directly to the TM1 calculation engine using optimized OData v4 REST calls. It queries only the requested cube intersections, inherits cell security, and requires zero external data staging.
For over forty years, TM1 has stood apart because of the functional database architecture Manny Perez pioneered in 1983: in-memory multi-dimensional calculations that traditional relational databases could never match. As TM1 evolves into TM1 v12, that core calculation power remains at the heart of the platform. The main evolution is how data flows around it. In containerized cloud environments without mapped Windows drives or local server file systems, integration naturally moves from batch text exports to direct, native REST APIs (like OData v4).
As organizations plan their upgrade path to TM1 v12, moving away from scheduled flat-file handoffs becomes a welcome simplification.
As detailed in our breakdown of IBM Planning Analytics Engine 12 Architecture, TM1 v12 runs on containerized microservices. In this modern setup:
DataFusion operates natively on REST protocols. It is designed to work with both traditional TM1 installations (10.2.2+) and containerized TM1 v12 environments without requiring architectural re-engineering.
According to the official DataFusion Technical Spec Sheet, the connector is engineered as a zero-overhead bridge designed specifically for finance and BI teams:
DataFusion runs as a standalone Windows application with zero external runtime dependencies, registry modifications, or complex client installs. It runs an embedded local Flask bridge on port 5000 (localhost:5000) to establish the direct communications link.
The software connects directly to the IBM Cognos TM1 REST API (default ports 5495 / 5498 SSL) using standard OData Version 4. It works seamlessly across IBM Cognos TM1 10.2.2 and above, Planning Analytics Local, and TM1 v12.
Users authenticate with their standard TM1 credentials, select the specific cube, dimensions, and views required for reporting, and click Get Link. DataFusion generates an encrypted, reusable link code for that specific dataset.
Paste the link directly into Microsoft Power BI Desktop or Service. Power BI stores the link in its dataset library—once linked, it never needs re-linking. DataFusion also natively supports Tableau and Qlik.
Reports refresh automatically on your defined Power BI schedule or on demand. When users click Refresh manually in Power BI, an instant pop-up displays the exact count of records extracted from TM1 for transparent reconciliation.
Because DataFusion simply picks up and passes data discretely from TM1 to Power BI, customer financial data is never stored externally. The licensing model is straightforward: a 60-day free trial, setup in under 1 hour with Octane, and an unlimited subscription covering unlimited users, unlimited data, unlimited links, and unlimited servers (dev, test, prod).
To establish a single source of truth across your finance organization, follow these four steps:
Executive reporting should inspire strategic confidence, not spark data reconciliation debates.
When you connect Microsoft Power BI directly to the IBM Planning Analytics engine, you preserve the calculation power of TM1 while delivering instant, trusted visuals to leadership.
Explore how the Datafusion TM1 Connector helps your finance team report like pros with zero TM1 development.
Explore Datafusion TM1 Managed Support
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3 September 2026, 12:35:56 pm AEST
22 min
Quick Summary: IBM Planning Analytics Engine 12 (TM1 12) is the cloud-native re-engineering of the classic in-memory TM1 database engine. It replaces the 30-year-old monolithic server process (tm1s.exe) with containerized microservices on Red Hat OpenShift, enabling automated zero-downtime snapshots, elastic compute scaling, and secure REST-driven integrations.
Target Readership: TM1 Architects, FP&A Systems Leaders, and Finance Transformation Directors.
For three decades, IBM Planning Analytics (TM1) has powered the world's most demanding financial consolidation and operational forecasting models. Its in-memory calculation speed allowed finance teams to model complex multi-dimensional scenarios in seconds.
However, running enterprise TM1 on a monolithic architecture came with well-known operational friction:
ExecuteCommand.With IBM Planning Analytics Engine 12 (TM1 v12), IBM has rebuilt the infrastructure surrounding the TM1 calculation engine. Here is what TM1 architects, finance systems leaders, and FP&A directors need to know about TM1 v12, what changes under the hood, and how to prepare your models for the modern cloud-native era.
In recent community discussions on LinkedIn, veteran architects and IBM Champions rightfully reminded us of an enduring truth: TM1 is TM1—the functional database pioneered by Manny Perez in 1983. While IBM marketing has cycled through product names over the decades (Applix TM1, Cognos TM1, Planning Analytics Local, PA Engine, and Engine 12), the soul of the technology remains Manny’s functional in-memory multidimensional engine. In this guide, whether we refer to it as TM1 v12 or IBM’s official packaging of Planning Analytics Engine 12, our focus is honoring that engine while dissecting the modern containerized infrastructure built around it.
In traditional TM1 (version 11 and earlier), every component of a TM1 database instance lived inside a single monolithic operating system process (tm1s.exe). When users logged in, queried views, ran TurboIntegrator (TI) processes, or saved data, everything competed for the same thread pool and memory space.
If an unoptimized feeder caused an out-of-memory error (as explored in our TM1 Feeder Diagnostic Playbook), the entire server instance could crash for all active users.
Loading dozens of gigabytes of cube data and recalculating feeders from disk on startup meant that any configuration change required taking the model offline for 20 to 60 minutes.
Many legacy TI processes relied on ExecuteCommand to trigger local PowerShell or Windows batch scripts to move files, create directories, or send notification emails. These scripts broke whenever underlying OS permissions or file paths shifted.
Standard support for Planning Analytics 2.0.9 ended on October 31, 2025, and extended support concludes on October 31, 2026. Organizations still running legacy versions must modernize their architecture to maintain security compliance. If your team is reviewing support options, see our guide on How to Evaluate IBM Planning Analytics Support Models.
Engine 12 fundamentally decouples the TM1 environment. Rather than running a single monolithic server, Planning Analytics 3.1 runs on a containerized, cloud-native architecture built on Red Hat OpenShift.
The core calculation engine remains an ultra-fast in-memory OLAP database, but the infrastructure surrounding it has been completely modernized into discrete services:
TextOutput and AsciiOutput now create target directory structures automatically on cloud object storage. Developers no longer need to write manual OS directory creation routines.
ExecuteHTTPRequest: Direct operating system command execution (ExecuteCommand) is retired in Engine 12 for enterprise security. In its place, TI processes use ExecuteHTTPRequest to communicate with external APIs, Azure Logic Apps, Power Automate, or serverless microservices. This eliminates the custom glue code friction we analyzed in Why Enterprise AI Projects Stall on API Glue Code.
Moving to Engine 12 marks the official end of legacy client applications that have supported TM1 developers for decades:
By centralizing development in PAW, teams eliminate client-side installation overhead and ensure every modeler accesses the exact same governance rules.
| Architectural Dimension | Traditional TM1 (Version 11) | Engine 12 (Planning Analytics 3.1) |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment Model | Monolithic on-premises / IaaS VM | Cloud-Native containerized microservices |
| Server Startup | Full memory reload (20 to 60 minutes) | Fast container spin-up with managed persistence |
| High Availability | Manual standby clustering or cold backup | Automated multi-replica service failover |
| External Automation | Local ExecuteCommand (batch / PowerShell) | Secure ExecuteHTTPRequest REST endpoints |
| Client Modeling | TM1 Architect & Perspectives (32-bit) | Planning Analytics Workspace (PAW) & PAfE |
| File Management | Requires manual server-side file directories | Automatic directory generation in cloud storage |
| Support Status | PA 2.0.9 standard support ended Oct 2025 | Modern platform with continuous release stream |
Upgrading to Engine 12 is not just a version bump; it is an infrastructure upgrade that streamlines ongoing administration. Here is how enterprise planning teams are executing their transition:
| 1 |
Audit TI Scripts for ExecuteCommand
Catalog all TurboIntegrator processes that call external operating system batch files. Convert file movements and email alerts to REST endpoints using ExecuteHTTPRequest and modern webhooks. |
| 2 |
Transition Modelers to PAW and PAfE
Phase out TM1 Architect and Perspectives immediately. Ensure your finance and modeling teams are comfortable building dimensions, rules, and reports directly in Planning Analytics Workspace and Excel. |
| 3 |
Review MDX Queries and Rules
Engine 12 uses a modernized, standards-compliant MDX calculation parser. Validate custom MDX queries to ensure compatibility and take advantage of new memory management guardrails. |
| 4 |
Establish Cloud or Container Migration Path
Determine whether your organization will deploy via IBM Planning Analytics as a Service (SaaS) or IBM Cloud Pak for Data on OpenShift before the October 2026 extended support cutoff. |
Standard support for IBM Planning Analytics 2.0.9 ended on October 31, 2025. Extended support runs until October 31, 2026. Organizations should migrate to Planning Analytics 2.1 or Planning Analytics 3.1 (Engine 12) before this date to ensure ongoing vendor patches and security compliance.
No. ExecuteCommand is disabled in Engine 12 for cloud security. All external automations must be migrated to ExecuteHTTPRequest to call REST endpoints, serverless functions, or cloud integration platforms.
Engine 12 decouples compute from storage and uses cloud-native object snapshotting. Database instances spin up in seconds rather than requiring 45-minute disk loads and feeder calculations.
IBM Planning Analytics Engine 12 preserves what made TM1 world-class—its calculation speed and multi-dimensional modeling flexibility—while replacing the operational headaches of a 30-year-old server monolith.
By adopting cloud-native microservices, automated file handling, and REST-based integration, finance organizations can build scalable planning applications that require less maintenance and deliver faster insights.
Octane Solutions helps enterprise FP&A and finance technology teams audit legacy TI processes, re-architect feeders, and execute zero-downtime migrations.
Schedule an Architectural Assessment
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2 March 2020, 2:00:36 pm AEDT
3 min
This blog explains a few TM1 tasks which can be automated using AutoHotKey. For those who don't already know, AutoHotKey is open-source scripting language used for automation.
1. Run TM1 Process history from TM1 Serverlog :
With the help of AutoHotKey, we can read each line of a text file by using loop function and content is stored automatically in an in-built variable of function. We can also read filenames inside a folder using same function and again filenames will be stored in an in-built variable. Therefore, by making use of this we can extract Tm1 process information from Tm1 Serverlog and display the extracted information in a GUI. Let’s go through the output of an AutoHotKey script which gives details of process run.1.
2. Opening TM1Top after updating tm1top.ini file and killing a process thread
With the help of same loop function which we had used earlier, we can read tm1top.ini file and update it using fileappend function in AutoHotKey. Let’s again go through the output of an AutoHotKey script which will open Tm1top.
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20 December 2019, 2:18:00 pm AEDT
5 min
IBM has identified a defect within the code introduced in TM1 10.2.2 Fixpack 7, part of all other releases before 2.0.9. This defect causes data loss within the cubes even after performing SaveDataAll activity with in TM1 server. Let us get into the details.
What is the defect :
Possibility of losing data even after SaveDataAll activity is performed. This defect (APAR PH19984) has been identified recently by IBM. This will only trigger when below conditions are met.
How to Find:
To find if TM1 Server might encounter this issue, pls follow below steps.
Impacted Users :
All Clients using Planning Analytics On-Cloud and On-Premise (Local) TM1 Server versions 10.2.2 Fix pack 7 and PA version 2.0 till 2.0.9.
How to avoid :
This can be avoided in two ways.
Octane Software Solutions is a IBM Gold Business Partner, specialising in TM1, Planning Analytics, Planning Analytics Workspace and Cognos Analytics, Descriptive, Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics.
You may also like reading “ What is IBM Planning Analytics Local ” , “IBM TM1 10.2 vs IBM Planning Analytics”, “Little known TM1 Feature - Ad hoc Consolidations”, “IBM PA Workspace Installation & Benefits for Windows 2016”, PA+ PAW+ PAX (Version Conformance), IBM Planning Analytics for Excel: Bug and its Fix , Adding customizations to Planning Analytics Workspace
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11 November 2019, 2:55:24 pm AEDT
3 min
Before you read further, please note, this blog details secure Gateway connection used for Planning Analytics deployed “on-cloud” Software as a Service (SaaS) offering.
This blog details steps on how to renew secure gateway Token, either before or after the Token has expired.
What is IBM Secure Gateway:
IBM Secure Gateway for IBM Cloud service provides a quick, easy and secure solution for establishing link between Planning Analytics on cloud and a data source; Typically, an RDBMS source for example IBM DB2, Oracle database, SQL server, Teradata etc. Data source/s can reside either “on-premise” or “on-cloud”.
Secure and Persistent Connection:
By deploying this light-weight and natively installed Secure Gateway Client, a secure, persistent connection can be established between your environment and cloud. This allows your Planning Analytics modules to interact seamlessly and securely with on-premises data sources.
How to Create IBM Secure Gateway:
Click on Create-Secure-Gateway and follow steps to create connection.
Secure Gateway Token Expiry:
If the Token has expired, Planning Analytics Models on cloud cannot connect to source systems.
How to Renew Token:
Follow below steps to renew secure gateway token.
This should reactivate your token, TIs should now interact with source system.
You may also like reading “ Predictive & Prescriptive-Analytics ” , “ Business-intelligence vs Business-Analytics ” ,“ What is IBM Planning Analytics Local ” , “IBM TM1 10.2 vs IBM Planning Analytics”, “Little known TM1 Feature - Ad hoc Consolidations”, “IBM PA Workspace Installation & Benefits for Windows 2016”
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21 October 2019, 4:35:07 pm AEDT
5 min
Since the launch of Planning Analytics few years back, IBM has been recommending its users to move to Planning Analytics for Excel (PAX) from TM1 Perspective and TM1 Web. As every day new users migrate to adopt PAX, it’s prudent that I share my experiences.
This blog will be part of a series where I would try to highlight and make users aware of different aspects of this migration. This one specifically details a bug I encountered during one of the projects in which our Clients was using PAX and steps taken to mitigate the issue.
What was the problem:
Scenario: when a Planning Analytics User triggers a process from Navigation Pane within PAX and uses “Edit parameters” option to enter value for a numeric parameter and clicks save to runs the process.
Issue: when done this way, the process won’t complete and fail. However, instead if this was run using other tools like Architect, Perspective or TM1 Web, the process would complete successfully.
For example, let’s assume a process, cub.price.load.data takes a number value as input to load data. User clicks on Edit Parameter to enter value and saves it to run. The process fails. Refer screenshots attached.
Using PAX.
Using Perspective
What’s causing this:
During our analysis, it was found that while using PAX, when users click on Edit parameter,enter value against the numeric parameter and save it, in the backend the numeric parameter was getting converted into a String parameter thereby modifying the TI process.
As the TI was designed and developed to handle a numeric variable and not a string, a change in type of the variable from Numeric to String was causing the failure. Refer screenshots below.
When created,
Once saved,
What’s the fix?
Section below illustrates how we mitigated & remediated this bug.
For all TI’s using numeric parameter.
Note that while there are many different ways to handle this issue, it best suited our purpose and the project. Especially considering the time and effort it would require to modify all effected processes.
Planning Analytics for Excel : Versions effected
Latest available version (as of 22ndOctober 2019) is 2.0.46 released on 13thSeptember 2019. Before publishing this blog, we spent good time in testing this bug on all available PAX versions. It exists in all Planning Analytics for Excel versions till 2.0.46.
Permanent fix by IBM:
This has been highlighted to IBM and explained the severity of this issue. We believe this will be fixed in next version of Planning Analytics for Excel release. As per IBM (refer image below), seems fix is part of the upcoming version 2.0.47.
You may also like reading “ Predictive & Prescriptive-Analytics ” , “ Business-intelligence vs Business-Analytics ” ,“ What is IBM Planning Analytics Local ” , “IBM TM1 10.2 vs IBM Planning Analytics”, “Little known TM1 Feature - Ad hoc Consolidations”, “IBM PA Workspace Installation & Benefits for Windows 2016”.
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18 October 2019, 3:03:05 pm AEDT
7 min
This blog broaches all steps on how to install IBM Secure Gateway Client.
IBM Secure Gateway Client installation is one of the crucial steps towards setting up secure gateway connection between Planning Analytics Workspace (On-Cloud) and RDBMS (relational database) on-premise or on-cloud.
What is IBM Secure Gateway :
IBM Secure Gateway for IBM Cloud service provides a quick, easy, and secure solution establishing a link between Planning Analytics on cloud and a data source. Data source can reside on an “on-premise” network or on “cloud”. Data sources like RDBMS, for example IBM DB2, Oracle database, SQL server, Teradata etc.
Secure and Persistent Connection :
A Secure Gateway, useful in importing data into TM1 and drill through capability, must be created using TurboIntegrator to access RDBMS data sources on-premise.
By deploying the light-weight and natively installed Secure Gateway Client, a secure, persistent and seamless connection can be established between your on-premises data environment and cloud.
The Process:
This is two-step process,
To download IBM Secure Gateway Client.
Click on icon as shown below, this will prompt a pop up. One needs to select operating system and follow steps to install the client.
Once you click, a new pop-up with come up where you are required to select the operating system where you want to install this client.
Choose the appropriate option and click download.
If the download is defaulted to download folders you will find the software in Download folder like below.
Installation IBM Secure Gateway Client:
To Install this tool, right click and run as administrator.
Keep the default settings for Destination folder and Language, unless you need to modify.
Check box below if you want this as Window Service.
Now this is an important step, we are required to enter Gateway ids and security tokens to establish a secured connection. These needs to be copied over from Secure connection created earlier in Planning Analytics Workspace ( refer 1. Create Data source connection in workspace).
Figure below illustrates Workspace, shared details on Gateway ID and Security Token, these needs to be copied and pasted in Secure Gateway Client (refer above illustration).
If user chooses to launch the client with connection to multiple gateways, one needs to take care while providing the configuration values.
Note: Please ensure that there are no residual white spaces.
Now click Install, once this installation completes successfully, the IBM Secure Gateway Client is ready for use.
This Connection is now ready, Planning Analytics can now connect to data source residing on-premise or any other cloud infrastructure where IBM Secure Gateway client is installed.
You may also like reading “ Predictive & Prescriptive-Analytics ” , “ Business-intelligence vs Business-Analytics ” ,“ What is IBM Planning Analytics Local ” , “IBM TM1 10.2 vs IBM Planning Analytics”, “Little known TM1 Feature - Ad hoc Consolidations”, “IBM PA Workspace Installation & Benefits for Windows 2016”.
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30 September 2019, 3:37:49 pm AEST
4 min
As you plan to adopt IBM Planning Analytics cloud, it’s important to understand what it takes. This blog highlights areas you will be involved-in when you upgrade from on-premise TM1 10.x.x to Planning Analytics on Cloud.
The good thing about cloud is that it comes with TM1/PA and all of its components like Planning Analytics Workspace, TM1 Web installed and configured. Meaning lesser effort. Also, all future release upgrades are taken care by IBM keeping you up to date with the latest and greatest.
So let’s quickly look at the steps as you set yourself up:
Once the cloud servers are provisioned, you will receive a welcome kit which will have all the details related to DEV and PROD cloud environments.
This document will have things like RDP credentials, Shared folder Credentials and links for TM1 Web, Workspace and Operation Console
Note:IBM offers its clients a choice of choosing a Domain name for both production and Development. For example, http://abcdprod.planning-analytics.ibmcloud.com/and http://abcddev.planning-analytics.ibmcloud.com/
A single blank TM1 instance with the name TM1 is setup initially when the cloud server is provisioned.
Create a secure gateway to establish a connection between your on-cloud planning analytics environment and your on-premises data sources. And then add a data source to a secure gateway. You will also would need to install secure gateway client and test the connection.
Register with IBM support site to raise and monitor tickets. This is a very important step as all queries related to cloud environment including creating a new instance would require a ticket to be raised.
Planning Analytics on Cloud includes a dedicated shared folder for storing and transferring files. You can copy files between your local computer or shared directory within your company network and the Planning Analytics cloud shared folder with a FTPS application like FileZilla.
Download, install and configure FileZilla (free FTP solution) on users’ machines, so that the users can copy and download files from planning analytics on cloud shared folder
If you have the shared path mentioned in the Sys Info cube then update the path. Or if you have hard coded the paths in the TI then I would recommend to clean up the Tis by pointing to the path mentioned in the Sys info cube.
PAX is the new add-in, it replaces perspectives used on-premises.
Download, Install and configure PAX on users’ machine.
Note:Schedule for a PAX training before asking users to test cubes, dimensions, reports and data reconciliation activities. This, as PAX comes with new ways of doing things which require but of hand holding initially.
Action buttons used in TM1 10.x.x needs to be upgraded to be used in Planning Analytics for Excel.
Note:Once excel report / template are upgraded, it will no longer work in perspectives. Essential to take backups of all excel reports before performing this task
In Summary:
We at Octane have vast & varied experience in migrating on-premise TM1 10.x.x to Planning Analytics on cloud.
Contact us at info@octanesolutions.com.auto find out how we can help.
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16 September 2019, 11:10:36 am AEST
4 min
This Blog details IBM Planning Analytics On-Cloud and On-Premise deployment options. It focusses & highlights key points which should help you make the decision; “whether to adopt Cloud Or stay on Premise”
IBM Planning Analytics:
As part of their continuous endeavour to improve application interface and better customer experience, IBM rebranded TM1 to Planning Analytics couple of years back which came with many new features and a completely new interface. With this release (PA 2.x version as it has been called), IBM is letting clients choose Planning Analytics as Local SW or as Software as a Service (SaaS) deployed on IBM Softlayer Cloud.
Planning Analytics on Cloud:
Under this offering, Planning Analytics system operates in a remote hosted environment. Clients who choose Planning Analytics deployed “on-cloud” can reap many benefits aligned to any typical SaaS.
With this subscription, Clients’ need not worry about software Installation, versions, patches, upgrades, fixes, disaster recovery, hardware etc.
They can focus on building business models and enriching data from different source systems and give meaning to the data they have. This by converting data into business critical, meaningful, actionable insights.
Benefits:
While not a laundry list, covers significant benefits.
Client must have Internet connection to use SaaS and of course, Internet speed plays major role. In present world Internet connection has become a basic necessity for all organizations.
Planning Analytics Local (On-Premise):
Planning Analytics local essentially is the traditional way of getting software installed on company’s in-house server and computing infrastructure installed either in their Data Centre or Hosted elsewhere.
In an on-premise environment - Installation, upgrade, and configuration of IBM® Planning Analytics Local software components are on the Organization.
Benefits of On-Premise:
As evident on-premise option comes with some cons as well, few are listed below.
On-premise software demands constant maintenance and ongoing servicing from the company’s IT department.
Organization on on-premise have full control on the software and on its related infrastructure and can perform internal and external audits as and when needed or recommended by governing/regulatory bodies.
Before making the decision, it is also important to consider many other influencing factors; from necessary security level to the potential for customization, number of Users, modelers, administrators, size of the organization, available budget, long term benefits to the Organization.
While you ponder on this, there are many clients who have adopted a “mid-way” of hybrid environment. Under which basis factors like workload economics, application evaluation & assessment, security and risk profiles, applications are being gradually moved from on-premise to cloud in a phased manned.
You may also like reading “ What is IBM Planning Analytics Local ” , “IBM TM1 10.2 vs IBM Planning Analytics”, “Little known TM1 Feature - Ad hoc Consolidations”, “IBM PA Workspace Installation & Benefits for Windows 2016”.
For more Information: To check on your existing Planning Analytics (TM1) entitlements and understand how to upgrade to Planning Analytics Workspace (PAW) reach out to us at info@octanesolutions.com.au for further assistance.
Octane Software Solutions Pty Ltd is an IBM Registered Business Partner specialising in Corporate Performance Management and Business Intelligence. We provide our clients advice on best practices and help scale up applications to optimise their return on investment. Our key services include Consulting, Delivery, Support and Training. Octane has its head office in Sydney, Australia as well as offices in Canberra, Bangalore, Gurgaon, Mumbai, and Hyderabad.
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1 May 2019, 10:35:18 pm AEST
4 min
The long-awaited release of Planning Analytics 2.0.7 is finally here!
I know a lot of you like me were eagerly awaiting this release and in particular wanting to get into the nitty-gritty details of all the documentation and testing.
Luckily for those that are not, I have summarised it all into the below — so happy reading there's lots for you and your team to consider.
With this release comes some significant enhancements which I'll get to in the section below. We will also part with several items which are marked for depreciation, replaced in some shape or form.
As IBM advises: Updates to each version of IBM Planning Analytics are cumulative. If you are upgrading IBM Planning Analytics, review all updates since your installed version to plan your upgrade and application deployment.
This we already know... so... onto the good stuff.
Some new and exciting items to consider include:
Where as items being depreciated can be found in the Depreciation Notes.
Keep coming back for more soon on Workspace, PAX and so much more. All expected to be here shortly. So see you soon.
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