Previously, we have briefly discussed EDMCS. For more details please check the following post.

 

EDMCS Lab – Enterprise Data Management Cloud Introduction

 

EDMCS is not just the DRM in the cloud. It is a brand new solution. EDMCS has a new foundation and a different data setup compared to DRM.

 

Onboarding a new EDMCS, we start with creating an application. Each application is powered by a View. A view is generated by multiple dimensions. A dimension is combined by viewpoints.

A viewpoint is built on a data chain. A data chain is a series of a related data object. Data Chain includes:

• Node type: Contains all nodes of a given category.
• Hierarchy set: Defines nodes parent-child relationships
• Node set: Defines the group of nodes available in a viewpoint.
• Viewpoint: Presents the node set to users, and defines actions users can perform and properties users can edit.

A quick introduction the data chain, data objects relationships are:

Node Types -> Hierarchy Sets -> Node Sets -> Viewpoints -> Default View

• A node type is used by one or more hierarchy sets or node sets.
• A hierarchy set uses one or more node types.
• A hierarchy set is used by one or more node sets.
• A node set uses one hierarchy set.
• A node set for a list uses one or more node types.
• If a node set uses a hierarchy set, the node types are inherited from the hierarchy set
• A node set is used by one or more viewpoints.
• A viewpoint set uses one node set.

The following diagram from Oracle shows the data chain used to define the viewpoint.

The following sections, we will check the details for Views, Dimensions, and data chain (Node Types, Hierarchy Sets, Node Sets, and Viewpoints.)

 

View

Let’s start with Views. Views are collections of viewpoints, which provide a hierarchy or list structures. A hierarchy structure provides a parent-child relationship and a list hierarchy acts as a flat structure. Using views, data can easily be grouped or filtered for different users, activities and business purposes. We can create their custom views to slice and dice or group different dimensions to analyze the data and manage data based on a specific business purpose.

Account view

 

Dimension

An application contains one or more dimensions, such as Account, Entity, Product, etc. A dimension is bound to a viewpoint. When you import data, the data is contained by the bound viewpoint. When you export, the bound viewpoint’s data is exported.

 

Node Types

A node type is a collection of nodes that share a common business purpose. It has a similar idea as in DRM. We are able to use node types to define nodes properties and to define rules that convert a node type to another node type. In EDMCS, every node is assigned a node type. A node is uniquely identified by the combination of node name and node type.

Account Node Types

Properties of the Account node type

 

Hierarchy Sets

Hierarchy sets define nodes parent-child relationships. It defines whether the hierarchy allows shared nodes, which are nodes that can be included in different branches of the hierarchy. Also, defines whether the hierarchy allows custom sort orders in viewpoints, imports, and exports. If we need to define a hierarchy where nodes have parents that differ from those in a hierarchy set, we would need to create a new hierarchy set.

Account hierarchy set

 

Pick Account for EPBCS as an example.

 

Node Sets

Node sets define the group of nodes available in viewpoints. A node set can include all the hierarchies in a hierarchy set or can exclude some hierarchies by only using a subset of top nodes. Node sets can consist of either hierarchies or lists. The relationships between node sets and the other data objects depend upon whether the node set is for a list or a hierarchy. Being said, if the node set represents a hierarchy, the node types are specified by the hierarchy set used by the node set; if the node set represents a list, the node types are specified by the node set.

Account node set

Account node set represents a Hierarchy.

Account node set represents a List.

 

Viewpoints

Viewpoints provide an interface for us to work with enterprise data through related Data Chain. A viewpoint references one node set, and the objects on the viewpoint’s data chain depend upon whether the viewpoint represents a list or a hierarchy.

 

A viewpoint representing a list references one node set. The node set references one or more node types.

A viewpoint representing a hierarchy references one node set. The node set references one hierarchy set, which in turn references one or more node types.

Account viewpoint

Hierarchy structure

Flat list structure

We will discuss more on EDMCS in the later posts. Hope you enjoy this one. Stay tuned. Till next time.