RDF Administration Guide

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Oracle Retail Demand Forecasting Administration GuideRelease 13.0

April 2008


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Oracle Demand Forecasting Administration Guide, Release 13.0

Copyright 2008, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Primary Author: Gary O'HaraThe Programs (which include both the software and documentation) contain proprietaryinformation; they are provided under a license agreement containing restrictions on use anddisclosure and are also protected by copyright, patent, and other intellectual and industrialproperty laws. Reverse engineering, disassembly, or decompilation of the Programs, except to theextent required to obtain interoperability with other independently created software or as specified

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If the Programs are delivered to the United States Government or anyone licensing or using thePrograms on behalf of the United States Government, the following notice is applicable:

U.S. GOVERNMENT RIGHTS Programs, software, databases, and related documentation andtechnical data delivered to U.S. Government customers are "commercial computer software" or"commercial technical data" pursuant to the applicable Federal Acquisition Regulation and agency-specific supplemental regulations. As such, use, duplication, disclosure, modification, andadaptation of the Programs, including documentation and technical data, shall be subject to thelicensing restrictions set forth in the applicable Oracle license agreement, and, to the extentapplicable, the additional rights set forth in FAR 52.227-19, Commercial Computer SoftwareRestricted Rights (June 1987). Oracle Corporation, 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood City, CA 94065

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iii

Value-Added Reseller (VAR) Language

(i) the software component known as ACUMATE developed and licensed by Lucent TechnologiesInc. of Murray Hill, New Jersey, to Oracle and imbedded in the Oracle Retail PredictiveApplication Server Enterprise Engine, Oracle Retail Category Management, Oracle Retail ItemPlanning, Oracle Retail Merchandise Financial Planning, Oracle Retail Advanced InventoryPlanning and Oracle Retail Demand Forecasting applications.(ii) the MicroStrategy Components developed and licensed by MicroStrategy Services Corporation(MicroStrategy) of McLean, Virginia to Oracle and imbedded in the MicroStrategy for Oracle RetailData Warehouse and MicroStrategy for Oracle Retail Planning & Optimization applications.

(iii) the SeeBeyond component developed and licensed by Sun MicroSystems, Inc. (Sun) of SantaClara, California, to Oracle and imbedded in the Oracle Retail Integration Bus application.

(iv) the Wavelink component developed and licensed by Wavelink Corporation (Wavelink) ofKirkland, Washington, to Oracle and imbedded in Oracle Retail Store Inventory Management.

(v) the software component known as Crystal Enterprise Professional and/or Crystal ReportsProfessional licensed by Business Objects Software Limited (Business Objects) and imbedded inOracle Retail Store Inventory Management.

(vi) the software component known as Access Via licensed by Access Via of Seattle, Washington,and imbedded in Oracle Retail Signs and Oracle Retail Labels and Tags.

(vii) the software component known as Adobe Flex licensed by Adobe Systems Incorporated ofSan Jose, California, and imbedded in Oracle Retail Promotion Planning & Optimizationapplication.

(viii) the software component known as Style Report developed and licensed by InetSoftTechnology Corp. of Piscataway, New Jersey, to Oracle and imbedded in the Oracle Retail ValueChain Collaboration application.

(ix) the software component known as WebLogic developed and licensed by BEA Systems, Inc.of San Jose, California, to Oracle and imbedded in the Oracle Retail Value Chain Collaborationapplication.

(x) the software component known as DataBeacon developed and licensed by CognosIncorporated of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, to Oracle and imbedded in the Oracle Retail Value ChainCollaboration application.


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ContentsPreface ............................................................................................................................. vii

Audience ................................................................................................................................. vii Related Documents ................................................................................................................. vii Customer Support .................................................................................................................. viii Review Patch Documentation................................................................................................ viii Oracle Retail Documentation on the Oracle Technology Network........................................ viii Conventions ........................................................................................................................... viii

1 Batch Processes .......................................................................................................... 1 Overview.................................................................................................................................... 1 Batch Processes.......................................................................................................................... 2

PreGenerateForecast ........................................................................................................... 2 generate............................................................................................................................... 3 RDFvalidate........................................................................................................................ 5 UpdateFnhbiRdf ................................................................................................................. 8

2 AutoSource................................................................................................................... 9

AutoSource Measures ................................................................................................................ 9 Optimal Source Levels ....................................................................................................... 9 Pick Optimal Level ............................................................................................................. 9

3 Forecast Approval Alerts .......................................................................................... 11 Alerts........................................................................................................................................ 11

Step 0: Build Global Domain............................................................................................ 11 Step 1 (option 1): Run PreGenerateForecast or Generate................................................. 11 Step 1 (option 2): Use regTokenMeasure to Manually Register Any Token Measures

Needed to Support the Alert Expression........................................................................... 12 Step 2: Register the Alert Measure ................................................................................... 12 Step 3: Register the Expression for the Forecast Approval Alert ..................................... 12

5 RDF Batch Scripts ..................................................................................................... 15 About RDF Batch Scripts ........................................................................................................ 15

6 Adding New Local Domains ..................................................................................... 17

loadCurveParameters.ksh......................................................................................................... 17 loadRDFParameters.ksh........................................................................................................... 17


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PrefaceOracle Retail Administration Guides are designed so that you can view and understandthe applications behind-the-scenes processing, including such information as thefollowing: Key system administration configuration settings Technical architecture Functional integration dataflow across the enterprise Batch processing

AudienceAnyone who has an interest in better understanding the inner workings of the RDFsystem can find valuable information in this guide. There are three audiences in generalfor whom this guide is written: System analysts and system operation personnel:

who are looking for information about RDF processes internally or in relation tothe systems across the enterprise.

who operate RDF on a regular basis. Integrators and implementation staff who have the overall responsibility for

implementing RDF into their enterprise. Business analysts who are looking for information about processes and interfaces to

validate the support for business scenarios within RDF and other systems across theenterprise.

Related DocumentsFor more information, see the following documents: Oracle Retail Demand Forecasting Release Notes Oracle Retail Demand Forecasting Installation Guide Oracle Retail Demand Forecasting Configuration Guide Oracle Retail Demand Forecasting User Guide Oracle Retail Predictive Application Server documentation


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Customer Support https://metalink.oracle.com

When contacting Customer Support, please provide: Product version and program/module name. Functional and technical description of the problem (include business impact). Detailed step-by-step instructions to recreate. Exact error message received. Screen shots of each step you take.

Review Patch DocumentationFor a base release (".0" release, such as 13.0), Oracle Retail strongly recommends that youread all patch documentation before you begin installation procedures. Patchdocumentation can contain critical information related to the base release, based on newinformation and code changes that have been made since the base release.

Oracle Retail Documentation on the Oracle Technology NetworkIn addition to being packaged with each product release (on the base or patch level), allOracle Retail documentation is available on the following Web site:http://www.oracle.com/technology/documentation/oracle_retail.html Documentation should be available on this Web site within a month after a productrelease. Note that documentation is always available with the packaged code on therelease date.

ConventionsNavigate: This is a navigate statement. It tells you how to get to the start of the procedureand ends with a screen shot of the starting point and the statement the Window Namewindow opens.

Note: This is a note. It is used to call out information that isimportant, but not necessarily part of the procedure.

Thi s i s a code sampl eI t i s used t o di spl ay exampl es of code

A hyperlink appears like this .
https://metalink.oracle.com/http://www.oracle.com/technology/documentation/oracle_retail.htmlhttp://www.oracle.com/technology/documentation/oracle_retail.htmlhttps://metalink.oracle.com/


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Batch Processes 1

1Batch Processes

OverviewThe diagram below provides a high-level overview of the batch forecast process.

Forecast Generation Process

Keep LastChange Applied

Total, Ratio,Difference

SubstitutionMethod

AppliedSeasonal,Lifecycle

Forecast Approval

Method AppliedManual,

Automatic, By Alert

Generate FinalLevel Forecast

(Interim)

Generate SourceLevel Forecast

Spread Source toFinal Level

PopulateForecasts for Like

Time Series

Adjust FinalForecasts Approve Forecasts

Are Additional FinalLevels being Generated?

Are there more SourceLevels?

Batch Complete

YES

NO

YES

NO

Pre-GenerateProcess

BirthDatesReset

Are Alternate Levelsbeing Generated?

YES

Post-GenerateProcess

Copies Alternate

SourceLevels to

Global

NO

Overview of Batch Forecast Process


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Batch Processes

2 Oracle Retail Demand Forecasting

Batch Processes

PreGenerateForecastUsed in a Global Domain or Simple Domain environment, PreGenerateForecast is anRDF executable that registers all measures with a birth date prior to forecast generation

using generate. The first time PreGenerateForecast is run for a level, it registers theappropriate token measures for that level. If a Global Domain environment isimplemented, PreGenerateForecast may be run against the Master or a Local domain.At either level, the necessary measures to produce the batch forecast will be registeredacross all domains.PreGenerateForecast requires an input file in the form of an XML. The XML isconfigured with the following values: FinalLevel: The Final Level Number that will be used to generate the forecast. OutputFile: The name of the resulting file located at the root of the domain after

PreGenerateForecast is run. The OutputFile includes the values set for FinalLevel andOverride in addition to the birth date. This date is the Forecast Generation Date, andit is passed to the domains when generate is run.The date is produced in the following format: yyyymmddHhhMmm (Example:20050327H13M36). When this birth date is selected in the Forecast Approval wizard,it will be viewed as: (03/27/2005 13:36).

Override: A true or false value. When generate is passed a true value, the NextRun Date is ignored, and the batch forecast uses todays date as the Next Run Date;and the batch is executed. When generate is passed a false value, the batch forecastwill run if the Next Run Date is the same as todays date.

Note: When the Run Batch template is used to generate the batch forecast, PreGenerateForecast is run automatically. If aGlobal Domain environment is implemented, forecastsproduced across Local domains using Run Batch cannot

be aggregated in the Master domain because they do notshare the same Forecast Generation Date.


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Batch Processes

Batch Processes 3

UsagePreGenerat eForecast - I nput Fi l e f i l ename

I nputFi l e is required.The input file should be an XML file that looks like this: Fi nal Level 1 Output Fi l e MyOutput . xml Over r i de t rue

Fi nal Level and Out put Fi l e are required parameters of the XML file.Overr i de is an optional parameter of the XML file (default is false).Other parameters may be included in the input XML file. They will be passed through tothe output XML file.Return codes: 0 Success (either ran pre-generate or did not need to run) 1 Bad input 2 Failure

To set the logger verbosity level, use - l ogl eve l with values of: al l , prof i l e , debug ,i nf ormat i on , warni ng , error , or none . To disable timestamp header use - noheader .

generategenerate is an RDF executable used to produce the batch forecast. This executablerequires as an input, the OutputFile resulting from PreGenerateForecast.This binary runs RDFs batch process. Generate can take two optional inputs: level andoverride.Usage:generat e I nput Fi l e Fi l ename

The following parameters setting are included in the input file: bi rth , startdate ,f i nal l evel , and overr i de .The override input must be true or false. The defaulted value is false if this option is notincluded in the input file. When override is false, generate will only start the batchprocess if current time is later than the next run date in the domain. When the override istrue, generate will start the batch forecast regardless of the next run date.The generate binary invokes code in the BatchForecast library to execute the batchprocess.


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Batch Processes


f i nal Level and bi r th are required parameters of the XML file. over ri de (false) andSt art Dat e (Default Forecast Start Date) are optional parameters of the XML file (defaultsin parentheses).Return codes: 0 Success (either ran generate or did not need to run)

1 Bad input 2 FailureTo set the logger verbosity level, use - l ogl evel with values of: al l , prof i l e , debug ,i nf ormat i on , warni ng , error , or none .To disable timestamp header use - noheader .The input file should be an XML file that looks similar to the following: Bi r t h 20041027H11M52 Start Dat e DAY20041027 Fi nal Level 1 Overr i de t rue


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Batch Processes

Batch Processes 5

RDFvalidateRDFval i date automatically executes during the domain install, and it can also be run atany time against a Master or one subdomain. If run against the Master Domain, it checksthe master and all subdomains. If run against a subdomain, it checks the Master and onlythe subdomain (not all other subdomains). This function verifies that:

If there is a partition dimension, it must be along the product hierarchy. Domains are cleanly partitioned, this means that for the partition dimension, thereexists only one position in each local domain, whether partitioning along the main oran alternate (or branch) product hierarchy.

All data, measures, and levels are defined properly based on the partition dimension Causal parameters are properly defined based on final, source, and causal levels

Usagerdf val i dat e - d pathToDomai n

To get this usage text, use - ? , - hel p , or usage . To get the version of this utility, use version. To set the logger verbosity level, use - l ogl evel with values of: al l , prof i l e ,debug , i nf ormat i on , warni ng , error , or none . To disable timestamp header use - noheader .

RDF ValidationThe list below displays the validation performed internally by the RDFval i date utility.1. Hierarchies and Dimensions:

a. Verify day dimension exists on calendar hierarchy.b. If there is a partition dimension, it must be along the product hierarchy.

2. For final levels:a. Intersection (fintxlxb)

Cannot be blank Must be at or below all source level intersections

Must be at or below the partition dimension on the partition branchb. Seasonal profile (seasprofxlxb) can be either:

Blank Measure name (only one)

Must be valid measure Should be of type real Measure intersection must be equal to the level intersection

c. Source data (datasrcxlxb) must be a measure name (only one) Must be a valid measure Should be of type real

Measure intersection must be at or below the final level intersection


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Batch Processes


d. Plan data (r fplanxlxb) must be either: Blank Measure name (only one)

Must be valid measure Should be of type real

Measure intersection must be equal to the final level intersection3. For source levels:

a. Intersection (fintxlxb) Cannot be blank Must be at or above final level intersection Must contain a dimension from the partition hierarchy Must be either:

At or below the partition dimension on the partition branch. On a branch of the partition hierarchy.

If on a branch of the partition hierarchy, also check if domains are

cleanly partitioned (executable only). This means for the brancheddimension on the partition hierarchy, each position for that dimensioncan exist in only one sub-domain.

b. Seasonal profile (seasprofxlxb) can be either: Blank Measure name (only one)

Must be valid measure Should be of type real Measure intersection must be equal to the level intersection

c. Spreading profiles (sprdprofxlxb) Can only be blank if source level intersection equals final level intersection Must be comma-separated list of curve levels and measure names (can be

mixed) If curve level, must be a valid curve level (final profile) If measure:

Must be a valid measure Should be of type real Measure intersection must be at or above final level

Executable Only1. Make sure there is only one partition dimension per subdomain.2.

Final and source levels:a. Causal Aggregation Profile (aggxlxb) values should be either: Blank Measure name (one only)

Should be a valid measure Should be of type real The intersection of the measure must be at or above final level.


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Batch Processes

Batch Processes 7

b. Causal Calculation Intersection (calcintxlxb) values should be either: Blank Intersection

Must be valid intersection Must contain the calendar dimension

Must be at or above level intersection.c. Causal Data Source (calcdtsrcxlxb) values should be either:

Blank Measure name (one only)

Should be a valid measure Should be of type real The intersection of the measure must be at or above level intersection.

d. Causal Higher Intersection (cslhint) values should be either: Blank Intersection

Must be valid intersection Must not contain the calendar dimension Must contain a dimension from the partition hierarchy. Must be at or above level intersection. Must be either:

At or below the partition dimension on the partition branch. On a branch of the partition hierarchy.

Note: If on a branch of the partition hierarchy, also check ifdomains are cleanly partitioned (executable only). Thismeans that for the branched dimension on the partition

hierarchy, each position for that dimension can exist in onlyone sub-domain.

e. Causal Spread Profile (spreadxlxb) values should be either: Blank Measure name (one only)

Should be a valid measure Should be of type real The intersection of the measure must be at or above final level.

f. Deseasonalized Demand Array (ddemandxlxb) values should be either: Blank

Measure name (one only) Should be a valid measure Should be of type real The intersection of the measure must be the level intersection less the

calendar dimension


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3. Final Levels onlya. Default History Start Date (defhstdt) values should be either:

Blank A date within the calendar

b. Forecast Start Date (dfxlxb) values should be either:

Blank A date within the calendar

Promote Validation

Plug-in and Executable1. Hierarchies and Dimensions:

Check whether or not "PTYP", "FLVL", and "PROM" exist in Data Hierarchy. If not,create them.

2. Promotion Names:Check if promotion names have 1-4 characters.

3. Causal levels must be at or below the partition dimension on the partition branch.

UpdateFnhbiRdfUpdat eFnhbi Rdf is required after Generate is executed if an alternate hierarchy dimensionfrom the Product hierarchy is used as a dimension in a forecast level. It performs thefollowing functionality: Checks that certain measures are cleanly partitioned Copies corresponding cells (based on the partition) from each sub-domain to the

master domain Runs automatically with the Run Batch wizard After ensuring that the FNHBI (Forced non-Higher Based Intersections) measures are

cleanly partitioned, UpdateFnhbiRdf copies corresponding cells (based on thepartition dimension) from each sub-domain into the master domain

UsageUpdat eFnhbi Rdf - d pathToDomai n - I nput Fi l e f i l ename

To get this usage text, use - ? , - hel p , or usage . To get the version of this utility, useversi on . To set the logger verbosity level, use - l ogl evel with values of: al l , profi l e ,debug , i nf ormat i on , warni ng , error , or none . To disable timestamp header, use - noheader .The I nputFi l e format expected is as printed by the usage information. The timestamp orthe birth key will have to be the same as the one output by pregenerateForecast, that isused by generate.


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AutoSource 9

2AutoSource

The AutoSource binary may be used to determine the optimal source level for aproduct/location. For the final level specified, AutoSource produces a forecast usingeach source level. The source level that produces the best MAE (Mean Absolute Error) fora time series is selected as the Optimal Source Level. The AutoSource results may beaccessed by the user through the Forecast Maintenance workbook. If the Optimal SourceLevel is to be used for a product/location, the Use Optimal Source parameter should be set to true.The AutoSource binary invokes code in the BatchForecast library to execute the batchprocess. AutoSource can take four inputs: mode (required), finallevels (required), today,and timelimit (required). Provides a starting Source Level recommendation for new forecasting customers. The

recommended Source Level can be applied to the Final Level, which would allow the

user to be focused on other tuning activities. Helpful for existing customers that are starting to forecast new businesses.AutoSource can be included as an activity in the customers forecasting roll-outprocess.

Useful for merchandise groups that have shifting demand patterns due to businessor market changes such as pricing and marketing strategy changes, or productrealignment.

AutoSource MeasuresThe following AutoSource measures are available in the Forecast Maintenanceworkbook.

Optimal Source LevelsDisplayed only at final levels, a value will be populated in this field if AutoSource has been run on the final level. The AutoSource executable evaluates all levels associated to afinal level and returns the Source Level that yields the optimal forecast results or lowesterror.

Pick Optimal LevelSet only at final levels, a check mark in this field indicates that the batch forecast shoulduse the Optimal Source Level selected by AutoSource.The final level measure Optimal Source Levels is used for reference. The RDF user canview the optimal Source Level that was determined by AutoSource. This Source Levelwas chosen by generating forecasts at all Source Levels and determining the lowestforecast error (PAE) at the final level.If the user would like to use the Optimal Source Level during forecast generation theycan set the Pick Optimal Level Boolean measure to TRUE.If Pick Optimal Level is set to TRUE, when forecast generation is run, the optimalSource Level will be used. The Forecast Method set at the optimal Source Level and theadditional associated forecast parameters will also be used.


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AutoSource Measures


UsageUsage: aut osource -d pathToDomai n - mode RESTART/ONCEONLY/ CYCLE -f l vl l i st l vl x, l vl y [ - t oday] t odaySt r i ng( t he same f ormat as i n di m_day)[ - t i mel i mi t ] mi nut es [ - preserveTemp]

To get this usage text, use - ? , - hel p , or usage .

To get the version of this utility, use versi on .To set the logger verbosity level, use - l ogl evel with values of: al l , prof i l e , debug ,i nf ormat i on , warni ng , error , or none .To disable the timestamp header, use noheader .The mode input must be one of RESTART, CYCLE, or ONCEONLY.The f l vl l i st must be a comma separated list of final levels.The t oday input must be the same format as di m_day .The t i mel i mi t is in minutes. RESTART : This mode initializes the system in preparation for a new Autosource

batch process. ONCEONLY : This mode will run the Autosource batch process until it completes or

until the timelimit has been reached (whichever comes first).

Note: In order to run in ONCEONLY mode, RESTART modehas to be run first.

CYCLE : This mode will continuously run the Autosource batch process by firstrunning the RESTART mode, and then running ONCEONLY. The CYCLE modeallows the Autosource batch process to always use the latest data in determining theoptimal source level for a prod/loc.

Example 1:Aut osource mode RESTART f l vl l i st 1, 6 - t oday DAY20050101 t i mel i mi t 10Autosource mode ONCEONLY f l vl l i st 1, 6 - t oday DAY20050101 t i mel i mi t 10

Example 2:Aut osource mode CYCLE f l vl l i st 1, 6 -t oday DAY20050101 t i mel i mi t 10If AutoSource is to only run periodically, the 'RESTART' and 'ONCEONLY' modesshould be used. If the run exceeds the time limit, then 'ONCEONLY' should be run againto pick up where it left off. If you want to start from the beginning again, 'RESTART' and'ONCEONLY' should be run.If AutoSource is to be scheduled as part of the daily cron job, CYCLE should be used.CYCLE will run RESTART then ONCEONLY consecutively.


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Forecast Approval Alerts 11

3Forecast Approval Alerts

AlertsAlerts can be configured through the RPAS Configuration Tools or can be manuallyregistered in the domain. The alert expressions require familiarity with the RPAS rulefunctions. Registering an alert with the alert category of FORECAST_APPROVALallows RDF to use the alert expression during the batch forecasting process to determineif a time series is automatically approved. When this category of alert is registered, thepick lists for Default Approval Method (in Forecast Administration) and the ApprovalMethod Override (in Forecast Maintenance) are updated to include the label of the alert.The user then has the ability to select the alert for any product/location.The following is an example of Forecast Approval Alert configuration using the exampledomain that is provided in the release package.

Step 0: Build Global DomainUsing the Mock Install Configuration, build the Global Domain environment.

Step 1 (option 1): Run PreGenerateForecast or GenerateIf using a pristine Global Domain or Simple Domain environment, token measures haveyet to be registered in the domain(s). Since you do not know the specific birth date atconfiguration time, token measures allow for measures with birth dates (a time stampapplied during the batch) to be evaluated. The token measure that we are using in thisexample is System Forecast for level 1 (sf01). The registration of the token measures can be accomplished by running PreGenerateForecast (in a Global Domain environment) orGenerate (in a Simple Domain environment). This removes the need to manually execute

regTokenMeasure.


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Alerts


Step 1 (option 2): Use regTokenMeasure to Manually Register Any Token MeasuresNeeded to Support the Alert Expression

If you prefer to manually register the token measures, the regTokenMeasure must be runwith FNHBI option if in a Global Domain environment. This allows the token measuresto have different values across subdomains. The token measure requires a value to the

measure while registering. In the following example, the token measure is registered inthe Master Domain and are made to be equal to pos (Weekly Sales) since pos has thesame base intersection (item/store/week) and data type (real) as the System Forecast forlevel 1.Example:C: \ Domai ns\ RDF>regTokenMeasure - d . - add sf 01=pos - f nhbi

Note: DO NOT do this step if the batch has already beengenerated since the batch will have automatically registeredsf01.

Step 2: Register the Alert MeasureThe next step in the process is to register the alert measure in the Master Domain . In thefollowing example, an alert with the name of rdf _a1_1 with label of Al ert 1l evel 1 is beingregistered.Example:C: \ Domai ns\ RDF>regmeasure - d $DOMAI N_DEST_DI R - add "rdf_a1_1" - l abel"Al er t 1l evel 1" - basei nt "i t emst r_" - db "dat a/myal ert s" - t ype bool ean - naval ueFal se

Step 3: Register the Expression for the Forecast Approval AlertThe al ert mgr utility is used to register the alert and the alert expression. In the followingexample, the alert expression first filters out time series with low volume sales (itemswith forecasts less than three units). This alert compares the System Forecast in the first

three weeks in the forecast horizon with last approved forecast for the same three weeks.If the values are within a 33% range, the full forecast horizon is set to automatic approval,otherwise the Alert is triggered. This is all done in batch, so the Alert Manager is NOTnecessary to apply the alert. For intersections that do not qualify for automatic approval,the Approval Comment on the Approval Worksheet in the Forecast Approval workbookwill contain refused by alert. You may use the Alert Manager to insert this alert intothe workbook to display the intersections that have the alert flag set to true.


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Alerts

Forecast Approval Alerts 13

Example:C: \ Domai ns\ RDF> al ert mgr - d . - regi st er " rdf _a1_1" - category "FORECAST_APPROVAL" -cat egoryLabel "Al er t 1l evel 1" - expressi on"r df _a1_1=i f ( t ssum( @sf 01, i ndex([ cl nd] . [ week], f l ookup( l f sXLXB. l evel ( [ dat a] . [ f l vl ] +[prod]. top), [data]. [f l vl ] . [f l vl 01]) ),i ndex( [ cl nd] . [ week] , f l ookup( l f sXLXB. l evel ( [ dat a] . [ f l vl ] +[ prod] . t op) , [ dat a] . [ f l vl ] .[ f l vl 01] ) ) +3) >=3. 0, abs( 1-t ssum( @sf 01, i ndex( [ cl nd] . [ week], f l ookup( l f sXLXB. l evel ( [ dat a] . [ f l vl ] +[ prod] . t op) , [ data] . [ f l vl ] . [ f l vl 01])) ,i ndex( [ cl nd] . [ week] , f l ookup( l f sXLXB. l evel ( [ dat a] . [ f l vl ] +[ prod] . t op) , [ dat a] . [ f l vl ] .[ f l vl 01] ) ) +3) / ( t ssum( l appf 01XB, i ndex( [ cl nd] . [ week] , f l ookup( l f sXLXB. l evel ( [ dat a] . [ f l vl ] +[ prod] . t op) , [ dat a] . [ f l vl ] . [ f l vl 01] ) ) +3, i ndex( [ cl nd] . [ week] , f l ookup( l f sXLXB. l evel ([ dat a]. [f l vl ] +[ prod]. top), [data]. [f l vl ]. [f l vl 01] )) ) +0. 001)) >. 33, f al se) "

See the RPAS Administration Guide for more information on registering alerts and tokenmeasures.


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RDF Batch Scripts 15

5RDF Batch Scripts

About RDF Batch ScriptsBatch scripts, which are configured externally, are required by RDF to execute processing before, during and after forecasting. This section outlines a sequence of common batchscripts that may need to be configured during RDF implementation to achieve desiredprocessing to meet your business needs.1. Hierarchy Loads

Use the RPAS utility l oadHi er to load standard hierarchy files into RDF. The PRASutilities posi t i onBuf f erMgr and reconf i gGl obal Domai nPart i t i ons may also need to becalled by the l oadHi er script. Refer to the RPAS Administration Guide for details onthese utilities.Please note that RPAS supports centralized hierarchy loads, which means that this

script can be executed from the master domain, in a global domain environment.2. Measure Loads

Use the RPAS utility l oadMeasure to load sales history, out of stock information,promotion variables and other necessary data into RDF.Please note that RPAS now supports centralized measure loads, which means thatthis script can be executed from the master domain, in a global domain environment.

3. PreprocessingPerforms any preprocessing calculations needed for forecasting. This script wouldinvoke the preprocessing rule group that would be configured in the RDFconfiguration. Preprocessing performs any necessary scrubbing of historic data before forecast generation.

This script will need to be executed from local domains, if the preprocessingcalculations involve RHS and LHS measures that are non-HBI, as would typically bethe case for preprocessing calculations. Parallel execution along local domains ispossible.

4. Forecast GenerationIn order to generate forecasts, execute the following RDF files: PreGenerateForecast This file is executed from a master domain and performed

before running Generate . Generate This file is run from local domains in a global domain environment.

5. UpdateFnhbiRdfThis is an optional script, which is needed only if an alternate hierarchy dimensionfrom the Product hierarchy is used as a dimension in a forecast level.This script needs to be run from the master domain, unless it is known that onlyONE local domain has forecast data. Then calling this script from that local domaincan save some time. Please note that if more than one local domain may have forecastdata, then this script needs to be called from the master domain.

6. Alert ManagerUse the RPAS utility al ert mgr to evaluate alert conditions specified in the RDFconfiguration.


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About RDF Batch Scripts


With RPAS 12.0.6 and beyond, it is now possible to run al ert mgr from local domains,followed by a final synchronizing run from the master domain, to synchronize alerthit counts at the master domain level. This can be achieved by running al ert mgr f i ndAl ert s from the local domains. After running al er t mgr f i ndAl er t s from thelocal domains, run al ert mgrsumAl ert s from the master domain. The al ert mgr f i ndAl ert s process is more calculation intensive, but it can be performed in parallel

at the local domain level.7. Export Forecasts

Use the RPAS utility export Data to export RDF forecasts from RDF for use byexternal systems. Users typically export the Approved forecasts from RDF. Also,please refer to the RDF integration scripts (rdf_e_rms.sh) packaged with RPAS.This script is run from local domains.

8. Autoworkbook BuildThis script performs any necessary automated workbook builds as set up by the user.Automated workbook builds are set up by users to automate the workbook buildprocess, so that they do not have to make the same wizard selections each time theworkbook is built, and they do not have to wait for workbooks to build. UnderlyingRPAS utility used is wbbatch .This needs to be run from the local domains.


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6Adding New Local Domains

This section provides an overview on adding new local domains to an existing RDFglobal domain. New local domains can be added using the RPASreconf i gGl obal Domai nPart i t i ons utility. Please refer to the RPAS Administration Guide fordetails. It is important to keep in mind that as new local domains are added, they must beadded such that the RDF partitioning requirements continue to be met. This means eachnew local domain can only contain one position along the partition dimension.When new local domains are added, the following additional scripts will need to beexecuted, which are located in the /bin directory of $RPAS_HOME:

loadCurveParameters.kshThis script is used to load the Curve data parameter measures including "Profile DataSource", "Default Source Profile", "Default Profile Approval Method", "Training WindowMethod", and "Normal Value. This action is typically performed within the plug-ins atdomain creation time, however, when you add a new local domain to an existing domainenvironment, the plug-ins are not run, and therefore this script performs that actionmanually.Usage:l oadCurveParameters - d f ul l PathToDomai n - s f ul l Pat hToNewSubdomai n

loadRDFParameters.kshThis script is used to load the RDF data parameter measures including "Default RequiredMethod", "Default Source Level", "Data Plan", "Seasonal Profile" and "Spreading Profile".This action is typically performed within the plugins at domain creation time, however,

when you add a new local domain to an existing domain environment, the plugins arenot run, and therefore this script performs that action manually.Usagel oadRdfParameters - d f ul l Pat hToDomai n - s ful l PathToNewSubdomai n

RDF Administration Guide

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