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Excel Formula to Read Only Cube Data

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 10:02 pm
by ExApplix
I am aware of DBR and DBRW formulas by which you can both Read and Write data (2 way) into the cubes. Is there a Formula in TM1 by which you can only Read the data from the cubes (1 way) and can not update/change the cube data from the spreadsheet.

Please let me know if such Spreadsheet formula exists. If not, then how can we achieve the one way communication from the Excel. I do not want to go down the path of setting up TM1 securities (for Read/Write) beacuse sometime the same user would need to write/update the data.

Please help me in getting the answer to this question.

Re: Excel Formula to Read Only Cube Data

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 10:07 pm
by Alan Kirk
ExApplix wrote:I am aware of DBR and DBRW formulas by which you can both Read and Write data (2 way) into the cubes. Is there a Formula in TM1 by which you can only Read the data from the cubes (1 way) and can not update/change the cube data from the spreadsheet.

Please let me know if such Spreadsheet formula exists. If not, then how can we achieve the one way communication from the Excel. I do not want to go down the path of setting up TM1 securities (for Read/Write) beacuse sometime the same user would need to write/update the data.

Please help me in getting the answer to this question.
Option 1 is to use security. That's the intended and preferred way. Option 2 is to have the report set up so that it uses at least one consolidation (though in some cases spreading would still be possible). Option 3 is to use sheet level protection in the workbook that contains the report. From what you describe this is most likely the solution that you'd want to use.

There is no "read only" worksheet function as such; it was always intended that security be used to handle that.

Re: Excel Formula to Read Only Cube Data

Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 1:57 pm
by mattgoff
A few more kludges:
  • Wrap your DBRWs in SUM(). This breaks TM1's data-entry intercept, so a user typing on top of a cell will replace the formula, not send the value to TM1.
  • Build your worksheet like normal, then copy the entire sheet to a new tab and replace all formulae with links to the original tab. This is effectively a "reverse" DBS. More work, but it keeps the original worksheet around in case some users do eventually need data entry ability in that worksheet format (you can hide or show the appropriate tab).
Matt

Re: Excel Formula to Read Only Cube Data

Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 5:59 pm
by ExApplix
Matgoff, can you please explain what do you mean by:
Wrap your DBRWs in SUM()
I think Alan's option 3 can be adopted. Anyone else, please let me know if you have some other solution.

Re: Excel Formula to Read Only Cube Data

Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 6:12 pm
by mattgoff
ExApplix wrote:Matgoff, can you please explain what do you mean by:
Wrap your DBRWs in SUM()
Sure, just write your formula as =SUM(DBRW(cube,dim1,dim2,...,dimn)).