Day -1 at OpenWorld 2015

Why -1?

The formal start of OpenWorld is tomorrow, but we (or at least I) know know that the User Group Sunday is the real start of this insanity known as Oracle’s World.

And yr. obt. svt. will continue his well-known insanity by trying to live blog this conference.  It’s a task I’ll fail at given the scope, but I’ll give it the old college try.

Session the second

I actually missed the first session because I was having breakfast with my Bestie Natalie Delemar.  I’ve sinned and am trying to make up for it through diligence and penance.  

And that brings me to Wayne Van Sluys’ session on SmartView and OBIEE.  No, Wayne is not part of my penance – surely that involves a hair shirt, gnashing of teeth, and ashes thrown upon my head – but instead of my diligence that I will apply to today henceforth.

As far as the two tools, I blow hot and cold.  Do I see the logic in using SmartView to access federated OBIEE data?  Yes.  Do I see this combination as being either as intuitive and simple as SmartView and Essbase?  No, but it’s doing a lot more.

If you want OBIEE in Excel, absolutely this is the way to go.  If you’re accessing Essbase (or Planning or HSF or HFM or almost all of the EPM suite), in my opinion it’s not a great fit.

Session the second

Edward Roske, my long-ago employer, is speaking on Planning outside of the box.

Some people see Edward the man, others see Edward the CEO, others see Edward the ACE Director, but I see Edward the Hat:

Here he is for real:

As always, Edward is both amusing and informative.

Session the third

This is where yr. obt. svt. bores/delights/stuns-with-his-obviously-wrong-insights-and-tips.  Okay, it wasn’t half-bad, and the room…the room was half full.

Session the fourth

I’m listening to Ron Moore call his approach to Essbase calculations “simple stupid”.  I’ve known Ron for a super long time and there isn’t that guy does that isn’t smart, smart, smart, so I think he wins today’s record for self-deprecation.

All kidding aside, my philosophy is keep it as simple as possible until I can’t.  Simple is hard enough; unbelievably clever is either impossible, so close to impossible that it isn’t worth doing, or is completely unsupportable.

Session the fifth

Sarah Zumbrum, fellow ODTUG board member, is giving her session on converting BSO to ASO tips:

Session the sixth and the last

Dave Collins and Mike Nader are presenting on OBIEE and Essbase.  What’s beyond super-cool is that the content is based on Mike’s chapter Developing Essbase Applications:  Hybrid Techniques and Practices.

Keep on checking

Having just slit my Oracle ACE Director throat, I encourage you to check back every hour or so to:

1. Watch me self-immolate
2. Get my not-entirely-informed opinion on the sessions
3. Experience the closest thing to actually being here

I’ll be updating every hour or so.

Be seeing you.

Addendum

The sessions are over, although not the rest of the day.  There’s a BI meetup to attend, a credit card to retrieve that I apparently left with a waitress (first time ever – either I am slipping in my dotage or OOW is that kind of conference or both), and then OTN’s ACE dinner.

Be seeing you tomorrow.