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Saturday, September 10, 2011

Smart View 11.1.2.1 and intricacies associated with it

Smart View 11.1.2.1 has been around for a while and has added some enhanced features to its list. The new office ribbon, ability for 'single sign on' and quickly flip between applications without the pain of entering your credentials over and again, and some more to add. But not to forget, good things always carry a "BUT" with it.
Surely the users know what I am talking about. In the following post, I will be discussing about some intricacy which hangs around with Smart View 11.1.2.1.

1. Decompression Failed Error
While working with Smart View 11.1.2.1, user may come across an error when it pops-up on the screen with the message "Decompression Failed" and sometimes followed by "Invalid Pointer". It may occur at different instances as in sometimes while refreshing a worksheet, or performing an adhoc analysis, or leaving the connection till session time out.

There is a workaround which may help you to avoid this error to some extent but not completely.
  • In EAS, expand the view on left hand side to reach Provider services
  • Right click on server name and 'Edit' properties
  • Edit the session time out value to increase it, say 1 or 2 hours
  • Restart APS services
There is a second workaround to avoid the same, but I would highly recommend to take necessary back-up of the Registry, before carrying out any changes. Please apply the following changes in Dev/QA environment first to avoid any break-down in Prod environment.

Make following changes to EAS, APS, Essbase, EPMA, Planning servers. Go to HKEY/Localmachine/System/CurrentControlSet/tcip/parameters and change the values for the following.
  • TCPTimedWaitDelay dword decimal value of 30
  • MAXUSERPORT dword decimal value of 65534
  • MAXFreeTcbs dword value of 6250



2. Member search functionality does not work in Smart View 11.1.2.1
This is kind of a weird error but yes it is part of Smart View 11.1.2.1. When a user tries to search for a desired member (with member name) in a hierarchy using member selection, the search functionality does not work. The top member of the hierarchy gets selected, although the member still exists in the hierarchy.
Though Oracle would surely take some time to resolve this issue and come up with some patch in future, you can try out a work around to make the search work. Before doing a member selection, turn ON the alias table. Go to Essbase tab, click on 'Change Alias' and then select alias table (or default). try to search for the desired member using Search member functionality, you should get the desired member. Better way to check it by selecting the drop-down beside find button and select 'Check All Found'. It will check all members which match the search string.

3. Smart View Log file error
In order to setup a new connection in Smart View, it is required to update the Shared Connections URL. Shared connections URL can be updated by going into Smart View tab -> Options -> Advanced and provide the URL. While changing this Shared Connections URL, user may encounter a log file error.
Need to update the logging file location. Under Smart View tab -> Option -> Advanced, check the box "Route Messages to file" and update the file path to your desired location. It will stop popping the log file failure message.

4. HsTbar.xla not found
Upgrading to Smart View 11.1.2.1 brings along an error when user opens the Excel file.
Here goes the solution:
  • Go to Excel options
  • Add-ins
  • Go to the bottom
  • Uncheck the box HsTbar. If it prompts you "If you want to remove from list", click 'No'
  • Click OK. Close excel and open again

5. Essbase tab in Excel does not show all the time
When a user opens a Hyperion sheet created with Smart View version prior to 11.1.2.1, user is able to view 2 tabs “SmartView” and “Essbase”. But sometimes Essbase tab goes away displaying only “Smart View” tab.

It is actually no error but the way Smart View 11.1.2.1 has been designed to work. Smart View tab shows up all the time when even when you open a blank excel sheet. Essbase tab shows up only when user is connected to Hyperion system or do an adhoc analysis.

6. Alias names and Sheet formatting
Users, who migrate from prior versions of Smart View to 11.1.2.1, usually encounter a state where their old Smart View reports, when refreshed in new version lose their grouping, member name changes, lose formatting, etc.
This usually happens when the old sheet is saved with Alias name set to some Alias table, but the new Smart View 11.1.2.1 connection is set to "None" or vice-versa.

To correct the same:
  • Connect to the database (Shared or private connection)
  • Right-click on database and select "Set Alias table"
  • Select the desired 'Default' or 'None'
  • Now load the file
Smart View 11.1.2.1 also gives an option to retain excel sheet formatting. This helps to refresh the sheet without losing any customized formatting done to sheets.
Go to Smart View tab in excel. Select ‘Options’ from excel ribbon. Go to ‘Formatting’ and check the check-box which says “Use Excel Formatting”. This helps the user to retain customized formatting in the sheet.

7. Smart View tab disappears from Excel
While working with Smart View, user may receive a pop-up mentioning about encountering an error and excel crashes. The next time excel is started it prompts the following error.

The Smart View tab is not visible in the top menu.In such cases, follow the below steps:
  • Navigate to 'Excel options'
  • Select 'Add-ins' tab from left panel
  • Go to Excel Add-ins (at bottom, with a drop down), click on the drop-down arrow and select disabled add-ins, click 'Go'
  • In the disabled add-ins, select Hyperion and click 'Enable'
  • Close excel and re-open


18 comments:

  1. You solution helped me solving my problem.

    Thanks buddy!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Do you know why that Essbase tab shows up along with smartview ?

    Is that different from essbase addin ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes. As mentioned in point 5 above, smartview tab include the basic connection options. Essbase tab comes up when we connect to a Essbase server. This is different from Essbase Excel Add-in. If you install Excel add-in, it will come under 'Add-in' menu option.

      Delete
  3. Hello,

    Do you have any idea about the "Response status has number of values different from request." error message ?

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have not come across this. If you can describe how or doing what you receive this error, may be I can help.

      Delete
    2. Is this still live? I am also running across this error message using a standard report and when trying to "refresh all worksheets"

      Delete
    3. HI I also have this error when refreshing multiple worksheets by pressing refresh all function

      Delete
    4. Hello, anyone had encounter an answer for this issue ?

      Delete
  4. Hello,

    Thanks for your feedback
    The first error message was "Decompression failed" and then the message above
    Today we have an other message "Smart View handled an unknown exception thown by MS Office"
    We use Win7 and MS 2007, the file which contains the formulas works perfectly with XP

    Thanks,

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello,

    Thank you for useful articles.
    I often come across the error of "Invalid Pointer". I think that your solution to this problem is very good but I do not have the will to change registry on server side.
    Aside from your solution on this page, do you have the solution to solve the problem of "Invalid Pointer" by only the change of client laptop setting.

    Thanks,


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fumi,
      If you are facing "Decompression Failed" error along with "Invalid Pointer" error then you may try updating EAS changes mentioned in the post

      Delete
    2. Thank you for your reply.I will try this.

      Delete
  6. Hi Navan,

    Could you please share a document on updating the Smart view 11 (MS office 2010)

    Regards,
    Latha

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Latha,
      Can you please elaborate what document/help are you looking for? If you are trying to upgrade SV then you can refer Oracle documentation.

      Delete
  7. Good afternoon,

    I followed your instructions on the Smart View Log File Error (#3) for "Failed to open message log file", but it did not work. Each time I try to update the file path to route messages to file, the log file error appears and does not allow me to 'X' out of the message box, nor does it allow me to save other settings I've made with Display, Compatibility, etc. I would have to force the current window to close. I tried to uninstall and reinstall SmartView, but the same scenario happens. Any suggestions?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am not sure about this scenario. Check if you have enough rights to make changes to files and rights to write to a file on the drive.
      On display thing, when you make changes and save it, next to save there is a drop down with option - "Save as default". Try using that and see if your settings stay back.

      Delete
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    ReplyDelete