Re-Thinking First Class

Any regular reader of this column knows that I hate flying.  I love travel, but getting there by air is a pain… and getting worse.  Our local airports are vying for third-world status.  The security searches by the TSA make a colonoscopy look like fun.  And once on the plane, the airlines’ seats and service make The Fung Wah Bus seem like a viable alternative.

Why is it that airlines are all vying for the cheapest products instead of the best?  Why this race to the bottom where low-cost-carriers like Spirit and Southwest are the models instead of overseas service exemplars like Singapore and Emirates?

I, for one, am willing to pay more to get more.  I may not opt for first class, but I will only fly in business class on flights to California.  It’s worth it.

But the legacy carriers like American and United ask for $1600 one-way from NY to LAX, and they get it.  Their business class is full thanks to frequent flyer upgrades. But now there’s a cheaper, better alternative:  JetBlue.

When JetBlue began as a low-cost carrier in 2000, it found a loyal following by offering high frequency, friendly and comfortable flights.  Today they are an international carrier serving 87 destinations with more than 200 aircraft.  And they have one of the hottest terminals at JFK, T5.

And ten of their newest planes, A-321’s, now offer a new product, “Mint”, with truly first class seating at lower-than-business class fares.  I finally had a chance to sample the service on a recent flight to LAX.

First, there’s the seating. There are just 16 seats with full, six foot lie-flat beds. I lucked out and got one of the four “private cabins” with 22-inch wide seats and a sliding door to the corridor.  My TV was a 15-inch flat-screen with live satellite feed, movies and SiriusXM Radio.  I had two AC outlets and a pair of USB plugs keeping all my gear fully-charged.

When I boarded I found a welcome note, written by hand, from the flight crew thanking me for my business.  Also awaiting was a full duvet and pillow, an amenities kit and free Wi-Fi, coast to coast.

After take-off came the usual beverages and a most unusual meal… the choice of three tapas-like entrees from a menu of five on offer, prepared by Saxon+Parole.  The lobster mac-and-cheese was to die for.  But they also had Kosher, vegan and gluten-free options.  And coming soon, an on-board cappuccino machine.

The service was amazing.  This was one of the best flights ever, and I’ve logged miles for decades on five continents.  And the ticket was only $599 one-way. I’d gladly have paid more.

The bad news is this amazing product is only available on flights from JFK to LAX (7 a day) and San Francisco (5 times daily).  Rumor has it they may also add transcon flights from Boston, but you won’t by flying “Mint” on your way to Orlando anytime soon. To the Caribbean, maybe.

So kudos to “New York’s hometown airline” for continuing to be innovative in offering more for less and making flying fun again!

The new (and improved) EPM documentation portal

In the beginning

In my experience (or at least memory, which, as you will read below, is perhaps not iron trap-like) there have been three major iterations of the EPM documentation portal under Oracle’.  Arbor and Hyperion Solutions had documentation before that, but recalling documentation portals from before 2004 (2006?) is simply beyond me.

Here’s the history, in Living Color.

Life under HYSL

Yes, really, thanks to the web’s Wayback Machine and a search for http://dev.hyperion.com a pretty good feel for what documentation used to look like..  What, you don’t remember Hyperion’s stewardship of Essbase?  Then you are a n00b.  No worries, it wasn’t all that much fun, as you’ll see below.  Let’s experience the horror together.

One other note – this was a search of 2004’s information.

And yet another note – it’s a bit unfair to judge an old portal by today’s standards, but as you’ll see, documentation has moved on quite a bit.

In the beginning with Essbase 6

It ain’t pretty, is it?  To be fair (there’s that concept again), as much as it pains me to try to be even handed, some of the ugliness of this is because the Wayback Machine isn’t perfect with grabbing all graphics.  Regardless, I have my reasons as will be revealed below.

With that, welcome to web design 10 years ago:

EPM?  What’s that?  We’ve got Essbase, and that’s all we need.  

Essbase was quite a bit simpler back in the 6.0.0 days.  Even yr. obt. svt. who is, to be incredibly charitable, a complete infrastructure idiot, could install Essbase.  It all got more complicated very quickly.  Let’s take a last fond look at the Good Old Days.

Essbase Administration System Console?

The late lamented Application Manager is no more.  Folks, it ain’t 1993 anymore (Essbase’s debut although I believe App Man didn’t come till Essbase 2.0) but I do miss the tight functionality with Windows.  Did Hyperion really think Essbase developers were using X Windows?  There were some weird product decisions back then, so who knows.  Note that EAS existed but isn’t available on the Essbase page.  Why?

Not too much change although I think that’s an artefact of the date of this web page.

Why the ire and bile about Hyperion, given that so many of its employees now work for Oracle?

Essbase XTD Analytic Services?  What?  Hyperion never quite knew what to do with Essbase and tried to bury the thing.  One of the first acts Oracle did with Essbase was change it back to its original name.  In my opinion, that’s the difference between an applications company (Hyperion) and a database company (Oracle).  It’s not that there’s a whit wrong with applications – I bought my house on the back of the money I earnt from Hyperion Planning – it’s just that Essbase is so awesome it really frosted my cookies when Hyperion started to deemphasize it.  All EPM product management needed was to be free from their chains.

With that fairly epic rant over and done with, Essbase documentation is beginning to look a little more it is today.  Here’s the Tech Ref:

View it all in PDF format

As imperfect as web pages are displayed, you can see that the pdfs are all there.  Wonder when ASO was introduced?  Was it 7.0 or 7.1?  Take a look at the New Features Guide:

Thus began ASO which begat Hybrid and the future of Essbase.

Life under Oracle

System 9

Ah, much better.  Oracle put some money into it and it shows.

11.1.1.x

Pretty much the same thing, but you can see how the product is growing.  There were some turkeys amongst the gems.  Does anyone remember Smart Search?  The .NET builder?

11.1.2.2

We are now in the modern era.

New and improved

The actual content of the documentation has of course been updated as the tools expand in breadth and depth, but the documentation UI has for the most part been old wine in new bottles since Oracle’s acquisition.

That is no longer the case both for 11.1.2.3.x and 11.1.2.4.

The Oracle documentation team have come up with a much cleaner interface and improved content.  Some might argue that a UI for documentation doesn’t really matter but I think that discounts how a clean and responsive design can impact quickly finding information.  The point after all behind documentation is trying to find the answer to a problem/understand a new technique/get the job done as easily and quickly as possible.  Documentation, while incredibly valuable, is not something yr. obt. svt. (and I suspect you as well) want to spend any more time reading than absolutely necessary.

So what does it look like?  Oooh, pretty colors that match either the Stars and Stripes, the Union Flag, or the Tricolor.  Wait, there’s the Russian and Dutch and I’m sure a few other flags I have missed.  Oracle is nothing if not international in its outlook.

Big deal you say.  Colors, schmolors, what does this actually do?  Well, one thing it does is dynamically resize the web page based on window width.

The above I sliced off on the right (this is a 1600x1200 desktop display) to get the Essbase page to display in a readable manner.

Here’s the reorganization within a smaller window.  It took me a few tries at it to notice this – it just works and makes finding links within the Essbase docs easier to find.  This sort of seamless productivity enhancement is the sort of detail that makes great UI.   The little things count.

Errors, what errors?

Oracle have also changed most of the Error Message Reference guides.  Looking at Foundation Services, the Workspace error list now looks like this:

Alas and alack, the Essbase error guide still has the old look, but upgrading it is on the radar:

Again, you may think of these as incremental improvements but I view these improvements as making my life that much easier; if I’m looking at the Essbase error message list, life is bad, bad, bad.  Anything that makes that bad go away quickly is good in my book.

More than an incremental improvement

The EPM Cumulative Feature Overview has been around for quite a while.  I can remember looking at it during an 11.1.2.0 implementation and that was 2011.  It has heretofore been an Excel workbook that was only available on My Oracle Support.  I’m a Gold Partner (and yes, it is eye-wateringly expensive for a one man shop’s access to MOS but at least I don’t have to be Platinum) so I can download it when needed but for customers or consultants who are not on their firm’s Happy Support List, getting it meant begging and borrowing a copy of the file.  I try not to think about whether that violates licensing or not.

In any case, Oracle have now made it a web page.  Oh happy day.

It works as before.  

Pick a from and to release level:

NB – the version numbers go up to the highest level, e.g., 11.1.2.5.400 is visible but it does not apply to any EPM product other than Smart View as of this writing.

Pick your version, select your technology (I am only selecting Essbase but multiple selects are possible):

And Bob’s your Uncle, here it is:

Do you see the bit in the red box?  You can either print this or save it to an Excel file.  Nice.

It’s as easy as 3.1249:

And here it is in all of its Excel-y glory, ready for you to send off to world+dog:

Isn’t that nice?

Yes, it is, and in fact it’s very nice.  These are all incremental improvements but those improvements add up to a much easier and handier interface and thus quicker access to the information that we all need.

I know I sometimes sound like a paid shill for Oracle but I can assure you no bribes (alas, this is not terribly likely, but if it does come to pass, please make it small unmarked bills in a manila envelope) were involved.  Those of you who know me privately are aware of my very critical, nay cynical, nature as evidenced by my continual pokes at Hyperion Solutions.  The flip side of that is when something or someone impresses me, I am a huge fan.  And I am a huge fan of what the Oracle EPM documentation team has produced.

Be seeing you.

Can you take over the OTN ArchBeat Podcast?

Are you an Architect?  Have something to say?  Want to work with OTN?

You likely are, you almost certainly do, and really should.  It’s also dead easy.

The OTN ArchBeat podcast has been around since 2008 and is a showcase for members of the OTN architect community and everyone else to speak in a relaxed, informal, and unstructured way about the topics, techniques, and tools that make Oracle – and for the purposes of this blog, Essbase and Planning and HFM and ODI and FDMEE and whatever else floats your EPM boat -- hackers, well, something more than hackers.

Yr. obt. svt. has participated in multiple podcasts, and as many of you are already thinking, “If Cameron can do it, surely I can as well.”  You’re right, you can and should.  Some other EPM examples are upgrades and ODI.  I like to think that the latter ODI podcast helped the Great Cause of getting Oracle to support Hyperion Planning 11.1.2.4 KMs in ODI 12c.

Who does this?

Bob Rhubart runs the ArchBeat program within OTN and he is actively canvassing participants for ArchBeat podcasts.  As both Uncle Sam and Lord Kitchener said, Bob wants you.  

In fact, he’s looking for more than participants, Bob’s looking for guest producers.  What’s a guest producer?  It’s someone who picks the topic and selects the panelists for the podcast discussion.  Yes, you get a fabulous Tinseltown title.  I can’t say if you will look like this after the podcast but anything is possible.

What do you do?

Simple, simple, simple:

1. Pick a topic
2. Recruit fellow speakers
3. Submit your podcast abstract to OTN
4. If approved, come up with a few questions/topics to get the conversational ball rolling
5. Get on Skype

Can it get easier?  Thought not.

Think of this podcast as a conversation, not a presentation.  We talk/complain/gossip/educate about EPM topics all the time – you’ll do the same in a podcast only it will be recorded for world+dog.

The best part

The very best part is that you only need be generally (or at least putatively) brilliant in your architect-y discussion of whatever EPM content tickles your fancy.

OTN does all of the hard logistical, organizational, and technical work.

How does one get the ball rolling?

Simply submit your idea here.

That’s it.

What are you waiting for?

OTN ArchBeat podcasts and their reach

I should note that the ArchBeat podcast is one of the top three podcasts Oracle have on offer.  Think about that for a moment – ArchBeat is pretty much a grassroots operation (one man does most of the work) and it meets or beats the many sales-related podcasts Oracle produces.  It seems reasonable to assume that something that actually sells software licenses has quite a bit of organizational support (read $, ¥, or £).  This isn’t to take anything away from Bob as he does an excellent job with evangelizing Oracle, but the popularity of these podcasts is testament to the strength of Oracle’s development community.  You are part of that community and the ArchBeat podcast is your chance to share your knowledge.

Be seeing and hopefully hearing you.

Malloy's Transit Land-Grab

Don’t look now, but Governor Malloy’s trying to take your land, or at least control of the land around your local train or bus station.

Proposed Stamford TOD Project

When the CDOT recently tried to shove a private development down the throats of Stamford under the guise of “transit oriented development” in replacing the garage at the train station, city fathers were justifiably upset.  They voted through a zoning change giving them some say on the project, as well they should.

As revenge Governor Malloy is now proposing a statewide “Transit Corridor Development Authority” (TCDA) that would bigfoot the towns and cities, giving the state control over land, buildings and development within a half-mile of all transit stations. 

Your favorite coffee shop across from your Metro-North stop could be torn down and replaced with offices.  Parking lots could be enlarged with fees set by the CDOT, not the towns where the lots reside.  If the state wants to erect a building taller than local zoning laws allow, too bad… they can and will. As one critic described it, this is “eminent domain on steroids”.

The TCDA would be run by political appointees, a majority controlled by the Governor and not answerable to the local residents whose land would be affected.  The agency could issue its own bonds financed by rents and taxes on the very structures they want built. And the agency would continue with this power forever, under “perpetual succession”.

The TCDA would have the power to condemn property that it alone claims it needs to further its goals.  Town and regional planning and zoning boards can just go pound sand, powerless to stop them.

Because train and stations are usually in the downtown of cities and towns, those municipalities would lose control of the development destiny of their very core.  The Governor’s bill would have us believe that Hartford, or this new agency of political hacks, knows what’s best for us, not our elected mayors and first selectmen.

It’s been proven that the private developer chosen for the Stamford garage project just happened to have donated $165,000 to the State Democrats  before and after his selection.  Yet, there’s nothing in the Governor’s TCDA bill (HB 6851) to prevent such “pay for play” activities.

Were Dannel Malloy still mayor of Stamford he would scream bloody murder if a bill like this was introduced in Hartford.  But as Governor he seems to have no qualms at telling 169 towns and cities in this state that he knows best… that Hartford will determine if skyscrapers built by private developers should be plopped down in your town and mine.

“Transit oriented development” makes sense and should be encouraged.  We all need to promote housing and commercial growth focusing on our train and bus stations.  But this is a local issue, not a state right.

If we are to preserve the local identity and feel of our communities, we must stop the Governor’s land grab and keep control of our destiny.  Tell your State Representative and State Senator you oppose HB 6851 and Malloy’s land-grab.