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Is it possible to extract the schema from a Cost Transparency Project?

  • 1.  Is it possible to extract the schema from a Cost Transparency Project?

    Posted Wed September 01, 2021 08:51 PM
    I'd like to be able to extract a list (csv or excel etc.) of all the tables defined in a CT project.  The list should include table name, column name and data type as a minimum but ideally would include some information regarding relationships with other tables and some information about the transformation steps the table has gone through.  

    This would prove invaluable in understanding the flow of data through the CT system and could be used to fee our organisations wider data dictionary.

    Thoughts anyone?

    ------------------------------
    Adrian Heald
    BHP Group Operations Pty Ltd.
    adrian.heald@bhp.com
    ------------------------------

    #CostingStandard(CT-Foundation)


  • 2.  RE: Is it possible to extract the schema from a Cost Transparency Project?

    Posted Thu September 02, 2021 03:51 AM
    I wrote something along these lines for the Hackathon at the TBM Conference 2020: link.
    Unfortunately, nothing of the sort exists. Although the feedback was good, I haven't heard that they have added something like that to the CT product pipeline, @Adrian Heald.
    I have started to do it in Visio, but I don't think I'll ever finish.​​

    ------------------------------
    Regards, Guillermo
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  • 3.  RE: Is it possible to extract the schema from a Cost Transparency Project?

    Posted Thu September 02, 2021 03:58 AM

     Yes @Guillermo Cuadrado, I've also started to do it in Visio but it's proving nightmarish and I'm not convinced it will be maintainable at all.  Anyway, it would be a great facility within Apptio to generate a graphical diagram showing tables and relationships.​  Better still if they could generate an excel spread sheet that could be fed into Visio to automatically generate a Visio diagram from it all.

    Regards,



    ------------------------------
    Adrian Heald
    BHP Group Operations Pty Ltd.
    adrian.heald@bhp.com
    ------------------------------



  • 4.  RE: Is it possible to extract the schema from a Cost Transparency Project?

    Posted Thu September 02, 2021 04:12 AM
    Maybe if we all push for such a feature, we'd get Apptio Engineering to create something like that.

    ------------------------------
    Regards, Guillermo
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  • 5.  RE: Is it possible to extract the schema from a Cost Transparency Project?

    Posted Thu September 02, 2021 04:17 AM
    That would be good, all the information is there just not in a usable format.  If the schema and formulas could be exported out in Excel then it wouldn't be too hard to take that and use it to automate creation of a Visio diagram.

    ------------------------------
    Adrian Heald
    BHP Group Operations Pty Ltd.
    adrian.heald@bhp.com
    ------------------------------



  • 6.  RE: Is it possible to extract the schema from a Cost Transparency Project?

    Posted Thu September 02, 2021 04:32 AM
    Would something like this be part of the enhancement system you're working on, @Rhonda Keller?​

    ------------------------------
    Regards, Guillermo
    ------------------------------



  • 7.  RE: Is it possible to extract the schema from a Cost Transparency Project?

    Posted Thu September 02, 2021 10:42 AM
    @Guillermo Cuadrado Yes definitely this is a perfect example. If you don't mind throwing it into the beta, please create a related RFE and include a link to this thread as well as any other info, you think is relevant. If you end up doing that, would also be good to post a link to the RFE on this thread to help with upvotes. Thanks so much for thinking of our RFE improvement project. ​​


  • 8.  RE: Is it possible to extract the schema from a Cost Transparency Project?

    Posted Thu September 02, 2021 09:22 AM
    We've been wanting something like that for years - even back in the R11 days and probably before. 

    Even a search feature, although the later versions (starting with Apex, I think) at least have the ability to right-click on a table in the Project Explorer to see "Show Related" so you can see other tables that are dependent upon that one. 

    Search feature would help immensely, but in the meantime, some of us just document all the tables/columns/formulas in the model so we can do a search in a document to make sure there aren't any upstream/downstream impacts to a pending change. 

    Have you checked out 'Allocation Strategies'?  That's somewhat close, but doesn't have everything.  This has all columns used within the model surface.  It's a start.  When you start unravelling everything, though, those columns are most likely calculated (formula) columns, so you have to dig to find the starting point. I guess that's why I've always just documented every nook and cranny so I can do a search on my own. 

    Still, having a database like schema would be AMAZING!! 

    BTW, to get to Allocation Strategies, open the cost model metric, and then click on the drop-down and select Allocation Strategies.




  • 9.  RE: Is it possible to extract the schema from a Cost Transparency Project?

    Posted Fri September 03, 2021 05:47 AM
    Hey, this existed in R11 and prior. The inference engine was a power Relationship manager to diagram how various tables interacted with each other.


  • 10.  RE: Is it possible to extract the schema from a Cost Transparency Project?

    Posted Fri September 03, 2021 09:43 AM
    Unfortunately, I don't think you had the option (easily) to save that schema down (and for everything all at once) - and it still didn't include the column names - just a visual, if I'm remembering correctly. 😒