Finance/HR Reports

This section of the website contains information about reports in the Integrated System. This is a good place to start for any questions about the ODS, Discoverer, or other reporting issues.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Announcements
General Information
Operational Data Store
Focus on Reports Presentations

Announcements

May 23, 2012

Help File Updated
The ODS Help File has been updated. To download a current copy of the Windows version, please visit The Help File.

January 13, 2012

At 8:30 this morning, we made changes to the GL_Revenue Reconciliation Reports to improve performance. If you run these reports in real time and are not using your own user-defined report, you don't have to do anything to see the performance improvement.

However, if you have your own user-defined version of this report, you will have to open the standard report and re-make and save your changes.

If you have scheduled this report, you must delete and re-schedule to benefit from the performance changes.

Please contact ra6j@virginia.edu if you have any questions or issues.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Reports in the Integrated System may be obtained from one of two sources:

The Operation Data Store (ODS)
The ODS is a copy of the Oracle applications database that is created specifically for reporting. This copy is updated each night.

The primary tool for reporting from the ODS is Oracle Discoverer.

Application Reports
These are reports which are run form within the Oracle Application. They are either standard reports that are provided with the application, or custom reports that were developed by the Integrated System Deployment & Support staff.

For information on application reports, please refer to the appropriate module. For information on scheduling Application Reports to run at a future time, please see Scheduling Oracle Standard Reports.

THE OPERATIONAL DATA STORE

The Operational Data Store (ODS) is a separate database, on a separate machine from the primary Integrated System application database. Each night at 5:30, a backup of the application database begins. Later in the night, this backup is copied to the ODS. Therefore, the data in the ODS is an exact copy of what was in the application database the previous evening. However, because nightly batch processing has not yet taken place at the time the backup is created, some data in the ODS may appear to be older. For example, transactions entered into the application yesterday may not have been posted to the General Ledger at the time the backup is created. This is illustrated in the Refresh graphic. Please note that this represents what will happen on a typical day. At month-end, the ODS will not be refreshed until month-end processing is complete, so all relevant data should be present in the ODS the following day.

The ODS is located behind the U.Va. firewall. Therefore you must be logged into VPN in order to be able to access the ODS.

The primary tool being provided for use with the ODS is Oracle Discoverer. Through Discoverer, users have access to a number of easy-to-use predefined reports. Those who need to create their own reports can do that by adapting the predefined reports to their own needs, or by creating new reports.

While Discoverer is the primary tool provided and supported by ITS-Enterprise Applications, other tools may be used. Regardless of the tool you intend to use with the ODS, you should install Discoverer, because the installation includes other software that is needed to connect to the Oracle database from any tool.

In order to use Discoverer or other tools with the ODS, you need to have an active Integrated System account, including one or more of the following responsibilities:

UVA ODS Specialist
UVA ODS Specialist-Limited
UVA ODS Specialist-Restricted
UVA ODS Specialist-Deducts
UVA ASC ODS Viewer

When you use the ODS, you will be using a number of database views which combine data from many sources in order to make them easier for you to use. Most of these views are part of a purchased product called Noetix Views. Others were developed by ITS-Enterprise Applications to meet U.Va.'s particular needs. If you use Discoverer, the views will be divided into broad Business Areas that indicate their general purpose. Through other tools, you will see the views in a single alphabetized list. It is extremely important to choose the correct view or views for the information you need. For more information on the ODS views and the data they contain, see the ODS Help file.

FOCUS ON REPORTS PRESENTATIONS

The Finance Usability and System Solutions (FUSS) Task Force prepares a series of presentations that focus on reports. Each session focuses on several reports and explains how to read them and when to use them, and any related features available. The slides from each presentation are posted here for future reference.

To view or print a copy of one of these presentations, complete with text of the presentation:

Click on the appropriate Focus on Reports document, and open it.
From the Menu bar, select: Edit, Edit Slides.
From the Menu bar, select: Print.
Select Note Pages from the Print what: drop down box.
Click Preview to view on line, or OK to print.