PerformancePoint Server glossary

Updated: 2009-09-14

This glossary contains terminology for all the servers, applications, and tools that are part of Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server 2007.

Terms

Term Definition

account

The record of transactions related to a specific asset or equity.

action

A unit of work that is represented to users in the form of options, such as Submit, Review, and Approve. When users perform an action, they initiate a business process that is automated and managed by the workflow system.

ActiveX Data Objects MultiDimensional.NET

A .NET managed data provider that provides access to multidimensional data sources, such as Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services.

actual value

The value for a key performance indicator (KPI). This value is measured against a pre-determined target value for the KPI.

add-in

A supplemental program that adds custom commands or custom features to Microsoft Office.

Administration Console

See Other Term: PerformancePoint Planning Administration Console

administrative role

An access privilege in PerformancePoint Server that consists of predefined roles for design and maintenance of system infrastructure. PerformancePoint Server 2007 comes with a number of roles for designating key personnel in your PerformancePoint Server system, and for creating applications, model sites, and models. These roles are used first during the design of your PerformancePoint Server infrastructure, and then to maintain that infrastructure after the system is operational. Unlike business roles, administrative roles are predefined and installed with the PerformancePoint Server system. Administrative roles include global administrator, data administrator, modeler, and user administrator.

ADOMD.NET

See Other Term: ActiveX Data Objects MultiDimensional.NET

aggregation

Total or near-total summaries of specific types of business transactions. For example, an income statement with summaries for all transactions in a specific accounting period.

all members

A PerformancePoint designation that implies the inclusion of all of a dimension's members. Used most often when creating a result set.

Analysis Services

Shortened name for Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services, which is the server component of SQL Server 2005 or SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services. It is used to create and maintain multidimensional data, which is sent to clients in response to queries. The term Analysis Services is often used interchangeably with OLAP server.

analytic chart

A report type that displays the results of an MDX query from SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services cubes in a visual, interactive chart format.

analytic grid

A report type that displays the results of an MDX query from SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services cubes in a visual, interactive tabular format.

annotation

A means of adding comments and information pertaining to a cell. If you have been granted Write access to a cell, you can enter annotations that will be submitted to PerformancePoint Planning Server with the assignment. When an assignment is either shared or submitted to the server, the annotation is written to the server and can no longer be edited.

application

The container for your company’s PerformancePoint Planning business model definitions, predefined and user-defined dimensions, the mappings that connect these business model definitions with your company’s data source, and other PerformancePoint Planning metadata like views, permissions, and process scheduling information. Using the predefined business dimensions that ship with Planning Business Modeler, your application can perform complex planning, budgeting, and forecasting, consolidation/management, and performance management calculations. The results are then presented in Excel (with PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel) or any other reporting software that accepts comma-separated value (CSV) lists as input.

application calendar

A means of setting up a time period concept that matches the practices that are used in your company. The application calendar is created as part of the application creation process and is a required step. After you create a calendar, all aspects of your application refer to the time dimension in one way or another. For example, your data, reports, jobs, cycles, and assignments all reference the time dimension.

application data integration

The process of taking data from application databases and manipulating the data so that it can be used in other applications.

application migration

The movement of the structure and metadata of an application from one system to another.

application service provider (ASP)

An organization that delivers a contractual service to deploy, host, manage, and provide access to an application from a facility other than the customer's site.

appropriation

A distribution of net income to various accounts or entities.

approver

In process scheduling, the person or role responsible for approving data.

ASP

See Other Term: application service provider (ASP)

asset

The monetary value associated with equity gained by a company (or entity within a company) through an event or transaction. Labeling something as an asset inherently implies that the asset is controlled by the company and that it will likely provide the company with present or future economic benefit. On a balance sheet, assets are equal to the sum of liabilities, common stock, preferred stock, and retained earnings.

assignment

Delegation of a process-related task to a particular user. For example, a contributor can receive an assignment to enter FY06 data into a financial statement, or an approver could receive an assignment to review such data and then sign off on it. An assignment includes the metadata that relates to an assignment.

assignment pane

In PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel, the pane that is used to open assignments, view assignment details, and access process scheduling actions such as save and submit.

association

In PerformancePoint Planning Business Modeler, the relationship between a source model and a destination model for the purpose of manipulating the arrangement of interpretive data and aggregating the corresponding numerical measurements.

assumption

Baseline data that apply throughout a business or to a financial model. Assumptions are often the business drivers in a financial model. For example, in a PBF (Planning, Budgeting, and Forecasting) model, payroll costs, price lists, or exchange rates are prime assumptions candidates. Assumptions are organized into logical groups so that they can be updated in and universally applied from one place, rather than across the several models that use them.

authoring pane

In PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel, the pane that is used to author forms.

average weighted

A type of rollup. It indicates an average that considers the weighted value of all child KPIs. This rollup reflects overall performance.

badwill

When the fair market value of an asset is greater than the actual purchase price of the asset due to market vagaries. In some instances, badwill can actually be amortized against revenue to increase earnings. Also referred to as negative goodwill.

balance sheet

A statement showing a company’s financial standing for a given historic period. Balance sheets show: Assets = Liabilities + Owners’ Equity where Owners’ Equity is the sum of capital investments, retained earnings, dividends, and other capital transactions like the purchase and sale of treasury stock that is reacquired by the company.

balanced scorecard

A business oriented scorecard that conveys key metrics related to the service and business of providing service. A balanced scorecard contains a balance of operational, financial, and quality driven metrics.

balanced scorecard methodology

A scorecard system that adheres to the framework and components established by the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative.

band

The interval between status thresholds that define a specific level of performance. All input values between the upper and lower thresholds or boundaries of a band have the same indicator status and performance level.

banding

The use of bands to represent ranges of performance based on thresholds.

banding settings

A setting that defines thresholds, or boundaries between changes in indicator status.

BMO

See Other Term: business modeling objects (BMO)

breadcrumb

A collection of links that traces the path a user takes to a Web page. You can return to a particular page along that path by clicking the appropriate link.

bulk edit

A procedure by which a user can simultaneously change specified properties for a group of selected items.

business analyst

The person or persons tasked with determining the needs of a company’s financial users and designing the appropriate PerformancePoint Planning model sites, models, dimensions, model associations, views, process scheduling, reports, and forms that go into an effective PerformancePoint Planning-designed application. The business analyst is also responsible for extracting (with assistance from the system administrator and database designer) all back-end data source metadata that might be required by PerformancePoint Planning Server.

business intelligence

The aggregation, storage, analysis, and reporting of data for the purpose of informing business decision makers.

business modeling objects (BMO)

The set of objects that a modeler uses to create a custom application. The set includes the following primary object categories: system, application, model, and modeling site. Primary object categories can contain other object categories. For example, system-level security objects and application-level security objects.

business process

A specified sequence of steps required to complete a complex task, such as creating a contract. A business process can be performed manually or through the use of a workflow rule.

business role

An access privilege that enable user-defined roles for viewing and analyzing business data. User-defined roles are created in PerformancePoint Planning Business Modeler for users who are working with business data. Business roles are created by members of the modeler role, who are likely to be business analysts in the organization. While administrative roles like global administrator and modeler are focused on creating and maintaining the PerformancePoint Server environment, business roles are for end users who must view, analyze, or otherwise work with actual business data. Unlike administrative roles, business roles are not predefined and must be created manually.

business rule

A prescribed action that performs one or multiple operations on the multidimensional data in a model. For example, you can use rules to run queries, seed data in PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel forms, and move balances from one period to another. Rules can calculate forecasts, budgets, variances, and key performance indicators (KPIs); allocate resources; aggregate levels; and load data into models, or copy data between models.

Business Rules workspace

In PerformancePoint Planning Business Modeler, a user interface area that allows you to create and manage business rule sets, business rules, and model properties.

cache interval

The length of time that a stored copy of the views that are shown in a dashboard can exist on the server.

centered indicator

The indicator set that can be used when the "closer to target" scoring pattern is selected when you edit the band settings.

chart of accounts

A structured list of a company's general ledger accounts.

child model sites

Child model sites contain models, and are used to organize data in an application. For example, a root model site for an insurance company might have child model sites that define the company in terms of business structure (fire insurance division, auto insurance division). The model site for each division would include an Expense model and a Revenue model.

collapse

An analysis tool, similar to drill up, that displays less detail about an item while maintaining the current display of other items.

consolidation

An accounting of the earnings of a parent company and its subsidiaries, post acquisition, where the parent is the company with controlling interest. All companies remain separate legal entities—the consolidation exercise is for reporting purposes only, but is required for stockholders and various governed securities agencies. PerformancePoint Planning Business Modeler contains a complete set of predefined dimension types and calculations for consolidation where intercompany reconciliation is performed, manual and other adjustments are accounted for, and currency is converted, if necessary.

contra asset

An account that is used to reduce the gross cost of an asset to then arrive at the net cost. This is also known as a "valuation allowance." Accumulated depreciation, for example, is a contra asset to the original cost of a fixed asset and is used to derive the "book" value.

contra liabilities

An account that is used to reduce a liability to arrive at its carrying value.

contributor

In process scheduling, the person or role responsible for submitting data.

cost basis

The purchase price of an asset, including freight, tax, and other expenses, less any adjustments, such as Section 179 Expense Deduction and salvage value. Cost basis is used to determine capital gains and capital losses for tax purposes.

cross-model association

See Other Term: model association

cross-model mapping

A one-to-one correspondence that a business rule can establish between members or dimensions of two separate models. When cross-model mapping occurs, it also creates a model-to-model association between the models involved. Cross-model mapping may be specified by using the user interface (UI) within PerformancePoint Planning Business Modeler, or programmatically with PerformancePoint Expression Language (PEL). In PEL, the ALLOCATE statement or the TRANSFER statement can specify mappings.

cross-varying dimension

Rules that specify the valid interactions among multiple dimensions. In OLAP terminology, a listing of all valid tuples by rule. There are five main types of cross-varying dimension: dimensionality, granularity, association mapping, time-varying structural changes, simulation structural changes.

cube

See Other Term: OLAP cube

currency conversion

See Other Term: currency translation

currency exchange

See Other Term: currency translation

currency translation

The process of restating foreign currency accounts of subsidiaries into equivalent currency (usually the reporting currency of the parent company), in order to prepare consolidated financial statements in the native currency of the parent company.

Currency Translation job

A PerformancePoint Planning Server action that performs currency conversions based on the required accounting principles.

current period

A dynamic cycle property that you set to define either the start or end of the data period for the cycle.

customized scorecard

A scorecard that is created without using a template.

cycle

A user-defined period of time during which you can schedule form data entry, review, or approval, or report review or approval through assignments, or schedule server actions, also known as jobs. Cycle also defines the time period for which data can be submitted.

cycle definition

Essentially, a template used to create cycle instances. Any edits to the cycle definition are applied to every subsequently-created cycle instance that is based on that cycle definition.

cycle end date

The defined end of a period of time during which cycle items are active and can be acted upon. For example, jobs associated with a cycle can be scheduled to run only during the time period defined by the cycle start and end dates. Similarly, form assignments associated with the cycle can be submitted, reviewed, and approved during the time period.

cycle instance

A specific occurrence of a cycle definition. Edits to a cycle instance only affect that cycle instance.

cycle start date

The defined beginning of a period of time during which cycle items are active and can be acted upon. For example, jobs associated with a cycle can be scheduled to run only during the time period defined by the cycle start and end dates. Similarly, form assignments associated with the cycle can be submitted, reviewed, and approved during the time period.

dashboard

A related group of interactive scorecard and report views that are organized together in a SharePoint or Web-hosted site. Dashboard elements may share common filters that control the data displayed within the elements.

Dashboard Designer

See Other Term: PerformancePoint Dashboard Designer

Dashboard Designer Installation Site

A Monitoring Server component that facilitates the download of Dashboard Designer into each user’s computer.

Dashboard Viewer for SharePoint Services

Functionality in PerformancePoint Monitoring Server that makes it possible to display dashboard views that are defined in Dashboard Designer to users of a SharePoint site.

Dashboard Web Preview

A Monitoring Server component that deploys a dashboard to a pre-configured preview Web site so that dashboard designers can see the completed dashboard prior to deploying it to a production SharePoint site.

data administrator role

One of the PerformancePoint Server administrative roles. In addition to being able to perform all operations that a member of the modeler role can perform, a member of the data administrator role can perform all data integration operations in Planning Business Modeler. This includes synchronizing and loading dimensions, models, and associations, as well as exporting outgoing data and executing associations. Like the modeler and user administrator roles, the data administrator role can perform role-related tasks in an application (application scope) or in a model site (model-site scope).

data cleansing

The process of standardizing data, which includes conformance, detection, and removal of duplicate data. Data cleansing facilitates data integrity and accuracy.

data destination

The location of data that is exported from a PerformancePoint Planning application.

data diagram

A report type that maps shapes in a Visio diagram to data stored in lists, workbooks, or databases.

Data Export Job

The process of exporting data from the Planning Application Database to the Planning Outbound Database. This process is based on business rules that are created in Planning Business Modeler.

data integration

The process of cleaning and moving data from one system to another system.

Data Load Job

The synchronizing and loading of dimensions, hierarchies and models between the Planning Staging Database and the Planning Application Database.

data mart

A subset of the contents of a data warehouse. A data mart tends to contain data focused at the department level, or on a specific business area.

data migration

A set of activities whose overall purpose is to move data from a source system to a new application to preserve core business knowledge.

Data Movement Job

The process of transposing, aggregating and validating data from source to destination models that are in the application database.

data source

A source of business data used by PerformancePoint applications. PerformancePoint data sources may include cubes or data source views (DSV) based on online analytical processing (OLAP) cubes, relational databases, CSV files, Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, or any other Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) or multidimensional (ADOMD.NET) data source.

data transformation services (DTS)

See other term: SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)

data type

An attribute that specifies what type of information can be stored in a column, parameter, or variable.

data warehouse

A database specifically structured for query and analysis. A data warehouse typically contains data representing the business history of an organization.

database migration

The movement of an existing database from one computer running SQL Server to another one within the same system.

deadline

Dates within each assignment by which submission, review, and approval should be completed.

debit

In the case of assets and expense accounts, an increase on the left side of a double-entry balance sheet; in the case of liability accounts, stockholders’ equity, and revenue accounts, a decrease on the left side of a double-entry balance sheet.

deploy

To move a dashboard from PerformancePoint Monitoring Server to a Windows SharePoint Services site so that users can access it.

depreciation

Amortization, over time, of fixed assets like plant and equipment that can decline in value due to general wear and tear or through obsolescence. The goal of depreciation is to spread out the cost of an item over its generally accepted lifetime and to deduct the depreciation expense from the company’s federal income tax debt.

dimension

A structural attribute of a cube that organizes data into levels. For example, a Geography dimension might include the members Country, Region, State or Province, and City.

dimension aggregation

A calculated value associated with the parent position in the hierarchical dimension. The aggregation may be by addition, average, or by other more complex processes like weighted average. For example: [Salaries] and [Benefits] members of the [Account] dimension can be aggregated (added up) to the [Total Salaries Expense] member.

dimension association

In PerformancePoint Planning Business Modeler, a relationship between source model dimensions and destination model dimensions. One or more of these can exist for each model association.

dimension member

A single position or item in a dimension. The Account dimension, for example, could have a dimension member called Travel Expenses. Dimension members can be user-defined or predefined and can have properties associated with them. See dimension member property for details.

dimension member property

A characteristic of a dimension member. Dimension member properties can be alphanumeric, Boolean, or Date/Time data types, and can be user-defined or predefined. For example, the user-defined dimension "Product" could include the member's SKU and Color. Color could have a user-defined property Blue. Account, a predefined PerformancePoint dimension, includes the predefined member property Account Type.

dimension table

A table in a data warehouse whose entries describe data in a fact table. Dimension tables contain the data from which dimensions are created.

Dimensions workspace

In PerformancePoint Planning Business Modeler, a user interface area that displays a summary of a specific dimension. The dimension summary workspace includes a General table, which displays the properties of the dimension, and a Member Sets table, which displays a list of member sets included in this dimension in the model site.

display folder

A folder into which attributes, measures, calculated members, and KPIs can be organized to facilitate browsing by users.

Document Library

In a SharePoint Products and Technologies-based site, a folder in which a collection of files is shared. Each file in a library is associated with user-defined information that is displayed in the content listing for that library.

double entry accounting

An accounting process in which equal credit and debit amounts are entered for each transaction.

drill down/drill up

A technique for navigating through levels of data ranging from the most summarized (up) to the most detailed (down). For example, when viewing the details of sales data by year, a user can drill down to display sales data by quarter, and further to display data by month.

drill through (noun)

A feature that displays all rows from the fact table that combine to form the value for that cell. The rows resulting from drill through are displayed in a new worksheet so that you can view detailed data for a particular cell.

drill through (verb)

To explore or browse through data elements that are in the same level in a hierarchy.

DTS

See Other Term: SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)

eliminations entry

Removal of amounts relating to subsidiary investments and intercompany balances in a consolidation report. Some examples of eliminations entries include: intercompany or subsidiary profit, sales, purchases, receivables, and payables.

entity

A distinct economic unit such as a corporation, an affiliated company or subsidiary, a partnership, a trust, or a sole proprietorship.

equity

The quantifiable measurement of an entity’s net worth. Assets - Liabilities = Owner’s or Stockholder’s Equity

ETL

See Other Term: extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL)

exchange rate

The rate at which the currency of one country or region is equal to another that of another country or region on a particular date and time.

expansion depth

The number of levels to which a minimized hierarchical scorecard can be opened.

expense

A cost incurred by a business in an attempt to obtain revenue.

expense deduction

Allowance under U.S. Tax Section 179 for expensing all or a portion of the cost of an asset in the year of acquisition, rather than expensing, or depreciating, over the life of the asset. A Section 179 deduction and depreciation are mutually exclusive.

external source system

A data repository, such as a data warehouse, data mart, or OLTP system, that is outside a specific deployment.

extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL)

The act of extracting data from various sources, transforming data to consistent types, and loading the transformed data for use by applications.

fact

A row in a fact table in a data warehouse. A fact contains values that define a data event such as a sales transaction.

fact data

For PerformancePoint Server, measures of facts that exist in context with one or more dimensions. A fact is a result of an event.

fact table

A central table in a data warehouse schema that contains numerical measures and keys relating facts to dimension tables. Fact tables contain data that describes specific events within a business, such as bank transactions or product sales.

filter

(1) In PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel, a selector that enables you to restrict the data shown in a form or report to only those cells associated with a particular member. (2) In Planning Business Modeler, a selector that enables you to include or exclude data from the set of members that is generated by a SCOPE statement. (3) In PerformancePoint Dashboard Designer, a control that is added to a dashboard or dashboard content so that users can modify the view. With this control, users can view a subset of data that is displayed in reports and scorecards that are returned by their corresponding data sources.

filter link

An association between a filter control and a parameter. This association is defined on a report or scorecard in a dashboard. Items with links to a filter change when the filter is modified.

financial template document

An XML schema that contains all the necessary elements that are needed to capture a wizard selection and to drive the screens in the wizard. Financial template documents are stored on the server.

fiscal period

Divisions of the fiscal year, usually monthly, quarterly, or semiannually, when transaction information is summarized and financial statements are prepared.

fiscal year

An accounting period of 365 days (366 days in leap years) but not necessarily starting on January 1.

fixed value

A user-entered value or a static value from an Excel spreadsheet that does not change unless manually altered by the user. Contrast this with dynamic values that are queried from a SQL Server database, OLAP cube, or other data source.

flat list

In PerformancePoint Planning Server, a result set in which any member hierarchies are ignored and all members are presented as equal. Regardless of how the members are presented however, hierarchical information is always maintained in the member metadata.

foreign currency translation

See Other Term: currency translation

foreign currency translation job

See Other Term: Currency Translation job

form assignment

Assignment of responsibility, by a contributor, to submit data, review data, or approve data on a data entry form.

form instance

An instance, or copy, of a PerformancePoint Planning form template that is pushed to a PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel contributor, reviewer, or approver via an assignment.

form template

A set of one or multiple writable PerformancePoint Server matrixes that are created by using PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel. These matrixes are made up of rows, columns, and optionally, data filters, and other data or strings that are displayed in an Excel workbook. When associated with a PerformancePoint Planning assignment, an instance, or copy, of the template is pushed to a PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel contributor, reviewer, or approver.

frequency

A means of grouping data by time intervals. For example, weeks and months are commonly-used time frequencies. In PerformancePoint Planning, you can select from the predefined set of frequency types while year, month, and day are required frequencies. Optional frequencies include half year, trimester, quarter, and week, depending on how you define your monthly periods.

GAAP

See Other Term: Generally Accepted Accounting Principles

Gantt chart

A type of bar chart that typically shows the timing of tasks or activities as they occur over time.

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles

A widely accepted set of accounting conventions, rules, and standards for United States companies. Also referred to as GAAP. See also IFRS.

global administrator role

One of the PerformancePoint Server administrative roles. Members of the global administrator role can configure settings on the entire PerformancePoint Server system and on all computers running PerformancePoint Server within the system. The first member of the global administrator role is designated during PerformancePoint Server installation. Additional global administrators can be defined after installation by using PerformancePoint Server Administration Console.

global assumption

Assumptions that can be referenced by all models within a PerformancePoint Server application. Global assumptions include predefined dimensions.

goodwill

The subjective value associated with a company’s intangible assets like reputation, customer relations, and name and brand recognition in the marketplace. After a merger or acquisition, goodwill equals the purchase price of company, minus the company’s net assets. Goodwill must be amortized over a certain period of time.

gross margin

The ratio of gross profit to sales revenue. For a manufacturer, gross margin is a measure of a company's efficiency in turning raw materials into income; for a retailer it measures their markup over wholesale. gross margin% = gross income / net sales

gross profit

See Other Term: gross margin

hierarchy

1. A logical tree structure that organizes the members of a dimension such that each member has one parent member and zero or more child members. 2. A logical tree structure that organizes the members of a set into parent-child relationships. A ranked structure with a top level and subordinate levels.

hierarchy level

In a hierarchy, members are classified into levels (branches). Leaf level is the bottom level in the hierarchy. In a Time dimension, levels can also have names associated with them. For example, in a [Time] dimension, leaf level can represent Months and level above -- Years.

holding company

A company that owns enough voting stock in another company to control management and operations by influencing or electing its board of directors.

IFRS

See Other Term: International Financial Reporting Standards

income statement

A company’s statement of financial performance for a given period. Also called Profit and Loss Statement, Statement of Income, or Statement of Earnings.

indicator

A set of graphics, text, and colors for defining different levels of performance when comparing an actual value and a target value within a KPI.

indicator count

A type of rollup. It gives the total numbers of indicators in the tree below it, rolled up according to status

inflation

The overall price movement (generally upward) of goods and services in an economy.

intercompany

Relating to an account in which transactions, events, or exchanges are recorded between two related or affiliated companies falling under the same umbrella. For consolidated financial statements, all intercompany records must be balanced (or eliminated)—for one company’s payable or sale there must be a matching affiliate receivable or purchase.

intercompany dimension

A PerformancePoint Planning predefined dimension. It is a system-maintained dimension that consists of only those entities that are involved in intercompany transactions with other entities in the system.

intercompany elimination

See Other Term: intercompany reconciliation

intercompany reconciliation

The elimination of intercompany transactions during preparation of a consolidated balance sheet or income statement. Such transactions can include, for example, intercompany loans or investments between parent and subsidiary.

intercompany transaction

Any transaction that results in a distribution to another affiliated entity.

International Financial Reporting Standards

Accounting standards that must be used as of January 1, 2005 for European Union-based companies with publicly traded shares or debt, subsidiaries for which consolidated accounts must be prepared, or companies with subsidiary or associate companies of a European Union-listed company. Also referred to as IFRS.

Internet Protocol Security (IPsec)

A set of industry-standard, cryptography-based protection services and protocols. IPSec protects all protocols in the TCP/IP protocol suite and Internet communications by using Layer Two Tunneling Protocol (L2TP).

interval

The number of times a cycle should occur for a given instance of the cycle frequency. An interval value of 1 indicates that the cycle should occur for each instance of the cycle frequency. An interval value of 2 indiates that the cycle should occur every second instance of the cycle frequency.

inventory

The raw materials that are needed to produce finished goods, partially finished goods, and actual finished goods that are owned by a company and that will eventually be sold by the company.

IPsec

See Other Term: Internet Protocol Security (IPsec)

job

A system task such as loading data, running rule sets, or sending notifications.

journal entry

The required record of any transaction or other adjustment recorded manually in a PerformancePoint application after a value has been submitted and approved (most often necessary in statutory consolidation). In Performance Point Planning Business Modeler, journal entries and their associated manual adjustment are considered “original” for auditing purposes. See also journal entry adjustment.

journal entry adjustment

An end-of-period journal entry that notes the accrued expenses, accrued revenue, prepaid expenses, and unearned revenue that are associated with an account for the period prior to the reporting period. This is most often used when a transaction crosses two or more periods. Journal entry adjustments can also be used to correct transaction recording errors.

key performance indicator (KPI)

A predefined measure that is used to track performance of a strategic goal, objective, plan, initiative, or business process. A KPI is evaluated against a target. An explicit and measurable value taken directly from a data source. Key performance indicators (KPIs) are used to measure performance in a specific area, for example, revenue per customer.

KPI

See Other Term: key performance indicator (KPI)

label

The primary identifier of objects throughout the PerformancePoint Server system. All labels must be unique, because they are the primary property that is used in many PerformancePoint Planning Business Modeler features. Two types of labels are available—structured data object labels and reference data object labels. Labels of structured data objects have reserved word and character restrictions that come from SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services (SSAS). Labels of reference data objects are unrestricted. Lists of structured data objects and reference data objects are available in the Planning Business Modeler Help topic "About Names and Labels."

leaf member

A member that has no descendents.

level

A degree of granularity in hierarchies. Levels enable you to view data in various degrees of detail. The Time dimension, for example, can have the levels Year, Quarter, Month, and Day.

liability

A monetary debt or obligation of future services.

local cube

A cube saved to a local computer and not connected to a data source.

logger

In PerformancePoint Planning Server, a logger writes high-level events to the Windows Event Viewer. The PerformancePoint Server logger can be configured to write (in descending order of importance) errors, warnings, or informational messages to the Windows Event Viewer.

MAL

See Other Term: modeling abstraction layer (MAL)

matrix

A table in an Excel worksheet that displays PerformancePoint Planning Server application data. A matrix can be writable for data entry, or it can be for review purposes only, as in a report. Multiple matrixes can be included in a form or report but all must display data from the same PerformancePoint Planning model.

MDX

See Other Term: multidimensional expression (MDX)

MDX formula

The online analytical processing (OLAP) equivalent of an SQL query.

measure

A quantified value that is indicative of the size, quantity, scale, importance, or extent of something important to an organization.

measure group

A collection of related measures in an Analysis Services cube. The measures are generally from the same fact table.

member

See other term: dimension member

member association

In PerformancePoint Planning Business Modeler, a relationship between a source dimension member and a destination dimension member. One or more of these can exist for each dimension association.

member property

See Other Term: dimension member property

member set

A collection of members from a dimension.

member view

Hierarchies of dimension members that are organized according to member properties. Member views are not used to build models; instead, they provide an alternative way to create reports on the members of a dimension. They use dimension member properties to analyze groups of related members.

merger

The combination of two or more companies into one, where the corporate identity of one then serves for the new single company.

metadata

Information about the properties of data, such as the type of data in a column (numeric, text, and so on) or the length of a column. It can also be information about the structure of data or information that specifies the design of objects such as cubes or dimensions.

Microsoft Message queue

The queue to which Monitoring Server sends metadata change messages. The queue is specified in the Type Microsoft Message Service queue (MsmQueue) name box and it is enabled or disabled by the Monitoring Server administrator.

Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server

A complete performance management (PM) application that includes business scorecarding, analytics and planning functionality. PerformancePoint Server enables companies to understand and manage the vast amounts of financial and other performance data generated by medium and large enterprises during the course of business. With PerformancePoint Server, knowledge workers can use Microsoft Office products for working with business information that comes from enterprise resource planning (ERP) and line-of-business (LOB) applications.

Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server

A secure, scalable, enterprise portal server built upon Windows SharePoint Services. You can use it to aggregate SharePoint sites, information, and applications in your organization into a single, easy-to-use portal. SharePoint Portal Server 2003 relies on Windows SharePoint Services to provide basic Web hosting and document storage functions.

Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies

A set of products and technologies that allow users in an organization to create, manage, and build their own collaborative Web sites and make them available throughout their organizations. These products and technologies include SharePoint Portal Server for portal sites and Windows SharePoint Services for team sites.

Microsoft XML Core Services (MSXML)

Technology that allows users to build high-performance XML-based applications that provide interoperability with other applications that adhere to the XML 1.0 standard.

migration

The process of taking structural metadata and data from one deployment to another deployment.

model

The basic unit of data storage in PerformancePoint Planning. Models define how data is organized within a PerformancePoint Planning application. Models use dimensions, business rules, and model properties to organize data and define business logic and calculations. Models reside in model sites. Models are created, edited, and managed in PerformancePoint Planning Business Modeler.

model association

In PerformancePoint Planning Business Modeler, a relationship that allows users to define links between reference data elements to enable fact data movement. Model associations are defined two ways: through the PerformancePoint Expression Language (PEL) via a rule or through the PerformancePoint Business Modeler user interface. The results can be different, depending on the method used to define the association.

model site

An object that organizes data within a PerformancePoint Planning Server application. A model site is a container for models and their related elements (such as dimensions, security and mapping information, and business process definitions) that are used to structure business intelligence data. Each model site can inherit data and structure from the root model site of the application.

modeler role

One of the PerformancePoint Server administrative roles. Members of the modeler role can perform any modeling operation within their scope (application or model site). Modeler members cannot create or delete applications and they cannot register or unregister SQL Server 2005 databases with applications. However, a modeler member who has application scope permissions can modify properties for the application.

modeling abstraction layer (MAL)

The layer that resides between users (both application developers and end-users) and SQL Server and SQL Server Analysis Services data. The modeling abstraction layer (MAL) provides storage for business data modeling and for interactive and procedural calculations. Application developers and end-users interact with the MAL layer indirectly through business modeling objects (BMO).

Monitoring Central

A Web site from which users can install and run Dashboard Designer, view product documentation, and open the Dashboard Web Preview site.

Monitoring Plug-in for Report Designer

A data processing extension (DPE) that is deployed to Report Designer, a Visual Studio component for SQL Server Reporting Services. This DPE allows Report Designer to customize the PerformancePoint Monitoring scorecards that are saved as RDL (Report Definition Language) files.

Monitoring Server

See Other Term: PerformancePoint Monitoring Server

Monitoring Server Configuration Manager

See Other Term: PerformancePoint Monitoring Server Configuration Manager

Monitoring Web Service

See Other Term: PerformancePoint Monitoring Server Web Service

MSXML

See Other Term: Microsoft XML Core Services (MSXML)

multidimensional analysis

A methodology often used to design OLAP systems that involves describing numeric facts (such as revenue) by business descriptors (such as customers, time, products, and so on).

multidimensional expression (MDX)

A language for querying and manipulating data in multidimensional objects (OLAP cubes).

name

In PerformancePoint Server, a “user-friendly” descriptor for an object. Names do not have to be unique and they do not have any reserved words or character restrictions.

named set

A grouping of dimension members or items from a data source that are named and treated as a single unit and can be referenced or reused multiple times.

negative goodwill

See Other Term: badwill

NONE member

A dimension member that is used for information that has no defined relationship to a specific member.

notifications

E-mail messages that are generated from PerformancePoint Planning Server to alert you when certain cycle, job, or assignment actions take place. In PerformancePoint Planning Business Modeler, you can enable or disable notifications when you create a cycle.

objective

A group of key performance indicators (KPIs) that correspond to the functional areas or strategic initiatives of an organization.

objective KPI

A KPI that derives its target value and score from a rollup of its child KPIs. Objective KPIs do not have actual values and do not connect to external data sources. They indicate performance by showing a normalized aggregation of the KPIs one level below them in the scorecard.

ODBC

See Other Term: Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)

Office Web components

A set of controls that you use to create data analysis and reporting solutions, both in a Web browser and in traditional programming environments.

offline

A state in which the local computer is not connected to any computers in the PerformancePoint Planning Server system. For example, you can work offline in PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel on your computer even though you are not connected to any computer in the PerformancePoint Server system.

OLAP

See Other Term: online analytical processing (OLAP)

OLAP cube

A set of data that is organized and summarized into a multidimensional structure defined by a set of dimensions and measures.

online analytical processing (OLAP)

A technology that uses multidimensional structures to provide rapid access to data for analysis. The source data for OLAP is commonly stored in data warehouses in a relational database.

Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)

An application programming interface (API) that enables database applications to access data from a variety of existing data sources.

opening balance

The balance of an account at the start of an accounting period.

outbound database

See Other Term: Planning Outbound Database

outer join

A join that includes all the rows from the joined tables that have met the search conditions, even rows from one table for which there is no matching row in the other join table. For result set rows returned when a row in one table is not matched by a row from the other table, a value of NULL is supplied for all result set columns that are resolved to the table that had the missing row.

page filter

See Other Term: filter

parameter

A field defined on a dashboard item that can receive data from a filter control. Data supplied to this field modifies content that is displayed in the dashboard scorecard or report.

PBF

See Other Term: planning, budgeting, and forecasting (PBF)

PEL

See Other Term: PerformancePoint Expression Language (PEL)

PEL tuple

A member set that includes exactly one member from each dimension in the model. A PEL tuple does not recognize order.

PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel

A component that is installed on your computer to add PerformancePoint Planning commands and functions to Excel. It takes, as input, disparate enterprise information portal (EIP) and line-of-business (LOB) data, which is collected by using PerformancePoint Planning models. PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel, together with Planning Business Modeler, provides form and report authoring, data entry and submission, and workflow capabilities that are available both on and offline.

PerformancePoint common services

A set of commonly-used and shared services such as Logger, Configuration, Security Manager, Resource Manager, Transaction Management, Task and Schedule Manager, Type Library Manager, and Data Access Layer.

PerformancePoint Dashboard Designer

A client application that you use to create and manage dashboards, scorecards, reports, and other PerformancePoint items prior to deploying them within a dashboard to a SharePoint site.

PerformancePoint Expression Language (PEL)

The PerformancePoint Planning language that is used to write business rules that automate operations and calculate performance data for a financial model.

PerformancePoint Monitoring Server

A computer or group of computers that host the PerformancePoint Monitoring System Database and PerformancePoint Monitoring Server Web Service.

PerformancePoint Monitoring Server Configuration Manager

The administration wizard that is used for installing and configuring Monitoring Server, including such tasks as adding or removing components, specifying the location of the Monitoring System database, and configuring the server for SQL Server Reporting Services and Windows SharePoint Services or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007.

PerformancePoint Monitoring Server Web Service

A collection of application programming interfaces (APIs) that provide the core functionality of PerformancePoint Monitoring Server, connecting PerformancePoint Dashboard Designer to the Monitoring Server database, Dashboard Viewer for SharePoint, and data sources.

PerformancePoint Monitoring System Database

The database that stores the PerformancePoint Monitoring Server metadata, which consists of user permissions and settings for dashboard elements.

PerformancePoint Planning Administration Console

A thin client that allows members of the global administrator role to make configurations to any computer that is running PerformancePoint Planning Server. Configurations include creating and editing applications, creating and editing model sites, adding users to PerformancePoint Planning Server applications, and adding users to or removing users from the global administrator role, the Modeler role, or the user administrator role. Members of the user administrator role can also make specific configurations with the Administration console. See PerformancePoint Planning Administration Console online Help for detailed information about additional functionality.

PerformancePoint Planning Business Modeler

A component of PerformancePoint Planning Server that is the primary interface for designing and managing business applications that perform complex planning, budgeting, forecasting, and consolidation. Business Modeler defines and manages the metadata that drives all PerformancePoint Planning applications and enables senior business analysts to build powerful applications using the predefined PerformancePoint Planning business dimensions. Business Modeler runs locally, but all of the models and schemas are server-based.

PerformancePoint Planning Server

The Planning server component of PerformancePoint Server. It is an infrastructure that includes everything between the PerformancePoint Server client tier and the SQL Server 2005 databases and SQL Server Analysis Services cubes. PerformancePoint Planning Server provides a run-time environment, infrastructure, APIs, scripts, configuration files, administrative functions, and a management console user interface for both the analyst and the IT professional in the datacenter.

PerformancePoint Planning Server Configuration Manager

The administration wizard that is used for configuring Planning Server, including such tasks as adding or removing Web services and creating or provisioning a new system database.

PerformancePoint Planning Server Web Service

The Web service that is used by Planning Business Modeler and PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel to interact with Planning Server. The Web service supports user authentication, authorization, and the storage and retrieval of information that resides in Planning Server.

PerformancePoint Planning service

The Windows service that manages and processes the work item queue in Performance Planning Server. PerformancePoint Planning Server work items can include job and cube processing, data writebacks, and audit and trace logging.

PerformancePoint Server

See Other Term: Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server

PerformancePoint Server administrator

The person who installs, sets up, and maintains the PerformancePoint Server system. The PerformancePoint Server administrator is usually an information technology (IT) administrator.

permissions

Authorization to perform operations associated with a shared resource, such as a file, directory, or printer. Permissions must be granted by the system administrator to individual user accounts or administrative groups. The security model for PerformancePoint Server is based on roles. Users are assigned to roles, and their permission levels within the PerformancePoint Server system are dictated by the roles to which they belong. Permissions are confirmed prior to running any secured task through automatic permissions checking. With a role-based security and permissions model, administrators can create a business role, for example, and then add users to the role, or they can add new users to an existing role. Users can be removed from roles, such as if their job duties change.

Planning Application Database

The location for Planning application-specific metadata, reference data, fact data, and all business rules and process definitions.

Planning Business Modeler

See Other Term: PerformancePoint Planning Business Modeler

Planning Outbound Database

The database where the exported data resides when a Data Export Job is run.

Planning Process Service

The Web service that supports the running of all scheduled and ad-hoc workflow processes and tasks for Planning Server applications.

Planning Service Database

The location for Planning Server process configuration and settings.

Planning Staging Database

A database that is used to prepare and load data into PerformancePoint Planning Server applications from one or more external data sources.

Planning System Database

The database that tracks all Planning Server configurations, security, and applications.

Planning Web Service

See Other Term: PerformancePoint Planning Server Web Service

planning, budgeting, and forecasting (PBF)

The interrelated processes of planning business activities, developing budgets based on the plans, and forecasting future expenditures and revenues based on budgeted and actual data.

power reader

This role grants read-only access to all dashboard elements on Monitoring Server. This role is intended for use by service accounts or backend services that need complete access to the system.

predefined dimension

A dimension that is assigned a certain dimension type that is recognized by PerformancePoint Planning Server. Predefined dimensions have specific member properties and behaviors associated with them; for example, Time or Account. When you create an application in Planning Business Modeler, PerformancePoint Planning Server automatically generates a set of predefined dimensions, which serve as templates to be modified and enhanced. A predefined dimension consists of the same objects that make up a user-defined dimension: dimension members, member sets, member views, dimension properties, and dimension member properties. Depending on the particular predefined dimension, some or all of these objects will be automatically included with the dimension.

predefined object

a system-generated object.

predefined rule

A system-generated rule.

primary dimension table

In a snowflake schema in a data warehouse, a dimension table that is directly related to, and usually joined to, the fact table. Additional tables that complete the dimension definition are joined to the primary dimension table instead of the fact table.

prior period adjustment

An adjustment for an error that was not discovered during the fiscal period in which it occurred. Prior period adjustments are reported as an adjustment to the retained earnings balance at the beginning of the period in which the correction was made.

process scheduling

Business intelligence task assignments for users, roles, and PerformancePoint Planning Server. PerformancePoint Server process scheduling enables users to create and track data submission assignments for users, and jobs for automated system actions. Process scheduling includes data element-level security, meaning that user access to data is based on permissions.

Profit and Loss statement

See Other Term: income statement

profit margin

A measure of profitability that is calculated by using the formula: profit margin = net income before tax and interest / revenue. It can be expressed as a percentage or a number.

property

See Other Term: dimension member property

publish

In PerformancePoint Planning, converting data so that PerformancePoint Planning forms and reports can be published to SQL Server Reporting Services. Users can then push their PerformancePoint Planning reports to a thin client for easy distribution. In PerformancePoint Monitoring, committing changes from a local workspace to the PerformancePoint Monitoring Server database. You must publish Dashboard items prior to deploying them to a SharePoint site.

RDL

See Other Term: Report Definition Language

Read permission

Authorization for a user or role to read data in a form or report, but not to enter data, make edits, or modify the properties of the form or report.

Read+Write permission

A designation that indicates that certain users or roles have both Read and Write permissions to an object or data set. In PerformancePoint Planning Server, it is possible for a user or role to have Write permissions to an object or data set, but not Read permissions to the same object or data set. Therefore, when users or roles have both Read and Write permissions to an object or data set, they are designated with Read+Write.

reader

This role grants read-only access to a specific dashboard element. It enables users to view the elements of a dashboard in Dashboard Designer.

reconciliation

An adjustment made to two versions of the same fixed or calculated number when they are not the same. Reconciliation might be necessary, for example, if a parent company’s figures that relate to a subsidiary are different from the correlating figures in records kept by the subsidiary. A reconciliation adjustment is based on the difference between the numbers and is, ultimately, subjective.

recurrence pattern

A defined recurring cycle, such as monthly budgeting or quarterly reporting. The recurrence pattern is based on Gregorian time.

reference data

A member in a dimension in the context of a dimension table in a relational database.

refresh

In PerformancePoint Planning, to update displayed information with current data. In PerformancePoint Monitoring, the activity of synchronizing dashboards and dashboard elements between the local workspace and Monitoring Server.

relational database

A database or database management system that stores information in tables. In conducting searches, a relational database matches information from a field in one table with information in a corresponding field of another table to produce a third table that combines requested data from both tables.

repetition

An instance of a cycle in a multiple cycle series.

report

A set of one or multiple read-only PerformancePoint Server matrixes that are created by using PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel. These matrixes are made up of rows, columns, and optionally, data filters, and other data or strings that are displayed in an Excel workbook. A report can be created by using the PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel authoring pane or the Create a Report wizard.

Report Definition Language

A set of instructions that describe layout and query information for a report. RDL is composed of XML elements that conform to an XML grammar created for Reporting Services.

report view

A visual display of data in a dashboard that can be coordinated with other report views by using filters. Report views include analytic grids and charts, PivotTable and PivotChart reports, Excel spreadsheets, SQL Server Reporting Services reports, strategy maps, trend charts, and Web pages.

report view group

Reports that are grouped together in a single dashboard zone. These reports can be conditionally shown, based on the selected KPI.

Report View Web Part

Feature that allows users to view and interact with report views that are created in PerformancePoint Dashboard Designer.

result set

The set of records that results from running a query or applying a filter.

retained earnings

The accumulated earnings of an entity (minus distributed income, like dividends) since its inception.

reversing entry

A transaction that reverses (and effectively cancels out) the debit and credit entries of a previous adjustment. Reversing entries can be used to correct a previous erroneous transaction.

reviewer

In process scheduling, the person or role responsible for reviewing newly entered data.

ribbon

The ribbon is part of the Microsoft Office Fluent user interface (UI). In Dashboard Designer, It consists of contextual tools for creating, editing, and exporting dashboards and their elements.

role

A defined set of access privileges assigned to a user in PerformancePoint Server. The role or roles assigned to a user determine which tasks the user can perform and which parts of the user interface the user can view.

rollup

The calculated value of a KPI is derived from the aggregated scores of child or descendant KPIs.

root model site

The primordial model site for an application. Each application must contain one root model site. All other model sites exist underneath the root model site in the model site hierarchy. Such model sites can inherit data and structure from the root model site. Root model sites are created, edited, and managed in PerformancePoint Planning Business Modeler.

rule set

A container for grouping logically related rules. A rule can only exist within a rule set. A rule set can contain zero or more items. There is no nesting limit for rule sets.

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX)

U.S. legislation that is designed to protect investors by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act includes detailed rules regarding analyst conflicts of interest, establishment of a public company accounting oversight board, auditor independence, corporate responsibility, enhanced financial disclosures, analyst conflicts of interest, Commission resources and authority, signing of corporate tax returns, and corporate and criminal fraud penalties.

scenario dimension

A predefined dimension that is used to differentiate between different modeling scenarios. For example, you can use this dimension to track values for budget, actual, and forecasted scenarios for any given period of time. It is automatically included with every model.

schema

The organization or structure for a database. The activity of data modeling leads to a schema. The term is used in discussing relational and object-oriented databases. The term sometimes seems to refer to a visualization of a structure and sometimes to a formal text-oriented description. Two common types of database schemas are the star schema and the snowflake schema.

scorecard

A report type that depicts organizational performance by displaying a collection of key performance indicators (KPIs) together with performance targets for those KPIs. A scorecard can be organized hierarchically.

scorecard element

Any one of the individual components of a scorecard, such as key performance indicators (KPIs), members, properties, actuals, targets, or MDX expressions.

scorecard view

A hierarchical arrangement of the KPIs and objectives that are contained in a scorecard. Scorecard views also can be configured to include additional data from scorecard data sources.

scorecard view Web Part

A feature that allows users to view and interact with scorecard views when using Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 or SharePoint Portal Server 2003.

Scorecard Viewer for Reporting Services

An interface that is used for deploying dashboards to SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services. With this interface, you can view dashboard scorecards in Report Definition Language (RDL) format.

share

One unit of ownership interest in a company.

shared library

A container for assumptions and metadata (dimensions, hierarchies, forms and reports, inter-model mappings, DTS packages that are used by PerformancePoint Server, and PerformancePoint Server data sources) that are global to any child model site of the root model site, or of a model site with which the library is associated. The assumptions and metadata of a shared library are for the exclusive consumption of these child models and are not available outside their immediate model family.

SharePoint Portal Server

See Other Term: Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server

SharePoint Products and Technologies

See Other Term: Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies

SharePoint Services

See Other Term: Windows SharePoint Services

slice

A subset of the data in a cube, specified by limiting one or more dimensions by members of the dimension. For example, facts for a particular year constitute a slice of multiyear data.

snowflake schema

An extension of a star schema such that one or more dimensions are defined by multiple tables. In a snowflake schema, only primary dimension tables are joined to the fact table. Additional dimension tables are joined to primary dimension tables.

source data integration

The process of clean\sing source data, such as transactional and operational data, and moving it to a data warehouse or a data mart.

source system

The system in which application and metadata reside before they are migrated to a different one.

SOX

See Other Term: Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX)

spread by ratio

To spread a non-leaf level value to all leaf-level members while maintaining the ratio between the non-leaf level and leaf-level members.

spread evenly

To enter a non-leaf-level value and spread it evenly over all leaf-level cells.

spreading

A convenient way to enter data at a non-leaf level, and spread the data automatically to the leaf level while maintaining data consistency within the model. When spreading is set to occur, non-leaf values are updated and the changes are distributed (spread) to all leaf-level values based on the selected spread type. After spreading has occurred, leaf-level values are updated but non-leaf-level values remain equal to the aggregation of their leaf-level values. The two types of spreading are spread evenly and spread by ratio (the default).

spreadsheet report view

A report view that provides interactive functionality for a spreadsheet on a Web page.

SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)

A component that is used to import, export, and transform data from different data sources. Previously called data transformation service (DTS).

SQL Server report view

A report view in the form of a SQL Server report, which uses the analysis features of SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services.

staging database

See Other Term: Planning Staging Database

standard indicator

An indicator set that can be used when either the "increasing is better" or "decreasing is better" scoring patterns are selected when you edit the band settings.

star schema

A relational database structure in which data is maintained in a single fact table at the center of the schema with additional dimension data stored in dimension tables. Each dimension table is directly related to and usually joined to the fact table by a key column. Star schemas are used in data warehousing.

Statement of Earnings

See Other Term: income statement

Statement of Income

See Other Term: income statement

strategy map

A report type that depicts relationships and dependencies between objectives, goals, and KPIs by mapping shapes in a Visio diagram to key performance indicators (KPIs).

subsidiary

A company controlled by another company or corporation. The controlling company is often referred to as the parent.

system migration

The movement of an existing system from a development or staging environment into a production or live environment.

system upgrade

An upgrade of a system from an existing or older version to a newer or more recent version.

target

As one aspect of a KPI, a target is the desired level of performance with respect to a specific business goal or strategy. Actual values are evaluated against the target to determine KPI score and status.

task

Unit of work that can be assigned to an owner or to the system and then scheduled for action at some particular point in the future. In PerformancePoint Planning there are two types of tasks: form assignments (for people) and jobs (for PerformancePoint Planning Server).

task recurrence

The interval and number of times a task will recur. For example, a short-term, project-related task might be scheduled to occur every day for five weeks, or a longer-term task might be scheduled for once a month for once every six months.

task start and end

Describes the duration of a task, the date and time the task will begin through the date and time the task will end.

Time dimension

A predefined dimension that maintains a common time scale within an application. The Time dimension is created and maintained by using the Application Calendar wizard.

trace logging

A means of capturing highly detailed information about the PerformancePoint Server system when problems occur. Unlike standard PerformancePoint logging, you can do trace logging on a per-server basis, and obtain much greater granularity. The detail created in trace logs is very useful for troubleshooting or other situations where analysis is required.

transaction

An exchange or transfer of assets from one entity to another. Transactions can be internal (between groups within a single entity or between two entities under the same umbrella) or external (between two financially unrelated entities).

trend analysis chart

A Microsoft Office Excel-style predictive analysis chart that shows the projected trend. It is based on current and past values or other nontemporal values.

update

To retrieve the most current data from the data source that is associated with a scorecard.

user administrator role

One of the administrative roles available in PerformancePoint Server. The user administrator role can apply to an entire application or to a model site within an application. Members of the user administrator role can: o Assign users to and remove users from any administrative PerformancePoint Server role within their scope (application or model site), with the exception of the global administrator role. o Add users to or remove users from user-created business roles within their scope (application or model-site). o Add users to or remove users from the PerformancePoint Server system. User Administrator members cannot create or delete business roles.

User dimension

A predefined dimension that maintains user-related information such as process scheduling reviewer and approver hierarchies, and security roles.

user roles

See Other Term: permissions

user-defined dimension

A user-created and user-modifiable dimension that is not assigned a dimension type that is recognized by PerformancePoint Planning Business Modeler. No built-in behavior is associated with it. Product and Region are examples.

user-defined object

A custom object defined by the user.

validate

To ensure that all data sources that are used by a KPI or scorecard are available.

variance

The difference between a projected number and the actual number.

view

The organization of data into a logical tree structure.

Web page report view

A report type that contains a Web page.

Web Part

Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies functionality that is the basic building block for a page on a SharePoint site. A modular unit of information that consists of a title bar, a frame, and content.

Web Part description file (.dwp)

An .xml file that defines the default property settings for a Web Part, including references to other files that are required to run and display the part.

weight

The value of a scorecard KPI in relation to the values of other KPIs. For example, you might have an objective with two key performance indicators (KPIs), the first with a weight of one and the second with a weight of three. This means that the second KPI is three times more important than the first. The weights that are assigned to the KPIs are part of the calculation when their values are rolled up to derive the value for their parent objective.

what you see is what you get (WYSIWYG)

pronounced wizzywig. Allowing a user to view a document as it will appear in the final product, and to directly edit the text, graphics, or other elements within that view. A WYSIWYG language is often easier to use than a markup language, which provides no immediate visual feedback regarding the changes being made. Compare markup language. A type of program that allows creation and editing of web pages, text, or graphical user interfaces so that users can see what the end results will look like while the documents are being created.

window interval

The allowable length of time in which a preconfigured number of similar events are written to Planning Server log files, when filtering is enabled. If filtering is not enabled, the window interval is irrelevant.

Windows SharePoint Services

An integrated portfolio of collaboration and communication services that is designed to connect people, information, processes, and systems both within and beyond the organizational firewall.

workbook

One matrix, or a collection of matrixes, that use a single model site as a data source .

workspace

The user interface area in which users perform most tasks. Examples include the Dimensions workspace and the Models workspace.

workspace browser

A component of the shell of Dashboard Designer. It holds available KPIs, data sources, indicators, report views, scorecards, and dashboards for use in the workspace.

Worst Child

A type of rollup of child KPIs. It moves the indicator of the lowest performing KPI to the objective KPI row.

writable

Describes a cell or field in which a user can edit or enter information.

Write permission

Permissions that allow a user or role to enter data, make edits, or modify the properties of a form or report. Note that, in PerformancePoint Server, it is possible for a user or a role to have Write permission to an object without having Read permission to that same object.

writeback

The result of an operation that occurs when data is entered into a writable cell in a PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel matrix. The data is submitted to PerformancePoint Planning Server, saved to a relational fact table, and then the source data cube is updated.

WYSIWYG

See Other Term: what you see is what you get (WYSIWYG)