Delta-mechanism for integration of OLAP-based planning and reporting

A computer-implemented method comprising:

• reading data from a database, wherein the database is a multidimensional database;
• storing a data object in a data buffer, wherein the data object includes the data read from the database;
• accessing the data object from the data buffer with one of a plurality of application tools, the tools comprising:
• a business reporting tool which performs online analytical processing business reporting operations based on one or more data objects accessed from the data buffer, the business reporting tool configured to view the one or more data objects and to not make changes to the one or more data objects, and
• a business planning tool, integrated with the reporting tool, which performs online analytical processing business planning operations based on the one or more data objects accessed from the data buffer, the business planning tool configured to view the one or more data objects and to change the one or more data objects;
• storing, in a delta buffer, a delta record characterizing a difference between the data object and a modified version of the data object, the modified version being a result of a change to the data object made by one of the application tools;
• and
• updating the data object in the data buffer with the delta record, the data object buffered in the data buffer having a logical key corresponding to the database of the data objects, a description of an aggregation level described by characteristics and key figures from which aggregates of the data object may be constructed, and a description of a selection condition representing a slice of the multidimensional database, the business reporting tool and the business planning tool requesting data from the data buffer having a specified aggregation level and a specified selection condition, the delta buffer and the data buffer providing an integrated view to the business reporting tool and the business planning tool.

An integrated business planning and reporting platform embodied in computer-readable storage media, the platform comprising:

• a database storing data, wherein the database is a multidimensional database;
• a data buffer configured to store one or more data objects, wherein the at least one data object includes data read from the database;
• a business reporting tool which performs online analytical processing business reporting operations based on one or more data objects accessed from the data buffer, the business reporting tool configured to view the one or more data objects and to not make changes to the one or more data objects;
• a business planning tool, integrated with the reporting tool, which performs online analytical processing business planning operations based on the one or more data objects accessed from the data buffer, the business planning tool configured to view the one or more data objects and to change the one or more data objects;
• and
• a delta buffer configured to store a delta record characterizing a difference between the one or more data objects and a modified version of the one or more data objects, the modified version being a result of a change made to the one or more data objects by the business reporting tool, the business planning tool, or both, the data objects buffered in the data buffer having a logical key corresponding to the database of the data objects, a description of an aggregation level described by characteristics and key figures from which aggregates of the data object may be constructed, and a description of a selection condition representing a slice of the multidimensional database, the business reporting tool and the business planning tool requesting data from the data buffer having a specified aggregation level and a specified selection condition, the delta buffer and the data buffer providing an integrated view to the business reporting tool and the business planning tool.