The previous post ended with a discussion on using DATACOPY to create blocks. I stated that it was my preferred method of making sure the right blocks were created for use. However, we may run into a situation requiring an “IF” test to determine when we create the blocks. In this situation, we cannot use DATACOPY as it is not syntactically valid inside an IF test.

A data block is the fundamental unit of storage for a cube in Essbase or Planning (including Planning Cloud). When developing a new calculation or updating an existing calculation, inevitably, block creation will become an issue for us. When writing calculations, you need to be sure that the data blocks either already exist or that they get created as part of your calculation; otherwise, you’ll end up without the data you need.