DBRW function for IBM Planning Analytics (TM1)

The DBRW serves as a fundamental tool for interacting with multidimensional data cubes on IBM Planning Analytics (TM1), enabling precise retrieval and modification of data within the context of financial planning, analysis and reporting. This function is used directly in Excel, enabling users to create dynamic and interactive reports and input templates.

It is recommended to use the View function with DBRW to define the data you want to retreive, as it will cache it into memory, making it faster to return data.

This formula, along with related functions like DBR and DBS, plays a crucial role in leveraging the power of IBM Planning Analytics (IBM’s solution for business analytics) for dynamic business insights and decision-making.

Learn how to use the DBRW to retrieve data from a cell in the Product Scorecard cube with the video.

Where can the DBRW function be used?

Excel

Which TM1 Server version is the DBRW function available for?

Version 11 and 12

What is the syntax for DBRW?

DBRW(TM1ServerName:CubeName, Element1, Element2, Element3, …, ElementN)

TM1ServerName = Name of the TM1 Server
CubeName = Name of the Cube
Element1 to ElementN = An element in each dimension from the Cube. Each element must be ordered based on the dimension of the Cube.

Relevant Functions

DBR = Retrieve and write back a value or text to a cube’s cell
DBRW = Retrieve and write back a value or text to a cube’s cell, which is more efficient than the DBR over a WAN than DBRW
DBS = Send a value to a cube’s cell. This function cannot send a string to a cube
DBSS = Send a text to a cube’s cell
DBSW = Send a numeric value to a cube’s cell. DBSW is more efficient over a WAN than DBS
View = Sets up an optimised view for a cube that is cached in memory, so it can be referenced quicker