The latest release of Star Integration Server 2.8.6.2 has amazing extraction performance for Essbase ASO and BSO source cubes. This release introduces a new "Sparse Discovery" mechanism that identifies the pockets in the database where no data exists (which is typically over 90% of the possible intersection points) and only processes intersections where data does exists. In turn, this provides a tremendous performance boost especially with large sparse Essbase ASO cubes.
This release of Star Integration Server also removes any of the 2^32 limitations that Essbase administrators might experience when using traditional report scripts for data extraction as well as expanded parallel extraction with up to 128 extractor threads to leverage higher-CPU hardware.
Another great improvement is client-side extraction. This feature removes the need to place a Star-specific Essbase CDF file directly on the Essbase server. The client-side extraction leverages native Essbase security filters so that users who need to extract data only get access to their authorized POV. The underpinnings of client-side extraction is either using Essbase MDX scripts or Reports scripts. However since the MDX and Reports scripts are spread across parallel extraction threads and only focus on areas where there is data, the extraction is very fast. As noted by a friend in the Hyperion Community, Gary Crisci, a side benefit of this approach is ASO Query hints can be optimized since SIS will quickly loop through all the combinations to help optimize the process.
Here is a press release announcing the product launch: http://staranalytics.com/2012/01/11/star-analytics-introduces-new-release-of-star-integration-server-to-speed-access-to-oracle-data-for-business-decisions/
It also should be noted that Star has a trial version available (http://staranalytics.com/products/product-trial-request/?dlv=sis) but has removed the metadata-only SIS "Express Edition".
More details of this release can be found in the release notes: http://staranalytics.com/public-downloads/sis/documentation/SIS_2.8.6.2_ReleaseNotes.pdf
