COGNOS BI PRODUCTS

OLAP Terminology
Cognos Query

The web-based application provides facilities to query the Datawarehouse directly from within an Internet browser PowerPlay Web The front-end web interface to view the multidimensional cubes.
Cognos Upfront

The user interface that provides facilities to publish, search, organise and view Cognos reports and queries on the Web. Upfront is used with PowerPlay Web and Cognos Query to organise and share business information LDAP Server (Netscape Directory Server) The security information for the cubes and reports is stored in the authentication source i.e. a namespace in the LDAP (Netscape Directory Server)

Features of Cognos Tools

Cognos Upfront
Publish and view information easily

(Publish and view documents and files organised into multiple NewsBoxes, or subject matter categories) Access information centrally (Access all available information centrally through the Upfront Web portal) Collaborate with other users (Share your analyses and reports easily and effectively with other users) View information the way you want (Upfront can be customised to suit the needs of the users)

Features of Cognos Tools

Cognos Query
Powerful ad hoc navigation and exploration

(Web-based tool for data navigation and exploration. Explore data to obtain answers to business questions)
Intuitive, easy-to-use web browser interface

(Access the powerful ad hoc functionality of Cognos Query without installing or configuring anything on your desktop system)
Create or modify queries to suit individual business

requirements (Create a query online, Save the query, Amend the query)
Complete integration to complement any Cognos BI tool

(Integration allows you to move seamlessly from any report, analysis, or query)

Features of Cognos Tools

Cognos PowerPlay Web
User Interface

(Nested crosstabs, charts, filters, calculations, sorting, slice and dice, and drill down)
Export features

(Export to csv , pdf file formats)

Security

(Specifying viewing, modification and publishing rights by User Class for every NewsBox in Upfront)
OLAP Reporting

(Integration allows you to move seamlessly from any report, analysis, or query)

Features of Cognos Tools

Cognos PowerPlay client
Reporting Interface

(Users can create standard and ad hoc reports quickly and easily by using the PowerPlay client)
Advanced features

(Users can easily refine reports and reporting applications contents to suit their individual requirements)
Multidimensional features

(slice and dice, drill down/up)

Two modes for analysis

(Two separate modes : Explorer and Reporter)

ARCHITECT
FrameWork Manager

Physical Layer Data Access Layer Import Metadata Business Layer Table Joins Package Layer Security Publish to Upfront

COGNOS Architect
FrameWork Manager
Framework Manager is a metadata management tool that provides a single point of administration for business models that you can share between all your Cognos reporting and analytical products
FM is a custom component of the Impromptu Administrator, PowerPlay Transformation Server, and Cognos Query installations

View the log file

FrameWork Manager
FM creates a log file and records information to it when you import metadata, build the model layers, export a package. The log file records how FM handles each object during these operations, and it records any problems

Table Joins
FrameWork Manager

Create joins between fact tables and dimensions Define cardinality for joins between measure and dimensions

Business Layer
FrameWork Manager
The business layer describes the business view of the corporate data as well as the information that your report authors and query designers require It consists of Business model (entities,attributes, and relationships), which you can view as an entity-relationship diagram Business rules (calculations, filters, and prompts) Display rules (styles)

Package Layer
FrameWork Manager
The package layer contains packages that describe subsets of the business layer Each package may be targeted for one or more Cognos tools (PowerPlay Transformer, Impromptu, and Cognos Query)

Package Layer
FrameWork Manager
A package contains all the information from the business layer that a specific user (or group of users) will need to create cubes in PowerPlay Transformer, or reports in Impromptu and Cognos Query

Security
FrameWork Manager

Set up security by choosing Set up Model security item from model menu Verify the model

Publish to Upfront
FrameWork Manager
Right click on the Package to be exported Select Publish to Upfront

Report Studio & Query Studio

Cubes on Upfront PowerPlay on Web

OLAP Terminology
Terminologies
Hierarchy

A logical structure that uses ordered levels as a means of organising data. A hierarchy can be used to define data aggregation; for example, in a Time dimension, a hierarchy might be used to aggregate data from the Month level to the Quarter level to the Year level Level A position in a hierarchy. For example, a Time dimension has Month, Quarter, and Year levels Drill Down/Up Drill down is a feature provided by Cognos to view the data to subsequent details, depending on the hierarchy specified. Conversely, drill up would summarise the data and take a user to the higher levels in a hierarchy

PowerPlay on Windows

PowerPlay on Windows
PowerPlay is a BI tool which is used for Multi Dimensional data analysis

PowerPlay is a tool that enables you to examine information, from many different aspects, in order to understand your business

PowerPlay Web Toolbar Icons

Features in PowerPlay Crosstab Pie Simple Bar Clustered Bar Stacked Bar Multiline 3D Bar

PowerPlay Web Toolbar Icons

Features in PowerPlay Swap Zero Suppression Export CSV Export PDF Help Save As Return to Source

Modes

Explorer Mode Use Explorer when you want to ask questions of the data Use Explorer to examine the data and and focus in on what is happening within the business Reporter Mode Use Reporter when you want to report your findings It enables you to collate all the required data into one file, and manipulate it if required

TRANSFORMER

PowerPlay Transformer Model

PowerPlay Transformer Model

Client component and Server Component
Each server model can be derived from a local model you create using Transformer on Windows Each local model is associated with one server version of the same model The two versions of Transformer (Transformer on Windows and Transformer on UNIX) ensure that these models remain synchronised with one another.

Transformer interface
PowerPlay Transformer Model
Dimension Map Data Sources List Measures List Power Cubes Dimensions Pane and Category Viewer