Business Analysis

DATA WAREHOUSI NG
REPORTI NG AND QUERY TOOLS AND APPLI CATI ON
Reporting and Query Tools
Tools Categories :

Reporting
Managed Query
Executive Information System
OLAP
Data Mining
Reporting Tools
Production Reporting Tools
Companies generate regular operational reports or support high
volume batch jobs, such as calculating and printing pay checks.

Desktop Report Writers (Desktop tools for end users)
Crystal Reports / Actuate Reporting System
Users design and run reports without having to rely on the IS
department.

Managed Query Tools
Managed query tools shield end users from the
complexities of SQL and database structures by inserting
a metalayer between users and the database.
Metalayer : Software that provides subject-oriented views
of a database and supports point-and-click creation of
SQL.
Eg:
IQ object IQ software.
GQL andyne computing Ltd.
Decision derver IBM
Executive Information System Tools
First deployed on mainframes.
Predate report writer and managed query tools.
Build customized, graphical decision support Apps.
Provides high level view of the business and access to external sources e.g.
custom, on-line news feed.
EIS Apps highlight exceptions to business activity or rules by using color-
coded graphics.
Eg:
Light ship Pilot software Inc.
Forest and trees Platinum technologies.
Express analysis oracle.
SAS / Eis SAS institute.


OLAP Tools
Provide an insightful way to view corporate data.
Provide navigation through the hierarchies and
dimensions with the single click.
Aggregate data along common business subjects or
dimensions.
Users can drill down, across, or up levels.

Data Mining Tools
Provide insights into corporate data that are not easily
discerned with managed query or OLAP tools.
Use a variety of statistical and AI algorithms to analyze
the correlation of variables in data.
Interesting patterns and relationship to investigate.

IBMs Intelligent Miner,
DataMind Corp.s DataMind
Applications
Need for applications
Some tools and Apps can format the retrieved data into easy-to-read
reports, while others concentrate on the on-screen presentation. As
the complexity of questions grows, these tools may rapidly become
inefficient.

Application often take the form of custom-developed screens and
reports that retrieve frequently used data and format it in a
predefined standardized way.

Cognos Impromptu
Impromptu is database reporting tool from Cognos
Corporation.
Solution for interactive database reporting.
Object oriented architecture ensures control and
administrative consistency across all users and
reports.
Easy-to-use graphical user interface.
In terms of scalability, support single user reporting
on personal data, or thousand of users reporting on
data from large warehouse.

Need for the applications
Seminar

Cognos Impromptu
Unified query and reporting interface
Object-oriented architecture
Complete integration with PowerPlay
Scalability
Security and Control
Data presented in a business context
Over 70 predefined report templates
Frame-based reporting
Business-relevant reporting
Database-independent catalogs
Application Development Tools
PowerBuilder (OO)

Forte (Forte Software Inc.)




Information Builders :
Cactus
FOCUS Fusion
Computer
UNIX, WinNT,
Netware
Data Server
Application server

Client

Data Server

Cactus
Enterprise-class, client/server development environment.
Create applications of any size and scope combination of
transaction processing, decision support, and batch
processing.
Primary components of Apps
Presentation layer
Business logic
Data access
Easy to learn and use. No prior knowledge required of
HTML, JAVA or complex 3GLs.
FOCUS Fusion
Multidimensional database technology for OLAP and
Data warehousing.
FOCUS Fusion provides
Fast query and reporting
Comprehensive, graphics-based
administration
Integrated copy management
facilities
Open access via industry-standard
protocols ( ANSI, SQL, ODBC,
HTTP)

ONLINE ANALYTICAL PROCESSING (OLAP)
Need for OLAP:
Modern business problems need query centric database
schema that are array oriented and multidimensional in
nature.