Lone Star Business Intelligence

Overview of IBM Cognos

• Discuss IBM Cognos and Performance Management

• Describe IBM Cognos components

• Describe IBM Cognos architecture at a high level

• Define IBM Cognos groups and roles

​
Transformer Fundamentals

• Discuss the basics of OLAP analysis

• Review Transformer capabilities and its role in IBM Cognos 10 BI

• Discuss Transformer components

• Define categories and members

 

The Transformer Development Process

• Describe the purpose of a model plan

• Match business requirements to the model

• Discuss an approach for creating a model plan

 

Data sources in Transformer

• Discuss the types of data used by Transformer

• Create data source files and define properties

• Preview source data and SQL

• Add IBM Cognos data sources to the model

• Discuss data filtering

 

Building a Model

• Create model structures and modify property sheets

• Confirm the data source origin

• Generate categories to populate the model

• Modify the model using the dimension diagram

• Verify the model and create a PowerCube

• Publish as a data source and package

 

Considerations for Designing Successful PowerCubes

• Describe model types and data entities

• Define members and member unique names

• Address changes that Impact a MUN

• Discuss when category codes can change

 

The Time Dimension

• Define a regular time dimension

• Examine standard and nonstandard time dimensions

• Limit the range of valid dates

 

Relative Time

• Compare trends over time

• Set the current period

• Create relative time categories

• Customize relative time categories

 

Use Multiple Data Sources

• Discuss the use of multiple data sources

• Plan the data sources

• Define data source types

 

Uniqueness

• Identify and resolve conflicts between data sources

• Validate a multiple data source model

• Discuss a unique move

 

Working with Measures

• Discuss the purpose and uses of measures

• Describe regular and calculated measures

• Set measure properties

• Compare rollup options

• Create a calculated measure

• Create calculations before or after rollups

• Create a category count

 

Allocated Measures

• Discuss measure allocation

• Allocate measures as a constant and by another measure

• Check measure distribution

 

Alternate Hierarchies within a Dimension

• Discuss primary and alternate hierarchies

• Describe the benefits of alternate hierarchies

• Create an alternate drill-down path

• Define convergence levels and identify uniqueness issues

 

Advanced Dimensional Modeling

• Discuss techniques for customizing dimensions

• Add a new source level to an existing dimension

• Create a manual level in a dimension

• Create orphan categories

• Modify a dimension using a subdimension

• Create a special category

• Create a scenario dimension

• Use calculated columns and categories

 

Customize Cube Content

• Create various types of Power

• CubesOmit dimensions and exclude measures

• Create and apply dimension views

 

Examine IBM Cognos Security

• Examine the security environment

• Identify the IBM Cognos BI security model

• Define authentication and authorization

• Identify security policies

 

Applying Security

• Review model security

• Create custom views

• Assign security to custom views

• Assign custom views to Power

• CubesCombine custom views with dimension views

• Examine a union of custom views

 

Maintain Models and PowerCubes

• Maintain models and PowerCubes

• Understand data source, model, cube updates

• Synchronize the model and data source

• Incrementally update PowerCubes

• Copy and activate a newer version of the PowerCube without affecting users

 

Considerations for Drill Through

• Identify conformed values between data sources

• Discuss using drill through in IBM Cognos BI

• Define a report drill through

• Define a package-based drill through

• Identify drill-through values

• Discuss modeling recommendations

 

Optimize PowerCubes

• Examine cube groups

• Plan for disk space

• Optimize PowerCube inputs and outputs

• Determine factors that affect PowerCube build time and user response time

 

Partition PowerCubes

• Identify the pros and cons

• Develop a partitioning strategy

• Create a time-based partitioned cube

• Automatic vs. manual partitioning

• Understand multi-file PowerCubes

Transformer Course Outline