Answers to IBM Cognos Report Authoring Questions

Your Most Important Questions – ANSWERED!
BEGINNING COGNOS REPORT AUTHORS

• Introduction
• Senturus Overview
• Your Questions Answered
– Answers to questions you asked during registration – the
most common areas of interest
– Hands-on demonstrations of solutions
• Additional Resources
Agenda
Copyright 2016 Senturus, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Presenters
Albert Valdez
Vice President of Learning Solutions
Senturus, Inc.
Greg Herrera
President and Co-Founder
Senturus, Inc.

More Free Resources: www.senturus.com
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SENTURUS OVERVIEW

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Answers to questions asked by viewers
prior to and during this webinar.
Q & A LOG

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*Q: How can I view Cognos Analytics?
A: Go to www.analyticszone.com and create an account. In
the top left of the table, you’ll see the link to IBM Cognos
Analytics tag. When you open it up, you will be greeted with
a completely new user experience. I know that term gets
thrown around a lot, but after more than 16 years working of
with Cognos tools, this is truly revolutionary.
Q: I have only seen an interim fix pack for Cognos
Analytics, do you have any news on when the first full fix
pack will be released?
A: We have been told that this full fix pack was released and
made generally available on April 4, 2016. It is referred to as
IBM Cognos Analytics 11.0.1.0.
Q & A Log: Cognos Analytics (v11) Questions
The questions proceeded by * were addressed during the event and
can be heard on the recording as well as written answer provided
here.

Q: Will Cognos Analytics have the additional studios
like PowerPlay Studio?
A: That is a tricky question. The following studios will be
available in the v11 and will open as new browser tabs:
Query Studio, Analysis Studio, Event Studio. PowerPlay
Studio is currently not supported; however, it is planned
to be available in an upcoming release.
*Q: Will reports migrate from Cognos BI v10 to Cognos
Analytics?
A: Report Studio and Workspace Advanced are fully
supported in the new version.
here.

Q: What is the migration process for Query Studio and
Report Studio objects with Cognos Analytics? I can’t copy
and paste every single report from one version to the next!
A: We are still following the same migration process as the
past several generations in which you: export content from
the source environment; copy package to the target
environment; import content into target environment using
the content management features.
Q: Does the reports now scale to user screen resolution
size in Cognos Analytics or do you still have to create
multiple reports?
A: This is not something we’ve tested much yet, but given the
new HTMLv5 behaviors, we expect reports to scale much
more effectively to all different screens, including mobile and
tablet devices.

Q: We use Transformer for OLAP, so you are telling me IBM
is pushing me to TM1 to maintain Metric Studio going
forward? Is there a transition tool or process to help this
move?
A: Transformer and PowerCubes are not going away and there
has been no official announcement of their end of life, so we
are not recommending that you migrate off of Transformer
for your OLAP solution, as long as it continues to serve your
needs. As far as scorecarding and Metric Studio, yes, the
migration path is to TM1. However, we are not currently
aware of any official transition process or tool to address this.
We strongly recommend meeting with your IBM sales rep to
discuss a strategy for maintaining scorecarding applications in
v11.

*Q: How do I build reports in Cognos Analytics?
A: Click the New button and you can see the different
options. Click Report, you’ll see the new layout-based
templates and in addition, the legacy templates are also
supported. Select the default template and click OK, you’ll
see the UI is much cleaner because there are no toolbars,
menus, or properties pane. All the features are still there;
you access them with an on-demand UI.
Expand the Explore feature, right-click on the Report base
object, and open report from clipboard; paste the spec and
click OK. The visualization is not found, click OK to the
messages. Click the Viz, click the Do More action and Convert
to another Line Viz. Run the report as HTML. You’ll notice
how much more interactive the viewer is.
here.

*Q: What is going to happen to existing Portal Pages and
Workspaces when I migrate to Cognos Analytics?
A: Workspaces will migrate just fine; they will have the exact
behavior as they do today. Portal Pages are different because you
can see that the entire portal experience has been redesigned.
Heavy users of portal pages are going to have to put together a
comprehensive upgrade/migration strategy.
*Q: Can I use a package in the Cognos Analytics dashboard
capability?
A: No, not in the current release. We know that this is top priority
for IBM, but currently the dashboarding piece only support data
modules, which can be based on personal files such as spreadsheets
or database objects, such as SQL Server tables. FM, Transformer,
and Dynamic Cube packages are currently not available for Data
Modules. We expect major enhancements by the end of this year.
here.

Q: The migration from Query Studio to Report Studio is easy. How is
the migration with Analysis Studio and Event Studio in Cognos
Analytics?
A: Unfortunately, IBM's guidance on Analysis Studio is that it is best
migrated by manually rebuilding them. We have been given no reason
to believe an Analysis Studio migration tool will be offered by IBM or
anyone else. Currently, we do not see any equivalent capability in v11
to Event Studio, so a strategy for replacing those objects must be
seriously considered before moving off your current environment.
*Q: Can I continue to use Query Studio after migrating to Cognos
Analytics and if so, how?
A: Yes, click on a Query Studio object and that studio will launch. If
you perform a Custom install, the legacy capabilities will appear under
the New button. You can also run a script to expose these capabilities
after you’ve completed a standard install. More importantly, we
recommend initiating a long-term plan to migrate users into the new
feature set as Query Studio and Analysis Studio will be deprecated.
here.

*Q: Does report bursting still work in Cognos
Analytics?
A: Yes, report bursting does not seem to have changed.
The entire Administration console has not changed from
Cognos BI v10.2.2 to v11. You will still have access to all
of the same settings as you do today.
*Q: Where/how do I get started with report authoring
in IBM Cognos BI v10?
A: From the Welcome screen in v10.2.2, show all the
capabilities and show the action for report studio, but
click the My home action. Show how to Launch
capabilities from the Public Folders page and launch
Report Studio. Select Go Sales (query).
here.

*Q: The vast majority of current authoring skills in Cognos BI v10
will translate directly into v11. Is there any risk in getting trained
as an author today if an upgrade is imminent?
A: Given our experience with the new authoring environment, it is
our assessment that experienced authors will transition smoothly
from v10 to v11 with their existing skills. However, there is
definitely a distinct change in the overall user interface. We are
addressing this head-on from an education standpoint and are
offering a one-day course that addresses the key areas in which
experienced authors may struggle as they transition. Therefore, we
are offering a complimentary seat in the Cognos Analytics V11 New
Features for Experienced Authors class to anyone signing up for a
Report Studio or Cognos Workspace Advanced training course.
In addition, we are making significant updates to all of our core
training course, including Data Modules and Dashboards, but the
vast majority of the authoring techniques you learn in the current
training will translate directly to what you do in the new version.
here.

Q: Does the IBM Cognos licensing model change for Cognos
Analytics?
A: The licensing has evolved with v11, so any authorized user
that can access the reporting feature will have full access to
all capabilities. So yes, it is one size fits all. We find this is a
big improvement as it eliminates the need for administrators
to constantly be tweaking the permissions for groups of users
based on their license entitlements. It also makes a lot more
sense given the graduated user experience.
Q: Are Active reports still available in Cognos Analytics?
A: Yes, nothing has changed with v11.

Q: Is it true that we can show the old user interface in Cognos
Analytics?
A: For the legacy features that are still supported, yes. This
includes Cognos Workspace, Query Studio, Analysis Studio, Event
Studio, Portal Pages, but not Portal Tabs.
Q: Is single sign on (SSO) possible with Cognos Analytics? I noticed
there is no Gateway component that needs to be configured.
A: Yes, you can still install and configure a Gateway, although you
are correct, it is not required in v11. It is still an option and
definitely one you would want to use for SSO.
Q: Is Framework Manager changing from Cognos BI v10.2.2 to
Cognos Analytics?
A: No, not at all.

*Q: Cognos BI v10 has a lot of options for report authoring:
Report Studio, Workspace Advanced, Query Studio, and Analysis
Studio. Will you describe which tool is best to use for which
situation?
• A: Report Studio is the industrial-strength, full-featured
authoring platform. There are no limits to what is possible;
however, this tool can be intimidating a Workspace Advanced is
a workspace assembly tool for business-users. Think of it as a
cut-down version of Report Studio. It has powerful ad-hoc, data
exploration with professional authoring features built into it.
You can use your existing content to build dashboards, so there
is no authoring.
• Query Studio is a pure ad-hoc business authoring tool. It lacks
functionality for serious report development, but it is a useful
solution when you are browsing data and only need to do basic
filtering and calculations.
• Analysis Studio is a pure data exploration tool. It is not
effective if you are looking to make a report look good.
Q & A Log: Report Authoring Questions
here.

Q: When you re-use a query does it cache the data or re-
run the query twice on the database?
A: More than likely the query engine will only send a single
request to the database and yes, it will cache the results at
the application layer to reuse it across the report.
Q: I wonder how the reports will look in Cognos Analytics. I
expect that some functionality may not work 100%?
A: Functionality-wise, we do not expect to lose any
information migrating to v11. However, as we saw in the
demo, you will find differences in layout and styling in certain
reports. As with any migration, we strongly recommend that
you follow proven practices and use a tool like Lifecycle
Manager or a third-party solution, such as Motio, to
thoroughly review and test your content before going live on
v11.

Q: You note Metric Studio is an end-of-life tool. What options will
we have in the future for our balanced scorecard strategy?
A: IBM has moved the scorecarding functionality to its TM1 product.
*Q: If Report Studio is the most powerful tool, why would I ever
use Workspace Advanced or Query Studio?
A: I use Workspace Advanced and Query Studio for the ad-hoc and
data exploration features they provide. If I know I have a
sophisticated report requirement, I will end up in Report Studio
eventually. The great thing is that you can port your Query Studio or
Workspace Advanced specifications into Report Studio. Another
little-known fact is that you can also port from Report Studio back
to Workspace Advanced.
You’ll also want to view a reference chart that shows how to choose
the right tool for the job.
here.

*Q: How can I make reports more interactive so I can
customize them at run time? For example, I want to
create a report that is going to be delivered to all the
sales managers around the world, but each manager
wants to see the results only for her/his territory.
A: The best way to do this is with Prompting. In Report
Studio, choose Toolbox, drag a Value Prompt to the page
in front of the List. Type SalesRegion, click Next. Browse
to Sales staff > Sales region click OK. Set the Operator
to in. Make the filter optional, click Next. Type
SalesRegion_prompt and click Finish. Drag a Prompt
Button next to the Prompt, set the Button type to
Finish. Run the report again.
here.

*Q: Using Report Studio, how do I build a new report with sales
information or product lines and revenue?
A: The standard templates are not terribly appealing, they
represent a starting point, despite that the layouts are basically the
same. One of the most common types of reports are lists or tabular
style reports. Then, expand Sales. These are Query Subjects. If
you’d like a report showing total Revenue for each of Product lines
over time do the following: expand Products, double-click Product
line, expand Time, double-click Year, expand Sales, double-click
Revenue. You will be working in a Design view. To see your data,
you have to run the report and look at the results in the Viewer, to
do that, click Run.
*Q: How can I reuse objects in a report?
A: You can reuse your base query and populate a new display type
with existing query items.
The questions proceeded by * were addressed during the event and can
be heard on the recording as well as written answer provided here.

*Q: Is it possible to migrate workspaces and other objects
that have been built in one of the deprecated studios such
as Query or Analysis Studio to Cognos Analytics?
A: These legacy objects will continue to work, just in a
separate browser tab with the full legacy functionality. You
will have all v10.2.2 capabilities for the foreseeable future.
*Q: What is the difference between a dashboard and a
report? Can I use Report Studio to build dashboards?
A: Any output that uses a combination of visual data
presentation and interactivity can be considered a dashboard.
When it’s a dashboard, you are able to interact with the
objects. Reports include just simple embedded prompts.
here.

*Q: I’ve re-used the query within reports to add data in a line chart. Can I
reuse components on multiple reports?
A: Yes. You can reuse layout objects across multiple reports. However, you can
not reuse query objects across reports. Here is how you reuse layout objects:
Click on the Title; set the Source Type property to Expression; double-click and
set this to the ReportName Report Function. Drag a block inside of the Block in
the Header; drag an image into the new block.
To make all objects available for your standard reports: Click on the parent
Block and give it the Name Header; Save the Report as Base Report in the
default folder. Create a New List report and delete the block in the header and
drag in a Layout Component Reference. Browse to the Base Report and select
Header.
*Q: Is it helpful to know SQL to optimize reports?
A: Yes, it is useful to understand the concepts when designing filters, using key
value rather than descriptive value. We do not recommend crafting reports by
writing your own custom SQL, even though that option is available.
here.

*Q: Can I execute a stored procedure directly from Report
Studio?
A: Yes, you have the freedom to write whatever custom SQL you
want, and theoretically that could include calling a stored
procedure. However, you will need to check with your admin to
see if you have permissions to do so.
*Q: In creating reports, is there any way to set a default value
that is dynamic to make my prompt more intelligent?
A: Unfortunately, not really. IBM did open up the Prompt API in
Cognos BI v10.2; however, JavaScript is not supported in v11.
Q: How can I move a query from one report to another?
A: You can use the copy/paste feature to move query objects from
report to report. However, there is no equivalent component
reference objects for queries as there are for layout objects.
here.

Q: To reuse the layout components, why would I make a Base
Report rather than a Template?
A: It usually makes sense to create one or more Base Reports as
simple reports initially, and then we recommend creating your
Templates by using the Layout Component References (LCRs) that
reference the Base Reports. In the end, a Template is just a report
specification without any data item references, so they are useful
as starting points for authors. Think of this as a three-tiered
approach that promotes maximum modularity and reuse:
• Tier 1: Base Report where you define the layout objects and
name them. Saved into a hidden directory, only accessible to
master developers.
• Tier 2: Template Report that uses LCRs which point to the Base
Report and places them in the desired layout. These become
read-only objects for authors.
• Tier 3: Authors use the Template Report to begin authoring and
customize to their specific needs.

*Q: What other advanced topics and considerations should I be
aware of when planning training courses for authors?
A: We always recommend a two-day fundamentals training course
for relational authors: Report Studio Beginning & Intermediate
Authoring plus one additional day if you use dimensional sources:
Report Studio Dimensional Authoring Fundamentals. We don’t
recommend any more advanced training in the first phase because
we encourage authors to spend time applying fundamental
knowledge in their real-world context before addressing more
advanced techniques.
The next question is whether or not you plan to develop Active
Reports. This is a completely separate set of skills within the same
reporting environment, and is typically not recommended if you are
learning to build standard reports. We recommend our one-day
courses Active Report Authoring Fundamentals and Active Report
Authoring Advanced after learning and working with the
fundamentals.
here.

Q: What version of Cognos BI is used in the demo?
A: The bulk of the demo at the beginning is version 10.2.2. Later we show
Cognos Analytics.
Q: Do you ever have any Framework Manager best practices webinars like
this? I have issues with conformed dimensions to facts and reports going
from a dimension through a fact that, although it has a relationship to it,
needs to go to another fact without going through the first fact.
A: Yes. Check out the Senturus resource library, specifically our Metadata
Modeling Best Practices webinar may be of interest to you.
Q: Can we have Cognos BI v10.1 and Cognos Analytics running on the same
instance on Cognos server? Will we need a server for each version?
A: As always, the question really comes down to available resources. Since the
core components in both versions are very similar, I would not recommend
running them on the same physical instance as you commonly run into conflicts
with things like port use and service or directory naming. However, if you have
a lot of available capacity on a sandbox or DEV server, you can certainly use
two, just be careful about the above issues.
Q & A Log: General Questions

*Custom, tailored training also available*
Cognos and Tableau Training Options

Announcing: New Course for V11 Transition
IBM Cognos Analytics
New Features for Experienced Authors
Quickest path to mastering the new user experience
introduced with Cognos Analytics for users with
experience developing reports with IBM Cognos BI v10 in
either Report Studio or Cognos Workspace Advanced
• Length: 1 day
• Cost: $699
• Dates:
– Friday, June 3: 7am-3pm PT
– Tuesday, June 28: 8:30am-4:30pm PT
• Custom, tailored training also available

Receive one complimentary seat in the New Features for
Experienced Authors class
• Attend any Senturus Report Studio or Cognos Workspace
Advanced course now through June 30
Special Offer for New V11 Course

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