IBM Cognos Connection
Version 10.2.2
User Guide
Note
Before using this information and the product it supports, read the information in “Notices” on page 199.
Product Information
This document applies to IBM Cognos Business Intelligence Version 10.2.2 and may also apply to subsequent
releases.
Licensed Materials - Property of IBM
© Copyright IBM Corporation 2005, 2015.
US Government Users Restricted Rights – Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract
with IBM Corp.
Contents
Introduction ..................................ix
Chapter 1. What's new .............................1
New features in version 10.2.2 .............................1
Restrictions on report output formats ..........................1
Tab names in Excel 2007 reports ............................1
Using personal data sets in Cognos Business Intelligence ...................1
New features in version 10.2.1.1 .............................2
New features in version 10.2.1 .............................2
Cognos Mobile sample audit reports ..........................2
Improved processing of burst reports ..........................2
Deprecated features in version 10.2.1 ...........................2
IBM Cognos Statistics ...............................2
New features in version 10.2.0 .............................3
Support for bidirectional languages ...........................3
Improved search with field-level search capability ......................3
Excel 2007 Data report output format ..........................3
Changed features in version 10.2.0 ............................3
New location for audit samples ............................3
Deprecated features in version 10.2.0 ...........................4
Details view in Cognos Connection ...........................4
Chapter 2. Building IBM Cognos business intelligence applications ..........5
Chapter 3. IBM Cognos Connection ........................7
LogOn.....................................7
LogOff.....................................8
Create a Shortcut ..................................8
CreateaURL...................................9
Bookmark an Entry.................................10
Using Any Web Browsers..............................10
Using Internet Explorer ..............................10
Entry Properties ..................................11
General Properties ................................11
Permissions ..................................13
Report, Query, Analysis, and PowerPlay Report Properties ..................14
Job Properties .................................15
Agent Properties.................................16
Page Properties .................................17
Rule Properties .................................17
Organizing Entries .................................18
Copy an entry .................................18
Move an Entry .................................19
Rename an Entry ................................20
Disable an Entry.................................21
Hide an Entry .................................21
Select a Link for an Entry..............................23
Delete an Entry .................................24
Specify the Order of Entries .............................24
Create a Folder .................................25
Specify an Alternative Icon for an Entry ..........................26
Search options in IBM Cognos Connection .........................26
Searching for entries using name, description, and name or description ..............27
Searching for entries using full text and all fields ......................28
Personalize the Portal ................................32
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2005, 2015 iii
Enabling support for bidirectional languages ........................36
My Watch Items ..................................37
View Watch Items ................................37
Remove Yourself from an Alert List ..........................37
Edit a Watch Rule ................................38
Chapter 4. Access Permissions and Credentials ..................39
Set access permissions for an entry ...........................45
Trusted credentials .................................46
Creating trusted credentials .............................47
Manage Your Own Data Source Credentials ........................47
Save Data Source Credentials ............................48
View and Remove Your Data Source Credentials ......................48
Chapter 5. Pages and Dashboards ........................49
Create a Page...................................51
Edit a Page ...................................52
Share a Page ...................................52
Modify a Portlet ..................................52
Enable Communication Between Cognos Portlets .......................53
Portal Tabs ...................................54
AddaTab...................................55
Delete a Tab ..................................56
Reorder the Tabs ................................56
Change Your Home Page ...............................57
Create a Dashboard with Multiple Tabs ..........................57
Implement global filters in multi-tabbed dashboards.....................59
Adding Interactivity to Pages and Dashboards .......................60
Defining Global Filters ..............................60
Enable Sharing of Drill-up and Drill-down Actions .....................64
Enable Sharing of Drill-through Actions .........................64
Chapter 6. Reports and Cubes .........................67
IBM Cognos Active Reports ..............................68
View, Run, or Open a Report .............................68
Set Default Report Options ..............................69
Set Report Options for the Current Run ..........................70
Setting advanced report options for the current run ......................71
Running reports with report owner capabilities .......................73
Create a Report ..................................74
Creating a Query Studio Report Without Using Actual Data ..................75
Create a Report View ................................75
View Lineage Information for a Data Item .........................76
Access the IBM InfoSphere Business Glossary ........................77
Editing a Report ..................................77
Edit a Report in IBM Cognos Connection ........................78
Edit a Query Studio Report in Report Studio .......................78
Report formats ..................................79
HTML Formats .................................79
XML Format ..................................80
PDF Format ..................................80
Microsoft Excel Formats ..............................80
CSV Format ..................................81
Report Languages .................................81
Add Multilingual Properties .............................82
Specify the Default Language for a Report ........................83
Specify the Default Prompt Values for a Report .......................83
Save Report Output ................................84
Viewing report output versions .............................85
Viewing archived report output ............................86
iv IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Specifying how long to keep report output versions ......................86
Specify How Long to Keep Report Output Histories......................87
Enable an Alert List for a Report ............................87
Adding or Removing Yourself from the Alert List for a Report ..................88
Add Yourself to an Alert List in IBM Cognos Connection ...................88
Remove Yourself from an Alert List in IBM Cognos Connection .................88
Add or Remove Yourself from an Alert List in IBM Cognos Viewer................89
Remove Users From an Alert List ............................89
Watch Rules in Saved Reports .............................89
Enable Watch Rules for a Report ...........................89
Create a Watch Rule for a Specific Condition .......................90
Create a Watch Rule for Different Condition Status Indicators .................91
Define the Alert Details for the Watch Rule ........................92
View, Edit, or Delete a Watch Rule in IBM Cognos Viewer...................92
Comments in Saved Reports..............................93
Enable Comments in Saved Output Versions .......................93
Add Comments to a Report Version in IBM Cognos Viewer ..................94
Viewing, Modifying, or Deleting Comments in IBM Cognos Viewer ...............94
Disable Selection-based Interactivity ...........................95
Distributing Reports ................................96
Saving a Report .................................96
Sending a report by email .............................97
Sending a Report to your Mobile Device.........................99
Printing a Report ................................99
Distributing a Report by Bursting ...........................99
Creating Distribution Lists and Contacts ........................100
Drilling to View Related Data .............................101
Drill Up or Drill Down ..............................101
Drill Through to Another Target ...........................102
Drill Through to Another Target Passing Multiple Values...................103
Data Sources With Named Sets May Produce Unpredictable Results ................104
Series 7 Reports in IBM Cognos Connection ........................104
Series 7 PowerPlay Reports and Cubes .........................104
Change the Defaults for a Series 7 PowerPlay Report ....................105
Open a Series 7 Cube...............................105
Multilingual Properties for Series 7 Reports and Cubes ...................105
Chapter 7. Packages .............................107
Creating a Package ................................107
Create a Package ................................107
Create a Package for a PowerCube ..........................107
SAP BW Packages ................................108
View Data Sources Used by a Package ..........................109
Chapter 8. Personal data sets .........................111
Creating your own data set ..............................111
Modifying or refreshing your data set ..........................112
Publishing your personal data .............................113
Managing your personal data sets ...........................114
Example - creating a visualization of your data set using Cognos Workspace Advanced .........115
Chapter 9. Drill-through Access ........................117
Understanding Drill-through Concepts ..........................118
Drill-through Paths ...............................118
Selection Contexts ................................119
Drilling Through to Different Report Formats.......................119
Drilling Through Between Packages ..........................120
Bookmark References...............................120
Members and Values ...............................121
Conformed Dimensions ..............................121
Contents v
Business Keys .................................122
Scope ....................................123
Mapped Parameters ...............................123
Drilling Through on Dates Between PowerCubes and Relational Packages .............124
Setting up drill-through access in packages ........................124
Editing existing drill-through definitions ........................127
Setting Up Parameters for a Drill-Through Report .....................127
Example - Drill Through Between OLAP Reports in the Same Package ...............129
Check the Target and Source Report ..........................130
Creating and testing the drill-through definition......................131
Example - Drill Through from an OLAP Report to a DMR Report .................132
Check the Target and Source Reports .........................133
Create and Test the Drill-through Definition .......................134
Example - Drill Through to a Hidden Report from a Report Studio Report ..............135
Check the Target Report ..............................136
Create and Test the Drill-Through Definition .......................136
Specify the Drill-through Text .............................138
Set Up Drill-through Access from IBM Cognos Visualizer ...................138
Set Up Drill-through Access from PowerPlay Web ......................139
Create and Test the Target for a Series 7 Report .......................139
Example - Drill Through Between OLAP and Relational Packages .................140
Create and Test the Drill-through Definition .......................143
Chapter 10. Agents ..............................145
Run an Agent ..................................145
Change Default Agent Properties ............................146
Create an Agent View ...............................146
Open or Create an Agent from IBM Cognos Connection ....................148
Enable an Alert List for an Agent............................148
Adding Yourself to or Remove Yourself from an Alert List for an Agent ...............148
Adding or removing yourself from one alert list......................149
Remove Yourself from Multiple Alert Lists .......................149
Remove All Users from the Alert List for an Agent ......................149
Receive News Item Headlines .............................150
View the Most Recent Event List ............................150
Chapter 11. Managing Human Tasks ......................153
Open the Task Inbox ................................153
Viewing your Task Inbox ..............................153
Filter Tasks in your Inbox ..............................153
Approval Requests and Ad-hoc Tasks ..........................154
View Comments ................................154
Subscribe to E-mail Notifications ...........................155
Create an Ad-hoc Task ..............................155
Actions That You can Perform on Approval Requests and Ad-hoc Tasks ...............157
Claim a Task .................................157
Change the Recipients for a Task ...........................157
Change the Current Owner.............................158
Change the Potential Owners and Stakeholders ......................158
Revoke Ownership of a Task ............................159
Set Deadlines for a Task ..............................159
Change the Priority of a Task ............................159
Add Comments to a Task .............................159
Start or Stop a Task ...............................160
Completing a Task ...............................160
Cancel a Task .................................161
Notification Requests ................................161
Create a Notification Request ............................162
Read and Acknowledge a Notification Request ......................163
Archive Tasks ..................................163
vi IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
View the Task Archive ..............................164
Chapter 12. Administering Microsoft Office Documents ..............165
Deploying IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office Client ......................165
Set Macro Security Level for Microsoft Office XP .....................165
Install the CA Certificate for the HTTPS Interface to Series 7 PowerPlay..............166
Download a Microsoft Office Document .........................166
Chapter 13. Schedule Management .......................169
Schedule an Entry .................................170
Example - Schedule an Entry on the Last Day of the Month ..................172
Example - Change the Credentials for a Schedule .....................172
Use Jobs to Schedule Multiple Entries ..........................173
Cached Prompt Data ...............................175
Trigger-based Entry Scheduling ............................175
Setting Up Trigger-based Scheduling .........................175
Schedule an Entry Based on an Occurrence .......................176
Chapter 14. Activities Management .......................179
Manage Current Activities ..............................179
Manage Past Activities ...............................180
Manage Upcoming Activities for a Specific Day .......................181
Suspended Activities ................................182
Suspending entries ...............................183
View a list of suspended entries for a specific day .....................183
Manage Scheduled Activities .............................184
Manage Entry Run Priority ..............................185
View the Run History for Entries ............................186
Specifying how long to keep run histories .........................188
Rerun a Failed Entry Task ..............................188
Chapter 15. IBM Cognos Workspace ......................191
Starting Cognos Workspace..............................191
Appendix. Accessibility features ........................193
Enabling Accessible Report Output ...........................193
Enable accessible report output using the run option ....................193
Enable accessible report output using set properties ....................194
Enable accessible report output as a user preference ....................194
Enable accessible output for a scheduled entry ......................194
Enable accessible output for a job ..........................194
Enable accessible output for a step in a job .......................195
Cognos Mobile accessibility features...........................195
Keyboard shortcuts in Cognos Mobile .........................195
Known issues .................................198
Notices ...................................199
Glossary ..................................203
A......................................203
B......................................203
C......................................204
D......................................205
E......................................206
F......................................206
G......................................206
H......................................206
I.......................................206
J.......................................206
Contents vii
L......................................207
M......................................207
N......................................208
O......................................208
P......................................208
Q......................................209
R......................................209
S ......................................209
T......................................210
U......................................210
V......................................211
W......................................211
Index ....................................213
viii
IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Introduction
This information is intended for use with IBM
®
Cognos
®
Connection, the IBM
Cognos software portal.
This information explains how to view, edit, schedule, and distribute IBM Cognos
reports.
Finding information
To find product documentation on the web, including all translated
documentation, access IBM Knowledge Center (http://www.ibm.com/support/
knowledgecenter).
Accessibility features
Accessibility features help users who have a physical disability, such as restricted
mobility or limited vision, to use information technology products. Because the
IBM Cognos Connection component supports a wide range of IBM Cognos
components, the availability of accessibility features varies by component within
IBM Cognos Connection.
For information on accessibility features that are available in Cognos Connection,
see “Accessibility features,” on page 193.
IBM Cognos HTML documentation has accessibility features. PDF documents are
supplemental and, as such, include no added accessibility features.
Forward-looking statements
This documentation describes the current functionality of the product. References
to items that are not currently available may be included. No implication of any
future availability should be inferred. Any such references are not a commitment,
promise, or legal obligation to deliver any material, code, or functionality. The
development, release, and timing of features or functionality remain at the sole
discretion of IBM.
Samples disclaimer
The Sample Outdoors Company, Great Outdoors Company, GO Sales, any
variation of the Sample Outdoors or Great Outdoors names, and Planning Sample
depict fictitious business operations with sample data used to develop sample
applications for IBM and IBM customers. These fictitious records include sample
data for sales transactions, product distribution, finance, and human resources.
Any resemblance to actual names, addresses, contact numbers, or transaction
values is coincidental. Other sample files may contain fictional data manually or
machine generated, factual data compiled from academic or public sources, or data
used with permission of the copyright holder, for use as sample data to develop
sample applications. Product names referenced may be the trademarks of their
respective owners. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2005, 2015 ix
x IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Chapter 1. What's new
This information will help you plan your upgrade, application deployment
strategies, and training requirements for users.
For information about all new features in this release of IBM Cognos Business
Intelligence, see the IBM Cognos Business Intelligence New Features Guide.
To find product documentation on the web, including all translated
documentation, access IBM Knowledge Center (www.ibm.com/support/
knowledgecenter).
To review an up-to-date list of environments that are supported by IBM Cognos
Business Intelligence products, including information on operating systems,
patches, browsers, web servers, directory servers, database servers, and application
servers, see the IBM Software Product Compatibility Reports page
(www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27042164).
New features in version 10.2.2
The following features are new in version 10.2.2 of IBM Cognos Business
Intelligence.
Restrictions on report output formats
Administrators can now restrict the ability of users to run reports in the CVS, PDF,
Microsoft Excel, and XML output formats. As a result, some users might not be
able to run reports in these formats.
Related concepts:
“Report formats” on page 79
In IBM Cognos Business Intelligence, you can view reports in a browser, or
depending on your permissions, you can generate reports in formats that can be
imported into other applications. Administrators can restrict access to the
capabilities that are required to run reports in delimited text (CSV), PDF, Microsoft
Excel spreadsheet (XLS), or XML formats.
Tab names in Excel 2007 reports
If an administrator has configured this option, the tabs in Excel 2007 output can be
dynamically named according to the page breaks that are specified. For example, if
page breaks are specified by product line, the worksheet tabs can have
corresponding names.
Related concepts:
“Microsoft Excel Formats” on page 80
You can export your report output to several different Microsoft Excel spreadsheet
software formats.
Using personal data sets in Cognos Business Intelligence
Individual business users can use the My Data Sets feature to create IBM Cognos
reports that are based on their personal data without engaging a professional
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2005, 2015 1
report author. The users can import data from a CSV, XLS or XLSX file, create a
stand-alone package for the data in IBM Cognos Connection, and generate reports
from that data.
Users can import large spreadsheets, with hundreds of thousands of rows, and
publish the package to any location in IBM Cognos Connection for which they
have write permissions.
Users can see only their personal data sets and can delete any packages or data
sets that they created using this functionality. They can grant other users access to
their personal data by sharing the corresponding packages.
Related concepts:
Chapter 8, “Personal data sets,” on page 111
Use personal data sets to create IBM Cognos reports that are based on your
personal data without engaging a professional report author. You can import data
from a CSV, XLS or XLSX file, create a stand-alone package for the data in IBM
Cognos Connection, and generate reports from that data.
New features in version 10.2.1.1
There are no new features in this release.
New features in version 10.2.1
The following features are new in IBM Cognos Business Intelligence, version 10.2.1.
Cognos Mobile sample audit reports
The new sample reports show IBM Cognos Mobile audit data.
Improved processing of burst reports
New burst options improve internal processing of burst reports on the server. This
functionality contributes to improved performance of the product.
The new burst options can be specified when setting the advanced report options.
For more information, see “Setting advanced report options for the current run” on
page 71.
Deprecated features in version 10.2.1
The following features are deprecated in IBM Cognos Business Intelligence, version
10.2.1.
IBM Cognos Statistics
IBM Cognos Statistics was removed from this version of IBM Cognos Business
Intelligence.
To ensure that reports that were created in previous releases, and that contain
statistical objects, will run in this and future releases, statistical objects are removed
when the reports are upgraded. Each removed statistical object is replaced with the
following image:
2 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Tip: Queries and their data items that are associated to statistical objects are not
removed from upgraded reports.
You can use IBM SPSS
®
Statistics to perform statistical reporting and analysis.
New features in version 10.2.0
Listed below are features that are new in version 10.2.0 of IBM Cognos Business
Intelligence.
Support for bidirectional languages
The bidirectional features supported by IBM Cognos Business Intelligence include
bidirectional text, digit shaping, and object direction in reports.
You can enable bidirectional support from Cognos Connection for all other BI
components that support bidirectional content. For more information, see
“Enabling support for bidirectional languages” on page 36.
Improved search with field-level search capability
IBM Cognos Connection search delivers more relevant results, faster.
It also offers greater control, enabling you to search by a specific field. For
example, entering "+name:product" searches for the term "product" in the "name"
field.
For more information, see “Searching for entries using full text and all fields” on
page 28.
Excel 2007 Data report output format
The Excel 2007 Data report output format enables you to generate native Microsoft
Excel 2007 spreadsheets containing list report data for further manipulation.
This format is similar to a comma separated values file (.csv). It has no formatting
such as headers, footers, styling, or data formatting.
For more information, see “Microsoft Excel Formats” on page 80.
Changed features in version 10.2.0
The following features are changed in version 10.2.0 of IBM Cognos Business
Intelligence.
New location for audit samples
After the audit samples are imported into IBM Cognos Connection, the audit
sample reports are located in the Public Folders > Samples_Audit > Audit folder.
Figure 1. Image that replaces statistical objects in upgraded reports
Chapter 1. What's new 3
Deprecated features in version 10.2.0
The following features are deprecated in version 10.2.0. of IBM Cognos Business
Intelligence.
Details view in Cognos Connection
The details view in IBM Cognos Connection known from previous releases of IBM
Cognos Business Intelligence was deprecated.
The new details view shows entries in a list form, and includes the entry
description, modification date, and applicable actions. You can alternate between
the list view and the new details view by clicking the List View or Details View
icon from the Cognos Connection toolbar. You can specify your preferred view
from My Preferences. For more information, see “Personalize the Portal” on page
32.
4 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Chapter 2. Building IBM Cognos business intelligence
applications
You use the IBM Cognos Business Intelligence components to build reporting and
analysis applications.
The lifetime of an IBM Cognos Business Intelligence application can be months, or
even years. During that time, data may change and new requirements appear. As
the underlying data changes, authors must modify existing content and develop
new content. Administrators must also update models and data sources over time.
For more information about using data sources, see the IBM Cognos Business
Intelligence Administration and Security Guide and the IBM Cognos Framework
Manager User Guide.
Before you begin
In a working application, the technical and security infrastructure and the portal
are in place, as well as processes for change management, data control, and so on.
For information about the workflow associated with creating IBM Cognos BI
content, see the IBM Cognos Business Intelligence Architecture and Deployment Guide.
For additional information, see the IBM Cognos Solutions Implementation
Methodology toolkit, which includes implementation roadmaps and supporting
documents. Information about the toolkit is available on the IBM Support Portal
(www.ibm.com/support/entry/portal/support).
When you use IBM Cognos BI to build applications across all of your IBM Cognos
BI components, you locate and prepare data sources and models, build and publish
the content, and then deliver the information. The following graphic provides an
overview of the workflow.
Procedure
1. Locate and prepare data sources and models.
IBM Cognos BI can report from a wide variety of data sources, both relational
and dimensional. Database connections are created in the Web administration
interface, and are used for modeling, for authoring, and for running the
application.
To use data for authoring and viewing, the business intelligence studios need a
subset of a model of the metadata (called a package). The metadata may need
extensive modeling in Framework Manager.
2. Build and publish the content.
Reports, scorecards, analysis, workspaces and more are created in the business
intelligence studios of IBM Cognos BI. Which studio you use depends on the
Figure 2. Using Cognos Business Intelligence to build applications
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2005, 2015 5
content, life span, and audience of the report, and whether the data is modeled
dimensionally or relationally. For example, self-service reporting and analysis
are done through IBM Cognos Workspace Advanced, IBM Cognos Query
Studio, and IBM Cognos Analysis Studio, and scheduled reports are created in
IBM Cognos Report Studio. Report Studio reports and scorecards are usually
prepared for a wider audience, published to IBM Cognos Connection or
another portal, and scheduled there for bursting, distribution, and so on. You
can also use Report Studio to prepare templates for self-service reporting.
3. Deliver and view the information.
You deliver content from the IBM Cognos portal or other supported portals,
and view information that has been saved to portals, or delivered by other
mechanisms. You can also run reports, analyses, scorecards, and more from
within the business intelligence studio in which they were created.
For information about tuning and performance, see the IBM Cognos Business
Intelligence Administration and Security Guide and the IBM Support Portal
(www.ibm.com/support/entry/portal/support).
6 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Chapter 3. IBM Cognos Connection
IBM Cognos Connection is the portal to IBM Cognos software. IBM Cognos
Connection provides a single access point to all corporate data available in IBM
Cognos software.
You can use IBM Cognos Connection to work with entries such as reports,
analyses, queries, agents, metrics, and packages. You can use IBM Cognos
Connection to create shortcuts, URLs, and pages, and to organize entries. You can
personalize IBM Cognos Connection for your own use.
You can use IBM Cognos Connection to create and run reports and cubes and
distribute reports. You can also use it to create and run agents and schedule
entries.
If you use a customized user interface, you may not have access to all the features
documented.
Related concepts:
“Distributing Reports” on page 96
You can distribute reports to other users to share information with them.
Chapter 6, “Reports and Cubes,” on page 67
You can use reports, cubes, and documents to analyze data and help you make
informed and timely decisions.
Chapter 10, “Agents,” on page 145
You can create agents in Event Studio to monitor your organization's data for
occurrences of business events. After an agent is published to the portal, use IBM
Cognos Connection to manage it.
Chapter 13, “Schedule Management,” on page 169
You can schedule IBM Cognos entries to run at a time that is convenient for you.
For example, you may want to run reports or agents during off hours when
demands on the system are low. Or you may want to run them at a regular weekly
or monthly interval.
Log On
IBM Cognos software supports authenticated and anonymous user access. To use
IBM Cognos software as an authenticated user, you must successfully log on.
During the logon process, you must provide your credentials, such as user ID and
password, as required by your organization. Anonymous users do not log on.
Tip: If you want to see a summary of your logon information for the current
session, in the portal, click My Area Options, My Preferences and then click the
Personal tab. This is not available to anonymous users.
Procedure
1. In the portal, click Log On.
2. If the namespace Logon page appears, in the Namespace box, click the
namespace you want to use.
3. Click OK and type your user ID and password.
4. Click OK.
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2005, 2015 7
Your session starts.
Log Off
You log off to end your session. Even if you used multiple namespaces in the
session, you log off only once.
If you close your Web browser without logging off, your session ends.
Procedure
1. In the portal, click Log Off.
You are now logged out of all the namespaces you were using.
2. Choose whether to log on again:
v If you do not want to log on again, close your Web browser.
v If you want to log on as an authenticated user, click Log on again.
v If you want to log on as an anonymous user, click Open a session as an
anonymous user. This is available only if your administrator set it up.
Create a Shortcut
A shortcut is a pointer to another entry such as a report, report view, folder, job,
agent, page, or URL.
You can use shortcuts to organize information that you use regularly. For example,
if you frequently use a report in Public Folders, you can create a shortcut in My
Folders.
If you want to make a new entry, it might be easier to make a copy of an existing
entry and modify it. For more information, see “Copy an entry” on page 18. If you
want to run an existing agent or report with some minor changes, create an agent
view “Create an Agent View” on page 146 or a report view “Create a Report
View” on page 75. For example, to change the format, language, or delivery
method of a report, create a report view.
You cannot update the source entry by clicking the shortcut. Updating the source
automatically updates all shortcuts to the entry.
Tip: If the source entry was deleted or moved to another location, the shortcut
icon
changes to indicate a broken link.
You can change access permissions for a shortcut entry, but it does not change the
access permissions for the source entry.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, locate the entry you want to create a shortcut to.
2. Under Actions, click More and then click Create a shortcut to this entry
.
3. In the Name box, type the name of the shortcut.
4. If you want, in the Description and in the Screen tip box, you can type a
description of the entry.
The description appears in the portal when you set your preferences to use the
details view. For more information, see “Personalize the Portal” on page 32.
8 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
5. If you do not want to use the target folder shown under Location, choose
another location:
v Click Select another folder, select the target folder, and click OK.Ifthe
folder box is empty, go back one folder level using the path in the Select a
location (Navigate) window.
v Click Select My Folders as the location.
6. Click Finish.
Results
In the portal, shortcut entries are identified by the shortcut icon .
Create a URL
A URL is a standard way of identifying the location for any external file or Web
site. Create URLs to keep the files and Web sites you use most frequently at your
fingertips. Clicking a URL opens the file or Web site in the browser. After opening
a URL, click the back button in your browser to return to the portal.
The URL must contain a valid server name that is included in the valid domains
list, as specified by your administrator. Otherwise, you cannot create the URL.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, go to the folder where you want to create the new
URL.
2. Click the new URL button
on the toolbar.
3. In the Name box, type the name of the new URL.
4. If you want, in the Description and in the Screen tip box, you can type a
description of the entry.
The description appears in the portal when you set your preferences to use the
details view “Personalize the Portal” on page 32.
5. In the URL box, type the URL location.
If the URL points to a Web site address, the protocol must be included. For
example, to create a URL for the IBM Cognos Web site, type
http://www.cognos.com.
The URL must use a valid domain, as specified by your administrator. To view
a list of acceptable domains, click View acceptable domains.
6. If you do not want to use the target folder shown under Location, choose
another location:
v Click Select another folder, select the target folder, and click OK.Ifthe
folder box is empty, go back one folder level using the path in the Select a
location (Navigate) window.
v Click Select My Folders as the location.
7. Click Finish.
Results
In the portal, URL entries are identified by the URL icon .
Chapter 3. IBM Cognos Connection 9
Bookmark an Entry
You can bookmark an IBM Cognos entry in your Web browser so that later you
can quickly perform the default action associated with the entry. For example,
using a report bookmark, you can view the most recent report output, run the
report, or open it in an authoring tool.
For more information, see “Set Default Report Options” on page 69.
The bookmark saves the URL of the entry and its default action at the time when
the bookmark was created.
Some default actions are available only to users who
v have the required access permissions for the entries.
v have the required product components installed.
v have access to specific, secured functions and features.
For example, the capabilities to use a specific IBM Cognos Business Intelligence
studio.
v use specific Web browsers.
For example, to open an agent, users must have read and traverse permissions for
the agent, have Event Studio installed and the permissions to use it, and use
Microsoft Internet Explorer as their Web browser.
Using Any Web Browsers
The procedure to add a bookmark for any web browser is as follows.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, locate the entry for which you want to create a
bookmark.
2. In the Actions column, click the set properties button
for the entry.
3. On the General tab, click View the search path, ID and URL.
4. Right-click the link that appears under Default action URL.
The link shows the entry name and the action that will be performed. If the
entry has no default actions, the link is replaced by None.
A menu box specific to your Web browser appears.
5. From the menu, click the option for creating bookmarks.
For example, if you are using Internet Explorer, click Add to Favorites.Ifyou
are using Firefox, click Bookmark This Link.
6. Create the bookmark as you normally do in your Web browser.
Using Internet Explorer
The procedure to add a bookmark using Internet Explorer is as follows.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, locate the entry for which you want to create a
bookmark.
2. In the Actions column, click More .
3. In the list of actions available for this entry, click Add to bookmarks
.
10 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
The Internet Explorer box for adding favorites appears.
4. Create the bookmark as you normally do in Internet Explorer.
Entry Properties
You can control the way an entry appears and behaves by modifying its properties.
The properties for entries vary depending upon the type of entry selected and your
privileges. For example, reports have properties to control run options while
folders do not. If a property is not applicable to the type of entry you are
customizing, it will not appear in the Set properties page.
General Properties
General properties appear on the General tab of the Set properties page.
The following table describes the general properties that are available.
Table 1. General entry properties
Property Description
Type The type of entry.
Owner The owner of the entry. By default, the owner is the person who
created the entry. When the owner no longer exists in the
namespace, or is from a different namespace than the current user,
the owner shows as Unavailable.
If you have Set policy permissions, click Make me the owner to
become the owner of the entry.
Contact The person responsible for the entry. Click Set the contact and
then click Select the contact to set the contact for the entry or click
Enter an email address to enter the contact's email address.
Location The location of the entry in the portal and its ID. Click View the
search path, ID and URL to view the fully qualified location and
the ID of the entry in the content store.
Entries are assigned a unique identification (ID) number. For more
information, see “Organizing Entries” on page 18.
Created The date the entry was created.
Modified The most recent date that the entry was modified.
Icon The icon for the entry. Click Edit to specify an alternative icon. For
more information, see “Specify an Alternative Icon for an Entry”
on page 26.
Indexed The timestamp indicating when the entry was last indexed. The
property does not appear if the entry has not been indexed.
Chapter 3. IBM Cognos Connection 11
Table 1. General entry properties (continued)
Property Description
Disable this entry When selected, users that do not have write permissions for this
entry cannot access it. The entry is no longer visible in the portal.
If an entry is disabled and you have write access to it, the disabled
icon appears next to the entry.
Hide this entry Select this property to hide reports, packages, pages, folders, jobs,
and other entries. Hide an entry to prevent it from unnecessary
use, or to organize your view. The hidden entry is still accessible
to other entries. For example, a hidden report is accessible as a
drill-through target.
A hidden entry remains visible, but its icon is faded. If you clear
the Show hidden entries check box in my area options
, My
Preferences, the entry disappears from your view.
You must have access to the Hide Entries capability granted by
your administrator to see this property.
Language A list of languages that are available for the entry name, screen
tip, and description according to the configuration set up by your
administrator.
Click Remove values for this language to remove the entry name,
screen tip, and description for a specified language.
Name The name of the entry for the selected language.
Screen tip An optional description of the entry. The screen tip appears when
you pause your pointer over the icon for the entry in the portal.
Up to 100 characters can be used for a screen tip.
Description An optional description of the entry. It appears in the portal when
you set your preferences to use the details view.
Details view appears only in Public Folders and My Folders.
Run history The number of occurrences or period of time to retain run
histories for the entry.
Report output versions The number of occurrences or period of time to keep report
outputs.
Setting this value to zero (0) saves an unlimited number of
versions.
Package The package that is associated with the entry. If the source
package was moved or deleted, the text reads Unavailable.
Click Link to a package to link the entry to a different package.
For more information, see “Select a Link for an Entry” on page 23.
12 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Table 1. General entry properties (continued)
Property Description
URL A URL to either a file or Web site address. For more information,
see “Create a URL” on page 9.
This field is visible only if you have read permissions for the
entry. If you have write permissions without read permissions, this
property is not visible.
Source report A path to the source entry for a report view. If the source entry
was moved or deleted, the text reads Unavailable.
Click Report Properties to view the properties of the source
report. Click Link to a report to link the entry to a different
package. For more information, see “Select a Link for an Entry” on
page 23.
Source agent A path to the source entry for an agent view. If the source entry
was moved or deleted, the text reads Unavailable.
Click Agent Properties to view the properties of the source report.
Click Link to an agent to link the entry to a different package. For
more information, see “Select a Link for an Entry” on page 23.
Shortcut to A path to the entry that the shortcut points to. If the referred entry
no longer exists, the text reads Source entry not found.
Click Source Properties to view the properties of the source entry.
Advanced routing A list of keywords used to direct requests by package, user group,
or user role to dispatchers in identified server groups.
Click Set to add routing keywords for packages, user roles, or user
groups. The rules used to direct the requests are part of IBM
Cognos Administration.
Gateway The location of the web server where the originating IBM Cognos
product resides. Applies only to Series 7 PowerPlay
®
reports.
Permissions
Permissions appear on the Permissions tab of the Set properties page.
The following table describes the permissions that are available.
Table 2. Permissions properties
Property Description
Override the access
permissions
Whether to replace the permissions that are inherited
from the parent entry.
Chapter 3. IBM Cognos Connection 13
Table 2. Permissions properties (continued)
Property Description
Access permissions (Name,
Type, Permissions)
The permissions that are set for the entry. You can grant
or deny read, write, execute, set policy, and traverse
permissions. For more information, see Chapter 4, “Access
Permissions and Credentials,” on page 39.
Click Add to add more names to the list. Click Delete to
delete names from the list.
Delete the access permissions
of all child entries
Whether to remove the existing access permissions for all
child entries so that they will use the access permissions
for this entry.
Report, Query, Analysis, and PowerPlay Report Properties
Report properties appear on the following tabs of the Set properties page:
v the Report tab for Report Studio reports
v the Query tab for Query Studio reports
v the Analysis tab for Analysis Studio reports
v the PowerPlay Report tab for Series 7 PowerPlay reports
The following table describes the report properties that are available.
Table 3. Report, Query, Analysis, and PowerPlay Report properties
Property Description
Default action The default action when the report is run.
Report options: Override the
default values
Whether to override default run options for the report.
When selected, the values that you can override appear.
Format The default format, orientation, and paper size to use
when the report runs. Appears only if Override the
default values is selected.
Accessibility Whether to create report output that supports
accessibility. Enabling support creates report output that
can be read by a screen reader.
Language The default language to use for the report data when the
report runs. Appears only if Override the default values
is selected.
Prompt values The values that are used to filter data when a report is
run. For more information, see “Specify the Default
Prompt Values for a Report” on page 83.
Run as the owner Whether to use the owner credentials when the report is
run. For more information, see “Trusted credentials” on
page 46.
14 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Table 3. Report, Query, Analysis, and PowerPlay Report properties (continued)
Property Description
Run as the owner: Capabilities
only
Whether to use only the owner capabilities and not the
owner credentials when the report is run. For more
information, see “Running reports with report owner
capabilities” on page 73.
HTML options: Open in design
mode
Whether to open an HTML-format Series 7 PowerPlay
report in design mode.
Number of rows per Web page
in HTML reports
The number of rows you want to appear per Web page
in HTML reports
Enable selection-based
interactivity in HTML reports
Whether to enable the following in HTML reports that
are viewed in IBM Cognos Viewer: drill up and drill
down, drill through, IBM Cognos Search, watch rules,
and agent notification. For more information, see
“Disable Selection-based Interactivity” on page 95.
Note that to have watch rules evaluated in saved report
output, you must select the Enable enhanced user
features in saved output versions check box.
Enable alerts about new
versions
Whether to allow report consumers to receive alerts
about new versions of a saved report. If this check box is
cleared, you are prompted whether to remove all users
from the alert list.
Enable enhanced user features
in saved output versions
Whether to create additional output formats so that
watch rules can be evaluated and saved output versions
can be imported into IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office.
Note that to enable watch rules, you must select the
Enable selection-based interactivity in HTML reports
check box.
Enable comments in saved
output versions
Whether to allow users to add comments to saved
reports. For more information, see “Comments in Saved
Reports” on page 93.
Refresh the report cache Create new cache data if none is available, when the
report runs interactively.
Cache duration The number of days or months before the report cache
data expires. To enable the cache duration, select the
Refresh the report cache check box.
Job Properties
Job properties appear on the Job tab of the Set properties page.
The following table describes the job properties that are available.
Chapter 3. IBM Cognos Connection 15
Table 4. Job properties
Property Description
Steps A list of steps in the job.
Submission of steps Whether to run job tasks all at once or in sequence.
Defaults for all steps Set default values at the job level. Click Set, then specify the
defaults for all steps of the job. If no defaults are set, the defaults
for the individual steps are used.
Run history details level Click All to save the complete history details for the job steps
when the run activity completes successfully. The complete
history details for the job steps includes Name, Request time,
Start time, Completion time, Status.
Click Limited to save limited run history details for the job. The
limited run history details include the job start time, completion
time, status and messages.
If the job run fails, the complete history details are saved. The
default is All.
The Run history details level setting for the job overrides the
settings of the job steps.
Agent Properties
Agent properties appear on the Agent tab of the Set properties page.
The following table describes the agent properties that are available.
Table 5. Agent properties
Property Description
Tasks A list of tasks in the agent.
Default action The default action when the agent is run.
Prompt values The values that are used to filter data when an agent is run.
For more information, see “Run an Agent” on page 145.
Run as the owner Whether to use the owner credentials when the agent is run.
For more information, “Trusted credentials” on page 46.
Run as the owner:
Capabilities only
Whether to use only the owner capabilities and not the owner
credentials when the report is run. For more information, see
“Running reports with report owner capabilities” on page 73.
Alert list Whether to allow users to add themselves to the alert list for
an agent.
16 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Page Properties
Page properties appear on the Layout and Content and Page Style tabs of the Set
properties page.
The following table describes the page properties that are available.
Table 6. Page properties
Property Description
Number of columns The number of columns used to organize the content of a page.
Up to three columns can be used.
Content Type of content added to a page.
Use to add and remove portlets, distribute the portlets between
the columns, change the order of columns and specify their
width.
Language The language in which the page title and instructions can be
typed. It should match the product language.
Title The page title. You can format the title by changing the font
and character style, and the text alignment. To return to the
default browser settings, click Return to default. To modify the
default settings, click Custom.
You can hide the title.
Instructions Additional information about the page. You can format the text
of instructions by changing the font and character style, and the
text alignment. To return to the default browser settings, click
Return to default. To modify the default settings, click Custom.
You can hide the instructions.
Portlet style The way a portlet appears on a page. To avoid cluttering the
page, you can hide the portlet borders, title bars, and the edit
button on the title bar.
Rule Properties
Use the rule properties to define or modify a watch rule. You can access the rule
properties from the My Watch Items, Rules tab by clicking the set properties icon
for a watch rule entry. The properties are located on the Rule tab of the Set
Properties page.
The rule properties specify conditions in saved HTML report output so that when
the report is saved and the conditions are satisfied, you are alerted.
For information about creating watch rules, see “Create a Watch Rule for a Specific
Condition” on page 90.
The following table describes the rule properties that are available.
Chapter 3. IBM Cognos Connection 17
Table 7. Rule properties
Property Description
Disable the rule Whether to disable the watch rule. When disabled, the
watch rule is not applied when report output is
generated.
Send an alert when the report
reportname contains:
The name of the report and the rule defined for the watch
rule.
To edit the definition, click the existing filter condition,
such as greater than (>), and in the list that appears, click
a different condition. Specify a different value in the box.
For the selected context The objects in the report to which the rule applies.
Alert type The type of alert you receive when the rule is satisfied.
You can be alerted by email or news item.
Organizing Entries
Organize entries such as reports, analyses, agents, and packages in a meaningful
way so that you can easily find them. It is important to plan how you can best
organize entries in the portal. Review the entries and attempt to group them in a
logical way. Consider grouping the entries by type or frequency of use.
You may decide to create a folder hierarchy by using nested folders. The folder
structure should be logical and should support the chosen method of grouping.
Use meaningful names and detailed descriptions to identify entries in the portal.
You can copy, move, rename, or delete entries. You can create copies of entries and
store them in multiple folders for easy access. You can disable entries and specify
the order of entries. You can select a link for an entry. For example, if a report is
deleted, you may want to link an associated report view to a different report. You
can also hide an entry to prevent it from unnecessary use.
Remember that an entry often refers to other entries such as packages, reports,
analyses, or queries. In addition, there may be references to entries in job steps,
agents tasks, drill-through targets, or metrics. Reference IDs are hard-coded in the
specification for each entry.
Copy an entry
When you create a copy of an entry, you create a replica of that entry in another
location in the portal.
Copied entries maintain the original links they had. For example, a report is in
Folder A and it is linked to a package in Folder A. If you copy that report to
Folder B, it is still linked to the package in Folder A.
If you copy and replace an existing entry or object, the copied object completely
overwrites the existing object, including the content store ID and any links for the
18 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
object. This behavior ensures that reports reference packages properly. Because the
object ID is overwritten, you must update links, for example, to job schedules or to
Cognos Viewer pages.
In some situations, where reports do not reference packages, you can change the
default copying behavior to retain the target object ID. You might do this to
maintain a job schedule. For more information, see the IBM Cognos Business
Intelligence Administration and Security Guide.
If you want to run an existing agent or report with some minor changes, create an
agent view “Create an Agent View” on page 146 or a report view “Create a Report
View” on page 75. For example, to change the format, language, or delivery
method of a report, create a report view. You can copy multiple entries at the same
time to the same location.
If you want a report to appear in more than one location, create a shortcut “Create
a Shortcut” on page 8.
You must have read permissions for an entry you are attempting to copy. You must
also have traverse permissions for the current folder, and write and traverse
permissions for the target folder Chapter 4, “Access Permissions and Credentials,”
on page 39.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, select the check boxes next to the entry or entries
you want to copy.
2. Click the copy button
on the toolbar.
3. Go to the desired location for the new entry or entries and click the paste
button
on the toolbar.
4. If an entry name is the same as an entry name in the destination folder, choose
whether you want to replace the existing entry with the one that you are
copying:
v To replace the existing entry, click Yes.
v To cancel the copy, click No.
Move an Entry
When you move an entry, you remove it from the current folder and place it in
another folder.
You may decide to move an entry if your folder becomes so full that it is difficult
to locate particular entries. You can create a series of subfolders and move the
entries to support your new folder hierarchy. For example, a folder containing
weekly sales reports can be divided into sales reports by month or by author.
When you move an entry, the ID stays the same. References to the entry from
other entries are not broken. However, shortcuts to the entry no longer work.
For example, a report has several report views associated with it. When you move
the report to another location in IBM Cognos Connection, the references in the
associated report views are not broken. However, shortcuts to the entry no longer
work.
Chapter 3. IBM Cognos Connection 19
When you move an entry, if there is another entry of the same name in the target
location, you are prompted to replace the existing entry with the moved entry. If
you choose to replace the existing entry, the ID of the existing entry is kept.
References to the moved entry are broken. Shortcuts to the entry no longer work.
If you want to use a generic entry as the underlying structure for additional
entries, make a copy of the entry “Copy an entry” on page 18. If you want an
entry to appear in more than one location, create a shortcut “Create a Shortcut” on
page 8. If you want to run an existing agent or report with some minor changes,
create an agent view “Create an Agent View” on page 146 or a report view “Create
a Report View” on page 75. For example, to change the format, language, or
delivery method of a report, create a report view.
Before you begin
You must have read permissions for the entry you are attempting to move. You
must also have write and traverse permissions for the current folder and for the
target folder.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, select the check boxes next to the entry or entries
you want to move.
2. Click the cut button
on the toolbar.
3. Go to the desired location for the entry or entries and click the paste button
on the toolbar.
4. If an entry name is the same as an entry name in the destination folder, choose
whether you want to replace the existing entry with the one that you are
copying:
v To replace the existing entry, click Yes.
v To cancel the copy, click No.
Rename an Entry
You may decide to rename an entry. Perhaps the current name for an analysis is
confusing or the purpose of a report changed.
When you rename an entry, the ID stays the same. However, the search path
changes. References to the entry from other entries are not broken. Shortcuts to the
entry no longer work.
For example, a package has reports, agents, and drill-through definitions associated
with it. When you rename the package, the references in the associated reports,
agents, and drill-through definitions are not broken.
You cannot rename an entry to the same name as another entry that already exists
in the same location.
Before you begin
You must have read permissions for the entry you are attempting to rename. You
must also have write and traverse permissions for the current folder and for the
target folder.
20 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, locate the entry you want to rename, and in the
Actions column, click the set properties button
.
2. Click the Properties tab.
3. In the Name box, type a new name for the entry.
4. Click OK.
Disable an Entry
You can disable entries to prevent users from accessing them.
Disabling entries is useful when you want to perform maintenance operations. For
example, you may want to disable a folder while you reorganize its content. When
you disable a folder, the folder content is also disabled.
If an entry is disabled, the disabled icon
appears beside the entry to indicate
that it is disabled.
If the source entry is disabled, all shortcuts to the entry appear with the source
disabled icon
, indicating that it no longer works.
Before you begin
You must have read and write permissions for an entry Chapter 4, “Access
Permissions and Credentials,” on page 39 to enable or disable it. You must also
have traverse permissions on the folder that contains the entry.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, locate the entry you want to disable and, in the
Actions column, click the set properties button
.
2. Click the General tab.
3. Select the Disable this entry check box.
Tip: To enable a disabled entry, clear the Disable this entry check box.
4. Click OK.
Results
If you have only read, execute, or traverse permissions for a disabled entry, you
cannot see the entry in the portal. If you have write or set policy permissions for a
disabled entry, it appears in the portal with the disabled icon
.
Hide an Entry
You can hide entries in IBM Cognos Connection and IBM Cognos Administration
such as reports, packages, pages, folders, jobs, data sources, portlets, and so on, to
ensure that the entries are not accessed or run unnecessarily. This specifically
applies to drill-through reports that, when they run, could have negative impact on
system performance. For example, running drill-through reports that have optional
prompts, or no prompts, could result in database queries that use considerable
resources. When these reports are hidden in the portal, users cannot run them and
the system is not overloaded with unnecessary requests.
Chapter 3. IBM Cognos Connection 21
Hiding an entry does not affect its properties, including security permissions. You
can access hidden entries using different methods, such as using a URL.
Depending on the user preferences specified in my area options
, My
Preferences, a hidden entry either entirely disappears from the user interface or
remains visible, but its icon fades. For more information, see “View a Hidden
Entry.”
You cannot hide users, groups, or roles in external namespaces.
Before you begin
An administrator controls which users, groups, or roles can hide entries by
granting the users access to the Hide Entries capability in IBM Cognos
Administration. Only users who have access to this capability can perform the
following steps.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos software, locate the entry that you want to hide, and click its
set properties button
.
2. On the General tab, select the Hide this entry check box.
3. Click OK.
The entry is now hidden; however, it may still appear in the user interface with
a faded icon. To remove the entry from your view, see “View a Hidden Entry.”
View a Hidden Entry
Users can change their preferences to either show or remove hidden entries from
the user interface. Icons that represent hidden entries are faded.
Depending on the preferences, a hidden entry may or may not appear in search
pages, wizards, save as boxes, and so on. For example, when the user interface
does not show hidden entries, hidden packages do not appear in the list of
available packages when users try to open the applicable studio, and the search
results do not include the packages.
The following are the rules that apply to viewing hidden entries:
v A hidden report is accessible as a drill-through target.
Drill-through targets include parameter values to avoid resource-intensive query
operations. However, the user still requires read and execute permissions to use
this target report in a drill-through activity.
v A hidden drill-through definition is not displayed in the Go To page if the user
interface does not show hidden entries.
v A visible shortcut can point to a hidden entry. If the shortcut points to a hidden
folder, any hidden entries in the folder are not visible.
v Search pages do not return hidden entries if the user interface does not display
the entries.
The following, are examples of situations when hidden entries are always visible,
regardless of the user preferences for viewing hidden entries.
v Hidden entries on the Permissions and Personal tabs
The entries icons are faded.
22 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
v Portal tabs associated with hidden pages
v Portlets in a page
v Job steps that refer to hidden entries already in a job
The entries icons are faded.
v Agent tasks that refer to hidden entries already in an agent
The entries icons are faded.
v Details in a report run history
The icons that represent hidden entries do not change.
Before you begin
Only users who have access to the Hide Entries capability in IBM Cognos
Administration can perform the following steps.
Procedure
1. Go to my area options and click My Preferences.
2. On the General tab, select or clear the Show hidden entries check box.
If you select this check box, the hidden entries appear in the user interface with
faded icons. If you clear this check box, the hidden entries disappear from the
user interface.
3. Click OK.
Select a Link for an Entry
Some entries are linked to other entries when they are created. For example, a
report view is linked to a report and a report or agent is linked to a package.
Metrics are linked to a metrics package.
You can change the link for an entry. For example, if a report is deleted, you may
want to link an associated report view to a different report. After you change the
link, the report view reflects the content of the new report.
Select a link that is appropriate for the entry. For example, the package that a
report is linked to must contain a valid model for the report to run correctly.
If the link associated with the entry is not available, Unavailable appears. For
example, Unavailable appears if the package that a report is linked to is deleted.
Before you begin
You must have write permissions for the entry you are attempting to select a link
for. You must also have write and traverse permissions for the current folder.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, locate the entry you want and click the set
properties button
.
2. Click the General tab and find the current link for the entry.
For example, for a report, look in Package. For a report view, look in Source
report.
3. Click the link.
Chapter 3. IBM Cognos Connection 23
For example, for a report, click Link to a package. For a report view, click Link
to report.
4. Select the new entry that you want to link the entry to and click OK.
Delete an Entry
When you delete an entry, you permanently remove it from the portal and its ID is
deleted. You may decide to delete an entry because it is outdated or may no longer
satisfy your requirements.
Deleting the source entry for a shortcut removes only the source entry. The
shortcut entries remain but have an invalid reference icon
and are not
accessible.
Deleting a shortcut or a report or agent view removes only the selected entry and
not the source entry. References from other entries no longer work.
Before you begin
You must have write permissions or set policy permissions for the entry you are
attempting to delete. You must also have write and traverse permissions for the
current folder.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, select the check boxes next to the entries you want
to delete.
2. Click the delete button
on the toolbar.
A confirmation box appears.
3. Click OK.
Specify the Order of Entries
You can specify the order of folders and entries in the portal. You may decide to
organize entries by level of usage and place entries that you use daily at the top of
the list.
By default, existing entries are sorted alphabetically. Entries added after the order
is specified are shown at the end of the list.
To specify the order of entries, you must have read and write permissions for all
entries in the folder and read and traverse permissions for the folder containing
the entries.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the tab you want.
2. Click the order button
on the toolbar.
3. Select the entries in the Shown in default order list box and click the
right-arrow button
to move them to the Shown first list box.
Note: You specify the order of folders and entries independently.
4. Click the Up, Down, To top, and To bottom links to move the folders and
entries within the list.
24 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
5. Click OK.
Create a Folder
You can organize entries into folders. Having folders that are logically labeled and
organized helps you easily locate reports. For example, you might want to create
folders in My Folders or Public Folders to help you organize your entries.
You can create folders in the following locations:
v Public Folders
Entries that are placed in Public Folders are of interest to and can be viewed by
many users. When the focus is on the Public Folder tab, the content is grouped
by packages or folders. Each package contains a single model and all related
entries, such as folders, reports, jobs, report views, agents, metrics, URLs, and
shortcuts.
v My Folders
You create personal folders and use them to organize entries according to your
preferences. My Folders are accessible by you only when you are logged on.
You must have write access to a folder to create entries in it.
Tips: Click More to view a full list of actions that can be performed on an entry.
Click Set Properties
to change the general properties, defaults, permissions,
and job properties for an entry. Not all properties are available for each type of
entry.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, go to the location for the new folder.
2. Click the new folder button
on the portal toolbar.
3. In the Name box, type the name of the new folder.
4. If you want, in the Description and in the Screen tip box, you can type a
description of the entry.
The description appears in the portal when you set your preferences to use the
details view “Personalize the Portal” on page 32.
5. If you do not want to use the target folder shown under Location, choose
another location:
v Click Select another folder, select the target folder, and click OK.Ifthe
folder box is empty, go back one folder level using the path in the Select a
location (Navigate) window.
v Click Select My Folders as the location.
6. Click Finish.
Results
The new folder has the same permissions as the parent folder. For information
about changing access permissions, see Chapter 4, “Access Permissions and
Credentials,” on page 39.
Chapter 3. IBM Cognos Connection 25
Specify an Alternative Icon for an Entry
In the portal, the standard icons that appear next to entries help identify the class
to which the entry belongs. To better identify an entry among several similar
entries, you can replace the standard icon with an alternative icon.
When you specify an alternative icon, use a screen resolution of 16 x 16 pixels to
ensure that the icon is properly aligned and spaced in the portal.
Customizations, such as alternative icons, are not maintained automatically. As a
result, alternative icons must be ported manually upon upgrade.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, locate the entry you want and click the set
properties button.
2. Click the General tab and next to Icon, click Edit.
3. Click Specify an icon, and in the edit box, specify a name for the image, for
example, myicon.gif.
The image must exist in the folder c10_location/webcontent/ps/portal/images.
4. Click OK.
Results
Wherever the entry appears in the portal, the alternative icon appears instead of
the standard icon.
Search options in IBM Cognos Connection
You can search for entries whose name, description, or both match the string
entered in the search criteria. Or, you can search an index of entries created by
your administrator using the Full text and all fields option.
When using the first type of search, you search the content store directly. For more
information, see “Searching for entries using name, description, and name or
description” on page 27.
Full text and all fields search
When using the full text search, you search an optimized index file. To enable this
type of search, the IBM Cognos business intelligence content must be indexed.
The search can be restricted using the Execute Indexed Search capability. With this
capability, users can search all indexed business intelligence content, including the
data sources and metadata. Without this capability, users can do a basic indexed
search that includes only the entry names and descriptions. The search results view
is also reduced for users without this capability.
Full text search allows the users to thoroughly explore their business intelligence
content. Both structured and unstructured information is accessed quickly and
securely.
Full text search offers the following benefits:
v All indexed content can be searched
26 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
All relevant reports and other objects are located by searching for specific terms,
such as customer names, product names, or locations that are rarely displayed in
titles or descriptions. If the search index supports data searching, all data is
searched as well.
v New content can be created
Queries based on the search terms are created dynamically and included in the
search results. You can then refine the query in the most appropriate Cognos
studio. For example, if you search for “Revenue +Customer”, and if the Revenue
measure and the Customer dimension exist in an indexed package, a query is
built that can be used as a starting point for a new analysis in Analysis Studio.
v PowerCube drill actions can be started
When you select a search result associated with an indexed PowerCube, you are
taken directly to the appropriate drill location and can then continue your
analysis in Analysis Studio. This provides a launching point for further analysis.
Full text search is available both in Cognos Connection and in Cognos Workspace.
For more information, see “Searching for entries using full text and all fields” on
page 28
Searching for entries using name, description, and name or
description
In IBM Cognos Connection, you can search for entries whose name, description, or
both match the string entered in the search criteria. These types of searches do not
require a search index.
When the Name, Description, and Name or description options are used for
searching, search ignores capitalization.
The following table shows examples of search and results.
Table 8. Search examples and results
Search definition Search example Search result
Contains the exact string Report 1 “Report 1”, “Report 100”,
“Copy of Report 1”
Starts with the exact string report “report 1”, “Report 100”
Matches the exact string Report “Report”, “report”
Only entries for which you have access permissions are included in the search
results.
For information about multilingual searches, see “Searching for an entry in
multiple languages” on page 30.
Procedure
1. For name, description, or name and description searches, go to the highest
level folder that you want to include in your search.
Tip: You can increase or limit the folders to include in your search by
changing the Scope when you enter the search criteria.
Chapter 3. IBM Cognos Connection 27
2. From the Search Options, specify one of the following:
v Name field
v Description field
v Name or description field
3. Click the search button
on the toolbar.
4. In the search box, type the phrase that you want to search for.
5. Click Advanced.
6. Choose the type of match between the search string and the results:
v To return entries that include the search string somewhere in the name or
description, click Contains the exact string.
v To return entries whose name or description begins with the search string,
click Starts with the exact string.
v To return entries whose name or description matches the search string word
for word, click Matches the exact string.
7. In the Type box, click the type of entry to search for.
Tip: To search for all shortcuts in the selected location, click Shortcuts.
8. In the Modified box, click the date that the entry was last modified.
For example, if you want the search to return entries that were updated in the
last week, click In last week.
Note: This option is only available in the Cognos namespace.
9. In the Scope box, click the folders you want to include in the search.
10. Click the Search button
.
The entries matching the search criteria and for which you have permissions
to view appear at the bottom of the screen under Results.
Tip: To open an entry, click its link.
Searching for entries using full text and all fields
In IBM Cognos Connection, when you search for entries using the Full text and all
fields option, you search for entries in an index that was created by your
administrator. The search results can be refined after the initial search results are
generated.
Before you begin
Before you can search for an entry, the search index must be created.
About this task
Search operators refine your search criteria so that the search can return more
relevant results. Without the operators, when using more than one word in a
search, the result includes entries that contain all of the search keywords and
entries that contain only one of the search keywords.
Use the following operators in the same way that you use them in other search
engines:
v Plus sign (+)
v Minus sign (-)
v Double quotation marks (") and (")
v Asterisk (*)
28 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
You can search by specified fields. The currently supported fields are name and
description. This type of search gives more control over the search results and
eliminates less relevant matches, such as metadata and data matches. Special
characters, such as a question mark (?), an ampersand (&), a percent sign (%), and
so on, are ignored during the search.
The following table shows the supported search strings and associated search
examples and search results.
Table 9. Search examples
Search string Search example Search result
Single term Sales Returns entries that include
Sales.
Multiple terms Sales Performance Returns entries that include
Sales or Performance.
Phrase "Sales Performance"
Returns an exact phrase “Sales
Performance”. For example, a
report entitled “Sales
Performance for North
America” is included in the
results.
+ Sales +Performance Returns entries where
Performance must be present
while Sales is optional.
- Sales -Performance Returns entries where
Performance must be absent
while Sales is optional.
* Perform* Returns entries that start with
Perform. For example,
Performance, performing.
-prompt: Sales -prompt: Returns entries that include
Sales, but excludes entries that
are part of prompts.
+language:lang Sales +language:ja Returns entries that include
Sales, and match only entries
with language metadata = ja
-language:lang Sales -language:ja Returns entries that include
Sales, but excludes any entries
with language metadata = ja
+name:term +name:Sales Returns entries that include
Sales in the name.
-name:term -name:Performance Returns entries that do not
include Performance in the
name.
+description:term +description:Sales Returns entries that include
Sales in the description.
-description:term
-description:Performance Returns entries that do not
include Performance in the
description.
+name:term1
+description:term2
+name:Sales
+description:Performance
Returns entries that include
Sales in the name and
Performance in the description.
Chapter 3. IBM Cognos Connection 29
Table 9. Search examples (continued)
Search string Search example Search result
+name:term1
-description:term2
+name:Sales
-description:Performance
Returns entries that include
Sales in the name and do not
include Performance in the
description.
-name:term1
+description:term2
-name:Sales
+description:Performance
Returns entries that do not
include Sales in the name and
include Performance in the
description.
-name:term1
-description:term2
-name:Sales
-description:Performance
Returns entries that do not
include Sales in the name and
Performance in the description.
term1 -name:term2
-description:term3
Product -name:Sales
-description:Performance
Returns entries for Product that
do not include Sales in the
name and Performance in the
description.
Tip: No space should be provided between the operator (+,-,*) and the search
term.
Procedure
1. From the Search Options, select the Full text and all fields search option.
2. Click the search icon
in the toolbar.
3. In the search box, type the phrase that you want to search for.
4. Click Advanced.
5. In the Search for type box, click the type of entry to search for.
6. Click Search.
7. To refine your search further, use the options in the Refine by pane.
v Result - Shows or hides report parts only.
v Type - The type of an IBM Cognos entry, such as a dashboard, a report, or a
query.
v Part - The type of report, such as a crosstab, list, or pie chart
v Date - The year of creation
v Owner - The owner of the entry.
v Metadata - The metadata or packages that were used to create this entry.
The options that are available to you to refine your search depend on the
search privileges granted by your administrator. For more information, see
“Search results” on page 31.
Searching for an entry in multiple languages
In IBM Cognos Connection, when you perform a search, you can use a search term
that is in a different language from the language specified by the content language
setting. Before you can search for an entry, the search index must be created.
The locale of the user sets the default language for a search. You can customize
this setting by changing the Content language option in My Preferences.Ifthe
Content language is English, then the search results are delivered in English.
To search in multiple languages, use the following syntax:
30 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
search_term +language:locale
The following table shows examples of search results in different locales.
Table 10. Multilingual search examples
Search example Search result
ventes +language:fr Returns entries that include the term ventes in the
French locale.
revenue +language:fr +language:de Returns entries that include the term revenue in
the French and German locales.
Although you can search in different languages, you only receive search results if
the search index supports those languages. Your administrator specifies the
languages that are supported.
Procedure
1. Click the search icon
on the toolbar.
2. In the search box, type the phrase that you want to search for.
Results
The search returns a list of entries for the language that you specified.
Searching from within a report
When viewing a report in IBM Cognos Viewer, you can search for information
associated with a specific area of the report, such as a column title.
Procedure
1. Run a report in IBM Cognos Viewer.
2. Right-click on an area in the report and click Go To > Search.
The search results display entries that meet the search criteria.
Search results
The full text search results facilitate possible actions associated with the returned
entries. Only entries for which you have access permissions are included in the
search results.
The search results page is divided into two or three panes, depending on the
options defined by the administrator and user access to the Execute Indexed
Search capability.
Refine by
This pane is used to filter the search results to narrow them.
All users can refine their search results by Type and Creation Date.
Users who have the Execute Indexed Search capability can refine their search
results by: Results, Type, Part, Creation Date, Owner, and Metadata.
Chapter 3. IBM Cognos Connection 31
Results
This pane shows the results based on the search parameters and filters applied in
the Refine by pane. The exact matches are highlighted in the description. A
relevance percentage is assigned to each result. From the Actions column, you can
view the entry properties, schedule the entry, or open the entry in the applicable
Cognos studio.
This pane contains the following sections:
v Suggested
This section shows content based on suggestions that are defined in the search
index by the Cognos BI administrator.
This section is displayed only for users who have the Execute Indexed Search
capability
v Create and Explore
This section shows default queries based on the search criteria. The queries can
be used to start building a report quickly when there are no existing reports that
provide the necessary details. You can use one of these queries and then
customize it to create a report that can be reused or shared with others.
This section is displayed only for users who have the Execute Indexed Search
capability.
v The last section is not labeled. It contains the full content search results that are
directly related to the criteria used to perform the search and provides results
from the stored content.
This section is displayed for all users.
See Related Information
This pane shows results from an external source. It is displayed only if the IBM
Cognos BI administrator integrated IBM Cognos search with a third-party search
engine, and the user has the Execute Indexed Search capability.
Personalize the Portal
You can personalize the way data appears in IBM Cognos Connection by changing
your preferences. For example, you can set the product language and the preferred
output format of reports.
Changes take effect immediately in the current session. The preferences are stored
and used for future sessions unless you change them.
The following table describes the settings that you can change.
Table 11. Cognos Connection preferences you can set
General Description
Number of entries in list view The maximum number of rows that appear in a list
before scrollbars are required. This applies to rows
where scrolling is allowed.
32 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Table 11. Cognos Connection preferences you can set (continued)
General Description
Separators in list view The method of separating entries in lists in Public
Folders and My Folders.
Choose from no separator, grid lines, or alternating
backgrounds. This setting applies to all lists with the
exception of the output versions list. This setting is
available only if you use Microsoft Internet Explorer Web
browser or Firefox.
Style The uniform look and feel applied to all components of
IBM Cognos software.
You can choose from the styles available to you.
Show hidden entries
Use this setting to show or remove hidden entries from
your view in IBM Cognos Connection.
When you select this check box, the hidden entries
remain visible, but their icons are faded.
When you clear this check box, the hidden entries
disappear from your view. For example, hidden
packages are not visible in IBM Cognos Connection and
in the associated studios.
You must have access to the Hide Entries capability
granted by your administrator to see this setting.
Default view The decision to use list view or details view by default.
List view shows the name, modified date, and actions.
Details view shows the name, description, modified date,
and possible actions.
Details view works only in Public Folders and My
Folders in IBM Cognos Connection. In other
components, list view is used.
Report format The preferred format to view the report. To view reports
in the HTML, PDF, Delimited Text (CSV), Microsoft
Excel spreadsheet software, and XML formats, the
generate output capabilities are not required. To run
reports in the restricted CVS, PDF, XLS, or XML output
formats, you require the generate output capability for
the specific format. For more information, see “Report
formats” on page 79.
Show a summary of the run
options
The option to show a summary of the run options when
a report is not run interactively.
Show the Welcome page at
startup
The option to show or hide the Welcome page at the
beginning of a session.
Enable accessibility support for
reports I run or schedule
The option to create accessible report output whenever I
run or schedule a report.
Chapter 3. IBM Cognos Connection 33
Table 11. Cognos Connection preferences you can set (continued)
General Description
Product language The language used by the IBM Cognos user interface. It
applies to all IBM Cognos components, such as IBM
Cognos Connection, IBM Cognos Viewer, and Report
Studio.
Content language The language used to view and produce content in IBM
Cognos software, such as names and descriptions of
entries, or data in reports.
Time zone The time zone used. Select the default server time zone
set by your administrator. For more information, see the
IBM Cognos Business Intelligence Installation and
Configuration Guide. Or you can select another time zone.
Enable bidirectional support The option to enable or disable bidirectional language
support in all applicable IBM Cognos components that
include Cognos Connection, Cognos Viewer, Cognos
Workspace, Cognos Workspace Advanced, and Report
Studio.
The bidirectional support applies to languages such as
Arabic, Hebrew, Urdu, or Farsi. For more information,
see “Enabling support for bidirectional languages” on
page 36.
Base text direction for content The option to specify the direction for bidirectional text
in Cognos Connection, Cognos Viewer, and Cognos
Workspace. This option is available when you select the
Enable bidirectional support check box.
You can specify the text direction to be:
Left-to-right
Right-to-left
Contextual - the text direction depends on the first letter
in the text. If the letter belongs to a right-to-left script,
the text direction is right-to-left. Otherwise, the text
direction is left-to-right. Numbers and special characters
do not influence the text direction. For example, if the
text starts with a number followed by an Arabic letter,
the direction is right-to-left. If the text starts with a
number followed by a Latin letter, the direction is
left-to-right.
The following table describes the personal settings that you can see if you have
read permissions for your account.
Table 12. Personal settings you can see with read permissions
Personal Description
Primary logon
The namespace and credentials that you used to log on
to IBM Cognos software. Also shows the given name,
surname, and email address if they have been defined
34 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Table 12. Personal settings you can see with read permissions (continued)
Personal Description
Secondary logon A list of secondary logons.
The secondary logons exists if you logged on to multiple
namespaces.
Alerts Use to specify an email address for alerts.
When the delivery service processes the alert list, it uses
the email address specified in the Email box to send
alerts to the user. If there is no email address specified,
the email address specified in the Primary logon section
is used.
Credentials Authorization to other users, groups, and roles to run
entries using the credentials.
Click Renew the credentials after you change your
password, or to ensure that all credentials are available if
you are logged on to multiple namespaces.
Groups and roles A list of groups and roles associated both with your
primary and secondary logons.
Capabilities A list of secured functions and features that you can use
based on both your primary and secondary logons. To
create trusted credentials, see “Trusted credentials” on
page 46.
The following table describes the portal tabs settings that you can see if you have
read permissions for your account.
Table 13. Portal tabs settings that you can see with read permissions
Portal Tabs Description
List of entries Represents the tabs, including Public Folders and My
Folders, in your IBM Cognos Connection environment.
Add Use to add a tab for a specified page in IBM Cognos
Connection.
Each tab represents Public Folders, My Folders, or a
page.
Remove Use to remove a tab from IBM Cognos Connection.
Modify the sequence Use to change the order of tabs in IBM Cognos
Connection.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click My Area Options, My Preferences, and click
the required tab.
Chapter 3. IBM Cognos Connection 35
2. Choose the appropriate settings.
3. Click OK.
Enabling support for bidirectional languages
The bidirectional features supported by IBM Cognos Business Intelligence include
bidirectional text, digit shaping, and object direction in reports.
About this task
Arabic, Hebrew, Urdu, and Farsi are languages written from right to left, using the
Arabic or Hebrew scripts. However, numbers in those languages, as well as
embedded segments of Latin, Cyrillic, or Greek text, are written from left to right.
Using bidirectional settings in IBM Cognos Connection, you can control the
direction in this type of text in IBM Cognos Connection, IBM Cognos Viewer, and
IBM Cognos Workspace. This affects entry names, descriptions, labels and tooltips,
input boxes, comments, and structured text, such as email addresses, file paths,
breadcrumbs, URLs, and date and time formats.
The following features that support bidirectionality in reports are controlled by
IBM Cognos Report Studio:
v Digit shaping, which is associated with rendering Arabic numbers.
v Base text direction of text content in reports.
v The direction of report objects, such as charts, lists, or maps.
For more information about bidirectional settings in Report Studio, see the IBM
Cognos Report Studio User Guide.
Use the following procedure to enable bidirectional support in Cognos Connection,
Cognos Viewer, Cognos Workspace, Cognos Workspace Advanced, and Cognos
Report Studio. By default, bidirectional support is disabled for users.
Tip: Users can also control the bidirectional settings from the Set Preferences
dialog box in Cognos Workspace, and from the Run Options dialog box in Report
Studio.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click My Area Options
, My Preferences.
2. On the General tab, select the Enable bidirectional support check box.
This global user setting enables or disables the bidirectional features in all
applicable IBM Cognos components.
3. Select one of the following options from the Base text direction for content list
to specify the text direction in Cognos Connection, Cognos Viewer, and Cognos
Workspace:
v Right-to-left
v Left-to-right
v Contextual
When this setting is used, the text direction depends on the first letter in the
text. If the letter belongs to a right-to-left script, the text direction is
right-to-left. Otherwise, the text direction is left-to-right. Numbers and
special characters do not influence the text direction. For example, if the text
36 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
starts with a number followed by an Arabic letter, the direction is
right-to-left. If the text starts with a number followed by a Latin letter, the
direction is left-to-right.
4. Click OK.
My Watch Items
Use the My Watch Items area of the portal to view and manage watch items from
a single location. Watch items include alert lists and watch rules that help you
monitor business events that are important to you.
The Alerts tab shows the alert lists to which you belong. Use this tab to remove
yourself from the alert list for a report or agent.
The Rules tab shows the watch rules you created in saved HTML report output.
Use this tab to
v edit a watch rule.
v enable or disable a watch rule. For information, see “Disable an Entry” on page
21.
v organize watch rules in folders. For information, see “Create a Folder” on page
25.
v delete a watch rule. For information, see “Delete an Entry” on page 24.
v edit the My Watch Items page properties. For information, see “Edit a Page” on
page 52.
You can also add yourself to the alert list for a report “Adding or Removing
Yourself from the Alert List for a Report” on page 88, add yourself to the alert list
for an agent “Adding Yourself to or Remove Yourself from an Alert List for an
Agent” on page 148, and create a watch rule for a report “Create a Watch Rule for
a Specific Condition” on page 90.
The report owner must allow report users to receive alerts and create watch rules
for the report.
View Watch Items
To view the alerts lists to which you belong and the watch rules you created, use
the My Watch Items area of the portal.
You can also remove yourself from an alert list “Remove Yourself from an Alert
List,” and edit a watch rule “Edit a Watch Rule” on page 38.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, in the upper-right corner, click My Area Options
, My Watch Items.
2. To view your alerts lists, click Alerts.
3. To view your watch rules, click Rules.
Remove Yourself from an Alert List
To remove yourself from an alert list for a report or agent, use the My Watch
Items area of the portal.
Chapter 3. IBM Cognos Connection 37
When you are added to an alert list, you receive an email notification when the
report, or report associated with the agent task, is saved. After removing yourself
from an alert list, you are no longer alerted.
Tip: You can also add or remove yourself from an alert list for a report using the
Report tab of the Set Properties page “Adding or Removing Yourself from the
Alert List for a Report” on page 88. For an agent, you can use the Agents tab of
the Set Properties page “Adding Yourself to or Remove Yourself from an Alert List
for an Agent” on page 148.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, in the upper-right corner, click My Area Options
, My Watch Items.
2. Click the Alerts tab, and in the Source column, click the alert list to remove.
You can select multiple alert lists.
3. Click the remove me from the alert list button.
4. Click the refresh button.
Note that the alert list is removed from the Source column.
Edit a Watch Rule
After creating watch rules in saved HTML report output, you can edit them from
the My Watch Items area of the portal. For example, you can change the general
properties, such as name, language, and description. You can also change the
properties, such as the conditional expression for the rule, the items to which the
rule applies, and the alert type.
For information about creating a watch rule, see “Watch Rules in Saved Reports”
on page 89.
Before you begin
To edit a watch rule in IBM Cognos Connection, you must have read and write
permission to the My Watch Items page.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, in the upper-right corner, click the my area options
button
, and click My Watch Items.
2. Click the Rules tab, and in the Actions column, click the set properties button
for the watch rule you want to edit.
3. Use the Set properties page, General tab, to change the properties, such as
name, language, or description for the watch rule.
4. Click the Rules tab to edit the rules properties, such as the conditional
expression for the rule, the items to which the rule applies, and the alert type.
For more information on the rule properties, see “Watch Rules in Saved
Reports” on page 89.
38 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Chapter 4. Access Permissions and Credentials
You use access permissions and credentials to secure your organization's data. You
specify which users and groups have access to a specific report or other content in
IBM Cognos software. You also specify the actions they can perform on the
content.
When you set access permissions, you can reference both authentication provider
users, groups, and roles and Cognos groups and roles. However, if you plan to
deploy your application in the future, we recommend that you use only the
Cognos groups and roles to set up access to entries in IBM Cognos software to
simplify the process.
Permissions and Permitted Actions
The following table describes the access permissions that you can grant or deny.
Table 14. Permissions and permitted actions
Permissions Icons Permitted Actions
Read
View all the properties of an entry, including the
report specification, report output, and so on, which
are properties of a report.
Create a shortcut to an entry.
Write
Modify properties of an entry.
Delete an entry.
Create entries in a container, such as a package or a
folder.
Modify the report specification for reports created in
Report Studio and Query Studio.
Create new outputs for a report.
Execute
Process an entry.
For entries such as reports, agents, and metrics, the
user can run the entry.
For data sources, connections, and signons, the entries
can be used to retrieve data from a data provider. The
user cannot read the database information directly.
The report server can access the database information
on behalf of the user to process a request. IBM
Cognos software verifies whether users have execute
permissions for an entry before they can use the entry.
For credentials, users can permit someone else to use
their credentials.
Note: Users must have execute permissions for the
account they use with the run as the owner report
option.
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2005, 2015 39
Table 14. Permissions and permitted actions (continued)
Permissions Icons Permitted Actions
Set policy
Read and modify the security settings for an entry.
Traverse View the contents of a container entry, such as a
package or a folder, and view general properties of
the container itself without full access to the content.
Note: Users can view the general properties of the
entries for which they have any type of access. The
general properties include name, description, creation
date, and so on, which are common to all entries.
Access Permissions for Users
Users must have at least traverse permissions for the parent entries of the entries
they want to access. The parent entries include container objects such as folders,
packages, groups, roles, and namespaces.
Permissions for users are based on permissions set for individual user accounts
and for the namespaces, groups, and roles to which the users belong. Permissions
are also affected by the membership and ownership properties of the entry.
IBM Cognos software supports combined access permissions. When users who
belong to more than one group log on, they have the combined permissions of all
the groups to which they belong. This is important to remember, especially when
you are denying access.
Tip: To ensure that a user or group can run reports from a package, but not open
the package in an IBM Cognos studio, grant the user or group execute and traverse
permissions on the package. Users also require read permissions on the package to
launch studios.
Access Permissions Required for Actions
To perform specific actions, each user, group, or role needs the correct combination
of access permissions granted for the entry, its parent entry, and its source and
target entry. The following table lists permissions required for specific actions.
Table 15. Access permissions required for actions
Action Permissions required
Add an entry Write permissions for a parent entry
Query the entry
properties
Read permissions for an entry
View the children of the
entry
Traverse permissions for an entry
40 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Table 15. Access permissions required for actions (continued)
Action Permissions required
Update an entry Write permissions for an entry
Delete an entry Write permissions for an entry, and write permissions for a
parent entry
Copy an entry Read permissions for an entry and any child entries, traverse
permissions for all of the children, and write and traverse
permissions for the target parent entry
Move an entry Read and write permissions for an entry, write permissions for
both the source parent entry and the target parent entry, and
traverse permissions for the target parent entry
Permissions and permitted actions for Cognos Workspace
reports
Cognos Workspace users can or cannot perform actions, depending on their
permissions and combinations of permissions for a report, report part, report
folder, or workspace objects. The owner of an object is automatically granted read,
write, traverse, and execute permissions. If an object is disabled, you must be
granted write access in order to see and edit it.
For reports, users with the following access permissions and combinations of
permissions can perform the following actions:
Table 16. Report access permissions and permitted actions
Permissions Permitted actions
Read Users can view the report in the content pane.
Users cannot expand the report to show the report parts.
Users cannot drag the report.
Read and
Traverse
Users can view the report in the content pane.
Users cannot expand the report to show the report parts.
If saved output exists, users can drag the report onto the canvas and
view the saved output. If saved output does not exist, users cannot drag
the report. If they attempt this action, users see the error message in the
widget:The content cannot be displayed. It may have been deleted or
you may not have sufficient privileges.
Users can view saved output in the workspace.
Users cannot run a live report in a workspace. If they attempt this action,
users see the error message: RSV-CM-0006. The user does not have
execute permission on this report.
Chapter 4. Access Permissions and Credentials 41
Table 16. Report access permissions and permitted actions (continued)
Permissions Permitted actions
Execute Users can view the report in the content pane.
Users cannot expand the report to show the report parts.
Users can execute the report, but interactions are not available.
Interactions are not available if:
v a report is dragged to the canvas
v if a user with execute permissions saves a report, and other users open
the report
v if a user with execute permissions opens a workspace created by other
users
When saved output cannot be viewed in a workspace, users see the error
message: The content cannot be displayed. It may have been deleted
or you may not have sufficient privileges.
Read and
execute
Users can view the report in the content pane.
Users can expand the report to show the report parts.
Users can execute the report and interactions are available.
In the content pane, users cannot save report changes.
If users add the report to the workspace and save it, report changes can
be saved.
If the report is added to the workspace by a person who is not the report
owner, that user cannot save changes. The user sees the error message:
The content cannot be saved. You do not have sufficient
privileges.
Read, execute,
traverse
Users can view the report in the content pane.
Users can expand the report to show the report parts.
In the content pane, users can execute the report and interactions are
available.
Users can add the report to the canvas as either live or saved output. The
type of report that is added depends on the default action specified in
the report's properties.
Read, write,
execute,
traverse
Users can view the report in the content pane.
Users can expand the report to show the report parts.
Users can add the report to the workspace.
Users can execute the report and interactions are available.
Users can change and save the report.
Users can add the report to the canvas as either live or saved output. The
type of report that is added depends on the default action specified in
the report's properties.
42 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Table 16. Report access permissions and permitted actions (continued)
Permissions Permitted actions
Read, execute,
set policy
Users can view the report in the content pane.
Users can expand the report to show the report parts.
Users can execute the report and interactions are available.
In the content pane, users cannot save report changes.
If users drag the report to the workspace and save it, report changes can
be saved. This action creates a copy of the report. The copied workspace
report inherits the permissions from the original report when the user
has the set policy permission.
For report parts, users with the following access permissions and combinations of
permissions can perform the following actions:
Table 17. Report part access permissions and permitted actions
Permissions Permitted actions
Read and
execute
Users can view the report.
Users can expand the report to show the report parts.
Users can drag the report part onto the canvas and can execute the
report part.
For folders, users with the following access permissions and combinations of
permissions can perform the following actions:
Table 18. Folder access permissions and permitted actions
Permissions Permitted actions
Read
Users can view the folder in the content pane and can read folder
properties.
Users cannot drag the folder onto the canvas.
Users cannot expand the folder to show the contents.
Users cannot save workspace objects in this folder.
Traverse
Users can drag the folder onto the canvas.
Users can expand the folder to show the contents.
Users cannot save workspace objects in this folder.
Write and
traverse
Users can drag the folder onto the canvas.
Users can expand the folder to show the contents.
Users can save workspace objects in this folder.
For workspaces, users with the following access permissions and combinations of
permissions can perform the following actions:
Chapter 4. Access Permissions and Credentials 43
Table 19. Workspace access permissions and permitted actions
Permissions Permitted actions
Read
Users can view the workspace.
Users cannot open the workspace.
Read and
traverse
Users can open the workspace.
With the Traverse permission, users can view the workspace widgets.
Read, write,
and traverse
Users can view, open, and save the workspace.
Ownership of Entries
If the user is an owner of an entry, the user has full access permissions for the
entry. This ensures that users can always access and modify the entries they own.
By default, the owner of the entry is the user who creates the entry. However, any
other user who has set policy permissions for the entry can take ownership of the
entry.
Granted and Denied Access
You can grant access or deny access to entries. An icon that represents the type of
access appears next to the entry name on the Permissions tab. For example, when
a group has execute permissions for a report, this icon
appears next to the
group name on the Permissions tab for the report. When a group has execute
permissions denied for a report, this icon
appears next to the group name.
Denied access has precedence over granted access. When you deny specific users
or groups access to an entry, you replace other security policies that grant access to
the entry.
If the grant and deny permissions are in conflict, access to the entry is always
denied. For example, a user belongs to two groups. One group has access granted
to a report and the other group has access denied to the same report. Access to this
report is denied for the user.
Deny access only when it is really required. Typically, it is a better administrative
practice to grant permissions than to deny them.
Parent and Child Permissions
Access permissions are acquired from parent entries. If access permissions are not
defined, the entry acquires permissions from its parent entry. You can replace
parent permissions by defining permissions for the child entry.
Objects that exist only as children of other objects always acquire permissions from
their parents. Examples of such objects are report specifications and report outputs.
They are visible through the Software Development Kit. You cannot set
permissions specifically for those objects.
44 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Accessing Entries Associated with Data Sources Secured
Against Multiple Namespaces
Data sources in IBM Cognos software can be secured against multiple namespaces.
In some environments, the namespace used to secure the data source is not the
primary namespace used for access to IBM Cognos Connection. When you try to
access an entry, such as a report, a query, or an analysis, that is associated with a
data source secured against multiple namespaces, and you are not logged on to all
of the required namespaces, a prompt for authentication appears. You must log on
to the namespace before you can access the entry.
When single signon (SSO) is enabled, the prompt for authentication does not
appear. You are automatically logged on to the namespace.
This functionality applies to IBM Cognos Viewer only. If a similar situation occurs
in an IBM Cognos studio, you must quit your task and log on to all the
namespaces that you want to use in the current session.
Set access permissions for an entry
Setting access permissions for an entry includes creating new permissions or
updating existing permissions. You can specify access permissions for all entries in
IBM Cognos software. Some examples of such entries are reports, queries, analyses,
packages, agents, metrics, namespaces, groups, users, or dispatchers. You can
reference users, group and roles from different namespaces in a security policy for
an entry.
If you plan to reference entries from multiple namespaces, log on to each
namespace before you start setting access permissions. Otherwise, entries in
namespaces to which you are not logged on are shown as Unavailable.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos software, locate the entry for which you want to set access
permissions.
2. In the Actions column, click the set properties button
for the entry.
3. In the Set properties page, click the Permissions tab.
4. Choose whether to use the permissions of the parent entry or specify
permissions specifically for the entry:
v To use the permissions of the parent entry, clear the Override the access
permissions acquired from the parent entry check box, then click OK if
you are prompted to use the parent permissions. Click OK.
v To set access permissions for the entry, select the Override the access
permissions acquired from the parent entry check box, then proceed to
step 5.
5. If you want to remove an entry from the list, select its check box and click
Remove.
Tip: To select all entries in the list, select the check box for the list.
6. To specify the entries for which you want to grant or deny access, click Add,
then choose how to select entries:
v To choose from listed entries, click the appropriate namespace, and then
select the check boxes next to the users, groups, or roles.
Chapter 4. Access Permissions and Credentials 45
v To search for entries, click Search and in the Search string box, type the
phrase you want to search for. For search options, click Edit. Find and click
the entry you want.
v To type the name of entries you want to add, click Type and type the
names of groups, roles, or users using the following format, where a
semicolon (;) separates each entry:
namespace/group_name;namespace/role_name;namespace/user_name;
Here is an example:
Cognos/Authors;LDAP/scarter;
7. Click the right-arrow button and when the entries you want appear in the
Selected entries box, click OK.
Tip: To remove entries from the Selected entries list, select them and click
Remove. To select all entries in the list, select the check box for the list. To
make the user entries visible, click Show users in the list.
8. For each entry in the list, in the box next to the list, select or clear check boxes
to specify what type of access you want to grant or deny.
9. Click OK.
In the Permissions column, an icon appears next to the user, group, or role.
This icon represents the type of access granted or denied to the entry.
10. If you want to remove access permissions that were previously set for the
child entries so that the child entries can acquire permissions set for this entry,
in the Option section, select the Delete the access permissions of all child
entries check box.
This option appears only with entries that are containers. You can use it to
restrict access to a hierarchy of entries.
Warning: Select this option only when you are certain that changing access
permissions of the child entries is safe.
11. Click OK.
Trusted credentials
Trusted credentials are used for users who must perform a task or process, but do
not have sufficient access permissions for entries that contain sensitive data, such
as database signons and group memberships. Users with more extensive access
permissions, who own the entries, can authorize a trusted user to use their
credentials to access the entries.
Trusted credentials are also used to run scheduled requests when users are not
logged on to IBM Cognos software, for example, overnight. When the request runs,
a user session is created. The trusted credential is used to log on to IBM Cognos
software as the user the trusted credential represents and the user's access
permissions are used to run the report or the job.
Trusted credentials are stored as part of the account object in the namespace.
When you change your password, you should renew your credentials manually.
Otherwise, if the credentials are used before they are automatically renewed, they
might not work. For example, a scheduled job that is using these credentials might
fail. For information about renewing trusted credentials manually, see “Creating
trusted credentials” on page 47.
46 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Creating trusted credentials
You can create trusted credentials when you want to authorize other users to use
your credentials because those users do not have sufficient access permissions to
perform specific tasks.
For users to use trusted credentials, traverse permissions must be granted for the
namespace.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the my area options button , My
Preferences.
2. On the Personal tab, under Credentials , if you have not created credentials
before, click Create the Credentials.
Tip: If your trusted credentials are already created, you might only need to
renew them by clicking Renew the credentials.
3. Select the users, groups, or roles that you want to authorize to use your
credentials.
If you are prompted for your credentials, provide your user ID and password.
4. If you want to add entries, click Add and choose how to select entries:
v To choose from listed entries, click the appropriate namespace, and then
select the check boxes next to the users, groups, or roles.
v To search for entries, click Search and in the Search string box, type the
phrase you want to search for. For search options, click Edit. Find and click
the entry you want.
v To type the name of entries you want to add, click Type and type the names
of groups, roles, or users using the following format, where a semicolon (;)
separates each entry:
namespace/group_name;namespace/role_name;namespace/user_name;
Here is an example:
Cognos/Authors;LDAP/scarter;
5. If you want to remove an entry from the list, select the check box next to it and
click Remove.
Results
The users, groups, or roles that can use your credentials are now listed in the
Credentials section.
Manage Your Own Data Source Credentials
It is important to manage data source credentials for your users because these
credentials are required for certain tasks.
You may be prompted for your data source credentials when you perform the
following actions:
v view, run, or open an entry (seeChapter 6, “Reports and Cubes,” on page 67)
v use a schedule or a job (seeChapter 13, “Schedule Management,” on page 169)
Chapter 4. Access Permissions and Credentials 47
Before you begin
If you are a user, your administrator must give you execute permissions for the
Manage own data source signons capability and traverse permissions for its
ancestors. You must also have read and traverse permissions on your account. You
can then save credentials to your personal profile, as long as you do not have
access to any predefined signons for the data source. You are not prompted for
your credentials if you have permission to access an existing data source credential
and you have saved the personal credential in your profile. You can view and
delete your data source credentials from the My Preferences page.
To view another user's credentials, you must have read and traverse permissions
on the user's account. To remove data source credentials, you must have read,
write, and transverse permissions on the user's account.
Save Data Source Credentials
You can save your data source credentials so that you are not prompted for them
every time.
Procedure
1. When you are prompted to enter your data source credentials, enter your user
ID and password.
2. Select the Remember my user ID and password when connecting to this data
source check box.
3. Click OK.
Results
The next time you perform an action that requires those data source credentials,
you are not prompted for them unless they have been removed or deleted, or have
expired.
View and Remove Your Data Source Credentials
You can view and delete your data source credentials.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, in the upper-right corner, click My Area Options,
My Preferences.
2. Click the Personal tab.
Your data source credentials are listed under Data source credentials. You can
sort the list by Data Source Name or Data Source Connection Name.
3. To remove a data source credential, select the check box for it, then click
Remove.
48 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Chapter 5. Pages and Dashboards
You can create dashboards in IBM Cognos Connection using pages and portlets.
This topic contains information about dashboards that use pages and portlets.
For information about IBM Cognos Workspace workspaces, see Chapter 15, “IBM
Cognos Workspace,” on page 191.
IBM Cognos Connection pages and dashboards provide quick access to IBM
Cognos business intelligence and performance management information, such as
reports, metrics, or news items. The information is relevant to specific users or
business objectives, and can be monitored at a glance.
Dashboards are pages with enhanced functionality. The information is displayed on
multiple tabs that are easy to navigate. Each tab can include different segment of
information. A dashboard can be accessed as a standalone application through a
URL. Users can print selected dashboard pages.
The content for pages and dashboards is provided by Cognos portlets, or other
supported portlets. Each portlet is an independent application that adds to the
page different content and functionality, such as the ability to browse folders and
entries, view reports and metrics, and include custom text and images or links to
other Web pages.
You can add different types of information to your pages and organize them in a
way that is meaningful to you. For example, you may want to see specific IBM
Cognos reports and metrics, or have links to your favorite Web sites.
The following table shows the types of content you can add to an IBM Cognos
Connection page, and the portlets that provide this content.
Table 20. Cognos Connection page, types of content and portlets
Page Content Portlet Portlet Group
Browse IBM Cognos folders,
reports, and other entries
IBM Cognos Navigator IBM Cognos Content
Search for IBM Cognos
reports and other entries
IBM Cognos Search
View and interact with IBM
Cognos reports and other
entries
IBM Cognos Viewer
View and interact with
different types of
performance metrics, such as
the metrics you want to
monitor closely, or the
metrics for which you are
directly responsible.
IBM Cognos Metric List IBM Cognos Metric Studio
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2005, 2015 49
Table 20. Cognos Connection page, types of content and portlets (continued)
Page Content Portlet Portlet Group
Add a metric history chart
that illustrates the historical
performance of the metric
IBM Cognos History Chart
Display an impact diagram
associated with a metric
IBM Cognos Impact Diagram
Display a custom diagram
associated with a scorecard.
IBM Cognos Custom
Diagram
View and interact with
custom applications created
using IBM Cognos Software
Development Kit
IBM Cognos Extended
Applications
IBM Cognos Extended
Applications Portlet
Register and show active
links to other Web pages
Bookmarks Viewer IBM Cognos Utility
Add and view custom
images, such as logos
Image Viewer
Insert any other Web page HTML Viewer
Add and show the content of
a Real Simple Syndication
(RSS) news feed specified by
a URL address
RSS Viewer
Add and view custom text
and images
HTML Source
Create and view a dashboard
with multiple tabs
Multi-page Dashboard
Add non-Cognos items to a
page
Supported other portlets Content associated with
other portlets
Before you begin
The list of pages is cached in an IBM Cognos Connection session. When the state
of a page changes during the current session, users who have access to the page
are affected. For example, when a page is disabled or deleted, it can no longer be
used and its tabs are deleted or not functional. To update the portal with the most
current settings, use the IBM Cognos Connection refresh button
.
When you log on to IBM Cognos Connection for the first time, you access the
pages an administrator made available to you. Later, you can create your own
pages.
50 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Create a Page
You can create your own pages in IBM Cognos Connection to group different types
of information into a single view.
The pages are saved in Public Folders or My Folders. If you plan to share a page
with other users, save it in Public Folders.
After you create the page, you can edit it to modify its contents, layout and style,
and to set access permissions. For more information, see “Share a Page” on page
52.
You can delete pages in IBM Cognos Connection “Delete an Entry” on page 24 if
you have the required access permissions for the pages. Deleting a page may affect
your portal tabs. For more information, see “Portal Tabs” on page 54.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the new page button .
2. Specify a name and location for the page, and, if you want, a description and
a screen tip.
3. Click Next.
The Set columns and layout page appears.
4. Define the layout for your page by setting the number and width of columns.
Tip: If you are using multiple columns and one of the columns includes a
report that is shown in IBM Cognos Viewer, set the width to at least 50% to
minimize scrolling.
5. In the column to which you want to add portlets, click Add.
6. Click the portlet group that contains the portlets you want to add.
7. Select the portlets, and click the add button
to move them to the Selected
entries box. If you want to remove a portlet from the Selected entries box,
click Remove.
Tip: You can preview the content of the portlets by clicking the view this
portlet button
.
8. Click OK.
9. Repeat steps 5 to 8 for each portlet group you want.
10. Click OK, and then click Next .
The Set page style page appears.
11. Customize the appearance of your page.
v If you want, add a title and instructions for the page in the language of the
product.
For more information, see “Edit a Page” on page 52.
To hide the title or instructions, select the associated check box.
Tip: To change the formatting of the text, click Custom. To go back to the
default formatting, click Return to default.
v If you want, hide the portlet borders, title bars, or the edit button in the title
bar. This helps to avoid clutter and gives the page a uniform look and feel.
12. Click Next.
Chapter 5. Pages and Dashboards 51
13. If you want to add the page to the portal tab bar, select the Add this page to
the portal tabs check box. To view the page, select the View the page check
box.
14. Click Finish.
Edit a Page
You can change the page content, layout and style, and access permissions. For
example, you may want to see a different report, or change the list of users who
can access the page.
When you create a page, you can specify a title and instructions for the page only
in the product language you currently use. For example, if you use the French
version of IBM Cognos software, you can type the title and instructions in French
only. After the page is created, you can add the title and instructions for other
language versions by editing the page properties on the Page Style tab.
Procedure
1. Go to the page you want to edit.
2. Click the edit page button
.
Tip: Alternatively, locate the page in IBM Cognos Connection, and click its set
properties button.
3. Change the page properties as required.
For more information about changing the page content, layout, and style, see
“Create a Page” on page 51.
For more information about setting the page access permissions, see “Share a
Page.”
Share a Page
You can share your page with other users by giving them access permissions for
the page. You can set up the permissions so that other users can only view the
page or also modify it.
To view a page, traverse and execute permissions for the page, and execute
permissions for its portlets are required. To modify the page, write permissions are
also required.
Procedure
1. If you did not create the page in Public Folders, copy it there from your
personal folders “Copy an entry” on page 18.
2. Specify which users, groups, or roles can have read, traverse, execute, or write
permissions for the page.
For more information, see Chapter 4, “Access Permissions and Credentials,” on
page 39
Modify a Portlet
Portlets provide different types of information for pages.
You can modify the content of an instance of a portlet in a page if you have the
required permissions for the page. For more information, see “Share a Page.” You
will retain the custom settings even if the administrator resets the portlet. Other
52 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
users who also have access to the page that contains this portlet instance will also
see the changes. However, if the administrator locks the portlet, you cannot
configure it.
The configurable properties for the Cognos portlets vary. For more information,
click the help button in the portlet title bar.
Procedure
1. Go to the page that contains the portlet.
2. In the portlet title bar, click the edit button
.
3. Edit the properties as required.
Tip: If you want to go back to the default settings, click the reset button.
4. Click OK.
Enable Communication Between Cognos Portlets
You can enable portlet-to-portlet communication so that the portlets can interact.
For example, you can use this functionality when you want to navigate published
IBM Cognos reports and view the selected reports on the same page.
This functionality applies only to Cognos portlets and works between portlets of
different groups. For example, the IBM Cognos Metric List portlet can
communicate with the IBM Cognos Viewer portlet. One portlet is a target portlet,
and the remaining portlets are source portlets. The results of actions in the source
portlets are shown in the associated target portlets.
Important: Communication between two Cognos Viewer portlets, when one
Cognos Viewer portlet is the source portlet and another Cognos Viewer portlet is
the target portlet, is supported only in IBM Cognos Connection. When the Cognos
Viewer portlets are used in other portals, such as IBM WebSphere or Microsoft
SharePoint, you cannot enable communication between these portlets.
Portlets in different pages can communicate between themselves.
You can enable portlet-to-portlet communication between the following source and
target portlets.
Table 21. Portlet to portlet communication, source and target portlets
Source portlet Target portlet
IBM Cognos Navigator IBM Cognos Viewer
IBM Cognos Search IBM Cognos Viewer
IBM Cognos Viewer IBM Cognos Viewer
IBM Cognos Metric List IBM Cognos Viewer
IBM Cognos History Chart
IBM Cognos Impact Diagram
IBM Cognos Impact Diagram IBM Cognos Viewer
IBM Cognos History Chart
Chapter 5. Pages and Dashboards 53
Table 21. Portlet to portlet communication, source and target portlets (continued)
Source portlet Target portlet
IBM Cognos Custom Diagram IBM Cognos Viewer
IBM Cognos Metric List
IBM Cognos History Chart
Bookmarks Viewer HTML Viewer
Image Viewer HTML Viewer
RSS Viewer HTML Viewer
To enable this functionality, you specify a channel name in the target portlet and
refer to this name in the associated source portlets.
Procedure
1. Go to the page or the dashboard that contains the portlets for which you want
to enable portlet-to-portlet communication.
2. Click the edit button
in the portlet title bar.
3. For the channel property, type the name you want.
The name can contain letters, numbers, and underscore (_) characters, but must
not contain any spaces. For example, Cognos, Cognos_Portlets, CognosPortlets
are valid names.
Tip: The boxes where you type the channel name have different labels in
different portlets. For example, Channel, Portlets using channel ,orIn a
destination portlet.
4. Click OK.
5. Repeat the steps for each portlet that you want to broadcast on the same
channel.
Ensure that you type the same channel name.
Portal Tabs
The tabs in IBM Cognos Connection are used to quickly access the pages that are
important to you.
The tabs represent:
v Public Folders
v My Folders
v Pages or dashboards
An administrator specifies the default tab setup for users. To personalize IBM
Cognos Connection, you can add and remove tabs, or reorder them. Other users
are not affected by your changes.
When you delete a page, the tab associated with this page is automatically
removed. Your tabs may also be affected by changes to the associated pages made
by other users who have access to the pages. For example, when a page is deleted
during the current session, its tab is no longer functional, and an error message
54 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
may appear when you click the tab. To see the most current tab settings, click the
IBM Cognos Connection refresh button
.
Note: If many tabs exist, scrolling is added automatically.
Add a Tab
You can add a tab in IBM Cognos Connection for a new page or for an existing
page so that you can access the page quickly.
If the Public Folders or My Folders tabs are not available in your tab bar, you can
add them, too. Only one tab can exist for each folder or page.
There are various methods to add a tab. Choose the method that is applicable to
your current view.
Using My Preferences
The procedure for using My Preferences to add a tab is as follows.
Procedure
1. Click the my area button , My Preferences, and then click the Portal Tabs
tab.
A list of your current tabs appears.
2. Click Add.
3. In the list of available pages, select the page you want.
You can select multiple pages.
4. Click the right arrow button
to move the page to the Selected entries box.
5. Click OK.
The tab for the page appears in the portal.
6. Click OK to close My Preferences.
Using the Tab Menu
The procedure for using the Tab Menu to add a tab is as follows.
Procedure
1. From the tab menu on the left side of the tab bar, click Add tabs.
2. In the list of available pages, select the page you want.
You can select multiple pages.
3. Click the right arrow button to move the page to the Selected entries box.
4. Click OK.
The tab for the page appears in the portal.
Using the Add Button
The procedure for using the Add Button to add a tab is as follows.
Procedure
1. In the list of available pages, locate the page you want.
2. In the Actions column, click its associated add button
.
The tab appears in the portal.
Chapter 5. Pages and Dashboards 55
Delete a Tab
You can delete a tab when it is not needed.
When you delete a page that has a tab, the tab is automatically removed. When
you remove a tab for a page, the page is not deleted.
You can delete the Public Folders and My Folders tabs, and add them back later, if
needed. For more information, see “Add a Tab” on page 55. Deleting the tabs does
not delete Public Folders and My Folders from Content Manager.
Using My Preferences
The procedure for using My Preferences to delete a tab is as follows.
Procedure
1. Click the my area button , My Preferences, and then click the Portal Tabs
tab.
A list of your current tabs appears.
2. Select the check box next to the tab you want to remove, and click Remove this
tab.
You can select multiple tabs.
3. Click OK.
The tab is deleted from the tab bar.
Using the Tab Menu
The procedure for using the Tab Menu to delete a tab is as follows.
Procedure
1. On the tab bar, click the tab you want to remove.
2. From the tab menu
, on the left side of the tab bar, click Remove this
portal tab.
3. In the message box, ensure you are deleting the proper tab, and click OK.
The tab is deleted from the tab bar.
Reorder the Tabs
You can change the order of tabs so that they are organized in a way that is
meaningful to you.
Using My Preferences
The procedure for using My Preferences to reorder the tabs is as follows.
Procedure
1. Click the my area button , My Preferences, and then click the Portal Tabs
tab.
A list of your current tabs appears.
2. Click Modify the sequence.
3. In the Tabs box, move the tabs up or down as required.
4. Click OK.
The tabs appear in the new order.
5. Click OK to close My Preferences.
56 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Using the Tab Menu
The procedure for using the Tab Menu to reorder the tabs is as follows.
Procedure
1. From the tab menu on the left side of the tab bar, click Modify the
sequence of tabs.
A list of your current tabs appears.
2. Move the tabs up or down using the appropriate buttons.
3. Click OK.
The tabs appear in the new order.
Change Your Home Page
You can choose any page in IBM Cognos Business Intelligence as your home page.
Procedure
1. Go to the page you want to set up as your new home page.
2. Next to the home icon
, click the arrow, and click Set as Home Page.
Create a Dashboard with Multiple Tabs
A dashboard is a visual display of the most important information that a user
needs. The information is consolidated and arranged on a single screen so that it
can be monitored at a glance.
Different segments of information are displayed on different tabs. To create a
dashboard, you assemble the different segments of information into a single view
by using the Multi-page portlet. For more information, see Chapter 5, “Pages and
Dashboards,” on page 49. This portlet is linked to a source folder that contains
entries that appear as tabs in the dashboard. You can make changes to the tabs in
the dashboard by adding or deleting the associated entries from the source folder.
The following entries can be used as tabs in a dashboard:
v folders and shortcuts to folders
Use folders to include a second level of tabs.
v packages and shortcuts to packages
Use packages to include a second level of tabs.
v reports and shortcuts to reports
Use to view or run a Report Studio report.
v report views and shortcuts to report views
Use to view or run a Report Studio report.
v queries and shortcuts to queries
Use to view or run a Query Studio report.
v analysis and shortcuts to analysis
Use to view or run an Analysis Studio report.
v pages and shortcuts to pages
Use to add a page or another dashboard
v URLs and shortcuts to URLs
Use to embed a different Web page.
Chapter 5. Pages and Dashboards 57
v PowerPlay reports
Use to view or run a PowerPlay report
v Microsoft Documents
Use to include a link to a Microsoft document, such as an Excel, PowerPoint, or
Word document.
The general dashboard properties are the same as page properties. You can edit the
dashboard layout and style “Edit a Page” on page 52, modify the properties of the
Multi-page portlet “Modify a Portlet” on page 52, set up access permissions for the
dashboard “Share a Page” on page 52, and add it to the portal tabs “Portal Tabs”
on page 54.
Before you start creating your dashboards, we recommend setting up a folder
hierarchy in Public Folders to keep your dashboard resources organized. For
example, create a folder for all the dashboards you plan to create. Next, create a
subfolder for each dashboard to use as source folder for the entries that you want
to include in the dashboard, such as reports, folders, pages, or shortcuts. The
folder structure may look like this:
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the new page button .
2. Type the name, and select a location for your page.
3. Click Next.
4. In the Set columns and layout page, set the number of columns to 1, and the
column width to 100%.
5. Click Add.
A list of portlet groups appears.
1. The Sales and Marketing pages are the multi-tabbed dashboards. These are the
dashboard master pages that are built using the Multi-page portlet.
2. The Sales Resources folder is the source folder for the Sales dashboard, and the
Marketing Resources folder is the source folder for the Marketing dashboard.
3. The source folders can contain entries such as reports, pages, folders, shortcuts, and so
on. These entries appear as tabs in the dashboard.
Figure 3. Example dashboard folder structure
58 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
6. In the Available Entries box, click Dashboard.
7. Select the Multi-page portlet, and click the right arrow button
to move
the portlet to the Selected Entries box.
8. Click OK, and then Next.
9. In the Set page style page, specify a meaningful title for the page, select any
of the remaining properties, and click Next.
10. In the Select an action page, you can select Add this page to the portal tabs.
11. Click Finish.
The page that you created is the dashboard master page.
12. Open the page you created.
An empty frame of the Multi-page portlet appears.
13. In the portlet toolbar, click the edit button
.
The portlet properties page appears.
14. In the Folder section, click Select an entry.
15. Browse to the folder or package that contains the resources for the dashboard,
such as shortcuts, pages, or bookmarks. Select an entry, and click OK.
Tip: To add My Folders as a tab in the dashboard, create a shortcut to My
Folders.
16. Specify other portlet properties as required. For example, in the Display Style
section, specify how to display the dashboard tabs, horizontally at the top of
the page, or vertically on the left side of the page.
17. Click OK.
Results
You can now open and view the dashboard page.
Tip: Other users can access the dashboard through its URL. To see the URL, go to
IBM Cognos Connection, locate the dashboard master page, and open its properties
page. On the General tab, click View the search path, ID and URL.
Implement global filters in multi-tabbed dashboards
Global filters that are added to a multi-tabbed dashboard allow reports located on
multiple pages in a dashboard to be filtered using a report prompt.
About this task
To add global filters across multiple pages in a multi-tabbed dashboard, there are
additional steps that must be completed when creating the dashboard. These steps
are described here. For more detailed information about adding global filters, see
the proven practices document IBM Cognos BI - Global Filters for a Multi-Page
Dashboard.
Procedure
1. Add each report that you want filtered to a Cognos Viewer portlet within a
page. If you want one report per tab in the multi-tabbed dashboard, you must
create one page per report. If more than one report is displayed on a tab, add
multiple Cognos Viewer portlets to the page, one for each required report.
Chapter 5. Pages and Dashboards 59
2. After adding the reports, set the Portlet communication options in each of the
Cognos Viewer properties to use a common channel name.
3. Place all the pages that you require for the tabs in the dashboard in one folder.
4. Create a dashboard master page that contains a Cognos Viewer portlet for the
prompt report and a multi-page portlet for the tabs. For the Cognos Viewer
portlet, specify the same channel name as for the other Cognos Viewer portlets
and have the multi-page portlet point to the folder containing the report pages
that you created.
Adding Interactivity to Pages and Dashboards
Pages and dashboards become much more effective for data reporting and analysis
when you add interactivity to them. A single action in one report can cause other
reports to refresh simultaneously and show the data associated with the action.
You can enhance the page interactivity by
v defining global filters
v enabling the sharing of drill-up and drill-down actions
v enabling the sharing of drill-through actions
Defining Global Filters
Global filters are used to control the display of one or more reports in a single
portal page or in a dashboard. For example, a global filter can be on a report that
contains only a prompt or prompt controls. This allows for a single selection to
drive a number of reports at once. When a prompt answer is changed, all related
reports refresh dynamically to show the data that answers the prompt. For
example, if you answer a prompt for a country or region with Brazil, all related
reports on the page are filtered to show the data for Brazil. When this is used in a
dashboard, the context is passed to all corresponding tabs.
Procedure
1. Prepare the Reports
2. Create the Global Filters
3. Assemble the Reports on a Page
Preparing the Reports
Before you start creating a page or a dashboard with global filters, you must know
which reports you can use, and have the reports ready. The reports can be
authored in Report Studio, Query Studio, or Analysis Studio.
For reports in a package, the global filters share parameters using the model item.
Create the Global Filters
A global filter is a value that is shared across different reports. At least one of the
reports that you are using for the dashboard needs to contain a prompt or prompt
control. The prompted report is embedded into a page or a dashboard using the
IBM Cognos Viewer portlet and linked with other reports in the page using the
global filter portlet properties. The prompts that are used as global filters control
the display of your chosen linked reports. If this functionality is implemented in a
single page, the prompts control linked reports in different sections of the page.
If the page is a dashboard with multiple tabs, the prompts can control the report
filtering across tabs. Note that there is a limitation with filtering across tabs for
60 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
IBM Cognos Viewer portlets. For prompts to control report filtering, the IBM
Cognos Viewer portlet must exist as a sibling on the same page as the Multi-page
portlet.
We recommend creating prompt reports in Report Studio. The rich editing
environment of this studio gives the author access to a variety of prompt controls,
such as the Next, Reprompt,orFinish buttons. These controls add more
interactivity to portal pages.
For more information about building prompts and prompt pages, see the IBM
Cognos Report Studio User Guide.
Procedure
1. In Report Studio, create a prompt on a report page, not on a prompt page, of
the report.
Set the Auto-Submit property for the prompt to yes.
If you want to use cascading prompts, only the last prompt in the sequence
needs to be on the report page.
For some prompts, such as the value prompts, you may need to add a Finish
button to signal that the prompt selection is complete. For cascading prompts,
the Reprompt button is also required to restart the prompting sequence.
2. Add other details, such as background images, instructions, or a title.
Results
The prompt can now be added to a portal page or a dashboard. For more
information, see “Assemble the Reports on a Page” on page 62.
Using Metrics as Global Filters:
You can use metrics and strategy elements in IBM Cognos Metric Studio portlets as
global filters. In a page, or in a dashboard with multiple tabs, the IBM Cognos
Metric List, IBM Cognos Impact Diagram, and IBM Cognos Custom Diagram
portlets can filter prompted parameters for the IBM Cognos Viewer portlet. You
must configure IBM Cognos Viewer to show a report associated with a metric or a
strategy element, and set up communication between the portlets using the same
channel name.
For more information, see “Enable Communication Between Cognos Portlets” on
page 53.
When a user clicks a metric name in IBM Cognos Metric List, IBM Cognos Impact
Diagram, or IBM Cognos Custom Diagram, IBM Cognos Viewer dynamically
updates the report if the report prompt parameters are based on metric values.
When a user clicks a strategy element in IBM Cognos Custom Diagram, IBM
Cognos Viewer dynamically updates the report if the report prompt parameters are
based on strategy element values.
For this functionality to work, the following parameters that are broadcast on a
channel after a click action in an IBM Cognos Metric Studio portlet must match the
names of the report prompt parameters:
v scorecard_extid
v scorecard_sid
v strategy_sid
Chapter 5. Pages and Dashboards 61
v metric_sid
v metric_extid
v time_period_sid
Assemble the Reports on a Page
The prompts and the target reports in a page or a dashboard create an interactive
and easy way to access IBM Cognos Business Intelligence environment.
Each report is displayed using the IBM Cognos Viewer portlet. The reports
communicate with each other using the properties of this portlet.
You can use different design strategies to implement global filters in a page. For
example you can place prompt reports, and target reports to create a visual flow
that makes sense from left to right and from top to bottom. The following figure
shows an example of a basic page layout:
Use the following steps when defining global filters in a single page. If you want
to implement this functionality in a dashboard, you must complete additional
steps. For more information, see “Create a Dashboard with Multiple Tabs” on page
57.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the new page button .
2. Type the name, and select a location for your page.
3. Click Next.
4. In the Set columns and layout page, set the number and width of columns.
For example, the reports that display the prompts and prompt controls can be
placed in one column, and the target reports in a separate column to the right.
5. Click Add at the bottom of the first column.
6. In the Available Entries box, click IBM Cognos Content.
7. Select the IBM Cognos Viewer portlet, click the right arrow button
to
move the portlet to the Selected Entries box, and click OK.
8. Repeat steps 5 to 7 for each column.
You must add the IBM Cognos Viewer portlet for each report that you want to
include in the column. For example, if the column on the left will contain a
prompt and prompt controls, add two IBM Cognos Viewer portlets.
Figure 4. Example of basic page layout
62 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
9. Click Next.
10. Complete the remaining steps in the wizard, if needed, and click Finish.
For more information, see the steps in the section “Create a Page” on page 51.
11. Go to the folder where you saved the new page, and open it.
In the page columns, you can see the empty frames of the IBM Cognos Viewer
portlets.
12. For any portlet in the page, click the edit button
in the portlet toolbar.
13. In the portlet properties page, click Select an entry to select the report you
want to display in the portlet.
14. Click Report Properties.
The Set the properties page appears.
15. For the Fragment Action property, specify the default portlet action when the
portlet is invoked in a page.
You can choose to show the run icon, run the report, or view the most recent
saved output.
Tip: For more information about the portlet properties, click the Help button
in the portlet.
16. For the Prompt the user property, specify how to execute the prompts.
v When you select Every time, if the report contains optional or required
prompts, the user is prompted to enter the prompt values before the report
is run.
v When you select Only when required parameter values are missing, the
user is prompted if the report contains required prompts and the values are
missing. Otherwise the report runs successfully.
v When you select Never and show the report only when required values
are provided, IBM Cognos Viewer attempts to run the report, but the page
remains hidden until the required prompt values are provided.
v When you select Based on the prompt settings of the report, IBM Cognos
Viewer uses the prompts specified in the report.
17. For the Prompt values property, select the Communicate with other portlets
check box.
This property enables communication between this portlet and other portlets
in the page that have this property set up.
18. If you want to set up communication between only specific portlets in the
page, type the channel name in the box provided.
Only the portlets that share the same channel name can interact. By specifying
the channel name, you have more control over the page. For example, you can
link only the reports that have matching parameters.
For more information about this property, click the Help button in the portlet.
19. If you selected the Communicate with other portlets check box, you can
specify how global prompts are matched. Select either Parameter name or
data item or Parameter name only.
Typically, prompt values are matched using the parameter name only.
However, for date and time prompts, such as From and To, using the
parameter name may not work because the parameter names are using the
same data item, for example, Order date. In these situations, use the
Parameter name or data item option to get the correct results in your reports.
20. If you want to see the portlet toolbar in the page, for the Show Toolbar
property, select the Normal mode and Maximize mode check boxes.
Chapter 5. Pages and Dashboards 63
21. Click OK to close the Set the properties page, and click OK again to close the
general properties page.
22. Repeat steps 12 to 20 for each portlet in the page.
Enable Sharing of Drill-up and Drill-down Actions
In pages, you can enable sharing of drill-up and drill-down actions, between
reports that are based on a dimensionally modelled data source. A drill action on
an item in one report causes the same action in an associated report if the report is
on the same page and contains the same item. For example, when you drill down
on the item 2005 in one report, all reports in the page drill down on the same item
and the data for the year 2005 appears in all reports.
This functionality is enabled using the properties of the IBM Cognos Viewer
portlet. By default, drill actions are disabled in a page.
This functionality is not supported for dashboards with multiple tabs. However, a
single page with drill-up and drill-down actions enabled can be embedded into a
dashboard as one of the tabs.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, create a page that contains the IBM Cognos Viewer
portlet for each report that you want to add to the page.
For more detailed information, see the steps in “Create a Page” on page 51.
2. Configure the IBM Cognos Viewer portlets to display the reports that you want
to add to the page.
In the portlet properties page, click Select an entry to select the report you
want to display in the portlet.
3. In the Set the properties page of the IBM Cognos Viewer portlets, for the Drill
down and drill up property, select the Communicate with other portlets on
the page check box.
This property enables communication between all portlets in the page using the
default channel.
For more information, click the Help button in the portlet.
4. If you want to set up communication between only specific portlets in the page,
type the channel name in the box provided.
Only the portlets that share the same channel name can interact. By specifying
the channel name, you have more control over the page.
Enable Sharing of Drill-through Actions
You can enable sharing of drill-through actions in a page. When a user drills from
a source report to a target report, the target report appears in the specified area of
the page.
For this feature to work, a page must have a report that contains an authored
drill-through path. The page must also contain a placeholder IBM Cognos Viewer
portlet that is set up to receive the drill-through requests.
Report-based drill-through works with both interactive reports and saved report
outputs. However, it only works for a single drill-through request. If the
drill-through contains multiple targets, it must be invoked from the context menu.
64 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
This functionality is enabled using the Channel property of the IBM Cognos
Viewer portlet. You must specify the same channel name for the portlet that
contains the source report and the portlet that receives the target report. By
default, drill-through actions are disabled in a page.
This functionality is not supported for dashboards with multiple tabs. However, a
single page with drill-through actions enabled can be embedded into a dashboard
as one of the tabs.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, create a page that contains the IBM Cognos Viewer
portlets for the drill-through source report, and the target report.
For more detailed information, see the steps in the section “Create a Page” on
page 51.
2. Configure one of the IBM Cognos Viewer portlets to display the Report Studio
source report that contains the drill-through path.
In the portlet properties page, click Select an entry to select the report you
want to display in the portlet.
3. Configure the other IBM Cognos Viewer portlet to display the drill-through
target report.
As the target report, we recommend using a report that contains prompts.
In the portlet properties page, click Select an entry to select the report you
want to display in the portlet.
4. For both portlets configured in step 2 and 3, in the Set the properties page, for
the Report-based drill-through property, select the Communicate with other
portlets on the page check box, and type the channel name in the box
provided.
The channel name is mandatory.
For more information about this property, click the Help button in the portlet.
Chapter 5. Pages and Dashboards 65
66 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Chapter 6. Reports and Cubes
You can use reports, cubes, and documents to analyze data and help you make
informed and timely decisions.
In IBM Cognos Business Intelligence, reports and cubes can be published to the
portal to ensure that everyone in your organization has accurate and relevant
information when they need it.
Query Studio and Report Studio Reports
Typically, for Query Studio and Report Studio reports, your data modeler creates
models from subsets of corporate data. These models are then published as
packages in IBM Cognos BI. Your administrator can also create packages based on
relevant data sources and you can create packages in IBM Cognos Connection. For
more information about packages, see Chapter 7, “Packages,” on page 107.
Query Studio and Report Studio users can create reports based on the packages
and publish them in IBM Cognos BI. In IBM Cognos Connection, a Query Studio
report is called a query and a Report Studio report is called a report.
OLAP sources do not need additional modeling.
Analysis Studio Reports and Cubes
An Analysis Studio administrator can publish Analysis Studio reports and cubes in
IBM Cognos BI. Analysis Studio users can create reports and publish them in IBM
Cognos BI. In IBM Cognos Connection, an Analysis Studio report is called an
analysis.
Working with Reports and Cubes
A report can refer to the specification that defines the information to include in a
report, or the results themselves. For Report Studio and Query Studio, report
specifications can have saved results or you can run a report to produce new
results. For Analysis Studio, reports are always run against the latest data in the
cube.
After a report is published to the portal, you can view, run, or open it or view
report output versions. You can also view the report in various formats.
You can distribute reports by saving them, sending them by email, sending them
to your mobile device, printing them, or bursting them. You can also set run
options for the current run, and set advanced run options for the current run.
You can create an ad hoc report using Query Studio or you can use Report Studio
to define layouts, styles, and prompts for your report. You can also create Analysis
Studio reports (analyses).
You can schedule a report to run at a later time or on a recurring basis. You can
schedule a report as part of a job or based on a trigger. You can view the run
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2005, 2015 67
history for a report. For more information, see “View the Run History for Entries”
on page 186. You can also include a report in an agent Chapter 10, “Agents,” on
page 145.
You can add yourself to the alert list for a report so that you are alerted when new
versions of the report are created. You can also specify watch rules in saved HTML
report output so that you are alerted whenever the events specified by the watch
rules are satisfied.
You can disable selection-based features, such as drilling up and down and
drill-through.
Mixed Currencies
Mixed currency values occur when you calculate values with different currencies.
When using an OLAP data source, mixed currency values use the asterisk
character (*) as the unit of measure.
Accessibility for the disabled
We are committed to assisting people with disabilities, and promote initiatives that
make workplaces and technologies accessible. IBM Cognos BI provides an
accessible report reading solution. This solution allows disabled users and users of
Assistive Technology the ability to access and display reports in IBM Cognos
Viewer. For more information, see “Accessibility features,” on page 193.
Series 7 Reports and Cubes
For information on working with Series 7 reports and cubes in IBM Cognos BI, see
“Series 7 Reports in IBM Cognos Connection” on page 104.
IBM Cognos Active Reports
You can use IBM Cognos Report Studio to create active reports. IBM Cognos
Active Report is a report output type that provides a highly interactive and
easy-to-use managed report. Active reports are built for business users, allowing
them to explore their data and derive additional insight.
Active reports make business intelligence easier for the casual user. Report authors
build reports targeted at their users' needs, keeping the user experience simple and
engaging. Active reports can be consumed by users who are offline, making them
an ideal solution for remote users such as the sales force.
Active reports are an extension of the traditional IBM Cognos report. You can
leverage existing reports and convert them to active reports by adding interactive
behavior, providing end users with an easy-to-consume interface.
Like existing IBM Cognos reports, you can execute active reports from IBM Cognos
Connection as well as schedule and burst them to users.
For more information, see the Report Studio User Guide.
View, Run, or Open a Report
You can view the most recent run of a report, run a report, or open a report in the
authoring tool.
68 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
The default action is to view the most recent run of a report but you can select the
default action that you prefer.
You can view reports in various formats. To run reports in the delimited text
(CSV), PDF, Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (XLS), or XML output formats, you
require the generate output capability for the specific format. For more
information, see “Report formats” on page 79.
When you run a report in an export format such as PDF, CSV, or XLS, the IBM
Cognos report name is used as the exported file name.
Before you begin
You must have execute permission to run a report. You must have read and
traverse permissions for the folder that contains the report.
You may be requested to enter your data source credentials. For information on
data source credentials, see “Trusted credentials” on page 46.
Procedure
1. Open IBM Cognos Connection.
2. Click the report that you want.
For more information about using PowerPlay Web Explorer, see PowerPlay
Web User Guide.
For information about using Analysis Studio, see the Analysis Studio User
Guide.
Set Default Report Options
You can set certain actions as the default when a report is run.
The default report actions are
v view the most recent report or run if it has not been previously run (default)
v run the report
v open the report in the authoring tool that was used to create it (Query Studio,
Report Studio, or Analysis Studio)
You can set default report options such as format and language. You can also set
the default to prompt for values and run as the owner. For information about
properties, see “Entry Properties” on page 11.
Before you begin
You must have execute permissions for the report. You must have read and
traverse permissions for the folder that contains the report.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the set properties button on the actions
toolbar to the right of the report.
2. Click the Report tab for a Report Studio report, the Query tab for a Query
Studio report, or the Analysis tab for a Analysis Studio report.
3. Under Default action, select the default action for when the report is run.
Chapter 6. Reports and Cubes 69
4. If you want to override report options, under Report options, click the
Override the default values check box.
You can change some or all of the options, such as format, language, and
accessibility support.
5. If you want to prompt for values to filter the data in the report, click select the
Prompt for values check box under Prompt Values.
Note: You are prompted for values only if the report specification or model
includes prompts or if you have access to multiple data source connections or
signons.
6. If you want to run the report using the owner credentials, click the check box
next to the owner listed under Run as the owner. Click Capabilities only to
run the report using only the owner capabilities and not the owner credentials.
For more information, see “Running reports with report owner capabilities” on
page 73.
7. To set additional report options, click Advanced options.
v Under Number of rows per Web page in HTML reports, click the number
of rows you want to allow.
v To allow such features as drill up and drill down, drill through, IBM Cognos
Search, watch rules, and agent notification when the report is viewed in IBM
Cognos Viewer, select Enable selection-based interactivity in HTML reports.
v If you want to allow the creation of additional output formats so that watch
rules can be evaluated and saved output versions can be imported into IBM
Cognos for Microsoft Office, select Enable enhanced user features in saved
output versions.
v If you want users to receive alerts when new report output is generated,
select Enable alerts about new versions.
v To create an expiry date for the report cache data, select Day or Month and
type a corresponding number under Cache duration. Report cache data is
created only if there is no cache data or if the cache data is expired.
8. Click OK.
Set Report Options for the Current Run
You can set certain options for the current run of a report.
The options include:
v report output format “Report formats” on page 79
v language “Report Languages” on page 81
v delivery method “Distributing Reports” on page 96
v prompt for values “Specify the Default Prompt Values for a Report” on page 83
These options override the defaults for a report for a one-time run.
Tip: You can also force database access by clicking More next to the report, and
then clicking Clear the cache.
You can change default run options for reports.
If you change the delivery method while a report is running, the run operation is
canceled. The report is run again using the new delivery method that you select.
This can be time-consuming for large reports. To save time, specify the delivery
method before you run the report.
70 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
To specify a time for the report to run, to choose additional formats or more than
one language, or for additional delivery methods, use advanced run options.
Before you begin
You must have execute permissions for the report you are attempting to run. You
must have read and traverse permissions for the folder that contains the report.
To run reports in the delimited text (CSV), PDF, Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (XLS),
or XML output formats, you require the generate output capability for the specific
format. For more information, see “Report formats” on page 79.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the run with options button on the
actions toolbar to the right of the report you want to run.
2. Under Format, click the format that you want for the report output.
3. Under Accessibility, select Enable accessibility support to create accessible
report output.
4. Under Language, click the language that you want for the report output.
5. Under Delivery, choose to view the report now, save the report, print the
report, or send the report your mobile device.
6. If you choose to print, click Select a printer, click the button next to the printer
you want to use, and click OK. If the printer is not listed, you can type the
printer information.
7. If you want to prompt for values to filter the data in the report, under Prompt
Values, click the Prompt for values check box.
You are prompted for values only if the report specification or model includes
prompts or if you have access to multiple data source connections or signons.
8. Click Run.
Setting advanced report options for the current run
You can specify advanced run options for a report for the current run.
The advanced run options for a report include the following:
v time when the report should run
v multiple report output formats if you choose to run the report later and
additional format choices for HTML and PDF“Report formats” on page 79
v one or more languages “Report Languages” on page 81
v accessibility support “Enabling Accessible Report Output” on page 193
v one or more delivery methods “Distributing Reports” on page 96
v prompt for values “Specify the Default Prompt Values for a Report” on page 83
v burst the report “Distributing Reports” on page 96
The report runs in the background if you run the report later. For this type of run
select multiple report formats or languages, select to save, print or email the
report, send the report to your mobile device, or burst the report. If you set your
preferences to show a summary of the run options “Personalize the Portal” on
page 32, the summary appears whenever the report is not run interactively. When
done, the output versions button appears next to the report on the Actions toolbar.
Chapter 6. Reports and Cubes 71
Tip: Click the output versions button to view the selected formats. For more
information, see “Viewing report output versions” on page 85.
Default options are set by the report author. You can change default run options
for reports “Set Default Report Options” on page 69.
If you choose to save, print, or send the report by email, you can choose multiple
formats. If you choose to run the report later, the delivery option is automatically
changed to save. For more information on saving report output, see “Save Report
Output” on page 84.
You must have execute permissions for the report you are attempting to run. You
must have read and traverse permissions for the folder that contains the report.
You need the appropriate permissions to set advanced run options.
To run reports in the delimited text (CSV), PDF, Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (XLS),
or XML output formats, you require the generate output capability for the specific
format. For more information, see “Report formats” on page 79.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, for the report that you want to run, click the Run
with options button
on the Actions toolbar.
2. Click Advanced options.
3. Under Time and mode, click Run in the background, and then click Now or
Later. If you specify Later, set a date and time for the report to run.
4. Under Format, click the formats you want for the report output.
v The Enable selection-based interactivity check box is selected by default. For
information about deselecting this option, see “Disable Selection-based
Interactivity” on page 95.
5. Under Accessibility, select Enable accessibility support to create accessible
report output.
6. If you want to select a different or additional languages for the report, under
Languages, click Select the languages and use the arrow keys to move the
available languages to the Selected languages box and click OK.
Tip: To select multiple languages, use the Ctrl key or use the Shift key.
7. Under Delivery, choose the delivery method that you want:
v If you schedule a report for a future time, select multiple formats or
languages, or burst the report. You cannot view the report now. Select one
of the other delivery methods.
v If you choose to print, click Select a printer. Click the button next to the
printer you want to use and click OK. Or, if the printer is not listed, you
can type the printer information.
v If you choose to save using report view, you can change the name or
destination folder of the report view. Click Edit the save as options, make
the changes and click OK.
v If you choose to email the report, proceed to the next step.
v If you choose to send the report to your mobile device, enter your Mobile
device ID.
72 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
8. If you select Send the report by email, click Edit the email options and set
the options. For more information, see “Sending a report by email” on page
97.
9. Under Bursting, select the Burst the report check box to specify whether the
report should be bursted. This option is available only if the report author
defined burst options for the report in IBM Cognos Report Studio.
If needed, you can change any of the following options that control the
internal execution of burst reports on the server.
v Run in parallel
The burst reports are broken into segments and the different report
segments are executed in a series of parallel processes. This type of
processing uses a larger percentage of the system capacity and the burst
report outputs are produced much faster. By default, this way of bursting
reports is enabled and represented by the value of Default. If you set this
property to Disabled, burst reports run sequentially in one process, which
takes more time.
v Use query prefetching
This option applies to dynamic query mode only. When this option is
enabled, the dynamic query mode packages can prefetch burst report
queries when the burst report outputs are rendered. As a result, the burst
report outputs are produced much faster because the queries run in parallel
with the report rendering. By default, this way of bursting reports is
disabled and represented by the value of Default.
v Maximum key limit
Represents a positive integer that specifies the maximum number of burst
keys for each distributed report segment. Depending on the data source
type, it might be necessary to set this limit so that complex SQL clauses
cannot be generated. The default is 1000. The value of 0 allows for
unlimited number of keys. This option is used only when the Run in
parallel option is enabled.
Tip: If a burst report contains a drill-through link to another report and the
report is distributed by email, select the Include a link to the report check
box in step 8. Otherwise, if you include the report in the body of the email,
the drill-through links in the burst report will not work.
10. If you want to be prompted for values to filter the data in the report, under
Prompt Values, select the Prompt for values check box.
If you run the report later, the prompt values you provide are saved and used
when the report runs.
Tip: You are prompted for values only if the report specification or model
includes prompts or if you have access to multiple data source connections or
signons, even if the Prompt for values check box is selected.
11. Click Run.
Running reports with report owner capabilities
When running a report as the owner, you can use the capabilities granted to the
owner of the report, even if you do not have the capability yourself. The owner
capabilities that can be granted let you add HTML items in reports, add
user-defined SQL, and generate bursted reports.
Chapter 6. Reports and Cubes 73
Before you begin
Before you can run a report as the owner, the report owner must create trusted
credentials to authorize you to use their credentials. For more information, see
“Creating trusted credentials” on page 47.
About this task
If a report, for example, uses HTML items or user-defined SQL, the corresponding
capabilities HTML Items in Report and User Defined SQL are required to run the
report. These capabilities are normally granted to a limited set of users, because
the potential to create reports with malicious intent using either HTML or SQL is
high. Selecting the Capabilities only option of the Run as the owner option allows
consumers of a report to run it using specific capabilities of the owner, even if they
do not have the required capabilities themselves. This differs from Run as the
owner option in that it includes only the owner's capabilities and excludes other
aspects of the owner's security context, such as access to data sources.
During normal report execution, the permissions and capabilities used to run a
task are that of the caller making the run request. When Run as the owner option
is selected, users other than the owner can run a task that requires access to
privileged data. The task runs using the security credentials of the owner, not those
of the user running the task. When the Capabilities only option is selected, users
other than the owner can run a task that requires additional capabilities. The task
runs using the capabilities of the owner, not those of the user running the task.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the Set properties icon on the actions
toolbar.
2. Click the Report tab for a Report Studio report, the Query tab for a Query
Studio report, or the Analysis tab for a Analysis Studio report.
3. Select the check box next to the owner listed under Run as the owner and then
click Capabilities only.
Results
When the Capabilities only option is selected, the report runs using only the
owner capabilities and not the owner credentials. The credentials of the report user,
not the report owner, are used to run the report.
Create a Report
You can create reports to analyze data and answer specific questions related to
your business.
Use Query Studio to intuitively explore data by creating ad hoc reports. Report
Studio is a comprehensive report authoring environment. Use it to create both
highly interactive and sophisticated production reports for mass consumption by
specifying queries and layouts for each report. Use Analysis Studio for analyses.
Access to the report authoring tools is controlled by the capabilities defined for
your logon. If you require access to the report authoring tools but the links are not
available on the top navigation bar, contact your system administrator.
74 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
An existing report may contain most of the information you require, but you may
need new prompt values or changes to the layout or style. Instead of creating a
new report, you can create a report view to satisfy your requirements.
For instructions about using the studios, see the following guides:
v IBM Cognos Query Studio User Guide
v IBM Cognos Report Studio User Guide
v IBM Cognos Analysis Studio User Guide
Before you begin
Before creating a report, confirm that the package containing the data for your
report is available in the portal. If you do not have access to the package, contact
your administrator.
Tip: A package is identified by the package icon
.
You must have write and traverse permissions for the folder in which you want to
save the new report.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, choose whether you want to create a simple or
complex report:
v To create a simple report, from the Launch options menu, click the Query
Studio link
.
v To create a complex report, from the Launch options menu, click the Report
Studio link
.
v To create an Analysis Studio report, from the Launch options menu, click the
Analysis Studio link
.
2. If the Select Package dialog box appears, do one of the following to select the
package containing the data you want to use in your report:
v In the Recently used packages list, click the package.
v In the List of all packages list, navigate to the package and click it.
Creating a Query Studio Report Without Using Actual Data
You can create a report without accessing the data that will eventually be used in
the report.
Query Studio's preview mode lets you create or modify reports without retrieving
actual data from the database. Instead, simulated data is shown.
For more information about preview mode, see the Query Studio User Guide.
Create a Report View
You can create a report view, which uses the same report specification as the
source report, but has different properties such as prompt values, schedules,
delivery methods, run options, languages, and output formats.
Chapter 6. Reports and Cubes 75
Creating a report view does not change the original report. You can determine the
source report for a report view by viewing its properties. The report view
properties also provide a link to the properties of the source report.
If the source report is moved to another location, the report view link is not
broken. If the source report is deleted, the report view icon changes to indicate a
broken link
, and the properties link to the source report is removed.
If you want to use a generic report as the underlying structure for additional
reports, make a copy of the report “Copy an entry” on page 18. If you want a
report to appear in more than one location, create a shortcut “Create a Shortcut”
on page 8.
Before you begin
To create a report view, you must have execute or read permissions for the original
report.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, locate the report you want to use to create the
report view.
2. Under Actions, click the report view button
next to the report.
3. In the Name box, type the name of the entry.
4. If you want, in the Description and in the Screen tip box, type a description of
the entry.
The description appears in the portal when you set your preferences to use the
details view “Personalize the Portal” on page 32. The screen tip, which is
limited to 100 characters, appears when you pause your pointer over the icon
for the entry in the portal.
5. If you do not want to use the target folder shown under Location, click Select
another location and select the target folder and click OK.
6. Click Finish.
Results
In the portal, report view entries are identified by the report view icon .
The report view has the same run options and properties as the original entry. To
change the default properties of a report view, see “Set Default Report Options” on
page 69. For information about properties, see “Entry Properties” on page 11.
View Lineage Information for a Data Item
Lineage information traces the metadata of a data item in an HTML report or a
report view back through the package and the data sources used by the package.
Lineage also displays any data item filters that were added by the report author, or
that were defined in the data model. For example, you can click a cell in a crosstab
to see how the cell value was calculated.
You can view the data item's lineage in the Business View or in the Technical
View.
76 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
The business view shows high-level textual information that describes and explains
the data item and the package from which it comes. This information is taken from
IBM Cognos Connection and the Framework Manager model.
The technical view shows a graphical representation of the lineage of the selected
data item. The lineage traces the data item from the package to the data sources
used by the package. When you click the item, its properties appear on the page. If
you click an item in the Package area, you see the item's model properties. If you
click an item in the Data Sources area, you see the item's data source properties.
You cannot view lineage information when running a report from a mobile device.
IBM Cognos Business Intelligence can be configured to use the default lineage
solution that comes with the product, or a custom lineage solution. IBM
InfoSphere
®
Metadata Workbench is also supported.
The IBM Cognos lineage solution shows lineage on reports at their highest level.
The lineage does not change after drilling down on a report. Because the selection
context used to launch lineage can be affected by drill-down actions, we
recommend that you always launch lineage at the highest report level before
drilling down on the report. Otherwise, the lineage may not launch properly.
Procedure
1. Open an HTML report or report view in IBM Cognos Viewer.
2. Right-click the data item you want, and click Lineage.
The lineage views appear.
Access the IBM InfoSphere Business Glossary
If you already use the IBM InfoSphere Business Glossary, you can access the
Glossary from IBM Cognos Viewer, and from the metadata tree in Report Studio,
Query Studio and Analysis Studio.
Before you begin
Before you can access the Glossary, you must have permissions for the Glossary
capability, and the Glossary URI must be configured by an administrator.
Procedure
1. Open an HTML report or report view in IBM Cognos Viewer.
2. Right-click the data item you want, and click Glossary.
Editing a Report
You can use the IBM Cognos Business Intelligence authoring tools to edit an
existing report.
You may want to change the report layout, style, or font. The report may need to
be updated because of changes to the data or to add language support.
If the report was created in Report Studio, you can edit the report in Report
Studio. If the report was created in Query Studio, you can edit the report in either
Query Studio or Report Studio. If you edit a Query Studio report in Report Studio,
Chapter 6. Reports and Cubes 77
you cannot go back and edit the report in Query Studio. For more information
about modifying reports, see the IBM Cognos Report Studio User Guide, and the
Query Studio User Guide.
If the report was created in Analysis Studio, you can edit the report in either
Analysis Studio or Report Studio. If you edit an Analysis Studio report in Report
Studio, you cannot go back and edit the report in Analysis Studio. For more
information about modifying Analysis Studio reports, see the Report Studio User
Guide, and the Analysis Studio User Guide.
The edit button differs depending on whether the report is a Query Studio report
, a Report Studio report , or an Analysis Studio report .
Editing a report modifies the report specification so that everyone who views the
report sees the changes you made.
Report properties, such as the preferred output format, language, prompt values,
or report retention, can be specified by changing the run options in the portal
“View, Run, or Open a Report” on page 68. For information about properties, see
“Entry Properties” on page 11.
If you want to use a generic report as the underlying structure for additional
reports, make a copy of the report “Copy an entry” on page 18. If you want a
report to appear in more than one location, create a shortcut “Create a Shortcut”
on page 8. If you want to keep the underlying report specifications but want the
choice of another report format, language, delivery method, or run option, create a
report view “Create a Report View” on page 75.
You must have read and write permissions for the report you are attempting to
edit. You must have traverse permissions for the folder containing the report.
Edit a Report in IBM Cognos Connection
In IBM Cognos Connection, you can open and edit an existing report in the
authoring tool that was used to create it.
Procedure
1. Open IBM Cognos Connection.
2. Click the Open button on the Actions menu for the report you want to edit.
Results
The report opens in the authoring tool used to create the report.
Edit a Query Studio Report in Report Studio
In IBM Cognos Connection, you can open and edit a Query Studio report in
Report Studio.
Procedure
1. Click the More link on the Actions toolbar.
2. Click Edit with Report Studio.
78 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Report formats
In IBM Cognos Business Intelligence, you can view reports in a browser, or
depending on your permissions, you can generate reports in formats that can be
imported into other applications. Administrators can restrict access to the
capabilities that are required to run reports in delimited text (CSV), PDF, Microsoft
Excel spreadsheet (XLS), or XML formats.
By default, all users have permissions for the following capabilities:
v Generate CSV Output
v Generate PDF Output
v Generate XLS Output
v Generate XML Output
If your access to a format is restricted, you can view content in the restricted
format, and specify the restricted format in the properties of a report.
To perform the following actions, you must have execute and traverse permissions
for the appropriate capability:
v Run reports in a restricted format.
v Set schedules or jobs for reports that run in a restricted format.
v Drill to targets that run in a restricted format.
v Print PDF reports in Cognos Metric Studio.
v Print a PDF report in a Cognos Workspace widget.
When you run a report, you see only the format options for which you have the
generate output capability. The HTML format is not a secured function.
The generate output capabilities do not apply to PowerPlay or active reports.
To specify the report format, you must also have read and write permissions for
the report and traverse permissions for the folder that contains the report.
You can specify the default format to be used when a report is run “Set Default
Report Options” on page 69. All shortcuts to a report acquire the default format
from the source entry.
You can specify the report format in the run options page “Set Report Options for
the Current Run” on page 70, in the report properties “Entry Properties” on page
11, or in your preferences “Personalize the Portal” on page 32.
XHTML and some PDF formats are only available when you set advanced run
options “Setting advanced report options for the current run” on page 71. You can
also select multiple formats when you set advanced run options.
HTML Formats
In IBM Cognos Business Intelligence, you can choose HTML output format for a
report.
You can select from the following HTML formats:
v HTML for standard HTML formatting
v HTML fragment if you must embed the HTML in an existing Web page
Chapter 6. Reports and Cubes 79
v XHTML for HTML that is passed through a parser
To select an HTML fragment and XHTML or the number of rows per web page,
see “Setting advanced report options for the current run” on page 71.
XML Format
XML report outputs save the report data in a format that conforms to an internal
schema, xmldata.xsd. In IBM Cognos Business Intelligence, to generate report
output in the XML format, you must have execute and traverse permissions for the
Generate XML Output capability.
You can find this schema file in c10_location/bin.
This format consists of a dataset element, which contains a metadata element and a
data element. The metadata element contains the data item information in item
elements. The data element contains all the row and value elements.
You can create models from reports and other data that conform to the
xmldata.xsd schema. This is useful if you want to use a report as a data source for
another report, or if you use a database that cannot be read by Framework
Manager. In this case, export the data from the data source to an XML file, in
conformance with the xmldata schema, and then open the XML file in Framework
Manager.
For more information, see the Framework Manager User Guide.
PDF Format
Use the PDF format to view and distribute reports in an online book format. In
IBM Cognos Business Intelligence, to generate report output in the PDF format,
you must have execute and traverse permissions for the Generate PDF Output
capability.
You must have administrator privileges to specify the advanced PDF options.
Microsoft Excel Formats
You can export your report output to several different Microsoft Excel spreadsheet
software formats.
Excel 2007 and Excel 2007 Data formats render report output in native Excel XML
format, also known as XLSX. This format provides a fast way to deliver native
Excel spreadsheets to Microsoft Excel 2002, Microsoft Excel 2003, and Microsoft
Excel 2007. Users of Microsoft Excel 2002 and Microsoft Excel 2003 must install the
Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack, which provides file open and save capabilities
for the new format.
Excel 2007 provides fully formatted reports for use in Microsoft Excel version 2007.
The output is similar to other Excel formats, with the following exceptions:
v Charts are rendered as static images.
v Row height can change in the rendered report to achieve greater fidelity.
v Column widths that are explicitly specified in reports are ignored in Microsoft
Excel 2007.
v Merged cells are used to improve the appearance of reports.
80 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
v The default size of worksheets is 65 536 rows by 256 columns.
Your IBM Cognos administrator can enable larger worksheets and change the
maximum number of rows in a worksheet, up to a maximum of 16,384 columns
by 1,048,576 rows, by using advanced server properties. For more information,
see the IBM Cognos Business Intelligence Administration and Security Guide.
Excel 2007 Data provides data for use in Microsoft Excel version 2007. These
reports only contain minimal formatting. Default data formatting is applied to the
data based on data type and assumes that each column has a single data type.
The output is similar to other Excel formats, with the following exceptions:
v The generated output includes only the first list query in the report. If a report
contains multiple queries and the first query is a multi-dimensional query for a
crosstab or for a chart, an error message is displayed when the report runs.
v Nested frames and master-detail links are not supported.
v Cells in the Microsoft Excel file have a default width and height. You must
adjust the column width and height if the data is larger than the default size.
v Style specifications are not rendered, including color, background color, and
fonts.
v Borders are not rendered.
v User-specified data formatting in the report specification are not applied,
including exception highlighting and color rules for negative numbers.
Excel 2002 provides fully formatted reports for use in Microsoft Excel versions
earlier than 2007. The maximum size of worksheets is 65,536 rows by 256 columns.
CSV Format
Reports saved in delimited text (CSV) format open in the application associated
with the .csv file type, usually Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software, Microsoft
Windows Wordpad, or Star Office. In IBM Cognos Business Intelligence, to
generate report output in the CSV format, you must have execute and traverse
permissions for the Generate CSV Output capability.
Reports saved in CSV format
v are designed to support Unicode data across many client operating systems
v are UTF-16 Little Endian data-encoded
v include a BOM (Byte Order Mark) at the beginning of the file
v are tab-delimited
v do not enclose strings in quotation marks
v use a new line character to delimit rows
v show only the results of a report query. Page layout items, such as titles, images,
and paramDisplay values do not appear in the CSV output.
Report Languages
You can choose the languages for a report.
You can specify the report language on the run options page, in the report
properties, or in your preferences. When you run a report, the language specified
in the report properties is used. When it is not specified in the report properties,
the language in your preferences is used.
Chapter 6. Reports and Cubes 81
You can run a report using the default language “View, Run, or Open a Report” on
page 68, select a different language for a single run of the report “Set Report
Options for the Current Run” on page 70, or select more than one language for a
report “Setting advanced report options for the current run” on page 71.
You can add multilingual properties for each of the entries in the portal “Add
Multilingual Properties.” You can specify the default language to be used when a
report is run “Set Default Report Options” on page 69.
Selecting a language for your report does not change the language used in the
portal. You can change the language used in the portal interface by personalizing
the portal “Personalize the Portal” on page 32. All shortcuts to a report acquire the
default language from the source entry.
When a report runs, the report server connects to the underlying data source to
obtain data. When using an SAP BW data source, if the SAP BW server does not
support the language associated with your content locale, IBM Cognos Business
Intelligence checks a locale map for a corresponding locale. If the SAP BW server
supports the language for the corresponding locale, this language is used.
Otherwise, the report runs using the default language installed on the SAP BW
server.
To specify the report language, you must have read and write permissions for the
report and traverse permissions for the folder that contains the report Chapter 4,
“Access Permissions and Credentials,” on page 39.
The package used to create the report must contain multilingual data before the
report outputs are shown in the selected languages. For more information about
packages, see Chapter 7, “Packages,” on page 107.
Add Multilingual Properties
You can set multilingual properties for each of the entries in the portal.
You can add a name, screen tip, and description for each of the locales defined by
your administrator. A locale specifies linguistic information and cultural
conventions for character type, collation, format of date and time, currency unit,
and messages.
If the entry has multilingual properties defined for the selected language, the entry
shows the properties. If the entry does not have multilingual properties defined,
they are empty.
For information about changing the language to be used by the portal, see
“Personalize the Portal” on page 32.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the set properties button next to the entry
you want to change.
2. Click the General tab.
3. Under Language, select a language from the list.
Languages that already have multilingual properties defined appear at the top
of the list above a separator line.
4. If you want, type a description in the Name, Description, and Screen tip box.
82 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
The name appears in the list of portal entries. The description appears when
you set your preferences to use the details view “Personalize the Portal” on
page 32. The screen tip, which is limited to 100 characters, appears when you
pause your pointer over the icon for the entry in the portal.
Tip: To remove multilingual properties for a language, select the language in
the list and click Remove values for this language.
5. Click OK.
Specify the Default Language for a Report
To specify the default language for a report, change the report properties.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the set properties button next to the
report you want to change.
2. On the Report options tab, under Language, select the default language from
the list box and click OK.
Specify the Default Prompt Values for a Report
You can use prompt values to specify the range of data included in a report when
it is run, for example, a date range.
You may be prompted for values if the report author defines prompts in the report
or if there is more than one connection or signon. For information about adding
prompts to reports, see the IBM Cognos Report Studio User Guide, the Query
Studio User Guide, or the Analysis Studio User Guide.
If you are the report author, you can create default prompt values for a report.
When the report is run, the data is automatically filtered based on the prompt
values that you specify. The user does not have to specify prompt values when the
report is run. You may find this useful if most users use the same prompt values
each time they run a report.
If you have write access to a report and change the prompt values, those values
are saved for everyone running the report after you. If you consistently use prompt
values that differ from the majority of users, create a report view of the report
“Create a Report View” on page 75 in your personal folders.
By default, you are prompted for values each time the report runs. You can change
this in the report properties “Entry Properties” on page 11 or when you set run
options for a report “Set Report Options for the Current Run” on page 70.
Before you begin
To set default prompt values, you must have read and write permissions for the
report and read or traverse permissions for the folder that contains the report.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the set properties button next to the
report you want to change.
2. On the Report tab for Report Studio reports, the Query tab for Query Studio
reports, or the Analysis tab for Analysis Studio reports, under Prompt values,
click either Set or Edit.
Chapter 6. Reports and Cubes 83
If the report does not have saved prompt values, the run options show No
values saved and clicking Set results in a message indicating that the report
does not contain prompts.
3. Select the default value for the prompts and click OK.
4. If you want to be prompted each time the report is run, select the Prompt for
values check box.
If the check box is selected, you will be prompted for values if the report
contains prompts or if you have access to multiple data source connections or
signons.
If the check box is not selected and the report is run interactively, you will be
prompted only if there are missing values or if you have access to more than
one connection or signon. The report will have missing values if saved prompts
or default prompts were specified for the report.
If the check box is not selected and the report is run in the background, the
report fails if prompt values are missing.
5. Click OK.
Save Report Output
You select how to save report copies as a delivery option.
All report output is stored automatically in IBM Cognos Business Intelligence. You
may also be able to save copies of reports in other file locations:
v in IBM Cognos BI so that it can be used again and for archive purposes
v outside of IBM Cognos BI for use in external applications such as web sites and
for use by people who don't have access to IBM Cognos BI
You can also choose how to save a report when you schedule it Chapter 13,
“Schedule Management,” on page 169.
Before you begin
Before you can save report output to file locations, your administrator must set up
the locations.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, for the report that you want to run, click the run
with options button
on the Actions toolbar.
2. Click Advanced options.
3. Under Time and mode, click Run in the background, and then click Now or
Later.
4. Under Delivery, choose where you want to save your report:
v To save a copy in IBM Cognos BI, click Save. Then, click Save the report or
Save the report as report view. If you choose to save as report view, you can
a change the name or destination folder of the report view. Click Edit the
options, make the changes and click OK.
v To save a copy outside IBM Cognos BI, click Save to the file system.To
change the report name, click Edit the options. You can also change how file
conflict is resolved. Click Keep existing files to not overwrite existing files,
Replace existing files to simply overwrite existing files. Click Make the file
names unique and append a timestamp or Make the file names unique
84 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
and append a sequence number to avoid overwriting existing files by
making new files with unique timestamps or sequence numbers and click
OK.
5. If more than one file location is defined, select the location where you want to
save from the Location list.
6. Click Run.
Viewing report output versions
You can choose which version of output to view.
Reports are run directly against the data source so that they reflect the latest data.
However, viewing the most recent data may not always meet your needs. You may
want to view older data. For example, you may want to compare monthly sales
volume for a product before and after new features are added.
The report output is saved when a report runs in the background. A report cannot
be viewed at the time it is run when it
v runs later
v has multiple formats or languages
v has a delivery method of save, print, or email
v is a burst report
Report output versions can have multiple report formats. For information, see
“Report formats” on page 79. By default, the list contains report output versions
for the language that is defined in your content locale. If no report versions are
found for that language, report formats for all languages are shown. If you specify
a language and there is no report output version for that language, then the
Formats list is empty.
If burst keys are used, they appear next to the report format sorted by burst key
and then by language.
You can specify how long you want to keep report output. For information, see
“Specify How Long to Keep Report Output Histories” on page 87.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the view report output versions icon for
the report that has multiple output versions.
2. On the Current tab, choose the output version that you want to view:
v To view report formats in a specific language or in all languages, click the
Languages drop-down menu, select the language from the list, and click the
output in the available format.
v To view a different output version, click the version in the Versions list, and
click the output in the available format.
v To view the current version, from the Formats list, click the output in the
available format.
Tip: To delete a version that you have write access to, select the check box
associated with the version that you want to delete, and click Delete.
3. If you want to download a report output version, click the download icon in
the Actions column.
Chapter 6. Reports and Cubes 85
Viewing archived report output
If report output versions have been archived to an external repository for
long-term storage, you can view the report output versions in the repository
provided you have sufficient permissions.
About this task
When a data source connection to an external repository is specified for a package
or folder, report output versions are copied automatically to the repository. Report
content may also be archived by the administrator using a content archival task. To
view archived content, users must have execute and traverse permissions for the
View external documents secured feature of the External Repository capability.
By default, the archived content is filtered so that only report content from the last
month displays. To view older versions of report content, you can apply a custom
filter.
Bursted report output that is archived cannot be viewed on the Archived versions
tab.
Tip: To view older versions of bursted reports, increase the number of versions
that can be accessed in IBM Cognos Connection using retentions rules.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the view report output versions button
next to a report that has multiple output versions.
2. Click the Archived versions tab.
3. Click the Select date range hyperlink and in the Select date period dialog box,
select a date or date range of time for the output versions.
4. From the Versions list, choose the output version that you want to view:
v To show report formats in a specific language or all languages, click
Languages and select from the list.
v To show a different output version, select the version from the Versions list.
v To show the current version, from the Formats list, click the report format.
Specifying how long to keep report output versions
You can specify the number of report output versions to keep and the number of
days or months they should be kept.
Procedure
1. Click the set properties button next to the entry you want.
2. On the General tab, under Report output versions, choose the retention
method and type the value:
v To keep report output for a specific number of occurrences, click Number of
occurrences and type the number. To save an unlimited number of report
outputs, set this value to 0.
v To keep report output for a specific length of time, click Duration and click
either Days or Months. Type the appropriate value in the box.
86 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Specify How Long to Keep Report Output Histories
You can keep report output for a specific number of runs or for a specific number
of days or months.
For example, you can keep the report output for the ten latest occurrences or you
can keep the report output for the 2 days or 6 months. You can also choose to keep
all report output.
Before you begin
You must have read and write permissions for the entry and read or traverse
permissions for the folder that contains the entry.
Procedure
1. Click the set properties button next to the entry you want.
2. On the General tab, under Run history, choose the retention method and type
the value:
v To keep report output for a specific number of occurrences, click Number of
occurrences and type the number. To save an unlimited number of report
outputs, set this value to 0.
v To keep report output for a specific length of time, click Duration and click
either Days or Months. Type the appropriate value in the box.
3. Click OK.
Enable an Alert List for a Report
Granting permission for an alert list lets the report user decide whether to be
alerted when new versions of the report output become available.
Whenever the report is run and report output is saved, the report user is alerted
by email as a Bcc recipient. The email contains a link to the latest report output.
The alert list is independent of any distribution lists associated with the report
“Creating Distribution Lists and Contacts” on page 100.
Before you begin
To grant permission for an alert list, you must have write permission.
The permission to enable an alert list for a report does not extend to a report view
associated with the report. You must grant permission for the report view
independently.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the set properties button next to the report for
which you want to enable an alert list.
2. On the Report tab for Report Studio reports, the Query tab for Query Studio
reports, or the Analysis tab for Analysis Studio reports, click Advanced
options, and then click the Enable alerts about new versions check box.
3. Click OK.
Chapter 6. Reports and Cubes 87
Results
Users can now add their names to the alert list for notifications of the report
outputs.
Adding or Removing Yourself from the Alert List for a Report
You can add yourself to an alert list for a report and be notified when changes
occur. You can also remove yourself from the alert list for a report.
By adding yourself to the alert list for a report, you receive an email notification
when new versions of the report output are saved. In this way, you can monitor
changes in the output of reports that are of interest to you. If you no longer want
to receive notifications about new versions of a report, you can remove yourself
from an alert list.
In the email, you are included as a Bcc recipient. The email contains a link to the
latest report output.
Being on the alert list is independent of any distribution lists associated with the
report “Creating Distribution Lists and Contacts” on page 100.
You can view and manage the alert list for a report as a watch item.
Add Yourself to an Alert List in IBM Cognos Connection
You can add yourself to an alert list in IBM Cognos Connection.
You can add yourself only once to the alert list for a report.
Before you begin
Before you can add yourself to an alert list for a report, the report owner must
enable the alert list. To receive alerts, you must have an email address defined in
the My Preferences, Personal tab or in your LDAP security profile (used only in
special circumstances). Also, you must belong to the same namespace as the person
who schedules the report.
Procedure
1. In the portal, locate the report.
2. In the Actions column, click More .
3. In the Perform an action page, click Alert me about new versions.
4. Click OK.
Results
In the My Watch Items area of the portal, note the change in the watch list.
Remove Yourself from an Alert List in IBM Cognos Connection
You can remove yourself from an alert list in IBM Cognos Connection.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click My Area Options, My Watch Items.
2. On the Alerts tab, from the list of alerts, select the alerts to delete.
88 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
3. Click Remove me from the alert list.
Add or Remove Yourself from an Alert List in IBM Cognos
Viewer
You can add or remove yourself from an alert list in IBM Cognos Viewer.
Procedure
1. Open the saved report output.
2. On the toolbar, under Watch New Versions, click Alert Me About New
Versions or Do Not Alert Me About New Versions.
Remove Users From an Alert List
Report authors can remove any users who are currently on the alert list for a
report. When users are removed from an alert list, they are no longer alerted when
new versions of the report become available.
Procedure
1. In the portal, locate the report.
2. In the Actions column, click More .
3. In the Perform an action page, click Do not alert any about new versions.
Watch Rules in Saved Reports
Report users define watch rules in IBM Cognos Viewer so that they can monitor
events of interest to them in saved reports.
You can view and edit watch rules in a single location from the My Watch Items
area in IBM Cognos Connection
Watch rules are based on numeric event conditions that are evaluated when a
report is saved, not when the report runs interactively. When an event condition is
satisfied, an email message or news item alerts the report user. Alternatively, the
report user can alert other users by sending notifications to their task inbox.
You can create event conditions using numeric measures only in saved HTML
reports. You can define an unlimited number of conditions for a report. The
conditional report output uses the same locale information as the report that
contains the event condition.
The report owner must enable watch rules for the report “Enable Watch Rules for a
Report” before a report user can create watch rules and send alerts.
To create watch rules, the report user must have read and traverse permissions to
the report output.
Enable Watch Rules for a Report
Enabling watch rules lets the report user specify conditions in saved HTML report
output, and send alerts based on these conditions.
For information about creating a watch rule, see “Create a Watch Rule for a
Specific Condition” on page 90 and “Create a Watch Rule for Different Condition
Status Indicators” on page 91.
Chapter 6. Reports and Cubes 89
Before you begin
You must have write permission for the report to enable watch rules for a report.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click Set properties next to the report.
2. On the Report tab for IBM Cognos Report Studio reports, or the Analysis tab
for IBM Cognos Analysis Studio reports, under Advanced options, select both
the Enable selection-based interactivity in HTML reports and Enable
enhanced user features in saved output versions check boxes.
Selecting these options specifies that additional context information is saved
with the report output.
3. Click OK.
Results
Report users can now run the report and save the output in HTML format before
creating watch rules.
Create a Watch Rule for a Specific Condition
You can set up a watch rule to send an alert when a specific condition in a saved
report is satisfied.
For example, you could set up a watch rule that sends an alert when sales figures
for a product fall below a specific level.
Note: You can only create watch rules for reports saved in HTML format.
Before you begin
You must have read and traverse permissions to the report output to create watch
rules.
Procedure
1. Run the required report and save the output in HTML format.
For more information, see “Set Report Options for the Current Run” on page
70.
2. In the IBM Cognos Connection portal, open the saved HTML report in IBM
Cognos Viewer.
3. In the report, right-click a numeric data item and then click Alert Using New
Watch Rule.
4. In the Specify the rule - Alert Using New Watch Rule page, select Send an
alert when the report contains.
5. In the conditional expression, from the drop-down list, select the expression to
use for the watch rule, for example, >= (greater than or equal), and specify a
value in the box.
6. Under For the selected context, select the report items to which the rule
applies.
7. Click Next.
90 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Results
You must now set up the alert details for the watch rule. For more information, see
“Define the Alert Details for the Watch Rule” on page 92.
Create a Watch Rule for Different Condition Status Indicators
You can set up a watch rule that sends alerts depending on a metric-like change in
the performance status of a condition (good, average, or poor).
In this case, you set up thresholds to map a range of numeric values to
performance status (good, average, and poor). You define the threshold
boundaries, and the association between boundary values and status.
For example, you could set up a watch rule that sends different alerts to a sales
team depending on the sales figures for a product. If sales fall below 50 (the
minimum threshold), the performance is poor. The alert for poor performance may
be to send an urgent notification to the sales manager to review the figures. When
sales exceed 100 (the maximum threshold), the performance is good. The alert for
good performance may be to distribute the sales figures to the team.
To set up the watch rule, use thresholds to map a range of numeric values to
performance status. When setting up your threshold boundaries, you must decide
whether low, medium, or high values are favorable for the condition. For example,
if you are setting up a condition to monitor sales figures for a product, you would
indicate that high values are favorable. This is known as the performance pattern.
You can only create watch rules in saved HTML reports.
Before you begin
You must have read and traverse permissions to the report output to create watch
rules.
Procedure
1. In the IBM Cognos Connection portal, open the saved HTML report in IBM
Cognos Viewer.
2. In the report, right-click a numeric data item, and then click Alert Using New
Watch Rule.
3. In the Specify the rule - Alert Using New Watch Rule page, select Send an
alert based on thresholds.
4. In the Performance pattern box, select the range of values to associate with
"good performance" status.
5. In the Threshold boundaries box, specify the boundary values for the
condition.
Tip: For each boundary value, click the arrow attached to the numeric value
box to adjust them as follows:
v To include the specified boundary value in the higher threshold, click the up
arrow.
v To include the specified boundary value in the lower threshold, click the
down arrow.
6. Under For the selected context, select the report items to which the rule
applies.
7. Click Next.
Chapter 6. Reports and Cubes 91
Results
You must now set up the alert details for the watch rule. For more information, see
“Define the Alert Details for the Watch Rule.”
Define the Alert Details for the Watch Rule
When you have defined the type of watch rule that you are creating, you must
define the type of alert that you want to generate.
You can choose one or more of the following options:
v Send the report by email to be alerted by email.
v Publish a news item to be alerted by news item.
v Send a notification to alert other users by sending notifications to their task
inbox.
If you have set up a watch rule for different condition status indicators, you can
define multiple alerts, depending on performance. For example, for average or
poor performance, you could choose to be alerted both by email and by sending a
notification to the sales manager to review the sales figures. For good performance,
you could send a notification to the sales manager to distribute the figures to the
sales team.
Procedure
1. In the Specify the alert type - Alert Using New Watch Rule page, specify the
alerts to send when the rule is satisfied.
Tip: To change the details for an alert type, click Edit the options.
2. If you have defined a watch rule for different condition status indicators, select
the required check boxes to associate the alert with poor, average, or good
performance.
Performance is defined by the performance pattern.
Click Next.
3. In the Specify a name and description - Alert Using New Watch Rule page,
specify a name, description, screen tip, and location for the watch rule.
Tip: You can organize watch rules in folders on the Rules tab of the My Watch
Items area of the portal.
4. Click Finish.
View, Edit, or Delete a Watch Rule in IBM Cognos Viewer
You can use IBM Cognos Viewer to edit and delete watch rules you created in
saved HTML reports.
For information about creating a watch rule, see “Create a Watch Rule for a
Specific Condition” on page 90, and “Create a Watch Rule for Different Condition
Status Indicators” on page 91.
You can also delete and edit watch rules from the My Watch Items area of the
portal. For more information, see “My Watch Items” on page 37.
Before you begin
You must have write access to edit or delete a watch rule.
92 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Procedure
1. Open the saved report output in IBM Cognos Viewer.
2. On the toolbar, click Watch New Versions and, then click
v Modify to edit the watch rule. When the Set properties dialog box appears,
proceed to step 3.
v Delete to delete the watch rule, and then click OK to complete the deletion.
3. Click the General tab to change properties, such as the language, name, and
description of the watch rule.
4. Click the Rules tab to edit the rules properties, such as the conditional
expression for the rule, the items to which the rule applies, and the alert type.
Results
Changes made to a watch rule in IBM Cognos Viewer are also made in the My
Watch Items area of the portal.
Comments in Saved Reports
Report users can add comments to saved reports using IBM Cognos Viewer.
Comments can be added to HTML, PDF and XML reports, but not Microsoft Excel
spreadsheet software or CSV reports.
Comments are added to a specific version of a report and are deleted with that
report version. The comments are not available in other versions of a report, unless
they are manually added by a report user.
Comments are included when a report is viewed online or when a burst report is
distributed via the portal, but they are not included in printed or emailed reports.
Before a user can add comments, the report owner must enable comments in saved
output versions.
To add comments, a report user must have read permission to the report output.
These comments are visible to all other users who have read permission to the
report output. However, only the comment owner, or an administrator, can modify
or delete comments.
Enable Comments in Saved Output Versions
Enabling comments lets a report user add comments to saved HTML, PDF or XML
reports.
For information about adding comments, see “Add Comments to a Report Version
in IBM Cognos Viewer” on page 94.
Before you begin
To enable comments for a report, you must have write permission for the report.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click Set properties next to the report.
Chapter 6. Reports and Cubes 93
2. On the Report tab for Report Studio reports, the Query tab for Query Studio
reports, or the Analysis tab for Analysis Studio reports, under Advanced
options, select the Enable comments in saved output versions check box.
3. Click OK.
Results
You must now run the report and save the report output in HTML, PDF or XML
format before users can add comments to it.
Add Comments to a Report Version in IBM Cognos Viewer
Use comments to add simple, unformatted text notes to saved reports.
You can add multiple comments to a report.
Comments can be added to HTML, PDF and XML reports only. You cannot add
comments to other report formats.
Before you begin
You must have read permission to the report output to add comments to it.
Procedure
1. Open the saved report output in IBM Cognos Viewer.
2. On the toolbar, click Add Comments and then click Add a Comment.
3. In the Add a Comment window, type the comment name and description.
4. Repeat steps 2 to 3 to add further comments as required.
5. Click Finish to save the comment.
Results
Each comment is added to a drop-down list available from the Add Comments
button.
Viewing, Modifying, or Deleting Comments in IBM Cognos
Viewer
Comments added by a report user can be viewed by all other users who have read
permission to the report output.
Only the comment owner, or an administrator, can modify and delete comments.
Tip: You can use the Search feature to find specific comments. For more
information, see “Searching for entries using name, description, and name or
description” on page 27.
For information about adding comments, see “Add Comments to a Report Version
in IBM Cognos Viewer.”
View Comments
You can view report comments in IBM Cognos Viewer.
Procedure
1. Open the saved report output in IBM Cognos Viewer.
94 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
2. On the toolbar, click Add Comments and then select the required comment
from the list of comments available.
A summary of the comment appears, which includes the comment name and
description, the date it was last modified, and the owner.
3. To view the full details of the selected comment, click View.
The View Comment window appears.
4. Click Finish.
Modify Comments
You can modify report comments in IBM Cognos Viewer.
Procedure
1. Open the saved report output in IBM Cognos Viewer.
2. On the toolbar, click Add Comments, select the required comment from the list
of comments available, and then click Modify to edit the comment.
The Modify Comments window appears.
3. Edit the comment name or description.
4. Click Finish.
Delete Comments
You can delete report comments in IBM Cognos Viewer.
Procedure
1. Open the saved report output in IBM Cognos Viewer.
2. On the toolbar, click Add Comments, select the required comment from the list
of comments available, and then click Delete.
3. Click OK to confirm that you want to delete the comment.
Disable Selection-based Interactivity
You can disable selection-based interactivity for an HTML report that is viewed in
IBM Cognos Viewer to shorten the time that it takes the report to run.
After you disable this functionality, you cannot:
v drill up and down in a report
v drill through to other reports
v use IBM Cognos Search
v use conditional report delivery
v use agent notification
If selection-based interactivity is enabled in IBM Cognos Connection, a user can
perform drill up and down and drill-through actions in Report Viewer or Query
Studio. If selection-based interactivity is disabled in IBM Cognos Connection, the
ability to perform drill up and down and drill-through are disabled regardless of
how the drill through definitions and settings are authored in Report Studio and
IBM Cognos Connection.
Selection-based interactivity is enabled by default.
Tip: You can instead enable or disable selection-based interactivity for the current
run only.
Chapter 6. Reports and Cubes 95
Click Run with options next to the report and then click Advanced options. Click
Enable selection-based interactivity in HTML reports.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the set properties button on the actions
toolbar to the right of the report.
2. Click the Report tab for a Report Studio report, the Query tab for a Query
Studio report, or the Analysis tab for an Analysis Studio report.
Tip: Disabling selection-based interactivity on an Analysis Studio report has no
effect.
3. Click Advanced options.
4. Clear the Enable selection-based interactivity in HTML reports check box.
Results
Note that disabling selection-based interactivity on an Analysis Studio report has
not effect.
Distributing Reports
You can distribute reports to other users to share information with them.
You can schedule the distribution of your reports so that recipients receive the
reports regularly Chapter 13, “Schedule Management,” on page 169.
Recipients must have read permissions for the report and traverse permissions for
the folder that contains the report.
When you attach a report to an email, the report is no longer secured by the IBM
Cognos security system.
When sending a report by email, note that if you choose the recipient from a list,
such as a group, role, or distribution list, you must have read access to both the list
and the recipient's email account. Otherwise, the report delivery fails. However, if
you type the email address manually, read access is not required.
To distribute reports to more than one recipient, you can create distribution lists,
which contain references to users, groups, and roles. If a recipient is not part of the
IBM Cognos security system, you can create a contact for that person and add it to
a distribution list.
Saving a Report
You can share a report with others by saving the report in a location that is
accessible to other users, such as in the public folders.
Public folders typically contain reports that are of interest to many users.
You can save a report when you set options for the current run “Set Report
Options for the Current Run” on page 70 or you can use advanced report options
“Setting advanced report options for the current run” on page 71 to save a report
in Report View “Create a Report View” on page 75.
96 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
To share a report that is currently located in your personal folders, copy the report
“Copy an entry” on page 18, move the report “Move an Entry” on page 19, or
create a shortcut to the report “Create a Shortcut” on page 8 and save it in the
public folders.
For information about saving reports, see Query Studio User Guide, the IBM
Cognos Report Studio User Guide, or the Analysis Studio User Guide.
Sending a report by email
You can attach IBM Cognos Business Intelligence reports to emails, or include
URLs to reports in emails. This feature is useful if you want to share the report
with people who do not have access to the portal.
Entries that are sent as attachments to emails are no longer secured by the Cognos
security system.
To attach reports to emails or include links to reports in emails, see “Setting
advanced report options for the current run” on page 71.
To send reports by email, you must meet the following requirements:
You must have Directory Administrator privileges.
Both you and the email recipients must have valid email addresses.
If you choose recipients from a list, such as a group, role, or distribution
list, you must have read access to both the list and the recipient's email
account. Otherwise, the report delivery fails. However, if you type the
email address manually, read access is not required.
Completing the To field
If you logged on, your name automatically appears in the To list box.
When you select recipients from the Available entries list, you can use the
search feature. For more information on advanced search features, see
“Searching for entries using name, description, and name or description”
on page 27.
To remove recipients, click Select the recipients and select from the
Selected entries list.
Formatting the body of the email
The default setting for the body of the email is the HTML format. In this
format, you can use editing features to format your content. To use plain
text, click Change to plain text.
Important: To insert HTML format from an external source, you must
view the text in a web browser, and then copy and paste the rendered
HTML into the email body. If HTML text is manually typed in the body of
the email, the markup is treated as plain text. For security reasons, the
email options dialog box accepts a limited set of HTML elements and
attributes. If your pasted HTML is not accepted by the validation schema,
you might receive the following error message: The "VALIDATE" transform
instruction could not validate the given XML content.
If administrators set an advanced property, time stamps are added to report names
for reports that are sent as email attachments. For more information, see the IBM
Cognos Administration and Security User Guide.
Chapter 6. Reports and Cubes 97
Enabling larger email attachments
Administrators can configure the applicable Cognos services to enable IBM Cognos
Business Intelligence users to email larger attachments. If users encounter problems
with email attachments, you might need to change the default MB size setting for
uncompressed email attachments.
About this task
If users email attachments that are larger than the default MB size setting for
uncompressed email attachments, the following problems might occur:
v An empty report file is attached to the email. The run history of the report does
not indicate any issues and the whole process seems to proceed successfully.
v The delivery service rejects email attachments even if they are not too large after
compression.
v Attachments are always compressed or always uncompressed.
The behavior of email attachments is controlled by the email attachment settings.
You can configure the following settings for the associated Cognos services:
DeliveryService
Maximum size of an email message for delivery service in MB. The
setting is set at a higher value than all the other email attachment settings,
or left at the default value of 0. To allow any size of email attachment, use
the default value of 0.
Maximum size of an uncompressed email attachment for delivery service
in MB. Attachments that exceed the specified limit are compressed before
they are sent. A value greater than 0 means that the delivery service will
compress (zip) the output when the attachment size is higher than the
specified value.
AgentService
Maximum size of an uncompressed email attachment for agent service in
MB. Attachments that exceed the specified limit are not sent.
Default value: 15
BatchReportService
Maximum size of an uncompressed email attachment for batch report
service in MB. Attachments that exceed the specified limit are not sent.
Default value: 15
ReportService
Maximum size of an uncompressed email attachment for report service
in MB. Attachments that exceed the specified limit are not sent.
Default value: 15
Procedure
1. Follow the steps in the section Configuring advanced settings for specific
services.
2. For the DeliveryService, specify a value for the setting Maximum size of an
uncompressed email attachment for delivery service in MB. To allow any size
of email attachment, use the default value of 0.
3. For the AgentService, BatchReportService,orReportService, specify a value
for the associated email attachment setting.
98 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
4. If more than one dispatcher is configured, perform the same steps for each
dispatcher.
Sending a Report to your Mobile Device
You can choose to send a report to your mobile device.
Before you send a report to your mobile device, IBM Cognos Mobile must be
installed.
Printing a Report
It may be convenient for you to have a printed copy of a report.
You may need to review a report when your computer is not available, or you may
need to take a copy of a report to a meeting.
You can use run options to print a report and choose a printer “Setting advanced
report options for the current run” on page 71.
To print reports, you must have the Generate PDF Output capability. In IBM
Cognos Metric Studio if you lack the Generate PDF Output capability and you
attempt to print, you see an error message.
In Cognos Workspace, you can print the workspace without generate output
capabilities, but in a widget, to print a report in the PDF format, you require the
Generate PDF Output capability. If you lack this capability, the print option is
hidden in the user interface.
For more information, see “Report formats” on page 79.
Distributing a Report by Bursting
Bursting is the process of running a report once and then distributing the results to
recipients, each of whom sees only a subset of the data.
Distribute reports by bursting them when you want users to receive or view
reports that contain data applicable only to them.
You can burst reports only if the report author defined burst options for the report
in IBM Cognos Report Studio. In IBM Cognos Connection, Bursting is one of the
advanced run options for the report. If this option is not available, it means that
the report cannot be distributed by bursting. To see the detailed steps on how to
burst a report, go to “Setting advanced report options for the current run” on page
71.
If you deliver burst reports by email, the recipients are specified in the burst
options. Note that if you choose the recipient from a list, such as a group, a role, or
a distribution list, you must have read access to both the list and the recipient's
email account. Otherwise, the report delivery fails.
If the burst report contains a drill-through link to another report and the burst
report is distributed by email, set the email options to include a link to the report.
If you include the report in the body of the email, the drill-through links in the
burst report will not work.
You must have read and write permissions for the report to enable bursting.
Chapter 6. Reports and Cubes 99
For information about creating burst reports and specifying burst options, see the
IBM Cognos Report Studio User Guide.
Creating Distribution Lists and Contacts
Use distribution lists if you want to send a report to more than one recipient at a
time.
Distribution lists contain a collection of users, groups, roles, contacts, or other
distribution lists.
If a recipient is not part of the IBM Cognos security system, you can create a
contact for this person. The contacts you create can also be assigned as contacts for
reports.
Note that if you choose the email recipient from a list, such as a group, role, or
distribution list, you must have read access to both the list and the recipient's
email account. Otherwise, the report delivery fails.
Creating distribution lists
Use distribution lists if you want to send a report to more than one recipient at a
time.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Administration,ontheConfiguration tab, click Distribution
Lists and Contacts.
2. Click the Cognos namespace.
3. On the toolbar, click the new distribution list button
.
Tip: To remove a distribution list, select the entry and click the delete button.
4. Type a name and, if you want, a description and screen tip for the distribution
list, and click Next.
5. If you want to add to the distribution list, click Add and choose how to select
entries:
v To choose from listed entries, click the appropriate namespace, and then
select the check boxes next to the users, groups, or roles.
v To search for entries, click Search and in the Search string box, type the
phrase you want to search for. For search options, click Edit. Find and click
the entry you want.
v To type the name of entries you want to add, click Type and type the names
of groups, roles, or users using the following format, where a semicolon (;)
separates each entry:
namespace/group_name;namespace/role_name;namespace/user_name;
Here is an example:
Cognos/Authors;LDAP/scarter;
6. Click the right-arrow button and when the entries you want appear in the
Selected entries box, click OK.
Tip: To remove entries from the Selected entries list, select them and click
Remove. To select all entries in the list, select the check box for the list. To
make the user entries visible, click Show users in the list.
7. Click Finish.
100 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Results
You can now choose this list when you specify recipients for a report.
Creating contacts
If a recipient is not part of the IBM Cognos security system, you can create a
contact for this person.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Administration,ontheConfiguration tab, click Distribution
Lists and Contacts.
2. Click the Cognos namespace.
3. On the toolbar, click the new contact button
.
Tip: To remove a contact, select the entry and click the delete button.
4. Type a name and email address for the contact and, if you want, a description
and screen tip, and click Finish.
Drilling to View Related Data
Reports that you run in IBM Cognos Connection and view in IBM Cognos Viewer
support various drill operations.
Drilling through lets you can view different layers of related data. You can perform
drill operations in lists, crosstabs, and charts.
Drill Up or Drill Down
You can drill up and drill down within a report that is run from IBM Cognos
Connection.
Reports run from IBM Cognos Connection appear in IBM Cognos Viewer.
To run reports, or drill to targets that run reports in the delimited text (CSV), PDF,
Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (XLS), or XML output formats, you require the
generate output capability for the specific format. For more information, see
“Report formats” on page 79.
In lists and crosstabs, hyperlinks identify drillable items. In charts, the pointer
changes to a hand when you pause the pointer over a drillable item, and a tooltip
indicates what you are drilling on. For example, a column chart shows revenue by
product line by year. You can drill on a single axis, such as product line or year.
You can also drill on both axes, such as Camping Equipment and 2005. In this case,
you are drilling on the intersection of Camping Equipment and 2005.
If groups of data items from different queries are linked, when you drill up or drill
down in one query, the data item also drills up or drills down in the linked
queries. For more information about how to link groups of data items, see the IBM
Cognos Report Studio User Guide.
After you drill up or drill down, you can save the report as a report view for later
viewing. For more information, see “Create a Report View” on page 75.
The drill-up and drill-down functionality is available only when you use
dimensionally structured data and view the report in HTML format. You can drill
only on members in a level.
Chapter 6. Reports and Cubes 101
By default, the drill-up and drill-down functionality is enabled.
Procedure
1. Run the report in IBM Cognos Connection and view it in IBM Cognos Viewer.
Tip: Alternatively, you can open an Analysis Studio report or Query Studio
report in their respective studios.
2. Right-click the report item you want to drill on and click Drill Up or Drill
Down
.
Drill Through to Another Target
You can navigate from a report to a target.
Targets can include a Query Studio report, a Report Studio report, an Analysis
Studio analysis, a PowerPlay Studio report, a package that contains a PowerCube,
or a Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) action.
You can also navigate from a report or analysis authored in one package to more
detailed information in a report which was authored in another package. For
example, this is useful when you want to drill from a summarized OLAP source,
such as your sales information, into the detailed relational or transactional
information, such as your inventory volumes.
Drilling through from one report to another is a method of passing information
from the source (your starting report) to the target (your ending report). For
example, you may be evaluating a report and discover something you need to
investigate in a certain product line. You can drill through to the detailed target
report which provides a focused view of that product line. When drilling through
to the target, the product line you selected in the source is passed and the target
report is run with that filter, making a more focused report.
By default, the ability to drill through from one report to another is enabled. You
can disable it by using the Enable selection-based interactivity option. For more
information, see “Disable Selection-based Interactivity” on page 95.
For information about drill-through concepts and setting up drill-through access,
see Chapter 9, “Drill-through Access,” on page 117.
Before you can navigate to another target, a drill-through definition must be
created in either the Report Studio source report or in IBM Cognos Connection.
To run reports, or drill to targets that run reports in the delimited text (CSV), PDF,
Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (XLS), or XML output formats, you require the
generate output capability for the specific format. For more information, see
“Report formats” on page 79.
Procedure
1. Run the report in IBM Cognos Connection and view it in IBM Cognos Viewer.
Tip: Alternatively, you can open an Analysis Studio report or Query Studio
report in their respective studios.
2. Right-click the report item from which you want to navigate and click Go To
, Related Links. The Go To page appears, showing the available targets.
102 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Note: If there is only one possible target for the column, the reports runs and
appears in IBM Cognos Viewer.
3. Click the target you want to navigate to.
Results
Depending on how the drill-through definition was set up and the report type, the
target opens in either IBM Cognos Viewer, Query Studio, PowerPlay Studio, or
Analysis Studio.
Drill Through to Another Target Passing Multiple Values
A report may contain a drill-through definition that can be filtered by multiple
values in a single query item.
For example, while analyzing an OLAP source, you may want to focus on Canada
and the United Kingdom. When you drill through, the target report is filtered by
both countries and regions. After you run the report in IBM Cognos Viewer, you
are prompted to choose values when you navigate from the report to the
drill-through target. The values you specify are used to filter the results in the
target.
For more information about drilling through to a target, see “Drill Through to
Another Target” on page 102.
Drilling through using multiple values is available regardless of whether the
drill-through definition is authored in the Report Studio source report or in IBM
Cognos Connection, Drill-through Definitions. In previous releases, this
functionality was available only when the definition was authored in IBM Cognos
Connection.
To run reports, or drill to targets that run reports in the delimited text (CSV), PDF,
Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (XLS), or XML output formats, you require the
generate output capability for the specific format. For more information, see
“Report formats” on page 79.
Procedure
1. Run the report in IBM Cognos Connection and view it in IBM Cognos Viewer.
Tip: Alternatively, you can open an Analysis Studio, Query Studio, or
PowerPlay Studio report in their respective studios.
2. Ctrl+click to select more than one value in a column.
v If hyperlinks appear in the column in which you are attempting to select
cells, click in the empty area around the hyperlinks.
v If there are no visible hyperlinks but you know that a drill-through target
exists, select the cells you want to use as the filter, regardless of whether they
are in the same column. Note that when you select multiple values from
different columns, the resulting filter in the target report performs an and
rather than an or operation with the values passed, for example, Canada and
Camping Equipment; United Kingdom and Fax.
3. Right-click in one of the selected cells from which you want to navigate, and
from the menu that appears, do one of the following:
v Under Go To, click the drill-through target name, if one exists.
Chapter 6. Reports and Cubes 103
v Under Go To, click Related Links.OntheGo To page, click the target report
you want to run.
Results
The target report runs and if it can be filtered by the selection made in the source
report, the target is filtered by those values.
Data Sources With Named Sets May Produce Unpredictable Results
If your dimensional data sources include named sets, which are sets of members or
set expressions that are created for reuse, the data results are unpredictable in
Query Studio when combined with filtering and level nesting.
Additionally, if your data sources include multilevel named sets, the data results
are unpredictable in Analysis Studio when aggregated.
We therefore recommend that you avoid exposing named sets or multilevel named
sets to Query Studio and Analysis Studio users.
Working with named sets may also cause unpredictable results in Report Studio.
For more information, see the IBM Cognos Report Studio User Guide.
Series 7 Reports in IBM Cognos Connection
PowerPlay 7.3 or later can be configured to use IBM Cognos Connection rather
than Upfront as a portal. However, if you are accessing content from other IBM
Cognos applications or versions previous to PowerPlay 7.3, the administrator may
still depend on the Upfront portal.
Series 7 PowerPlay Reports and Cubes
After Series 7 PowerPlay reports and cubes are published to the IBM Cognos
portal, you can use PowerPlay authoring tools to create and edit Series 7
PowerPlay reports.
For more information about PowerPlay authoring tools, see the PowerPlay Web
User's Guide.
You can change the default run options of Series 7 PowerPlay reports and cubes
and select multilingual properties.
Series 7 PowerPlay reports and cubes function differently from other reports. The
following actions do not apply to Series 7 PowerPlay reports and cubes:
v Viewing the run history and report output versions.
v Specifying how long to keep report outputs and histories.
v Canceling and suspending reports.
v Specifying prompt values for report formats other than PDF.
v Specifying language for the content of reports.
v Running a report as the owner.
v Scheduling reports.
v Distributing reports.
104 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Change the Defaults for a Series 7 PowerPlay Report
You can change the defaults for Series 7 PowerPlay reports.
You can select one of the following default actions when a report is run:
v Run the report in PDF format (default).
v Open the report with PowerPlay Web Explorer.
For HTML format reports, you can choose to open the report in design mode
(without data). Opening a report in design mode is useful to quickly view the
structure of the report.
For PDF format reports, you can choose to be prompted for values that filter the
range of data included in a report. For example, you can specify a date range that
is a subset of the dates available in the report. If the Series 7 PowerPlay report was
created with prompt values, you are prompted to enter values when the report
runs.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the set properties button on the actions
toolbar that corresponds to the report you want to run.
2. Click the PowerPlay report tab.
3. Under Default action, select the default action for when the report is run.
4. For HTML reports, if you want to open the report without data, design mode,
select the Open in design mode check box.
Tip: You can also click the open with PowerPlay Web Explorer in design mode
button
if it appears in the actions toolbar.
5. For PDF reports, if you want to be prompted for values, select the Prompt for
values check box.
Tip: The Prompt for values check box appears only if prompt values are
created for the report. You can also click More next to the report you want and
then click the run the report in PDF format and prompt for values button
.
Open a Series 7 Cube
You can open Series 7 cubes and work with them in PowerPlay Web Explorer.
For more information about using PowerPlay Web Explorer, see PowerPlay Web
User's Guide.
Procedure
In IBM Cognos Connection, click the cube that you want.
Multilingual Properties for Series 7 Reports and Cubes
In IBM Cognos Connection, you can select the multilingual properties of a Series 7
report or cube.
The name, screen tip, and description uses the language that you select.
Chapter 6. Reports and Cubes 105
The content, data, category labels, and other labels do not change. The language
for these items is set by the PowerPlay administrator who creates the report or
cube.
106 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Chapter 7. Packages
You can use packages to group the data that is used for reports and to define a
subset of data that is relevant to a certain group of users. For example, a package
might contain information that is relevant to marketing managers for market
research. The package can then be distributed to report authors by publishing it to
the portal. When you run a report, the result depends on the data source that is
defined in the package.
Administrators can create packages from IBM Cognos Administration. Data
modelers can use Framework Manager to create models for similar purposes.
You can also create a package from IBM Cognos Connection and view the data
sources that are used by a package. For example, you can organize packages in
folders, create shortcuts to packages, hide, and move or copy packages.
Creating a Package
You can create packages for SAP BW and PowerCube data sources from IBM
Cognos Connection.
Packages are listed in Public Folders or My Folders, along with your other entries.
You can perform the same kinds of functions on packages as you can on your
other entries.
Create a Package
You can create a package for SAP BW and PowerCube data sources from IBM
Cognos Connection.
Creating a package from IBM Cognos Connection
The procedure to create a package from IBM Cognos Connection is as follows.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click Public Folders or My Folders and then click
the New Package icon.
2. Select the data source that you want to use in the package and click OK.
The New Package Wizard appears. Proceed with the steps to “Create a Package
for a PowerCube” or “SAP BW Packages” on page 108.
Create a Package for a PowerCube
Before you can use a PowerCube data source in any of the IBM Cognos studios,
you must create a package.
Procedure
1. Complete the steps in “Create a Package.”
2. Enter a name for the package, and click Next.
3. Select the null-suppression options you want to make available to the IBM
Cognos studio user:
v Allow Null Suppression enables suppression.
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2005, 2015 107
v Allow Multi-Edge Suppression allows the studio user to suppress values
on more than one edge.
v Allow Access to Suppression Options allows the studio user to choose
which types of values will be suppressed, such as zeros or missing values.
By default, all null values are suppressed when suppression is enabled.
4. Click Finish.
SAP BW Packages
Before you can use a SAP BW data source in any of the IBM Cognos studios, you
must create a package.
To edit a SAP BW package after it is created, see .
Create an SAP BW Package
The procedure to create a SAP BW Package is as follows.
Procedure
1. Complete the steps in “Create a Package” on page 107.
2. Enter a name for the package, and click Next.
3. Select the objects to include in the package.
There is a limit on the number of objects that you can select. By default, you
can select a maximum of 2 cubes and 5 info queries.
4. To import SAP BW queries that contain dual structures and use the structures
in IBM Cognos queries to control the amount and order of information that
your users see, click Enable SAP BW Dual Structures support.
For more information about dual structures, see the Framework Manager User
Guide.
5. Click Next.
6. Select the languages to include in the package and click Next.
If it is possible that the package might not contain the content locales of users,
select the Design Language that is used as the default locale.
7. Specify the object display name.
8. To have objects in the model organized the same way that they are organized
in Business Explorer Query Designer, click Enhance the package for SAP BW
organization of objects.
9. Click Finish.
10. When Package successfully created appears, you have two options:
v If you want to edit variable properties or reselect the metadata used in the
package, click Edit the SAP BW variables for the package after closing
this dialog. Continue with step 11.
v Click Close to finish.
11. If there are variables for the package, the Edit SAP BW Variables page
appears.
Click the value you want to edit, then select or type the new variable.
12. Click Save.
Edit an SAP BW Package
The procedure to edit a SAP BW Package is as follows.
108 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Procedure
1. Click More beside the package, then click Edit Package.
2. Select on of the following options:
v To modify metadata selections, click Modify metadata selections. Return to
step 5 in “Create an SAP BW Package” on page 108.
v To edit the package variables, click Edit variables. Click the value you want
to edit, then select or type the new variable. Click OK.
v To modify the package settings, click Modify package settings, and select
Use Dynamic Query Mode.
View Data Sources Used by a Package
You can view the data sources that are used by a package.
You can view data sources for packages that are in the Public folder only, not in
My Folders.
If you want to see if the package is using dynamic query mode for a data source,
check the Properties page for the package.
Before you begin
You must have set policy permission on the package and traverse and read
permission on the model.
If you have read access for the data source, the localized name of the data source
is shown with its associated icon. If you do not have read access for the data
source, Unavailable is displayed instead of the name.
If you have the Data Source Connection capability and the data source referenced
in the package does not exist, Unavailable is displayed with the default icon and
the data source name in square brackets. If you do not have the Data Source
Connection capability, Unavailable is displayed instead of the name.
Procedure
1. Start IBM Cognos Connection.
2. Find the package in the Public folder and click More.
3. In the Actions column, click View the package data sources.
A list of the data sources for the package is displayed under View the data
sources consumed by this package.
Chapter 7. Packages 109
110 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Chapter 8. Personal data sets
Use personal data sets to create IBM Cognos reports that are based on your
personal data without engaging a professional report author. You can import data
from a CSV, XLS or XLSX file, create a stand-alone package for the data in IBM
Cognos Connection, and generate reports from that data.
You can import large spreadsheets, with hundreds of thousands of rows, and
publish the package to any location in IBM Cognos Connection for which you have
write permissions.
Creating your own data set
Create a personal data set by uploading a Microsoft Excel or delimited text file to
the Cognos BI server. The data from the file will be imported into a repository.
Modify your data set and publish it to Cognos Connection as a package. After
publishing, you can use other Cognos Business Intelligence tools, such as Cognos
Workspace Advanced or Report Studio, to perform tasks such as analyzing or
reporting on your data.
You can import multiple files to your data sets repository. To manage all of your
data sets, go to the My Data Sets page.
Before you begin
The administrator must first grant you access to these two Cognos Connection
components:
v a Data Sets repository
v the My Data Sets page
About this task
You can import the following file types:
v Microsoft Excel files, with either .xls or .xlsx extensions
v delimited text files, containing either comma-, tab-, semi colon-, or pipe-
separated values
v Compressed files of any of the supported file types. For example, you may
choose to compress your delimited text file as a .zip file to improve upload time.
Note: If you are importing a data file with locale-specific formatting, it must be
either .xls or .xlsx format. Delimited text files that are formatted for a different
locale are not supported when you create a data set.
To maintain system performance, there are limits to the size of files that you can
upload. The administrator can modify the default values of the maximum file
sizes, if required. The following table lists the default maximum values.
Table 22. Default maximum file sizes for personal data sets
Description Default value (KB)
Maximum file size of a non-.xlsx imported file 100,000
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2005, 2015 111
Table 22. Default maximum file sizes for personal data sets (continued)
Description Default value (KB)
Maximum file size of a .xlsx imported file 3,000
Maximum total size of imported files per user 100,000
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, in the upper-right corner, click My Area Options
, My Data Sets.
Tip: You can also click My Data Sets from the Welcome page.
The My Data Sets page appears. It lists all of the data sets that you created and
displays information for each data set.
2. In the upper-right right corner of the My Data Sets page, click Import data
.
3. If your administrator granted you access to more than one repository, select a
data source and then click OK.
4. Click Browse, double click the file that you want to import, and then click
Open.
The file is uploaded to the Cognos BI server and the data is then imported into
the repository as a table.
Tip: If you import a large file and close the window before the import has
completed, a message tells you that the import will continue in the
background.
The Import data window appears. The left pane lists all the column names in
the imported file and metadata for each column. The right pane shows a
preview of the table.
5. If you want, you can modify the data set before you publish it or publish your
data set as a package,
6. To leave the data set unmodified and unpublished, click Close.
Results
The My Data Sets page appears, showing your new data set, the date and time
that it was created, and the size of the uploaded file.
Tip: You can check the number of rows in the data set to confirm that all of your
data was uploaded successfully.
Modifying or refreshing your data set
Modify or refresh your personal data set to make changes before you publish it to
Cognos Connection.
Before you begin
You must first create a data set.
112 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Procedure
1. Unless you are still viewing the Import data page after creating a data set,
follow these steps:
a. In the upper-right corner, click My Area Options
, My Data Sets.
b. Under Actions, click Edit Data Set for the data set that you want to
modify.
2. If you want to remove columns, deselect the corresponding check boxes in the
left pane.
In the preview pane, the deselected columns disappear from the table.
3. If you want to change metadata for a column, click the edit button and select a
different Default Summary value.
4. If you want to refresh all of the data with an updated Excel or text file, click
Browse, double click the new file, and then click Open.
Tip: If you browse to the wrong file, a message states that at least one column
has changed and that existing reports may not run. You can then go back and
select the correct file.
5. If you want your data to appear as a package in Cognos Connection, you can
publish your data set.
6. To leave the data set unpublished, click Close.
Tip: There is no need to publish if data has changed but the metadata is the
same.
Publishing your personal data
Publish your personal data set to create a package on Cognos Connection. You can
share the package with other users or take advantage of other Cognos Business
Intelligence tools to work with the data.
Before you begin
You must first create a data set.
Procedure
1. Unless you are still viewing the Import data page after creating a data set,
follow these steps:
a. In the upper-right corner, click My Area Options
, My Data Sets.
b. Under Actions, click Edit Data Set
for the data set that you want to
modify.
2. Click Publish.
3. Specify the Cognos Connection location.
v To allow other Business Intelligence users to view the package, click Public
Folders and click a folder.
v To specify that only you can view the package, click My Folders.
4. Enter a name for the package and then click Publish.
The My Data Sets window appears. The package name now appears in the
Package column and the publishing time appears in the Modified column.
5. In the upper-right corner, click Launch, IBM Cognos Connection.
6. Navigate to the location where you published the package.
Chapter 8. Personal data sets 113
The new package appears. You can now leverage other Cognos Business
Intelligence tools to work with this data. For example, you can use Cognos
Workspace Advanced to create a visualization of your data.
You can also report on your package using IBM Cognos Report Studio. For
more information, see Chapter 7, “Packages,” on page 107.
Managing your personal data sets
You can manage your personal data sets from the My Data Sets page.
Before you begin
The administrator must first grant you access to these two Cognos Connection
components:
v a Data Sets repository
v the My Data Sets page
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, in the upper-right corner, click My Area Options
, My Data Sets.
Tip: You can also click My Data Sets from the Welcome page.
The My Data Sets page appears. It lists all of the data sets that you created and
displays the following information for each data set:
v Name - The name of the data set. The default name is the name of the file
that you imported.
v Package - The name of the package, if you published the data set.
v Refreshed - The date and time when the data set was last replaced with a
data set from an updated file.
v File size (KB) - The size of the uploaded file.
Note: The total size of all your imported data set files cannot exceed the
total size per user that is set by the administrator (Default: 100 MB).
v Rows - The number of rows in the data set table.
v Modified - The date and time when the data set was last modified.
Note: The date and time in the Modified column is updated after any of
several operations, for example after the data set is published or after it is
renamed. The Modified date and time does not necessarily reflect when the
data was last updated. To determine when the data was last updated, see the
date and time in the Refreshed column.
2. To search for a data set, click Search
, enter search text, and click Search.
Tip: You can search for text in the Name field of the data set, the Description
field, or both. If you click Advanced, you can refine your search by specifying
details about the text to be searched or about when the data set was last
modified.
3. To delete a data set, select the check box for the data set and then click Delete
.
114 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
4. To change a property, such as the name or description, or disable or hide the
entry, click Set properties
.
Tip: To see the names of the database table and the data source connection,
click the Data Set tab.
Example - creating a visualization of your data set using Cognos
Workspace Advanced
You can leverage your published data set by using, for example, Cognos
Workspace Advanced to create a visualization.
Before you begin
In this example, you must first publish a personal data set.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, in the upper-right corner, click My Area Options
, My Data Sets.
2. In the Package column, click the link of the package that you want to work
with.
3. In the upper-right corner, click Launch, Cognos Workspace Advanced.
4. In Cognos Workspace Advanced, click Create New to create a workspace.
5. Select your package, and then click OK.
6. Select the Toolbox tab, and then select Visualization.
7. Create the visualization that you want. For more information, see the IBM
Cognos Workspace Advanced User Guide.
Tip: If updated data becomes available, you can refresh the data set and
package and then view the updated data using the visualization that you
already created.
Chapter 8. Personal data sets 115
116 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Chapter 9. Drill-through Access
Drill-through applications are a network of linked reports that users can navigate,
retaining their context and focus, to explore and analyze information.
Drill-through access helps you to build business intelligence applications that are
bigger than a single report.
For example, you have an Analysis Studio report that shows revenue and you
want to be able to drill through to a Report Studio report that shows details of
planned and actual revenue. For more information, see “Example - Drill Through
Between OLAP Reports in the Same Package” on page 129.
Another example is an Analysis Studio report that lists the top 10 promotions by
retailer and you want to be able to drill through to a Report Studio report that
shows promotion plan revenue. For more information, see “Example - Drill
Through from an OLAP Report to a DMR Report” on page 132.
Drill-through access works by passing information from the source to the target
object, usually a report. You define what is passed from the source report by
having the system match information from the selection context of the source
report to the content of the target (dynamic drill through) or by defining
parameters in the target (parameterized drill through). You define drill-through
access for the source, either at the package level, in IBM Cognos Connection
(Launch, Drill-through Definitions) or at the report level (Report Studio). Within a
package, you control the scope of the data for which drill-through access is
available in the drill through definition. Within a report, you define the
drill-through access on a report item.
What You Should Know
For a drill-through link to work, it is necessary to know:
v what the source report is or is going to be
v what the target report is or is going to be
v whether the users of the drill through link in the source report have the
appropriate permissions to view or run the target report
v how the data in the two reports is related
Depending on the underlying data, you may create a drill through definition
and have IBM Cognos Business Intelligence match the data (dynamic drill
through) or map the source metadata to parameters defined in the target report
or package (parameterized drill through)
v whether to run the target report or to open it
The target of drill-through access is usually a saved report definition. The report
can be created in Report Studio, PowerPlay Studio, Query Studio, or Analysis
Studio. The target of drill-through access can also be a package that contains a
PowerCube, in which case a default view of the PowerCube is created.
v if the target is being run, in what format to run it and what filters to run it with
If you don't want to run the target report on demand, you may link instead to a
bookmark in the saved output.
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2005, 2015 117
Sources and Targets
In IBM Cognos BI, there are many different combinations of source and target. For
example, you can drill through
v between reports created in different packages against different data source types,
such as from an analysis against a cube to a detailed report against a relational
data source. For more information on creating drill through access in packages,
see “Setting up drill-through access in packages” on page 124.
v from one existing report to another report using Report Studio. For more
information on creating drill through access in a report, see
v between IBM Cognos Viewer reports authored in Report Studio, Query Studio,
PowerPlay Studio, and Analysis Studio
v from Series 7 PowerPlay Web cubes to IBM Cognos BI reports. For more
information on setting up drill through access from PowerPlay Web see, “Set Up
Drill-through Access from PowerPlay Web” on page 139
v from Metric Studio to other IBM Cognos BI reports by passing parameters using
URLs.
For more information, see the Metric Studio User Guide.
Understanding Drill-through Concepts
Before you set up drill-through access, you must understand the key concepts
about drilling through. Knowing these concepts will help you to avoid errors so
that report consumers drill through as efficiently as possible.
Drill-through Paths
You can create a drill-through path in a source report in IBM Cognos Report
Studio, or using Drill-through Definitions in IBM Cognos Connection. A
drill-through path is the definition of the path that is taken when moving from one
report to another, including how the data values are passed between the reports.
Using Drill-through Definitions, you can create a drill-through path from any
report in the source package to any target report in any other package in IBM
Cognos Connection. This type of drill-through definition is stored in the source
package. Users of any report in the package can use the drill-through definition to
drill between any combination of IBM Cognos Analysis Studio, IBM Cognos Query
Studio, IBM Cognos PowerPlay Studio, or IBM Cognos Viewer reports in any
package.
For any target report that contains parameters, you should map the target
parameters to the correct metadata in the drill-through path. This ensures that the
values from the source report are passed to the correct parameter values, and that
the target report is filtered correctly. If you do not map parameters, then the users
may be prompted for values when the target report is run.
A report-based drill-through path refers to a path created and stored in a Report
Studio source report. This type of drill-through path is also called authored drill
through. The path is associated with a specific data column, chart, or cross tab in
the source report, and is available only when users select that area of the report. If
an authored drill-through definition is available, a hyperlink appears in the source
report when it is run.
Report-based drill-through is limited to Report Studio source reports and any
target reports. Use this type of drill-through access when you want to pass data
118 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
item values or parameter results from within a source report to the target report,
pass the results of a report expression to a target report, or a use URL link as a
part of the drill-through definition.
Selection Contexts
The selection context represents the structure of the values selected by the user in
the source.
In IBM Cognos Analysis Studio, this includes the context area. When a package
drill-through definition is used, the selection context is used to give values for
mapped parameters (parameterized drill-through) or also to map the appropriate
data items and values.
Drill-through links can also be defined to open the target object at a bookmark.
The content of this bookmark may also specified by the selection context.
Drill-through access is possible between most combinations of the IBM Cognos
Business Intelligence studios. Each studio is optimized for the goals and skills of
the audience that uses it, and in some cases for the type of data source it is
designed for. Therefore, you may need to consider how the various studios
manage the selection context when you drill through between objects created in
different studios, and how the data sources are conformed. During testing or
debugging, you can see how source values are being mapped in different contexts
using the drill-through assistant.
Drilling Through to Different Report Formats
The settings in the drill-through definition determine the format in which users see
the report results.
For example, the users may see the reports in IBM Cognos Viewer as an HTML
Web page, or the reports may open in IBM Cognos Query Studio, IBM Cognos
PowerPlay Studio, or IBM Cognos Analysis Studio. If your users have PowerPlay
Studio, then they may also see the default view of a PowerCube.
Reports can be opened as HTML pages, or as PDF, XML, CSV, or Microsoft Excel
spreadsheet software formats. When you define a drill-through path, you can
choose the output format. This can be useful if the expected use of the target
report is something other than online viewing. If the report will be printed, output
it as PDF; if it will be exported to Excel for further processing, output it as Excel or
CSV, and so on.
To run reports, or drill to targets that run reports in the delimited text (CSV), PDF,
Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (XLS), or XML output formats, users require the
generate output capability for the specific format.
If you define a drill-through path to a report that is created in Analysis Studio,
PowerPlay Studio, or Query Studio, consumers can open the report in its studio
instead of in IBM Cognos Viewer. This can be useful if you expect a consumer to
use the drill-through target report as the start of an analysis or query session to
find more information.
For example, if an application contains a dashboard style report of high-level data,
you can define a drill-through link to Analysis Studio to investigate items of
interest. The Analysis Studio view can then be drilled through to a PDF report for
printing.
Chapter 9. Drill-through Access 119
Note: IBM Cognos Report Studio does not display data results.
Related concepts:
“Report formats” on page 79
In IBM Cognos Business Intelligence, you can view reports in a browser, or
depending on your permissions, you can generate reports in formats that can be
imported into other applications. Administrators can restrict access to the
capabilities that are required to run reports in delimited text (CSV), PDF, Microsoft
Excel spreadsheet (XLS), or XML formats.
Drilling Through Between Packages
You can set up drill-through access between packages.
The two packages can be based on different types of data source, but there are
some limits. The following table shows the data source mappings that support
drill-through access.
Table 23. Data source mappings that support drill-through access
Source data source Target data source
OLAP OLAP
Note: OLAP to OLAP drill through is
supported only if the data source type is the
same, for example, SSAS to SSAS.
OLAP Dimensionally modeled relational
OLAP Relational data
Note: For more information, see “Business
Keys” on page 122.
Dimensionally modeled relational Dimensionally modeled relational
Dimensionally modeled relational Relational
Relational Relational
Bookmark References
When you drill through, the values that you pass are usually, but not always, used
to filter the report.
IBM Cognos Business Intelligence supports bookmarks within saved PDF and
HTML reports so that a user can scroll a report to view the relevant part based on
a URL parameter.
For example, you have a large inventory report scheduled to run daily or weekly
during off hours because of resource considerations. Your users may want to view
this report as a target because it contains detailed information, but you want them
to view the saved output rather than run this large report. Using this Action option
and bookmark settings, users can drill through from another source location based
on products to open the saved report to the page that shows the product they
want to focus on.
When a bookmark in the source report is used in a drill-through definition, it
provides the value for the URL parameter. When report consumers drill through
using this definition, they see the relevant section of the target report.
120 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Bookmark references are limited to previously run reports that are output as PDF
or HTML and contain bookmark objects.
Members and Values
Dimensionally modeled data, whether stored in cubes or stored as dimensionally
modeled relational (DMR) data, organizes data into dimensions. These dimensions
contain hierarchies. The hierarchies contain levels. And the levels contain members.
An example of a dimension is Locations. A Locations dimension may contain two
hierarchies: Locations by Organization Structure and Locations by Geography.
Either of these hierarchies may contain levels like Country or Region and City.
Members are the instances in a level. For example, New York and London are
members in the City level. A member may have multiple properties, such as
Population, Latitude, and Longitude. Internally, a member is identified by a
Member Unique Name (MUN). The method by which a MUN is derived depends
on the cube vendor.
Relational data models are made up of data subjects, such as Employees, which are
made up of data items, such as Name or Extension. These data items have values,
such as Peter Smith.
In IBM Cognos Business Intelligence, the methods of drilling through available are
v Dimensional (member) to Dimensional (member)
v Dimensional (member) to Relational (data item value)
v Relational (data item value) to Relational (data item value)
If the target parameter is a member, the source must be a member. The source and
target should usually be from a conformed dimension. However, if the data
supports it, you may also choose to define a mapping using different properties of
the source metadata item.
If the target parameter is a value, the source can be either a value or a member. If
the source is a dimensional member, you must ensure that the level or dimension
is mapped to the target data item correctly in the drill-through definition. The
business key from which the member is sourced should usually match the
relational target value, which is most often the business key. However, if the data
supports it, you may also choose to define a mapping from the caption of the
source metadata item.
Conformed Dimensions
If you work with more than one dimensional data source, you may notice that
some dimensions are structured the same, and some are not.
The reason that dimensions can be structured differently is that the data sources
may serve different purposes.
For example, a Customer dimension appears in a Revenue data store, but not in an
Inventory data store. However, the Products dimension and the Time dimension
appear in both data stores.
Dimensions that appear in multiple data stores are conformed if their structure is
identical for all of the following:
v hierarchy names
Chapter 9. Drill-through Access 121
v level names
v level order
v internal keys
Drilling through is possible between different dimensional data stores only if the
dimensions are conformed, and if the dimension data store is of the same vendor
type, such as IBM Cognos PowerCube as the source and the target. For example, in
two data stores for Revenue and Inventory that contain Products and Time
dimensions, it is possible to define the Products and Time dimensions differently
for each data store. However, for drill-through between the Products and Time
dimensions to work, their structures must be identical in each data store.
If you are not sure whether your dimensions are conformed, then you should
check with the data modeler to ensure that the drilling through will produce
meaningful results.
IBM Cognos Business Intelligence does not support conformed dimensions
generated by IBM Cognos Framework Manager for SAP BW data sources.
Dimensionally modeled Relational Data Sources
Ensure that each level contains a business key that has values that match your
PowerCube or other DMR models. Also, you must also ensure that the Root
Business Key property is set and uses the business key of the first level in the
hierarchy. This helps to ensure that you have a conformed member unique name
when attempting to drill through using members from this dimension.
Business Keys
When drill-through access is defined from a member to a relational value, the
business key of the member is passed by default.
This means that your relational target parameter must be set up using the data
item with a matching value, which is most often the business key data item. You
can also choose to pass the caption of the source metadata item.
For example, employees are usually uniquely identified by an employee number,
not by their name, because their name is not necessarily unique. When you drill
through from a dimensional member to a relational data item, the value provided
is the business key. Therefore, the parameter in the target report must be defined
to accept a business key value. The exact logic used to define the business key
value supplied depends on the cube vendor. For IBM Cognos PowerCubes, the
business key value is the Source property defined for the level in IBM Cognos
Transformer. IBM Cognos Series 7 Transformer PowerCubes pass the source value
if the drill-through flag was enabled before the cube was built. Otherwise, the
category code is used.
In IBM Cognos Report Studio, you can determine what the member business key
is using an expression such as roleValue(’_businessKey’,[Camping Equipment]).
This expression is case-sensitive.
SSAS 2005 multipart business keys are not supported in drill-through operations.
Tip: When other users run your drill-through report, you may not want them to
be prompted for a business key. In Report Studio, you can build a prompt page
with a text that is familiar to the users, but filters on the business key. Your IBM
122 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Cognos Framework Manager modeler can also set the Display Item Reference
option for the Prompt Info property to use the business key when the data item is
used in a prompt.
Scope
Scope is specific to drill-through definitions created using Drill-through Definitions
in IBM Cognos Connection (package drill-through definitions). The scope you set
defines when the target report is shown to the users, based on the items they have
in the source report.
Usually, you define the scope of a drill-through path to match a parameter that it
passes. For example, if a target report contains a list of employees, typically you
want to display the report as an available drill-through choice only when a user is
viewing employee names in a source report. If employee names are not in the
source report and the scope was set on the employee name in the drill-through
definition, the employee report does not appear on the list of available
drill-through target reports in the Go To page. You can set the scope to a measure
or to an item in the report.
In report-based drill-through access, where the drill-through path is associated
with a specific report column, the column serves as the scope.
Mapped Parameters
Drill-through targets may contain existing parameters or you can add parameters
to the target for greater control over the drill-through link.
You usually map all parameters in a drill-through target to items from the source.
When you map source items that are OLAP or DMR members to target
parameters, you can select from a set of related member properties to satisfy the
requirements of the target parameter. For a dimensional target, a dimensional
source item uses the member unique name by default. For a relational target, a
dimensional source item uses the business key by default.
For example, you could change the source member property that is used for a
mapping to the member caption instead of the business key to match the
parameter in a relational target. For a dimensional target, you could define a
parameter that accepts a particular property (such as business key or parent
unique name), then pass the appropriate source property to satisfy that target.
Note: If you define drill through between non-conformed dimensions, you should
test carefully to ensure that the results behave as expected.
If you do not specify parameter mappings, then by default, you will be prompted
for any parameters required in the target when you use the drill-through link. To
customize this behavior, use the display prompt pages setting.
When the action is set to Run using dynamic filtering, then additional filtering is
applied if names from the context in the source report match names of items in the
target. Use this action as well when there are no parameters defined in the target.
If parameters are not mapped correctly, then you may receive an empty report, the
wrong results, or an error message.
Chapter 9. Drill-through Access 123
The source and target cannot contain identical parameter names when they are
from different packages, even if the data structure is conformed. If the source and
target are from the same package, there is no restriction.
If you have the necessary permissions, you can use the drill-through assistant to
look at what source parameters are passed, and what target parameters are
mapped for a given drill-through link.
You can change the dynamic drill-through filter behavior if you want drill-through
to generate a filter using the Member Business Key instead of the default Member
Caption. For more information, see Changing Drill-Through Filter Behavior in the
IBM Cognos Administration and Security Guide.
Drilling Through on Dates Between PowerCubes and
Relational Packages
The usual method of drilling through from OLAP to relational packages requires
that the target report parameter is set using the business key in the relational data,
which does not work well for dates.
OLAP data sources typically view dates as members, such as Quarter 1 2012, while
relational data sources view dates as ranges, such as 1/Jan/2012 to
31/March/2012.
A special feature exists for drilling through between PowerCubes and relational
packages. Ensure that the target report parameter is set up using in_range. The
parameter must be of type date-time, and not integer.
An example follows:
[gosales_goretailers].[Orders].[Order date] in_range ?Date?
Also ensure that the drill-through definition maps the parameter at the dimension
level and that the PowerCube date level is not set to suppress blank categories.
Enabling the option to suppress blank categories in the Transformer model before
you build the cube may cause the drill-through on dates to be unsuccessful. This
happens because there are missing values in the range.
Setting up drill-through access in packages
A drill-through definition specifies a target for drill-through access, the conditions
under which the target is available (such as the scope), and how to run or open,
and filter the target.
In IBM Cognos Connection, a drill-through definition is associated with a source
package. The drill-through path defined in the drill-through definition is available
to any report based on the source package it is associated with. The target can be
based on any target package in IBM Cognos Connection and can be stored
anywhere. For example, all reports authored in the GO Data Warehouse (analysis)
sample package or in a folder linked to this package can access any drill-through
definition created in this package.
Note: For reports created in Report Studio, you can define drill-through access in
specific reports by setting up the drill-through definition in the report instead of in
the package, or restrict drill-through access by changing report settings so that the
report is unavailable as a drill-through target. For more information, see the IBM
124 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Cognos Report Studio User Guide. Reports created in IBM Cognos Workspace
Advanced are not supported as drill-through targets.
You can define drill-through definitions between reports created in the different
IBM Cognos Business Intelligence studios, and reports based on different packages
and data sources.
The target report must exist before you start creating the drill-through definition in
IBM Cognos Connection. Drill-through targets can be reports, analyses, report
views, PowerCube packages, and queries.
Drill-through definitions support both dimensional and relational packages, and
are available to Analysis Studio, Query Studio, PowerPlay Studio, and IBM Cognos
Viewer.
Before you begin
To run reports, or drill to targets that run reports in the delimited text (CSV), PDF,
Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (XLS), or XML output formats, you require the
generate output capability for the specific format.
Procedure
1. Check the drill-through target:
v Confirm that the drill-through users have access to the target.
v Hide the target from direct access if you want.
v If necessary, check what parameters exist in the target.
When a drill-through definition links objects in different packages, you
must consider the data types used in both the source and the target object.
Review the structure and values of data that you intend to pass in the
drill-through, and ensure that the created parameters are appropriate for
your scenario, if you have defined parameters, or that dynamic
drill-through will work successfully.
2. In IBM Cognos Connection, click Launch > Drill-through Definitions.
3. Navigate to the package for which you want to create the drill-through
definition.
4. Click the New Drill-through Definition icon on the toolbar.
Tip: If the New Drill-through Definition icon does not appear, confirm that
you are at the package level, and not in a folder in the package. Drill-through
definitions must be stored at the package level.
5. Type a name for the drill-through definition.
6. If you want, type a description and screen tip, and then click Next.
7. Follow the instructions on the screen:
v If you want, restrict the scope to a query item or a measure in the source.
If the target contains parameters, you should set the scope to the
parameters that are mapped to the target report
v Select the target from any package available in IBM Cognos Connection.
If PowerPlay targets are available, then you must choose whether to set the
target as a report or a PowerCube.
v Click Next.
Chapter 9. Drill-through Access 125
8. In the Action section, specify how to open the target object when the
drill-through link is run and if you chose to run the report, in the Format
section, specify the format to run the report in.
Note: Users may be able to change the Action settings when they use the
drill-through link. If you are using bookmarks in the target, then you must
select the action View most recent report.
9. In the Parameter values table, specify how to map the source metadata to any
parameters that exist in the target report or object.
For example, if you drill through between OLAP data sources, then members
are mapped to each other. If you drill through from an OLAP to a relational
data source, then the source value (member) is mapped to the query item
name (value).
Usually, every parameter that exists in the target should be mapped to the
source metadata. If not, then the report user may be prompted for any
missing values when the drill-through link is used.
10. Click Map to metadata, or click the edit button
.
v In the screen that appears, select the metadata from the source to map to
the target parameter.
v If the source package is dimensional, you can select what property of the
source metadata item to use in the mapping. By default, the business key is
used for a relational target, and the member unique name is used for a
dimensional target.
v Repeat for each parameter in the list.
11. In the Display prompt pages section, specify when the prompt pages will
appear.
v In the screen that appears, select the metadata from the source to map to
the target parameter.
v If the source package is dimensional, you can select what property of the
source metadata item to use in the mapping. By default, the business key is
used for a relational target, and the member unique name is used for a
dimensional target.
v Repeat for each parameter in the list.
You can set this action only when there are parameters in the target report and
the target report will be run. If you change the action to View most recent
report, for example, for bookmark references, the Display prompt pages
property is disabled because you will use a previously run report. If you
choose to open the report directly in Analysis Studio, then the Display
prompt pages property is also disabled.
You specify prompt settings in IBM Cognos Connection (Report Properties,
Prompt for Values).
12. Click Finish.
13. Run a report from the source package, and test the drill-through link.
Note: The drill-through definition is associated and stored with the source.
Errors related to the target are only generated when you run the drill-through
links, not when you save the drill-through definition.
Related concepts:
126 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
“Report formats” on page 79
In IBM Cognos Business Intelligence, you can view reports in a browser, or
depending on your permissions, you can generate reports in formats that can be
imported into other applications. Administrators can restrict access to the
capabilities that are required to run reports in delimited text (CSV), PDF, Microsoft
Excel spreadsheet (XLS), or XML formats.
Editing existing drill-through definitions
You can edit existing drill-through definitions in IBM Cognos Connection.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click Launch > Drill-through Definitions.
2. Click a package name to view its drill-through definitions.
3. For the drill-through definition that you want to modify, in the Actions
column, click the Set Properties
icon.
Tip: If you do not see the drill-through definitions, check that you are not in a
folder in the package. Drill-through definitions are all stored at the root level of
the package. If you do not see a specific drill-through definition, confirm that
you have the correct permissions.
4. Click the Target tab.
5. Make the necessary modifications, and click OK.
6. Run a report from the source package, and test the drill-through link.
Note: The drill-through definition is associated and stored with the source.
Errors related to the target are only generated when you run the drill-through
links, not when you save the drill-through definition.
Setting Up Parameters for a Drill-Through Report
For greater control over drill-through access, you can define parameters in the
target report.
For more information about defining parameters, see the IBM Cognos Report
Studio User Guide or the Query Studio User Guide.
Set up parameters for a drill-through report in Report Studio
For greater control over drill-through access, you can define parameters in the
target report in Report Studio.
Procedure
1. Open the target report in Report Studio.
2. Ensure that the report is available for drill-through access:
v From the Data menu, select Drill Behavior.
v In the Basic tab, select Accept dynamic filters when this report is a
drill-through target and then click OK.
3. Create a parameter that will serve as the drill-through column, or that will be
used to filter the report. (Data menu, Filters).
For example, to drill through or filter on Product line, create a parameter that
looks like this:
[Product line]=?prodline_p?
Chapter 9. Drill-through Access 127
Tip: Use the operators in or in_range if you want the target report to accept
multiple values, or a range of values.
4. In the Usage box, specify what to do when a value for the target parameter is
not passed as part of a drill-through:
v To specify that users must click a value in the source report, click Required.
If a value for the target parameter is not passed, users are prompted to
choose a value.
v To specify that users do not need to click a value in the source report, click
Optional.
Users are not prompted to choose a value and so the value is unfiltered.
v To specify not to use the parameter, click Disabled.
The parameter is not used in the report, and therefore not available for
drill-through definitions. For more information about defining report
parameters, see the Report Studio User Guide.
Tip: If the parameter is needed in the report for other reasons, then you can
also specify not to use it in the drill-through definition (Parameters table,
Method, Do not use parameter).
Results
The drill-through definition controls when prompt pages or parameters are
displayed.
Set up parameters for a drill-through report in Query Studio
For greater control over drill-through access, you can define parameters in the
target report in Query Studio.
Procedure
1. Open the target report in Query Studio.
2. Confirm that the report is available for drill-through access:
v From the menu, select Run Report, Advanced Options.
v Select Enable drill through from a package in the report output and then
click OK.
3. Create a filter that will serve as the drill-through parameter, or that will be
used to filter the report.
v Select the column that you want to filter on, and click the filter button.
v Change the settings as needed, and click OK.
Set Up Parameters for a Drill-through Target in Analysis Studio
You can create a drill-through target analysis and add target parameters in the
analysis by setting a dimension as the Go To parameter.
When you create a drill-through definition for the analysis, this parameter appears
in the target parameter list.
To support drilling down within the dimension and then drilling through, map the
dimension in the source metadata to the target dimension. The member or
members which are currently in your view are passed to the target analysis as
filter values. This applies to any query, report, or analysis used in IBM Cognos
Business Intelligence drill-through actions. To support drilling through directly
from a particular level, map that level in the source metadata to the target
dimension.
128 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
You can set multiple parameters in an analysis target. However, you cannot pass
members within a selection set in Analysis Studio.
Procedure
1. In Analysis Studio, create a cross-tab analysis using the package that was set up
for drill-through analysis.
2. If you want, add as a row or column the data item that you want to be the
prompt.
3. Move or add the dimension or level that you want to be a target parameter to
the Context area.
Note: You cannot pass members within a selection set in Analysis Studio.
4. View the list for the item in the Context area and click Use as "Go To"
Parameter.
5. Save this analysis as your target report in IBM Cognos Connection.
You can now create the drill-through definition under a source package.
Results
When you create the drill-through definition and use the cross-tab analysis as a
target, the Go To parameter item in the analysis appears as a drill-through
parameter. You can map to this parameter the same way that you drill through to
Report Studio or Query Studio reports.
Example - Drill Through Between OLAP Reports in the Same Package
You want to drill through from an IBM Cognos Analysis Studio report that shows
revenue breakdown according to order method to a report created in Report
Studio, which shows details of planned and actual revenue.
Both of these reports exist as samples in the Sales and Marketing (cube) package.
The reports are both based on the same package, so the data is conformed. For
more information, see “Conformed Dimensions” on page 121. You decide to use a
parameterized drill-through definition for greater control, because prompt
parameters exist in the target already.
You also decide to restrict the scope of access to the drill-through target, so it that
it is only available to a report in the source package that uses the measure
Revenue. This means that any reports created in the package will see this
drill-through definition if they contain the measure Revenue. If the source report
does not contain order year or order method, then users will be prompted for
values for those parameters when the drill-through target is run.
You must have the IBM Cognos Business Intelligence samples from the
deployment zip file IBM_Cognos_DrillThroughSamples installed to follow this
exercise. If you want to check the target report, you must have access to Report
Studio.
The following figure shows the target report with data for the context of the
source, which is the revenues for various products.
Chapter 9. Drill-through Access 129
Check the Target and Source Report
You can check the target and source report to ensure that drill-through will work
properly.
Procedure
1. Open the target report, Actual vs. Planned Revenue, in Report Studio.
v Go to IBM Cognos Connection.
v In Public Folders, open the package Sales and Marketing (cube), and then
open the folder Report Studio Report Samples.
v Select the report Actual vs. Planned Revenue, and click the Open with
Report Studio icon.
2. In the Actual vs Planned Revenue report in Report Studio, confirm that you
have parameters for order method and time.
v Open the query explorer tab and select Query 1.
v In the Detail Filters box, confirm that a filter parameter exists for each of
Order Method and Year, and note the parameter names.
Figure 5. Drill-through example, between OLAP reports in the same package
130 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
3. From the Data Items box, note the name of the measure that you plan to use
for the scope (Revenue)
4. Close the Actual vs Planned Revenue report.
5. Open the source report, Custom Rank Sample, in Analysis Studio.
v Go to IBM Cognos Connection.
v In the Public Folders, open the package Sales and Marketing (cube), and
then open the folder Analysis Studio Report Samples.
v Select the report Custom Rank Sample, and click the Open with Analysis
Studio icon.
6. In the Custom Rank Sample report in Analysis Studio, check the name of the
measure that you want to use to restrict scope (Revenue ).
7. Check the rows and columns in the report and confirm that the data structure
will match the parameters in the Actual vs Planned Revenue report.
Tip: Pause the mouse over a label in the cross-tab to see the path.
8. Leave the Custom Rank Sample report open for testing.
Creating and testing the drill-through definition
You can create and test the drill-through definition to ensure that they work
properly.
In addition to the procedure, you can also try the following:
v In the drill-through definition, change the prompt settings for the target report.
v In the Sales and Marketing (cube) package, create a report that does not use the
Revenue measure, and confirm that the Actual vs Planned Revenue report is no
longer available as a drill-through target.
v A sample drill-through definition also exists for the same target report, Actual
vs. Planned Revenue, from the PowerPlay Studio report Revenue by Order
Method. If you use PowerPlay Studio, check the source and target reports and
try to recreate the drill through definition.
v If you have permission to debug drill-through definitions, then you can view the
parameters passed from the source (View passed source values) and available in
the target (from the drop down beside the target report name, select View Target
Mapping).
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, navigate to the Sales and Marketing (cube)
package.
2. On the IBM Cognos Connection toolbar, click Launch > Drill-through
Definitions.
3. On the Drill-through Definitions toolbar, click the New Drill-through
Definition icon.
Tip: If you do not see the New Drill-through Definition icon, check that you
are at the root of the folder, and not still in the Analysis Studio Reports
folder.
4. In the Drill-through Definition wizard, type the name Drill Through From
Custom Rank to Revenue Details and a description, and click Next.
5. Click Set the scope, and in the screen that appears, set the scope to the
Revenue measure, and then click OK.
Chapter 9. Drill-through Access 131
6. Click Set the target, and in the screen that appears, set the target report to
Actual vs. Planned Revenue,intheReport Studio Report Samples folder of
the Sales and Marketing (cube) package.
7. In the Prompt Values table, map the parameters pMethod and pYear in the
target to the metadata in the source:
v confirm that values in the Type column are Connection
Use the value Connection when you link dimensional data sources.
v for the pMethod parameter, click the edit button and select
[sales_and_marketing].[Order method].[Order method].[Order method type]
from the metadata tree.
v for the pYear parameter, click the edit button and select
[sales_and_marketing].[Time].[Time].[Year] from the metadata tree.
8. Set Display Prompt Pages to Only when required parameter values are
missing.
9. Follow the instructions on the screen to save the drill-through definition.
10. Go to the Custom Rank Sample report, right-click outside the report data,
and select Go To, Related Links.
11. Go to the Custom Rank Sample report, right-click on a cell in the cross-tab,
and select Go To.
A list of possible targets for the package and the data that is in scope appears,
including the Actual vs. Planned Revenue report.
12. Click the Actual vs. Planned Revenue , and the report runs using the context
you selected.
The drill-through definition that you have created should be identical to the
sample definition MeasureDrill.
Example - Drill Through from an OLAP Report to a DMR Report
You want to drill through from an IBM Cognos Analysis Studio report named Top
10 Promotions by Retailers, based on the package Sales and Marketing (cube) to a
Report Studio report named Promotion Plan Revenue, based on the package Sales
and Marketing (conformed).
You set the drill-through definition up in the package, so that the Promotion Plan
Revenue report is available to any report based on the source package, and you
use dynamic drill through, instead of defining parameters.
You must have the IBM Cognos Business Intelligence samples from the
deployment zip file IBM_Cognos_DrillThroughSamples installed to follow this
exercise. By default, the samples are installed in the Public Folders in IBM Cognos
Connection.
Te following figure shows the target report for the context of the source, which is
Campaign.
132 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Check the Target and Source Reports
You can check the target and source reports to ensure that drill-through will work
properly.
Before you begin
You must have the IBM Cognos Business Intelligence samples from the
deployment zip file IBM_Cognos_DrillThroughSamples installed to follow this
exercise. By default, the samples are installed in the Public Folders in IBM Cognos
Connection.
To run reports, or drill to targets that run reports in the delimited text (CSV), PDF,
Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (XLS), or XML output formats, you require the
Figure 6. Drill-through example, from an OLAP report to a DMR report
Chapter 9. Drill-through Access 133
generate output capability for the specific format.
Procedure
1. Run the target report:
v In IBM Cognos Connection, go to the Sales and Marketing (conformed)
package, and open the folder Report Studio Report Samples.
v Run Promotion Plan Revenue in IBM Cognos Viewer.
2. Note what information is available in the target, and how you will filter it. In
this example, you filter on the campaign name.
3. Close the target report Promotion Plan Revenue.
4. Open the source report:
v In IBM Cognos Connection, go to the Sales and Marketing (cube) package
and open the Analysis Studio Report Samples folder.
v Select Top 10 Promotions by Retailer, and open it in Analysis Studio.
v Note the names of the dimension and level that you want use to drill
through. In this example, you will drill through on Campaign.
5. Keep the Top 10 Promotions by Retailer report open for testing.
Related concepts:
“Report formats” on page 79
In IBM Cognos Business Intelligence, you can view reports in a browser, or
depending on your permissions, you can generate reports in formats that can be
imported into other applications. Administrators can restrict access to the
capabilities that are required to run reports in delimited text (CSV), PDF, Microsoft
Excel spreadsheet (XLS), or XML formats.
Create and Test the Drill-through Definition
You can create and test the drill-through definition ensure that they work properly.
Before you begin
You must have the IBM Cognos Business Intelligence samples from the
deployment zip file IBM_Cognos_DrillThroughSamples installed to follow this
exercise. By default, the samples are installed in the Public Folders in IBM Cognos
Connection.
To run reports, or drill to targets that run reports in the delimited text (CSV), PDF,
Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (XLS), or XML output formats, you require the
generate output capability for the specific format.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, navigate to the Sales and Marketing (cube)
package.
2. From the upper right-hand corner of the screen, click Launch, Drill-through
Definitions.
3. Click New Drill-through Definition in the upper right hand corner of the
screen.
Tip: If you do not see the New Drill-through Definition button, check that
you are at the root of the folder, and not still in the Analysis Studio Report
Samples folder.
4. In the Drill-through Definition wizard, type the name Drill Through to
Promotion Plan Revenue and a description if you want, and click Next.
134 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Tip: This is the name that users see in the Go To page, for example when they
have to select from more than one drill-through target. As with any other
object in IBM Cognos Connection, you can create translations of this name.
5. Click Set the scope, and set the scope to Campaign,inthePromotions
dimension.
This drill-through definition will only be available when Campaign is part of
the selection context.
6. Click Select the target, and set the target report to Promotion Plan Revenue,
in the Report Studio Report Samples folder of the Sales and Marketing
(conformed) package, click OK, and then click Next.
Note: If PowerPlay Studio is available in your installation, then you must also
specify that the target is a report and not a PowerCube package.
7. Under Action, select Run the report using dynamic filtering.
8. Under Parameter mapping,intheSource metadata item column for the
parameter pcampaign, click map to metadata.
9. In the screen that appears, click Promotions and select Campaign.
10. Click Finish to save the drill-through definition.
You can edit the properties of the drill-through definition at any time.
11. From IBM Cognos Connection, run the Analysis Studio report To p 10
Promotions by Retailers and test the drill-through definition.
Results
The target report appears, filtered by the context you selected.
The drill-through definition that you created should be identical to the
drill-through definition DrillToDMR.
The sample drill-through definition PPStoHidden also goes from an OLAP to a
DMR package, from the PowerPlay Studio report Top 20 Product Brands.
Related concepts:
“Report formats” on page 79
In IBM Cognos Business Intelligence, you can view reports in a browser, or
depending on your permissions, you can generate reports in formats that can be
imported into other applications. Administrators can restrict access to the
capabilities that are required to run reports in delimited text (CSV), PDF, Microsoft
Excel spreadsheet (XLS), or XML formats.
Example - Drill Through to a Hidden Report from a Report Studio
Report
You want to set up a drill-through link from an employee satisfaction report
created in IBM Cognos Report Studio to a hidden list report about compensation,
also created in Report Studio.
The source report (Employee Satisfaction 2012) is based on the package GO Data
Warehouse (analysis) which is modeled on a DMR data source. The target report
(Compensation (hidden)) is based on the package GO Data Warehouse (query).
You set up this drill-through connection from within Report Studio (report-based,
or authored drill through) because you do not want to make a report about
compensation available for drill through from any source report in the package.
Chapter 9. Drill-through Access 135
The target report is already hidden in the portal, so that it is unlikely to be run by
anyone who does not use the drill through link.
You must have the IBM Cognos Business Intelligence samples from the
deployment zip file IBM_Cognos_DrillThroughSamples installed to follow this
exercise, and you must have access to Report Studio.
The Compensation report is a hidden report. You may be able to set whether
hidden reports are visible (My Preferences, General tab) and whether you can
hide reports. This capability is set by your administrator.
Check the Target Report
Check the target report to make sure the drill-through will work.
Procedure
1. Open the target report:
v In IBM Cognos Connection, go to Public Folders, Samples, Models, GO
Data Warehouse (query), Report Studio Report Samples.
v Locate the report Compensation (hidden) and open it in Report Studio.
Tip: If you do not see the report, go to IBM Cognos Connection and confirm
that you can view hidden reports (My Preferences, General tab).
2. In Report Studio, from the Data menu, click Filters and check what filter
parameters are available.
You want to filter from the source report on department, not time, so you will
only use the pPosition parameter in the drill-through definition.
3. In the report body, select the list column body Position-department (level 3)
and review the data item properties.
Because the drill-through definition goes from DMR to relational, the data item
values will need to match.
4. Close the Compensation (hidden) report.
Create and Test the Drill-Through Definition
Create and test the drill-through definition to make sure it works.
Before you begin
To run reports, or drill to targets that run reports in the delimited text (CSV), PDF,
Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (XLS), or XML output formats, you require the
generate output capability for the specific format.
Procedure
1. Open the source report:
v In IBM Cognos Connection, go to Public Folders, Samples, Models, GO
Data Warehouse (analysis), Report Studio Report Samples.
v Locate the Employee Satisfaction 2012 report and open it in Report Studio.
2. Save the Employee Satisfaction 2012 report with a new name, such as
Employee Satisfaction 2012 New.
This is to keep the original report and drill-through definition intact for
comparison.
136 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
3. In the table Employee rankings and terminations by department, select the
column Position-department (level 3).
4. In the properties pane, review the data item properties, to confirm that the
data item names match values in the target report.
5. In the properties pane, under Data, double-click Drill-through definitions.
6. Select the definition DrilltoHiddenRep and delete it.
Note: In the following steps, you recreate the drill-through definition. For
comparison, use the original sample report.
7. In the Drill-through Definitions box, click the new drill-through definition
button.
8. Click the rename button, and type a name for the drill-through definition.
Tip: This is the name that consumers see when they select from a list of
possible drill-through definitions in the final report.
9. In the Target Report tab, select the target report:
v Under Report, click the ellipsis button.
v Navigate to GO Data Warehouse (query), Report Studio Report Samples,
and select the Compensation (hidden) report.
Tip: If you do not see the report, go to IBM Cognos Connection and
confirm that you can see hidden reports (My Preferences, General tab).
10. Under Action, select Run the report.
11. Under Parameters, click the edit button.
A table of parameters available in the target report appears, showing the
parameter pPosition.
12. Map the parameter from the Compensation (Hidden) report to the metadata
in the Employee Satisfaction 2012 report:
v In the Method column, select Pass data item value, because the target
report is based on a relational data source.
v In the Value column, select Position-department (level 3).
Tip: In this report, you pass values from the column where the
drill-through is defined. In other cases, you might pass a related parameter.
For example, you could drill through on employee name, but pass the
employee number.
13. Save the report.
14. Run the report, and click a department to test the drill-through definition.
Results
When you test the drill-through link, the Compensation (hidden) report appears,
filtered by the department you selected. The report appears as a drill-through
target whether or not it is hidden in IBM Cognos Connection.
If your administrator has given you the Drill Through Assistant capability, then
you can see additional information you right-click on the link and select Go To see
a list of drill-through targets. From the Go To page, you can see what source
values are passed, and what target parameters are mapped.
Related concepts:
Chapter 9. Drill-through Access 137
“Report formats” on page 79
In IBM Cognos Business Intelligence, you can view reports in a browser, or
depending on your permissions, you can generate reports in formats that can be
imported into other applications. Administrators can restrict access to the
capabilities that are required to run reports in delimited text (CSV), PDF, Microsoft
Excel spreadsheet (XLS), or XML formats.
Specify the Drill-through Text
You can specify the drill-through text that appears when users can drill through to
more than one target.
For example, if users from different regions view the report, you can show text in a
different language for each region.
Procedure
1. Right-click the drill-through object and click Drill-Through Definitions.
2. If more than one drill-through definition exists for the object, in the
Drill-Through Definitions box, click a drill-through definition.
3. Click the Label tab.
4. To link the label to a condition, in the Condition box, do the following:
v Click Variable and click an existing variable or create a new one.
v Click Value and click one of the possible values for the variable.
5. In the Source type box, click the source type to use.
6. If the source type is Text, click the ellipsis button that corresponds to the Text
box and type text.
7. If the source type is Data Item Value or Data Item Label, click Data Item and
click a data item.
8. If the source type is Report Expression, click the ellipsis button that
corresponds to the Report Expression box and define the expression.
9. If the label is linked to a condition, repeat steps 5 to 8 for the remaining
possible values.
Results
When users run the source report and click a drill-through link, the Go to page
appears. The drill-through text you specified appears for each target. If you did not
specify the drill-through text for a target, the drill-through name is used.
Set Up Drill-through Access from IBM Cognos Visualizer
Setting up drill-through access from IBM Cognos Visualizer to IBM Cognos
Business Intelligence involves setting up the target report.
Procedure
1. Specify the IBM Cognos BI target and select the filters to add to the target
report.
You must configure drill through to IBM Cognos BI for individual IBM Cognos
Visualizer reports. For more information, see the IBM Cognos Visualizer User
Guide.
2. Create and test the target report.
138 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
For more information, see “Create and Test the Target for a Series 7 Report.”
Set Up Drill-through Access from PowerPlay Web
Setting up drill-through access from PowerPlay Web to IBM Cognos Business
Intelligence involves setting up target reports.
Procedure
1. For PowerCubes, specify drill-through targets for IBM Cognos BI reports in the
Transformer model. For other cubes, specify drill-through targets for IBM
Cognos BI reports in PowerPlay Connect.
For more information, see the Transformer documentation or the PowerPlay
OLAP Server Connection Guide
2. For other cubes, specify drill-through targets for IBM Cognos BI reports in
PowerPlay Connect.
3. Configure drill-through access in PowerPlay Server Administration.
In addition to enabling drill-through access to IBM Cognos BI, you must
specify the location of the IBM Cognos BI server and the IBM Cognos BI folder
that contains the target reports. For more information, see the PowerPlay
Enterprise Server Guide.
4. Select the filters to add to the target report.
In PowerPlay Enterprise Server Administration, enable and use IBM Cognos BI
Assistance to identify the filter expressions required in the target report. For
more information, see the PowerPlay Enterprise Server Guide.
5. Create and test the target report.
For more information, see “Create and Test the Target for a Series 7 Report.”
Create and Test the Target for a Series 7 Report
You can create and test an IBM Cognos Series 7 report target to ensure the
drill-through works properly.
When you create the target report, ensure that the names of the parameters you
add are identical to the parameter names listed in the Drill Through Assistant
page in IBM Cognos Series 7. However, the metadata item that you use in the
target report for that parameter name does not have to be the identical label. The
data values between the target parameter and the source value shown in the drill
assistant must match. You may also need to change the type of operator in the
target parameter from what is recommended in the Drill Through Assistant. For
example, if the assistant recommends an = operator but you want to pass a date
range, you should change the parameter operator in the target to in_range.
Before you begin
The target report must be based on a published package that contains the metadata
items that you want to filter on, or contains items that are mapped to those
metadata items.
Procedure
1. Start IBM Cognos Report Studio and create a new report.
2. Add the data items and other objects you want.
3. From the Data menu, click Filters.
4. In the Detail Filters tab, click the add button.
Chapter 9. Drill-through Access 139
5. In the Expression Definition box, create the parameterized filter you want by
typing the filter expression.
6. Click OK.
7. In the Usage box, click Optional .
If you do not make the filter optional, a prompt page appears when you drill
through to the report.
8. Repeat steps 4 to 7 for other parameterized filters you want to add.
9. Save the report.
The report name must match what you specified as a target in the
PowerCube, other cube, or IBM Cognos Series 7 Visualizer report.
10. Test the drill through in the IBM Cognos Series 7 PowerPlay report or IBM
Cognos Visualizer report.
Example - Drill Through Between OLAP and Relational Packages
You want to drill through from an IBM Cognos PowerPlay Studio report named
Profit Margin and Revenue by Country or Region to a Report Studio report named
Total Revenue by Country or Region.
You set the drill-through definition up in the package, so that the revenue
breakdown is available to any report in the same package.
The profit margin report is based on the package Sales and Marketing (cube) and
the target report is based on the relational package GO Data Warehouse (query).
Therefore you need to check that the data is conformed. The target report does not
contain any prompt parameters, so you will define a drill-through definition using
dynamic drill through. This means that when the drill-through link is made, IBM
Cognos Business Intelligence matches names of items in the context of the source
to available items in the target. For more information and examples, see the IBM
Cognos Business Intelligence Administration and Security Guide.
You must have the IBM Cognos BI samples from the deployment zip file
IBM_Cognos_DrillThroughSamples installed to follow this exercise. To check the
target report, you should have access to Report Studio.
Note: You can set up drill-through definitions without checking the target reports.
However, if you set up drill-through access between packages or between objects
created in different authoring tools, you should be aware of how the metadata will
be matched.
The following figure shows the target report with data for the context of the
source, which is the Promotion Plan Revenues for various promotions.
140 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Procedure
1. Open the target report, Total Revenue by Country or Region:
v Go to IBM Cognos Connection.
v From Public Folders, navigate to the package GO Data Warehouse (query),
and then open the folder Report Studio Report Samples.
v Select the report Total Revenue by Country or Region, and open it in
Report Studio.
2. Confirm the names of the data items that will be used for filtering context
from the source:
v In the Page Explorer, select the report item.
v In the Properties pane, check the Data Item property Name.
Figure 7. Source and target reports for a drill-through definition
Chapter 9. Drill-through Access 141
v Note the items named Region, Retailer country or region, and Product
line.
3. Close the target report.
4. Open the source report, Profit Margin and Revenue by Country or Region:
v Go to IBM Cognos Connection.
v From Public Folders, open the package Sales and Marketing (cube), and
then open the folder PowerPlay Studio Report Samples.
v Select the Profit Margin and Revenue by Country or Region report, and
open it in PowerPlay Studio.
5. Review the data in the report. (For example, right-click a retailer name and
select Explain to look at the structure of the data.)
6. Keep the Profit Margin and Revenue by Country or Region report open for
testing.
7. In IBM Cognos Connection, navigate to the Sales and Marketing (cube)
package.
8. Click Launch, Drill-through Definitions.
9. Click New Drill-through Definition.
Tip: If you do not see the New Drill-through Definition button, check that
you are at the root of the folder, and not still in the PowerPlay Studio Report
Samples folder.
10. In the Drill-through Definition wizard, type a name, such as Drill Through to
Total Revenue by Country or Region, and a description, and click Next.
Tip: This is the name that users see in the Go To page, for example when they
have to select from more than one drill-through target. As with any other
object in IBM Cognos Connection, you can create translations of this name.
11. Click Set the target, Select a report... and in the screen that appears, set the
target report to Total Revenue by Country or Region,intheReport Studio
Report Samples folder of the GO Data Warehouse (query) package, and then
click OK.
12. Click Set the scope, and in the screen that appears, set the scope to
[sales_and_marketing].[Retailers].[Retailers].[Retailer country or region], and
then click OK.
13. Click Next.
In the Action field, select Run with dynamic filter.
14. Leave all other settings at the default values and click Finish.
15. Go to the Profit Margin and Revenue by Country or Region report, and click
the drill-through icon.
v If the drill-through definition you created is the only drill-through target
available, the target reports runs.
v If more than one drill-through target is available, a list of possible targets
for the package and the data that is in scope appears. Click the
drill-through definition that you created, and the target runs using the
context you selected.
Results
Report users in PowerPlay Studio can drill through from the Profit Margin and
Revenue by Country or Region report to the target report that you have defined
(Total Revenue by Country or Region for Product Line). Also, the target report is
142 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
available as a drill-through target for any existing or new report based on the
Sales and Marketing (cube) package, whenever Retailer Country or Region is
part of the scope.
The drill-through definition that you create should be identical to the sample
drill-through definition Dynamicdrill in the Sales and Marketing (cube) package.
Create and Test the Drill-through Definition
Use the following steps to create and test the drill-through definition between an
OLAP and relational package.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, navigate to the Sales and Marketing (cube)
package.
2. From the upper right hand corner of the screen, click Launch, Drill-through
Definitions.
3. Click New Drill-through Definition in the upper right hand corner of the
screen.
Tip: If you do not see the New Drill-through Definition button, check that
you are at the root of the folder, and not still in the PowerPlay Studio Report
Samples folder.
4. In the Drill-through Definition wizard, type a name, such as Drill Through to
Total Revenue by Country or Region, and a description, and click Next.
Tip: This is the name that users see in the Go To page, for example when they
have to select from more than one drill-through target. As with any other object
in IBM Cognos Connection, you can create translations of this name.
5. Click Set the target, Select a report... and in the screen that appears, set the
target report to Total Revenue by Country or Region,intheReport Studio
Report Samples folder of the GO Data Warehouse (query) package, and then
click OK.
6. Click Set the scope, and in the screen that appears, set the scope to
[sales_and_marketing].[Retailers].[Retailers].[Retailer country or region], and
then click OK.
7. Click Next.
In the Action field, select Run with dynamic filter.
8. Leave all other settings at the default values and click Finish.
9. Go to the Profit Margin and Revenue by Country or Region report, and click
the drill-through icon at the bottom of the screen.
v If the drill-through definition you created is the only drill-through target
available, the target reports runs.
v If more than one drill-through target is available, a list of possible targets for
the package and the data that is in scope appears. Click the drill-through
definition that you created, and the target runs using the context you
selected.
Results
Report users in PowerPlay Studio can drill through from the Profit Margin and
Revenue by Country or Region report to the target report that you have defined
(Total Revenue by Country or Region for Product Line). Also, the target report is
Chapter 9. Drill-through Access 143
available as a drill-through target for any existing or new report based on the
Sales and Marketing (cube) package, whenever Retailer Country or Region is
part of the scope.
The drill-through definition that you create should be identical to the sample
drill-through definition Dynamicdrill in the Sales and Marketing (cube) package.
144 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Chapter 10. Agents
You can create agents in Event Studio to monitor your organization's data for
occurrences of business events. After an agent is published to the portal, use IBM
Cognos Connection to manage it.
For example, tasks can include sending an email, adding information to the portal,
and running reports. For more information, see the Event Studio User Guide.
You can view the run history of an agent “View the Run History for Entries” on
page 186 and rerun a failed agent with the initial parameters “Manage Scheduled
Activities” on page 184. You can schedule agents to run at a specified time or
based on a trigger, such as a database refresh or an email. You can also view the
run history of scheduled agents and change the schedule credentials. For more
information, see Chapter 13, “Schedule Management,” on page 169.
Run an Agent
You can run the agent manually at any time if you want to check for occurrences
of specified events and perform specified tasks if those events occur.
Usually, agents run automatically according to the schedule specified by the agent
author. But you may want to run an agent manually in certain circumstances. For
example, an agent is created to send an e-mail to sales staff when they reach 75
percent of their sales quota for the month. The agent prompts for the sales region.
A sales manager specifies Spain, and e-mails are sent only to sales staff in Spain.
Before you begin
You must have execute permission to run an agent. You must have traverse
permissions for the folder that contains the agent.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the run with options button
on the
actions toolbar next to the agent you want to run.
2. Under Time, click Now to run the agent now or click Later to specify a later
date and time.
3. If you want the agent to prompt for values to filter the results it retrieves,
under Prompt Values, select the Prompt for values check box.
4. Click Run.
The confirmation page appears.
You are prompted for values if the agent specification or model includes
prompts or if you have access to multiple data source connections or signons.
5. To view the run history of the agent, select View the details of this agent after
closing this dialog.
6. Click OK.
The options override the default agent options for the current run only.
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2005, 2015 145
Change Default Agent Properties
You can change the defaults that are set for agents in Event Studio, such as
whether to use prompt values and run as the owner.
If the agent contains one or more tasks with a destination of My Folders, and
someone other than the owner runs the agent, the task fails unless run as the
owner is selected.
You can run an agent “Run an Agent” on page 145, create agent views “Create an
Agent View,” and create and edit agents in Event Studio “Open or Create an
Agent from IBM Cognos Connection” on page 148.
Before you begin
You must have execute permissions for the agent. You must have traverse
permissions for the folder that contains the agent.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the set properties button
on the actions
toolbar next to the agent you want to run.
2. Click the Agent tab.
The tasks in the agent are shown.
3. Under Default action, specify the default action for the agent.
4. If you want the agent to prompt for values to filter the results that it retrieves,
under Prompt Values, select the Prompt for values check box. The Prompt for
values check box appears only if prompt values are created for the agent in
Event Studio.
5. If you want the agent to run using the owner credentials, click the check box
next to the owner listed under Run as the owner. Click Capabilities only to
run the report using only the owner capabilities and not the owner credentials.
For more information, see “Running reports with report owner capabilities” on
page 73.
6. To allow users to add themselves to the alert list for the agent, click the Allow
users to add themselves to the alert list check box.
7. Click OK.
The next time the agent runs, it uses these properties instead of the original
defaults.
Create an Agent View
Agent views share event definition and tasks with the agent but can have different
properties, such as prompt values and run as the owner.
Creating an agent view does not change the original agent. Except for changes to
notification lists, any changes to the original agent are automatically reflected in
the agent view. You can determine the source agent for an agent view by viewing
its properties. The agent view properties also provide a link to the properties of the
source agent.
146 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
If the source agent is deleted or moved to another location, the agent view icon
changes to indicate a broken link, and the properties link to the source agent
is removed.
Before you begin
If you want to change the properties of an agent and do not need to retain an
agent with the original properties, change the default agent properties. If you want
to use a generic agent as the basis for a new agent, make a copy of the agent. If
you want an agent to appear in more than one location, create a shortcut.
To create an agent view, you must have execute or read permissions for the
original agent.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, locate the agent you want to use to create the agent
view.
2. Under Actions, click the agent view icon
next to the agent.
3. In the Name box, type the name of the entry.
4. If you want, in the Description and in the Screen tip box, you can type a
description of the entry.
The description appears in the portal when you set your preferences to use the
details view.
5. If you do not want to use the target folder shown under Location, choose
another location, click Select another folder, select the target folder, and click
OK.
6. Click Finish.
Results
In the portal, agent view entries are identified by the agent view icon .
The agent view has the same run options and properties as the original entry.
Related concepts:
“Entry Properties” on page 11
You can control the way an entry appears and behaves by modifying its properties.
The properties for entries vary depending upon the type of entry selected and your
privileges. For example, reports have properties to control run options while
folders do not. If a property is not applicable to the type of entry you are
customizing, it will not appear in the Set properties page.
Related tasks:
“Change Default Agent Properties” on page 146
You can change the defaults that are set for agents in Event Studio, such as
whether to use prompt values and run as the owner.
“Copy an entry” on page 18
When you create a copy of an entry, you create a replica of that entry in another
location in the portal.
“Create a Shortcut” on page 8
A shortcut is a pointer to another entry such as a report, report view, folder, job,
agent, page, or URL.
Chapter 10. Agents 147
“Personalize the Portal” on page 32
You can personalize the way data appears in IBM Cognos Connection by changing
your preferences. For example, you can set the product language and the preferred
output format of reports.
Open or Create an Agent from IBM Cognos Connection
You can open or create agents from IBM Cognos Connection and work with them
in Event Studio.
Before you begin
For information about using Event Studio, see the Event Studio User Guide.
Procedure
You can create a new agent or open an existing agent.
v To open an existing agent in Event Studio, in Public Folders or My Folders,
click the agent.
v To create a new agent in Event Studio, in IBM Cognos Connection, in the
upper-right corner, click Launch, Event Studio.
Enable an Alert List for an Agent
By granting users permission to add an alert list to an agent, users can monitor
business events that are important to them.
Users can add themselves to the alert list “Adding Yourself to or Remove Yourself
from an Alert List for an Agent” and be alerted by e-mail as a Bcc recipient when
the agent runs and the associated tasks are performed.
The permission to add an alert list to an agent does not extend to an agent view
associated with the agent. You must grant permission for the agent view
independently.
Before you begin
To grant permission for an alert list, you must have execute permission for the
agent and traverse permission for the folder that contains the agent.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the set properties button next to the agent for
which you want to enable an alert list.
2. Click the Agent tab, and select the Allow users to add themselves to the alert
list check box.
Results
E-mails are sent whenever the agent is run interactively or in the background
according to a schedule.
Adding Yourself to or Remove Yourself from an Alert List for an Agent
Because an agent monitors important business events, you may want to add
yourself to the alert list for the agent.
148 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
When you subscribe to an alert list, you receive an e-mail notification when the
agent is run. You can also view and manage the alert list for the agent as a watch
item.
Adding yourself to the alert list of an agent does not automatically add you to the
alert list for any agent views associated with the agent. If you want to receive
alerts for an agent view, you must add yourself to the alert list for the agent view.
The agent author must include an e-mail task with the agent and enable an alert
list for the agent “Enable an Alert List for an Agent” on page 148.
Adding or removing yourself from one alert list
You can add yourself to or remove yourself from one alert list.
Before you begin
To add yourself to the alert list of an agent, you must have read and traverse
permissions for the agent. You must also have an email address defined in your
LDAP security profile or in the My Preferences, Personal tab. Also, you must
belong to the same namespace as the person who schedules the agent.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, locate the agent.
2. In the Actions column, click More .
3. Click Add me to the alert list
or Remove me from the alert list .
4. Click OK.
Results
Note the change for the alert list in the watch item list. To view your watch items,
from the My Area Options menu, click My Watch Items.
Remove Yourself from Multiple Alert Lists
You can remove yourself from multiple alert lists at once.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the my area options icon and then click My
Watch Items.
2. On the Alerts tab, select the alerts to delete from the alert list.
3. Click the remove me from the alert list button.
Remove All Users from the Alert List for an Agent
You can remove all users from the alert list for an agent.
Any user that is currently on the alert list is removed.
Before you begin
You must have set policy permission for the agent.
For more information about alert lists, see “Adding Yourself to or Remove Yourself
from an Alert List for an Agent” on page 148.
Chapter 10. Agents 149
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, locate the agent.
2. In the Actions column, click More .
3. Click Remove all from the alert list.
Receive News Item Headlines
The author of an agent can specify that news item headlines be published to a
folder in IBM Cognos Connection when an event occurs.
Before you begin
For more information about news items, see the Event Studio User Guide.
Procedure
1. To be able to read headlines as an RSS-style list, you must set up a page in IBM
Cognos Connection that includes an IBM Cognos Navigator portlet that
displays the folder where the headlines are published.
2. Edit the properties of the portlet to view the entries as a news list. For
instructions, see Chapter 5, “Pages and Dashboards,” on page 49.
View the Most Recent Event List
The most recent event list compares current data with data from the last time the
agent ran and groups events by event status.
For example, an agent is created to tell you when the quantity sold of any product
by any sales person in your database changes. The first time the agent runs, the
most recent event list identifies all sales as new events, as shown in the following
table:
Table 24. Event list example, first time agent runs
Product number Sales person Quantity sold
NEW EVENTS
3345 Ashley McCormick 25
3345 Bayard Lopes 15
2256 Alessandra Torta 100
The second time the agent runs, it finds the following product sales:
Table 25. Event list example, second time agent runs
Product number Sales person Quantity sold
3345 Ashley McCormick 35
3345 Bayard Lopes 15
150 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Table 25. Event list example, second time agent runs (continued)
Product number Sales person Quantity sold
2256 Ashley McCormick 15
2256 Alessandra Torta 150
If you now view the most recent events list, you see the following list:
Table 26. Event list example, most recent
Product number Sales person Quantity sold
NEW EVENTS
2256 Ashley McCormick 15
ONGOING (UNCHANGED)
3345 Bayard Lopes 15
ONGOING (CHANGED)
3345 Ashley McCormick 35
2256 Alessandra Torta 150
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, locate the agent you want.
2. Under Actions, click the set properties icon.
3. Click the Agent tab.
4. Under Default action, click View most recent event list.
5. Click OK.
Chapter 10. Agents 151
152 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Chapter 11. Managing Human Tasks
In IBM Cognos Business Intelligence, there are three types of human tasks you can
see in the task inbox: approval requests, ad-hoc tasks, and notification requests.
Tasks can be created from
v Event Studio (notification requests and approval requests)
For more information, see the Event Studio User Guide.
v the My Inbox area of IBM Cognos Connection (notification requests and ad-hoc
tasks). For more information, see “Create an Ad-hoc Task” on page 155
v a watch rule set up for a report (notification requests only). For more
information, see “Watch Rules in Saved Reports” on page 89
Open the Task Inbox
You can open your task inbox in different ways.
You have the following options to open the task inbox.
v the IBM Cognos Business Intelligence Welcome Page by clicking My Inbox
v IBM Cognos Connection or IBM Cognos Administration by clicking My Area
Options, and then clicking My Inbox
Viewing your Task Inbox
Your task inbox contains approval requests, ad-hoc tasks, and notification requests
for which you are a specified recipient.
For each task that is listed in your inbox, you can see the task type, priority,
subject, owner, status, and date on which the task was received. If you pause the
mouse over a task, a pop-up containing further task details appears.
You can view the details of a task by selecting it. The task details are shown in the
reading pane. If the task contains an attachment, such as a report, you can
double-click to view it.
Tips
v To view the due date for tasks instead of the date received, from the Display
Date Received drop-down list, select Next Deadline Date.
v To view your archived tasks, click the Archive tab.
Filter Tasks in your Inbox
By default, your task inbox contains all tasks that are relevant to you. You can set
up a filter so that you see only a subset of tasks.
You can set up filters for
v task type (task or notification)
v priority (low, medium, or high)
v status (not started, started, completed, canceled)
v date
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2005, 2015 153
Procedure
1. View your task inbox.
2. For each filter you want to set, select the required filter option from the filter
name drop-down list.
For example, to view only notification request tasks, select Notifications from
the All Types filter.
The filter name is updated to show the current filter.
Approval Requests and Ad-hoc Tasks
You can create approval requests using Event Studio.
For more information, see the Event Studio User Guide.
You can create ad-hoc tasks from your task inbox. For more information, see
“Create an Ad-hoc Task” on page 155.
An approval request or ad-hoc task can have various recipients:
v a task owner - one specific user
v potential owners - multiple users, groups, roles, or distribution lists
v stakeholders - one or more interested parties, who are not potential owners
If a task only has one potential owner, that user automatically becomes the task
owner. If a task has multiple owners, the user who claims the task becomes the
task owner.
It is possible to create a task with one or more stakeholders, but no owner or
potential owners. In this case, stakeholders can assign potential owners after it has
been created.
Task Status
The status of an approval request or ad-hoc task can be one of the following:
v Not Started - the task is waiting to be started.
v Started - the task has an owner and is in progress.
v Completed - the owner has complete the task.
v Canceled - the task has been canceled by a recipient.
View Comments
You can view comments added by other recipients, as well as audit history
comments, recorded by the system.
You can also add your own comments to a task. For more information, see “Add
Comments to a Task” on page 159.
Procedure
1. View your task inbox.
2. Select the task for which you want to view comments, and then click the
Discussion tab in the reading pane.
By default, only user comments are shown.
3. Select the type of comments you want to view from the comments drop-down
list.
154 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
You can view all user and audit comments, or you can filter the display by
comment type.
Subscribe to E-mail Notifications
The default notification options are set up when the task is created. You can
change your subscriptions for any task with a status of Not Started or Started.
You can choose to receive, or stop receiving, notifications when
v a task is not started by the start date
v a task is not completed by the due date
v the status of a task changes (started, completed or canceled)
v the owner of a task changes
v a user comment is added to a task
Note:
v Notifications are sent to the task owner and copied to all stakeholders.
v The recipient who changes the status or owner of a task, or adds a user
comment, does not receive the associated notification.
Procedure
1. View your task inbox.
2. Select the task for which you want to change your notification subscriptions,
and then click the Notification Options tab in the reading pane.
3. Select the appropriate check boxes for the notifications you want to receive, and
clear the boxes for those you do not require.
4. Click Save.
Create an Ad-hoc Task
Create an ad-hoc task to send a task to the task inbox of the recipients you specify.
You can add deadlines to an ad-hoc task when you create it. Alternatively,
potential owners or stakeholders can add deadlines at a later date, by updating the
task from their task inbox.
You can set up notification options for the task owner to receive e-mails when
v an ad-hoc task is not completed by the due date
v an ad-hoc task is not started by the start date
Note: Stakeholders are also copied on these e-mails.
In addition, you can set up notification options for the task owner and all
stakeholders to receive e-mails when
v the status of an ad-hoc task changes (started, completed or canceled)
v the owner of an ad-hoc task changes
v a comment is added to an ad-hoc task
Note: Potential owners and stakeholders can unsubscribe from receiving specific
notifications by updating the task from their task inbox.
Chapter 11. Managing Human Tasks 155
Procedure
1. View your task inbox.
2. From the task drop-down list, select New Task
.
3. In the reading pane, click Add/Remove recipients.
The Select recipients page appears.
4. Select the required users, groups, roles, and distribution lists to add as
potential owners and stakeholders.
v To choose from listed entries, click the appropriate namespace, and then
select the check boxes next to the users, groups, roles or distribution lists.
Tip: To make the user entries visible, click Show users in the list.
v To search for entries, click Search and, in the Search string box, type the
phrase you want to search for. For search options, click Edit. Find and click
the entry you want.
v To type the name of entries you want to add, click Type and type the
names of groups, roles, or users using the following format, where a
semicolon (;) separates each entry:namespace/group_name;namespace/
role_name;namespace/user_name;
Here is an example:
Cognos/Authors;LDAP/scarter;
5. Click the Potential Owner or Stakeholder arrow button to update the
Selected entries list, and click OK.
Tip: To remove entries from the Selected entries list, select them and click
Remove. To select all entries in the list, select the check box for the list.
6. Click OK.
7. In the Subject box, type the subject of the task.
8. If required, add a completion deadline for the task in the Due Date box.
9. If required, add a start by deadline for the task in the Start By box.
10. Select the priority from the Priority list.
11. In the Message box, type text directly.
12. To add links, click Add links, select the entries you want, click the arrow
button to update the Selected entries list, and click OK.
Tip: To remove links, select them and click Remove links.
13. If you want to set up notification options, click Advanced, otherwise move on
to step 16.
14. Select the task creation and deadline notification options as required:
v Send notification if not started by the start date
v Send notification if not completed by due date
15. Select the approval request change notification options as required:
v Started
v Comment
v Owner changed
v Completed
v Canceled
16. Click Save.
156 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Actions That You can Perform on Approval Requests and Ad-hoc
Tasks
The actions you can perform on an approval request or ad-hoc task differ
depending on your recipient type.
The following table summarizes the actions that can be performed by each type of
recipient.
Table 27. Approval request and ad-hoc actions by recipient type
Action Potential owner Owner Stakeholder
Claim ownership of a
task
X
Change the recipients
for a task
XXX
Revoke ownership of
a task
X
Set deadlines for a
task
XXX
Change the priority
of a task
XXX
Add comments to a
task
XXX
Start or stop a task
X
Complete a task
X
Cancel a task
XX
Claim a Task
If you are a potential owner of a task that is Unclaimed, you can claim the task.
The task is then owned by you.
If you are the only potential owner of a task, the task is automatically owned by
you. In this case, it is not necessary to claim the task.
Procedure
1. View your task inbox.
2. Select the task you want to claim, and then click Make me the owner in the
reading pane.
Change the Recipients for a Task
Any task recipient can change the current owner of a task.
In addition, they can add or remove potential owners and stakeholders for a task.
The status of the task must be Not Started or Started.
Chapter 11. Managing Human Tasks 157
Note: If you are the owner of a task, you can revoke ownership of the task
“Revoke Ownership of a Task” on page 159.
Change the Current Owner
You can change the current owner.
Procedure
1. View your task inbox.
2. Select the task for which you want to change the current owner, and then click
Change Owner in the reading pane.
The Select the user page appears.
3. Select the user.
v To choose from listed entries, click the appropriate namespace, and then
select the required user.
v To search for an entry, click Search and, in the Search string box, type the
phrase you want to search for. For search options, click Edit. Find and click
the entry you want.
4. Click OK.
5. Click Save.
Change the Potential Owners and Stakeholders
You can change the potential owners and stakeholders.
Procedure
1. View your task inbox.
2. Select the task for which you want to change potential owners and
stakeholders, and then click Add/Remove recipients in the reading pane.
The Select recipients page appears.
3. Select the required users, groups, roles, and distribution lists.
v To choose from listed entries, click the appropriate namespace, and then
select the check boxes next to the users, groups, roles or distribution lists.
Tip: To make the user entries visible, click Show users in the list.
v To search for entries, click Search and in the Search string box, type the
phrase you want to search for. For search options, click Edit. Find and click
the entry you want.
v To type the name of entries you want to add, click Type and type the names
of groups, roles, or users using the following format, where a semicolon (;)
separates each entry:
namespace/group_name;namespace/role_name;namespace/user_name;
Here is an example:
Cognos/Authors;LDAP/scarter;
4. Click the Potential Owner or Stakeholder arrow button to update the Selected
entries list, and click OK.
Tip: To remove entries from the Selected entries list, select them and click
Remove. To select all entries in the list, select the check box for the list.
5. Click OK.
6. Click Save.
158 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Revoke Ownership of a Task
If you are the owner of a task, you can remove yourself as the task owner.
This changes the owner to Unclaimed and the status of the task to Not Started.
Procedure
1. View your task inbox.
2. Select the task you want to revoke, and then click Remove me as owner in the
reading pane.
Set Deadlines for a Task
Any task recipient can add a start date or due date for an approval request or
ad-hoc task with a status of Not Started or Started. They can also amend existing
deadlines.
Where notifications are set up, if a task is not started or completed by the required
time, e-mail notifications are sent all subscribing potential owners and
stakeholders. For more information on notifications, see “Subscribe to E-mail
Notifications” on page 155.
Procedure
1. View your task inbox.
2. Select the task for which you want to update the deadlines.
3. If required, add a completion deadline for the task in the Due Date box.
4. If required, add a start by deadline for the task in the Start By box.
5. Click Save.
Change the Priority of a Task
The priority of a task is set when the task is created. Any task recipient can change
the priority of a task with a status of Not Started or Started.
Procedure
1. View your task inbox.
2. Select the task for which you want to change the priority, and then select the
priority from the Priority list in the reading pane.
3. Click Save.
Add Comments to a Task
Any task recipient can add comments to a task.
For information on viewing comments added to a task, see “View Comments” on
page 154.
Procedure
1. View your task inbox.
2. Select the task for which you want to add a comment, and then click the
Discussion tab in the reading pane.
3. Click Add Comment
, type your comments in the window that appears,
and then click OK.
Chapter 11. Managing Human Tasks 159
4. Click Save.
Start or Stop a Task
If you are the owner of a task that has not been started, you can start the task.
This changes the status to Started so that other task recipients can view the
progress of your task.
A potential owner can also start an unclaimed task. The user then becomes the
owner of that task.
If you own a task that has already been started, you can stop the task. This
changes the status to Not Started.
Procedure
1. View your task inbox.
2. Select the task you want to start, and then select Start task from the Status
drop-down list in the reading pane.
Tip: To stop a task that has been started, select Not Started from the Status
drop-down list.
3. Click Save.
Completing a Task
If you are the owner of a task with a status of Not Started or Started, you can
complete the task by performing the required action.
The action required differs depending on the task type. For ad-hoc tasks, you must
mark the task as complete.
For approval request tasks, the action depends on how the task creator set up the
task. You must perform one of the following actions:
v approve or reject the request
For this type of approval request, you must approve or reject the request from
your task inbox to complete the task.
Depending on how the task was set up, completion of the task may result in
another action being performed. For example, if you approve a request to
distribute a report, when the task is complete, the report may be automatically
distributed. If the request is rejected, no further actions will occur.
v Specify the remaining tasks to approve and run
This type of approval request contains one or more tasks that are scheduled to
run after the task is complete. You must select which tasks you approve to run.
Complete an Ad-Hoc Task
The procedure to complete an ad-hoc task is as follows.
Procedure
1. View your task inbox.
2. Select the task you want to complete and then click Mark as complete.
The status of the task changes to Completed.
Approve or Reject a Request
The procedure to approve or reject a request is as follows.
160 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Procedure
1. View your task inbox.
2. Select the task you want to complete and view the details in the reading pane.
3. If required, add a comment to explain your decision in the Comment box.
4. Click Approve or Reject to complete the task.
Note: Approve and Reject are the default button names. The user who created
the task may have used custom button names, which differ from the default.
The status of the task changes to Completed.
Specify the Remaining Tasks to Approve and Execute
You can specify the remaining tasks to approve and execute.
Procedure
1. View your task inbox.
2. Select the task you want to complete and view the details in the reading pane.
3. Select the remaining tasks to approve, and then click Submit.
Note: Submit is the default button name. The user who created the task may
have used a custom button name, which differs from the default.
The status of the task changes to Completed.
Cancel a Task
A task owner or stakeholder can cancel an approval request or ad-hoc task with a
status of Not Started or Started.
Procedure
1. View your task inbox.
2. Select the task you want to cancel, and then click Mark as canceled in the
reading pane.
The status of the task changes to Canceled.
Notification Requests
You can create a notification request with an option for recipients to acknowledge
the request. You can also specify deadlines for acknowledgements.
A notification request can have various recipients:
v users, groups, roles, and distribution lists to whom the request is sent (To list
recipients)
v stakeholders to whom the request is copied (CC list recipients)
The status of a notification request can be
v Unread - the request has not been opened by a recipient
v Read - the request has been opened by a recipient
v Acknowledged - the request has been confirmed by a recipient included on the
To list.
Notifications can also be created in IBM Cognos Event Studio. For more
information, see the Event Studio User Guide.
Chapter 11. Managing Human Tasks 161
Acknowledgements
When a notification request is created, you can request an acknowledgement from
each recipient included on the To list.
Note: Stakeholders (CC list recipients) do not have the option to acknowledge
notification requests.
Deadlines
When a notification request is created, you can include an acknowledgement
deadline. You can also specify that an e-mail is sent to each recipient on the To list
who does not acknowledge a notification request by the deadline date. On the
deadline date, a separate e-mail is sent to stakeholders on the CC list informing
them that some recipients on the To list have not acknowledged the notification
request.
Tip: A stakeholder can verify who has acknowledged a notification request by
checking e-mails or the audit tables.
When all the To list recipients have acknowledged the request, the deadline is
canceled.
Create a Notification Request
Add a notification request to an agent to send a secure notification about an event
to the inbox of recipients you specify.
You can request an acknowledgement, and add an acknowledgement deadline.
Procedure
1. View your task inbox.
2. Select New Notification
from the task drop-down list.
3. Click Add/Remove recipients in the reading pane.
The Select recipients page appears.
4. Select the required users, groups, roles, and distribution lists to add as
recipients.
v To choose from listed entries, click the appropriate namespace, and then
select the check boxes next to the users, groups, roles or distribution lists.
Tip: To make the user entries visible, click Show users in the list.
v To search for entries, click Search and, in the Search string box, type the
phrase you want to search for. For search options, click Edit. Find and click
the entry you want.
v To type the name of entries you want to add, click Type and type the
names of groups, roles, or users using the following format, where a
semicolon (;) separates each entry:
namespace/group_name;namespace/role_name;namespace/user_name;
Here is an example:
Cognos/Authors;LDAP/scarter;
5. Click the To or Cc arrow button to update the Selected entries list, and click
OK.
162 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Tip: To remove entries from the Selected entries list, select them and click
Remove. To select all entries in the list, select the check box for the list.
6. Click OK.
7. In the Subject box, type the subject of the notification request.
8. In the Message box, type text directly.
9. To add links, click Add links, select the entries you want, click the arrow
button to update the Selected entries list, and click OK.
Tip: To remove links, select them and click Remove links.
10. If you want to set up notification options, click Advanced, otherwise move on
to step 13.
11. To request an acknowledgement from each recipient on the To list, select the
Request Acknowledgement box.
12. To send an e-mail notification to recipients who do not acknowledge the
request by a deadline date, select the Send notification if not acknowledged
by the date box, and then select the required date.
13. Click Save.
Read and Acknowledge a Notification Request
New notification requests in your task inbox have the status Unread.
You can read the notification request, and acknowledge it, if this option is available
to you.
Procedure
1. View your task inbox.
2. Select the unread notification request you want to read, and view the details in
the reading pane.
The status of the notification request changes to Read.
3. If your username appears in the To list, and an acknowledgement is required,
click Acknowledge.
The status of the notification request changes to Acknowledged.
Note: If your username appears in the To list, you are a recipient of the
notification request. If it appears in the CC list, you are a stakeholder copied on
the request. If there is a deadline set up for the notification request, it is shown
in the Deadline box.
Archive Tasks
Archiving is a method of removing unwanted tasks from your inbox.
When you archive a task, it remains active in IBM Cognos Business Intelligence,
and other task recipients can continue to work with it. Any notifications associated
with an archived task also remain active.
Tasks that are deleted from your archive also remain active, but you can no longer
view them.
Procedure
1. View your task inbox.
Chapter 11. Managing Human Tasks 163
2. Select the tasks you want to archive, and then click Archive from the
Move to drop down list.
View the Task Archive
You can view a list of tasks that you have archived.
Procedure
View your task inbox, and then click the Archive tab.
What to do next
You can view the details of a task, by selecting it. The task details are shown in the
reading pane. If the task contains an attachment, such as a report, you can
double-click to view it.
Tip:
v To view the due date for tasks instead of the date received, select Display Due
Date from the Display Date Received drop-down list.
v To return to your task inbox, click the Inbox tab.
v To delete unwanted tasks, select them, and then click Delete
.
164 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Chapter 12. Administering Microsoft Office Documents
Microsoft Office users can import data from IBM Cognos Business Intelligence
reports into workbooks, presentations, and documents using IBM Cognos for
Microsoft Office and then publish the workbooks, presentations, and documents to
the IBM Cognos portal. For more information, see the IBM Cognos for Microsoft
Office User Guide and the IBM Cognos Analysis for Microsoft Excel User Guide.
IBM Cognos Connection users can then download the workbooks, presentations,
and documents for viewing or editing in the Microsoft Office application that was
used to create it.
Note: The only way to publish Microsoft Office workbooks and presentations in
IBM Cognos BI is to use IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office or IBM Cognos Analysis.
Before users can import IBM Cognos BI data into Microsoft Office documents or
publish those documents in the IBM Cognos portal, you must deploy the IBM
Cognos for Microsoft Office and IBM Cognos Analysis client to the users'
workstations.
Deploying IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office Client
IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office is available for installation with IBM Cognos BI
components. After IBM Cognos BI is installed and configured, you can install IBM
Cognos for Microsoft Office on client workstations.
IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office Client is available as a 32-bit installation only. It
must be installed on a 32-bit Windows computer.
Deploying IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office to Client Computers
IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office uses Microsoft .NET Framework to allow users to
interact with server-based components. Microsoft .NET Framework and the
required updates are downloaded and installed by the setup file when you install
IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office. The setup file must be run on all user computers.
For a list of supported versions of Microsoft .NET Framework, see the IBM
Software Product Compatibility Reports page (www.ibm.com/support/
docview.wss?uid=swg27042164).
Use the following checklist to guide you through the deployment process:
v Install .NET Framework and IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office.
For more information about installing IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office, see the
IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office Installation Guide.
v Set the macro security level for Microsoft office XP, if required.
v Install the CA certificate for secure sockets layer support, if required.
Set Macro Security Level for Microsoft Office XP
For Microsoft Office XP applications to run IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office, you
must set your macro security level to an appropriate level. You must set this for
Microsoft Office Excel, Microsoft Office Word, and Microsoft Office PowerPoint.
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2005, 2015 165
Procedure
1. Open your Microsoft Office XP application.
2. From the Tools menu, click Macros, and then click Security.
3. Choose whether to change the security level or the trusted publishers.
v On the Security Level tab, click Medium or Low, and then click OK
v On the Trusted Publishers tab, select Trust all installed add-ins or
templates, and then click OK.
Install the CA Certificate for the HTTPS Interface to Series 7
PowerPlay
If your environment includes IBM Cognos Series 7 PowerPlay Enterprise Server
and you are using the HTTPS (https://) interface to access Series 7 PowerPlay, you
must install a certificate issued by a certificate authority (CA). The CA certificate is
required for secure sockets layer (SSL) support.
Procedure
1. Retrieve the CA certificate from your administrator.
The file has a .cer extension.
2. Double-click the .cer file, click Install Certificate, and then click Next.
3. Click Place all certificates in the following store.
4. Click Browse, click Trusted Root Certification Authorities, and then click
Next.
5. Click Finish.
Download a Microsoft Office Document
You can download a Microsoft Office document from IBM Cognos Connection if it
was published in IBM Cognos Business Intelligence using IBM Cognos for
Microsoft Office or IBM Cognos.
For more information, see the IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office User Guide and the
IBM Cognos Analysis for Microsoft Excel User Guide.
Before you begin
You must have read and traverse permissions to access Microsoft Office documents
in IBM Cognos Connection.
About this task
You can download documents created in Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet
software, Microsoft Office PowerPoint and Microsoft Office Word. The default
action for any Microsoft Office document is to download it.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, locate the document that you want to open.
2. Click more on the actions toolbar to the right of the document that you want to
download.
The IBM Cognos Connection actions page opens.
3. Download the Microsoft Office document:
166 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
v For a Microsoft Office workbook, click the View most recent document in
Excel object.
v For a Microsoft Office presentation, click the View most recent document in
PowerPoint object.
v For a Microsoft Office word document, click the View most recent document
in Word object.
v For a Microsoft Office document of unknown type, click the View most
recent document object.
The File Download dialog box appears.
4. Click Open or Save and follow the prompts that appear.
When you open the document, it opens in the application that was used to
create it.
Results
You can now perform the same actions that you would perform for any Microsoft
Office document of the selected type.
Chapter 12. Administering Microsoft Office Documents 167
168 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Chapter 13. Schedule Management
You can schedule IBM Cognos entries to run at a time that is convenient for you.
For example, you may want to run reports or agents during off hours when
demands on the system are low. Or you may want to run them at a regular weekly
or monthly interval.
To use this functionality, you must have the required permissions for the
Scheduling secured function in IBM Cognos Administration.
To schedule reports to run in the delimited text (CSV), PDF, Microsoft Excel
spreadsheet (XLS), or XML output formats, you require the generate output
capability for the specific format. For more information, see “Report formats” on
page 79. You can update an existing schedule that specifies formats that you are
restricted from running, but you cannot introduce to the schedule, formats that
you are restricted from running.
You can schedule entries to run at specified intervals. You can schedule entries
individually or use jobs to schedule multiple entries at once. Jobs have their own
schedules independent from report schedules.
You can schedule entries to run on the last day of each month. You can also
schedule entries to be triggered by occurrences, such as database refreshes or
emails.
You can run reports to produce outputs based on the options that you define, such
as format, language, and accessibility.
Only one schedule can be associated with each entry. If you require multiple
schedules for a report or agent entry, you can create report views “Create a Report
View” on page 75 or agent views “Create an Agent View” on page 146 and then
create a schedule for each view.
After you create a schedule, the entry or job runs at the time and date specified.
You can then view the scheduled entries and manage them. For more information,
see Chapter 14, “Activities Management,” on page 179.
Credentials for Scheduled Entries
When you open a scheduled entry, the credentials show the current schedule
owner. If you are not already the schedule owner, you can name yourself the
owner “Example - Change the Credentials for a Schedule” on page 172.
Credentials for a schedule do not change automatically when you modify a
schedule. You must explicitly change the credentials.
For information on data source credentials, see “Trusted credentials” on page 46.
Prompts in Scheduled Entries
If an entry that contains prompts is scheduled, you must save the prompt values
or specify default values “Specify the Default Prompt Values for a Report” on page
83 to ensure that values exist when the report runs according to the schedule.
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2005, 2015 169
In a job, you can specify prompt values for job steps. When an entry runs as part
of a job, the prompt values saved in the job definition are used instead of the
values saved with the entry. If no values are specified in the job definition, IBM
Cognos software uses the values saved in the entry.
Priority for Scheduled Entries
When you schedule an entry, you may be able to select a run priority from 1 to 5.
For example, an entry with priority 1 runs before an entry with priority 5. If there
is more than one entry with a specific priority, the one that arrived in the queue
first runs first. The default is 3. If you do not have permissions for entry priorities,
the priority appears but you can not change it.
When you schedule a job, you can set priority for the whole job only, not for
individual entries within a job. However, you can change the priority of individual
entries when they are pending in the queue.
The priority of entries in the queue does not affect an entry that is already
running. The running entry completes and then the queue priority is checked for
the next entry to run.
For more information, see “Manage Entry Run Priority” on page 185.
Run Histories for Scheduled Entries
IBM Cognos software keeps history information each time a scheduled entry runs.
You can use the run history for an entry to see the times at which it ran and
whether the it ran successfully. For more information, see “View the Run History
for Entries” on page 186.
Schedule an Entry
You schedule an entry to run it at a later time or at a recurring date and time. For
example, you can schedule a report or an agent.
If you no longer need a schedule, you can delete it. You can also disable it without
losing any of the scheduling details. You can then enable the schedule at a later
time. For more information, see Chapter 14, “Activities Management,” on page 179.
You can schedule an entry to run on the last day of each month “Example -
Schedule an Entry on the Last Day of the Month” on page 172 or as part of a job
“Use Jobs to Schedule Multiple Entries” on page 173. You can schedule reports
based on trigger occurrences “Trigger-based Entry Scheduling” on page 175.
To use this functionality, you must have the required permissions for the
Scheduling secured function in IBM Cognos Administration.
To schedule an entry, you need the permissions that are required to run the entry.
For example, to schedule a report or report view, you must have read, write,
execute, and traverse permissions for it. To schedule a child report view, you must
have execute permissions on the parent report. You also require the following
access permissions for any data sources used by the report:
v dataSource - Execute and Traverse
v dataSourceConnection - Execute and Traverse
With only Execute access, you are prompted to log on to the database.
170 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
v dataSourceSignon - Execute
To schedule reports to run in the restricted CVS, PDF, XLS, or XML output formats,
you require the generate output capability for the specific format. For more
information, see “Report formats” on page 79.
If you want, you can change the current schedule owner by changing the
credentials for a scheduled entry. For more information, see “Example - Change the
Credentials for a Schedule” on page 172.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the schedule button for the entry you want to
schedule
.
2. Set the priority for the scheduled entry.
Select a lower number for higher priority. The default is 3.
3. Under Frequency, select how often you want the schedule to run.
The Frequency section is dynamic and changes with your selection. Wait until
the page is updated before selecting the frequency.
If you specify intraday scheduling in the Frequency section, you can also select
a daily frequency for your scheduled entries. To do that, proceed to step 4.
If you do not specify intraday scheduling, proceed to step 5.
4. Under Daily frequency, specify the frequency with which a report is run
during the day, beginning with the start time selected in step 5. You can choose
to schedule an entry either by the minute or by the hour.
When you specify a daily frequency, you also have the option to select a time
period when you want the entry to run during the day, for example, between
9:00 am and 5:00 pm. This way, you can restrict the running of entries to
periods during the day when updates are required.
Tip: When you specify an hourly frequency and a time period, if you select an
hourly frequency that divides evenly into the 24-hour clock, your scheduled
entry runs at the same times each day. If you select an hourly frequency that
does not divide evenly into the 24-hour clock, your scheduled entry runs at
different times on subsequent days.
Table 28. Example of day 1 and day 2 run times for entries that are scheduled hourly within
a time period
Daily
frequency
Time period
specified
Time that the entry runs
on day 1
Time that the entry runs
on day 2
Every 3
hours
9:00 a.m. to 6:00
p.m.
9:00 a.m.
12:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
9:00 a.m.
12:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
Every 5
hours
9:00 a.m. to 6:00
p.m.
9:00 a.m.
2:00 p.m.
10:00 a.m.
3:00 p.m.
5. Under Start, select the date when you want the schedule to start.
6. Under End, select when you want the schedule to end.
Chapter 13. Schedule Management 171
If you want to create the schedule but not apply it right away, select the
Disable the schedule check box. To later enable the schedule, clear the check
box.
7. If additional options are available on the Schedule page, specify what you
want.
For example, for reports, you can select formats, languages, delivery method
(including how to save report output files), and prompt values.
8. Click OK.
Results
A schedule is created and the report runs at the next scheduled time.
Example - Schedule an Entry on the Last Day of the Month
You want to schedule a financial report to run automatically on the last day of
each month for the next year.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the schedule button for the entry you want to
schedule
.
2. Under Frequency, select By Month, and then select Day.
3. Enter Day 31 of every 1 month(s).
Entering 31 as the day ensures that the entry runs on the last day of the month,
regardless of how many days are in the month.
4. Under Start, select the last day of the current month as the day you want the
monthly schedule to start.
5. Under End, click End by and select the last day of the same month next year
as the day you want the monthly schedule to end.
6. Click OK.
Example - Change the Credentials for a Schedule
You want to change the credentials for a schedule to identify you as the current
schedule owner.
Procedure
1. Log on to IBM Cognos Connection using your user ID and password.
2. In the Cognos Connection portal, click the schedule button
for the entry for
which you want to change the credentials.
Under Credentials, the name of the current schedule owner appears.
3. Click the Use my credentials link to make you the schedule owner. Save your
changes.
The next time that you open the schedule, your credentials identify you as the
schedule owner of the schedule, for example, Sam Carter (scarter).
Note: If you are logged on as an anonymous user, information about the
current schedule owner is not available.
172 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Use Jobs to Schedule Multiple Entries
You can set the same schedule for multiple entries by creating a job. A job
identifies a collection of reports, report views, and other jobs that are scheduled
together and share the same schedule settings. When a scheduled job runs, all the
entries in the job run.
If a job item is unavailable, you can select a different link by clicking Link to an
entry.
Jobs contain steps, which are references to individual reports, jobs, and report
views. You can specify whether to run the steps all at once or in sequence.
v When steps are run all at once, all the steps are submitted at the same time. The
job is successful when all the steps run successfully. If a step fails, the other
steps in the job are unaffected and still run, but the job has a Failed status.
v When the steps are run in sequence, you can specify the order in which the
steps run. A step is submitted only after the preceding step runs successfully.
You can choose to have the job stop or have the other steps continue if a step
fails.
You can schedule a job to run at a specific time, on a recurring basis, or based on a
trigger, such as a database refresh or an email “Trigger-based Entry Scheduling” on
page 175.
The individual reports, jobs, and report views in steps can also have individual
schedules. Run options for individual step entries override run options set for the
job. You can set run options for the job that serve as the default for step entries
that do not have their own run options.
You can run reports to produce outputs based on the options that you define, such
as format, language, and accessibility.
Permissions required to include an entry as part of a job vary depending on the
type of entry. The permissions are the same as for scheduling an entry “Schedule
an Entry” on page 170.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the new job button .
2. Type a name and, if you want, a description and screen tip for the job, select
the location in which to save the job, and then click Next.
The Select the steps page appears.
3. Click Add.
4. Select the check boxes for the entries you want to add and click the right
arrow button
. When the entries you want appear in the Selected entries
box, click OK.
You can also click Search, and in the Search string box, type the phrase you
want to search for. For search options, click Edit. When you find the entry you
want, click the right arrow button to list the entry in the Selected entries box
and click OK.
To remove entries from the Selected entries list, select them and click
Remove. To select all entries in the list, select the check box for the list. To
make the user entries visible, click Show users in the list.
Chapter 13. Schedule Management 173
5. If you want to change run options for an individual entry when it runs as
part of the job, click the set icon
, click Produce report outputs, select the
Override the default values box, make the changes, and click OK.
To send the report to mobile recipients, select Send the report to mobile
recipients and click Select the recipients.
Tip: To return to defaults for individual entries, click the delete button.
6. If you want to refresh the cache for a report when the job runs, click the edit
icon next to the report, and then from the Run the report to menu, click
Refresh the report cache. Click Override the default values. To accept the
displayed language, click OK. To change the language, click Select the
languages, select the languages you want, and then click OK. Click OK to
accept the displayed languages.
Tip: To clear the cache, click the delete button.
7. If you want to create or refresh the cache, click the set icon, click Refresh the
report cache, select the Override the default values box, add languages, if
you want, and click OK.
Tip: To clear the cache, click More next to the report whose cache you want
to clear, click Clear the cache, and click OK twice.
8. Under Submission of steps, select whether to submit the steps All at once or
In sequence.
If you select In sequence, the steps are executed in the order they appear in
the Steps list. If you want the job to continue to run even if one of the steps
fails, select the Continue on error check box.
Tip: To change the order, click Modify the sequence, make the changes, and
click OK.
9. If you want to specify default run options at the job level, under Defaults for
all steps, click Set.
Note that the run options that are available for a job with multiple entries
may not apply to every entry. If the option does not apply to an entry, it is
ignored.
10. If you want to override defaults, select the category and select the Override
the default values check box and select the default options you want for the
job and click OK.
11. To save the complete history details for the job steps when the run activity
completes successfully, click All from the Run history details level list. Click
Limited to save limited run history details for the job. If the job run fails, the
complete history details are saved.
The default is All.
12. Select the action you want:
v To run now or later, click Run now or at a later time and click Finish.
Specify the time and date for the run. Click Find only or Find and fix, then
click Run. Review the run time and click OK.
v To schedule at a recurring time, click Schedule to run at a recurring time
and click Finish. Then, select frequency and start and end dates. Click Find
only or Find and fix, then click OK.
174 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Tip: To temporarily disable the schedule, select the Disable the schedule
check box. To view the schedule status, see Chapter 14, “Activities
Management,” on page 179.
v To save without scheduling or running, click Save only and click Finish.
Results
A job is created and will run at the next scheduled time.
Cached Prompt Data
For reports that prompt for values each time that the report is run, you may want
to use cached prompt data. Reports run faster because data is retrieved from the
cache rather than from the database.
The cache is used only when a requested language is the same as one in the cache.
For example, the cache contains data for English, English (United States), and
German (Germany). When prompted, you request English (United States) for the
report. There is an exact match and the cached data is used. The cached data is
also used when there is a partial match. If you request English (Canada), the
cached data for English is used. If you request German (Austria), there is no match
and the cached data is not used.
You can use caches for reports or report views. For report views, the report view
cache is used first. If no report view cache is found, the cache for the associated
report is used.
You must use a job to create or refresh a cache. You can refresh the cache
automatically by scheduling the job to run periodically. If you want to use live
data the next time that you run the report, you can clear the cache.
Trigger-based Entry Scheduling
You can schedule entries based on an occurrence, such as a database refresh or an
email. The occurrence acts as a trigger, causing the entry to run. For example, you
may want to run a report every time a database is refreshed.
Trigger-based scheduling may be used to run entries automatically based on an
occurrence. It may also be used to limit when users can run entries. For example,
in a warehouse environment where the database is refreshed only once a week,
there is no need to run reports more frequently.
Trigger-based scheduling applies only to the entry, not to any entry view
associated with it. For example, if trigger-based scheduling applies to a report, it
does not apply to report views associated with the report. However, you can
schedule a report view using a trigger.
Setting Up Trigger-based Scheduling
To schedule an entry based on an occurrence and confirm trigger-based scheduling,
you must have read, write, execute, and traverse permissions.
To schedule reports to run in the delimited text (CSV), PDF, Microsoft Excel
spreadsheet (XLS), or XML output formats, you require the generate output
capability for the specific format. For more information, see “Report formats” on
page 79.
Chapter 13. Schedule Management 175
You also require the following access permissions for all data sources used by the
entry.
Table 29. Data sources and permissions required for trigger-based scheduling
Data source Permissions
dataSource
Execute and Traverse
dataSourceConnection
Execute and Traverse
With only Execute access, you are prompted to log
on to the database.
dataSourceSignon Execute
Before setting up trigger-based scheduling, ensure that your credentials exist and
are up to date.
Tip: Click the my area options button
, My Preferences, and, on the Personal
tab, click Renew the credentials.
Follow this process to set up trigger-based scheduling:
v Schedule an entry based on the occurrence “Schedule an Entry Based on an
Occurrence.”
v Have your administrator set up the trigger occurrence on a server.
Trigger occurrences can also be set up by a Software Development Kit developer
using the IBM Cognos Software Development Kit. For more information, see the
Software Development Kit Developer Guide.
Schedule an Entry Based on an Occurrence
As part of setting up trigger-based scheduling, you must schedule an entry based
on an occurrence.
Trigger-based schedule is activated if the user firing the trigger has:
v read and traverse permissions for the schedule entry
v traverse permissions for all ancestors of the schedule entry
v access to IBM Cognos Administration
To schedule reports to run in the delimited text (CSV), PDF, Microsoft Excel
spreadsheet (XLS), or XML output formats, you require the generate output
capability for the specific format. For more information, see “Report formats” on
page 79.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the schedule button next to the entry you
want to schedule.
2. Under Frequency, click the By Trigger tab.
3. In Trigger name, type the name of the trigger occurrence.
Note: The trigger name that you enter may be provided to you by your
administrator or developer. If not, you must inform your administrator or
developer of the trigger name that you use.
176 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
4. The default start date is "now", and the default end date is "forever", which
means the trigger schedule runs when the trigger is fired (either from
trigger.bat or from an Software Development Kit application). If you enter a
valid start and end date, the trigger schedule can only be fired between those
dates.
5. Click OK.
Chapter 13. Schedule Management 177
178 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Chapter 14. Activities Management
You can manage IBM Cognos activities from My Activities and Schedules in IBM
Cognos Connection.
You can view a list of your activities that are current, past, upcoming on a specific
day, or scheduled. You can filter the list so that only the entries that you want
appear. A bar chart shows you an overview of daily activities, by hour. You can
use the chart to help choose the optimum date for rescheduling activities.
You can set run priority for entries. You can also view the run history for entries,
specify how long to keep run histories, and rerun failed entries.
If you switch views, you must refresh to see current data. For example, if you
switch from Past Activities to Upcoming Activities, you must refresh to see
current data in the panes.
To access My Activities and Schedules in IBM Cognos Connection, you must have
the required permissions for the Run activities and schedules capability.
Manage Current Activities
Current activities are entries that are currently being processed in IBM Cognos
software.
Each entry is listed by name and shows the request time, the status, and the
priority for background activities. The bar chart shows the total number of entries,
broken down by the number of pending, executing, waiting, and suspended
entries. When the activity is processing, the process number is displayed.
You can sort the Request time, Status, and Priority columns. You can choose to
view a list of background activities or interactive activities.
For entries that are being processed in the background, you can click Show Details
to see more information. For each entry, this displays Last Execution Response
Time and Path, for example, Public Folders > Samples > Cubes > Great Outdoor
Sales (cube).
You can suspend background entries and release them later when you want them
to run. You can permanently cancel runs for entries that have one of the following
statuses:
v pending in the queue
v executing
v suspended
v waiting for a process external to IBM Cognos software to complete
You can filter the entries to display only those you want. You can choose to display
only those entries with a specific status or priority, or entries of a specific type or
scope.
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2005, 2015 179
If you cancel an entry that contains other entries, such as a job or an agent, steps
or tasks that have not yet been completed are canceled. However, steps or tasks
that have already completed remain completed.
You can change the priority of entries “Manage Entry Run Priority” on page 185
and view the run history “View the Run History for Entries” on page 186.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, in the upper-right corner, click the my area button
, click My Activities and Schedules, and in the left pane, click Current
Activities.
2. In the Filter section, click the filtering items that you want to use.
Tip: If you want to use advanced filtering options, click Advanced options. To
reset all selections to the default settings, click Reset to default.
3. Click Apply.
The list shows the entries that you selected.
4. To perform an action on an individual entry, click the Actions arrow for the
entry and select the action. To perform an action on several entries, select the
check box for the entries you want and then click one of the following buttons
on the toolbar.
The following table specifies the actions available for entries and the associated
icons:
Table 30. Manage current activities actions and icons
Action Icon
Show Details (top right-hand corner)
Hide Details (top right-hand corner)
Cancel the run (Actions menu beside entry)
Suspend the run (Actions menu beside entry)
Run suspended entries (Actions menu beside entry)
Set Priority (Actions menu beside entry)
Tip: To select all entries in the list, select the check box for the list.
Manage Past Activities
Past activities are entries that have finished processing in IBM Cognos software.
180 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Each entry is listed by name and shows the request time and the status. You can
sort the Request time and Status columns. The bar chart shows the total number
of entries, broken down by status. If an entry has failed, a button appears showing
the severity of the error.
You can filter the entries to display only those you want. You can choose to view a
list of activities that occurred over a specified length of time, such as the last four
hours or the last day, or you can specify a date or time range. You can filter by
status, type, and scope.
You can view the run history “View the Run History for Entries” on page 186.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, in the upper-right corner, click the my area button
, click My Activities and Schedules, and in the left pane, click Past
Activities.
2. In the Filter section, click the filtering items that you want to use.
Tip: If you want to use advanced filtering options, click Advanced options. To
reset all selections to the default settings, click Reset to default.
3. If an error occurred when the entry ran, pause over the error button next to the
status to see the severity of the error.
4. Click Apply.
The list shows the entries that you selected.
5. To perform an action on an individual entry, click the Actions arrow for the
entry and select the action.
To perform an action on several entries, click either the Show Details
icon
or the Hide Details
icon in the toolbar.
Manage Upcoming Activities for a Specific Day
You can choose to view a list of all upcoming activities that are scheduled for a
specific day.
Each entry is listed by name and shows the request time and the priority. A bar
chart show the total number of scheduled and canceled entries for each hour of the
day. The chart legend shows the total number of scheduled and canceled entries
for the day.
You can sort the Request time, Status, and Priority columns. You can choose to
view a list of background activities or interactive activities.
You can click Show Details
to see more information. For each entry, this
displays Last Execution Response Time and Path, for example, Public Folders >
Samples > Cubes > Great Outdoor Sales (cube).
You can filter the entries to display only those you want. You can choose the date
and time for which you want to view upcoming activities. You can filter by status,
priority, type, and scope.
You can also change the priority of an entry in the queue “Manage Entry Run
Priority” on page 185.
Chapter 14. Activities Management 181
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, in the upper-right corner, click the my area button
, click My Activities and Schedules, and then click Upcoming Activities.
2. In the Filter section, click the filtering items that you want to use.
Tip: If you want to use advanced filtering options, click Advanced options. To
reset all selections to the default settings, click Reset to default.
3. Click Apply.
After applying the filter,
v The list shows the entries that you selected.
v The filter status line shows the criteria used to generate the list.
v The bar chart shows the scheduled and canceled entries by hour for the
specified day.
The list of entries, filter status line, and chart are updated whenever you
redefine the filter and click Apply. The list of entries and filter status line do
not change when you browse the chart to a different date.
4. To perform an action on an individual entry, click the Actions arrow for the
entry and select the action. To perform an action on several entries, select the
check box for the entries you want and then click one of the following buttons
on the toolbar.
The following table specifies the actions available for entries and the associated
icons:
Table 31. Manage upcoming activities for a specific day actions and icons
Action Icon
Show Details (top right-hand corner)
Hide Details (top right-hand corner)
Cancel the run (Actions menu beside entry)
Suspend entries (Actions menu beside entry)
Run suspended entries (Actions menu beside entry)
Re-schedule a run that was canceled (Actions menu
beside entry)
Set Priority (Actions menu beside entry)
Tip: To select all entries in the list, select the check box for the list.
Suspended Activities
You can suspend entries to respond to system requirements and resume them later.
182 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
After suspending entries, you can view a list of entries that are suspended
indefinitely.
You can resume suspended entries even after the original execution time has
lapsed. For example, if you schedule a report for 9:00 am, then suspend it, you can
restart the report at 9:30 am.
The upcoming activities bar chart helps you determine when to reschedule entries.
By browsing the upcoming dates in the chart, you can see the number of entries
for a specific day. When you pause the pointer over a specific hour in the day, you
can find the number of entries for that hour. Use this to find a date when demand
is low and reschedule the entry to that date. The chart columns show the total
number of scheduled and canceled entries for each hour of the day. The chart
legend shows the total number of scheduled, canceled, and suspended entries for
the day.
Suspending entries
You can suspend activities.
For example, if your system tends to be overloaded at certain times, you can
reduce the workload and avoid bottlenecks during these peak times by suspending
entries indefinitely or rescheduling them for a later time.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the my area button , click My Activities
and Schedules, and then click Upcoming Activities.
2. In the Filter section, for Day select a date, and for Status click Scheduled.
3. Click Apply.
The list shows the scheduled entries for the selected date. Because entries are
backlogged on that date, you want to suspend certain entries indefinitely and
reschedule others. You want to browse the upcoming dates in the chart and
choose another date for the suspended entries.
4. In the chart, click the next and previous icons to browse the upcoming dates.
The chart shows both scheduled and canceled entries for each day by hour.
Important: The list of entries that appears does not change to match the date
that you select in the chart. The list of entries matches your specified filter
criteria and does not change until you specify and apply a new filter.
5. In the list of scheduled entries, select the check box for the entries that you
want to suspend and click the suspend button on the toolbar. In the Suspend
Activity dialog box,
v to suspend entries indefinitely, click Indefinitely.
v to reschedule entries to another date, click Until, and select a date and time.
Note that both the chart and the list of entries refresh, and the suspended
entries no longer appear in the list of entries.
Tip: To suspend an individual entry, click the Actions menu arrow for the
entry, and click Suspend.
View a list of suspended entries for a specific day
You can view a list of suspended entries for a specific day.
Chapter 14. Activities Management 183
Procedure
1. In the Filter section for upcoming activities, under Day select a date, and under
Status click Suspended.
2. Click Apply.
The list shows the suspended entries for that day.
You can run, cancel, or reschedule suspended entries. To perform an action on
an individual entry, click the arrow to the right of the entry and select the
action that you want. To perform an action on several entries, select the check
box for the entries you want, and then click the appropriate button on the
toolbar.
The following table specifies the actions available for entries and the associated
icons:
Table 32. View a list of suspended entries for a specific day actions and icons
Action Icon
Show Details (top right-hand corner)
Hide Details (top right-hand corner)
Cancel the run (Actions menu beside entry)
Suspend entries (Actions menu beside entry)
Run suspended entries (Actions menu beside entry)
Re-schedule a run that was canceled (Actions menu
beside entry)
Set Priority (Actions menu beside entry)
Tip: To select all entries in the list, select the check box for the list.
Manage Scheduled Activities
You can view a list of scheduled entries.
Each entry is listed by name, status, and priority. A bar chart shows you an
overview of activities broken down by enabled and disabled schedules.
You can filter the entries to display only those you want. You can choose to display
only the entries with a specific status or priority, or entries of a specific type or
scope.
You can set properties, run the schedule once, disable and enable scheduled
entries, modify the schedule, remove the schedule, set the priority “Manage Entry
Run Priority” on page 185, and view the run history “View the Run History for
184 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Entries” on page 186. Depending on the entry, you may also be able to perform
other functions, such as view outputs or event lists.
For more information on schedules, see Chapter 13, “Schedule Management,” on
page 169.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, in the upper-right corner, click the my area button
, click My Activities and Schedules, and in the left pane, click Schedules.
2. In the Filter section, click the filtering items that you want to use.
Tip: If you want to use advanced filtering options, click Advanced options. To
reset all selections to the default settings, click Reset to default.
3. Click Apply.
The list shows the entries that you selected.
4. To perform an action on an individual entry, click the Action menu arrow for
the entry and select the action. To perform an action on several entries, select
the check box for the entries you want and then click one of the following
buttons on the toolbar.
The following table specifies the actions available for entries and the associated
icons:
Table 33. Scheduled activities actions and icons
Action Icon
Show Details (top right-hand corner)
Hide Details (top right-hand corner)
Enable the schedule (Actions menu beside entry)
Disable the schedule (Actions menu beside entry)
Set Priority (Actions menu beside entry)
Tip: To select all entries in the list, select the check box for the list.
Manage Entry Run Priority
You can assign a priority of 1 to 5 to scheduled entries.
For example, an entry with priority 1 runs before an entry with priority 5. If there
is more than one entry with the same priority, the one that arrived in the queue
first runs first. The default priority is 3.
Interactive entries always run immediately and priority cannot be changed once
they are running.
Chapter 14. Activities Management 185
You set the priority for an entry when you schedule it Chapter 13, “Schedule
Management,” on page 169. When an entry is in the current, upcoming, or
scheduled queue, you can change the priority.
You may want to set a low priority for entries that take a long time to run so that
other entries in the queue are not delayed.
When you schedule a job “Use Jobs to Schedule Multiple Entries” on page 173,
you set the priority for the whole job, not for individual entries within the job. You
may want to set a low priority for a job with many entries so that other entries in
the queue are not delayed.
You schedule priority for the parent job. When the job runs, all the child entries
inherit the priority of the parent. When the job is in the queue and is not yet
running, you can update the priority. You cannot do this for the individual entries
in the job. Changing the priority of the job changes the priority of all its child
entries. You can view the run history of a job “View the Run History for Entries”
while it is executing and see which of its entries have completed, are executing, or
are pending.
The priority of entries in the queue does not affect an entry that is already
running. That entry completes and then the queue priority is checked for the next
entry to run.
Before you begin
You must have the Run activities and schedules capability to manage entry run
priority.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, in the upper-right corner, click the my area button
, click My Activities and Schedules, and in the left pane, click Current
Activities, Upcoming Activities,orSchedules.
2. To change the priority for one entry, click the Actions arrow for the entry and
select Set Priority. To change the priority of more than one entry, select the
check box for the entries you want and then click the set priority button
on the toolbar.
Tip: To select all entries in the list, select the check box for the list.
3. From the menu, click the priority that you want, and then click OK.Ifyou
selected one entry, the current priority of the entry appears in the Set the
priority box. If you selected multiple entries, the Set the priority box contains
(Multiple).
Results
The new priority appears in the Priority column next to the entries that you
selected.
View the Run History for Entries
You can view the run history of entries that are scheduled to run in the
background, without anyone waiting to view them.
186 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
This includes scheduled entries that are run once and saved, and interactive entries
that are saved or mailed. Interactive entries do not have run histories.
IBM Cognos software keeps history information each time an entry runs in the
background. The run history for an entry includes information such as the request
time, start time, completion time, and whether the report ran successfully.
You can look at a more detailed run history for the entry, which includes general,
error, and warning messages related to the entry and any actions you can take. If
there is any email associated with the entry, the status of the email delivery is
included.
Some types of entries display additional information in the detailed run history
page:
v For reports, a report output version “Viewing report output versions” on page
85 is kept each time a report is run according to a schedule. You can view the
report output version from the detailed run history.
v For jobs and agents, you can view a list of steps and see a detailed run history
for each one. You can also see the parts of the job or agent that have not yet
completed. If the entry is part of a parent entry, you can view the parent entry
that initiated the run.
v For human tasks contained within an agent, you can view a list of steps and see
a detailed run history for each one.
v For index update tasks, you can view the IBM Cognos Connection folder or
package that is indexed. You can view the scope of the index, either all entries
or only entries that have changed. You can also view the type of data collected
for indexed entries.
You can rerun failed entries “Rerun a Failed Entry Task” on page 188 from the
detailed run history page. You can view a list of related runs that are part of the
rerun series and see a detailed run history for each one. You can specify how many
run history occurrences to keep or for how long to keep them “Specifying how
long to keep run histories” on page 188.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, in the upper-right corner, click the my area button
, click My Activities and Schedules, and in the left pane, click Schedules
or Past Activities.
2. Next to the entry, click the arrow and then click View run history
.
3. If you want, select the Status of entries that you want to view.
A list of selected entries appears.
4. If you want to view the run history details, in the Actions column, click the
view run history details button
next to the entry you want. Then, if you
want, from the Severity list, select the severity of the entries.
Under job steps, the complete run history details is shown. If the job run
history details level was set to Limited, no history details for the jobs steps are
recorded.
5. If there is a report output version, in the Actions column, click the view
outputs button
for the entry you want. Then, from the Versions list, click
the version you want. To delete a version, click Manage versions click the
check box for the version, and then click Delete.
Chapter 14. Activities Management 187
Specifying how long to keep run histories
You can keep run histories for a specific number of runs or for a specific number
of days or months.
For example, you can keep the run histories for the ten latest runs (occurrences) or
for the past two days or six months. You can also choose to keep all run histories.
Before you begin
You must have read and write permissions for the entry and read or traverse
permissions for the folder that contains the entry.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the my area button , click My Activities
and Schedules, and then click Current Activities, Upcoming Activities,or
Schedules.
2. Click the set properties button
next to the entry you want.
The entry properties page appears.
3. On the General tab, under Run history, choose the retention method and type
the value:
v To keep run histories for a specific number of occurrences, click Number of
occurrences and type the number. To save an unlimited number of run
histories, set this value to 0.
v To keep run histories for a specific length of time, click Duration and click
either Days or Months. Type the appropriate value in the box.
4. Click OK.
Rerun a Failed Entry Task
You can resubmit a failed entry.
When an entry, such as a report, agent task, or job, runs according to a schedule or
runs in the background and the fails, you can resubmit the failed entry with the
same options that were specified in the original run.
For a job that contains steps that ran successfully and steps that did not run
successfully, you are not required to rerun the entire job but only the individual job
steps. If the job steps are run sequentially, you can rerun the job starting with the
failed job step. If you wish, you can select which steps to rerun and skip the failed
steps. However, the selected job steps run sequentially and if a step fails, then the
steps that occur after the failed step are not run.
When you rerun a job step individually, a new run history that includes only the
single job step is created for the parent job. For more information about run
histories, see “View the Run History for Entries” on page 186.
When rerunning an agent entry, associated tasks, such as an email that sends
report output to a list of email recipients, are also rerun if they failed initially. If
there are two associated tasks running in parallel and one task fails and one
succeeds, rerunning the agent only reruns the failed task. However, if tasks are
selected to run on failure, they are run again when the rerun fails.
188 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Although the run history shows entries that ran successfully, you cannot rerun an
entry that succeeded. The run options are not stored for these entries.
A rerun can fail when a task associated with a failed entry is deleted or updated.
Before you begin
You must have execute permissions to rerun a failed task.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, in the upper-right corner, click the my area button
, click My Activities and Schedules, and in the left pane, click Past
Activities.
2. Next to the entry, click the arrow and then click View run history details
.
The View run history details page shows run details, such as start time and
completion time, run status, and error messages for a failed run. Other
information that appears in the page depends on whether the entry is for a
single task, a job with multiple steps, or an agent with tasks. For example, if it
is a single task, the report options and the report outputs appear. If it is a job
with multiple steps, a Job section appears with the run details of the job steps.
3. Under Status, next to Failed, click Rerun.
v If the rerun task is a single task, you receive a message asking you to
confirm the rerun.
v If the rerun task is a job with multiple job steps or an agent with tasks, the
Rerun page appears. Select the check box next to the entries you want to
rerun.
Tip: You can also rerun failed entries by clicking Rerun in the Outstanding to
complete section. To rerun a single job step, in the Job section, in the Actions
column, click the view run history details button
for the failed step.
Chapter 14. Activities Management 189
190 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Chapter 15. IBM Cognos Workspace
IBM Cognos Workspace is a new report consumption environment that provides
an integrated Business Intelligence experience for business users. This Web-based
tool allows you to use IBM Cognos content and external data sources to build
sophisticated, interactive workspaces. For more information about IBM Cognos
Workspace, see the IBM Cognos Workspace User Guide.
Alternatively, you can create dashboards using pages and portlets in IBM Cognos
Connection. For more information, see Chapter 5, “Pages and Dashboards,” on
page 49.
Starting Cognos Workspace
To get started with the product, you can open IBM Cognos Workspace in several
ways.
By default, Cognos Workspace opens in the same browser window as IBM Cognos
Connection. An administrator can change this behavior to open Cognos Workspace
in a separate window. For more information, see the IBM Cognos Business
Intelligence Administration and Security Guide.
Tip: To return to the previous application after you start Cognos Workspace, click
the Return icon
in the application bar.
You can start Cognos Workspace with the following methods:
v From the IBM Cognos Software Welcome page by clicking Create workspaces
on the web.
v From IBM Cognos Connection by clicking the New workspace icon
in the
application bar.
v In a web browser by entering the URL for Cognos Workspace. The default URL
is http://computer_name/ibmcognos/cgi-bin/cognos.cgi?b_action=icd.
Alternatively, you might be required to enter a URL that your administrator
provides.
v By clicking the hyperlinked name of an existing workspace object from IBM
Cognos Connection.
v From the Launch menu in Cognos Connection and IBM Cognos Administration.
v From a workspace that is listed in the search results in Cognos Connection.
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2005, 2015 191
192 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Appendix. Accessibility features
IBM Cognos Administration and Cognos Connection have accessibility features
that help users who have a physical disability, such as restricted mobility or
limited vision, to use information technology products.
The availability of accessibility features can vary however, if other pages and
components that do not support accessibility are added to the Cognos
Administration user interface.
For more information about the commitment that IBM has to accessibility, see the
IBM Accessibility Center (http://www.ibm.com/able).
The following features support accessibility in Cognos Connection:
v To listen to what is displayed on the screen, people with limited vision can use
screen-reader software, along with a digital speech synthesizer. Cognos
Connection uses Web Accessibility Initiative-Accessible Rich Internet
Applications (WAI-ARIA).
v To navigate in the software and to issue commands by using only a keyboard,
you can use standard Microsoft Windows keyboard shortcuts. There are no
unique keyboard shortcuts.
v To bypass links in headers and menus and to go directly to the main content of
the page, JAWS users can select the Skip to main link in the list of links
window. Keyboard users see the Skip to main option if they navigate to it.
v Administrators can specify system-wide settings for accessible report output that
apply to all entries. For more information, see the IBM Cognos Business
Intelligence Administration and Security User Guide.
v Accessible output can also be set for individual reports, jobs, steps within jobs,
and scheduled entries in PDF, HTML, and Microsoft Excel 2007 software
formats.
Enabling Accessible Report Output
Accessible reports contain features, such as alternate text, that allow users with
disabilities to access report content using assistive technologies, such as screen
readers.
In IBM Cognos applications, you can create accessible output for reports, jobs,
steps within jobs, and scheduled entries in PDF, HTML, and Microsoft Excel
spreadsheet software 2007 format.
Accessible reports require more report processing and have a greater file size than
non-accessible reports. Consequently, making reports accessible can have a
negative impact on performance.
Enable accessible report output using the run option
To run the report once with accessibility features, use the IBM Cognos Connection
run option.
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2005, 2015 193
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, for the report that you want to run, in the Actions
column, click the run with options button .
2. In the Run with options window, for the Accessibility option, select the Enable
accessibility support checkbox.
Enable accessible report output using set properties
To always run the report with accessibility features, set accessibility using the IBM
Cognos Connection properties for the report..
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, navigate to the report, and in the Actions column,
click Set properties.
2. On the Report tab, under Report Options, select Enable accessibility support.
Enable accessible report output as a user preference
If you want report consumers to be able to enable accessibility features for all of
their reports, set accessibility in IBM Cognos Connection as a user preference.
Accessibility settings in the report properties overwrite this setting.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the my area options icon
, and click My
Preferences.
2. On the General tab, click Enable accessibility support for reports I run or
schedule.
Enable accessible output for a scheduled entry
You can enable accessible report output in IBM Cognos Connection for a scheduled
entry.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the schedule button for the entry you
want to schedule.
2. Under Options, select Override the default values.
3. Under Accessibility, select Enable accessibility support.
Enable accessible output for a job
You can enable accessible report output in IBM Cognos Connection for a job.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, in the Actions column, click the set properties
button
for the job.
2. Click the Job tab and under Defaults for all steps, click Set.
3. Click Report options.
4. If it is not already selected, select Specify default values for all the reports of
this job.
5. Under Accessibility, select Enable accessibility support.
194 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Enable accessible output for a step in a job
You can enable accessible report output in IBM Cognos Connection for a step in a
job.
Procedure
1. In IBM Cognos Connection, in the Actions column, click the set properties
button
for the job.
2. Click the Job tab and in the Steps section, select the step.
3. In the Options and prompt values column, click the edit icon
for the step.
4. Under Report options, select Override the default values, and select Enable
accessibility support.
Note that the report options specified for the step appear in the Options and
prompt values column in the Job tab. To edit the report options again, click the
edit icon. To revert to the default settings, click the clear icon
.
Cognos Mobile accessibility features
The IBM Cognos Mobile application is fully accessible on iOS 7 and greater
devices. On these devices, when the VoiceOver feature is enabled, it acts as a
screen reader. Users can then navigate with a Bluetooth keyboard or with screen
gestures by using standard Apple keyboard shortcut commands. For more
information, see your device documentation.
The Cognos Mobile application includes extra keyboard shortcuts to help you
navigate in different views.
Keyboard shortcuts in Cognos Mobile
Keyboard shortcuts are defined for different views in the Cognos Mobile
application.
Keyboard shortcuts are defined for the following screens, spaces, and views:
v IBM Cognos Mobile home screen.
v My Reports, Imported Content, and Samples spaces.
v Browse and Search views.
v Report viewer.
v Enter Security Code window.
IBM Cognos Mobile home screen
When the VoiceOver feature is enabled on your iOS mobile device, you can use
Cognos Mobile keyboard shortcuts to navigate IBM Cognos Business Intelligence
in the Cognos Mobile home screen.
In the IBM Cognos Mobile home screen, use the following keyboard shortcut to
perform the following action:
Table 34. IBM Cognos Mobile home screen keyboard shortcuts
Action Keyboard shortcut
If a space connection has focus, open the Delete window. Ctrl+D
Appendix. Accessibility features 195
My Reports, Imported Content, and Samples spaces
When the VoiceOver feature is enabled on your iOS mobile device, you can use
Cognos Mobile keyboard shortcuts to navigate IBM Cognos Business Intelligence
in the My Reports, Imported Content, and Samples spaces.
Keyboard shortcuts trigger different actions that depend on which mode you are
in. The modes are default and edit.
Default mode
In default mode, use the following keyboard shortcuts to perform the following
actions:
Table 35. My Reports, Imported Content, and Samples spaces, default mode keyboard
shortcuts
Action Keyboard shortcut
Exit or minimize a space. Ctrl+X
Open browse and search views (My Reports space only). Ctrl+B
Refresh the list of reports. Ctrl+R
Edit the space title. Ctrl+T
Open or close the user authentication settings (My Reports
space only).
Ctrl+A
Open or close the wallpaper background settings. Ctrl+W
Enter or exit the report preview mode. Ctrl+P
Enter edit mode. Ctrl+D
Edit mode
In edit mode, use the following keyboard shortcuts to perform the following
actions:
Table 36. My Reports, Imported Content, and Samples spaces, edit mode keyboard
shortcuts
Action Keyboard shortcut
Return to default mode when you have finished editing. Ctrl+D
Select all if none are selected, or select none when all are
selected.
Ctrl+A
Swap a report with focus with the next report (retains
focus on the moved report).
Ctrl+S
Delete the selected reports and return to default mode. Delete
Browse and search views
When the VoiceOver feature is enabled on your iOS mobile device, you can use
Cognos Mobile keyboard shortcuts to navigate IBM Cognos Business Intelligence
in the browse and search views.
In the My Reports space, you can browse and search. In the browse and search
views, use the following keyboard shortcuts to perform the following actions:
196 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Table 37. Browse and search views keyboard shortcuts
Action Keyboard shortcut
Close the browse or the search view. Ctrl+X
Refresh the current browse or search page. Ctrl+R
Move to the next page. Opt+left or right arrow
If the Saved Output window is open, close it. Return or Enter
Report viewer
When the VoiceOver feature is enabled on your iOS mobile device, you can use
Cognos Mobile keyboard shortcuts to navigate IBM Cognos Business Intelligence
in the report viewer.
In the My Reports space, you view reports in the report viewer. Keyboard
shortcuts trigger different actions that depend on which mode you are in. The
modes are default and draw.
Default mode
In default mode, use the following keyboard shortcuts to perform the following
actions:
Table 38. Report viewer, default mode keyboard shortcuts
Action Keyboard shortcut
Close or minimize the report viewer. When drilling
through, go back to the source.
Ctrl+X
Open or close the page picker. Ctrl+P
Open or close the actions menu. Ctrl+A
Enter draw mode. Ctrl+D
Go to the next page. Ctrl+. (>)
Go to the previous page. Ctrl+, (<)
Draw mode
In draw mode, use the following keyboard shortcuts to perform the following
actions:
Table 39. Report viewer, draw mode keyboard shortcuts
Action Keyboard shortcut
Discard changes and exit draw mode. Ctrl+D
Share a report with annotation. Ctrl+M
When the Draw Box menu is open, increase the Draw Box
width by 10 pixels.
Ctrl+W
When the Draw Box menu is open, decrease the Draw Box
width by 10 pixels.
Ctrl+Shift+W
When the Draw Box menu is open, increase the Draw Box
height by 10 pixels.
Ctrl+H
When the Draw Box menu is open, decrease the Draw Box
height by 10 pixels.
Ctrl+Shift+H
Appendix. Accessibility features 197
Table 39. Report viewer, draw mode keyboard shortcuts (continued)
Action Keyboard shortcut
When the Draw Box menu is open, exit the Draw Box
menu.
Ctrl+X
Enter Security Code window
When the VoiceOver feature is enabled on your iOS mobile device, you can use
Cognos Mobile keyboard shortcuts to navigate IBM Cognos Business Intelligence
in the Enter Security Code window.
Use the following keyboard shortcuts to perform the following actions:
Table 40. Enter Security Code window keyboard shortcuts
Action Keyboard shortcut
Input your PIN. Numbers on the keyboard
Clear the last number that you input. Delete
Known issues
Cognos Mobile includes keyboard shortcuts to help you navigate and perform
tasks in IBM Cognos Business Intelligence by using only a keyboard. However, you
might encounter known issues with the iOS VoiceOver feature.
When viewing report content Cognos keyboard shortcuts do not
work
When the VoiceOver feature is enabled and you view report content such as the
report content in the report viewer, or in the Cognos Mobile home screen, the
Cognos Mobile keyboard commands do not work. To resolve this issue, move the
focus cursor back into the toolbar area.
Keyboard listener stops working when an item is tapped
When you view report content in the Cognos Mobile application, if you tap on an
item, the VoiceOver feature stops working. The workaround is to turn the
VoiceOver feature off and on again, or to navigate to another view and then return
to the original view to reset the VoiceOver feature.
Delete key does not work in text input fields
If you are in VoiceOver mode, the delete key does not work in text input fields in
the Cognos Mobile application. If you make a mistake and want to backspace to
delete a character, use the keyboard shortcut, Ctrl+Delete.
198 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
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200 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
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Notices 201
202 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Glossary
This glossary provides terms and definitions for
IBM Cognos Business Intelligence software and
products.
The following cross-references are used in this
glossary:
v See refers you from a nonpreferred term to the
preferred term or from an abbreviation to the
spelled-out form.
v See also refers you to a related or contrasting
term.
For other terms and definitions, see the IBM
Terminology website (opens in new window).
“A” “B” “C” on page 204 “D” on page 205 “E” on
page 206 “F” on page 206 “G” on page 206 “H”
on page 206 “I” on page 206 “J” on page 206 “L”
on page 207 “M” on page 207 “N” on page 208
“O” on page 208 “P” on page 208 “Q” on page
209 “R” on page 209 “S” on page 209 “T” on page
210 “U” on page 210 “V” on page 211 “W” on
page 211
A
access permission
A privilege that permits the access or use
of an object.
accountability scorecard
A scorecard that Metric Studio
automatically builds for each user which
contains the metrics and projects they
own.
active report
A report output type that provides a
highly interactive and easy-to-use
managed report that users can consume
offline. Active reports are built for
business users, allowing them to explore
their data and derive additional insight.
agent A process that performs an action on
behalf of a user or other program without
user intervention or on a regular
schedule, and reports the results back to
the user or program.
alias An alternative name used instead of a
primary name.
AnalyticsZone
An IBM online community for business
analytics. Users can download products
and extensible visualizations, view
publications and training materials, learn
about upcoming IBM events, and perform
other functions.
anonymous access
A type of access that allows users and
servers to access a server without first
authenticating with it.
application tier component
For installation, the set of processors that
access the query databases to gather
information and then render the results as
PDF and HTML reports and metrics.
Application tier components also pass
requests to Content Manager and render
the results that Content Manager retrieves
from the content store.
attribute
In BI Modeling, a characteristic of an
entity which is descriptive rather than a
unique identifier or an aggregative
measure.
authentication (AuthN)
The process of validating the identity of a
user or server.
authentication provider
The communication mechanism to an
external authentication source.
Functionalities, such as user
authentication, group membership, and
namespace searches, are made available
through authentication providers.
AuthN
See authentication.
B
burst To create several report results by running
a single report once. For example, the
user can create a report that shows sales
for each employee, and run it once,
sending different results to regional
managers by bursting on region.
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2005, 2015 203
burst key
The dimension or level of a query in the
report specification that is used to create,
or burst, a set of report results.
C
CA See certificate authority.
calculated member
A member of a dimension whose measure
values are not stored but are calculated at
run time using an expression.
canvas
An area within a dashboard or workspace
that users interact with to create, view,
and manipulate content and data.
capability
A group of functions and features that
can be hidden or revealed to simplify the
user interface. Capabilities can be enabled
or disabled by changing preference
settings, or they can be controlled through
an administration interface.
cardinality
1. For relational data sources, a
numerical indication of the
relationship between two query
subjects, query items, or other model
objects.
2. For OLAP data sources, the number of
members in a hierarchy. The
cardinality property for a hierarchy is
used to assign solve orders to
expressions.
cascading prompt
A prompt that uses values from a
previous prompt to filter the values in the
current prompt or pick list.
certificate
In computer security, a digital document
that binds a public key to the identity of
the certificate owner, thereby enabling the
certificate owner to be authenticated. A
certificate is issued by a certificate
authority and is digitally signed by that
authority. See also certificate authority.
certificate authority (CA)
A component that issues certificates to
each computer on which components are
installed.
CGI See Common Gateway Interface.
cipher suite
The combination of authentication, key
exchange algorithm, and the Secure
Sockets Layer (SSL) cipher specification
used for the secure exchange of data.
class style
A combination of formatting
characteristics, such as font, font size, and
border, that the user names and stores as
a set.
CM See Content Manager.
Common Gateway Interface (CGI)
An Internet standard for defining scripts
that pass information from a web server
to an application program, through an
HTTP request, and vice versa.
compatible query mode (CQM)
The query processing mode that is
consistent with version 8.4.1 of Cognos
Business Intelligence, and that is
maintained for upgrade success. See also
dynamic query mode.
condition
An expression that can be evaluated as
true, false, or unknown. It can be
expressed in natural language text, in
mathematically formal notation, or in a
machine-readable language.
constraint
1. A security specification that denies
one or more users the ability to access
a model component or to perform a
modeling or authoring task.
2. A restriction on the possible values
that users can enter in a field.
contact
A named email address to which reports
and agent e-mails can be sent. Contacts
are never authenticated.
content locale
A code that is used to set the language or
dialect used for browsers and report text,
and the regional preferences, such as
formats for time, date, money, money
expressions, and time of day.
Content Manager (CM)
The service that retrieves information
from the content store, and saves
information to the content store.
204 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
content store
A repository that is used to hold
specifications of reports, models, and data
sources.
CQM See compatible query mode.
credential
A set of information that grants a user or
process certain access rights.
cube A multidimensional representation of data
needed for online analytical processing,
multidimensional reporting, or
multidimensional planning applications.
custom set
In Analysis Studio, a named object which
can include filter rules, calculations, and
sort rules. Custom sets can define a set of
members that is different from any set
originally defined in the cube model. See
also predefined set, set.
D
dashboard
A web page that can contain one or more
widgets that graphically represent
business data.
data source
The source of data itself, such as a
database or XML file, and the connection
information necessary for accessing the
data.
data source connection
The named information that defines the
type of data source, its physical location,
and any sign-on requirements. A data
source can have more than one
connection.
data tree
See metadata tree.
deployment
The process of moving an application
(such as a report or model) to a different
instance. For example, reports are often
created in a test environment and then
deployed to production. When an
application is deployed, it is exported,
transferred, and imported.
deployment archive
A file used for deployment. A deployment
archive contains the data from the content
store that is being moved.
deployment specification
A definition of what objects to move
(deploy) between a source and target
environment, the deployment preferences,
and the archive name. Deployment
specifications are used for import and
export.
derived index
A calculated metric that provides a status
and a score based on other metrics.
details-based set
A set based on an item and its immediate
details. See also set.
dimension
A broad grouping of descriptive data
about a major aspect of a business, such
as products, dates, or locations. Each
dimension includes different levels of
members in one or more hierarchies and
an optional set of calculated members or
special categories.
dimensional data source
A data source containing data modeled
using OLAP multidimensional concepts,
including dimensions, hierarchies, and
measures.
dimensional modeled relational data (DMR)
Metadata that has been modeled to
present relational data (tables, columns,
joins) as dimensions (members,
measures).
DMR See dimensional modeled relational data.
DQM See dynamic query mode.
drill down
In a multidimensional representation of
data, to access information by starting
with a general category and moving
downwards through the hierarchy of
information, for example from Years to
Quarters to Months.
dynamic cube
An in-memory multidimensional
representation of a subset of a data
warehouse.
dynamic query mode (DQM)
A Java-based query execution mode that
provides native access to data sources. It
optimizes queries to address query
complexity and large data volumes. It
provides advanced query capabilities,
such as in-memory caching, that benefits
Glossary 205
query planning, execution, and results.
See also compatible query mode.
E
encryption
In computer security, the process of
transforming data into an unintelligible
form in such a way that the original data
either cannot be obtained or can be
obtained only by using a decryption
process.
event A change to a state, such as the
completion or failure of an operation,
business process, or human task, that can
trigger a subsequent action, such as
persisting the event data to a data
repository or invoking another business
process.
event key
A combination of data items that uniquely
defines an event instance. Identifying an
event instance enables the agent to
determine if it is new, ongoing or
stopped.
event list
The set of detected event instances
evaluated by the task execution rules to
determine which agent tasks should be
performed.
F
fact See measure.
G
gateway
An extension of a web server program
that transfers information from the web
server to another server. Gateways are
often CGI programs, but may follow other
standards such as ISAPI and Apache
modules.
glyph The actual shape (bit pattern, outline) of a
character image. For example, italic A and
roman A are two different glyphs
representing the same underlying
character. Strictly speaking, any two
images which differ in shape constitute
different glyphs. In this usage, glyph is a
synonym for character image, or simply
image (The Unicode Standard - Version
1.0).
group A collection of users who can share access
authorities for protected resources.
grouping
In reporting, the process of organizing
identical values of query items together
and only displaying the value once.
H
hierarchy
The organization of a set of entities into a
tree structure, with each entity (except the
root) having one or more parent entities
and an arbitrary number of child entities.
I
information card
A display of high-level information about
dashboard, workspace, or report content,
such as owner, contact information, date
modified, and an optional thumbnail view
of the dashboard, workspace, or report.
information pane
In Analysis Studio, a pane that helps the
user to confirm their selection in the data
tree by displaying related information,
such as the level and attributes.
initiative
A task developed to achieve objectives or
close the gap between performance and
targets. Initiatives are associated with
individual objectives and often known as
projects, actions, or activities.
item See member.
J
job A group of runnable objects, such as
reports, agents, and other jobs that the
user runs and schedules as a batch.
job step
The smallest part of a job that can be run
separately. A job step can be a report or it
can be another job.
206 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
L
layout The arrangement of displayed matter on a
screen or page, such as including margins,
line spacing, type specification, header
and footer information, and indents.
lease key
A timed encryption mechanism that
governs authenticated access to stored
content on a mobile device.
level A set of entities or members that form
one section of a hierarchy in a dimension
and represent the same type of object. For
example, a geographical dimension might
contain levels for region, state, and city.
locale A setting that identifies language or
geography and determines formatting
conventions such as collation, case
conversion, character classification, the
language of messages, date and time
representation, and numeric
representation.
local storage
A device accessed directly (without
telecommunications) from the user's
system, where information can be
retained and later retrieved.
M
macro A fragment of code that can be inserted in
a number of locations in models and
reports, such as calculation and filter
expressions and SQL statements. Macros
can include references to session
parameters, parameter maps, parameter
map entries, and use functions to
dynamically customize applications. With
macros, a single report can address
different business scenarios.
MDX See Multidimensional Expression
Language.
measure
A performance indicator that is
quantifiable and used to determine how
well a business is operating. For example,
measures can be Revenue,
Revenue/Employee, and Profit Margin
percent.
member
A unique item within a hierarchy. For
example, Camping Equipment and 4 Man
tent are members of the Products
hierarchy.
metadata tree
Within a studio, a structure that contains
objects such as query subjects, query
items, dimensions, levels, and members.
A metadata tree is used as a palette of the
available data that can be inserted into
calculations, filters, display areas, and
other authoring gestures.
metric A measurement that assesses a key area
of a business.
metric extract
A set of mappings between an existing
Cognos data source and a Metric Studio
object or value. For example, a cube
measure named Revenue is mapped to a
Metric Studio metric named Revenue
Actual Value.
metric package
In Cognos Connection, a representation of
a Metric Studio application. A metric
package contains connection information,
reports, and metric management tasks for
that application. See also package.
metric store
A database that contains content for
metric packages. A metric store also
contains Metric Studio settings, such as
user preferences.
metric type
A category of metrics that defines the
business rules such as performance
pattern, units, and meaning of a group of
metrics. For example, Revenue can be a
metric type, and European Revenue and
North American Revenue would be
metrics of this type.
model A physical or business representation of
the structure of the data from one or more
data sources. A model describes data
objects, structure, and grouping, as well
as relationships and security. In Cognos
BI, a model is created and maintained in
Framework Manager. The model or a
subset of the model must be published to
the Cognos server as a package for users
to create and run reports.
multidimensional data source
See dimensional data source.
Glossary 207
Multidimensional Expression Language (MDX)
A query language for dimensional
sources.
N
named set
See predefined set.
namespace
A part of the model in which the names
may be defined and used. Within a
namespace, each name has a unique
meaning.
news item
A single entry in a Really Simple
Syndication (RSS) compatible format. It
can include a headline, text, and a link to
more information. A news item task in an
agent can be used to create news items
for display in a Cognos Connection
portlet.
O
object In Report Studio, an empty information
container that can be dragged to a report
from the Toolbox tab and then filled with
data. Reports are made up of objects,
which include crosstabs, text items,
calculations, graphics, and tables.
object extract
An extract that defines the metadata for a
Metric Studio object, such as a user
defined column, a scorecard, or a data
source.
P
package
A subset of a model, which can be the
whole model, to be made available to the
Cognos server. See also metric package.
page set
In Report Studio, a set of one or more
designed pages which repeat in the report
output for each instance of a chosen
query item. See also set.
passport
Session-based information, stored and
encrypted in Content Manager memory,
regarding authenticated users. A passport
is created the first time a user accesses
Cognos 8, and it is retained until a
session ends, either when the user logs off
or after a specified period of inactivity.
personal identification number (PIN)
In Cryptographic Support, a unique
number assigned by an organization to an
individual and used as proof of identity.
PINs are commonly assigned by financial
institutions to their customers.
PIN See personal identification number.
portlet
A reusable component that is part of a
web application that provides specific
information or services to be presented in
the context of a portal.
predefined set
A set of members defined inside an OLAP
data source as a list or by an expression.
Predefined sets can be used in analysis
and report authoring. See also custom set,
set.
product locale
The code or setting that specifies which
language, regional settings, or both to use
for parts of the product interface, such as
menu commands.
project
1. In Metric Designer, a group of
extracts. Each extract contains the
metadata that is used to populate the
Metric Studio data store or to create
applications.
2. In Metric Studio, a task or set of tasks
undertaken by a team and monitored
on a scorecard. A project tracks dates,
resources, and status.
prompt
A report element that asks for parameter
values before the report is run.
properties pane
Within a studio, a pane that provides an
overview of the properties for selected
data. The properties pane can also be
used to make several changes and apply
them at the same time, instead of
repeating several different commands.
publish
In Cognos Business Intelligence, to expose
information to the Cognos server so that
the data can be used to create reports and
other content.
208 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Q
query A business question formulated in Cognos
Business Intelligence in a studio or
modeling tool that retrieves data from a
data source.
query item
A named reference in a model or report to
a database column, a calculation, or a
query item in another query subject.
query subject
A named collection of query items that
are functionally related. This is
conceptually similar to a query which is
defined to a database or view.
R
Rapidly Adaptive Visualization Engine (RAVE)
A system for the general visualization of
all forms of data. RAVE is embedded
within IBM Cognos Business Intelligence,
and provides the ability for innovative
and interactive visualizations.
RAVE See Rapidly Adaptive Visualization
Engine.
Really Simple Syndication (RSS)
An XML file format for syndicated web
content that is based on the Really Simple
Syndication specification (RSS 2.0). The
RSS XML file formats are used by Internet
users to subscribe to websites that have
provided RSS feeds. See also Rich Site
Summary.
repeater
In Report Studio, a cell container that
repeats values within itself with no
predefined internal structure.
repeater table
In Report Studio, a table-like container
that repeats cells across and down the
page or row in the associated query.
report A set of data deliberately laid out to
communicate business information. See
also report specification.
report output
The output produced as a result of
executing a report specification against a
data set.
report specification
An executable definition of a report,
including query and layout rules, which
can be combined with data to produce a
report output. See also report.
report view
A reference to another report that has its
own properties, such as prompt values,
schedules, and results. Report views can
be used to share a report specification
instead of making copies of it.
response file
A file that can be customized with the
setup and configuration data that
automates an installation. During an
interactive installation, the setup and
configuration data must be entered, but
with a response file, the installation can
proceed without any intervention.
reverse proxy
An IP-forwarding topology where the
proxy is on behalf of the back-end HTTP
server. It is an application proxy for
servers using HTTP.
Rich Site Summary (RSS)
An XML-based format for syndicated web
content that is based on the RSS 0.91
specification. The RSS XML file formats
are used by Internet users to subscribe to
websites that have provided RSS feeds.
See also Really Simple Syndication.
RSS
1. See Rich Site Summary.
2. See Really Simple Syndication.
S
score A number or ranking that expresses
applicability in relation to a standard.
scorecard
A collection of metrics representing the
performance of one unit or aspect of an
organization.
scorecard structure
The hierarchy of scorecards that reflects
how an enterprise organizes its metrics.
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
A security protocol that provides
communication privacy. With SSL,
client/server applications can
communicate in a way that is designed to
Glossary 209
prevent eavesdropping, tampering, and
message forgery. See also certificate
authority.
security provider
See authentication provider.
selection-based set
A collection of individual items that the
user has explicitly selected. The items or
members may be selected from one or
more levels of the same hierarchy. See
also set.
session
The time during which an authenticated
user is logged on.
set A collection of related items or members.
Members in a set may be specifically
chosen, or selected by one or more filter
rules. In relational query processing, a set
is produced by several operations, such as
UNION, INTERSECT, and EXCEPT. See
also custom set, details-based set, page
set, predefined set, selection-based set,
stacked set.
SSL See Secure Sockets Layer.
stacked set
Two or more sets arranged one above
another in rows or side-by-side in
columns. See also set.
strategy
The overall plan of action (such as for a
brand unit, business unit, channel, or
company) to achieve a stated goal.
Strategies normally cover a period of
more than one year.
strategy map
In Metric Studio, a visual representation
of the strategy and the objectives of that
strategy for an organization. For example,
a strategy map may show employees how
their jobs are aligned to the overall
objectives of the organization.
summary
In reporting and analysis, an aggregate
value that is calculated for all the values
of a particular level or dimension.
Examples of summaries include total,
minimum, maximum, average, and count.
T
task An action performed by an agent if the
event status meets the task execution
rules. For example, an agent can send an
email, publish a news item, or run a
report.
task execution rule
A user-specified option within an agent
that determines which statuses and values
cause a task to be run. It determines
which tasks to execute for each event
instance.
template
In report authoring, a reusable report
layout or style that can be used to set the
presentation of a query or report.
thumbnail
An icon-sized rendering of a larger
graphic image that permits a user to
preview the image without opening a
view or graphical editor.
TLS See Transport Layer Security.
Transport Layer Security (TLS)
A set of encryption rules that uses
verified certificates and encryption keys
to secure communications over the
Internet. TLS is an update to the SSL
protocol.
tuple An ordered collection of two or more
members from different dimensions. For
example, the tuple (2007, Camping
Equipment, Japan) returns the value for
the intersection of the three members:
2007, Camping Equipment, and Japan.
Tuples can be used to filter and sort data,
and to create calculations.
U
union set
See stacked set.
user Any individual, organization, process,
device, program, protocol, or system that
uses the services of a computing system.
user-defined column
In metric management, a column used to
represent a value other than the actual or
target. It may be an industry benchmark
or any other useful additional numerical
information for a period, including a
calculation based on the other values of
210 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
the metric. User-defined columns may be
different for each metric type.
user interface profile
A profile that defines the default behavior,
set of features, and the functionality that
is available to a user in the Report Studio
and Cognos Workspace Advanced user
interfaces.
V
virtual private network (VPN)
An extension of a company intranet over
the existing framework of either a public
or private network. A VPN ensures that
the data that is sent between the two
endpoints of its connection remains
secure.
visualization bundle
A compressed file that contains
information required for report authors to
add an extensible visualization to reports.
visualization library
A collection of extensible visualizations
that are imported into IBM Cognos
Administration for use in Report Studio
and Cognos Workspace Advanced.
VPN See virtual private network.
W
watch list
A list of metrics that each user has chosen
to monitor closely. If notification is
enabled in Metric Studio, the user will
receive email notification of changes to
these metrics. Users can also choose to
display their watch list as a portlet within
Cognos Connection.
watch rule
A user-defined condition that determines
whether a report is delivered to the user.
When the rule is run, the output is
evaluated and, if it satisfies the condition
or rule, the report is delivered by email or
news item. Watch rules limit report
delivery to those reports containing data
of significance to the user.
Web Services for Remote Portlets
A standard for creating
presentation-oriented web services so that
they can be easily integrated within other
applications, such as web portals.
widget
A portable, reusable application or piece
of dynamic content that can be placed
into a web page, receive input, and
communicate with an application or with
another widget.
work area
The area within a studio that contains the
report, analysis, query, or agent currently
being used.
workspace
See dashboard.
Glossary 211
212 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
Index
A
access permissions
See also permissions
credentials 46
granting or denying 44
ownership of entries 44
pages 52
setting 45
users 40
accessibility features 193, 195
accessibility know issues
deleting in text input fields 199
tapping while in VoiceOver mode 198
viewing report content 198
accessibility support
enabling 193
accessible reports
creating 193
acknowledging
notification requests 163
actions
credentials 46
permissions 40
active reports 68
activities
managing 179
ad-hoc tasks
actioning 154, 157
archiving 163
cancelling 161
changing recipients for 157
claiming 157
comments 154, 159
completing 160
creating 156
deadlines 159
priority 159
revoking ownership of 159
starting 160
stopping 160
subscribing to email notifications for 155
adding
comments 94
agents 145
adding yourself to alert list 149
allowing alert list 148
creating from IBM Cognos Connection 148
deleting alert list 149
most recent event list 151
news item headlines 150
opening from IBM Cognos Connection 148
properties 16, 146
removing yourself from alert list 149
rerunning failed 189
running 145
viewing 147
alert lists
allowing for agents 148
allowing for reports 87
deleting for agents 149
removing for agents 149
alert lists (continued)
removing from watch items 38
reports 88
viewing in IBM Cognos Connection 37
Analysis Studio
cubes 67
report properties 14
reports 67
setting up drill-through targets 129
approval requests
actioning 154, 157
approving 160
archiving 163
cancelling 161
changing recipients for 157
claiming 157
comments 154, 159
completing 160
deadlines 159
priority 159
rejecting 160
revoking ownership of 159
starting 160
stopping 160
subscribing to email notifications for 155
approving
approval request 160
archiving
ad-hoc tasks 163
approval requests 163
notification requests 163
tasks 163
authentication
prompts 45
users 7
B
bidirectional support
bidirectional text 36
structured text 36
bookmarks
creating for drill-through access 120
creating for IBM Cognos BI entries 10
bursting
improved processing 2
reports 99
business keys
using for drill-through 122
C
cancel entry run 180
cancelling
ad-hoc task 161
approval request 161
changed features in version 10.2.0 3
claiming
ad-hoc tasks 157
approval requests 157
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2005, 2015
213
Cognos Connection
return to application 191
Cognos Statistics
removal in version 10.2.1 2
comments 93
ad-hoc task 154, 159
adding in IBM Cognos Viewer 94
approval request 154, 159
deleting in IBM Cognos Viewer 94
enabling 93
modifying in IBM Cognos Viewer 94
viewing in IBM Cognos Viewer 94
completing
ad-hoc task 160
approval request 160
contacts
creating 100
content
setting languages 35
copying
entries 19
creating
watch rules for a specific condition 90
watch rules for different condition status indicators 91
creating a personal data set 111
creating a visualization 115
creating packages
for PowerCubes 107
for SAP BW 108
credentials 7
change schedule 172
data source 48
trusted 46
CSV formatting
reports 81
cubes 67
Analysis Studio 67
IBM Cognos Series 7 104
IBM Cognos Series 7 multilingual properties 105
opening IBM Cognos Series 7 105
currencies
displaying mixed 67
current
activities 180
entries 180
current run
advanced options 72
report options 71
customizing
portals 35
D
dashboards
See also pages
adding global filters 59
adding interactivity 60
creating 58
drill-through actions 65
drill-up and drill-down actions 64
global filters 60
Multi-page portlet 58
types 50
data
viewing lineage 77
data modeling 107
data sources
credentials 48
securing against multiple namespaces 45
signon 48
view for package 109
data stores
conformed dimensions 121
dates
using for drill-through access 124
deadlines
approval requests 159
defaults
agent properties 146
PowerPlay reports 105
report languages 83
report prompt values 83
report run options 69
deleting
entries 24
pages 51
tabs 56
denying access 44
deprecated features in version 10.2.0 4
deprecated features in version 10.2.1 2
dimensions
conformed for drill-through access 121
directories,
See folders
disabling
access to reports 67
entries 21
selection-based interactivity 96
displaying
mixed currencies 67
distributing reports 96, 100
burst 99
email 97
distribution lists
creating 100
downloading IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office documents in
IBM Cognos Connection 166
drill down 102
drill through,
See drilling through
drill up 102
drill-down actions
IBM Cognos Viewer portlet 64
lineage 77
pages and dashboards 64
drill-through actions
IBM Cognos Viewer portlet 65
pages and dashboards 65
drill-up actions
IBM Cognos Viewer portlet 64
pages and dashboards 64
drilling through 117
business keys 122
concepts 118
defining access in packages 125, 127
example from OLAP to relational packages 141
IBM Cognos Visualizer reports 138
members and values 121
model-based access 118
packages 120
passing multiple values 103
paths 118
PowerCubes and packages 124
214 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
drilling through (continued)
PowerPlay reports 139
report formats 119
report-based access 118
selection contexts 119
setting up in packages 125, 127
setting up target parameters 127
setting up targets in Analysis Studio 129
specifying drill-through text 138
target report 102
using bookmarks 120
using dates 124
using scope in model-based reporting 123
using URLs 120
with conformed dimensions 121
E
editing
pages 52
reports 77
email attachment settings
configuring for larger attachments 98
email notifications
ad-hoc task 155
approval request 155
emailing reports 97
enabling
comments 93
communication between portlets 54
entries 11, 21
entries
agents 145
cancel run 180
copying 19
creating bookmarks 10
current 180
deleting 24
disabling 21
enabling 11, 21
hiding 22
managing 179
moving 20
ordering 24
organizing 18
past 181
properties 11
renaming 18, 20
rerunning failed 189
run history 187
run priority 186
scheduled 185
scheduling 171
scheduling based on occurrences 176
scheduling last day of month 172
searching 27
selecting links 23
specifying alternative icon 26
suspend run 180
suspended 183
upcoming 182
viewing 23
Event Studio
agents 145
events
viewing most recent 151
example - creating a visualization using Cognos Workspace
Advanced 115
Excel reports
formatting 80
tab names 1
execute permissions 39
F
failed entries
rerunning 189
filtering
drilling through from IBM Cognos Series 7 to IBM Cognos
BI 139
folders
creating 25
My Folders 25
ordering 24
personal 25
public 25
formatting
reports 79
reports in CSV format 81
reports in Excel format 80
reports in HTML 79
reports in XML 80
G
global filters
IBM Cognos Viewer portlet 62
in multi-tabbed dashboards 59
pages and dashboards 60
using metrics 61
glossary 203
go back
to previous application 191
granting access 44
H
hidden entries 22
viewing 23
hiding
entries 22
home pages
setting 57
HTML
formatting reports 79
human tasks 153
I
IBM Cognos BI
using report data in Microsoft Office 165
IBM Cognos Connection 7
agents 148
downloading IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office
documents 166
downloading Microsoft Office documents 166
search 26
search options 26
IBM Cognos Connection styles 35
IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office
deploying the client components 165
Index
215
IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office (continued)
downloading documents in IBM Cognos Connection 166
macro seciurity level for Microsoft Office XP 166
SSL 166
using IBM Cognos report data in Microsoft Office 165
IBM Cognos Series 7
opening cubes 105
PowerPlay reports and cubes 104
reports in IBM Cognos Connection 104
IBM Cognos Viewer portlet
drill-down actions 64
drill-through actions 65
drill-up actions 64
global filters 62
IBM Cognos Visualizer reports
setting up drill-through access to IBM Cognos BI 138
IBM Cognos Workspace
workspaces 191
IBM InfoSphere Business Glossary
accessing in IBM Cognos Viewer 77
IBM Metadata Workbench
lineage solution 77
icons
specifying alternative for entry 26
importing a file to a personal data set 111
interactivity in pages and dashboards 60
J
jobs
creating accessible output 193
delivery options 15
properties 15
rerunning failed 189
scheduling 173
steps 173
submission of steps 15
K
keyboard shortcuts 195
Browse and search views 196
Enter Security Code window 198
IBM Cognos Mobile home screen 195
My Reports, Imported Content, and Samples spaces 196
Report viewer 197
L
languages
choosing for reports 81
defaults for reports 83
SAP BW data sources 81
lineage
drill-down actions 77
IBM Metadata Workbench 77
viewing 77
links
entries 23
logging off 8
logging on 7
multiple namespaces 45
M
members
drill-through access 121
metadata 107
Microsoft .NET Framework 165
Microsoft Excel
using IBM Cognos report data in workbooks 165
Microsoft Office
using IBM Cognos report data in workbooks and
presentations 165
Microsoft Office documents
downloading from IBM Cognos BI 166
Microsoft PowerPoint
using IBM Cognos report data in presentations 165
models 107
modifying a personal data set 112
moving
entries 20
Multi-page portlet
creating dashboards 58
My Data Sets 2
My Data Sets page 114
My Folders,
See folders
my inbox
filtering tasks in 154
opening 153
viewing 153
N
named sets
limitations 104
namespaces
multiple 45
new features in version 10.2.0 3
new features in version 10.2.1 2
new features in version 10.2.1.1 2
new features in version 10.2.2 1
news item headlines
receiving 150
notification requests 161
acknowledging 163
archiving 163
creating 162
reading 163
null-value suppression 107
O
opening
agents from IBM Cognos Connection 148
Cognos Workspace 191
reports 69
options
advanced current run 72
current report run 71
report run defaults 69
ordering
entries 24
folders 24
organizing
entries 18
owner
ad-hoc tasks 157
approval requests 157
216 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
P
packages 107
administering 107
create in IBM Cognos BI 107
creating for PowerCubes 107
creating for SAP BW 108
drilling through 120
editing SAP BW 108
setting up drill-through access 125, 127
view associated data source 109
pages
See also dashboards
access permissions 52
adding interactivity 60
content 50
creating 51
creating tabs 54
deleting 51
deleting tabs 56
drill-through actions 65
drill-up and drill-down actions 64
editing 52
global filters 60
home 57
managing in IBM Cognos Connection 50
properties 17
sharing 52
paper sizes
defining 14
past
activities 181
entries 181
PDF format
reports 80
PDF security
setting in reports 80
permissions
See also access permissions
actions 40
execute 39
granting or denying 44
parent/child 44
properties 13
read 39
set policy 39
traverse 39
write 39
permissions and permitted actions
Cognos Workspace
reports, report parts, folders, workspaces 41
personal data to create reports 2
personal folders,
See folders
portal 35
portals 7
personalizing IBM Cognos Connection 35
portlets
enabling communication 54
modifying 53
potential owners
ad-hoc tasks 157
approval requests 157
PowerCubes
creating packages 107
PowerPlay
changing report defaults 105
report properties 14
PowerPlay (continued)
using PowerPlay report authoring tools 104
PowerPlay reports
setting up drill-through access to IBM Cognos BI 139
PowerPlay Web Explorer
working with cubes 105
preferences
viewing hidden entries 23
preferences,
See IBM Cognos Connection styles
printing reports 99
priority
ad-hoc tasks 159
approval requests 159
product languages
setting 35
prompts
cache data 173
scheduled entries 169, 170
specifying default report values 83
properties
agents 16, 146
contacts 11
entries 11
formats 14
jobs 15
languages 11, 14
multilingual 82
multilingual IBM Cognos Series 7 reports and cubes 105
owners 11
pages 17
permissions 13
prompt values 14
report output versions 11
rules 17
run histories 11
running as the owner 14
screen tips 11
shortcuts 11
source reports 11
public folders 25
publishing a data set 113
Q
Query Studio
creating reports without data 75
report properties 14
reports 67
R
read permissions 39
reading
notification requests 163
refresh
cache data 173
rejecting
approval request 160
renaming
entries 18, 20
renewing
trusted credentials 46, 47
reordering
tabs 56
Index
217
report output files
saving 84
report output format restrictions 1
report output histories
how long to keep 87
report output versions
keeping 86
report outputs
deleting 85
viewing 85
viewing archived 86
Report Studio
report properties 14
reports 67
reports 8, 67
accessibility for the disabled 67
active 68
adding multilingual properties 82
adding to alert list 88
advanced current run options 72
allowing alert lists 87
Analysis Studio 67
bursting 99
changing PowerPlay defaults 105
choosing languages 81
comments 93
creating 75
creating accessible 193
creating distribution lists 100
creating in Query Studio without data 75
creating views 76
CSV formats 81
current run options 71
default languages 83
default options 69
distributing 96
drilling down 102
drilling up 102
editing 77
emailing 97
enabling comments 93
enabling watch rules 90
Excel formats 80
formats 79
from personal data 2
Generate CSV Output 79
generate output capabilities 79
Generate PDF Output 79
Generate XLS Output 79
Generate XML Output 79
HTML formats 79
IBM Cognos Series 7 104
IBM Cognos Series 7 in IBM Cognos Connection 104
IBM Cognos Series 7 multilingual properties 105
opening 69
PDF format 80
printing 99
Query Studio 67
removing from alert list 88
removing users from alert list 89
Report Studio 67
rerunning failed 189
restricting access to output formats 79
running 8, 69
running with owner capabilities 74
saving 96
scheduling 169
reports (continued)
scheduling last day of month 172
scheduling views 169
specifying default prompt values 83
viewing 69
viewing archived versions 86
viewing older versions 85
watch rules 89
XML formats 80
return
to previous application 191
return icon 191
revoking
ad-hoc tasks 159
approval requests 159
rules
properties 17
run as the owner
with capabilities only 74
run history
how long to keep 188
scheduled entries 170
viewing 187
run priority 186
running
agents 145
entry history 187
reports 8, 69
S
sample reports
Profit Margin and Revenue by Country or Region 141
Total Revenue by Country or Region 141
SAP BW
creating packages 108
packages, editing 108
SAP BW data sources
languages 81
saving
report output files 84
reports 96
scheduled entries
creating accessible output 193
schedules
changing credentials 172
creating for last day of month 172
credentials 46
entries 171
entries based on occurrences 176
jobs 173
last day of month 172
manage upcoming activities 182
managing 169, 185, 187
managing suspended entries 183
multiple entries 173
prompts 169, 170
reports and report views 169
run history 170
trigger-based 175
scope
using in drill-through access 123
search
multilingual 31
search options 26
searching
entries 27
218 IBM Cognos Connection Version 10.2.2: User Guide
security
access permissions 39
setting for PDF output 80
selection-based interactivity 96
set policy permissions 39
setting
access permissions 45
advanced current run options 72
current run report options 71
default report options 69
home pages 57
sharing
pages 52
shortcuts
creating 8
source reports 8
signons
data sources 48
skins,
See styles
source reports
shortcuts 8
SSL
configuring for IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office 166
stakeholders
ad-hoc tasks 157
approval requests 157
starting
ad-hoc task 160
approval request 160
stopping
ad-hoc task 160
approval request 160
structured text 36
styles
choosing in IBM Cognos Connection 35
pages 51
suppressing
null values 107
suspend
entries 180
T
tab names
Excel 2007 1
tabs
adding 55
deleting 56
managing 54
reordering 56
target reports
creating for drilling through from IBM Cognos Series
7 139
tasks
acknowledging 163
actioning 154, 157
archiving 163
cancelling 161
claiming 157
comments 154, 159
completing 160
deadlines 159
email notifications 155
filtering 154
tasks (continued)
notification requests 161
owner 157
potential owner 157
priority 159
revoking ownership of 159
stakeholders 157
starting 160
stopping 160
task inbox 153
viewing archive 164
time zones
setting 35
traverse
permissions 39
trigger-based scheduling 175
trusted credentials 46
creating 46
renewing 46, 47
scheduling 46
U
upcoming activities 182
URLs
creating 9
users
anonymous logon 7
classes and permissions 40
V
versions
viewing archived reports 86
viewing older reports 85
viewing reports 69
views
agent 147
report 76
W
watch items
removing alert lists 38
rule properties 17
viewing in IBM Cognos Connection 37
watch rules 89
creating for a specific condition 90
creating for different condition status indicators 91
defining alert details 92
deleting in IBM Cognos Viewer 92
enabling 90
modifying in Cognos Viewer 92
viewing in IBM Cognos Connection 37
viewing in IBM Cognos Viewer 92
workspaces
IBM Cognos Workspace 191
write permissions 39
X
XML formatting
reports 80
Index
219
