Data movement between environments

[Cognos_World]

Hi Planning Gurus,

I tried various options, but not able to get this simplified.
I want to move my prod data (just the data, not the d-lists, d-links etc.) to test environment. I already did lot of work in test env so I don't want to do a deployment which will erase all the changes done in test.

Any ideas how this can be accomplished?
Thanks for reading and appreciate your time.

[ericlfg]

Hi 'World,

I think you'd likely want to leverage Admin links in the test environment to populate the new test application with data from production.  You'd import a deployment from Prod into test and build the links.  This would leave your new analyst model and application intact and populate the 'old' areas with current production data while leaving the new areas un-populated (as expected).

When you're ready, you would then move the test application back into production, overwriting the application.

Perhaps someone else knows of another way... but that's how I would do it.

[Cognos_World]

Thanks Eric.
Will this option work for Cognos Planning Analyst? We are not using the Contributor.

Thanks much...

[ericlfg]

No, this method is only for Contributor applications. 

I can see 2 ways of accomplishing this:

1. Create a copy of the production libraries for the purposes of populating the test application with production data.
2. Use the export functions to export the analyst data to flat files and create file maps to bring it back in.

Copy:
The premise would be that you would create a copy of the libraries in Production, so that it has a unique library number and would contain all of the production data.  You would then move the copy to test.  The reason you would move the copy is due to the inability to have libraries with the same number added at the same time.  At this point now that you have the copied production libraries added to test, you can build d-links to populate the test application.  Keep the d-links in another library called migration, or something to that effect.

I will warn you that you have to be extremely diligent and attentive when doing this, as if you delete members mistakenly and add them back, the background GUID will change.  This will break the links you've created.

Export:
You would use the d-cube export options to export the data from the cubes into flat files.  You then move the flat files to test and create file maps to 'target' the test applications cubes.

*Note: I have not tested either of these methods and I would suggest that if you're going to give either a try, backup your libraries prior to making any changes.

Cheers

[jeffowentn]

Excellent response, Eric. 

I would also add, depending on the size of the d-cubes, you may do well to simply create d-links to pull the data from the "copy of prod" to the test library and save the step of creating file maps....

Just a thought...

[Cognos_World]

Thanks Eric and Thanks Jeff. I was able to get this accomplished.

Thank you!