Dynamic Cubes: Predefined relative time members

[andy_mason_84]

Hi,

Does anyone know what Cognos actually does when it creates the predefined relative time members in Dynamic Cubes.

In particular Current Month?

Thanks,

AM

[raztos]

@andy_mason_84:

Cognos should somehow generate the Relative-Time members but what is the bigger issue I am not able to set Current Period for levels (Year, Quarter, Month) that been generated by settings Time-Relative type of dimension. I did open ticket for Cognos Support to take a look on it. It is in the middle of process. I leave a message.

Note: Using Cube Designer 10.2.1 with FixPack 5

[bus_pass_man]

Current month is calculated like any other relative time member from any other time level.

It takes the value specified in the current period property of the level.  The value needs to be a scalar value.   The dynamic cube matches that value to the business key value of a member which is in the parent current period (for example, in a year, quarter, month, day time dimension current month's current period value would need to be a value for a month which is member in the current quarter).

If the value is wrong then no relative time members will be generated.  There will be a log file entry along the lines of relative time member {blah} could not be found.

Not all of the levels need an explicitly defined current period value.   Higher levels will derive their current period from the current period value specified by a level below them.  Lower levels will   For example, assume a year, quarter, month, day time dimension.   Assume that you have specified a value for the month level current period.   Year and quarter will have the appropriate current period members.  Day will have the last member of the level within the current month as its current period member.

[andy_mason_84]

Hi Again,

Thanks for the replies.

So we have recently noticed that if you don't explicitly set the Current Periods (which we dont) it sets the current period with the last (rightmost) member in that dimension.

So if you have YEAR > QUARTER > MONTH hierarchy it finds the last month and sets that current period and then works everything else out from there which is helpful.

BUT it also gives you Year-to-date and Quarter-to-date and Prior Quarter-to-date.  Now the new question is what is it using for the -do-date field.

Today is the 6th March but we only have months in our cube dimension (we have dates in the DB table) so am I right in thinking it cannot possible know that YTD should only show facts between the 1st April and the 6th march where as Current Year would show 1st April to 31st March?

Or if we dont have days in our dimension will Current Year and Year-to-date always be the same?

Answers on a postcard please  :D

Cheers,

AM