Cognos Analytics Dashboards

[MFGF]

Welcome to the new Cognos Analytics boards on Cognoise. The Cognos Analytics release introduces a number big changes and new innovations, and we have created a set of boards to fit around the new UI changes and capabilities.

Cognos Analytics Dashboards are an entirely new technology for IBM Cognos. In Cognos 10.2.2, dashboards were usually created in Cognos Workspace, and allowed users to drag in existing reports or report parts and assemble them on one or more pages. Cognos Workspace continues to exist in the initial GA release of Cognos Analytics, but it is not the Dashboards technology referred to here. In Cognos Analytics, a dashboard is created from one or more data resources - either uploaded files, or data modules. You do not need to create reports beforehand (as with Cognos Workspace) - you bring in items of data and assemble them on your page. Cognos Analytics Dashboards will determine the most intuitive way to present the data you select, and will automatically create the appropriate data container. You can drop items of data over existing containers on the page, and the dashboard will re-assess the presentation format automatically, and change it where required. If you have used IBM Watson Analytics previously, you will know what I mean - Cognos Analytics Dashboards is essentially the same technology as the "Assemble" piece of Watson Analytics. You have a wealth of visualizations to choose from, along with data players that will cycle through data values. Filtering and association is automatically enabled, so you can select a value in one part of the dashboard and watch the other parts react to your selection(s). Cognos Analytics Dashboards are designed to be simple, intuitive and fun to create and use. I would encourage you to "have a go" and find out how it works.

Cheers!

MF.

[mrcool]

Hi MF,

Is it not pssible to create dashboards out of a model?I couldn't use existing reports, models to create the dashboard. Only upload file option is working.

Thanks,
Mc

[MFGF]

Hi MF,

Is it not pssible to create dashboards out of a model?I couldn't use existing reports, models to create the dashboard. Only upload file option is working.

Thanks,
Mc

Hi,

As I mentioned above, dashboards can be based on either uploaded files or on Data Modules (ie metadata you have created using the New > Data Module option). Data Modules can be based on underlying relational DQM data sources defined within Cognos Analytics, and/or uploaded data files, and/or a mixture of the two.

There is no facility to create a dashboard based on a package or a report.

Cheers!

MF.

[m83s]

Hi,

As I mentioned above, dashboards can be based on either uploaded files or on Data Modules (ie metadata you have created using the New > Data Module option). Data Modules can be based on underlying relational DQM data sources defined within Cognos Analytics, and/or uploaded data files, and/or a mixture of the two.

There is no facility to create a dashboard based on a package or a report.

Cheers!

MF.

MFGF, so if I understand correctly (I can't find this in documentation) - there's no possibility to use Cognos TM1 as data source server for this "dashboard" solution? We currently try to move on CA11 from BI10.2.2.

KD
emes

[MFGF]

MFGF, so if I understand correctly (I can't find this in documentation) - there's no possibility to use Cognos TM1 as data source server for this "dashboard" solution? We currently try to move on CA11 from BI10.2.2.

KD
emes

Hi,

That's correct at the moment, yes. TM1 is an OLAP source, and currently in the GA build of Cognos Analytics you can only use uploaded files and relational tables in Data Modules - meaning you can't build dashboards over data in TM1. You could potentially build them over the same data tables you are using to populate your TM1 cubes, perhaps?

MF.

[m83s]

Hi,

That's correct at the moment, yes. TM1 is an OLAP source, and currently in the GA build of Cognos Analytics you can only use uploaded files and relational tables in Data Modules - meaning you can't build dashboards over data in TM1. You could potentially build them over the same data tables you are using to populate your TM1 cubes, perhaps?

MF.

Thx, but it's not so easy, we've huge palnning/reporting solutions in TM1 with hundreds users & security roles (complex Cell&Element Security) - which are changed daily. Although we've them in AD but still after move to DB we must to prepare in my opinion quite complex security solutions - there is no chance of this.

Anyway, thx a lot.

KD
emes

[MFGF]

Thx, but it's not so easy, we've huge palnning/reporting solutions in TM1 with hundreds users & security roles (complex Cell&Element Security) - which are changed daily. Although we've them in AD but still after move to DB we must to prepare in my opinion quite complex security solutions - there is no chance of this.

Anyway, thx a lot.

KD
emes

I expect IBM might add further functionality to Data Modules. When you consider that Cognos Express comes with an embedded TM1 instance, it makes sense they would want to accommodate this for future upgrades for users with Cognos Express. These days the Express installs are "normal" BI and TM1 (currently 10.2.2 for Express) but at some point I'm guessing IBM will want to release a new version. What goes for Express also goes for BI and TM1 - they are the same installs. Just my conjecture and opinion, of course - so don't go to IBM saying "MFGF said you will be adding TM1 support" :)

Cheers!

MF.

[malcolm.cantor]

Hi

So if I want to use as an example Go slaes Query Data package, as a data module, what do I have to do to use it in a new Analytics Dashboard?

[MFGF]

Hi

So if I want to use as an example Go slaes Query Data package, as a data module, what do I have to do to use it in a new Analytics Dashboard?

Hi,

You can't use a Package as the basis of a Data Module currently, so you're going to need to create a new Data Module that points to the underlying database tables in the GOSALES database.

Cheers!

MF.

[malcolm.cantor]

Thanks for the answer re packages. I used an external file as a data source to experiment with Dashboards.

The thing is it takes an eternerty for an Excel file to be uploaded and available to use as a data source. I can see the file in cognos administration, in security in my content location, but it is not available to use even though in Admin its in my folder.

Is thare a way to speed up external file uploads? one of these files is only 46k in size, all are xlsx file formats.

Thanks

Malcolm

[hardstep]

Hi Malcolm ;-)
I dont see anywhere to change the upload settings - I can only imagine that cognos has to analyse the file and determine the metadata and this is what is adding to the upload time.
Cheers
Nick

[bus_pass_man]

Could you clarify what you mean by 'not available for use' please. 

Is the toast which tells you the status of the upload not going away? 

Do you ever get to the dialog with the lists of the columns in the uploaded file and gives you a preview of the data? 

Do you get any error messages?

What's in the file?  Are there special characters in the data?  Are you sure that its format meets the requirements? 

Are you experiencing the problem with just this file?

Does the file ever show up in your my contents? 

If so, if you delete the file and try to upload it again do you get an error?

[malcolm.cantor]

Hi

The uploads have not produced any error messages. They appear in my content folder after a significant amount of time.

I have tried to adjust the JVM heap size from the default of 1024 to 4096, this had no effect. I am just now going to increase this size asper IBM Cognos Analytics guide to 12288 which is 4096 for the DQM duery, and 1024 for each of the 8 cores in the server.

I do not get any indication of the contents of the data, it spends an enormous amount of time analysing the excel file before uploading. There are no special charactors in the files its numeric conternt and text. Am I sure that the format meets the requirement? im not sure i understand that there are limitations for uploading an excel file.

The problem occurs for all files not a single file.

The files do eventually turn up in the My Contents folder.

No errors occur if you delete the file and upload again, it just takes the enormous amount of time again.

regards

Malcolm

[cognos4321]

Hi MFGF.

As you mentioned that here a dashboard is created from one or more datasources.
       "you bring in items of data and assemble them on your page."
Now if there a 4 crosstabs on one page coming from different datasources, how are we going to synchronize them?
If I am not wrong, in Report studio when we develop a dashboard we generally make all the data containers as One query to synchronize them.(Please let me know if there is any other way too).

Please pardon my ignorance.
Thanks

[MFGF]

Hi MFGF.

As you mentioned that here a dashboard is created from one or more datasources.
       "you bring in items of data and assemble them on your page."
Now if there a 4 crosstabs on one page coming from different datasources, how are we going to synchronize them?
If I am not wrong, in Report studio when we develop a dashboard we generally make all the data containers as One query to synchronize them.(Please let me know if there is any other way too).

Please pardon my ignorance.
Thanks

Hi,

Assuming you created a Data Module that joins the four data sources, and based your dashboard on this, it effectively becomes a single view of all the data - just like if you create a package that joins four data sources and use it in a report. Is that what you mean?

Or by Synchronize do you mean that you are able to select values in a container and see the other containers react? If so, this is automatic and inherent in a dashboard.

Cheers!

MF.

[cognos4321]

 Yes, by Synchronize I mean that we are able to select values in a container and see the other containers react. In order to see this happen in Report Studio, it didn't happen automatically, I had to make all containers as one Query.

1) Is there any other way to do that in Report Studio
2) Do we need to make all containers as one query here also even after creating a data module that   joins the four data sources.
3) How will we go about synchronizing the report showing by 4 different tabs in Active reports.

I know, I might sound confused or may be silly to you but I hope I was able to convey my confusion clearly.

Thank You Always MF

[MFGF]

Yes, by Synchronize I mean that we are able to select values in a container and see the other containers react. In order to see this happen in Report Studio, it didn't happen automatically, I had to make all containers as one Query.

1) Is there any other way to do that in Report Studio
2) Do we need to make all containers as one query here also even after creating a data module that   joins the four data sources.
3) How will we go about synchronizing the report showing by 4 different tabs in Active reports.

I know, I might sound confused or may be silly to you but I hope I was able to convey my confusion clearly.

Thank You Always MF

Hi,

You posted this in the Dashboards section, so I assume that's what you're asking about? In the new Dashboard interface of Cognos Analytics, containers automatically react when selecting values in other containers. You don't need to do anything to make this happen.

Report Studio doesn't exist in Cognos Analytics. The new Authoring interface replaces it. Under the covers it's the same technology as Report Studio, though, so when authoring reports you'd need to drive all containers in the report from the same query to get the same sort of synchronization.

Active Reports are now authored in the new Authoring interface. If you want an Active Report with four tabs, you'd need to use a tab control or a data tab control - just like in Report Studio.

Cheers!

MF.

[sukanya]

Hi,
Can we add drill through from a cognos 11 dashboard into a report.
Can we add check box prompt in cognos 11 dashboard.
I don't see Report Templates section when I click on New > Report. is this installation issue?
I don't see other, Query Studio, Cognos Workspace, Analysis studio when I click on New. is this installation issue?
is cognos workspace going to exist in future and can we add reports to create dashboard using this tool?

Regards,
Sri

[MFGF]

Hi,
Can we add drill through from a cognos 11 dashboard into a report.

Nope. Not currently.

Can we add check box prompt in cognos 11 dashboard.

Nope. Not currently.

I don't see Report Templates section when I click on New > Report. is this installation issue?

There's a deployment archive that ships with Cognos Analytics - called Templates.zip. You need to go into the Admin console and restore this deployment to get the new report templates to appear.

I don't see other, Query Studio, Cognos Workspace, Analysis studio when I click on New. is this installation issue?

You only see the legacy stuff you list above if you do a Custom install. If you did a Ready To Run install, the legacy switch isn't set, and you don't see any of the above. It is possible to set the legacy switch after-the-fact, but it's incredibly difficult to do (by design, according to my source in IBM). The guidelines for setting it manually are:
Changing the legacy switch after install is hard by design. A browser plug-in, such as Postman for Chrome, to send REST command to the Cognos Analytics server is required. IBM does not recommend any specific plug-in. These steps can be used to change the switch setting:

• Download an appropriate REST capable plug-in for your browser such as Postman for Chrome.
• Launch Cognos Analytics logging in as System Administrator.
• Using your REST capable plug-in send a put method with JSON with a URI like: http://<server>:<port>/bi/v1/configuration/keys/global
• Select RAW JSON, with value: {"Configuration.LegacyLaunchable":"X"}
• X=1: Legacy components are available
• X=0: Legacy components are not available

is cognos workspace going to exist in future and can we add reports to create dashboard using this tool?

That's really a question for IBM, but my suspicion is that it will not exist for many more releases. I'd expect (hope) IBM will include the ability to re-use authored report components in the new Dashboards technology, at which point there would be no further need for Cognos Workspace. That's just my personal hope/assumption though - check with IBM for a definitive answer.

Cheers!

MF.

[sukanya]

Is map chart available in Cognos 11 Report like in Dashboard? If not, does rave chart provides map in Report?

Regards,
SK

[MFGF]

Is map chart available in Cognos 11 Report like in Dashboard? If not, does rave chart provides map in Report?

Regards,
SK

Yes, maps are available in reports (the same mapping as in Cognos 10 reports). You can also use RAVE maps in reports if you wish.

MF.

[sukanya]

Is 100 percent stacked bar available in Cognos 11 rave visualizations? please share the link to download if it is available.

Regards,
Sukanya

[hardstep]

Hi Sukanya
Yes the 100% stacked bar chart is available in Cognos Analytics (aka 11).
Kind Regards
Nick

[sukanya]

I couldnot find a link in analyticszone to download 100 percent stacked bar? Kindly can you share the link to download

Regards,
SK

[sukanya]

I am looking for rave visualization 100% stacked bar to include in a active report.

Thanks,
SK