Microsoft SSAS CUBE in Cognos Express

[pooja]

Hi all,

Can anyone please advise if we can build the Cube using MS SSAS and later using it on Cognos Express 9.5 to developed the report?
Much appreciate your thought/experience.

thanks,
P

[cognostechie]

You have to create a Framework Model for SSAS cube and then publish that as a package which can then be used for reporting/analysis. Framework Manager has a data source for SSAS cubes.

[MFGF]

Sorry - no. Express can only use it's own ICAS cubes. Analysis Services cubes can be used with the Enterprise versions of Cognos but not Express.

Cheers!

MF.


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[cognostechie]

Sorry but that's not entirely true. I have a client who is using Cognos Express and they do have FM.

[pooja]

Thank you ......
Please guide me...
TM1 Cube -  SSAS Cube - Can we use these 2-cubes for same purpose????

[MFGF]

Sorry but that's not entirely true. I have a client who is using Cognos Express and they do have FM.

I think we're at crossed purposes here. Express Reporter connector does come with Framework Manager - I certainly don't dispute that :-)

The answer to Pooja's initial question, though, is that Analysis Services cubes cannot be used with Express. No ifs, no buts, no doubts. There are no options for creating data source connections to any OLAP sources except Express ICAS (its inbuilt TM1 instance).

Pooja, there are no steps to guide you. It cannot be done. Sorry.

MF.


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[cognostechie]

Ok,agreed, my answer was based on my understanding of FM and the fact that FM is included with Express. I didn't know that
FM was not full blown version with Express.

However I talked to my colleague at the client's place and he says that they are using SSAS cubes in Express by importing
the cube from SSAS in Turbointegrator and then publishing it as a TM1 cube. It brings the dimensions from SSAS cube.

So from a technical perspective of FM, you are absolutely correct but from an answer perspective , it is possible because this method will let you use the existing SSAS cube in the form of a TM1 cube without having to make the effort again by creating TM1 cube from scratch.

The details are here:

http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/cx/v9r0m0/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.ibm.swg.im.cognos.tm1_turb.9.0.0.doc%2Ftm1_turb_i_ConnectingtoAnalysisServiceswithTurboIntegra.html

[MFGF]

I'm delighted your client has managed to find a way to get access to their Analysis Services data in Express. The key point I'm making, though, is that it is not directly accessible from within SSAS as Pooja was asking. I agree that SSAS cubes can be used as a data source for ICAS (or TM1) but the fact is, you are then not accessing SSAS from within your reports. Only ICAS cubes can be used in Express. You could export data from any datasource you like into ICAS or into a database (then build DMR against it) but it involves physically moving and modelling the data into a supported Express data source.

If someone asks "does Cognos support access to oki-coki-proprietary cubes?" the truthful answer is "no". You could argue the data can be moved into another supported data source and accessed from there, but using that logic, the answer to every question about supported data sources will always be "yes". Personally, I think that's a very misleading thing to propose without fully quailfying the process.

Let's agree on this answer:

Does Express support SSAS as an OLAP data source for reporting? No.
Does Express allow you to move the data from SSAS to ICAS and report off the OLAP data in ICAS? Yes.

Cheers!

MF.

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[cognostechie]

I don't want to drag this on and on so I will post one more time just to make things clear..

The answer was not misleading because I wrote specifically how it can be achieved and also provided that documentation so that the whole process is clear, then the OP can decide whether or not they need to accept it as a solution !
I agree it cannot be accessed directly and my post does not even imply it. That was the reason even the documentation from
IBM was posted.

There is definately an advantage that the modelling effort does not need to be done again. If you are familiar with making TM1 cubes then you will agree that this will save a lot of effort because the queries for TM1 and the dimensions need not be created, which in TM1 (unlike Transformer) is a lot of effort . This is why I did not suggest DMR because that will require doing everything from scratch including creating the relational layer. However, this will need refreshing the TM1 cube.

I can see why my client went this way. Instead of taking a flat NO for an answer which would have forced them to create
TM1 cubes from scratch, now all they have to do is refresh the TM1 cubes. Months of effort saved ! It again reinforces why
IBM made that document (so that the users are aware of the options and then they can decide for themselves). If IBM would
have said 'It cannot be done, sorry' then there was no need to make that document. Hence, me and IBM don't think presenting
the option is misleading because the details are provided clearly and it definately helped one customer.

Moving on..

[pooja]

Thank you ......
Please guide me...
TM1 Cube -  SSAS Cube - Can we use these 2-cubes for same purpose?

[blom0344]

Perhaps you should check whether TM1 is a realistic alternative in your situation. Apart from the additional cost, the infrastructure to be used will demand some investment. Just the fact that someone - no offence meant - made it a working solution , does not mean you can implement it as such..   ;)