1. Master detailed relationship When you go for a Master Detailed Report...

You should have a Sub list in Main List which will have all the relevant products for a particular Product Line.. When you go for a Drill through Report..... You will create a Master and a detailed report.... In your master report you will have your Product line information and in your detailed report you will have your List of Products for all the product lines.. Apart from that you will have a parameterized filter in your detailed report.. now in your master report you will give a drill through link for the Product Line column so when you click on a particular Product Line that current Instance value will be passed to the detailed report and will get the relevant product information from the Detailed report.. Finally, the diff between Master Detailed & Drill through is.... A Master Detailed relation is a Link between 2 Queries [Master Query and Sub Query], where as a Drill through is a link to navigate from one report to another report...[it could be the same report] 2. Fact less fact table

Fact less Fact table does not contain any facts. Generally Fact less fact tables are used to record the events such as students attendance, attendance of participants for an Event like a Meeting. Actually this is not a Fact table but due its position we should call it as Fact table without facts.. Look at the following image..

See the attendance Table in the Image, There is no measure or fact but Attendance Table sits like a Fact table and also have the connections to dimension tables and hence we can say that it is Fact Table and since it does not contain any measures so that we can call it as fact less fact table. Now Let us understand the use of the Attendance Fact less Fact table....

If

a student attended a class then we enter a Record in Attendance table else no row will be stored. Only aggregation here is possible only count
3. What are the different performance tuning techniques of a cognos cube? We can use 1.incremental updates, 2.use multiple data sources or 3.partition your cube using auto-partition, the size of the cube but runtime performance will increase drastically. 4. Check power cube status and 5.perform test cube.

4. What is the difference between the render variable and the style variable? Render Variable: - Specify a variable based on which object can be conditionally rendered. Style Variable: - Specify a variable based on which object can be conditionally styled. Style variable is show or represent different report objects in different styles that are present in report. Example for Style Variable In a report in a list if u want to display every alternate row with particular color in this case, go to query explorer.... 1) create a data item with name running-count with function "running-count" on particular unique column 2) now create one more data item as mod with function "mod" on that running-count data item. Select List and in properties pane..Select 'Properties' and select 'running-count' and 'mod' data items. 3)create a Boolean variable with expression mod=1 4)go to the page select List column Body style 5)In properties pane select Style Variable as Boolean variable 6)click on YES variable and set its Foreground color as RED 7)click on No variable and set its Foreground color as Yellow now run the report Example for Render Variable if the case is like you want to see the particular page in HTML or PDF or CSV format then 1)Create 3 pages in your report 2)every page contains some specific data 3)name these pages as HTML,PDF,CSV 4)create a String variable with 3 values as HTML ,PDF and CSV 5)now in string variable put expression as ..... Case when ReportOutput()='HTML' then 'HTML' when ReportOutput()='PDF' then 'PDF' when ReportOutput()='CSV' then 'CSV' end 6)now go the page named HTML and select page object 7)in properties pane click on Render Variable ,select that string variable 8)check only HTML check box value for HTML page 9)repeat step No. 6 to step No.8 for remaining 2 pages 9. What is the difference between a cascading report and drill thru report? Why do we go for drill thru what is the difference between a cascading report and drillthru report?why do we go for drill thru report? Drill Through is used to link the master & detail reports. After putting drill through if you click on a link (e.g. Order ID 1234) in the master report then the details will be displayed used to

for that particular item (Order ID 1234). Cascading prompt uses the value from the previous prompt to filter the value in the current prompt. For cascading no need of two reports. If a report having two related columns (e.g. Country & States), then we can cascade these two columns by adding two value prompts. If you select a country (e.g. INDIA), in the next prompt all the states will be displayed those which are under INDIA. If you want to see the details for the state Tamilnadu, then select TN from the list which will display all the details for TN. 5. Import two data sources to Framework Manager in Cognos Yes, it is possible to do so. First create two data sources. One based on My SQL and other based on Oracle. Now in FM, First pull table that is based on SQL. Now run wizard again to pull data for table that is based on Oracle. Once query subjects are created in FM for respective data sources, it does not matter whether they belong to same data source or not. Create join mapping and a new query subject in dimension view which contains column mappings from both datasource table columns. yes you can import two data sources in frame work manager like this for example you are having databases like "oracle, sql server" ok 1) first you can import any one of the database (Ex. first i am importing Oracle database) ok model is created 2) right click on model or databases select IMPORT METADATA BASE in this time you can import second database( SQL Server) 6. How to configure content store in Cognos? Go to Cognos Configuration Look for Content Manager Delete the default Content Store for SQL Server Right Click Content manager and create a new content store Give data base name as Oracle Give the user id, Password you created in oracle with DBA rights Give SID of oracle database you gave when installing it. Save changes to project Test settings and start services Aggregation and roll-up aggregation Aggregate Function: This function specifies what type of Aggregation to be applied on a data item. The Aggregation can be of the types "Total", "Average", "Minimum", "Maximum" etc. Roll Up Aggregation: One above you have determined what type of aggregation you are applying on a data item e.g. Unit cost then here you can decide about the type of aggregation on the summarized values. In case of our Unit cost, if you have applied "Aggregate" choose here as "Maximum". Remember "The roll-up aggregation of any item is important only when you create the aggregation of 'Aggregate' type. Otherwise leave it as automatic. How can we import stored procedures into framework manager in cognos8? In FM right click on the Namespace in which you want the stored procedure to be imported...Select Create->Query Subject.... New Query subject window appears... Select the third option "Stored Procedure" -->Click Ok...New Query subject Wizard appears in that...Select the Data source...-->Next

In the select stored procedure window select the appropriate stored procedure and click "Finish"...Define the properties for the Procedure.....That's it and you can view the procedure as a query subject inside your namespace. How can you restrict access onto different parts of report given a report? In Cognos, you can do it in three stages 1) Package Leveln2) Object level 3) Data level

Package level Expand the namespace, R click on package > Click on Edit Package Package Access window appears, Remove "All users" from it Click Adds, select Cognos Select "Report Administrator", OK it,

Object level Expand the namespace, R click on a table > Click on "Specify Object Security" On "specify Object Security" window, click on ADD On "select users and group" dialog box, select Cognos Select Report Administrator & Consumers Click Add In new window, under allow Report Administrator, deny consumer Now R click on namespaces, click on " Specift Object Security

Data level Right click on a table Select query subject, select "specify security filter" "specify data security" dialog box appear click on ADD select cognos select consumers,

"Here allow both consumers & Report Admni Ok it Right click on packages, click the first row, "Explore package " click on insert window opens In Filters folder, Select "Object security tab" appears select the appropriate filter You will be allowed see who is allowed and who is not save the package and publish it

save the package in Framework Manager (FM) Publish the package

Explain the process of creating the catalog? 1 Start Cognos Impromptu Administrator. 2. From the File menu select Catalog -> New. 3. In the File name text box, type the desired name of the catalog. In the Description text box you can add a description but this is not mandatory. 4. In the Database dropdown select the database that you want to use or click on the "Databases" button select an ODBC connection that you want to use i.e. DB2, Oracle etc. and click the "New Database" button. 5. Click "Ok" and enter the database logon and password. Click "OK" again. You should see a database icon in the lower left of you screen without a red X over it. 6. Select the tables that you want to use my highlighting them on the left side and using the "Add" arrow key to add them to the "Catalog Tables" side. Click "Ok" when your finished. 7. To create Joins in your tables select the table under the "Join path" window and the table that you want to join it to from the "Available tables" window. 8. Click "Add" and choose the fields to join the tables, click the "Add link" button to create your join.

7. What is level span? How it is used in Cognos? What is the main advantage of level span? Level span is used to eliminate duplicates in data, in cognos. It is used repeat grouped item. Using level span we can see the grouped data group by group. For example, when country and city are both grouped, you can choose to show the country name each time -- the country changes, by spanning Country by Country -- the city changes, by spanning Country by City -- there is a new record, by specifying no spanning Spanning one grouped column by another column is helpful if the second column contains many items. Steps open the report that you want. Click the column for which you want to set the group span. In the Properties pane, click the Group Span property and click the column you want to span. 8. cognos improve report performance he best report tuning is understanding the sql being fired off to your database. If you can optimize what a report is doing, then this is most likely your biggest advantage. We used the audit tables to see the exact SQL being sent to oracle. We would then run it straight against the database to see what it was doing. By going through this exercise we took several minute running reports down to seconds by writing the report in such a way that the following was achievable: 1)Better generated SQL through the database friendly prompts (sending prompt data in a format that agreed with the database -- time prompts were key) 2)Reducing the number of queries and sub queries written by obtaining more data in fewer SQL executions 3)Identifying reusable elements for repeater tables, report headers and footers, and rewriting of several list items into one crosstab. This is just one exercise that was beneficial to our organization. We are going through the same concept with Framework at this time. We have learned in a few instances that views could be utilized to write better sql than the tool is. This does require some overhead as now you have another database component to worry about, but our gain has been greater from it. 9. What different kinds of SQL you can write at the report level what is tabular SQL, Tabular Modal and Tabular Set 1.Cognos SQL By default, Framework Manager uses Cognos SQL to create and edit query subjects. Cognos SQL adheres to SQL99 rules and works with all relational and tabular data sources. Framework Manager generates the most optimized SQL possible. In this way, Cognos SQL is preferable. Because query subjects in Framework Manager are similar to views in databases, the SQL for each query subject must conform to the SQL99 rules that apply to views. 2. Native SQL Native SQL is the SQL the data source uses, such as Oracle SQL. You cannot use native SQL in a query subject that references more than one data source in the project. SQL specified in Framework Manager and processed by the database, whether native or pass-through must be completely self-contained. It must not reference anything outside that SQL, such as database prompts, variables, or native formatting that would normally be supplied by the calling application. 3. Pass-Through SQL

Pass-through SQL lets you use native SQL without any of the restrictions the data source imposes on sub queries. This is because pass-through SQL query subjects are not processed as sub queries. Instead, the SQL for each query subject is sent directly to the data source where the query results are generated. Tabular model An object that you can use to select query items for a report. A tabular model defines a simple list query. In the XML code for report specifications, tabular model is represented by the tabular Model element. Tabular reference An object that you use to reference the tabular object of another query within the same report. In report specifications, it is represented by the tabular Reference element. Tabular set An object that merges rows from two tabular objects, usually tabular models. A tabular set Produces a single result set using union, intersect or except (minus) set operators. In report specifications, tabular set is represented by the tabular Set element. Tabular SQL An object that you use to specify a SQL statement that returns a result set. The SQL statement may be expressed by using syntax recognized by the native database, or by using Cognos SQL syntax. In report specifications, tabular SQL is represented by the tabular SQL element. 10. What is usage property? The usage property allows you to define how an item should be treated when retrieved in a query and when used in reporting objects. Anything with a usage of Fact, for example, will be treated as a measure and will be aggregated by default. If you have an item such as Order Number, which is numeric, and you set its usage property to Fact, reports will aggregate the order numbers by default, which would of course be meaningless. 25. How to show the data reported horizontally For example I have figured out part of this solution but I need help to complete it. I have data that shows: Job Teacher Teacher Student Student Name marry Bob Joe Sara

I want it to show: Teacher Mary, Bob Student Joe, Sara I can use a repeater table, but it repeats the job name. I only want that to appear once. So it shows up as: Teacher marry Teacher Bob Student Joe Student Sara So, you're trying to transpose the data. Instead of the repeater, try this: Create a query that returns Job, Name and filter it on 'Teacher' Copy the query and change filter the to 'Student' Add a union object and feed it from the first two queries Point your list to the resulting query Caveats:

This solution assumes that you have a definable and stable set of jobs. It requires maintenance at the query level if a new job is added to the data source. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. A better solution would be to transpose the values in the data source. 11. How to combine two crosstab reports in to single crosstab report? It is not possible to convert crosstab to list. but the reverse is true. 12. How do you handle this DB Schema changes in our Framework manager to update automatically our meta How do you handle this DB Schema changes in our Framework manager to update automatically our meta data In Framework Manager (CRN), right click on the query subject and select Update Query Subject. In Framework Manager (Cognos If you have custom-coded the SQL 8), click on the query subject(s). Select Tools > Update Object. for a data source query subject, then adding a new column must be done manually.

13. What are drill down and slicing and dicing whats the difference between them? Drilling lets you quickly move from one level of detail to another to explore different aspects of your business. Drilling down moves you down in the hierarchy; drilling up moves you up in the hierarchy. Slicing and Dicing While you can drill to look at information at any level, you can slice and dice to select the exact information you want in your report Drilling down the data means to change the resolution of the dimension we are looking for. Once the resolution or level of the dimension drops down we have more information from a part of a dimension. for example let us consider time as one of the dimension when we are looking for the sales of a enterprise. If the analysis is done by considering the years for the sale of a product then it would be level 1. If we drill trough time dimension then we can have a look at the sales of the product for the quarter period of year and analyze the sales in 4 quarters of a particular year. This is having better resolution of the sales of that product Slicing is a process which could be used to eliminate the data which is not necessary for current analysis. for example if we are interested in analysis of the sales of a product during the first quarter of the year then we can drill down the time dimension to resolution 2 level and then slice the cube for the first three months leading to the slicing process If the above process is carried out in cortical direction we call it dicing 14. What is data processing? For relational metadata, you can improve performance by selecting the right type of query processing. There are two types of query processing: limited local The database server does as much of the SQL processing and execution as possible. However, some reports or report sections use local SQL processing. Database only The database server does all the SQL processing and execution. An error appears if any reports or report sections require local SQL processing. Although the database server can usually run the SQL and run reports much faster, local processing is sometimes necessary. For example, choose limited local processing if you want to create cross database joins or if you want report authors to use unsupported SQL99 functions. Some complex queries, such as a query that must generate an At clause to avoid double-counting, require limited local processing. In this case, the query automatically uses limited local processing even if the package was published with database only processing.

How can we use NVL function/Data format to resolve the Blank spaces in our report. We need to put '0' i place of blanks that's correct? for this we can select the data items which have blanks and then go to properties pane then select the data format in that select the type which your select (string,number,date....)and then it displays the properties for that and put '0' in missing value character and press ok. 15. How do you speed up the report execution even though it has lot of charts? One possibility would be to review the data available and use prompts if possible. This way, you could limit the amount of data being retrieved and thus allow for a faster response time. 16. How to pass multiple values from pick list prompt to sub report filter Create 2 reports in do this actions in 2nd report (detailed Report) Create 1 prompt here 'Ex value prompt on Customer name ' Create one filter on date field 'like IS_CURRENT=?P_IS_CURRENT? as a summary filter Now come to 1st report do this actions --filter IS_CURRENT='Y'(is current is the data item in the report) Now select the Customer name data item in properties select drill through definitions It will popup one new window Create new drill through definition Select 2nd report, default action-- run report Default format--default Select check box open in new window Click the pencil mark; you are getting 2 parameters here One -- P_CUST_NAME-- passdataitemvalue--custname 2nd -- P_IS_CURRENT--same action for this also Click OK, OK, Save the report Run the report 17. How to use Lookup Command? The syntax is as follows: LOOKUP (name) in (value1 --> value2) default (name) Name: the name of your column value1: value you would like to be replaced value2: value you would like to replace it with default is the name of your default column. This is an example from our Go Sales database . Canada is being replaced by Ottawa and France will be replaced by Paris. Steps: Select the gosales_goretailers namespace. From the right click menu, select Create, Calculation. Copy the following expression and paste it into the Expression Definition dialog box "Lookup ([gosales_goretailers].[Countries].[Country])IN ('Canada'-->'Ottawa' ,'France'-->'Paris' ) default ([gosales_goretailers].[Countries].[Country])" Click the Test button. After this is run you will notice that the entry for Canada has a value of Ottawa.

18. What are the steps involved in migrating CRN environment to Cognos 8 Actually it is not migration. This is up gradation. Procedure is 1) Deploy the CRN Reports (means export the reports). 2) Place the Export zip folder into Cognos8 Server. 3) Import the zip folder to Cognos8 environment. Before importing we have to publish the package from Framework Modeling. 1) Open the CRN FM in C8 FM. 2)Test the data sources and verify model. 3) Publish package. Now package and reports are available in c8 environment. Then U can continue on ur reports in C8 series. 19. What is snapshot A Snapshot is the copy of data, when we create a snapshot it copies the exact data that's related to the at particular report, we use snapshot whenever we want to compare reports (ex we want to compare this months report with previous months) 20. What is incremental refreshing of a cube and how can we do it Incremental cube update - Pros & Cons Environment : IBM Cognos 8.3 Data Flow for cube update process: DWH(Data Warehouse) ->Data Mart->Package->Transformer(Create Cube and Package)->Create report As shown above, we are building a cube using package that pulls data from the data mart. The initial population of fact table will be approximately 230,000 rows. I have built a cube. The model (.mdl) size is around 14 MB and cube (.mdc) size is around 21 MB. Data Mart fact table will be populated on a daily basis. This requires us to refresh the cube on a daily basis too. Consider this scenario: Day 0: Data Mart fact table has 230,000 rows. Cube is created by processing all these records. Total cube update time is 2 hours. Day 1: 15 additional records got inserted in data mart fact table. so the current count is 230,015. Refresh the cube. It processes all the records even though only 15 new records have been added. And so on... By using non-incremental process, existing records are unnecessarily re-processed and hence increases the cube build time. The only way to bring over the new data is to incrementally update/refresh the cube. The extension of a FM project file is .cpf. Below is a list of all files that constitute a project: a) ProjectName.cpf Project File (references the .xml files) b) IDLog.xml used to track objects for models c) Log.xml list of all modifications made to the model d) Model.xml actual model data e) Preferences.xml

f) Persistent.txt Diagram information Q. What is loop in Framework Manager? Loop is a closed path (relation) that exists among 3 (or) more tables. For example, if we have '3' tables T1, T2, T3 then, a loop exists among these tables only when we create joins in the following fashion: Loop: T1 ---> T2 ---> T3 ---> T1 To resolve the above problem, we have to create a shortcut (or) Alias to the Table T1. No Loop: T1 ---> T2 ---> T3 ---> Alias (or) Shortcut of T1
What are the different types of filters available in Report Studio?

Report Studio Report studio provides three types of filtering: a) Detail filter Detail filters are used to filter detail level values within a report. They work at the lowest level of granularity in the selected objects. Example: We can apply a detail filter on Sales Month to extract all transactions which occurred within the specified month. b) Summary filter Summary filters are used to filter summary level values within a report. Example: We can apply a summary filter to get the highest sold product in a sales region. We would need to group the Region and Product fields beforehand. c) Slicers Slicers are used with dimensional models. A slicer filter affects the cell value, not the row or column edges. Slicers are useful if you want some data in a report to be hidden and other data to be visible. Example: We can apply a slicer if we want a report displaying all Product names but sales data only for a few and not all products.