REPORTING AND QUERY TOOLS AND APPLICATIONS

By Kumarakrishnan M.Tech -CSE

Data ware housing

Provide information to business users for strategic decision making Front-end tools User engage in different types of decision support activities Require different types of tools.

Tool Categories

Reporting Managed Query Executive Information systems In-Line analytical Processing(OLAP) Data mining

Reporting Tools

Production Reporting tools Desktop report Writers

Production Reporting Tools:

Companies Generate regular operational reports or support high-volume batch jobs(calculating and printing paychecks) Include 3 generation language such as COBAL Specialized 4 generation language such as Information builders,Inc.s Focus and high-end C/S tools such as MITIs SQR.

Desktop Report Writers

Its a inexpensive desktop tool designed for end users. Products such as Seagate Softwares crystal reports let users design and run reports without having to rely on the IS department. In general, report writers have graphical interfaces and built in charting functions. Group of data+ variety of data sources=single report Increase of scalability by supporting 3 tiered architectures which report processing done Windows NT or UNIX server.

Managed Query tools

Inserting a metalayer btw users and database Metalayer Vendors Business objects, Inc call this layer a universe Cognos Corp call it as Catalog Popular because knowledge workers to access corporate data without IS intervention. Embraced 3 tired arch. To improve scalability Support asynchronous query execution and integrate with web servers. Support to OLAP and data minisg features.

Executive Information system tools

Predate report writers and managed Query tools First Deployed on Mainframes. EIS tools allow developers to build customized, graphical decision support appln or briefing books High level view such as custom and on-line news feeds. Horizontal function- sales,budgeting,marketing Vertical Function-financial services E.g., Platinum Technologies offers Risk Advisor, a decision support applications for the insurance industry Comshare provide the Arthur family of supply chain appln for the retail industry.

OLAP tools

Intuitive way to view corporate data. User navigate throu hierarchies and dimensions with click of mouse button. User can drill down, across, up levels in each dimension or pivot and swap out dimensions to change their view of the data. Preaggregate data in Multidimensional databases Rewriting in java Rearchitecting to give greater control btw flexibility and performance.

Data Mining tools

Hot commodities Use a variety of statistical and AI algoritms to analyze IBMs Intelligent Miner are expensive and require stratification to implement and manage. New breed of tools emerging that promises to mystery out of data mining

The Need of Applications

Easy to use, point-and-click tools-accept or generate SQL to query relational data stored in the warehouse. Easy to read reports of retrieved data Business aplln such as segment identification, demographic analysis, territory management and customer mailing lists.

Various access types to the data stored in data warehouse:

Simple tabular form reporting Ad hoc user-specified queries Predefined repeatable queries Complex queries with multi-table joins, multilevel sub queries, and sophisticated search criteria Ranking Multivariable analysis Time series analysis Data visualization, graphing,charting,and pivoting Complex textual search Statistical analysis AI techniques for testing of hypothesis Information mapping Interactive drill-down reporting and analysis

The first four types of access are covered by the combined category of tools call query and reporting tools

Three Distinct types of reporting:

Creation and viewing of standard reports Definition and creation of ad hoc reports Data exploration Reporting type 1 appear relatively simple, type 2 and 3 combined with certain business requirements to retrieve and analyze warehouse data.

Cognos Impromptu

Cognos Impromptu

Impromptu from Cognos corporation Enterprise solution for interactive database reporting Delivers 1- to 1000+Object oriented arch. Ensures control and administrative consistency across all users and reports. Offers a fast and robust implementation at the enterprise level, and features full administrative control, ease of deployment at low cost ownership.

The Impromptu Information Catalog

A LAN based repository of business knowledge and data access rules. The catalog insulates users from such technical aspects of the DB as SQL syntax, table joins, and cryptic table and field names. Protects from repeated queries and unnecessary processing. It enables business-relevant reporting throu business rules-conists of shared calculations,filters and ranges for critical success factors.

Object-Oriented Architecture

Drives inheritance-based administration and distributed catalogs. Change to business rules, permission sets and query activities cascade automatically throughout the enterprise. Impromptu implements management functionality through the use of governors.

Activities and Process that governors can control

Query activity Processing location Database connections Reporting permissions User profiles Client/server balancing Database transactions Security by value Field and table security

Reporting

Designed to make easy for users to build and run their own reports Users simply apply data to impromptu to produce reports rapidly(with ReportWise templates & Head Starts)

Reporting
ReportWise Templates

HeadStarts

mailing labels, invoices, sales reports and directories. Complete with formatting , logic , calculations and custom automation. Create template for standard company reports, then deploy them who needs it.

Templates are database independent; User simply map their data onto existing placeholders to quickly create sophisticated reports Provides users with a variety of page and screen formats

Spl-reporting Options

Picklists and prompts Custom templates Exception reporting

Conditional filters Conditions highlighting Conditional display

Interactive reporting Frames

List frames-calculated columns, data filters , headers & footers etc., Form frames- layout and design flexibility, contain multiple and repeating form(mail lbl) Cross-tab frames-summarized data-Eg: sales of product by outlet Chart frames-2D& 3D displays Text frames -descriptive texts to reports and display binary large objects(BLOBs) Picture frames- visually enhancing reports OLE frames- to insert any OLE objects into a report

Supported Databases
ORACLE ODBC accessing any database with an ODBC driver Ms SQL Server

Paradox

SYBASE SQL Server

DBASE

OmniSQL Gateway

Btieve

SYBASE NetGateway

Borland InterBase

MDI DB2 Gateway

Gupta SQL-Base CA-Ingres

Informix

Conclusion
Unified Query & reporting interface Object-oriented architecture

Complete integration with PowerPlay.

Scalability

Security and control

Data presented in a business context.

Over 70 predefined report templates

Frame based reporting Business relevant reporting

Database-independent catalogs

APPLICATIONS

Organizations use a familiar application development approach to build and reporting environment for the data warehouse A legacy DSS or EIS system is still being used Org. made large investment in a particulare appl development to provide required query and reporting solutions A new tool may requires a addn. investment in developers skill set, SW, and the infrastructurethese are not budgeted for planning stages of the project Format for reporting in IT organizations

Tools

PowerBuilder from PowerSoft Division of Sybase Fort from Fort software

PowerBuilder

Object-oriented application development Includes

Encapsulation

of application objects, Polymorphism ,the ability to inherit forms and GUI objects

Strength of PowerBuilder is Object Orientation Ability to develop Windows application or its affinity towards Client/Server architecture Offers a powerful 4GL

PowerBuilder-Object orientation

Inheritance Data abstraction Encapsulation Polymorphism

PowerBuilder-Windows facilities

Include Dynamic data exchange(DDE), Dynamic link libraries(DLLs), Object linking & embedding(OLE), Multiple document interface(MDI), Drag and drop metaphor

PowerBuilder-Features

Intuitive user interface, graphical development environment, ease of use A developer can define the bulk of application by creating windows and controls with various painter utilities Controls standard windows objects such as radio and push button , list-check-combo boxes, txt fields, menus, edit fields and pictures Clicked and dbl clicked- which represent pointing devices(i.e., a mouse) handling Client/Server appln can be constructed using Powerbuilder painters

Application Painter Window Painter Data windows Painter- Query Painter

A rich set of SQL function is supported including CONNECT/DISCONNECT,DECLARE,OPEN and CLOSE cursor, FETCH and COMMIT/ROLLBACK.

Stored procedures are supported via DECLARE,EXECUTE,UPDATE and CLOSE

Support SQL extension as FETCH PRIOR and SELECT FOR UPDATE

PowerBuilder Supplies other painters

Database Painter

Pick tables frm list box & examine edit join conditions , key fields, extended attributes, display formats Allows creation and modification of data structure and group of related data elements Used to examine and modify configurations parameters for PB development environment Creates menus for the individual windows and the entire application

Structure Painter

Preference Painter

Menu Painter

Function Painter

Creating function calls and parameters using combo boxes

Supports check-in and check-out of library objects Allows to create custom controls Built-in help system, similar to the MS Windows help facility

Library Painter

User Object Painter

Help Painter

Distributed PowerBuilder

Offers a Distributed Computing delvelopment environment Can create objects that contain business rules and distribute them onto one or more application servers Provide high-level interface to distributed services

Features
Fast Compiled code

New Data Windows

Fort

Three tired Client/Server Computing architecture Application functionality is partitioned into three distinct pieces
Presentation logic Application business logic Data access functionality

Such partitioned application, the presentation logic placed on a client, While the application logic resides on a application server, and the data access logic and the database reside on a dabase or DWH server.

Three Tired Client Server Architecture

Application Partitioning

Sharedapplication services

Business Events

Life Cycle Support

Distributed Execution Facility (DEF) Application Development Facility (ADF)

System Generation Facility (SGF)