COGNOS USER GROUPNovember 12, 2019

Agenda

• BICC Updates- Kelsie Newberry• Current Community Issues – Zach Yater• Reference Queries - Sabrina Tanner • Data Module Demo – Josh Newberry• Authoring Organizational Ideas - Leslie Rody• Q&A

BICC UpdatesKelsie Newberry

BoilerAD

• Cognos migrated to the BoilerAD domain on 10/12

• Departmental Admin Guide

Cognos Resources

● Upcoming Cognos Tool Trainings● COG 401 - Cognos Analytics Authoring - 1/27 & 1/28

● Cognos Resources Page ● December Grade Roll

○ Prompt Blank Row Workaround

● Reminder of the Maintenance Window

Boiler Insight Enhancement Releases

• Updated release schedule • Occur every 4 weeks (except holiday periods) • Next up is December 3rd• Changes of each release will be communicated once release is in Production

WHO DO I CONTACT?

Boiler Insight

Data Questions/Issues:

Data-related questions/issues should first be directed to your supervisor.

Email:

Finance: treasreporting@purdue.eduGM: spsrept@groups.purdue.eduHR: HR Data Request Form

StudentData Questions/Issues:

Data-related questions/issues should first be directed to your supervisor.

Email:

CognosStudentHelp@purdue.edu

BICCReporting Tool Questions/Issues:

Cognos tool issues - error messages, unexpected behavior, etc.

Email:

BICC@purdue.edu

CurrentCommunityIssuesZach Yater

Enrollment Summary & List - CensusPerformance Issues

Biggest ProblemUsing one query for all crosstabs

Crosstab Calculations

OneQuery

Some Improvement Using SubqueriesNo crosstab calculations in Final

Dramatic ImprovementIndividual Queries (require filters on each one)

Reference Queries

Sabrina Tanner

Reference Query / Subquery / Feeder Query

● Control the order in which items are queried from the underlying data○ Ensure calculations & filters are applied in the order

you want○ Useful for complex computations that need executed

in a certain order

● Allows a report writer to build the query only once and be able to write different reports from it

Build a base query‘Main’ contains total campus credits across all student levels

Drag a new query from the Toolbox pane

Create a link between the child query and the parent query by dragging the parent query to the right side of the child query

Undergrad is referencing Main

Drag desired fields from Main into the data items for UndergradWhen creating the child query, you can reference items only from the parent query or from other queries defined in the report

Create a filter for Undergrad - Student_Level

Repeat these steps for Graduate and Professional queriesMain = gets total campus credits across all levelsUndergrad = referenced from Main with a filter of [Student Level] = ‘UG’Graduate = referenced from Main with a filter of [Student Level] = ‘GR’Professional = referenced from Main with a filter on Student Classification

Uploaded File and Data Module Creation DemoJosh Newberry

Cognos 11 New Features

● Ability to Upload a File● Create a Dashboard● Create a Data Module● Create a Data Set● CQM to DQM

Important Points to Know up Front

● Chrome is your best browser for Data Modules○ IE will work but very slow, new update with Firefox has issues

with Data Modules.● Beware of security

○ Uploaded Files have no security as default (like Data Sets). Data modules will have lowest level security of the package being used

● Have all your components accessible to whomever is going to run it○ If you use an Uploaded File and that file is in your My Content,

the others are not going to be able to run it

Personal Use Cases

● Take a file and outer join it to the data warehouse○ Bursar private awards example

● Use a file as a way to pass in more than a 1000 filter objects○ Bursar email example for 40k students

● Creative way to solve reporting issues outside of what has been possible before○ DRC example

Adding Uploaded File

● Once you upload your file, the file will automatically be placed in your My Content. (Remember that if anyone else is going to run this report you will need to move this file out of My Content)

● At any time you want to update the file just right click the file and say “Refresh”

Creating a Data Module

● Data Modules can be built with any of the listed combinations. For this purpose we are using a Package and an Uploaded File.

● By clicking on each of them you get the full listing of options that you have access to.

Building the Data Module

● Click the “Diagram Icon” and drag and drop the sources onto the space.○ Here is where you can do modeling by right clicking a source in the

space and saying “Create Relationship”. Unless you are confident in what you are doing I recommend against modeling and leave them as “Stand Alone”.

● Save the Data Module in the desired location.

Building the Report

● Navigate to your Module and say “Create Report”

● When you first come into the design mode your package will be fully expanded which you can collapse.

● You will have to join your file at some point with the package in the report. (the lower the join the more efficiency it will have)

Organizational IdeasLeslie Rody

Authoring Organizational Ideas● Notes

○ #/* Note Here */#○ Examples of use:

■ #/*Past 5 fall semesters*/# [ACADEMIC_PERIOD] IN (‘202010’, ‘201910’, ‘201810’, ‘201710’, ‘201610’)

■ Large Calculation within Data item● Calculated/changed Data Item

■ An indicator that a field has been changed benefits future report writers/editors, including future you!

■ As simple as an asterisk (*) preceding the name of the data item can indicate a change.

Community Feedback Questions?

THANK YOUSue WilderMonique RawlesLeslie RodySabrina TannerJulie JangKatie HendryxKelsie NewberryZach Yater