RBT - SSE - DW - Cognos FM Training

Designing with Framework Manager
By
Rambabu K
Objectives
• In this course, we will:

– Explore the Framework Manager environment
– Create and modify Framework Manager models to meet business requirements
– Publish models for use by ad hoc query and report authors
– Perform model management activities
– Secure metadata to allow appropriate access by users
– Identify advanced modeling techniques
2 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

Table of Contents
1. Introduction to Framework Manager

2. Design and Create a Project
3. Prepare the Metadata
4. Prepare the Business View
5. Manage Packages
6. Set Security in Framework Manager
7. Manage Projects
8. Use Advanced Modeling Techniques


5. Manage Packages
7. Manage Projects

Objectives
• In this module, we will:

– Define Framework Manager and its purpose
– Describe the Framework Manager environment
– Examine the Framework Manager user interface

What is Framework Manager?
 Framework Manager provides the metadata model development

environment for Cognos.
 Use Framework Manager to model the business presentation of data
derived from one or more data sources.
 In Framework Manager, you work in a project, which contains:
 Model
 Namespaces
 Data sources
 Parameter maps
 Packages

Describe the Framework Manager Environment
• In a Framework Manager project, you will interact with the following objects:
– Model
– Namespace
– Folder
– Query subject
– Query item
– Relationship diagram
– Parameter map
– Package

Examine the model

• Examine the model from the perspective of the report or ad hoc query author.
Create Report based on selected Package

Go Sales
Publish Package
Select Package from

cognos connection

Examine Query Subject Types

• Following are the Query Subject Types:
• Data source query subject
• SQL query that acts as a view into the underlying query data source
• Default data source query subjects are created based on imported objects
• Model query subject

• Contains query items based on other existing objects in the model
• Stored procedure query subject

• Contains query items based on the return list of a stored procedure

Design and Create a Project
• Design
– Know your data and the structure of your data sources.
– Work with report authors to understand business reporting requirements.
– Identify project structure.
• Create
– Create a project.
– Import the required metadata.
• Organize
– Organize objects to create a physical view of the metadata.

Prepare Metadata
• Administer
– Specify query processing type.
– Define function sets.
• Clean Up
– Examine and modify object properties.
– Examine, modify, and create relationships.
– Edit SQL.

Prepare the Business View
• To enhance the business view of the model, you can:

– Create one or more presentation views
– Add calculations
– Create and apply filters
– Add prompts
– Create dynamic queries
– Use star schema groupings
– Specify dimensional information

Create and Manage Packages
• To create and manage packages, you can:

– Define the package contents
– Modify a package
– Specify languages
– Set governors
– View package inclusion
– Enable versioning

Set Security
• To set security in Framework Manager, you can:

– Define access to packages
– Create security filters
– Define access to objects
– Define package administration access

Manage the Project
• Perform project management activities such as:

– Implementing multiuser modeling
• Repository control
– Sharing and reusing information
• Segmenting and linking
– Section logging and synchronizing
– Checking a project

Examine the Framework Manager UI
Project Info
Object Explorer
Object Diagram

Summary
• In this module, we have:

– Defined Framework Manager and its purpose
– Described the Framework Manager environment
– Examined the Framework Manager user interface

Question
Identify and describe the following objects as indicated by their icon.

Answer
Query item with usage property set to Fact
Query subject that does not contain any query items set to Fact
Query subject containing at least one query item set to Fact
Query item with usage property set to Identifier
Query item with usage property set to Attribute


5. Manage Packages
7. Manage Projects

Objectives

– Identify and apply model structure best practices
– Create a project
– Import metadata
– Organize objects
– Publish the model

What Are the Best Practices?
 Follow some best practices for structuring Framework Manager

projects.
 Use a two-tier model that organizes:
 Foundation objects into a
physical layer
 Reporting objects into a
presentation layer
 Share and re-use information.
Presentation
layer
Physical
layer

Define the Physical Layer
 The physical layer:

 Represents the metadata as it appears in the data source
 Provides a foundation for the presentation layer
 Is made up primarily of data source and stored procedure query
subjects
 When creating the physical layer:
 Import only the smallest number of objects required
 Create calculations and filters that meet a wide range of
business requirements

Define the Presentation Layer
 The presentation layer:

 Is a modeled business view of the metadata from the data
source
 Facilitates report authoring
 Is primarily made up of model query subjects and shortcuts
 When creating the presentation layer:
 Consider using shortcuts instead of copies of query subjects
 Create calculations and filters only if they meet a specific
business requirement

Create a Project
 Specify a name and file location for your project.

Define Languages
 Specify a design language for the project when you first create it.
 Add languages any time after the project is created.

Examine Data Sources
 Import metadata into the model from the following sources:

 Relational databases
 Existing Cognos ReportNet models
 Architect models
 Impromptu catalogs
 Third-party metadata sources
 XML data file

Import From Multiple Data Sources
 Import metadata from one or more of the supported data sources.

 Consider the following:
 Create a separate namespace for each import.
 Define relationships between query subjects.
 Create model query subjects that contain query items from two or
more data source (or model) query subjects.

Specify Relationship Criteria

Define Function Sets
• You can restrict the function sets available in the expression editor so that it
lists only the vendors that you want.

Examine and Organize Objects
• After importing metadata:

– Examine objects to validate the metadata
– Organize objects to create a structure
Set properties
Verify and test
query subjects
Create folders &
rename objects

Summary

– Identified and applied model structure best practices
– Created a project
– Imported metadata
– Organized objects
– Published the model

Question
Best practices for modeling a physical layer include which of

the following:
 Import only the smallest number of objects required

 Create calculations and filters only if they meet a specific
business requirement
 Create calculations and filters that meet a wide range of
 Create calculations and filters inside packages so that they can
be readily published for use by ad hoc query and report
authors

Answer
Best practices for modeling a physical layer include:
a) Import only the smallest number of objects required

c) Create calculations and filters that meet a wide range of


5. Manage Packages
7. Manage Projects

Objectives

– Verify, modify, and create relationships between query subjects
– Verify and modify query item properties
– Create and test new query subjects
– Create calculations
– Create macros using parameter maps and session parameters

Examine Relationships in Framework Manager
• Relationships are maintained in the object diagram.

• They define the cardinality between query subjects.
– Cardinality defines the numeric relationships between occurrences of the query
subjects on either end of a relationship

Modify and Create Relationships
• Framework Manager creates relationships for your metadata during import.

• You can modify the existing relationships or create new ones if they are
required and do not exist.
• Relationships can be created between any two query subjects.

• Presentation layer relationships can override physical layer relationships.
Presentation Layer Physical Layer
1..1 1..1
Product Product_Forecast Product Product_Forecast
0..n 1..n
Overrides
Examine Ambiguous Relationships
• Relationship
Ambiguous or Redundant Relationships
A 1..1
1..n B
1..1 1..1
1..n
1..n
C

Resolve Ambiguous Relationships
• Use shortcuts and folders to isolate relationships in order to resolve ambiguity.
Sales Branch Sales Branch

1..1 1..1 1..1 1..1
1..n 1..n
Orders Orders
1..n 1..n
Relationship 1..1 0..n 1..1 0..n
in Sales Staff Shortcut to Sales Staff Sales Staff

Question

Examine Query Subjects
• Query subjects are the building blocks in Framework Manager.

• A query subject contains query items which represent a projection list from the
underlying data source.
• There are three types of query subjects:

– Data source query subjects
– Model query subjects
– Stored procedure query subjects
Query Subjects
Query Items
Modify and Test Query Subjects
• After you import or create a data source subject, or create a model query
subject, you can:
– Edit the SQL (data source query subjects only)
– Change the query items referenced
– Create calculations
– Add filters
– Insert a macro
• After you import a stored procedure query subject, you can edit the name,
data source, and arguments.
• You can test query subjects as you create or modify them to see the data they
retrieve.

Edit the SQL of a Data Source Query Subject
• You can quickly and easily alter the SQL of a data source query subject to meet
your needs.

Examine Query Items
• Query items represent data columns in a data source, or are calculations based
on data columns in a data source.
• A query item may be:

– A reference to a data source column
– A reference to another query item
– A calculation
Sales Territory Table
Query Subjects Query Item

Modify Query Item Properties
• Each query item has properties that can be modified to suite your reporting
needs.

Set Usage Property
• The Usage property

– Identifies the intended use for the data represented by each query item
– Determines the aggregation rules of query items and calculations
• The different Usage property settings are:

– Identifier
– Fact
– Attribute
– Unkown

Merge Metadata to Create a New Query Subject
• You can reuse existing model metadata to quickly create new query subjects.
• You can merge the following objects:
– Model and data source query subjects
– Query items, filters, and calculations
– Relationships
– Shortcuts
Query Subject Query Subject

A B
Query Subject
A_B
Create a Stored Procedure Query Subject
• Stored procedures return result sets based on simple to complex queries.

• Framework Manager can leverage the stored procedure by generating a query
subject that reflects the returned result set.
• Stored procedure query subjects must:

– Return a single uniform result set
– Not have an overloaded signature
• You must test the stored procedure query subject after you create it in order to
generate the projected query items.

Create Calculations
• Create calculations to provide report authors values that they regularly use.
• Calculations can use:
Planned Revenue Calculation
– Query items
– Parameters [gosales].[ORDER_DETAILS].[QUANTITY]
– Functions
*
• There are two types of calculations:

Operator
[gosales].[ORDER_DETAILS].[UNIT_SALE_PRICE]
– Embedded
– Stand–alone Query Items

Examine Parameter Maps
• Parameter maps are similar to data source look–up tables.

• They substitute a passed parameter with a value understood by your
application.
• Each parameter map consists of two columns:

– Key (must be unique)
– Value (used for substitution) Key Column Value Column
cs CS
cs–cz CS
da DA
da–dk DA
de DE
de–at DE
de–ch DE
Tab–Delimited Parameter Map File

Create a Macro
• Macros are fragments of code that you can insert within definitions and
properties of model objects.
• A macro can contain references to:

– Parameter maps and parameter map entries
– Session parameters
• Parameter values in a macro are populated when a query is executed.
Macro
Select
PRODUCT_LINE.PRODUCT_LINE_CODE,
PRODUCT_LINE.PRODUCT_LINE_#$[Locale Map]{$runLocale}# as Product_Line
from
[GO Sales.GO Sales.dbo].PRODUCT_LINE
Reference to Parameter Map Reference to Session Parameter

Summary

– Verified, modified, and created relationships between query subjects
– Verified and modified query item properties
– Created and tested new query subjects
– Created calculations
– Created macros using parameter maps and session parameters

Question
Fill in the blanks.
Use _______ and _______ to isolate relationships in

order to resolve ambiguity.

Answer
Fill in the blanks.
Use shortcuts and folders to isolate relationships in

order to resolve ambiguity.

Question
What references can a macro contain?

Answer
A macro can contain references to:

 parameter maps and parameter map entries
 session parameters


5. Manage Packages
7. Manage Projects

Objectives

– Add a presentation layer to our model
– Create stand–alone and embedded filters

Create a Presentation Layer
• The recommended model structure involves a physical layer and a presentation

layer.
• The presentation layer provides report authors with a meaningful view of the
metadata.
Presentation Layer
Physical Layer

Create Model Query Subjects
• Model query subjects reuse query items from data source query subjects and
other model query subjects.
• They are useful in creating meaningful views of the metadata to the report
author.
• Model query subjects allow for further customization of the metadata to meet
specific requirements without affecting the underlying query subject.
Data Source Query Subjects Used to Model Query Subject

60 Create Model Query Subject
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Examine Filters
• Filters are used to limit the rows retrieved by a query subject.

• There are two types of UI filters in Framework Manager:
– Stand–alone (reusable)
– Embedded (for a single query subject)
Stand–Alone Filters
Embedded Filter
Summary

– Added a presentation layer to our model
– Created stand–alone and embedded filters

Question
When would you choose to create a stand–alone filter

over an embedded filter?

Answer
Create stand–alone filters when you want to reuse the

expression in query subjects or packages.


5. Manage Packages
7. Manage Projects

Objectives

– Edit governors for our model and packages
– Create and modify packages
– Specify package languages and function lists
– Analyze the impact of publishing a package
– Publish packages and set their model version control

Examine Packages
• Packages contain a subset of your model to meet your presentation needs.

• You can create several packages, each used to suit different report authors'
requirements.
• You can apply security to packages to restrict access.

• You can nest packages to save development and maintenance time.

Edit Governors
• You can set limits to the data retrieved in a query subject test or the report
design mode by setting governors.
• When you set governors, all packages subsequently published will reflect the
new settings.

Create and Modify Packages
• Include the model objects you want to publish in your package.
Package
Model

Specify Package Languages
• In the instance of multilingual data you must specify the languages to be

published with a package.
• You must add languages to the project before you can add them to a package.

Specify Package Function List
• The package function list is used to specify which data source functions you
would like to make available to report authors.

Analyze the Impact of Publishing a Package
• If you have updated a package, you can analyze the effects of the changes you
made before deploying the new package to report authors.
View affected reports
View changed items
View changes made

Publish Packages
• When you publish a package, you can choose to save either to the ReportNet
server or to a network location.
• Before publishing, you should verify the package.
Cognos Connection
File System

Set Model Version Control
• When you publish a package, you can select how many versions of the model
you want to retain on the Cognos ReportNet server.
Specify How Many Versions to

Maintain

Summary

– Edited governors for our model and packages
– Created and modified packages
– Specified package languages and function lists
– Analyzed the impact of publishing a package
– Published packages and set their model version control

Question
Fill in the blank.

Packages contain a ________ of your model.

Answer
Fill in the blank.

Packages contain a subset of your model.
A package could could contain the entire model, but

generally you would only publish portions of the
presentation layer, not the physical layer, for end–
users.

Question
True or false?
Governors validate SQL syntax for query subjects.

Answer
False.
Governors control SQL generation and thereby can control data
retrieval limits.


5. Manage Packages
7. Manage Projects

Objectives

– Examine the ReportNet security environment
– Create and apply security filters
– Restrict access to query subjects and query items
– Restrict access to packages

ReportNet Security
• The ReportNet security model is based on:

– Third-party authentication providers
– Authorization (security object + permission + entry)
– Cognos namespace
– Administration
• Security in Cognos 8 is optional, whereby anonymous access is allowed.

Configure Authentication Providers

• Cognos 8 uses third-party authentication providers to leverage existing user and
group repositories.
• Providers store authentication information such as user names, IDs, passwords,

regional settings, and personal preferences.

Use the Cognos Namespace

• Use the groups and roles defined in the Cognos namespace to control access to
the metadata in the model.
• The Cognos namespace contains security objects, which are:

– pre-defined groups or roles
– user-defined groups or roles
• You can:
– create groups and roles specific to a Cognos application
– repackage users, groups, and roles from the authentication providers
– avoid having to set up application specific authentication information in the
authentication providers
• Use is optional.

Set Security in Framework Manager
• When you apply security in Framework Manager, you control access for selected
users, groups, and roles. To do this, you can:
– specify package access (metadata security)
– give visibility rights to objects (object-based security)
– define security filters (data security)

Specify Package Access
• Specify which users, groups, and roles have access to the package and deny
access for all other users, groups, and roles.
Create a new group or role

& add users

Set Object Visibility
• Specify which users, groups, and roles have visibility rights to the object and
deny access for all other users, groups, and roles.

Define Security Filters
• Create a security filter to restrict the data returned by a query subject.
Major Market Small Market

Manage Package Administrative Access
• Give administrative access to packages for users who are required to:
– Republish packages
– Perform impact analysis

Question
Using which ReportNet tools do you implement repository

control for Framework Manager projects?
a) Report Studio
b) Cognos Configuration
c) Directory tool in Cognos Connection
d) Framework Manager
e) Configuration Manager

Answer
You implement repository control for Framework Manager

projects using the following ReportNet tools:
b) Cognos Configuration
d) Framework Manager

Question
You create a segment so that you can create a backup of your project.
True or False?

Answer
False.
You create a segment so that you can:
 organize a project according to business rules or
organizational requirements
 distribute the responsibility for modeling
 share and reuse project information


5. Manage Packages
7. Manage Projects

Objectives

– Resolve a recursive relationship
– Specify Determinants

Examine Recursive Relationships in Framework Manager
• When you import metadata, Framework Manager displays self–joins in the

diagram, but does not execute them as queries.
Employee Query Subject

Recursive Relationship Employee ID
Between Employee ID Manager ID
and
Manager ID Phone Number
Ext.
…

Resolve Recursive Relationships
• Use shortcuts to create and modify recursive relationships.
Employee Query Subject

Shortcut to Employee Query
Employee ID
Subject
Manager ID 1..1
Employee ID
Phone Number
1..n
Manager ID
Ext.
Phone Number
…
Ext.
…
Recursive Relationship
Can now be edited

Specify Determinants
• Determinants is used to associate attributes with levels to ensure proper

aggregation and avoid double counting or repeating values.
• Framework Manager lets

you specify levels, keys,
attributes and hierarchies
for a query subject.

Examine Star Schemas
Dimension Dimension
1 2
1..1 1..1
1..n 1..n
Fact Table
1..n 1..n
1..1 1..1
Dimension Dimension
4 3

Examine Conformed Dimensions
• A conformed dimension has relationships to more than one fact table.
Product
Dimension
1..1 1..1
1..n 1..n
Sales Inventory
Fact Levels Fact
1..n 1..n
1..1 1..1
Time
Dimension

Manage Star Schemas in Framework Manager
Sales Fact Namespace Inventory Levels Fact Namespace
Product Product
Dimension Dimension
1..1 1..1
Sales 1..n 1..n

Inventory
Fact 1..n
1..n Levels Fact
1..1 1..1
Time Time
Dimension Dimension

Summary

– Resolved a recursive relationship
– Specified Determinants

Question
Fill in the blank.
Specifying Determinants ensures proper ________.

Answer
Specifying dimension information ensures proper

aggregation.

Question
True or false?
A conformed dimension has relationships with at least 4

fact tables.

Answer
False.
A conformed dimension has relationships with more
than one fact table.

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Designing with Framework Manager

• In this course, we will:

2 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

1. Introduction to Framework Manager

3 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

1. Introduction to Framework Manager

4 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

• In this module, we will:

5 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

What is Framework Manager?

 Framework Manager provides the metadata model development

6 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

Describe the Framework Manager Environment

7 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

Examine the model

Create Report based on selected Package

Select Package from

8 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

Examine Query Subject Types

• Model query subject

• Stored procedure query subject

9 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

Design and Create a Project

10 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

11 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

• To enhance the business view of the model, you can:

12 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

• To create and manage packages, you can:

13 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

• To set security in Framework Manager, you can:

14 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

Manage the Project

• Perform project management activities such as:

15 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

16 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

• In this module, we have:

17 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

Identify and describe the following objects as indicated by their icon.

18 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

Query item with usage property set to Fact

Query subject containing at least one query item set to Fact

Query item with usage property set to Identifier

Query item with usage property set to Attribute

1. Introduction to Framework Manager

20 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

• In this module, we will:

21 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

What Are the Best Practices?

 Follow some best practices for structuring Framework Manager

22 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

 The physical layer:

23 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

 The presentation layer:

24 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

 Specify a name and file location for your project.

25 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

26 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

Examine Data Sources

 Import metadata into the model from the following sources:

27 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

 Import metadata from one or more of the supported data sources.

28 © Virtusa Corporation ● Confidential

Use _ and _ to isolate relationships in