Data sources

IBM® Cognos® software supports many different types of data sources. The data source connection information may vary for each type of data source you use.

In a Framework Manager model, catalogs and schemas are properties that are associated with a data source object. If present, these properties qualify any object that is generated in an SQL statement at run time.

When switching the data source against which a model is mapped, qualification levels are often removed. The Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) applies appropriate name space searches as it prepares the SQL statements it receives. Depending on the vendor, the RDBMS may look in up to two places to resolve a reference to an object. An error results if a reference cannot be resolved.

IBM Cognos Framework Manager preserves the names of tables and columns as presented by the RDBMS. These names display in generated Cognos SQL statements. Cognos SQL uses quotes for the names to preserve case and to avoid conflicts with special characters or keywords.

You can secure data sources using IBM Cognos authentication. IBM Cognos authentication respects any security that is also defined within the data source. You can create data source signons to isolate the database logon process from the end users. The signon stores the user ID and password required to access the database. You can also deploy data sources.

For more information about data source connections, see the IBM Cognos Analytics Administration and Security Guide.