IBM Cognos Package or Report

Dimensionally Modeled Relational Packages

When you access metadata from a dimensionally modeled relational (DMR) package, you can import and leverage the dimensions, or import the query items or metadata that make up those dimensions. You can also import the measure metadata. Metadata from DMR packages can be directly accessed using:

• Insert Data Source option on the Edit menu

  Using this option, you can select measures and query items. The dimensional structure is not imported.

• Insert Dimension from Package option on the Dimension Map

  Using this option, you can select dimensions, hierarchies or levels. The selected dimensions are created in Cognos Transformer, together with queries containing appropriate query items.

If you want to take advantage of Cognos Transformer's relative time functionality, do not import the date dimensions from dimensional packages. Instead, use the Insert Data Source option to import the appropriate date field to create your time dimension.

OLAP Packages

Cognos Transformer allows you to leverage metadata from published OLAP packages. As a result, Cognos Transformer PowerCubes can be used as high speed data access cache methods for distributing smaller or focused areas of your business information.

Consider the size of the resulting cube when you use another OLAP package as a PowerCube data source. OLAP sources can include significant amount of data that is not appropriate for PowerCubes. However, taking a specific segment of data from these sources can be very useful, particularly if you intend to mix that data with other data sources for further reporting or analysis.

When you use OLAP sources to populate your Cognos Transformer models

• Import the dimensions that you require.

  SAP variable prompts are supported and should be used where necessary to limit the data to a specific segment of your data source. For more information, see Working with SAP BW Data Using a Package in Framework Manager.

• Create the time dimension in the same way that you create fact queries.

  Cognos Transformer does not support importing time dimensions from any OLAP source, including PowerCubes. To create the Cognos Transformer time dimension with relative time categories, import your time information from either an IBM Cognos relational package or report, or from a flat file exported from IBM Cognos Analytics or the original OLAP vendor.

In Cognos Transformer, you add dimensions from OLAP packages directly from the Dimension Map. This is a practical way to begin creating conformed dimensions and, to some extent, reusing portions of the published metadata from the source dimension.

Using the Insert Dimension from Package option on the Dimension Map, you can select the dimensions, hierarchies, or levels that you want to import from any OLAP package on to the Cognos Transformer Dimension Map.

SAP BW Packages

You can use Cognos Transformer to import both dimensional and fact data from an SAP BW query source. To do so, the SAP BW query package must be in a specific format. The Cognos Transformer PowerCubes you create with these specifically constructed SAP query packages can be used as high speed data access cache methods for distributing smaller or focused areas of your business information.

There are three stages to importing an SAP BW query to access both dimensions and facts using IBM Cognos Analytics:

• Creating a BW Query in SAP Business Explorer Query Designer
• Creating a Package in Framework Manager
• Creating a Model in Cognos Transformer