Creating an IBM Cognos Business Intelligence report without a cube

You can create a Cognos Business Intelligence report against a background search table without creating a cube.

To create a simple report:

1. Generating search results with a background search sweep. Create and run a background search from the administration console.

   Example: Install the Content Cortex 5.2.1 Reporting AddOn and run the Document Usage By User report from the administration console. For information about installing add-ons, see Installing an add-on feature to an object store.

   Here is the background search expression for that report:

   
   SELECT Creator AS CmRptUser,
   COUNT(Id) AS CmRptObjectCount,
   SUM(ContentSize) AS CmRptContentSize,
   MIN(DateCreated) AS CmRptDateFirstCreated,
   MAX(DateCreated) as CmRptDateLastCreated
   FROM Document
   GROUP BY CmRptUser
   

2. Finding table and column names. In the object store database, get the following information:
   • The name of the result table for your background search
   • The column names of the table
3. Creating a data source. Create a Cognos data source to access your search result data.
4. Create a package from IBM® Cognos Framework Manager:
   1. Start Framework Manager.
   2. Create and name a new project.
   3. In the Metadata wizard, select Data Sources and click Next.
   4. Select the data source that you created and click Next.
   5. Select your Content Platform Engine object by expanding the tables for your schema and selecting the result table that you identified.

      Example: Select the name of the table as found in the appendix (for example, UT_CmRptDocumentUsageByUser). Click Next.

   6. Take the defaults for the Generate Relationships screen. Click Import and then Finish.
   7. In the left pane under Project Viewer, right-click Packages and select Create > Package.
   8. Name the new package and click Next.
   9. Define the objects by selecting the columns to include in the package and click Next.
   10. Select the function set that is appropriate for your data source and click Finish.
   11. Open the publish package wizard and click Yes.
   12. Choose a folder location for the package or take the defaults and click Next.
   13. Define security as needed and click Next.
   14. Click Publish on the last screen and click Finish to exit the wizard.
5. Create a simple Cognos report by using Query Studio:
   1. Open a browser window to Cognos Connection and at the Welcome screen, under My Actions, select Query my data.
   2. Select your package in the folder that you chose when you published it. Open it.
   3. Insert columns into the report by selecting them in the left pane and click Insert.
   4. As needed, define titles, columns, filters, sorting, and other report details.
   5. Chart the data by clicking the Chart icon and choose the chart type.