Validate Data

Validating data is an essential part of maintaining the IBM® Cognos Controller database and you should perform it at regular intervals.

As a rule, you should validate data every time you optimize the database. This gives you continuity in your maintenance work and reminds you to perform the validation. Another useful rule is that each time you have made major structural changes, you should check if these changes have left any invalid values in the database.

As you change and develop the Cognos Controller application, combinations of invalid data can be stored in the database. For example, when you delete an account from the account structure. The account code is deleted but the values are still stored with this identity in the database. This function is a tool for identifying and deleting these items.

You can use the function to enter from and to which period you want to check data for one or more structures. The menu consists of a number of check boxes, and you can select several options simultaneously. You can delete any invalid data by clicking the Delete button.

You can check the following:

• If there are values for intercompany balances stored in accounts that you have not defined as IC accounts.
• If there are values stored in summation accounts.
• If there are values stored in invalid combinations of accounts and extended dimensions 1-4. The Ext. Dim 1-4 headings may have different names if this was defined in the general configuration.
• If there are values stored in company codes that no longer exist.
• If there are currency rates stored in currency codes that no longer exist.

A window will appear with a message of how many invalid items there are or if there are no invalid items.

When the validation is complete, a report with the invalid data is presented. You can choose to:

• Delete invalid data.
• Print all invalid items to the printer.
• Show all invalid items in a separate window.
• Return to the previous window.