Configure data set refresh

Data can be loaded into IBM® Cognos® data sets by using a scheduled data set refresh.

The following list describes how data generally flows from a database to the dashboard screen.
  1. IBM Cognos data sets are defined from the model query subjects that are available in the packages. Some data set definitions are provided for immediate use, but data needs to be loaded into the data sets. The data sets can be loaded either manually or by using a well-defined schedule. After a data set is loaded, IBM Cognos stores the data in the application server.
  2. IBM Cognos data modules are created from these data sets. You can do modelling such as defining navigation groups and data groups, creating custom calculation fields, and more. You can also bring in data from other sources here.
  3. Sample dashboards are created from data modules. Custom calculations and navigation groups can also be defined at this level. When you are interacting with a dashboard, all the data is provided from the data set that is already loaded. Because this data is on IBM Cognos Application Server, the access is fast.

To keep the data that is used by the dashboards current, consider defining a schedule for refreshing the data sets. Select the Schedule tab of the data set properties to define a schedule. Ensure that a schedule is defined for all the data sets.

The refresh schedule that is shown in the following list is a general recommendation. You must choose a schedule that meets your system requirements.
  • Schedule the data sets for the FTM base system management dashboard to be refreshed every 15 minutes, since the dashboard uses the current day data from the FTM database.
  • Data sets for trending dashboards can be scheduled to refresh one time a day.