Technical Blog Post
Abstract
BiLog: Maximo Cognos Meta Data
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I made it to Step 294. In addition to my sneakers getting a workout over the last few weeks, we’ve also reviewed the Maximo- Cognos Report Integration. Using Cognos reporting in your Maximo environment is one of the many report options available to you with Maximo’s Open Reporting Architecture. You can read more about these options in the Maximo 7.5 or Maximo 7.1 Report Upgrade Planning guides available here.
In the last BiLogs, we’ve talked thru the Cognos Versions that are supported, along with how the Cognos reports can be accessed, and how a Cognos report utilizes the Maximo Where Clause.
This week, let’s talk thru a key component of Cognos reporting – the meta data. The traditional reporting tools used in Maximo use sql. With these tools, the report developers create a wide range of sql statements, which select attributes, define filters, and join database objects together that are used within the report. Because of this, the report developer must be very familiar with the Maximo database, and be very careful in joining the database objects together correctly so that accurate data is returned in the report. Additionally, for each report the developer creates, he must re-create the sql each time, which can be very time consuming.
When creating a Cognos report however, the developer does not work with sql statements to join database objects together. Instead, he works with a metadata, which contains a pre-joined user friendly view of Maximo’s database. The metadata encapsulates the complexity of Maximo’s physical database definition. This provides great benefits to the developer as he no longer has to join the database objects together, saving him time, and insuring consistent data/joins are used by whoever may be developing reports.
Creating the meta data within the Cognos tools however can be a tedious, time consuming task. Additionally, as over 90% of the Maximo clients customize the database for their unique business needs, or utilize a variety of Business Partner or Industry Solution products, it would not add value to deliver a meta data reflecting the base Maximo database that is not utilized.
In this BiLog entry, more details on where Step 294 iss and how Maximo streamlines the Cognos metatdata creation process to reflect your unique database are provided. In the meanwhile, check out more about the Maximo Cognos Report Integration here. Thanks!
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ibm11133487