1. Framework Manager and Transformer Tips
Cognos User Group
Framework Manager and Transformer Tips
August 6, 2010

2. Topics Framework Manager Transformer Using filters Governors
Diagram settings
“As View” query subjects vs. “Minimized”
Transformer
Using categories for counts
Creating “Bucket Dimensions”
Time dimensions
When to use a DMR model (in Framework Manager)

3. FM - Filters Filter Options Embedded (within query subject)
Required
Optional
Design Mode
Stand-alone
Only way to make hard-coded filter optional
Use screen tip so that you know what the filter is !
Studios
Demo:
Go to FM
Show embedded filter in Orders Fact
Discuss Required, Optional and Design Mode
Required “permanently” applies filter to package
Optional can be used in combination with a prompt.
Design Mode can be used in combination with QS Preview with Limited Data run option
Add stand-alone
Show best practice of including it under the Order Fact query subject
Paste in filter to Tool Tip property
Publish package and show in QS
Launch QS
Go to Run Report option and point out Preview with Limited Data
Set Preview with no data
Insert Order Fact columns
Hover over Ship Date filter for tool tip
Apply filter
Order Ship date ascending
Run report

4. FM – Governors
Use to improve performance by reducing system requirements
“Big 5” Infolink has found useful:
Max Rows Retrieved
Query time limit
Large Text (BLOBS) limit
Cross-Product joins
Usage of local cache

5. FM – Diagram Settings Context Explorer vs. Diagram tab
Use Navigate Diagram to control defaults
Shrink to fit
Layout control
Settings control
Demo
Show context explorer on Order Details in Database View
Change to crows feet
Close CE and re-open to show that crows feet is not saved as default
Go to diagram and change default settings to update for all future models to crowsfeet
Close model and re-open and show CE is now defaulted to crows feet
Show shrink to fit option icon.
Show auto layout icon optoin

6. FM – “As View” query subject
Default is “Minimized”
How does “As View” work?
Creates in-line view
Controls order of query processing
Why use “As View”
Accuracy
Merged query subject outer join example
Go to Order Fact “Test” tab to focus attention on SQL Settings
Show query differences (note: With is turned off in Governors)
CO Judicial merged query subject example
Context Explorer on Case Master to show outer join
Discuss merge solution (de-normalize further)
Context Explorer on Merged tables

7. Transformer – Category Counts
3 types of measures in Transformer
Column
Calculated
Category Count
Category Count type measure is used to provide a distinct count of members among dimension levels of a level you specify in the Dimension Map. (note 65,536 limit)

8. Trans – Category Counts continued
You can create a category count using multiple columns from a data source.
Example: Unique employee is determined by Employee ID + Employee Record. We want to count this within our dimension levels
Demo
Go into Training\User Group\User Group.mdl
Tip on mdl vs. pyj
Show category counts to explain 65K limit per level (node)
Show calculated column in data source – defines unique employee
Show dimension in dimension map and set as unique
Show Employee Count measure set up as category count
Show diagram with suppressed dimension
Show in AS with ND HCM Action Cube

9. Trans – “Bucket Dimensions”
“Bucket Dimensions” are useful when you want to categorize measures (like employee count) into pre-determined buckets that you define within Transformer.
In our example, we create our buckets using calculated columns in the data source. (Note: you can do this in FM as well)
Demo
Open UserGroup.mdl
Show Age Bucket calculated field in query source – how it’s calculated
Show Age bucket in dimensional map
Explain sort using another sort calculation and applying to the sort of the dimension
Show in AS with Employee Count as measure

10. Trans – Time Dimension Standard Time Dimension Custom Time Dimension
Cognos automatically builds dimension levels from a date using a wizard.
Relative time
Adding additional drill path
Custom Time Dimension
Is a regular (non-time) dimension
Create your own time categories and sorting
Demo
Open FinDemo.mdl
Show adding time using wizard (point out start month)
Generate categories and show diagram
Show how you can change Date label formats
Show how to add additional drill path (dimension map and diagram update)
Show in AS
Show custom time dimension table in SQL Server for ND
Show in FM model
SQL Server (TIME_DIM in infolink_demo_mart database)

11. FM - DMR Dimensionally Modeled Relational Data (DMR)
Provides OLAP Cube style reporting
Useful for real time reporting on small data sets that have a good framework model
Drawbacks:
Performance (typically slower than PowerCubes which are pre-aggregated)
Consumes database server resources with report queries