IBM Cognos 8 Planning: Engineer a clear-cut strategy for achieving best-in-class results using IBM Cognos 8 Planning with this book and eBook

Table of Contents

IBM Cognos 8 Planning

Credits

About the Authors

Acknowledgment

About the Reviewers

Preface

What this book covers

What you need for this book

Who this book is for

Conventions

Reader feedback

Customer support

Downloading the example code for the book

Errata

Piracy

Questions

1. Planning with IBM Cognos

Planning in a dynamic business environment

Common problems with the planning process

Disconnect between operating reality and financial plan

Confrontational versus collaborative

Cycle times

Ownership and accountability

Spreadsheet-based planning

Lack of control

Spreadsheet error

Lack of transparency

Consolidation and version control

How technology enables planning best practices

Introducing IBM Cognos Planning

Corporate Performance Management

Benefits of IBM Cognos Planning

Summary

2. Getting to know IBM Cognos Tools

Scenario

IBM Cognos Planning — Analyst

Panda Garden Scenario

IBM Cognos Planning — Contributor

Contributor administration

Panda Garden scenario

Contributor client

Panda Garden scenario

IBM Cognos Excel add-in for Analyst and Contributor

IBM Cognos Metric Designer and Metric Studio

Metric Designer

Metric Studio

Panda Garden scenario

IBM Cognos Reporting Studios

Panda Garden scenario

IBM Cognos Framework Manager

Panda Garden scenario

IBM Cognos Event Studio

Panda Garden Scenario

IBM Cognos Connection web portal

Summary

3. Understanding the Model Development Process

The process

Considerations for building an Analyst planning model

Planning functional models

Planning cycles and horizons

Planning approaches

Designing the model template in Analyst

Flowcharting the model structure

The concept of multi dimensionality

Understanding dimensions, datastore, and data flow

Determining dimensions: D-List

Building the datastore: D-Cubes

Controlling data flow: D-Links

What makes an optimal model?

Principles of model building

Efficiency

Performance

Maintenance

Building the Contributor application

Entering and reviewing plans in the Contributor Web user interface

Publishing and reporting planning data

Maintaining the planning models

Example: ABC Company

Summary

4. Understanding the Analyst Environment

Getting familiar with Analyst

Using Analyst shortcuts

Accessing Analyst objects

Navigating within Analyst

The building blocks of an Analyst model

Analyst objects

D-List

D-Cube

D-Link

Allocation Table (A-Table)

File Map

Saved Format

Saved Selection

Macro

Organizing objects by using libraries

Creating a library

Deleting a library

Considerations for creating libraries

Types of libraries

Common library

Model library

Staging library

Archive library

Basic administration tools

Maintain Libraries and Users

Rebuild the index file

Refresh references

Validate D-Lists

Locate ODBC sources

Locate Built-in Functions

Configuring Analyst

Changing the path to the Filesys.ini

Changing the maximum workspace

Changing keyboard layout

Changing the number of undos and redos

Summary

5. Defining Data Structures: D-List

Overview of D-List

Creating the D-List

Manually typing the D-List Items

Importing D-List items from an ASCII file

Importing the D-List items from a File Map

Importing the D-List items from an ODBC source

Importing the D-List items from data in a D-Cube

Importing the D-List Items from another D-List

Setting the import parameters

Modifying the import parameters

Updating the D-List

Updating D-List item names from a data source

Adding new items to a D-List

Deleting D-List items

Reordering D-List Items

Implementing D-List changes

Non-permissible characters in a D-List

Item ID (IID) in a D-List

Entering formulas in a D-List

How formulas are written

Using the Paste function when writing formulas

Writing conditional statements

Conflicts in calculation

Using the D-List priority option

Built-in functions

Inserting a BiF into a D-List Item

Configuring a Timescale D-List

Formatting D-List items

Numeric format

Date format

Dates in formulas

Text format

D-List format

Using D-List formatted items in calculations

Calc option

Categorizing D-Lists

The e.List

Summary

6. Storing Planning Data: D-Cube

Overview of the D-Cube

Creating a D-Cube

Order of dimensions

Size considerations

Working with the D-Cube

Opening a full view of the D-Cube

Opening a selection of the D-Cube

Viewing different slices of the D-Cube

Saving a selection

Opening the saved selection

Modifying the saved selection

Restructuring dimensions of a D-Cube

Adding a dimension

Deleting a dimension

Substituting a dimension

Reordering D-Cube dimensions

Formatting data using the D-Cube Format

Numeric

Date format

Text format

D-List format

Format priority

Exporting data from the D-Cube

Export

Groups

Single vs. multiple columns

Format

Header/Footer

Zeros

Show Det/Tot

Breakback

Breakback on hierarchies

Configuring D-Cube options

Widths

Lines

Zeros

Breakback

Stored Copy

Show Det/Tot

AutoSum

Entering data into D-Cubes

Data color conventions

Data entry commands

Entering data using the keyboard characters

Applying mathematical operations

Locking, protecting, and holding cells

Summary

7. Moving Planning Data: D-Links

Overview of a D-Link

Creating a D-Link

Creating a D-Link between two D-Cubes

The D-Link dialog box

Connecting to external data sources

File Map

Creating a D-Link using File Map as a source

ODBC connection

Creating an ODBC data source name

Creating a D-Link using an ODBC connection as the source

Executing the D-Link

Executing a D-Link

Running several D-Links into a single target D-Cube

Executing a batch of D-Links

Allocating dimension items

Allocating dimension items using Matched Description

Using Cut Sub-Columns

Allocating dimension items using a local allocation

Matching descriptions within a local allocation table

Selecting items from unpaired dimensions

Many to one and one to many allocations

Modes

Dump option

Special D-Links

Limitations of special D-Links

Look Up D-Links

Creating a Look Up D-Link

Accumulation D-Links

Creating an Accumulation D-Link

Allocation tables (A-Table)

Creating the A-Table

Allocation items

Creating the source or target items from a D-List

Creating the source or target items from a delimited ASCII file

Creating the source or target items from a mapped ASCII file

Creating the source or target items from an ODBC data source

Using a D-Cube as an allocation table

Analyst <> Contributor links

Importing from IBM Cognos Package

Analyst <> Cognos Finance D-Links

Summary

8. Understanding the Contributor Environment

Understanding IBM Cognos Planning components

IBM Cognos Connection

IBM Cognos Planning - Contributor Web Client

IBM Cognos Planning - Contributor Administration Console

IBM Cognos Planning - Contributor for Microsoft Excel

IBM Cognos Planning - Analyst

IBM Cognos Planning - Manager

IBM Cognos Planning - Analyst for Microsoft Excel

Understanding the IBM Cognos Planning technical architecture

Tier 1: Web Server or Planning Gateway

Tier 2: Application

Content Manager

Planning Dispatchers or Servers

Tier 3: Data

Content Store

Planning Store

Application Store

Using the Contributor Administration Console program

IBM Cognos Planning System settings

Planning Store

System settings

Access Rights

DataStores

Jobs, Job Servers, and Job Server Clusters

Upgrade the Planning Administration Domain (PAD)

Developing applications

Logon As… and Log Off

Email

Save

Go To Production (GTP)

Set online and offline

Reset Development to Production

Refresh console

Application and Publish DataStores/Containers

Application folders

Macros

Administration links

Deploying, monitoring, and troubleshooting applications

Deployment

Monitor console

Local log files

Help

Summary

9. Building, Configuring, and Updating the Contributor Application

Creating the Contributor application

Determining the Contributor application prerequisites

Analyst model

Technical environment

e.List

Creating the Contributor application—the process

Understanding the post application creation steps

The application's development and production areas

Configuring the Contributor application for the user web interface

Configuring commonly used options

Navigation

Orientation

Breakback (Grid options)

Multi-view

Slice and dice

Multiple owner

Planner Only cubes

Understanding uncommonly used options

Deploying a Contributor application to the Web: The GTP and Reconciliation process

Understanding GTP

Executing the GTP—the process

Understanding the Reconciliation job

Making Analyst model changes (synchronize)

Understanding synchronization

Synchronizing the Contributor application—steps

Determining the synchronization impact

Enabling Contributor extensions

Configuring admin extensions

Configuring client extensions

Print to Excel

Export to Excel

Get data

Summary

10. Securing and Controlling Contributor Web Client Template/Application

Securing application access

Understanding e.List dimensions

Determining the e.List ownership

Creating and maintaining an e.List

Preparing an e.List file

Importing an e.List file

Impact on reconciliation job

Changing e.List manually

Securing an application with Rights

Assigning the Rights to e.List items

Preparing the Rights file

Users, groups, and roles

Importing the Rights file

Changing Rights manually

Securing the application data

Understanding access tables

Differentiating access levels

Read

Write

Hidden

No Data

Defining Access Table

Creating Access Table manually

Access Table interface

Creating a rule based Access Table

Importing Access Table

Applying Access Table cautiously

Understanding saved selections

Creating saved selections for Access Table

Validating users' data input

Understanding the Data Validations feature

Terminology

Configuring the Data Validations feature

Deciding to validate or not to validate

Defining the validation rules

Defining the Rule Sets

Assigning the Rule Set to e.List items

Applying the validation rule on the Contributor Web Client

Improving the application performance: The cut-down feature

Understanding cut-down feature

Selecting cut-down options

Cut-down configuration options

Cutting-down an application

Applying the cut-down feature carefully

Summary

11. Importing Data into a Contributor Application

Updating assumption cubes in Analyst

Importing data from external files/databases

Understanding the import process—concepts

Importing data

Bypassing importing data steps

Administration Links

Creating Administration Links

Running Administration Links

Importing data using IBM Cognos packages

Analyst to Contributor D-Links

Creating and running Analyst to Contributor D-Links

System Links

Creating System Links

Running System Links

Local Links

Summary

12. Working with the Contributor Web Client

Managing the Contributor workflow

The roles of the planner and reviewer

The planner

The reviewer

Examine a typical workflow for an organization

Working with the Contributor Web Client

Exploring the Contributor Web Client

The tree and e.List

The Table

Workflow states

Opening the application grid for inputting data

The menu bar and its buttons

Entering data

Editing and saving data

Editing data using shortcuts

Copy commands

Data entry commands

Validating data

Swapping rows and columns

Breakback

Annotations

Adding documents

Submitting data

Importing and exporting data from Web Client

Exporting Contributor data

Importing data to Contributor

Local links

System links

Working offline

Using Contributor with Excel

The new Contributor Web Client

The new interface

New features

Customization of the Contributor web view

Nesting dimensions

Freeze Panes

Viewing multiple tabs in one view

Collapsing or expanding dimension hierarchies

Hiding dimension items

Sorting dimension items

Resetting tabs and grids to their original state

Summary

13. Reporting Planning Data—Publish and BI Integration

Accessing planning data

Publish

Storing published data

Who can publish?

Publishing using the Table-only layout

Publishing data changes (incremental publish)

Publishing using the View Layout

Automating publishing jobs

Understanding the impact of changes

e.List changes

Model changes

Dimension for publish changes

Reporting Planning data using BI Tools

Real-time reporting options

Publish the application as a package to IBM Cognos Connection

Using IBM Cognos Planning Contributor as a data source in Framework Manager

Reporting from published data

Creating a Framework Manager model using the Framework Manager extension

Publishing considerations

Framework Manager considerations

Creating the model

Exploring the Framework Manager model

Summary

14. Maintaining Analyst Models

Automating common tasks using Analyst macros and batch jobs

Types of Analyst macros

Creating and running Analyst macros

Creating a macro using the wizard

Recording a macro

Executing a macro

Automating typical tasks

Updating a D-Cube structure using macros

Updating D-Cube data using macros

Importing and exporting data using macros

Running a series of macros

Scheduling Analyst macros

Creating a batch job using the Analyst batch utility wizard

Scheduling a batch job

Administering libraries and users

Managing access to Analyst libraries

Managing Analyst objects

Other maintenance tasks

Highlighting unused objects

Previewing D-List

Reveal File Name

Defining Access

Using the Copy Wizard to Copy Libraries

Creating menus and flowcharts using Manager

Summary

15. Maintaining Contributor Applications

Automating tasks using Contributor macros

Types of Contributor macros

Macro security

Creating, editing, and running Contributor macros

Creating, executing, and editing macros

Executing a macro

Editing a macro

Deleting a macro

Transferring macros and macro steps

Automating typical tasks

Updating a Contributor application

Publishing data from a Contributor application

Running and scheduling Contributor macros

Scheduling Contributor macros in IBM Cognos Connection

Scheduling Contributor macros using batch files

Controlling rights to administrative functions

Typical operations that can be assigned rights

Assigning Access Rights

Adding groups and roles

Assigning Access Rights to the group or role

Cascading rights

Monitoring jobs and managing Job Servers

Typical jobs

Monitoring jobs

The Job Management screen

The Monitoring Console

Managing Job Clusters

Adding a Job Cluster

Adding a Job Server

Adding objects to a Job Cluster

Adding objects to a Job Server

Removing Job Servers

Removing Job Clusters

Removing objects from a Job Cluster or Job Server

Summary

16. Maintaining Security

Overview of security in IBM Cognos Planning

Authentication and authorization

Authentication

Authorization

Users, groups, and roles

Users

Groups

Roles

IBM Cognos 8 namepace

To view the contents of the IBM Cognos namespace

IBM Cognos 8 namespace planning roles

Planning Rights Administrator

Planning Contributor Users

Capabilities

Managing security profiles

Analyst security

Assigning security at the library level

Assigning security at object level

Assigning security at item level

Contributor security

Access Rights

Macro security