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Filtering Dimension Members. Filtering by MUN Vs Filtering by Property Value

This document discusses the filtering of dimensional members in IBM Cognos Analytics, highlighting the distinction between filtering by member unique name (MUN) and filtering by property value. It explains the advantages of using MUN for filtering, as it yields better performance and precise results, while filtering by property can lead to broader selections. The document also provides examples and notes on intrinsic and custom properties related to dimensional members.

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8 views5 pages

Filtering Dimension Members. Filtering by MUN Vs Filtering by Property Value

This document discusses the filtering of dimensional members in IBM Cognos Analytics, highlighting the distinction between filtering by member unique name (MUN) and filtering by property value. It explains the advantages of using MUN for filtering, as it yields better performance and precise results, while filtering by property can lead to broader selections. The document also provides examples and notes on intrinsic and custom properties related to dimensional members.

Uploaded by

leonardo.russo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Filtering dimension members.

Filtering by MUN vs filtering by property


value.

White Papers

Abstract
Dimensional members are uniquely identified by using an intrinsic property named “member unique name”
(MUN). But they are normally displayed in dashboards and reports by using other properties, like Name,
Caption, or custom properties.
In this article, we explain how one can filter a dimension member set. And what are the advantages and
disadvantages of the two existing filtering methods.

Content
A dimensional member is uniquely identified by using its member unique name (MUN). Any other property doesn’t have to be
unique. Member properties are divided by role.

• Intrinsic properties, which are always present. For example, MUN, Name and Caption.

• Custom properties, which are created by the data modeler based on business needs. For example, Color, Model,
Introduction Date.

When we add a member set to a Cognos Analytics dashboard or report, the members by default are displayed by using the Caption
property.

Note: All the graphic examples are based on the samples model “Go Sales (analysis)”, which is a DMR model.

This picture is an example of a dashboard that projects a member set. In this case, a hierarchy level.
Here is an example of a dashboard that projects a custom member property.

Note “Product color” values repeat. As you might appreciate in the next picture, the same color characterizes different members of
the “Products details” hierarchy level.
When we explicitly project a member property over a column, this column is named with the name of that property, in our previous
examples that is “Product color”.

However, when we project over a column a member set (a hierarchy, a level, a named set, and so on) then, this column takes the
name of the projected member set. And the values that we see are the Caption property values of the members.

Let focus now on the row “TrailChef Cook Set 5110 | Silver”. Let’s assume that it is the only row we would like to keep in our
visualization. What column must we filter to achieve that. Filtering the column that projects the member set, in our case, the
hierarchy level “Product details”, results in a filter by MUN, which renders the exact members that are selected. However, filtering the
column that projects a member property renders all the members that have that property value. Both cases are illustrated in the next
two pictures.

Filter by MUN.
Filter by property value.

Therefore, if your goal is to filter out specific members then, you must filter the member set (by MUN), not the set of property values.

There are cases where a custom property takes unique values. Would it be better to filter the member set by using that property in
place of the MUN? Back to our “Go Sales (analysis)” example. Within the same “Product details” hierarchy level, “Product number” is
such a custom property populated with unique vales.
Filtering “Product number” produces the same results as filtering “Products details”. However, the performance of the filter by MUN
is noticeably better. Multidimensional cubes are optimized for filtering member sets by unique name. For that reason, whenever
possible choose filtering by MUN over filtering by property value.

Document Information
More support for:
IBM Cognos Analytics (https://www.ibm.com/mysupport/s/topic/0TO500000002PVJGA2)

Component:
Dashboard, Reporting

Software version:
All Versions

Document number:
6989455

Modified date:
12 May 2023

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