Definitions: Models

A model is the set of related dimensions, query subjects, and other objects required for one or more related reporting applications. The Framework Manager model is a metadata layer that adds value to a data source in several ways. Most importantly, it provides a business view of the information in the source data to simplify building reports, analyses, and queries. The business view can organize items in folders that represent business areas for reporting format items using numeric, currency, date, time, and other formats present multilingual folder and item names, descriptions, tips, and data so that users can operate in their language of choice automate the generation of SQL queries sent to the relational data source specify default prompting This can include having Cognos 8 prompt the user using a descriptive name while actually filtering on a code or key value for improved query performance. In particular, you can modify the Framework Manager model to ensure that queries sent to the data source are efficient, well formed, and secure. You can specify the rules governing query generation, restrict user access to specific rows or columns of data, and model data relationships to hide the complexity of data from your users.
Namespaces

A namespace uniquely identifies query items, dimensions, query subjects, and other objects. You import different databases into separate namespaces to avoid duplicate names.
Packages

A package is a subset of the dimensions, query subjects, and other objects defined in the project. A package is what is actually published to the Cognos 8 server, and it is used to create reports, analyses, and ad hoc queries.
Dimensions

A dimension is a broad grouping of data about a major aspect of a business, such as products, dates, or markets. The types of dimensions that you can work with in Framework Manager are regular dimensions and measure dimensions. In SAP BW, measure dimensions are called key figures.
Query Subjects

A query subject is a set of query items that have an inherent relationship. In most cases, query subjects behave like tables. Query subjects produce the same set of rows regardless of which columns were queried. There are different types of query subjects: data source Data source query subjects directly reference data in a single data source. Framework Manager automatically creates a relational data source query subject for each table and view that you import into your model. model Model query subjects are not generated directly from a data source but are based on query items in other query subjects or dimensions, including other model query subjects. By using model query subjects, you can create a more abstract, business-oriented view of a data source. stored procedure Stored procedure query subjects are generated when you import a procedure from a relational data source. Framework Manager supports only user-defined stored procedures. System stored procedures are not supported.
Query Items

A query item is the smallest piece of the model that can be placed in a report. It represents a single characteristic of something, such as the date that a product was introduced. Query items are contained in query subjects or dimensions. For example, a query subject that references an entire table contains query items that represent each column in the table. For your users, query items are the most important objects for creating reports. They use query item properties of query items to build their reports.

The Project Page

After you create or open a project, the project page appears. The project page is where you design, package, and publish project metadata. This page contains several panes and views that you can use to view and modify the objects in a project.

The Project Viewer

The Project Viewer shows the objects in a project in a hierarchical view. You can use the Project Viewer to view, modify, and create objects. Relationships are shown in both the Diagram and Explorer tabs. Imported functions are shown in the Explorer tab. The Project Viewer uses the following icons to represent objects and states. A project may use some or all of the icons.

Icon

Object Project

Root namespace or any other namespace in the project

Data source folder

Data source

Parameter map folder

Parameter map

Packages folder

Package

Published package

Dimension

Hierarchy

Level in a hierarchy

Measure dimension

Measure

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Object Query subject

Query subject based on multidimensional data

Query subject that contains query items whose Usage property is set to Fact

Query item

Calculation whose Usage property is set to Attribute

Calculation whose Usage property is set to Identifier

Embedded calculation

Calculation whose Usage property set to Fact

Query item whose Usage property is set to Identifier

Query item whose Usage property is set to Fact

Query item that is located under a shortcut query subject

Calculation

Filter

Relationship

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Object Semi-additive measure

The object is checked into the repository. This icon appears over other icons.

The object is checked out of the repository. This icon appears over other icons.

The object is checked out of the repository by a different user. This icon appears over other icons. Linked segment or project that was updated. This icon appears over other icons.

Linked object. This icon appears over other icons.

Shortcut. This icon appears over other icons.

Invalid object. This icon appears over other icons.

The Explorer Tab

The Explorer tab shows the contents of a project, similar to any file system. Arrange objects by name, class, or description. If you have a large number of objects in a project, it may be easier to locate them in the Explorer tab. You can use the Explorer tab to view, create, and modify objects and relationships. You can also create folders and namespaces to group objects.

The Diagram Tab

Use the Diagram tab to show the relationships between objects in a project. Relationships between objects are shown as lines with cardinality notation . You can expand objects and namespaces to show the object hierarchy and the relationships between objects. In the Diagram tab, you can do any of the following: view, create, and modify objects and relationships. create folders and namespaces to group objects.

change the settings for the diagrams change the layout of objects to either star layout or standard layout by clicking Auto Layout from the Diagram menu focus on an object by clicking Set Focal Point from the Diagram menu. find an object by right-clicking the object in the Project Viewer and clicking Locate in Diagram. zoom in or out by clicking Zoom from the Diagram menu. expand or collapse all objects from the Diagram menu. focus on the dimensions in the model by clicking Dimensions view from the Diagram menu. save the diagram for printing by clicking Screen capture from the Diagram menu and specifying the name of the picture.

Change the Settings for Diagrams

You can change one or more settings for diagrams.
Steps

1. From the Diagram menu, click Diagram settings. 2. Set the level of detail. You can select query items, relationships, scope relationships, cardinality, and descriptions. 3. Select the type of notation. You can use Merise or Crowsfeet notation. By default, Framework Manager uses Merise notation. Merise notation marks each end of the relationship with the minimum and maximum cardinality of that end. You can also use Crowsfeet notation, which provides a pictorial representation of the relationship. 4. To align objects more easily, turn the Snap options on. 5. To have a network of evenly spaced lines in the background, select the Display grid check box. 6. Select the font and color for text. 7. If you are working in the Context Explorer, under Options for Context Explorer, specify showing objects with or without their related objects. If you change this option, it is applied the next time you open the Context Explorer. 8. Click OK.

The Dimension Map Tab

You can use the Dimension Map tab to view, create, and modify hierarchies and levels for the dimension you selected in the Project Viewer. You can also view and modify scope relationships.

The Measures and Attributes tabs appear after you click the Dimension Map tab. Use the Measures tab to view or modify all the measures and scope relationships that are available in the model. Use the Attributes tab to view or modify the role of the selected query item. You can also embed calculations in the query item. Tip: The best way to view SAP BW metadata is in the star layout. From the Diagram menu, click Auto Layout Diagram, and then select Star.

The Properties Pane

The Properties pane shows the properties of the objects that you last selected in the Project Viewer, Explorer tab, Diagram tab, Dimension Map tab, Dependencies tab, Search pane, or Summary pane. Object properties are set during import, and some property values can be modified during modeling. You can use the Properties pane to add, modify, or delete the properties of objects. You can modify the properties for multiple objects at one time. If you select more than one object, Framework Manager shows only the properties that are common to all the objects. You can sort property values by double-clicking the property heading An arrow appears to indicate the direction in which values are sorted. You can toggle between ascending and descending order. filter property values by clicking the arrow to the right of the property heading You can either click a value, or click Custom to define the criteria for the rows that you want to view. apply a property value to multiple objects by clicking the arrow next to the property and dragging the highlighted area over the properties to which you want to apply that value resize the width of the rows and columns by right-clicking the object name in the property pane

If you need more room, you can resize the Properties pane or move it so that it floats in the window. For example, if you have more than one monitor, you can then move the Properties pane to another monitor.

Replacing Multiple Property Values

You can replace multiple values for each text string property. When you replace multiple property values, Framework Manager automatically updates elements that are dependent on the values you replaced. If any dependencies cannot be updated, such as data source and parameter map names, you must validate the model manually. You can match either the entire property value, or part of the value. By matching part of the property value, you can perform multiple replacements on a single text property. For example, if you search for nation and replace it with country, the property value This nation and that

nation is replaced with This country and that country. However, "national" will be replaced with "countryal". Tip: Before replacing property values, enlarge the Properties pane and widen the column of the property whose value you want to replace.
Steps

1. In the Project Viewer window, select multiple objects. Tip: To reduce the set of properties to search for before performing the replace, filter the properties first. On the Properties tab, right-click the column heading you want to filter on and click Set Autofilter. 2. Choose one of the following: o o If your model contains multiple languages, click the Language tab. If your model contains only one language, click the Properties tab.

3. Right-click the column heading for the property whose values you want to replace, and click Bulk Replace. 4. In the Search for and Replace with boxes, type the search and replace text strings. Tip: To replace empty properties, leave the Search for box blank. 5. To perform a case-sensitive search, select the Match case check box. 6. To search for the complete property text, select the Match entire cell contents check box. Tip: To replace all property fields, regardless of the text they contain, type one asterisk in the Search for box and select the Match entire cell contents check box. 7. Do one or more of the following: o o o o Click Replace to replace the currently selected object and find the next match. Click Next to select the next matching object. Click Replace All to replace all matching properties, starting from the first matching property in the list. Click Close if you are finished replacing.

As the changes to a property are made, the results appear on the tab. When the bulk replace reaches the last object in the list, a message appears showing the number of replacements.

The Tools Pane

The Tools pane contains the Summary tab, the Search tab, and the Dependencies tab.

You can change the Tools pane into a separate window. To do this, click the title bar of the pane and drag it in any direction until the outline of pane becomes a thick line. You can now drag the Tools window to any location on your desktop. To change the window back to a pane inside the Framework Manager window, drag it to one of the Framework Manager borders until the window outline becomes a thin line.

The Summary Tab

The Summary tab shows the language, statistics, and tasks available for the selected object in the Project Viewer. The Project section shows the design language and the active language. You can change the active language. The Statistics section shows the number of objects, by class, located in the currently selected object. If the selected object contains a folder, the contents of the folder are included in the number count. Selected objects include projects, namespaces, and folders. The default selected object is the project. The Tasks section shows actions that are applicable to the currently selected object, based on the object class. If you select a folder, actions for the folder are listed. If you select an object in that folder, the list includes actions for both the object and the folder. For more information about the object classes, see the c8_location\templates\bmt\CR1Model\BMTModelSpecification.xsd file.

The Search Tab

When you are working with a large project, it can be difficult to locate the objects that you need to complete a task. Use the Search tab to quickly find objects by applying different search criteria, such as the location, the class, a condition, or a property. If your model contains multiple languages, ensure that you specify the Active language value in the Define Languages dialog box before searching for objects.
Steps

1. In the Tools pane, click the Search tab. Tips: o If the Tools pane is not visible, from the View menu, click Tools. You can drag the Tools pane to the bottom of the Framework Manager window and resize it to have a better view of the search results. To reduce the set of search properties, filter the properties first. On the Properties tab, right-click the column header you want to filter on, and click Set Autofilter.

2. In the Search String box, type the text that you want to find. You can use uppercase, lowercase, or mixed case strings. The search is not case sensitive. Valid wildcard characters are "*" and "?".

3. Click the double up arrow button

to show the search criteria boxes.

4. In the Condition list, select a condition to apply to the search string. The Condition box determines how the Search string value is matched with text in the model. It contains a list of possible search conditions. If you want to search using wildcard characters, use the equals condition. A regular expression is a complex and powerful method for matching text strings. To search using a regular expression, use the regular expression condition. A regular expression search is case sensitive. For example, to find all objects that contain the word "Car" search for the string "\Car", without the quotation marks. The value for the Condition box is saved from session to session. 5. In the Search in list, select the part of the model hierarchy that you want to search. The value for the Search in box is saved from session to session. 6. In the Class list, select the single class of objects that you want to search. 7. In the Property list, select the type of property that you want to search. The (All Properties) property searches all properties. The Object Name property restricts the search to the name of each object. The Text Properties property searches the set of properties that contain text strings, such as Description or Screen Tip, but not including the object name. The value for the Property box is saved from session to session. 8. Click Search. The results are listed at the bottom of the Search tab. Search results can contain multiple values, such as text properties, for a single object. When you click an object that has multiple values, all the values that belong to that object are selected. If your model contains multiple languages, the search results include properties for each language in the model. After you do one search, the Subset check box becomes available. If you select the Subset check box, the next search operates on the existing search results. The Subset check box is cleared after each search. You can do successive subset searches by selecting the Subset check box. 9. To see an object in the Project Viewer, click an object in the Search tab. 10. To see an object in the diagram, right-click an object in the Search tab and click Locate in Diagram. You can replace values for properties .

The Dependencies Tab

The Dependencies tab shows the objects that are dependent on a selected object. For more information, see Show Object Dependencies.

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Meta data and Architecture Workshop - Framework Manager

Purpose: Use Framework Manager to quickly create a metadata foundation and publish a package for users to use for a business intelligence solution Task1. Create a New Project Open Framework Manager and select Create a new project Name it Workshop project. Select English. Click OK Leave Data Sources highlighted. Click Next Select the great_outdoors_sales database, select the GOSALES schema and gosales owner. ( see diagram below) Click Next 6. Select all tables. Click Next 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

7. Leave the defaults for the Generate Relationship criteria. Click Import. Click finish, Yes

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Task 2 Organize using folders and namespaces. 1. We will create a new Namespace and name it Physical View a) Right Click the great_outdoors_sales Namespace b) select create namespace.

c) A Namespace will be created at the bottom of the greatoutdoors_sales namespace in the Project viewer. Right Click on New Namespace, choose rename, and type in Physical View

2. Select all the tables and objects under the great_outdoors_sales namespace and Cut and Paste into the namespace you just created called Physical View. (or drag and drop)

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3. Create a second Namespace and name it Business View following the steps above for Physical View without cutting and pasting the tables and objects

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Task 3 Modify or Create relationships 1. In the Project Viewer, select the Physical View 2. Select the Diagram icon from the window beside the Project Viewer. Close all other windows if needed 3. The query subjects from the Physical View appear in the object diagram 4. Change the zoom % to 50 5. Notice the icon in the bottom right corner. This allows you to quickly navigate to your desired spot

6. In the Project Viewer window, Expand the Physical View, select the BRANCH query subject. Right-click and select Locate in Diagram 7. Double-click the relationship between BRANCH and INVENTORY_LEVELS

8. Modify the relationship BRANCH_CODE = WAREHOUSE_BRANCH_CODE Cardinality 1.1 = 0.n

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Note the text for Relationship impact: Each INVENTORY_LEVLES has one and only one BRANCH Each BRANCH has zero or more INVENTORY LEVELS (outer join)

Task 4 Insert a Filter in the SQL of a Query Subject in the Physical View 1. Select the ORDER_DETAILS query subject in either the Project Viewer, or in the diagram 2. Doubleclick or Right-mouse and select edit definition 3. Select the filters tab 4. Add a filter (icon at the bottom). From great_outdoor_sales, Physical View, Order Details, drag Product Number to the expression definition window. Create the following expression: ORDER_DETAILS.PRODUCT_NUMBER in (41110,69110,75110) It can be typed in or built using the Functions tab

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5. Click OK, choose the Test tab, click Test Sample. Click OK

You can quickly and easily alter the SQL of a data source query subject to meet your needs. You can modify your SQL to include filters, calculations, UNIONS, nested select statements, or any other SQL requirement you may have. This gives the metadata modeler control over what data is returned when a query is executed. Task 5 Create a Business View A best practice is to create multiple functional views of your data for end users 1. Select the Business View. Right Click - Create a Query Subject, name it Order Information. Click OK

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2. Select the data that defines the query subject. In the available model objects pane, expand great_outdoor_sales, expand Physical View 3. In the Available Model Objects pane, expand the Order Header query subject, and use ctl click to select the following: ORDER_NUMBER, RETAILER_NAME, ORDER_DATE 4. Drag the selected items into the Query Items and Calculations pane

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5. Perform the same operations open the ORDER_METHOD and ORDER_DETAILS query subjects to get the following: ORDER_METHOD ORDER_METHOD_EN ORDER_DETAILS PRODUCT_NUMBER QUANTITY UNIT_COST UNIT_PRICE UNIT_SALE_PRICE

6. Choose the Test tab, click Test Sample. Click OK

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Task 6 Create a calculation in the business layer 1. In the Project Viewer, expand the Business View, select Order Information, right-click, and select Edit Definition. The Query Subject Definition dialog box appears. 2. Select the Add icon. The calculation definition window appears

3. In the Name box, type Margin 4. In the Available Components window, expand great_outdoor_sales, Business View, Order Information and then double-click UNIT_SALE_PRICE 5. Select the Functions tab, expand Operations, and then double-click the minus operator 6. Select the Model tab and then within Order Information double-click UNIT_COST

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7. Click OK, choose the Test tab, click Test Sample. Click OK

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Task 7 Creating and Publishing a Package When a modeler publishes a package, it is published to the content store. 1. In the Project Viewer window, right-click Packages, create package. The Create Package Wizard appears 2. In the Name box, type Workshop Package and then click Next 3. Click on green check mark next to Physical View, This will leave only the Business View to be published (available to users). Click Next 4. The Add Security dialog box appears, click Next 5. Click Finish 6. Click Yes to Publish, click next 7. Click Publish, then Finish, then Close Task 8 View the package in Cognos Connection and the run-time model in Query Studio 1. Open Internet Explorer 2. In the Address box, type http://localhost/Cognos8, and then press Enter. The Log on page appears. 3. Click the Public Folders tab. Notice that the Workshop package appears as an entry within Public Folders. From the timestamp, we can see that this is a package we just published from Framework Manager.

4. Select Query Studio and create a report using this package.

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