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Essentials for IBM Cognos BI (v10.1)

Course outline

B51705 days
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Duration

5 days

Course Description

Essentials for IBM Cognos BI (v10.1) is a blended offering consisting of five-days of instructor-led training (ILT) and 21 hours of Web-based self-paced training. This accelerated offering is intended for core project team members wishing to acquire a broad understanding of a Business Intelligence platform implementation. During the ILT, participants will perform hands-on demos and workshops that cover three essential topic areas: Report Authoring, Modeling, and Administration of a BI platform. Throughout the ILT, participants will be guided to more-in depth training offerings and paths leading to certification.

Intended Audience

  • Project Managers
  • Technical Analysts
  • Developers

Required Prerequisites

  • Experience using the Windows operating system
  • Experience using a web browser

Recommended Prerequisites

  • Knowledge of your business requirements
  • Recent completion of IBM Cognos BI for Consumers (v10.1) WBT or an equivalent
  • Technical competency in at least one of three areas: Report Writing, Modeling, and/or Administration of a Business Intelligence platform.

Course Outline

1: Overview of IBM Cognos BI

  • Describe IBM Cognos Business Intelligence (BI) and Financial Performance Management (FPM)
  • Describe IBM Cognos BI components
  • Describe IBM Cognos architecture at a high level
  • Define IBM Cognos groups and roles
  • Explain how to extend IBM Cognos BI

2: Introduction to the Reporting Application

  • Examine Report Studio and its interface
  • Explore different report types
  • Create a simple, sorted, and formatted report
  • Explore how data items are added to queries
  • Create a Simple Active Report Using Static and Data Controls

3: Create List Reports

  • Group, format, and sort list reports
  • Describe options for aggregating data
  • Create a multi-fact query
  • Create a report with repeated data

4: Focus Reports Using Filters

  • Create filters to narrow the focus of reports
  • Examine detail and summary filters
  • Determine when to apply filters on aggregate data

5: Create Crosstab Reports

  • Format and sort crosstab reports
  • Create complex crosstabs using drag and drop functionality
  • Create crosstabs using unrelated data items

6: Present Data Graphically

  • Create charts containing peer and nested items
  • Present data using new chart type options
  • Add context to charts
  • Create and reuse custom chart palettes
  • Present key data in a single dashboard report

7: Focus Reports Using Prompts

  • Identify various prompt types
  • Use parameters and prompts to focus data
  • Search for prompt items
  • Navigate between pages

8: Extend Reports Using Calculations

  • Create calculations based on data in the data source
  • Add run-time information to the reports
  • Create expressions using functions

9: Customize Reports with Conditional Formatting

  • Create multi-lingual reports
  • Highlight exceptional data
  • Show and hide data
  • Conditionally render objects in reports
  • Conditionally format one crosstab measure based on another

10: Drill-Through From One Report to Another

  • Let users navigate from a specific report to a target report
  • Pass parameter values to filter the data in drillthrough targets
  • Navigate through multiple reports

11: Identify Common Data Structures

  • Examine the characteristics of operational databases and databases designed for reporting
  • Examine relationships and cardinality
  • Identify different data traps
  • Examine OLAP data sources

12: Gather Requirements

  • Examine key modeling recommendations
  • Define reporting requirements
  • Explore data sources to identify data access strategies

13: Create a Baseline Project

  • Follow the IBM Cognos and Framework Manager workflow processes
  • Define a project and its structure
  • Describe the Framework Manager environment
  • Create a baseline project
  • Enhance the model with additional Metadata

14: Prepare Reusable Metadata

  • Verify relationships and query item properties
  • Ensure efficient filters by configuring prompt properties

15: Model for Predictable Results: Identify Reporting Issues

  • Describe multi-fact queries and when full outer joins are appropriate
  • Describe how IBM Cognos uses cardinality
  • Identify reporting traps

Use tools to analyze the model

16: Model for Predictable Results: Virtual Star Schemas

  • Identify the advantages of modeling metadata as a star schema
  • Modeling in layers
  • Create aliases to avoid ambiguous joins
  • Merge query subjects to create as view behavior

17: Model for Predictable Results: Consolidate Metadata

  • Create Virtual facts to simplify writing queries
  • Create virtual dimensions to resolve fat-to-fact joins
  • Create a consolidated modeling layer for presentation purposes
  • Consolidate snowflake dimensions with model query subjects
  • Simplify facts by hiding unnecessary codes

18: Calculations and Filters

  • Use calculations to create commonly-needed query items for authors
  • Use static filters to reduce the data returned
  • Use macros and parameters in calculations and filters to dynamically control the data returned

19: Implement a Time Dimension

  • Make time-based queries simple to author by implementing a time demission
  • Resolve confusion caused by multiple relationships between a time dimension and another table

20: Specify Determinants

  • Use determinants to specify multiple levels of granularity and prevent double-counting

21: Create the Presentation View

  • Identify the dimensions associated with a fact table
  • identify conformed vs. non-conformed dimensions
  • create star schema grouping to provide authors with logical groupings of query subjects
  • Rapidly create a module using the Model Design Accelerator

22: Create analysis Objects

  • Apply dimensional information to relational metadata to enable OLAP_style queries
  • Sort members for presentation and predictability

23: Introduction to IBM Cognos BI Administration

  • Identify and explain the role of the Administrator in relation to the IBM Cognos BI administration workflow process.
  • Identify and explain the role of IBM Cognos Administration and IBM Cognos Configuration

24: Identify IBM Cognos BI Architecture

  • Examine the 3-tiered architecture
  • Examine Logging
  • Request processing example
  • Installation options
  • Load balancing and failover
  • Request affinity
  • Configuration options

25: Manage Content in IBM Cognos Administration

  • Add a data source
  • Distribute data and create a distribution list
  • Plan a deployment
  • Create deployment folders
  • Export and import entries
  • Identify how to maintain the IBM Cognos BI content store
  • Configure saving content to the file system
  • Customize the appearance of IBM Cognos BI using styles
  • Use portlets to display custom Web content

26: Manage Run Activities

  • Manage current, upcoming and past activities
  • Manage schedules

27: Secure the IBM Cognos BI Environment

  • Identify the IBM Cognos BI security model
  • Define authentication in IBM Cognos BI
  • Define authorization in IBM Cognos BI
  • Identify security policies
  • Secure the IBM Cognos BI environment
  • Set Security in Framework Manager

Programme scope, delivery arrangements and suitability are confirmed during enquiry.