C1000-065 IBM Cognos Analytics Developer V11.1.x Questions and Answers

Using Data Sets: To use a Data set as a data source in a report, it needs to be added to a Data Module.

Data Module Integration: Adding the Data set to a Data Module integrates it into the Cognos environment, making it accessible for report development.

Procedure: Developers can create or modify a Data Module to include the Data set, which then becomes available for use in reports.

Reference: The IBM Cognos Analytics V11.1.x documentation explains the process of adding Data sets to Data Modules, enabling their use as data sources in reports.

To address the user’s requirement to see only newer entries based on the 'Order Date' column while keeping historical data available in IBM Cognos Analytics V11.1.x, you should apply a filter to the "Order Date" attribute. Here’s how:

Open Data Module: Access the data module containing the table.

Apply Filter:

Filter Creation: Select the "Order Date" column and create a filter. Specify the criteria to include only newer entries, such as dates within the last year or a specific date range.

Save Filter: Save the filter to ensure it applies whenever the table is used in new reports.

Usage:

Report Design: When designing new reports, the filter will automatically apply, showing only the newer data as specified.

Applying a filter on the "Order Date" attribute allows for dynamic control over the data displayed without modifying the original table or creating duplicates.

Report:

The default output format for a report can be set at the report level in IBM Cognos Analytics. This setting specifies how the report will be rendered by default when it is run (e.g., HTML, PDF, Excel).

To set the default output format for a report, go to the report properties and select the desired format under the 'Default output format' option.

In IBM Cognos Analytics V11.1.x, before you can modify the text item in a list column title or the data in the column body of a list object, you need to unlock the report. Here are the steps:

Open the Report: Open the report in Cognos Analytics Report Studio.

Lock Page Objects: By default, page objects are locked to prevent accidental changes.

Unlock Page Objects: Click on the "Lock Page Objects" icon in the toolbar to unlock the report. This allows you to make changes to individual cells within the report.

Select and Edit: Once unlocked, select the desired cell within the list object. You can then change the text item or modify the data format as required.

Unlocking the report ensures that you can safely make modifications without impacting other report elements.

PowerPlay Studio: This tool allows developers to create and publish PowerCubes for end-user access and analysis.

Framework Manager: Used for creating and publishing packages, including those based on PowerCubes, making them available to end users.

Transformer: A tool specifically designed to create and manage PowerCubes. After creating a cube, it can be published and made available to users.

Cognos Documentation: The IBM Cognos Analytics V11.1.x documentation outlines the roles of these components in the development and deployment of PowerCubes, emphasizing their interconnectivity and usage.

Creating an information panel to be displayed in the foyer of an office can be effectively accomplished using the Story feature in Cognos Analytics. Here’s why a Story played in Kiosk mode with a loop is the best option:

Create a Story: In Cognos Analytics, navigate to the "New" menu and select "Story". This allows you to create a visual narrative using your data.

Add Content: Populate the Story with the desired content, such as charts, text, images, and other visualizations. Arrange the content to provide an engaging and informative display.

Kiosk Mode: Enable Kiosk mode, which is designed for unattended, continuous display scenarios. Kiosk mode automatically loops through the Story slides.

Looping: Configure the Story to loop, ensuring that the information panel continually updates and repeats, providing ongoing information without user intervention.

Using Stories in Kiosk mode is ideal for creating dynamic, visually appealing information panels with minimal development effort.

In the Exploration 'Data relationships' view in IBM Cognos Analytics, the thickness of the lines between data items represents the statistical strength of the relationship. Here’s a detailed explanation:

Exploration View: The Exploration view is used to analyze and visualize data relationships in a more interactive manner.

Data Relationships: The lines between data items indicate relationships or correlations between different data points.

Line Thickness: The thickness of these lines visually represents the strength of these relationships. Thicker lines indicate stronger statistical relationships.

Statistical Analysis: This helps users quickly identify significant relationships and patterns in the data, aiding in deeper analysis and better decision-making.

To bucket age values into specific groups in a data module within Cognos Analytics, follow these steps:

Open Data Module: Open the data module where the Age column is available.

Select Age Column: Locate and select the Age column from the list of data items.

Create Data Group: Use the "Create data group" feature. This allows you to define custom groupings (buckets) based on specified ranges.

Define Groups: Define the age ranges as required: 0-6, 7-12, 13-21, 22-55, and 55 and over. Save the data group.

Creating data groups directly in the data module allows you to segment the age values efficiently, making it easier to analyze and report on the data.

Data Preparation: IBM Cognos Analytics provides built-in capabilities to clean and transform data within data modules.

Prepare Menu: The 'Prepare' menu item allows developers to apply various transformations, including trimming spaces and converting text to lowercase, directly to data items.

Cleaning Data: By using the 'Prepare' menu, developers can make data more readable and suitable for reporting without needing additional calculations in the report itself.

Reference: The IBM Cognos Analytics V11.1.x documentation details the use of the 'Prepare' menu for data preparation tasks, ensuring data is cleaned and formatted appropriately within data modules.

AI Intent-Based Modeling: This feature in IBM Cognos Analytics leverages AI to assist developers in creating data modules.

Discovering Related Tables: One significant time-saving feature is the ability of the AI to discover related tables automatically. This helps in quickly identifying and linking relevant data sources.

Efficiency: By using AI to find related tables, developers can save time and ensure comprehensive data integration without manually searching and linking tables.

Reference: IBM Cognos Analytics V11.1.x documentation explains AI intent-based modeling and highlights how it can discover related tables to expedite the development of data modules.

Drill-through Definition: Drill-throughs in Cognos Analytics allow users to navigate from one report or visualization to another, typically to see more detailed information.

Passing Data Points: Data points can be passed to the target Drill-through provided the data sources have matching values. This ensures continuity and relevance in the data being analyzed.

Targeting Other Dashboards and Reports: Developers can set up Drill-throughs to link to other dashboards or reports, facilitating deeper analysis and better data exploration.

Cognos Documentation: IBM Cognos Analytics V11.1.x documentation provides guidelines on creating and managing Drill-throughs, including passing parameters and targeting various types of reports and dashboards.

Regarding custom sorts in IBM Cognos Analytics dashboards, here’s the correct information:

Creating Custom Sorts:

Applicable Data Types: Custom sorts can be created on dimensions and categorical data but not on measures. Measures are numerical values used for calculations and aggregations, and sorting them customly is not supported in the same way as categorical data.

Implementation:

Procedure: To create a custom sort, select the field from the source pane, right-click, and choose the sorting options from the properties menu. Specify the custom sort order as required.

Limitations:

Non-measures Only: Ensure you are applying custom sorts to non-measure fields, such as dimensions or attributes, to control the order in which data is displayed in visualizations.

Custom sorting enhances the presentation and analysis of data by allowing users to define specific order criteria.

Represents Property: In Cognos Analytics, the Represents property helps define how an attribute should be interpreted and visualized.

Geographic Location: Setting the Represents property of an attribute to Geographic location signals to Cognos that this data should be visualized on a map by default.

Implementation: This ensures that when a user drags this attribute onto a dashboard, Cognos will automatically use the Map visualization.

Reference: According to the IBM Cognos Analytics V11.1.x documentation, setting the Represents property to Geographic location is the correct method to ensure default map visualization for geographic data.

When designing Dimensionally Modeled Relational (DMR) structures in Framework Manager, understanding how determinants influence hierarchy levels is crucial. Here is an explanation:

Determinants in Framework Manager: Determinants are used to define the granularity of data and how it is grouped. They are essential in DMR models to ensure correct aggregation and drill behavior.

Hierarchy Levels: The order in which determinants are defined in a query subject influences the hierarchy levels. Higher-order determinants represent higher levels in the hierarchy, while lower-order determinants represent more granular levels.

Configuration: Configure determinants in the properties of a query subject. The sequence of determinants determines how data is aggregated and navigated in reports.

Impact on OLAP Behavior: Properly ordered determinants ensure that measures and dimensions behave correctly, allowing users to drill down and roll up data accurately in reports.

In IBM Cognos Analytics V11.1.x, dimensional functions should be used in a report's Query calculation when working with a dimensional or dimensionally-modeled data source. Here’s why:

Dimensional Data Sources:

Structure: Dimensional data sources are organized into dimensions, hierarchies, and measures. These structures support advanced analytical capabilities such as drill-down and roll-up.

Dimensional Functions: Functions such asmember,ancestor,children, etc., are specifically designed to navigate and manipulate the hierarchical data structures in dimensional sources.

Query Calculations:

Contextual Calculations: Dimensional functions allow for context-aware calculations, leveraging the inherent structure of the data source. This ensures that calculations respect the dimensional context and hierarchy.

Analytical Depth: Using dimensional functions enables deeper analytical capabilities, such as performing relative date calculations, time series analysis, and hierarchical aggregations.

Dimensional functions are essential for harnessing the full analytical power of dimensionally-modeled data sources.