Cognos BI– Getting Started
This document provides an overview of the IBM Cognos Business Intelligence report Consumer features beginning with how to access the tool.
Supported Browsers
Cognos BI 10.1 which is used for reporting works best on MS Internet Explorer and is currently only supported on the following so use of one of these browsers is recommended for both applications:
Browser Operating System Support Status
MS Internet Explorer 9 Windows Active
MS Internet Explorer 8 Windows Compatible
MS Internet Explorer 7 Windows Compatible
MS Internet Explorer 6 SP1 Windows 2000 / 2003 Not Supported MS Internet Explorer 6 SP2 Windows XP Compatible Firefox 4,5, 14 Windows, OS X, UNIX,
Linux
Active
Firefox 3.6 Windows, OS X, UNIX,
Linux
Active
Firefox 3.5 Windows, OS X, UNIX,
Linux
Compatible Safari 5 (Cognos Connection
and Report Viewer only) OS X, UNIX
Active
Requesting Access
Logging in
To access the UCAR IBM Cognos Business Intelligence simply go to the following url below. Some users may be connected directly based on their CIT login (the login name and password for your personal workstation). Others may be prompted to enter their workstation login names and passwords. This will depend on the policies that different IT support groups have defined for browser settings on workstations. If integrated login is deployed as a policy, the login prompt will not be shown.
Getting Started
Once logged in the Welcome Page appears, with links to IBM Cognos Connection (IBM Cognos content) and the IBM Cognos modules available to you. Note that you have the option to uncheck the Show this page in the future box in order to bypass this page and go right to IBM Cognos Connection.
Getting Started
Understanding IBM Cognos Connection
Once you have successfully logged into IBM Cognos, or selected IBM Cognos content from the Welcome Page, the portal appears. This is the primary way to access the standard UCAR reports [and custom reports developed for your lab, program or division to be developed as needed].
All reports available to more than one person exist here
Personalize and manage your
reports here
If there are more than 15 entries on a page, you’ll need to
page down to see everything Report development
interfaces based on security privileges Your personal
workspace
Navigating IBM Cognos Connection
UCAR Report Folder Structure
Below is a description of how reports are organized on the UCAR Cognos BI server. For the Pilot we will be focusing on reports in the Analytical Reports folder.
UCAR Reports (Production) Analytical Reports
- Budget and Forecasting
o Forecast Reports - By Period
001 - Forecast Trend Analysis - Monthly o 000 - Account Key Attributes History Report o 000 - Account Key Attributes Report
o 000 - Detailed Account Key Attributes List Report o 000 - Financial Organization
o 001 - PM - Cost Projection Annual - Drill Through - FY o 001 - PM - Cost Projection Annual - Drill Through -
Month/Quarter
o 001 - PM - Cost Projection Annual - Drill Through - YTD o 002 - PM - Expense Class by Account
o 002b - PM - Account Status with Expanded Budget o Account Keys to Move
o MTDC by Fund source - Employee Plan to Actual
o 001 - PM - Salary Expense by Account and Person - Working Plan vs Actual - DrillDown
o 001 - PM - Salary Expense by Account and Person - Working Plan vs Forecast - DrillDown
o 001- PM - Hours Worked and Non Worked by Pay Period o 001- PM - Hours Worked and Non-worked Working Plan vs
Actual by Quarter
o 001- PM - Hours Worked and Non-worked Working Plan vs Actual Current YTD
o 001- PM - Hours Worked and Salary Expenditures Actuals by Employee by Pay Period
o 001- PM - Hours Worked by Pay Period
o 001- PM - Hours Worked Working Plan vs Actual by Quarter
o 001- PM - Hours Worked Working Plan vs Actual Current YTD
- Divisional HR Reports
o Other divisional HR reports – to be incorporated into Payroll Account Allocation report or added by 4/1/13 pending gap analysis
Financial Reports (IFAS tables and/or CPM DB as data source)
o Accounts Payable o Accounts Receivable o Contracts
POs For Foreign Vendors
o Data Source – no reports – just data packages o Employee Pay Actuals
Casuals Paid By Fiscal Year
Employees Paid on DOD Accounts o General Ledger
o Payroll
o SEFA A1-131
SEFA - Federal Awards - Direct
SEFA - Federal Awards - Direct w Conract Id SEFA - Federal Awards - PassThru
o Travel HR
IT – security reports Proposal
o Budget Summary
Cognos BI Navigation
Navigating Folders
Group Step-by-Step Exercise
Navigate report folder structure
1. Navigate to the Public Folders > UCAR Reports > Analytical Reports >
Budget and Forecasting
2. Click on the Analytical Reports folder link to navigate back up.
3. Click on the My Folders tab to navigate to your personal work space.
4. Create a personal folder in the My Folders tab. a. Click on the New Folder icon.
Cognos BI Navigation
Folder Tools
As you navigate through the Public Folders and My Folders tabs, a Toolbar of available options displays. The Toolbar shows the actions that can be performed in the portal. They are described below. [these may need updating based on app security config]
All Users Advanced Users Only
Refresh the portal Create a new package -
Show entries in a list Create a URL to an external file or web site
Show detail information for each entry Set the properties for the current folder or package Create a folder (in My Folders only) Set the order for folders or entries
Create a page
Create a new dashboard Run multiple reports
Cut the selected entries (My Folders only) Copy the selected entries
Paste clipboard contents to the current location
Delete the selected entries (My Folders only)
NOTE
These icons vary based on licensing permissions and only appear where they are relevant. On some pages they are not displayed.
Group Step-by-Step Exercise
Run a Report
1. Navigate to Public Folders > UCAR Reports > Analytical Reports >
Budget and Forecasting
Cognos BI Navigation
Set/modify properties Create a report view (shortcut)
View the output versions
Schedule recurring jobs (advanced users only)
Run with options All available report options
Open the report in Report Studio
(advanced users only)
3. Click on the Run with options icon under Actions for 000 - Account Key Attributes Report.
4. Select any options needed for this report execution. For now, select HTML and click Run.
HTML PDF EXCEL 2007 EXCEL 2002 Delimited text (CSV) XML
Cognos BI Navigation
5. Run the report.
6. Enter an account key in the prompt page.
Your report executes and displays the results in the IBM Cognos Viewer, the interface used to display reports.
Cognos BI Navigation
IBM Cognos Viewer
While viewing a report in IBM Cognos Viewer, you can perform many actions that are available from the Run with options and the Run with advanced options pages.
The Keep this version drop-down box provides options to email or save the report. Saving the report as a Report View is like creating a “shortcut”.
Run the report again with the blue arrow.
Drill down and Drill up allow users to navigate through dimensionally modeled data (Note: This report is not using dimensionally modeled data- thus the buttons are inactive).
Drill-thru takes users to a related report.
The View options are available in another drop-down box:
Cognos BI Navigation
You can open the report in Report Studio by clicking on the triangle
(advanced users only).
Clicking on the arrow returns you to the same folder. This is most common method to return to the folder to run multiple reports.
Clicking on Home returns you to IBM Cognos Connection home.
Clicking on the Browser’s X button closes IBM Cognos Viewer and IBM Cognos Connection!
NOTE
When using IBM Cognos Viewer in HTML output, always check to see if there is a Page Down option in the bottom left of the report. There may be more data that isn’t displayed on the initial page
Search for Reports
As the UCAR report portfolio grows, you may need to search for a report you are looking for. You can search for a report by its name and description created by the report developer.
Group Step-by-Step Exercise Search for Report
1. Click on the Home icon to return to IBM Cognos Connection. 2. In Public Folders, click on the down arrow beside the Search box and
Cognos BI Navigation
