Macros in Cognos Planning

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Cognos Planning – Contributor Administration Console



What is a macro?

Macros are used in Cognos Planning to automate the work. By using these, you save some steps with a name and next time when you need to perform those steps you just call that macro to execute those steps.

They are like macros in office or commands in a batch file.


How macros in analyst and contributor differ?


Macros in Analyst– Analyst macros are created mainly by recording. By recording I mean that you perform certain steps on the front end and analyst records those steps for macro (keep a look at those steps). When you stop recording, you see the steps you perform, are listed in analyst. You can then save those steps with a name.

Macros in CP– Contributor- in contributor the macros' steps (the basic building blocks of macros) are already stored. You just need to use those steps. That also means that you can't add your own step to do something. You can just use those steps to perform the series of tasks. This will soon be clear.


How to create a macro in Cognos Planning - Contributor?

You can create a macro in contributor by using following steps-

1. Launch the contributor and from the left hand side tree structure, select Macros




2. From the right hand side click on 'New' to start creating a macro. A box to fill in the details of macro pops up.





Give macro a name.
Tip: While giving name to macro follow the below naming convention.
<Application Name with underscores instead of spaces>_<Macro step with underscores instead of spaces>


Fill the authentication mode.
OS Sign on- this is used in trusted connection where you don't need to fill in username and password.
Basic Sign on- if you select this then you need to fill in those username and password which you use to connect to analyst.
Default-
Username- Administrator
Password- (Leave the field blank)

Then click 'OK'

3. Once you click 'OK' a box opens up. You can select the step which you want to perform.



4. After selecting the step the details form for that step opens in which you need to fill all the details for that step.

5. After filling in all the details it is advisable to click on 'Validate' to check whether you've filled all the mandatory details.

Tip: Validate doesn't check whether you've filled in the correct details or not, it just ensures that you've filled all the mandatory ones. If you've filled an incorrect detail, it's up to you to check that.

6. 'New' button on Details page- On clicking the 'New' button, the current step is saved and a new step-3 page opens to add a new step to macro.

7. This is how you create a macro.


Advantages-

Macros make the processing faster by combining the steps.

Table naming conventions

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Cognos Planning – Contributor Administration Console



We use different table naming conventions for storing, loading, error statuses.

im_ this is used to store import data.
ie_ this is used to store errors occurred.
et_ this is used to store user entered data.
it_ system tables- used to manage items of d-lists/e-list
cy_ system tables- used to manage hierarchy of various d-lists/e-list.
sy_ system tables- used to manage hierarchy of various d-lists/e-list.

cy and sy both tables are different only in one aspect. sy contains 'leaf code' column also.

Source of Cubes

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Cognos Planning – Contributor Administration Console


Data source of cubes

Data in a cube can be inserted by various sources. Mainly there are four sources-

1. Another cube

Data can be loaded through another cube. For data transfer d-links can be created mapping the fields which are to be mapped.


2. Admin links

These links are used to transfer data between cubes of different applications. They are created and managed in CAC under planning administration domain.


3. System links

These links are pull links and are run under Get Data functionality. These are used by users to pull data into web contributor.


4. Import data

When you're not able to find the data from any of the source above try finding it in import data folder under application model in CAC.

CAC - Errors

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Cognos Planning – Contributor Administration Console


CAC - Main form failed to initialize



Error: Main form failed to initialize.

This error usually comes when configuration settings are not properly applied.


Solution: Follow the steps below.

1. Open Configuration Manager by going to

Start > All Programs > Cognos Enterprise Planning Series # Version # > Tools > Configuration Manager

2. Stop the cognos service by selecting your computer name and going to Actions > Stop Service

3. Then select Cognos planning and click Actions > Apply Selection

4. After 'Apply Selection' again start the service by going to Actions > Start Service

This should fix the problem.

Method '~' of object '~' failed

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Cognos Planning – Contributor Administration Console


Method '~' of object '~' failed
Unknown user domain\Unknown user name



This usually occurs when there are elist items in access table for which access is defined but which doesn't exist in elist.

Solution: Check whether all elist items for which access is defined; exist in elist (contributor)

Workflow status

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Cognos Planning – Contributor Administration Console


Workflow status-

There are 5 states which are given to e-list items data.


Not Started- No e-list item that makeup this item has been edited or saved. They may be in the processing of being edited but not yet saved.

Incomplete- At least one item that makes up this e-list item has not yet been started but at least one has been started.

Work in progress- All items that make up this e-list item have been edited and saved but at least one has not yet been submitted.
This generally is to show when reviewer rejects data (some elist item)

Ready- The data is submitted and locked. After this, the item is ready to be submitted for review.

Locked- Data is submitted and locked. It cannot be edited now. It is ready to be reviewed.






In short- (To remember)

Not Started- No sub item is started.
Incomplete- At least one sub item is started.
Work In Progress- Item has been saved but not submitted
Ready- All sub items have been submitted but not itself
Locked- Submitted/Ready-to-review

Publish and GTP

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Cognos Planning – Contributor Administration Console


What is GTP-

GTP is Go To Production. This is run to create the application on web. When you run this the data from CAC is taken and a new web app. is created, the site is hosted on the server. If you have already created web application, the changes are updated on the website.

What is Publish-

Publish is used to copy the data from Contributor or Analyst to the repository. The datastore may be local or remote. This data is used for various reporting purposes by senior management.

Rights in Web Contributor

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Cognos Planning – Contributor Administration Console


Different Actions for Web Contributor Model Access- There are three types of rights that can be assigned to the user. For each right there is a reviewer edit option for a reviewer that can be enabled/disabled for him.


Submit-

With reviewer edit on , reviewers can:

1. Edit, submit, and reject contribution e.List items if the e.List item they are assigned to has sufficient review depth.
2. Submit or reject child review e.List items if the e.List item they are assigned to has sufficient review depth.
3. Submit their own review e.List item.
4. Annotate their own review e.List item and children to review depth.



With reviewer edit off, reviewers can

They do not have edit permissions for the data except their own. They can just review and notify users to correct them (Annotate/Reject)

1. Submit their own review e.List item.
2. Reject children to review depth.
3. Annotate their own review e.List item and children to review depth.

Note: when Reviewer edit is off, reviewers cannot edit contribution items


Review-

With reviewer edit on, reviewers can:

1. Edit contribution items if the e.List item has sufficient privilege.
2. Submit and reject child e.List items if the e.List item they are assigned to has sufficient review depth.
3. Annotate their own review e.List item and children to review depth.



With reviewer edit off, the reviewer cannot edit or submit any e.List items, but can:

*Reject child e.List items if the e.List item they are assigned to has sufficient review depth.
*Annotate their own review e.List item and children to review depth.


View-

View assigned e.List items and children to view depth. Cannot annotate, reject, edit, or submit.

CAC - Options

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Cognos Planning – Contributor Administration Console



Allow Bouncing- A user can take ownership to edit/annotate the elist item while some other user is editing/annotating it. Rights are bounced in this way.

Prevent offline working- User can't access the app. even if they have enabled 'Work Offline'

Act as system link source (LINK_SOURCE) – Data in this application can later be copied into other parts of this application or into a different application using a system link.

Planner only cubes- Cubes seen by only planner or the reviewer having edit permissions. This setting reduces the time of reviewer to review and time to aggregate the data.

PAD

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It is Planning Administrator Domain. For managing multiple applications in contributor. Multiple PADs can be created in contributor but at a time only one PAD can be viewed.

It manages-

1. Security Information

2. Datastores for contributor applications

3. Job servers/clusters

4. Administration links info

5. Macros info

 



When PAD is created the configuration wizard creates and populates the datastore. Total 2 data stores are created.

• PAD Datastore- contains only security profile
  


• Common Datastore- contains the jobs which are executed by job servers
  

Job Server Cluster- a group of servers to execute admin jobs. (e.g. Publish)

After the PAD is created, we create contributor applications for use.

Steps to create a contributor application-

1. Starting create application process
   


2. Getting application xml
   


3. Creating and populating application


4. Creating planning admin domain (PAD) relationships


5. Assign application to job server(s) or job server cluster(s)


6. Create application process completed.

Cognos Planning - Analyst Installation

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I was just thinking of writing a new post when I got a call from one of my friends who was trying to learn this niche tool and was stuck in the first phase. The Installation.

Before you begin reading it, let me clarify that this tutorial is for beginners and I'll be discussing only the steps I used to install the tool on my friend's machine. It's not a generic installation guide. For generic guide please follow the formal documentation of vendor. The configuration can be found at - http://apsdwh.vlaanderen.be/cognos/help/accessadm.pdf

Most of these large proprietary software are a bit difficult to install, and if you have purchased a pirated version of the software from a roadside seller, it might not be much useful to you cause, it's gonna take pretty much efforts and mind quenching before you could actually make it work. Even if you install the tool, the configuration will be even more difficult. The standard documentation of whole process is also not sufficient as there are so different steps and cofigurations that it's hard to trap each and every error.

So...I was not surprised when my friend said that he has searched all over the net and have not got much which could help him install the tool. Information is available in bits and pieces but you need to be real technical to get it and apply for your own use.

I thought why not write a post about basic installation of this nice tool. Here is how we did the install at his PC. The steps are pretty basic but when you'd do them your own without knowing anything, bet you'd not be able to know that the process could be so easy.

The problem-

You install the analyst and it says to configure. It asks the

1. Default authentication source (one of..

    - Default Directory Server

    - Default LAE file

2. CSA (configuration) file

You'd search and try to find these files but to no avail. 

Installation - The Simple Solution- 

1. Run the setup of Analyst and install it, it will get installed with some errors.

2. Don't worry when error come  ;-)

3. Configuration- CSA File-

 Open the Access Manager - Administration from  Start > Program Files > Cognos Enterprise Planning  Series ** Version ** > Tools

 Select from File Menu > Save As 

 Give location and name to csa file and click Save.

4. LAE File -

- Now right click on Local Authentication Export Files tree node in Access Manager - Administrator

- Select 'Add LAE File' 

- Give a logical name and file name and press OK.

- Give namespace name for default use. Fill other information if you want.

- After this close the Administrator.

5. Launch the Configuration wizard from 

Start > Program Files > Cognos Enterprise Planning  Series ** Version ** > Tools > Access Manager - Configuration Wizard

- Click Next

- Select 'Automated....' radio button and click Next.

- On the next screen click on Add and give the location of your csa file that we just created, then click Next

- Select 'Local Authentication Export Settings file (LAE) configuration' and click Next

- Click 'Browse' and select your file from its location.

- Select the namespace that you gave when creating the file. It will be default namespace.

- In the next screen select 'Local Authentication Export File (LAE)' from the two radio buttons. Click Next

- Select 'Accept the settings' and click Finish.

Wasn't that difficult...was it?

Open your Analyst from

Start > Program Files > Cognos Enterprise Planning  Series ** Version ** > Cognos Planning - Analyst

It should launch using the basic signon.

Enjoy!!

Reconciliation

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A process that ensures that the copy of the Contributor application that the user accesses on the Web is up to date, for example, all data is imported.
Reconciliation takes place after Go to Production has run and a new production application is created.

Reconciliation:
Comparison Web contributor <----> Contributor Administration Console (CAC)

If there are discrepencies in the data items in web contributor and the CAC application, reconcile fails.

Errors in reconciliation may be due to various reasons.

1. When reconciliation error occurs when running a GTP
When we run GTP, a reconcile job is run on completion of GTP to verify that the web contributor copy is up to date and has imported all the data. If this is not the case, reconciliation fails. But even if the copy is updated and their should be no errors, sometimes reconciliation fails.

Reason
The database that you are using, might not have enough table space, so an error comes saying that e-list item can't be written.

Error
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Process ID / Thread ID: 2620 / 5956 Source: Reconcile_73.Implementation.Execute{B044AD10-0DA9-45DF-AABF-E02B65046F7B}1NORTHAMERICAsrvmmdNORTHAMERICAUSCTAP0976 Error Number: 3219 Line Number: 400 Description: Unable to execute Job Item Unable to write data for e.List item {2B97AEA7-C574-44C0-B161-579A9E2FA451} using 'epRT_%v.AdminServer.WriteReconciledData' Operation is not allowed in this context.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Solution
Increase the table space size and try to run the GTP again.

2. When reconciliation error occurs while running a macro
Solution- COM+ planning app. memory needs to be cleared (refreshed).Try to restart COM+ components and run the reconciliation again.

Creating an Analyst Model

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Before start creating a model of the organization you need to be aware of -
1. All the hierarchies of organization.
2. You must know all the dimensions that would be used to create the model. For example Countries in which the product is sold, Time, Categories of products, Different regions, Any other dimensions etc.
3. All the Business Matrics that you're going to use in the model, and which is the primary reason for creating the model.
4. You must discuss the goals of the application with management and CEO.
5. Create proper documentation of the model and get the approval of management.

After you've performed all of the above specified steps then -
0. Create a rough graphical model using the formal document above that would give you even better idea of the org. model. Fine tune it and do a mapping of what is to be taken as a D-List, D-Cube etc.
1. Create D-Lists of all the required dimensions.
2. Notice the hierarchy and decide which dimension you'd take to describe the hierarchy in the organization. It may be countries, Product or anything else.
3. Create that D-List as an E-List.
4. By using the D-Lists create the D-Cubes.
5. The data that is common for many cubes, create assumption cubes for that data.
6. Check the flow of data.
7. Create various D-Links to update D-Cubes.
8. Import data in D-Cubes (wherever required)
9. Finish the model and test it.
10. Check various D-Links and flow of data, and correct if something wrong.
11. Test all the flow lines of your model.
12. Add all the noticable things to your formal documentation.

TIP : You can use Enterprise Architect to create a paper model (High level - which could be later translated to technical model). It's a great tool with a lot of options. One other such tool is Microsoft Visio.

Terminology used in Cognos Planning

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The model in Cognos Planning is build by using D-lists, D-Cubes.

What is a D-List?

It is a list of related items. Technically D-list is a one dimensional array. For example List of countries can be a D-List. By using D-Lists we create D-Cubes.

What is a D-Cube?

It is a multi dimensional array. For example...

Lets say a company want to analyse its products' sales in different countries from January to December. So we will have to create 3 D-Lists

1. Products- It will contain items like Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor (if company is of PC products)

2. Countries- It will contain list of countries like US, UK, Germany, Japan etc.

3. Time- It will have items from Jan to Dec.

Apart from the items necessary, we also include the items which help us doing aggregation. Countries can be aggregated to Continents, Time items can be aggregated to Quarters and Year. 

The values 

Values of normal items - can be taken from other D-List items, some formulae or can be entered as constant. We can also specify the format of the values.

Values of aggregated items - These values are generally calculated from the other items by applying formulae for example addition of items or percent (%), deviation etc.

What is an E-List?

E-List is a hierarchical D-List. A D-List with defined hierarchy. It contains tree like structure with parent and child nodes.

What is Cognos Planning

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There is nothing fancy. Cognos Planning is a simple software which help organizations plan their business. It has mainly 3 parts.

1. Cognos Planning - Analyst

2. Cognos Planning - Contributor

3. Cognos Planning - Web Contributor

Cognos Planning - Analyst

It is used to build model of organization. During the model building all the related parts including offices in different countries, products, measurable properties (like profit, sales, profit % etc.), time (Jan, Feb etc) are taken into consideration.

These things are called dimensions in Cognos Planning.

Cognos Planning - Contributor

Once the model is build, Contributor is used to apply access permissions, running macros, showing/hiding the parts of model. Contributor’s full name is Contributor Administrator Console (CAC)

It can be used for various purposes. Models of Analyst are called Applications in Contributor after publishing from Analyst.

Cognos Planning - Web Contributor

It is a front end for the user. User see various pages in tabular format. They can enter data in those pages and cells. In web contributor there are 2 types of users.

1. Planner 2. Reviewer

Planners just enter data and submit the data for reviewer to review. There may be hierarchies of reviews and a user can be planner or reviewer or may be both.

All the data is entered by users and after reviewers approve the changes users made, the data is stored finally on the servers. That data can be used to generate various types of business reports.

Planning for Cognos Planning

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I believe I’m lucky that I got a chance to work on Cognos Planning. It’s a great Business Intelligence tool. I am just amazed the way it works and the way it allows the functionality to the user.

 

There is a lot to learn on this tool. Now a days I’m working a lot on this. It helps organizations plan their businesses and make intelligent decisions. Organizations also use Cognos Reportnet to create reports for the senior level managers and CEOs.
 

You can really keep an eye on your business using it and most importantly, you can really measure your planning and can guess its outcome. Measured business decreases risks and gives a direction to the success. This is the main reason big businesses are adopting tools like these. 
 

The reason businesses are not adopting the tool real fast is that it costs a whole sum of money. You really need to invest a lot to get advantages from such tools. Apart from the licensing costs of the tool; the IT companies which develop applications (the front and back ends for the end users) charge a huge amount too. It also takes time to develop the applications.
 

I help small businesses making their business decisions by developing applications for them. Cutting costs on big IT companies would definitely help them adopt this tool and take their businesses to an another height.
 

I’m starting posts to explain the features of Cognos Planning and the way it works and helps.

Mumbai Struggle

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A few months back I came to Mumbai. To work with a prime IT company. I never wanted to join it, My focus and willingness was to start my own online business but you know… Its hard time in IT and so I had a few options. Working with a company would be lesser risk, would add experience to my resume (which people take very seriously here in India- its a must for making people listen your voice) and would give me a chance to try my luck in Bollywood…. Just kidding ;-)

Life here at Mumbai is hard unless you find some fun even in the disgusting smell of sweat of people traveling with you in the Local trains. Local train is life of Mumbai. Without them, Mumbai looks paralyzed. When I just arrived here I was very frightened by the way the crowd enters in them, but as I spent some time here, I came to know the techniques people follow to be comfortable even in that huge crowd of locals.

Believe me, Its an art to travel in Mumbai Locals. Here are few lessons I learnt during my time of traveling.
1. Take your position before train comes. Its like preparing for the war which is eventually gonna happen.
2. Once local arrives, get attach to the right or left handle of gate and see people getting out of it. When the last person is getting out, push him a bit ( strange ) and enter in the train.
3. Enter and go right towards the seats and try to make your position. Believe me making your position in the train is tougher than making it in the cut throat competition among the colleagues in the office
4. If you’ve been successful in doing 1-3, then your life for the next few minutes or an hour be OK (you might find a seat if you’re luckier than I usually be) else get prepare for hell.
5. People will keep getting in and out of train, crushing you, pressing you in the sides, giving you another shower with their everlasting sweat and worst, a crook… taking your wallet like it’s his parental property. And you can do nothing but curse them for their deed.

You might pray to god for help but soon enough you’d know that nothing would help you, so it’s better to practise the lessons. “Practise makes a man perfect” I never knew before this.