Monday, October 20, 2008
Reconciliation
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.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Creating an Analyst Model
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.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Terminology used in Cognos Planning
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
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
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 - ContributorOnce 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 ContributorIt 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.
Planning for Cognos Planning
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.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Mumbai Struggle
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.
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