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

To create a Layout Component Reference in a report in IBM Cognos Analytics V11.1.x, you need to provide the "Name" property. Here are the steps:

Define Component: Identify the component you want to reference in your report layout.

Set Name Property: Assign a unique name to the component in its properties. This name will be used to reference the component.

Create Layout Component Reference: In the report where you want to use the component, add a Layout Component Reference and specify the name of the original component.

Reference the Component: The referenced component will be displayed in the new location, allowing you to reuse layout elements across multiple reports.

Using the "Name" property ensures that components can be easily referenced and maintained.

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.

Creating a context filter for a crosstab report using a dimensional data source in IBM Cognos Analytics V11.1.x involves filtering measure values without affecting the items in the rows and columns. Here is how it works:

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

Select Measure: Identify the measure you want to filter.

Add Context Filter: Apply the context filter to the measure. This filter will affect only the measure values and not the dimensional items in the rows and columns.

Filter Configuration: Configure the filter criteria as needed to refine the measure values displayed in the crosstab.

Using context filters in this manner allows for precise control over the data being analyzed without altering the structure of the crosstab.

To create a data module on a data server after upgrading from Cognos version 10, follow these steps:

Access Administration Console: Log into the IBM Cognos Administration Console.

Navigate to Data Source Connection: Go to the "Configuration" tab and select "Data Source Connections".

Edit Data Source: Choose the data source connection that you want to enable for web-based modeling and click "Edit".

Enable Web-Based Modeling: In the data source connection properties, there will be an option to "Allow web-based modeling". Check this option to enable it.

Save and Test: Save the changes and test the connection to ensure that web-based modeling is enabled.

Enabling web-based modeling allows users to create and manage data modules directly within the Cognos web interface, leveraging modern data modeling capabilities.

Compare Card in Exploration: In IBM Cognos Analytics Explorations, a Compare card is used to interactively compare data across visualizations.

Interactive Comparison: This card allows users to set different filters on two visualizations and compare the results side by side. This interactive feature helps in identifying trends and differences between the datasets.

Use Case: The Compare card is particularly useful for scenario analysis, where different conditions or filters are applied to see how they affect the data.

Reference: IBM Cognos Analytics V11.1.x documentation describes the Compare card feature in Explorations, emphasizing its role in facilitating interactive data comparison across multiple visualizations with varying filters.

In IBM Cognos Analytics V11.1.x, to ensure that any JavaScript and Prompt APIs are executed when a report is run as HTML, you need to set the "Run with full interactivity" property to No. Here is how to do it:

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

Access Report Properties: Click on the "Report" tab to access the report properties.

Set Interactivity: Locate the "Run with full interactivity" property. By default, this property may be set to Yes.

Change to No: Set the "Run with full interactivity" property to No. This ensures that JavaScript and Prompt APIs are executed properly when the report is run in HTML format.

Setting "Run with full interactivity" to No is crucial for enabling the execution of custom scripts and prompt APIs, which might not work correctly with full interactivity enabled.

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.

Query Performance: Enhancing query performance involves various optimization techniques.

Avoid Functions in Filters: Using functions in filters can lead to slower query performance because functions often require additional computation and can prevent the database from using indexes efficiently.

Best Practices: It is recommended to simplify filters and avoid complex functions to ensure queries run faster.

Reference: IBM Cognos Analytics V11.1.x documentation suggests avoiding the use of functions in filters as a best practice for improving query performance.

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.

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.

Interactive Performance Assistant: This tool in IBM Cognos Analytics V11.1.x provides real-time performance monitoring and analysis for reports.

Enabling the Assistant: By enabling the interactive performance assistant, users can gather detailed performance metrics as the report runs, which helps identify bottlenecks and areas for optimization.

Benefits: This tool provides insights into query execution times, rendering times, and resource usage, enabling developers to make informed decisions to improve report performance.

Reference: The IBM Cognos Analytics V11.1.x documentation outlines how to enable and use the interactive performance assistant for investigating and improving report performance.

Local Filters: These allow developers to filter data at the visualization level, providing flexibility in data presentation without altering the underlying data source.

Keep/Exclude Data Points: This feature enables developers to interactively refine the data displayed in a visualization by keeping or excluding specific data points directly within the dashboard.

Cognos Documentation: The IBM Cognos Analytics V11.1.x documentation provides detailed instructions on creating local filters and using interactive filtering options to enhance the user experience in dashboards.

JOIN Query Definition: When developing a report that includes a JOIN query, two essential elements must be defined.

Reference to Two Queries: The JOIN operation requires two queries that need to be joined. These references define the source datasets for the join operation.

Relationship Defining Cardinality: The cardinality of the relationship between the two queries must be defined. This specifies the nature of the relationship, such as one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many.

Implementation: In IBM Cognos Analytics, when setting up a JOIN query, users need to specify these elements to ensure the query is properly executed and returns the correct results.

Reference: IBM Cognos Analytics V11.1.x documentation provides guidelines on creating JOIN queries, em

Layout Positioning for Mobile Devices: When designing dashboards for different mobile devices, the layout positioning must be flexible.

Relative Positioning: This option ensures that dashboard components are arranged in a way that adapts to different screen sizes and orientations, providing a consistent user experience across various devices.

Adaptive Layouts: Relative positioning allows the dashboard elements to resize and reposition automatically based on the device, ensuring usability and accessibility.

Reference: IBM Cognos Analytics V11.1.x documentation recommends using relative positioning for dashboards intended for mobile devices to maintain optimal presentation and functionality.

Conditional Block: This feature allows for dynamic content within reports based on user interactions and selections.

Prompt Selections: By using a conditional block, report developers can control the visibility of report objects based on the prompt values selected by the user at runtime.

Use Case: This is useful for creating reports that adapt to user inputs, providing a more tailored and relevant data presentation.

Reference: IBM Cognos Analytics V11.1.x documentation details how to implement conditional blocks to show or hide report objects dynamically based on user inputs.