Creating a blank report from the PowerCube model
Rather than creating a report based on a predefined layout, you can create a blank layout and then choose which report components to include.
About this task
A blank layout is an empty report container. After you create the blank layout, you can choose which reporting components to include; for example, you can add formatting objects, data items, and charts to the layout to create your custom report.
Procedure
- Choose a unique name for the report:
A unique name is required for community metrics, so before you create a report, check the list of existing community reports to make sure your new report has a unique name.
- Open a browser and navigate to the Cognos® dashboard by using the following address: http://cognosserver.example.com:9083/cognos/servlet/dispatch/ext
- Log in to Cognos as the Cognos administrator.
- Click Public Folders > IBMConnectionsMetrics > Metrics > community > customizedTheme. If this folder does not exist, create it now.
- Review the list of reports; if you see a name that matches that of the new report, choose a different name for the new report.
- Open Cognos Report
Studio:
- Return to the Cognos dashboard.
- Click Launch > Report Studio.
- When you are prompted to select a data package, select IBMConnectionsMetrics > Metrics. This step creates a report that queries the PowerCube that contains Metrics data.
- In the Report Studio Welcome window, click Create a new report or template.
- In the New window, select Blank report and then click OK.
- Complete the report design by adding data and text components
to the blank report.For instructions on adding some basic components to the report, see the following topics:
- Click Save and store the report
in Public Folders > IBMConnectionsMetrics > Metrics > customReports.
All custom reports must be stored in this location to make them available to the Metrics application.
- When the report is complete, determine its URL so you can
add the report to the Metrics user interface:
- Return to the Cognos dashboard.
- Navigate to the location where you saved the report, and select the new report.
- Click Set properties.
- In the Set properties window, click the General tab.
- On the General tab, click View the search path, ID and URL.
- In the View the search path, ID and URL window, copy the entire URL from the Default action url field.
- Click Close.
- Modify the report URL for use within the Metrics user interface:
- Paste the copied URL into a text editor.
- In the URL, replace http://localhost:80/ibmcongos/cgi-bin/cognos.cgi with /servlet/dispatch/ext.
The remainder of the URL (everything from ?b_action= through the end of the URL) stays the same.
For example:
becomes:http://localhost:80/ibmcognos/cgi-bin/cognos.cgi?b_action=cognosViewer&ui.action=run&ui.object=%2fcontent%2ffolder%5b%40name%3d%27IBMConnectionsMetrics%27%5d%2fpackage%5b%40name%3d%27Metrics%27%5d%2ffolder%5b%40name%3d%27customReports%27%5d%2freport%5b%40name%3d%27test1%27%5d&ui.name=test1&run.outputFormat=&run.prompt=true
/servlet/dispatch/ext?b_action=cognosViewer&ui.action=run&ui.object=%2fcontent%2ffolder%5b%40name%3d%27IBMConnectionsMetrics%27%5d%2fpackage%5b%40name%3d%27Metrics%27%5d%2ffolder%5b%40name%3d%27customReports%27%5d%2freport%5b%40name%3d%27test1%27%5d&ui.name=test1&run.outputFormat=&run.prompt=true
- Using the revised URL, add an entry for the new report
in the reports-config.xml file as explained in Adding custom reports
to the Metrics reports list.
Your new report is not available to users until you add it to the reports-config.xml file.
- (Community Metrics) Configure the new report for Community
Metrics:
- Return to the Cognos dashboard.
- Click Public Folders > IBMConnectionsMetrics > Metrics > customReports.
- Find the new report that you created and copy it to the Public Folders/IBMConnectionsMetrics/Metrics/community/customizedTheme folder. If the customizedTheme folder does not exist, create it now.