Creating a report from a predefined layout

Use IBM® Cognos® Report Studio to create a simple report based on a predefined layout.

About this task

The instructions that follow demonstrate the procedure for creating a simple report by using Cognos Report Studio. Follow the steps in the example to create a column chart that shows the total number of times that items were updated for each Connections application. The report uses three basic sets of data:
  • The Measure is the quantity; the example report shows the total number of times that an event occurred (EVENT_COUNT).
  • The Dimensions are the qualifiers that describe what is being counted, for example, the applications where events occurred.

    The Categories are subsets of a dimension; for example, the SOURCE dimension contains categories for all applications.

  • The Data Series is the measure that is being tracked; the example report tracks "update events" across multiple applications so that you can compare the totals.

For more information about dimensions in the Metrics PowerCube, see the PowerCube dimensions topic. For more information about working with Cognos Report Studio, see the Report Studio User Guide.

Procedure

  1. 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 that your new report has a unique name.

    1. Open a browser and go to the Cognos dashboard by using the following address: http://cognosserver.example.com:9083/cognos/servlet/dispatch/ext
    2. Log in to Cognos as the Cognos administrator.
    3. Click Public Folders > IBMConnectionsMetrics > Metrics > community > customizedTheme. If this folder does not exist, you can stop checking.
    4. Review the list of reports. If you see a name that matches the planned report, choose a different name for the new report.
  2. Open Cognos Report Studio:
    1. Return to the Cognos dashboard.
    2. Click Launch > Report Studio.
    3. When prompted to select a data package, select IBMConnectionsMetrics > Metrics to create a report that queries the PowerCube containing Metrics data.
  3. In the Welcome window, click Create a new report or template.
  4. Select a report type:
    1. In the New window, select a type of report by clicking the image that represents the general type of display that the report generates.

      For this example, select Column; this type displays the available formats for a column chart.

    2. In the Insert chart window, select a specific format from the display that corresponds to the type of chart that you selected in the previous step.

      For this example, select any column chart format. Because the example tracks a limited data series, there is no data to stack and all of the column formats appear similar in the output.

    3. Click OK.
  5. Select a Measure for the chart to track along the Y-axis:

    The Y-axis displays measures of quantitative data, such as sales figures or quantities.

    1. Click the Source tab.
    2. In the packages list, expand the METRICS_TRX_CUBE datasource.
    3. Select EVENT_COUNT and drag it to the Default measure (y-axis) area of the chart.
  6. Select the specific categories (applications, in this example) to be tracked along the X-axis:

    The X-axis displays categories (groups of related data) that are plotted on the X-axis so you can compare them. Categories are qualitative because they represent things rather than quantities. For this example, events (on the Y-axis) are tracked for activities within Connections applications. Each application is s category and is plotted along the X-axis. The "source" of the categories includes all Connections applications. There are two ways to select the categories; use the method that is simplest for your report:

    Begin with all categories and exclude the categories that you do not want in the report:

    1. Return to the METRICS_TRX_CUBE datasource.
    2. Expand SOURCE and select the SOURCE hierarchy; drag it to the Categories (x-axis) area of the chart.
    3. Click All Members to begin by including the complete list of categories.
    4. On the Categories (x-axis) area of the chart, click <#SOURCE#> tag.
    5. In the Properties window, click Edit for the "Set Definition" property.
    6. In the Set Definition window, right-click the SOURCE hierarchy and select New > Exclude.
    7. In the Exclude window, expand the METRICS_TRX_CUBE datasource.
    8. Select SOURCE in the Available members list and click Add to copy it to the excluded Members list.
    9. Select DEFAULT in the Available members list and click Add to copy it to the excluded Members list.

      DEFAULT represents a special calculation that is not needed for this simple report, so you can exclude it.

    10. Click OK.

    Begin with no categories and include only the categories you want in the report:

    1. Return to the METRICS_TRX_CUBE datasource.
    2. Expand SOURCE and select the SOURCE hierarchy.
    3. Expand Members and select SOURCE.
    4. Click a category to include in the report; Ctrl+click each additional category to add it to the selection; then drag the selection to the Categories (x-axis) area of the chart.
    5. Click OK.
  7. Select the data series:

    A data series is a group of related data points that are plotted in a chart. This example reports on updated items, which use the UPDATE type of the EVENT measure as the data series. Because this report tracks the total number of updates for each application, the data series contains only one measure (UPDATE). A more complex report might chart the total number of updates for each application over a series of months or years. In that case, the data series includes each month or year that is reported.

    1. Expand the METRICS_TRX_CUBE > EVENT measure.
    2. Expand Members > EVENT.
    3. Select UPDATE and drag it to the Series area of the chart.
  8. Click Save and store the report in Public Folders > IBMConnectionsMetrics > Metrics > customReports.

    All custom reports should be stored in this location to make them available to the Metrics application.

  9. Click Run > Run Report - HTML to test the report by viewing it in the Cognos Viewer; then close the viewer when ready to proceed.
  10. Determine the URL for the new report so you can add it to the Metrics user interface:
    1. Return to the Cognos dashboard.
    2. Go to the location where you saved the report, and select the new report.
    3. Click Set properties.
    4. In the Set properties window, click the General tab.
    5. On the General tab, click View the search path, ID and URL.
    6. In the View the search path, ID and URL window, copy the entire URL from the Default action url field.
    7. Click Close.
    8. Leave the Cognos dashboard open so that you can return to it in step 11.
  11. Modify the report URL and add it to the Metrics user interface:
    1. Paste the copied URL into a text editor.
    2. In the URL, replace http://localhost:80/ibmcongos/cgi-bin/cognos.cgi with /servlet/dispatch/ext.

      The remainder of the URL ( from ?b_action= to the end of the URL) stays the same.

      For example:
      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
      becomes:
      /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
    3. 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.

  12. (Community metrics) If the new report is for use in community metrics, add it to the job list so it can be updated from the Community Metrics user interface:
    1. Return to the Cognos dashboard.

      If you closed the dashboard, you can access it at the following address: http://cognosserver.example.com:9083/cognos/servlet/dispatch/ext.

    2. Click Public Folders > IBMConnectionsMetrics > Metrics > customReports.
    3. 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.