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.
1. Open a browser and navigate 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, create it now.
4. 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:
1. Return to the Cognos® dashboard.
2. Click Launch > Report Studio.
3. 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:
1. Return to the Cognos® dashboard.
2. Navigate 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.

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:

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

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:
1. Return to the Cognos® dashboard.
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.