Reporting deployment options

You can choose a deployment option when you run the Report SQL Generator tool.

When you run the Report SQL Generator tool, you specify whether you want the script to create views, materialized views. Which deployment option you use depends on the amount of data that is contained in your system.

  • For smaller implementations, reporting views that directly query the production data might perform sufficiently for your needs. If they do not, try materialized views.
  • For medium-sized implementations, use either materialized views on the production system database or set up reporting tables in a separate database.
  • For large implementations, configure a separate reporting database.

For all implementations, you can use Cognos® Connection Administration to schedule reports that retrieve large amounts of data to run during off hours.

Materialized views and Microsoft SQL Server

The reports application does not support materialized views for Microsoft SQL Server.

In SQL Server, materialized views are called "indexed views." However, the definition that creates an index in a view on SQL Server cannot use certain aggregations, functions, and options that the reporting views include. Therefore, if you are using a SQL server database, use views or reporting tables.

Note: For Unica Deliver, you must use views.

Unica Deliver and Oracle

If your installation includes Unica Deliver and your database is Oracle, you must use materialized views or reporting tables.

Unica Deliver and DB2®

If your installation includes Unica Deliver and your database is DB2®, you must use materialized views or reporting tables.

Data synchronization

When you deploy with materialized views or reporting tables, determine how frequently you want to synchronize the data with the production system data. Then, use your database administration tools to schedule data synchronization processes to refresh the reporting data regularly.

For Unica Deliver, the materialized views are automatically refreshed when you run the Unica Deliver delta refresh stored procedures. For more information, see For Unica Deliver only: How to schedule and run stored procedures.