Introduction to Model Advisor in IBM

Cognos 8 Framework Manager

Pratyush Praveen & Maitrayee Sinha

Agenda

> Model Adviser.

• Introduction

• Constraints

• Options

• Relationship Analysis

• Determinants Analysis

• Miscellaneous Analysis

Model Adviser: Introduction

> An automated tool analyze the metadata in a model

> Applies current modeling guidelines and identifies inconsistencies

and areas that you need to examine

> Provides new modelers with an assistive tool and more

experienced modelers with a diagnostic tool.

Model Adviser: Constraints

> Not all items flagged by the Model Advisor are indicative of a

problem.

> Do not recommend running the Model Advisor against an entire

model.

> Not intended for use with SAP BW or other OLAP sources.

Model Adviser: Options

> Relationship Analysis

> Determinants Analysis

> Miscellaneous Analysis

Facts identified by cardinality

> Looks for query subjects that have only the many (n)

cardinality.

Facts identified by cardinality

Fact Dimension Dimension Fact

ORDER_HEADERSALES_STAFF SALES_BRANCH1..n

1..1

1..n

1..1 ORDER_DETAILS1..1

1..n

Query subjects that can behave as facts or dimensions

> Looks for query subjects that have a combination of the many (n)

and one or zero (1,0) cardinality.

Query subjects that can behave as facts or dimensions

ORDER_HEADER

ORDER_NUMBERRETAILER_NAMERETAILER_NAME_MB

RETAILER_SITE_CODESALES_STAFF_CODESALES_BRANCH_CODEORDER_DATEORDER_CLOSE_DATE

ORDER_METHOD_CODE

SALES_TARGET

SALES_STAFF_CODESALES_YEARSALES_PERIOD

RETAILER_NAMEPRODUCT_NUMBERSALES_TARGETRETAILER_CODE

SALES_STAFF

SALES_STAFF_CODEFIRST_NAME

FIRST_NAME_MBLAST_NAMELAST_NAME_MBPOSITION_ENPOSITION_FR

POSITION_DEPOSITION_NLPOSITION_JA

PRODUCT

PRODUCT_NUMBERINTRODUCTION_DATEPRODUCT_TYPE_CODEPRODUCTION_COST

MARGINPRODUCT_IMAGE

ORDER_DETAILS

ORDER_DETAIL_CODE

ORDER_NUMBERPRODUCT_NUMBERACTUAL_REVENUEQUANTITYUNIT_COST

UNIT_PRICEUNIT_SALE_PRICE

1..n

1..1

1..1

1..n

1..n 1..1

1..n

1..1

1..n

1..1

Blind Spot

Query Subjects

Query subjects that can behave as facts or dimensions

Fact Dimension Fact

SALES_STAFF SALES_BRANCH1..n

1..11..1

1..nORDERS

Fact Dimension Dimension Fact

ORDER_HEADERSALES_STAFF SALES_BRANCH1..n

1..1

1..n

1..1 ORDER_DETAILS1..1

1..n

Query subjects with multiple relationships

> Looks for query subjects with multiple valid relationships between itself and another query subject.

Query subjects with multiple relationships

Orders Time

Order Date = Day Key

Ship Date = Day Key

Close Date = Day Key

Orders

Time

Order Dat

e = Day K

ey

Close Date = Day Key

Ship Time

Close Time

Ship Date = Day Key

Query subjects that join to themselves

> Looks for reflexive and recursive relationships.

Query subjects that join to themselves

Employee Query Subject

Employee ID

Manager ID

Phone Number

Ext.

…

Recursive Relationship

Between Employee ID

and

Manager ID

Employee Query Subject

Employee ID

Manager ID

Phone Number

Ext.

…

Recursive Relationship

Can now be edited

Shortcut to Employee Query Subject

Employee ID

Manager ID

Phone Number

Ext.

…

1..1

1..n

Model Adviser: Options

> Relationship Analysis

> Determinants Analysis

> Miscellaneous Analysis

Determinants that conflict with relationships

> Looks for determinants that conflict with the relationships defined

between query subjects

Model Adviser: Options

> Relationship Analysis

> Determinants Analysis

> Miscellaneous Analysis

Factors that will override the minimized SQL setting

> Looks for various factors that override the SQL Generation type setting of

Minimized, such as modified data source query subjects, relationships

between model query subjects, or determinants for model query subjects

Cont...

Factors that will override the minimized SQL setting

> SQL for query subject as a whole:

Cont...

Factors that will override the minimized SQL setting

> SQL for Items from one table with effect of minimized SQL. :

Cont...

Factors that will override the minimized SQL setting

> SQL after join overrides the minimized SQL setting:

Embedded calculations that use the calculated aggregation type

> Looks for embedded calculations where the value of the Regular

Aggregate property is set to ‘Calculated’.

Embedded calculations that use the calculated aggregation type

> When its aggregation is set to automatic, the Margin is aggregated as:

• SUM( Production Cost / Revenue )

> We want Margin to be computed as:

• SUM( Production Cost ) / SUM( Revenue )

> Expression by using the Production Cost and Revenue of the Sales

(model) query subject

Embedded calculations that use the calculated aggregation type

> Use Production Cost and Revenue of the Sales measure dimension

Query subjects that can cause a metadata caching conflict

> Looks for factors that override cached metadata, such as data source query

subjects whose SQL has been modified or query subjects that contain

calculations or filters

Q & A