with Mike Napthine

Top Safety Tips

Bluffers Guide to 10.2

Why upgrade?• Bug fixes• Performance upgrades• New features• Keeping pace with other systems• Regular updates easier to manage• Avoid being forced into an emergency upgrade• 8.4.1 moves out of support this year• You’ve paid for it as part of your support

10.2 New features

• All 64bit architecture (including Metrics)• Support for Chrome & Safari (run time)• New Dynamic Cubes Source• Tabbed Workspace, Freeze Panes• Studio renamed (again)

10.2 Welcome page

Studio names10.2 10.1 / 10.1.1 8.41Workspace Insight Go DashboardWorkspace on the web Workspace Advanced Insight Advanced Report Studio (express)Author Business reports Insight IBM Cognos Insight <new>Workspace on my computer Query Studio Query Studio Query StudioQuery my DataAnalyst Studio Analyst Studio Analyst StudioAnalyse my DataReport Studio Report Studio Report Studio (full)Author Advanced reports

10.2 Environment changes

• Integrates with TM1 10.1 & Cognos Planning 10.1• SQL 2012 added• NTLM, Oracle 9, Server 2003 & SQL 2000 dropped• Check “Cognos 10.2 Support Environments”

Who can use 10.2 facilities?10.2 Recommended License Other LicensesWorkspace Enhanced Consumer All Higher LicencesWorkspace Advanced Advanced Business Author Professional AuthorInsight Advanced Business Author Professional Author

IBM Cognos InsightQuery Studio Advanced Business Author Professional Author

Business AuthorAnalyst Studio Advanced Business Author Business AnalystReport Studio BI Professional Professional AuthorMetrics Studio BI Professional Business ManagerTransformer BI ProfessionalEvent Studio BI ProfessionalSDK SDK User (only) Framework Manager Administrator (only)Administer Content Administrator

10.2 OLAP offeringsTechnology Ease of

useCost Bits Ware-

houseDynamic Performance Integration

OOR(DMR)

As Source

Required Yes

Dynamic Cubes

As Source

Required Yes

Transformer 32 No

TM1 £ 64 Yes

Using 64 bit mode - dispatchers

You will need a 32bit dispatcher as well for 32 bit data sources e.g. Powerplay

Using 64 bit mode - connections

Don’t forget to copy the JAR files to the Cognos Lib directory!

That’s 10.2 bluffed!

Threats to BI stability & how to neutralise them

Threats

• Infrastructure failure• Environmental change / Upgrades• New business requirements• Users (high usage, poor usage)

Users / Performance• Cognos Audit

– Records every report / query – Execution time & outcome – Easy to setup (no XML required)– Results in Cognos

Quote from Rob Lightbody, AGBarrFrom my point of view in IT, I was faced with "the system is slow today can you do something about it?" coming at me from both my bosses and from the business.

However all the basic checks of servers etc. showed everything was fine. The audit package reports gave me the ammunition I needed to do something about it, to the extent now that there are no complaints about performance.

Barrachd did some fixes, and we started doing targeted training here aimed at the people with the slow reports. Now we know that everybody else is getting their reports quickly, we can target users with the slow reports.

Example reports (courtesy AGBarr)

• ..\load balance.pdf• ..\performance trend.pdf• ..\performance by time of day.pdf• ..\report execution times.pdf

Users - accidents

• Cognos backup– No IT involvement– Allows selective restore– Can go back to any point in time

Example backup strategy

Example restore strategy

Upgrade & change continuity

• Separate development & UAT environments• Change control process• Version management• Impact assessment• Regression testing

Impact assessment

• From Framework Manager• Using the ‘DRU’

Example search specification

Traversing: /content/folder[@name='Packages']/package[@name='Orders']...Performing transformations on (report): Orders Test ReportPerforming transformations on (report): Quantity Report

Traversing: /content/folder[@name='Packages']/package[@name='Orders Cube']...Performing transformations on (analysis): Location Report ExamplePerforming transformations on (report): Orders Cube Test Report

Traversing: /content/folder[@name='Packages']/package[@name='Orders Cube Builder']...Traversing: /content/folder[@name='Packages']/package[@name='Orders DW Cube']...

Performing transformations on (report): London ReportTransform (success): Example Cube Reference 3.15

Traversing: /content/folder[@name='Packages']/package[@name='Training TM1']...Traversing: /content/folder[@name='Planes']...

Regression testing

• Using Lifecycle manager• Using a Cognos job

Example changes log

Example version control

Resilient infrastructure

Warehouse 1

Source System

s

Source System

s Warehouse 2

Cognos 1Cognos 1

Cognos 2Cognos 2

Load Balancer

Load Balancer

Content Store

Cubes

Mirror / Grid

Your scores• 2 points for performance management (Cognos audit)• 2 points for regression testing (lifecycle)• 1 point for selective restore• 2 points for infrastructure resilience - only if tested• 1 point for backup – only if checked daily• 1 point for backup – only if tested a restore within year• 1 point for configuration properly documented• 1 point for change management process• 1 point for a change request system• 1 point for change logging / version control• 1 point for change impact assessment

Any Questions?