Cognos Interview Question and Answers

·       I am sharing the cognos q@A available in the http://cognos-master.blogspot.co.uk/. Please make a use of it.

           Define Cognos?

o    Cognos is Business Intelligence and performance management software that enables users to extract data, analyze it, and then assemble reports.

·         What are the tiers of the Cognos Architecture?

o    IBM Cognos is three Tier Architecture:

·         Ø  Web server

·         Ø  Applications

·         Ø  Data

·         Define Business Intelligence

o    Business Intelligence is a broad category of application programs and technology used for querying, Reporting and analyzing the business.

·         What is a Data Mart?

§  A Data Mart is a subset of a data warehouse that can provide data for reporting and analysis.

·         What is HPQS?

§  Data Marts are sometimes also called as HPQS (Higher Performance Query Structure).

·         What is multi dimension analysis?

o    It is a technique to modify the data so that the data can be view at the different levels of details.

·         What are the responsibilities of Cognos Administrator?

o    A Cognos Administrator is assigned with following responsibilities.

o    Installations and configurations in distributed network environment.

o    Creating the Repository (Content Store).

o    Perform back up and recovery of Meta Data.

o    Developing the user Administration.

o    Tuning the servers.

o    Deployment.

·         Responsibility of Cognos Architect?

o    An Architect is responsible for designing the interface by fulfilling the user requirements.

§  Once the interface has been designed it should be rigorously tested before distributing to the end user population.

·         Roles of the Application Developer?

§  Design the Reports according to the Report requirement templates.

o    Testing the each report with the following types of tests.

§  Unit Testing

§  System Testing

§  Performance Testing

·         What is OLAP?

§  OLAP stands for Online Analytical Processing. It uses database tables (Fact and Dimension tables) to enable multidimensional viewing, analysis and querying of large amount of data.

·         What are the types of OLAPs?

o    DOLAP:-The OLAP tool which works with desktop databases are called as DOLAP

·         Ex:- FoxPro, Clipper, Dbase, Paradox.

o    ROLAP:-The OLAP tool, which works with Relational databases, are called as ROLAP.

·         Ex:-Oracle, SQL Server, Tera Data, DB2.

o    MOLAP: - The OLAP tool, which works with Multidimensional databases, are called as MOLAP.

·         Ex: - ESSBASE, Power Cube

o    HOLAP: - The OLAP tool which works with Relational databases and Multidimensional database, are called as MOLAP.

·         Ex: - Cognos, Business Objects.

·         What is OLTP?

o    OLTP stands for Online Transaction Processing. Except data warehouse databases the other databases are OLTPs. These OLTP databases are designed for recording the daily operations and transactions of a business.

·         What is an Interface?

o    An Interface is a gateway between the user and database.

§  An Interface contains a logical pointers which pointes to data in the Data Warehouse.

§  An Interface is isolates the complexity and diversity if data bases.

§  A good OLAP Interface writes an efficient SQL read on accurate data from database.

o    An Interface needs to be designed by fulfilling the report requirement.

·         What is the role of a Data Warehouse in creating the Interface?

o    Data Warehouse acts as Source to the Interface.

·         What are the types of components installed while loading the Cognos Software?

o    When we install the Cognos Report Net Software there are two types of components get installed:-

o    Windows based components.

o    Web based components.

·         Define Windows based components?

§  A Framework manager is windows based modeling tool used for creating a project (interface). 

·         Define Web based Components?

§  The following are the web based components.  

                A. Cognos connection

§  B. Query Studio

§  C. Report Studio

§  D. Analysis Studio

§  E. Event Studio

§  F. Metric Studio

·         Components of Cognos ?

o    Framework manager.

o    Cognos connection

o    Query Studio

o    Report Studio

o    Analysis Studio

o    Event Studio

o    Metric Studio, Map manager and Metrics designer

·         What are the phases of the Cognos Workflow?

o    Plan, Manage, Model, Author, Consume.

·         What are the advanced features of Cognos?

o    The Cognos Report Net has multilingual database accessibility.

o    The parameter maps are key value phase, which are used for working with local Language that the default value is ‘EN’.

·          

·         Framework Manager

·         What is Framework manager?

§  Frame Work Manager is windows based metadata modeling tool for Cognos studios.

·         Why we need Framework manager?

o    To create the interface known as Project.

§  To create model the metadata derived from one or more data sources

·         How a project appears in a Frame Work manager?

o    A frame work manager project appears as a folder that contains a project file (.cpf) and the specific XML files that define the project.

·         What are the Building Blocks in Frame Work Manager?

o    The Query subjects are called Building Blocks in Framework Manager.

·         What are phases the workflow process consists in Framework Manager?

o    The workflow process consists of the following phases:

·         Design and create project

·         Prepare Metadata

·         Prepare the Business View

·         Create and Manger Packages

·         Set Security

·         Publish

·         Manage the Project

·         How you set the security Framework manager?

o    To set the security you have to set as:

·         Ø  Define access to packages.

·         Ø  Create security filters

·         Ø  Define access to objects

·         Ø  Define package administration access

·         Define Name Space?

§  In security, a collection of user accounts and user groups from an authentication provider.

o    A Name Space is a container, which holds the Query Subjects.

o    A Name Space uniquely represents the Query Subjects.

·         Can you delete Cognos namespace?

o    No, we cannot delete Cognos namespace

·         What is the Cognos Namespace? And what it contains?

o    The Cognos namespace is the Cognos built-in namespace

o    It contains Cognos objects:

·         Groups

·         Roles

·         Sources

·         Distribution lists

·         Contacts

·         What are the Groups and Roles?

§  Groups and roles represent collections of users that perform similar tasks.

·         What is Folder?

o    A Folder is used to organize the Query Subjects.

·         Define Relationship?

o    A Relationship is a connection that explains how the data in one Query Subject relates to data in other Query Subjects.

·         What is a Package?

o    A container of model or set of models. Modelers create packages in Framework Manager to publish models to the Cognos connection.

·         What is Physical layer?

o    The Physical layer provides the physical query layer and is made up primarily of data source and stored procedure query subjects. It acts as the foundation for the presentation layer.

·         What is Presentation layer?

§  The Presentation layer makes it easier for report authors to find and understand their data. The Presentation layer is made up primarily of model query subjects that you create.

·         Define function set:

o    A function set is a collection of vendor specific database.

§  The Expression editor lists the function sets for all available vendors. However, you can restrict the function sets, so that it lists only the vendors that you want to use in your project.

·         What is a Metadata?

§  Data about data is called as Metadata. The Metadata contains the definition of a data.

·         What is a Project?

o    When we work with a framework manager you work in a project.

o    Project is a set of metadata organized for Report Authors according to the Business rules and Model.

§  A Project created appears as folder, which contains following files.

§  Project Name .CPF (Cognos Project File)

§  Model .XML

§  Preferences .XML

·         d.    Custom data .XML
e.    archive-log.xml
f.     log.xml
g.   session-log.xml
h.   session-log-backup.xml
i.   IDLog.xml

·         The files in the folder are unique to that Project.

·         Define Publish?

o    To transfer all or part of a Framework Manager model to the Cognos connection, so that report authors can use it.

·         What a Project contains?

·         A Model

·         Namespaces

·         Data sources

·         Parameter maps

·         Packages

·         Folders

·         Query Subject

·         Query Item

·         Relation ship

·         What is a Model?

§  A model in Frame work manager is a business presentation of the structure of the data from one or more databases.

o    Or

o    A model is a set of related query subjects and other objects.

·         What are Dimensions?

o    Dimensions are categories by which summarized data can be viewed.

·         What are Confirmed Dimensions?

o    The Dimensions which are reusable and fixed in nature.

·         What are Fact Tables?

o    A Fact Table is a table that contains summarized numerical (facts) and historical data. This Fact Table has a foreign key – primary key relation with a dimension table.

·         What are the types of FACTs?

o    The types of Facts are:

o    Additive Facts: - A Fact which can be summed up for any of the dimension available in the Fact Table.

o    Semi-Additive Facts: - A Fact which can be summed up to a few dimensions and not for all dimensions and not for all dimensions available in the Fact Table.

o    Non-Additive Fact: - a fact which cannot be summed up for any of the dimensions available in the Fact Table.

·         Define Query?

o    A description of the data to be retrieved from a database.

·         Explain about Data Source Query Subject?

o    Data Source query subjects contain SQL statements the directly reference data in a single data source. Frame work manager automatically creates a data source query subject for each table and view that you import into model.

·         When the default data source query subject is created?

o    During the initial metadata import operation, a default data source query subject is created for each object you select (for example table) and creates the default relationships between query subjects for you automatically.

·         How can you edit the data source query subject?

·         Apply or embed a filter

·         ii.    Apply or embed a calculation

·         iii.    Insert a Macro

·         iv.    Insert a data source reference.

·         v.    Change the SQL type.

·         vi.    Change how SQL is generated.

·         These all are we can find it in “Edit definition window”.

·         What are the types of SQL?

o    SQL is the industry language for creating, updating and querying relational data base management system. Types of SQL.

o    Cognos SQL

o    Native SQL

o    Pass-through SQL.

·         Define Cognos SQL?

o    By default Cognos Frame work manager uses Cognos SQL to create and edit Query subjects.

o    Advantages:

o    Can contain metadata from multiple data sources.

o    Have fewer database restrictions

o    Interact more effectively with Cognos applications.

·         Disadvantages:

o    You can not enter nonstandard SQL.

·         Define Native SQL?

o    Native SQL is the SQL, the data source uses, such as Oracle SQL, but you cannot uses Native SQL in a query subject that references more than one data source in the project.

o    Advantages:

o    Performance is optimized across all related query subjects.

o    You can use SQL that is specific to your database.

·         Disadvantages:

o    You cannot use SQL that the data source does not support for sub queries.

o    The query subject may not work on different database type.

·         Define Pass-Through SQL?

o    Pass-Through SQL lets you use native SQL without any of the restrictions the data source imposes on sub queries.

o    Advantages:

o    You can enter any SQL supported by the database.

·         Disadvantages:

§  There is no opportunity for Frame work manager to automatically optimize performance. The SQL may not work on a different data source.

·         What are Query Processing Types?

o    There are two types of query processing.

o    Limited Local: The database server does as much of the SQL processing and Execution as possible. However, some reports or report sections use local SQL processing.

o    Database only: The database server does all the SQL processing and execution with the exception of tasks not supported by the database. An error appears if any reports of report sections require local SQL processing.

·         What is Query Subject?

o    A Query Subject maps to the table in the database.

§  A Query Subject uses an SQL to retrieve the data from the data source.

o    A Query Subject is also known as Business View.

·         What are the types of Query subjects?

o    Default data source query subjects

o    Model Query Subjects

o    Stored Query subjects

·         What is a Query Item?

§  A query Item maps to columns to the database table. A Query Subject contains Query Items.

·         How can you restrict the tables retrieved by a query?

o    By setting governors we can restrict the tables.

·         What is meant by Governors?

o    To apply privileges and restrictions for a user class. Governor settings are used to set restrictions on queries by user class, such as

o    Sorting on non-indexed columns

o    Outer joins

o    Suppress duplicates

o    Cross-product queries

o    Retrieval of large text items

o    Number of records

o    Number of tables

o    Query execution time

·         What is a User Class?

·         A defined group of users with the same data access needs privileges and restrictions.

·         What is Scrubbing at Project level?

·         According to the report requirements derive the new Items with the help of existing Query Items. This process is known as Scrubbing at Project level.

·         How can you add the calculated data to a report?

§  Summarize existing detail values predefined summary functions (such as sum, avg)

§  Create new report items using data from existing report items.

§  Use model calculations provided in the package.

·         What are the sources to create new Query subjects?

§  A new Query Subject can be created from the following sources.

o    Model (Query subjects & Query Items)

o    Data Sources (Tables and Columns)

o    Stored Procedure.

·         What is Multi Database Access in Cognos ?

o    In Cognos "Framework Manager" a Project can be created from multiple databases. The databases can be either homogenous or hydrogenous.

·         What are Parameter Maps?

§  A Parameter Map is a key value pair used in creation of conditional Query Subjects.

§  A Parameter map sub situates the values at the query at runtime.

·         What is the default formats of reports?

o    HTML, PDF, CSV, and XML.

·         What are the different ways to modify multi lingual metadata?

o    Macro :- To modify dynamically

o    Directly

·         What is a Macro?

o    A Macro is a run time object, which uses the parameter maps and session parameters in developing the conditional query subjects.

·         What is usage property? And what are different settings to set usage property?

o    It identifies the intended use for the data represented by each query item.

o    It determines the aggregation rules of query items and calculations.

o    The different usage property settings are:

o    * Identifies
            * Fact
            * Attribute
            * Unknown

·         What are the types of filters in Framework manager?

o    In framework manager we can create two types of filters.

o    Stand Alone Filters.

o    Embedded Filters.

·         Define Model Filter?

§  A filter is a condition used to restrict the data displayed in the Report.

o    Model filter are reusable.

·         Define Data restriction:

o    A filter is a condition, which restricts the amount of data displayed in the report.

·         What is condition?

o    An expression that yields a Boolean value. Conditions are used in query expressions, query filters, and Boolean report variables that can be used for conditional formatting, styles, data sources, layouts and blocks.

·         Types of Conditions:

o    Conditions are of 2 types:

o    Static Condition: - Condition doesn’t change whenever you run the report.

o    Dynamic Condition: -A condition can be keep on change whenever you run the report.

·         What are the types of filters in Report Studio?

o    In the report studio we can find two types of filters.

o    Tabular Filters:- These filters are two types

§  Summary Filters

§  Detailed Filters

o    Grouped Filter

·         What is a Loop?

o    A Loop is a closed path which is resulted due to joins.

o    A Loop causes performance degradation of query execution and wrong data will be displayed in the report.

o    A Loop can be resolved by creating the short cuts (Alias).

·         What is Alias Table?

o    An alternative name for a table generally used in self joins.

·         What are the uses of Alias Table?

o    The uses of Alias Table are:

o    To resolve the Loops.

o    To create self-joins with in a table.

o    To provide alternate join structure.

·         What is Associated Data Item?

o    A Data Item linked to the group data item. Associated data item suppress duplicate data values but do not generate a control break. The associated column displays only one data values for the group with which it is associated.

·         What is Automatic Association?

o    The group association of a newly created summary. The location of the group where you create the summary determines its automatic association.

·         What is an Ambiguous Relationship?

o    An ambiguous relationship is where there are multiple relationship paths between one or more query subjects leaving multiple options for how to write a query.

·         What is a Join and types of Joins?

§  A Join identifies the columns from one table that are used to link to another table.

§  A Join is commonly formed by a foreign key definition within the database.

o    Types of Joins:-

o    Equi-joins

o    Non equi-joins

o    Outer joins

·         What is a dimension?

o    A broad grouping of descriptive data about a major aspect of a business, such as products, dates, or markets. Each dimension includes different levels of members in one or more hierarchies, and an optional set of calculated members.

·         What is a Confirmed Dimension?

o    If a Dimension is connected to multiple fact tables then it is called as Confirmed Dimension.

·         What is a Junk Dimension?

o    A randomly used dimension is Junk Dimension.

·         Define Surrogate Key?

o    It has system-generated artificial primary key values, which allows to maintain historical records in the Data Warehouse more effectively.

·         What are the User Interface Components?

·         Ø  Cognos Connection

·         Ø  Report Studio

·         Ø  Query Studio

·         Ø  Frame work manager

·         Ø  Cognos configuration

·        

§  Cognos Connection

·         Define Cognos connection?

o    It is a web portal, which allows you to perform the following tasks.

o    Creating the Reports

o    Performing the scheduling tasks

o    Deployment                       

o    Use to access all corporate data available in ReportNet.

·         What are the types of folders in Cognos connection?

o    Report can be organized by creating the folders.

o    Public Folders: Public Folders can be viewed by many users.

o    My Folders: Personal Folders that you can organize according to your preferences.

·         What is a job?

o    A group of reports and other jobs in Cognos that you run and schedule as a batch.

·         What is a job step?

o    The smallest part of a job that can be run separately. Usually, a job step is a report. A job step can also be another job.

·         Define content language?

o    The code or setting that specifies what language and regional preferences to use for the data that appears in a report.

·         What is deployment?

o    The process of moving a Reports, models to a different instance of Cognos. For example, you often create reports in a test environment and then deploy them to production.

o    When you deploy an application, you export, transfer, and import it.

·         What is the use of Schedule?

o    The schedule allows you to run a report at a later time or run it on a recurring basis.

·         What are the uses of Schedule Management tool?

·         Change the properties of a job

·         Modify a scheduled report

·         View the run history of a report

·         Run a scheduled entry once

·         Delete a schedule

·         What is a Sub Report?

o    A sub query that is associated with a main query. You can include several sub reports in one main query. You can have more than one query on a page.

·         What is a Cognos Script?

o    A Script visual basic used to write macros.

·         What is a Catalog?

o    A Catalog is a data base for a user to create own tables, joins, items, prompts, calculations and conditions.

·         Report Studio

·         What is a Report Studio?

o    Using Report Studio we can create more advanced professional Business Reports.

·         What is burst?

o    To create many report results by running a single report once. For example, you can create a report that shows sales for each employee, and run it once, sending different results to regional managers by bursting on region.

o    You set up bursting in Report Studio and enable it in the portal.

·         Define calculated member?

o    A member of a dimension whose measure values are not stored but are calculated at run time using an expression.

·         What is cardinality?

o    For OLAP data sources, cardinality is the number of members in a hierarchy. The cardinality property for a hierarchy is used to assign solve orders to expressions.

o    For relational data sources, cardinality indicates the nature of the relationship between two query subjects, query items, or other model objects.

·         Define report specification?

o    An XML representation of the queries, prompts, layouts, and styles in a report. You create report specifications by using Report Studio or Query Studio, or by writing your own report specifications in XML.

·         What is report view?

o    A reference to another report that has its own properties, such as prompt values, schedules, and results.

o    You use report views to share a report specification instead of making copies of it.

·         What is report item?

o    A query item that is added to a report is known as a report item.

o    Report items appear as columns in list reports, and as rows and columns in crosstab reports. In charts, report items appear as data markers and axis labels.

·         What is work area?

o    The area within a studio that contains the report, analysis, query or agent currently being used.

·         What is Simple List Report?

o    The data is displayed in a series of columns (Tabular format).

·         How to set Page Breaks?

o    To set the page breaks in the report needs to be designed with either Group or Section.

o    Each Group or section will be displayed in a separate page.

·         What is the procedure for Page Breaks?

o    Select the Grouped Report Item, from the changed layout menu click on set page breaks.

·         Define Sections:

o    Like group a section also eliminates the duplicates and display the report item as a separate block and separated from rest of other report items.

·         How to eliminate duplicates?

o    The duplicates can be eliminated by creating the Groups

·         What is a prompt?

o    A prompt is an end users object which allows you to select the values or enter the values to restrict the data displayed in the report.

o    A report element that asks for parameter values before the report is run.

o    A Prompt is known as dynamic filter.

o    Prompt can be created using Parameters enclosed between ? marks.

·         Ex :- ?prompt?

·         What are the types of Prompts?

o    The following are the types of prompts:

o    Text box Prompt

o    Value Prompt

o    Select and Search Prompt

o    Date Prompt

o    Time Prompt

o    Date and time Prompt.

·         How many ways are there to create prompt?

o    To create a prompt you can:

·         Ø  Use the Build prompt page tool.

·         Ø  Build your own prompt and prompt page.

·         Ø  Create a prompt directly in a report page.

·         What is a Non-reusable prompt?

o    The prompts that are created in the report environment are called as Non-reusable prompts.

·         What is a cascading prompt?

o    A prompt that uses values from a previous prompt to filter the values in the current prompt or Pick list.

·         How many ways we can create Cascading Prompt?

o    A Cascading Prompt can be developed in a two different ways.

o    Single select and auto submit cascading prompt.

o    Multi select and Re-prompt button cascading prompt.

·         What kind of relationship is required for cascading prompt?

o    To develop the cascading prompt the relationship between the dimensional query Items should be 1 to many (1: M).

·         What is a filter?

o    A filter is a condition, which restricts the amount of data displayed in the report.

·         What is Detailed Filter?

o    If the filter is applied before aggregation known as aggregated records are filtered. (Detailed Records are filtered)

·         What is Summary Filter?

o    If the filter applied after aggregation than aggregated records are filtered.

·         What is Group Filter?

o    A filter which is applied to the group is known as Group Filter.

·         Define Sorting:

o    Sorts the data in the following 2 directions

o    Ascending

o    Descending

o    The default sort is don’t sort.

·         Define the Custom Group:

§  A custom group allows you to compare one element in the attribute with remaining all elements with in the same attribute.

o    It is defined for comparative analyses.

o    It allows comparing one element with remaining all.

·         How the pages of a single report delivered to the browser?

o    Based on the order of the pages add to the report.

·         In How many file formats we can export Report Data.

o    The data can be exported into the following file formats

o    PDF format (Portable Document Format)

o    CSV Format (Comma Separated Value)

o    XML Format

·         Use of Header and Footer in Reports?

o    Headers and Footers allow you to format the report and present the data in a readable format.

·         Can you convert list to Cross tab report?

o    Yes, to gain a different perspective on your data, you can convert a list report into a cross tab report.

o    Note: To convert list to cross tab report minimum 3 report items required.

·         Can you converting to repeater?

o    Only a list report can be converted into a repeater. You cannot convert a cross tab or chart into a repeater.

·         What is a Calculation?

o    According to the report requirement a calculation needs to be done using an object known as calculation object this process is known as OLAP Scrubbing.

·         What are the types of Calculations?

o    There are three types of Calculations:-

o    Detail:- Calculation is performed for non-aggregated (Detail)  records

o    Group: - Calculation is performed for aggregated records.

o    Layout Calculation: - Calculation is performed to develop customized report titles, page No, etc...

·         To get the possible outcomes what types of variables you use?

§  Boolean variable: If there are only two possible outcomes, where the value will be YES or NO.

o    String variable: If there is more than one outcome, based on string values you will specify.

§  Language variable: Language variable when the values are different languages.

·         What is Master detail relationship?

§  A Master detail relationship allows you to merge a Master query and Detail query.

§  To link the Master query and the Detailed query there should be a common column between the query.

o    A Master detail report provides navigation form summary to detail.

·         What is Drill Through?

o    A Drill Through allows you to navigate the information from summery to detail.

o    A Drill Through id developed with two reports

o    Parent Report which contains Summary Data.

o    Child Report which contains Detailed Data.

·         Their should be a common column between the two reports.

·         Define Cross Tab Report:

o    Design a Cross Tab Report for comparative analysis. Cross tab report is created with 3   drop zones.

o    Row

o    Column

o    Measure

·         What all the types of Cross Tab layouts Cognos Report Net supports?

o    Cognos Report net supports only Basic and Nested Cross Tab layouts.

·         Define a chart:

o    A Chart is a graphical presentation of business data.

o    A chart Report is designed for comparative Analysis.

·         What are the different types of charts?

o    Column chart

o    Bar Chart

o    Pie Chart

o    Line Chart

o    Area Chart

o    Point Chart

o    Radar Chart

·         Define Collapse Group:

o    It will suppress (hide) the details of a grouped report.

·         Define Expand Group:

o    It restores the details. A report needs to be designed with group.

·        

·         Query Studio

·         What is Query Studio?

o    Query Studio is the adhoc querying tool.

·         What is a adhoc report?

o    An adhoc report is a simple report or one-time report that is outside the set of standard reports you may have available to you.

o    A design time environment acts as a runtime environment.

o    It’s also known as self service.

·         What is measure?

o    A query item that contains values that can be aggregated to produce meaningful results. For example, product costs can be treated as a measure because average and total costs have some meaning, but product codes, though numbers, are not usually treated the same way. Measures are quantitative performance indicators.

o    Measures give the numbers that usually appear in the cells of cross tab reports or in the numbers of a chart.

o    Measures are also known as facts.

·         How Grand totals and Sub totals are generated in Query Studio?

o    In Query Studio the footer summaries (Grand Totals) are automatically generated for measures.

o    The sub totals can be generated by creating the Groups.

·         Define layout:

o    In reporting, layout defines the appearance of the report, including formatting, style, and design.

·         In report specifications, layout is also the name of an element that defines how the data returned by queries is presented.

·         IBM Cognos FAQ’s

·         Cognos 8

o    Cognos ReportNet with enhancements + EP7 series.

·         Which server tire is responsible for transforming information to Cognos 8 Application Server?

§  A Web server contains one or more web gateways which is responsible for transforming the information from one server to an appropriate server.( Cognos 8 Application Server) .

·         Which Server Tire processes the users request?

o    Application Tire server, It’s a main server which process users request.

·         What is the role of Data Tire?

o    Data tire contains content store and data source.

·         What is content store?

o    The database that contains all data that ReportNet needs to operate, such as

•                                 Report specifications, published models, and the packages that contain them

•                                 Connection information for data sources

•                                 Information about the external namespace, and the Cognos namespace itself

•                                 Information about scheduling and bursting reports

o    Design models and log files are not stored in the content store.

·         The ReportNet service that uses the content store is named Content Manager.

·         What the gateways Cognos web server supports?

§  CGI (Common Gateway Interface):- This is the default gateway supported to all web servers.

§  ISAPI (Internet service Application Programming Interface):-  Use this gateway for Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) web server.

§  Apache-Mod :- This gateway is used for Apache Web Server.

·         Report Studio

·         What are enhancements in list report in Cognos 8 Report Studio?

o    A list report is enhanced with following features:

o    Can apply List column Title Style

o    Can apply list column Body Style

o    Can apply the table Style

·         What are enhancements in cross tab report in Cognos 8?

o    A Cross tab report is enhanced with following features:

§  Can create the union Cross tabs.

§  Can create headers and footers for a cross tab.

§  List like cross tab.

·         What are enhancements in Chart report in Cognos 8?

o    A Chart report is enhanced with following features:

o    The following new charts are add

§  Gauge Charts

§  3D point chart

§  By polar axis charts (used for Bio-technology).

o    The chart can be applied with patterns, Fonts, Colors.

o    Can perform drill on chart.

·         4.Now we can create map reports which includes Geographical information and compares the business with various geographies.

·         What is Prompt Cache?

·         When a report contain a prompt executes a prompt queries the data from database at very first time and stores the results in prompt cache.

·         Analysis Studio

·         What is Analyses studio?

o    In analyses studio users can explore analyses and compare dimensional data. Use Analyses studio to read the data from multiple dimensional structures known as Cubes.

·         What are report Analyses Studio supports?

o    Analyses studio supports only cross tab, charts.

·         What is Cube?

o    A physical data source containing a multidimensional representation of data. A cube contains information organized into dimensions and optimized to provide faster retrieval and navigation in reports.

·         Query Studio

·         What are enhancements in Cognos 8 Query Studio?

o    Formatting :- Now query studio allows you to format the report with font, colors, and border styles.

o    Conditional Formatting :- The data in the report can be formatted based on given condition this allows you to quickly identify the data for faster analyses.

o    Applying Templates :-Templates can be created in report studio which can be applied to the reports created in Query Studio.

o    Improved Filtering :- Query Studio allows you to create more advanced filters using logical operators. AND or OR.

o    Query Data from OLAP sources (cube) :- Now Query Studio supports in reading the data from multi-dimensional structures known as Cubes.

o    Supports Hierarchy Levels :- Since Query studio reads the data from Cube which is defined with hierarchy levels it supports multi-dimensional analyses. (Drill Up, Drill Down, Drill Across).

·         What is Conditional format?

§  The data in the report can be formatted based on given condition this allows you to quickly identify the data for faster analyses.

·         Metric Studio Application

·         A set of metric types, metrics, and scorecards that monitor the performance of an organization.

·         Each organization may have several Metric Studio applications monitoring distinct units, such as operating companies or divisions that have different user communities, metric types or reporting calendars.

·         Define Metric designer?

o    It’s a Cognos 8 modeling tool use to create extracts for using Cognos 8 score cording applications.

·         Transformer

·         What is Transformer in Cognos 8?

·         It’s a modeling tool for creating the Power Cubes for use with Cognos EP7 series and Cognos 8.

·         What is a Power Cube?

·         A file that contains data that is structured to provide for fast retrieval and exploration of data in Power Play.

·         What is the role of Transformer?

·         Transformer is used to create dimensional models and also create cubes.

·         Event Studio

·         Define Event Studio:

o    Use the event studio to perform the tasks when the business event occurs.

o    When an event occur people are alerted to take actions.

·         Define burst:

o    To create many report results by running a single report once. For example, you can create a report that shows sales for each employee, and run it once, sending different results to regional managers by bursting on region.

o    You set up bursting in Report Studio and enable it in the portal.

·         What is a report?

o    A set of data deliberately laid out to communicate business information. Depending on the context, "report" may refer to report specification or report output.

·         Report (more precisely, report specification) is the generic term for the objects created by edited by Query Studio, Report Studio, and Analysis Studio.

·         What is Report specification?

o    The definition of queries, prompts, layouts, and styles that make up a report. A report specification is combined with data by a run operation to create report outputs. You create report specifications by using Report Studio, Query Studio, Analysis Studio, or through the Software

·         Development Kit.

·         Define report output?

o    A report output combines data at the point in time when the report was run with a report specification. It is a document that can be displayed, printed or emailed. Cognos 8 can produce report outputs in HTML, PDF, Excel, or CSV formats.

·         Define Content Manager:

o    The Cognos 8 service that manages the storage of customer applications, including application-specific security, configuration data, models, metrics, reports, and report output.

·         Content Manager is needed to publish models, retrieve or store report specifications, manage scheduling information, and manage the Cognos namespace.

·         What is data source?

·         A relational database, dimensional cube, file, or other physical data store that can be accessed though Cognos 8.

·         Define data tree:

o    Within a studio, contains objects such as query subjects, query items, dimensions, levels, and members. A data tree is used as a palette of the available data that can be inserted into calculations, filters, display areas, and other authoring gestures.

·         Define drill down:

o    The act of navigating from one level of data to a more detailed level. The levels are set by the structure of the data.

·         Define drill up:

o    The act of navigating from one level of data to a less detailed level. The levels are set by the structure of the data.

·         What is hierarchy?

o    A hierarchy represents a collection of dimensional members organized into a tree structure, with each member having one or more parent members and an arbitrary number of child members.

o    The root of a hierarchy has no parent, and leaf members of a hierarchy have no children.

·         What is layout?

o    In reporting, layout defines the appearance of the report, including formatting, style, and design.

o    In report specifications, layout is the portion of the specification that defines how the data returned by queries is presented.

·         Define level:

o    A level is a set of members that have common attributes. For example, a geographical dimension might contain levels for country, region, and city. Levels are used to define the structure of hierarchies in a dimension.

·         What is member?

o    A member is a unique item within a level. For example, Camping Equipment and Golf Equipment are members of the Product Line level.

·         Define locale:

o    A code that is used to set the language or dialect used for browsers, report text, and so on; and the regional preferences, such as formats for time, date, money, money expressions, and time of day.

o    For Cognos products, you can specify a locale for the product interface (product locale) and for the data in the report (content locale).

·         Define multidimensional expression language (MDX):

o    An abbreviation for multidimensional expression language, MDX is the multidimensional equivalent of SQL. Cognos 8 allows report authors to type in their queries using MDX expressions in Report Studio for dimensional data sources.

·         Use of repeater:

o    In Report Studio, a cell container that repeats values within itself with no predefined internal structure.

·         Define Repeater table:

o    In Report Studio, a table-like container that repeats cells across and down the page for row in the associated query.

·         What is template?

o    A reusable reports layout or style that can be used to set the presentation of a query or report.

·         Define work area:

o    The area within a studio that contains the report, analysis, query or agent currently being used.

·         What is a Hot File?

o    A separate local data table that can be added to your catalog or used in the report as a data source and as if it is a regular database table. A Hot File can be joined either with a database table or with another Hot File itself.

·         What is Impromptu?

o    Impromptu is a windows based powerful interactive query and reporting tool that lets you query data and create sophisticated reports in a easy – to- use and sophisticated desktop and interface.

·         What is the difference b/w macros and prompt?

·         Macro is a dynamic object which is used to substitute the values at query run time.

·         Prompt is a report element that asks for values before the report is run.

·         What is a Cube size?

o    Cube size is not static. it can be defined according to Project but we can create up to 2GB

·         What is refreshing of cube and how can we do it?

§  Refreshing a cube means getting the latest records from content store. we have an option to refresh cube.

·         what is meant by dash boards/flash cards?

o    Dash Board reports are used to create many reports in one report.

·         What is the usage of html object in tools box?

o    By using HTML object, We can insert multimedia file into report. At the run time we can see the file multimedia file.

·         How can we use conditional blocks?

o    Conditional Blocks adds an empty block that you can use for conditional formatting. You can hide and show report elements.

·         What is cube group?

o    Set of similar cubes built by Transformer.

·         What is burst reporting?

o    Burst reporting means sending a single report to multiple recipients using Cognos connection.

·         What is Level Span?

o    Level Span is used to avoid 1:1 relationship.