Transformer Data source is database(sql server, db2)

[Chandrasekar]

Hi Gurus,

I have to start learn transformers few days before.

In my point of view, Transformer data source is must like any one of these following: Package, Report, IQD, Access data, Access Query,,.

1. Is possible to connect (sql server/db2) any database is transformer data source. if it possible please provide your information.
2. Can you specify transformers used places and limitations.

Note: I am installing cognos 8 transformer for training, When i am using this transformer, i am not able to select sql server 2005 database.If i need any configuration?. (I am able to create cube using sample packages & access db)

Thanks & Regards,
Chandrasekar.P

[MFGF]

Hi Gurus,

I have to start learn transformers few days before.

In my point of view, Transformer data source is must like any one of these following: Package, Report, IQD, Access data, Access Query,,.

1. Is possible to connect (sql server/db2) any database is transformer data source. if it possible please provide your information.
2. Can you specify transformers used places and limitations.

Note: I am installing cognos 8 transformer for training, When i am using this transformer, i am not able to select sql server 2005 database.If i need any configuration?. (I am able to create cube using sample packages & access db)

Thanks & Regards,
Chandrasekar.P

Hi,

The easiest way to bring in SQL Server/DB2 data to Transformer is by having that database set up as a data source connection in Cognos 10 BI (or Cognos 8 BI) and having either a package or a report built off the data, then using the package or report as a data source in Transformer.

The old way of doing things was to use IQD files (which are basically SQL queries stored in a specific format). These were originally generated by Cognos Impromptu 7, but if you knew what you were doing you could manually create them in Notepad.

Cheers!

MF.

[Chandrasekar]

Hi MFGF,

The easiest way to bring in SQL Server/DB2 data to Transformer is by having that database set up as a data source connection in Cognos 10 BI (or Cognos 8 BI) and having either a package or a report built off the data, then using the package or report as a data source in Transformer.

Yes, I agree your points. I have one more doubt. I would like to use Framework manager data source in transformer. For example, FM have great outdoors sales and great outdoors warehouse data sources. In transformer IBM cognos configuration part i didnt make any changes. Is any changes is required here?

Note: Gateway URI: http://localhost:80/cognos8/cgi-bin/cognos.cgi
          Dispatcher URI: http://localhost:9300/p2pd/servlet/dispatch

Thanks &  Regards,
Chandrasekar.P

[MFGF]

Hi MFGF,

Yes, I agree your points. I have one more doubt. I would like to use Framework manager data source in transformer. For example, FM have great outdoors sales and great outdoors warehouse data sources. In transformer IBM cognos configuration part i didnt make any changes. Is any changes is required here?

Note: Gateway URI: http://localhost:80/cognos8/cgi-bin/cognos.cgi
          Dispatcher URI: http://localhost:9300/p2pd/servlet/dispatch

Thanks &  Regards,
Chandrasekar.P

You need to publish packages for these data sources from FM to your Cognos server to allow Transformer to see the packages

MF.

[Chandrasekar]

OK MFGF. Thanks a lot MFGF.

[sunny bachan prasad]

Hi MFGF,
As you mention in post about the IQD file as a datasource for transformer.Once we have a migration from cognos 7 to 10 then how we can use these IQD file as a datasource since these IQD file refer IMR along with SQL.Once we migrate from 7 to 10 we will not have IMR in our server.

[MFGF]

Hi MFGF,
As you mention in post about the IQD file as a datasource for transformer.Once we have a migration from cognos 7 to 10 then how we can use these IQD file as a datasource since these IQD file refer IMR along with SQL.Once we migrate from 7 to 10 we will not have IMR in our server.

IQD files are a specific technology for use in Cognos 7. Although there are ways to create them from Framework Manager in Cognos 10, you should really move away from using them. Replace the IQD files with either Cognos 10 list reports or packages - see my post above. You can use either in place of IQD files to bring data into Transformer 10...

MF.

[sunny bachan prasad]

IQD files are a specific technology for use in Cognos 7. Although there are ways to create them from Framework Manager in Cognos 10, you should really move away from using them. Replace the IQD files with either Cognos 10 list reports or packages - see my post above. You can use either in place of IQD files to bring data into Transformer 10...

MF.

Hi MFGF,
Client is not ready to move from IQD file even though we informed them that this is the old technolgy.So we dont have any option(Which you suggested above) at this point of time.To check IQD file i opened it in notepad and found that it is using IMR as a data source. Now we are also migrating the system from cognos 7 to 10 so i am just wondering how this IQD file will work.Is there is any possibilty that IQD will directly hit Data Base during cube build? Can you plz share your experiance on this?

Thanks in advance.

[MFGF]

Hi MFGF,
Client is not ready to move from IQD file even though we informed them that this is the old technolgy.So we dont have any option(Which you suggested above) at this point of time.To check IQD file i opened it in notepad and found that it is using IMR as a data source. Now we are also migrating the system from cognos 7 to 10 so i am just wondering how this IQD file will work.Is there is any possibilty that IQD will directly hit Data Base during cube build? Can you plz share your experiance on this?

Thanks in advance.

What is their technical reason for not wanting to move away from IQDs? It makes no sense that they should impose a crippling limitation like this. What is the reasoning? I'd push back in the strongest terms on this, and find an inoffensive way of communicating that they are not being rational. IQDs are generated by Cognos Impromptu, which is a Cognos 7 technology. If the client wants to migrate away from Cognos 7, how can they reasonably insist that their Transformer 10 models are fed by Cognos 7 technology?

If an IQD uses an IMR as a data source, then there's no choice. IMR stands for IMpromptu Report. This is a Cognos 7 object, which the client is moving away from. Impromptu doesn't exist in Cognos 10, so there are no longer IMRs you can create and use. In the days of Cognos 7, IQDs normally comprised SQL Select statements with a projection list. These you'd still be able to use in Transformer 10, but not IQDs fed from IMRs. As you're going to have to re-engineer anyway, it makes no sense to create new IMRs, does it?

If I was you I'd gently explain this to your client and ask them to explain their insistence on retaining IQDs...

MF.

[sunny bachan prasad]

What is their technical reason for not wanting to move away from IQDs? It makes no sense that they should impose a crippling limitation like this. What is the reasoning? I'd push back in the strongest terms on this, and find an inoffensive way of communicating that they are not being rational. IQDs are generated by Cognos Impromptu, which is a Cognos 7 technology. If the client wants to migrate away from Cognos 7, how can they reasonably insist that their Transformer 10 models are fed by Cognos 7 technology?

If an IQD uses an IMR as a data source, then there's no choice. IMR stands for IMpromptu Report. This is a Cognos 7 object, which the client is moving away from. Impromptu doesn't exist in Cognos 10, so there are no longer IMRs you can create and use. In the days of Cognos 7, IQDs normally comprised SQL Select statements with a projection list. These you'd still be able to use in Transformer 10, but not IQDs fed from IMRs. As you're going to have to re-engineer anyway, it makes no sense to create new IMRs, does it?

If I was you I'd gently explain this to your client and ask them to explain their insistence on retaining IQDs...

MF.

Hi MF,
Thanks again for your time.
Currently they are using winodw server 2003 and they are not going to support cognos v7 any more(may be by mid of this year).This is the only reason that they are ready to migrate from cognos 7 to 10 and again they are thinking to migrate their system to SAP after some period of time so they dont want to invest much. They just want that their system work with window server 2012 and cognos 10.
Also as i explained below they got a solution that they will remove IMR refernce from the IQD file and point it directly to Database during cube build and this is the approach we have to follow. So in real scenario we have four cube in cognos v7 and we will take a backup of the respective IQD file and remove the IMR reference from all these IQD file and will have to feed these IQD in cognos 10  transformer so that each file will point to database directly instead of IMR during cube build since i am now in the process of installtion so not sure if this will work or not. Please let me know your thought on this.