IBM Cognos Connection

IBM® Cognos® Connection is the portal to IBM Cognos software. IBM Cognos Connection provides a single access point to all corporate data available in IBM Cognos software.

You can use IBM Cognos Connection to work with entries such as reports, analyses, queries, agents, metrics, and packages. You can use IBM Cognos Connection to create shortcuts, URLs, and pages, and to organize entries. You can personalize IBM Cognos Connection for your own use.

You can use IBM Cognos Connection to create and run reports and cubes and distribute reports. You can also use it to create and run agents and schedule entries.

If you use a customized user interface, you may not have access to all the features documented.

Log On
IBM Cognos software supports authenticated and anonymous user access. To use IBM Cognos software as an authenticated user, you must successfully log on. During the logon process, you must provide your credentials, such as user ID and password, as required by your organization. Anonymous users do not log on.
Log Off
You log off to end your session. Even if you used multiple namespaces in the session, you log off only once.
Create a Shortcut
A shortcut is a pointer to another entry such as a report, report view, folder, job, agent, page, or URL.
Create a URL
A URL is a standard way of identifying the location for any external file or Web site. Create URLs to keep the files and Web sites you use most frequently at your fingertips. Clicking a URL opens the file or Web site in the browser. After opening a URL, click the back button in your browser to return to the portal.
Bookmark an Entry
You can bookmark an IBM Cognos entry in your Web browser so that later you can quickly perform the default action associated with the entry. For example, using a report bookmark, you can view the most recent report output, run the report, or open it in an authoring tool.
Entry Properties
You can control the way an entry appears and behaves by modifying its properties. The properties for entries vary depending upon the type of entry selected and your privileges. For example, reports have properties to control run options while folders do not. If a property is not applicable to the type of entry you are customizing, it will not appear in the Set properties page.
Organizing Entries
Organize entries such as reports, analyses, agents, and packages in a meaningful way so that you can easily find them. It is important to plan how you can best organize entries in the portal. Review the entries and attempt to group them in a logical way. Consider grouping the entries by type or frequency of use.
Specify an Alternative Icon for an Entry
In the portal, the standard icons that appear next to entries help identify the class to which the entry belongs. To better identify an entry among several similar entries, you can replace the standard icon with an alternative icon.
Search options in IBM Cognos Connection
You can search for entries whose name, description, or both match the string entered in the search criteria. Or, you can search an index of entries created by your administrator using the Full text and all fields option.
Personalize the Portal
You can personalize the way data appears in IBM Cognos Connection by changing your preferences. For example, you can set the product language and the preferred output format of reports.
Enabling support for bidirectional languages
The bidirectional features supported by IBM Cognos Business Intelligence include bidirectional text, digit shaping, and object direction in reports.
My Watch Items
Use the My Watch Items area of the portal to view and manage watch items from a single location. Watch items include alert lists and watch rules that help you monitor business events that are important to you.