IBM Cognos PowerCubes
You make a PowerCube available to end users by creating a package and publishing it from Transformer or Framework Manager. You can also create PowerCube packages in IBM Cognos BI (see Packages. You create a data source connection to a PowerCube in Transformer or in Framework Manager while publishing the cube, or in IBM Cognos Administration after the cube is published.
PowerCubes can be created in Linux operating system and HPUX Itanium environments using Transformer. You can use IBM Cognos security with these types of cubes, but not Series 7 security. However, you can deploy secured Series 7 PowerCubes to Linux and HPUX Itanium computers running as report servers in the IBM Cognos environment if the Cognos content store is running on a Series 7 -compliant server.
You cannot build cubes on Linux or HPUX Itanium if you are using Impromptu® Query Definition (.iqd) files as data sources because the Series 7 IQD Bridge is not supported on those platforms.
After a connection to a PowerCube is created, you can:
- create a package for a PowerCube, see Create a Package for a PowerCube
- deploy updated PowerCubes, see Deploy Updated PowerCubes
For more information about PowerCubes, see the IBM Cognos Transformer User Guide.
You specify connection parameters when you create a data source or modify a data source connection. For more information, see Data Source Creation and Add or Modify a Data Source Connection.
| Parameter |
Description |
|---|---|
| Read cache size |
Note: The default value for this parameter is
80 MB. You can set this parameter to a value between 1 MB and 1 GB,
as required for optimal query performance.
The optimal read cache size may be higher or lower than the default value of 80 MB. This is to be expected, as PowerCubes in production vary widely in type and query characteristics. Note that the read cache size has no effect on the initial time required to open a cube. The typical profile for query performance, or processing time, follows a pattern whereby performance increases with the read cache size and then levels off beyond the optimal setting. To determine the optimal setting, we recommend that you lower the default by 10 MB (or 5 MB, or 1 MB, depending on the level of fine tuning desired) and use the resulting query performance results as a guide for establishing whether further reductions, or increases, are required. The optimal read cache size will change as the cube grows and changes in the production environment. As a result, you should review the optimal read cache size when changes to the user's query performance pattern, or changes in the PowerCube characteristics, occur. |
| Location |
If all your report servers are installed on Microsoft Windows operating system computers, specify the Windows location. If all report servers are installed on UNIX operating system computers, specify the Unix or Linux location. Type the full path and file name for the cube. For example, for a local cube type C:\cubes\sales_and_marketing.mdc. For a network cube type \\servername\cubes\sales_and_marketing.mdc Note: For cubes
that reside on UNIX computers,
specify the correct UNIX location
and type any characters in the Windows location
because the Windows location
cannot be empty.
Note: If the report servers are installed
on Windows and UNIX computers, and you want the report server
running a request to access the PowerCube in both environments, specify
the Windows and UNIX locations. To ensure that the same data
is returned regardless of the environment in which the report server
accesses the cube, the same cube file must be saved in both locations.
|
| Signon |
If you are using IBM Cognos security, click Restrict PowerCube authentication to a single namespace, and select a namespace from the list. If you are connecting to a password-protected PowerCube, click Cube password, and type the password in the Password and Confirm password boxes. Note: Select All applicable
namespaces (including unsecured PowerCubes) only if you
are migrating Series 7 PowerCubes to IBM Cognos BI in your development
or test environment. This setting can also be used for unsecured PowerCubes
in a production environment.
If a cube password is required, click Cube password, then enter the password in the Password and Confirm password boxes. To create a user ID and password that automatically connects to the data source, click Create a signon that the Everyone group can use. For more information, see Securing data sources. |
Recommendation - Using PowerCubes in IBM Cognos Software
There are recommendations if you use PowerCubes in IBM Cognos Software.
Specifically:
- When testing the migration of Series 7 PowerCubes to IBM Cognos BI
version 10.1, you can select the signon option to authenticate with All
applicable namespaces.
This option is only used for the migration of namespaces in Transformer models. It does not change the fact that multiple namespaces are not supported in a production environment.
- When you use Series 7 PowerCubes as data sources, we recommend
that you optimize them for IBM Cognos BI.
Optimized PowerCubes provide faster data retrieval at runtime. You optimize PowerCubes using a command line utility named pcoptimizer, which is supplied with IBM Cognos software.
For more information about optimizing PowerCubes, see the IBM Cognos Business Intelligence Troubleshooting Guide.
- When you publish a PowerCube to IBM Cognos Connection and the cube
contains custom views, you must be authenticated in IBM Cognos software
using a valid user ID and a password.
Anonymous access is not supported in this situation.
Securing PowerCubes
PowerCubes supported by IBM Cognos software can be secured using IBM Cognos security namespaces. Security can be applied to an entire cube or to its custom views. Before accessing a cube secured against an IBM Cognos namespace, you must log on to the applicable namespace.
In production environments, IBM Cognos software supports only PowerCubes secured against a single namespace. Therefore, when you deploy PowerCubes for use in a production environment, you must select the signon option Restrict PowerCube authentication to a single namespace.