Creating user interface profiles

To create user interface profiles in IBM® Cognos® Business Intelligence, on the Library tab, copy an existing profile, then name and edit the new profile. Test the profile to ensure that it works properly. Decide whether to include next generation functionality in the user interface when the software is upgraded. Then grant users, groups, and roles the Read access permission for the profile.

Before you begin

Before you can copy profiles on the Library tab, you must enable the custom user interface profiles feature. For more information, see Enabling custom user interface profiles.

You can create as many profiles as you require, but create only the profiles that you do require.

About this task

When you create a new user interface (UI) profile, copy the profile that is closest to the outcome that you want, and edit the copied profile to exclude the options that you don't want. Generally, it is easier to exclude options from a richer profile than to add options to a simpler profile. For example, if you want to create a UI profile that is midway in options between Report Studio Professional and Cognos Workspace Advanced, copy the Report Studio Professional Profile.

You can select any combination of options and objects to create a profile, so ensure that your selections function properly together. For example, if you include a New icon in the profile, then include a Save icon also.

Library Administrators have Report Studio capabilities, so when you create a new profile, test it before you add users, groups, and roles.

To create a profile that requires extensive edits to achieve the result that you want, build and test your profile in stages. Create a profile and edit some options and objects, then test the profile. If the profile works, make a copy of your new profile, make additional edits and test the copy. If you copy and test successive copies, you can return to a successful profile if you encounter a problem. The two default profiles cannot be modified so if you want to compare the options and objects in a new profile, with the options and objects in a default profile, make a copy of the default profile.

When you copy a profile, the new profile does not inherit permissions from the source profile. For created profiles, Library Administrators have all permissions, and Everyone has Execute and Traverse permissions. Typically, you remove Everyone and add specific users, groups, and roles. You grant access to a profile with the Read permission.

To automatically show new product features in the UI when the software is upgraded, select the Include next generation functionality check box. If you do not select this check box, when the product is later upgraded, you can evaluate the new features and edit the profile to select the new features that you want.

Procedure

In Cognos Administration, on the Library tab, click the User Interface Profiles page.
For the profile that you want to copy, click the Actions menu, and click Copy.
In the Save as a copy window, type a unique name for the profile.
For the new profile, click the Actions menu, and click Edit. The User Interface Profile Editor window opens.
In the Profile options list, click the option that you want to edit. When you select an option, the option objects that you can edit are displayed in the User Interface Objects list.
In the User Interface Objects list, select or clear the check boxes for the objects that you want to include or exclude from the profile. Repeat the process for each option that you want to edit.
Optional: For each option, select the Include next generation functionality check box:
- If you select the check box and later install a new version of the software, the user interface shows all the options and objects that you selected for the profile and new options and objects. The options and objects that you excluded from the profile are not displayed in the user interface. Excluded options and objects are still available in the User Interface Profile Editor.
- If you do not select the check box and later install a new version of the software, the user interface shows only the options and objects that you selected for the profile. New options and objects, and the options and objects that you excluded from the profile, are not displayed in the user interface. Excluded options and objects are still available in the User Interface Profile Editor.
Test the new profile in Cognos Workspace Advanced.
From the new profile Actions menu, click Set properties and then click the Permissions tab.
Select the Override the access permissions acquired from the parent entry check box. Add users, groups, and roles with the Read access permission.

Results

When users with access to multiple profiles open Cognos Workspace Advanced, they are prompted to choose which profile they want to use.