Cognos Interview questions and Answers

How can I create a dynamic column name in Cognos?

1.Create a calculated column which contains the information that the header is to contain, such
as "Report for year 1999" (concatenated text and date to string sub string extraction).
2.Highlight the report, and then right-click.
3.Select Properties, and then click the Headers/Footers tab.
4.Clear the Column Title Header check box. This will remove the headers from your columns.
5.Reinsert the rest of the column headers; insert text will work. For the dynamic column, from
the Insert menu, click Data and select the calculated column you created and insert it into the
report.

How to improve Report performance in ReportNet?

By aggregation. Try to use less filters in the report. Use star schema grouping, check the joins.
Also drill through functionality increases performance as well. Always try to use appropriate
functionality which can save time in this way you can improve performance of a report.

What is object security in framework manager?

Object security restrict access to specific objects in a project, for example if you have a user or
group of users who you don’t want access to a particular Namespace then you can remove
access to that Namespace for that user or group of users.  Objects which can have security
applied include namespaces, query subjects, query items, filters and folders. You can either
Allow (make visible) or Deny (not visible) access to these objects.

What is catalog and types of catalogs in cagonos?

A catalog is a file containing the information (Database tables) that Impromptu users need to
create reports.

• personal  • distributed • shared • secured

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What is the difference between a cascading report and

drillthru report?why do we go for drill thru report?

Cascading prompt means to extract the data from one prompt to using values from another
prompt.

Drill through report means to extract the data by selecting a column in a report, means to get
the detailed information by clicking that column data.

How to join multiple db in catalog?

Mutiple database could not be connected in a single catalog. So that we use hotfile for this
purpose.

How can i schedule reports in cognos?

By using Cognos Schedular, one can schedule the running reports in Impromptu to execute and
save it in desired format.

By using Cognos MACRO script language the reports can be executed and distributed to
recipients by using mail applications .

Compiled Cognos MACROs can be scheduled using Cognos Schedular.

What is Cognos Visualizer and Cognos Scripting?

Cognos Visualizer:Cognos Visualizer provides powerful visual analysis to communicate

complex business dataquickly and intuitively. By going beyond simple pie or bar graphs, you
can view and combinedata in a way that lets you immediately see areas of concern, trends, and
other indicators.Cognos scripting:You can use the Cognos Script editor, or any other OLE
compliant editor to create, modify,compile, and run macros.A macro is a set of commands that
automates the running of an application. You can automatemost Cognos Business Intelligence
applications by using the Cognos Script language (a BASIC-like language) the Cognos Script
Editor, and OLE automation

What is the difference between group and associare?

When you group data, Impromptu sorts the data item you are grouping and removes

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Cognos Interview questions and Answers

duplicatevalues. You can organize your report by grouping on one or more data items.By
associating a grouped data item to another data item, you can eliminate duplicateinformation
from your report.You can associate one or more data items with a grouped data item. An
associated data itemshould have a one-to-one relationship with the grouped data item. For
example, Order No. is agrouped data item. For each order number, there is an Order Date.
Order No. and Order Datehave a one-to-one relationship.

What is drill down and slicing and dicing whats the

difference between them?

Drilling lets you quickly move from one level of detail to another to explore different aspects of
your business. Drilling down moves you down in the hierarchy; drilling up moves you up in the
hierarchy.

Slicing and Dicing:

While you can drill to look at information at any level, you can slice and dice to select the exact
information you want in your report.

How to generate cubes in cognos?

Power Play Transformer contain dimension,measure,model and cube. we can generate cube
different way.
1. Just right click on cube name and build
2. we can write script in unix. using that we can generate cube.

What is snapshot?

A Snapshot is the copy of data, when we create a snapshot it copies the exact data that's
related to the at perticular report, we use snapshot when ever we want to compare reports(ex
we want to compare this months report with previous months)

What is meant by Junk Dimension?

The junk dimension is simply a structure that provides a convenient place to store the junk
attributes

What is IQD?What is contained in IQD? How you create

IQD In ReportNet FrameWork?

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Cognos Interview questions and Answers

1. Create a new namespace.<give it a name, say, IQDReportNet>

2. Create a new query subject inside IQDReportNet.

3.In the query subject definition window, pull in all the data you need.

4. after creating, click on the new query subject, from the properties pane, select "IQD" from the
drop down menu of externalizeMethod.

DONE.

to Publish. u need to create a package.

1. create a new package. a WIZARD will open.

2. Name the new Package; select the IQDReportNet object from the project.

3. add security, select language, select the funtion list(DB), select the location from the
WIZARD

4. Publish the package.

When You Import data into catalog You have complex

columns names. How do you change the Name of those
columns?

Open Impromptu Administrator -> Catalog -> Folders option Select the
column you want to
Click the Edit button, From Left Pane Select Particular Column which
you wants to Rename Drag that into Right Pane then
Select that Column and Click on Rename Button then Change the
name.

What is loop in frameworkmanager ?

Loop: loop is a closed path (relation) that exists among 3 (or) more tables. For example, if we
have '3' tables T1, T2, T3 then, a loop exists among these tables only when we create joins in
the following fashion:

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Cognos Interview questions and Answers

Loop:          T1 ---> T2 ---> T3 ---> T1

To resolve the above problem, we have to create a shortcut (or) Alias to the Table T1.

No Loop:      T1 ---> T2 ---> T3 ---> Alias (or) Shortcut of T1

What is the security module used in cognos?

Cognos uses KERBORES security model. It was the model which was found in 1980.

How can i test reports in cagonos?

In cognos report net by the validate report option a report can be tested. If there will be any
error, it will specify the the error, unless it will give message  -'report specification is valid'.

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