Technical BI Project Lifecycle
Business Intelligence
BI Project Lifecycle
BI Project Technical Lifecycle





Discuss the Technical Pieces of the BI Project Lifecycle
Dimensional Modeling
Physical Design
ETL Design and Development
BI Application
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Framework Dimensional Model
Framework Relation Model
Transformer OLAP Powercube
Report Studio
Query Studio
Analysis Studio
Cognos Connection
BI Project Lifecycle – Dimensional Modeling
Dimensional Modeling




Using Kimball Methodology to design the data into
a star schema dimensional model.
Dimensions answer the who, what, when, and
where.
Facts give the measure values, the numerical
numbers for the data, how much, how often, how
many.
The dimensional model is denormalized to allow for
ease of reporting.
Granite Logical Dimensional Model
BI Project Lifecycle – Physical Design
Granite Physical Model
BI Project Lifecycle – ETL Design
ETL Design




ETL stands for Extraction, Transformation, and
Load
Extraction: Gathering the required data from
source systems
Transformation: Convert the data into the required
form for the data mart
Load: Populate the data mart with the data
ETL Dimensional Load
Dim_Staff Dimensional Load
Load into this
Connection
Build Properties
Data Source and
SQL to extract
Dimensional
Hierarchy
Defines the behavior of the columns,
business and surrogate keys, effective
dates, etc.
Assigns Slowly
Changing
Dimensions and
Indexes to columns
loaded to data mart
ETL Fact Load
The ETL Fact Load loads the fact table with its measures and dimensional references into the data mart.
Reference Dimensional Lookups
Source
Database
Connection
SQL statement to extract the data
from source, usually also contains
some transformation in the SQL.
Model to transform the data elements into the
required elements in the data mart. This would
include any calculations or advanced functions
based on inputs. In this case, most of the
transformation was done in SQL and the mapping
is just a straight pass through of the data. Also
does the reference lookup to find the surrogate
key of the dimension referenced and passed the
surrogate key, not the business key to the fact
table.
The fact load, includes the columns to index, and how
to update the data. The update types can be a full
truncate/refresh, or an incremental update model
depending on the data needs. Defines how to identify
update rows for optimal performance.
ETL Jobstream
The jobstream manages running all the builds along with any other steps needed to build the data mart.
Other
Jobstreams
Dimension
Builds
Fact Builds
Data Mart



After all the data modeling and ETL work has been
accomplished, there is now a data mart available to
be used for reporting and analysis.
This part of the technical process can often
represent 70-80% of the technical development
effort.
Once there is a good data mart with a strong
dimensional model, the reporting and analysis
should be easier to develop and more responsive.
BI Project Lifecycle – BI Application
BI Application Development



Cognos Framework Development to develop the
packages used by report developers, query studio
users and analysis studio users.
Cognos Transformer Development to develop the
OLAP powercubes used for analysis and
dimensional reports.
Cognos Report Studio Development to create
complex reports with guided prompting, drillthroughs, and visualized information to allow the
user to understand their data.
BI Project Lifecycle – Cognos Framework
Framework Model
A framework model defines the metadata
relationships in the data mart and
develops the packages that are published
to the user community. These predefined
relationships and query subjects allows
for users to develop reports and adhoc
queries without having to know SQL,
what a join is, or even what the data
model looks like.
This example shows the basic
diagram of relationships for the
relational model and dimensional
model that was developed for the
Granite data mart.
Framework Relational Models
Query Tables
Full Relational Model for Report
developers. This model contains all the
data items from the data mart giving the
most power to the advanced users who
have access to report studio.
Query Attribute
Query Identifier
Query Facts
Query Folders –
These contain multiple
query tables.
Query Filters –
Predefined filters that report
developers can use.
Query Calculation
Simplified Relational Model for Query Studio
users. Gives users the required dimensions
and measures with predefined filters, but
minimizes the number of attributes, and uses
only a single query table. This is for Ad-hoc
users to quickly look up data.
Framework Dimensional Model
Dimensional Model is used in Report Studio and Analysis Studio to
generate dimensional style reports like crosstabs and charts. It uses sets
and slices to display the data instead of grouping and filters.
Dimension
Measure Dimensions
Alternate Drill Downs
Measures
Attributes
of member
Folders containing
multiple dimensions
Hierarchy
Predefined Filters
Levels
BI Project Lifecycle – Cognos Transformer
Transformer Model
Dimensional structure of the cube showing hierarchy
and alternate drill down paths.
List of measures
used in the
powercube.
List of
powercubes
created. Can
have multiple
cubes based on
a dimensional
structure.
Data sources using SQL coded
IQD files with the columns.
Structure data (dimensions)
before measure data.
Properties for a measure, here
showing the types of rollup to
apply to that measure.
The transformer model is used to design
the OLAP (OnLine Analytical Processing)
Powercube. A powercube allows for the
data to be analyzed quickly and easily. It
is a pre-summarized dimensional data
structure that can be used in Analysis
Studio for online analysis, or in Report
Studio as a dimensional data source.
Since the cube is a separate data
structure, it can return results quickly, and
can be transported separate from the
database. A powercube is used for
summary analysis, while the detail data is
still left in the data mart for drill-through
reporting.
BI Project Lifecycle – Cognos Studios
Cognos 8 Web Based Tools





Everything shown so far is the back end work that needs to
be accomplished to present the data to the user, whether
the user is a report developer, business analyst, or
consumer, they will then use one of the following tools to
access this data.
Report Studio – Advanced development platform for writing
complex reports.
Query Studio – Simplified Online Ad-hoc environment for
business analysts.
Analysis Studio – Online analysis tool to access dimensional
data with slice/dice, drill-up/drill-down and crosstab.
Cognos Connection – Web portal to access the studios and
reports for all users.
Report Studio
Insertable Objects
for the report
Properties pane for
the select object.
Page Layout for the report, with
Title, Headers, Grouping, List
Frame, data objects, and footer.
One of the data objects is blue to
indicate that there is a drill-through
allowed on that data object.
The Report Studio is an
advanced IDE platform for
report design. It allows for
complex multipage reports
with prompts, drill-throughs,
java script, multiple queries
and other advanced
functionality. Report Studio
is intended for the
advanced developer to
create reports to be
consumed. Even though
these are created reports,
they can be dynamic with
complex prompts that
execute at run-time.
Query Studio
Query
Item
List
Report Layout page with drag and drop addition
of query items. This design is online, meaning
data items will show up from the database when
added to the report.
Filter design to add a filter to the query using a
simple GUI interface.
Query Studio utilizes a
simplified data package and
allows for business analysts
and other advanced users to
write ad-hoc queries against the
data without having to request a
full report be developed. This
allows the users to get access
to their required data without
needing to know how to use the
advanced tools in Report Studio
or utilize a report studio
developer.
Any ad-hoc query developed
in query studio can be
moved into Report Studio
and expanded upon if the
report needs to be further
developed or formatted for
larger community usage.
Analysis Studio
Analysis Studio is for
business analysts to
quickly work with their
dimensional data.
Analsysis Studio can be
used against any
dimensional data
source, a dimensional
package from
framework, a
powercube, or another
OLAP system.
Data Element and Context Pane
Chart Object
Insertable Objects
Crosstab Object
Analysis Studio is
online and all work with
the data is interactive.
A user can click on
dimensional elements
in the crosstab or
charts to drill-up or drilldown the hierarchy of
that dimension. The
user can easily add or
remove rows and
columns. Also, a user
can slice the data by
adding dimensional
members to the
Context pane.
Cognos Connection
Cognos Connection is the
portal page that users can use
to access reports, archives,
and studios. Any user who
has access to Cognos utilizes
the Cognos Connection to get
to their objects. The
consumer level user who can
only access reports would
utilize this page to find the
report and click on the run or
view archive to either
dynamically generate the
report or access a previously
run version.
Studios available to the user
Last modification date of the
object, when the report spec
was updated or the report
archive was updated.
List of objects (reports, queries,
report views, packages) that the
user has access to.
List of actions the user
can do with the object.
See properties, run
report, open the report
studio, create a report
view, schedule the
report…