Transformer version 8.3 is fully integrated with the IBM Cognos 8 security, data sources, and publishing capability.
Listed below are new features since the last release. Links to directly-related topics are included.
For the first time, Transformer runs on all supported IBM Cognos 8 platforms, including Linux, HP/UX Itanium, and Windows Vista. For information about installing Transformer version 8.3 on these platforms, see the IBM Cognos 8 Installation and Configuration Guide.
For an up-to-date list of supported environments, visit the IBM Cognos Resource Center Web site (http://www.ibm.com/software/data/support/cognos_crc.html).
Transformer can now be made available more easily for business specialists who want to design models and build PowerCubes for their own use. For example, IT departments can provide business specialists or Transformer modelers with a Web-based, downloadable installation program from a corporate or secured portal, allowing for easy distribution of the installation files.
For more information, see "Install IBM Cognos Transformer" in the IBM Cognos 8 Installation and Configuration Guide.
Transformer version 8.3 supports simultaneous user authentication and logon using the full range of supported IBM Cognos 8 security providers.
In previous versions of Transformer, security was restricted to the use of user classes, and each custom view could be configured with only one user class. In Transformer version 8.3, you use IBM Cognos 8 users, roles, or groups as security objects, and assign multiple security objects to each custom view.
Secured cubes created in Transformer version 8.3 are intended for the IBM Cognos 8 Business Intelligence Web studios and are not backward compatible with IBM Cognos Series 7 PowerPlay products.
Unsecured and password-protected PowerCubes built in Transformer version 8.3 can be accessed in IBM Cognos 8 Mobile Analysis version 8.3 for local (disconnected) use.
For information about Transformer version 8.3 secured cubes, see Adding Security.
When you upgrade IBM Cognos Series 7 secured PowerCube models, you have the ability to move from IBM Cognos Series 7 Access Manager security to the authentication provider configured in your IBM Cognos 8 Business Intelligence version 8.3 installation.
You can choose to continue to use the IBM Cognos Series 7 namespace, or you can add a security object from a different authentication provider to your upgraded views. When you add a security object from a different authentication provider, you do not lose the dimensional filtering, such as apexing or cloaking, included in each view.
For information about Transformer version 8.3 secured cubes, see Adding Security.
During the transition from an IBM Cognos Series 7 namespace to an alternate security provider, you can use the PowerCube property All applicable namespaces to associate all applicable namespaces during migration testing. When you associate all the applicable namespaces to the cube, you can ensure that the group, role, or user dimensional filtering is consistent with that which had been applied for the IBM Cognos Series 7 user class. This option is supported only for migration testing, and cannot be used to deploy cubes in production environments.
The All applicable namespaces option is found on the PowerCube property sheet (Data Source tab) and in the IBM Cognos 8 New Data Source wizard.
You can import metadata from IBM Cognos 8 packages and reports, including the associated filters and prompts, for use in defining data sources in Transformer version 8.3.
The IBM Cognos 8 package or report is a container data source; you can define multiple data source queries associated with each package or report that you create as a data source in Transformer version 8.3. You can create data source queries using IBM Cognos 8 reports created in Query Studio or Report Studio using relational or DMR packages. You can import query items to create your structural or transactional queries.
You cannot create data source queries using IBM Cognos 8 reports that contain OLAP data sources.
For information about using IBM Cognos 8 packages and reports as Transformer data sources, see Create a Model.
Using the Transformer version 8.3 dimension map, you can import dimensions from packages based on OLAP data sources. This can be useful in creating conformed dimensions and, to some extent, to reusing portions of the published metadata from the source dimension.
You cannot import time dimensions from OLAP packages if you want to take advantage of Transformer's relative time functionality. You must import fact data using other sources, such as flat file exports or relational packages and reports.
For information about using IBM Cognos 8 packages and reports as Transformer version 8.3 data sources, see Create a Model.
Transformer version 8.3 includes limited support for Unicode. PowerCubes can be built with only one locale, however you can now leverage data sources with multiple locales:
Transformer supports Unicode data sources, such as Framework Manager packages, IBM Cognos 8 reports, and exported .csv files.
Transformer can be installed and build PowerCubes on an operating system configured to use UTF-8, a Unicode encoding.
For more information, see Managing Languages and Locales.
IBM Cognos Transformer uses the IBM Cognos 8 query engine to support the features integrated with IBM Cognos 8. The Series 7 IQD Bridge component enables Transformer version 8.3 to continue supporting IBM Cognos Series 7 .iqd files, whether the files were authored in IBM Cognos Impromptu, or in Framework Manager as externalized queries. To use an .iqd data source with Transformer version 8.3, you must install the Series 7 IQD Bridge on each Transformer computer that requires access to this data source type.
The Series 7 IQD Bridge is an optional component during installation, but is not available on new platforms such as Linux or HPUX Itanium.
If you have Framework Manager externalized queries as a data source, we strongly recommend that you publish the query subjects in a package, and the query items be imported in Transformer version 8.3 using the package as a data source. Alternatively, you can create a report based on the package and import the report as a data source. This method provides functionality that was unavailable in externalized queries in previous releases, such as support for multi-select statements, local processing, and multi-database connections. For more information about using IBM Cognos 8 packages as a data source, see Create a Model.
For more information about the Series 7 IQD Bridge, see the IBM Cognos 8 Installation and Configuration Guide.
Transformer version 8.3 supports Composite Server-sourced published packages.
When your IBM Cognos 8 environment is properly configured and the Transformer modeler has the required permissions, you can publish any cube in the PowerCubes list directly to IBM Cognos Connection. You must specify the Windows or UNIX/Linux location of the cube so that the IBM Cognos 8 Business Intelligence server can access it. You can publish cubes to IBM Cognos Connection using the Windows user interface or from the command line on any supported platform.
Publishing to IBM Cognos Connection directly from Transformer version 8.3 allows you to publish one cube per package. However, with IBM Cognos 8 version 8.3, you can publish packages into folders; with this functionality, you can better manage published packages in IBM Cognos Connection.
In previous IBM Cognos 8 releases, you published cubes to IBM Cognos Connection using Framework Manager. With Transformer version 8.3, you can still use Framework Manager to publish multiple cubes per package or include your PowerCubes in a package with other data sources. For more information about publishing cubes from Framework Manager, see the Framework Manager User Guide.
For more information about publishing Transformer version 8.3 cubes to IBM Cognos Connection, see Publish a PowerCube.
With IBM Cognos 8 version 8.3, you can use a command line utility to update PowerCubes in production environments. This utility uses the IBM Cognos 8 SDK, and provides cube updates with little to no impact on end users.
For more information, see Update Published PowerCubes and PowerCube Connections.