Publish a PowerCube

When your IBM Cognos 8 environment is properly configured, you can publish any object in the PowerCubes list from Transformer directly to IBM Cognos Connection. You must specify the Windows or UNIX/Linux location from where the IBM Cognos 8 server accesses each cube and, if user authentication is enabled, the external IBM Cognos-supported namespace to use.

You can set suppression options for the package published with the PowerCube. These options determine whether IBM Cognos 8 studio users can choose to hide empty rows only, empty columns only, or both empty rows and columns. Options also determine the types of empty values that can be suppressed, such as zero or missing values. Types of empty values that users can choose to suppress depend on the IBM Cognos 8 studio.

You can organize cubes efficiently by publishing in a way that hierarchies are represented in IBM Cognos Connection.

For time-based cubes, the parent and all child cubes are published, but a package is created for the parent cube only. This parent includes references to the child cubes.

Read Cache Size

The default read cache size for published PowerCubes 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.

You can publish Transformer version 8.x cubes in the following ways:

• from within Transformer

  You can publish a single cube using

  • the Publish PowerCube wizard if no other data source with the same name as this PowerCube’s data source exists in the location you are publishing to

  • settings stored in the model

  • an .xml publish specification that you create from the Run menu and publish from the command line

    You can publish one cube, or all the cubes in the model.

• from within IBM Cognos Connection

  Use IBM Cognos Connection to deploy single cubes.

  For more information about deploying packages from within IBM Cognos Connection, see the IBM Cognos 8 Administration and Security Guide.

• from Framework Manager

  Use Framework Manager to publish multiple PowerCubes in a single package or mix your PowerCube data source with other data sources, such as a relational namespace. For more information, see the Framework Manager User Guide.

• from the command line

  For more information, see Command Line Options.

You can disable cube publishing on the Processing tab of the PowerCube property sheet.

If you have already published a PowerCube and you want to replace it with a new version, you can copy and activate the cube .

Steps to Publish a PowerCube Using the Wizard

1. In the PowerCubes list, right-click the PowerCube, and click Publish PowerCube As Data Source and Package.

2. In the Publish cube dialog box, select the Start publish wizard radio button and click OK.

   This option is available only if no other data source with the same name as this PowerCube’s data source exists in the location you are publishing to.

3. In the Welcome page of the IBM Cognos 8 Publish PowerCube wizard, click Next.

4. If prompted to log on, select the appropriate namespace, type your user ID and password and click OK.

5. In the Name box, specify a name for the published data source.

   This is the data source name that appears in IBM Cognos Connection.

   Tip: Optionally, you can add a description and screen tip for the published cube.

6. Click Next.

7. In the Publish PowerCube dialog box, do the following:

   • If you want to set a value that is different from the default of 80 MB, enter this value in the Read cache size box.

   • In the appropriate location box (Windows or UNIX/Linux), enter the location of the cube.

     The location includes the full path and cube name.

     This location must be the location where the IBM Cognos 8 server accesses and reads the cube. This may or may not be the same as the cube build location. If you build the cube locally, your administrator may have to set up a network share where you can ensure the cube is deployed, after it is built, for use in IBM Cognos 8 reporting and analysis. In this situation, you cannot test the data source until it is in the network share location.

   • Under Signon, if the cube is secured, click the Restrict PowerCube authentication to a single namespace radio button, and select the appropriate namespace from the list.

     Secured PowerCubes published to production environments must use the Restrict PowerCube authentication to a single namespace option. When the cube includes security from more than one namespace, the All applicable namespaces (including unsecured PowerCubes) option is intended only for testing migration from an IBM Cognos Series 7 namespace to an alternate security provider. If you are testing the migration of IBM Cognos Series 7 PowerCubes and you want to review the security view that reflects the union of the applicable namespaces, you must log on to all applicable namespaces in IBM Cognos 8 prior to accessing the package. For more information, see Upgrade an IBM Cognos Series 7 Secured PowerCube.

     If the cube does not include security, select the All applicable namespaces (including unsecured PowerCubes) option.

   • If the cube is password-protected, select the Cube password check box and then, in the password boxes, type and confirm the cube password.

8. If you want to test the cube connection, click Test the connection and do the following:

   • If you are testing a secured cube, select the appropriate namespace, and enter the User ID and Password.

   • Click Test.

     If the cube connection fails, review the connection status message and take appropriate steps to resolve the connection.

     Note: If the cube contains custom views and you are logged on as Anonymous, you will receive an error message. This is because IBM Cognos 8 cannot validate the user "Anonymous" against the IBM Cognos 8 namespace user credentials. To avoid this situation, log on to the IBM Cognos 8 namespace with a user ID and password, and test the connection.

   • Click Close.

9. Click Finish.

10. In the Finish page, the Create a package check box is enabled and greyed out so that you can publish the package; click OK.

11. In the Name box, specify a name for the published package.

    This is the package name that appears in IBM Cognos Connection.

    Tip: Optionally, you can add a description and screen tip for the published package.

12. If you want to change the location where the package is published, click Select another location, and browse to select the appropriate IBM Cognos 8 folder.

13. Click Next.

    If a package with the same name has already been published to IBM Cognos Connection, you are prompted to replace the existing entry or enter a new name for the published package. Click OK to continue.

14. If you want to change default suppression settings, select the appropriate options:

    • Allow null suppression. Select this option to make suppression options available to IBM Cognos 8 studio users when working with this package.

    • Allow multi-edge suppression. When null suppression is selected, this option determines whether users can suppress rows only, columns only, or both rows and columns. If this option is not selected, users can suppress rows only or columns only.

    • Allow access to suppression options. When null suppression is selected, this option determines whether users can choose the types of empty values that will be suppressed, such as zero or missing values. The types available to users depend on the IBM Cognos 8 studio.

    For packages that contain more than one cube, the selected suppression options apply to all cubes in the package. As well, these options apply to all users of a package, and cannot be set on an individual user basis.

15. Click Finish.

16. Click OK.

    Tip: You can enter the publish information in the Data Source and Package tabs of the PowerCube property sheet in advance, and use the wizard to publish the cube. The properties you set on these tabs will be populated when you use the wizard. If required, you can change the pre-set properties when you use the wizard.

Steps to Publish a Cube Using Settings Stored in the Model

1. In the PowerCubes list, right-click the cube, and click Properties.

2. Click the Data Source tab.

3. In the Data source name box, type the name of the cube.

4. In the Windows location box or the Unix or Linux location box, type the full path to the cube.

5. If the cube is secured, in the Authentication box, select the appropriate namespace.

   For PowerCubes that are in development and transitioning from an IBM Cognos Series 7 namespace to an alternate security provider, you can associate all the applicable namespaces. This option is intended only for the testing of migration, and requires that you log on to all the applicable namespaces prior to accessing the PowerCube package in IBM Cognos 8. Failing to log on to all applicable namespaces will result in an inaccurate view of the data. This feature is not supported for the deployment of cubes for end users.

   Tip: If the cube is password protected, the Create a signon check box is selected.

6. In the Description box, type an optional description of the cube.

7. In the Screen Tip box, type an optional screen tip for the cube.

8. Click the Package tab.

9. In the Name box, type a name for the published package.

10. In the Package folder box, click the ellipsis (...) button and browse to the folder where you want the package to be published.

11. In the Description box, add an optional description of the package.

12. In the Screen Tip box, add an optional screen tip for the package.

13. If you want to change default suppression settings, select the appropriate options:

    • Allow null suppression. Select this option to make suppression options available to IBM Cognos 8 studio users when working with this package.

    • Allow multi-edge suppression. When null suppression is selected, this option determines whether users can suppress rows only, columns only, or both rows and columns. If this option is not selected, users can suppress rows only or columns only.

    • Allow access to suppression options. When null suppression is selected, this option determines whether users can choose the types of empty values that will be suppressed, such as zero or missing values. The types available to users depend on the IBM Cognos 8 studio.

    For packages that contain more than one cube, the selected suppression options apply to all cubes in the package. As well, these options apply to all users of a package, and cannot be set on an individual user basis.

14. Click OK.

15. In the PowerCubes list, right-click the PowerCube, and click Publish PowerCube As Data Source and Package.

16. In the Publish cube dialog box, click Publish the cube using current settings.

    The cube is published without using the wizard.

    Tip: If the data source or package for this cube already exists in IBM Cognos Connection, you are prompted to update the existing data source or package or create a new data source or package.

Steps to Create a Publish Specification to Publish One Cube

1. In the PowerCubes list, right-click the cube, and click Publish PowerCube As Data Source and Package.

2. In the Publish cube dialog box, click Create publish specification radio button, and click OK.

3. In the File name box, type the name for the publish specification file, then save the file.

4. Open the saved publish specification file in an XML editor, and enter the additional values for the publish parameters.

   Tips

   • If you defined publish parameters on the Data Source and Package tabs of the PowerCube property sheet, those values will appear in the publish specification file.

   • When you disable cube publishing on the Processing tab of the PowerCube property sheet, the cube will not be included in the publish specification file.

5. Save the file.

The information specified in the publish specification provides the necessary parameters for publishing the cube from the command line.

For information about publishing cubes from the command line using the publish specification, see Command Line Options.

Steps to Create a Publish Specification to Publish All the Cubes in the Model

1. From the Run menu, click Create a publish specification for all cubes.

2. In the File name box, type the name for the publish specification file, and save the file.

3. Open the saved publish specification file in an XML editor, and enter the additional values for the publish parameters for all the cubes in the model.

   Tips

   • If you defined publish parameters on the Data Source and Package tabs of the PowerCube property sheet, those values will appear in the publish specification file.

   • When you disable cube publishing on the Processing tab of the PowerCube property sheet, the cube will not be included in the publish specification file.

4. Save the file.

The information specified in the publish specification provides the necessary parameters for publishing the cubes from the command line.

For information about publishing cubes from the command line using the publish specification, see Command Line Options.