OVERVIEW 256 DELIVERING LOGIN SPECIFIC DATA IN COGNOS. Graceland University James M Mueller

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1 OVERVIEW When a user logs into Cognos their information can be captured by the system. That information can be used by Cognos Authors to provide a myriad of options. Information Specific to the User Displaying who is running a report Providing optional Security Not all options are available in every situation and the goal of this document is to provide a variety of options to choose from. This document was designed around having Microsoft Active Directory as the LDAP and Jenzabar s CX as the ERP. If you have other systems, some modifications may need to be made, and some options may not work/apply. Graceland University James M Mueller This document is freely distributable and reproduceable as long as the authoring information is kept with it.

2 Contents OVERVIEW... 1 Contents... 2 Cognos Session Parameters Overview : Session Parameter Types : Using Session Parameters : Special Session Parameters... 3 Importing the Session Parameters a: User ID Number - Quickest Method (Custom LDAP) b: User ID Number - Longest Method (Standard CX)...5 2: Create the Calculations... 6 Using the Session Parameters : Access to Session Parameters : Prebuilt Filters... 7 Notes:... 8 Appendix... i Option 1: Session Parameter Calculations... ii Option 2: Session Parameter Filters...iv Option 3: Using aliases of userid_table... v 2 Graceland University James M Mueller

3 JAM 2011 Cognos Session Parameters Overview All of the options that are outlined in this document depend on a feature of Cognos: Session Parameters. Session Parameters (a type of Cognos Macro) is information that Cognos retrieves from the Authentication Provider when a user initially logs into Cognos Connection. Cognos Macros are the method with which that information can be shared back to the user and/or to CX. Why? Having this information can help give users information that is directly pertinent to them without their need to interact with a report. It also can prevent users from seeing information that isn t pertinent to them, allowing a type of security. But to do all of this we need to learn how to use Session Parameters, and a bit about Cognos Macros Macros are discussed in the Framework Manager help file, and are available in the Expression definition editor in Framework Manager under the Parameters Tab as Macro Functions and Session Parameters. All Macros that work in Framework Manager are also able to work in Report Studio. However they do not have syntax help, so an understanding of Macros will be required to use them. 1: Session Parameter Types These are the built in Session Parameters that are covered in this document. account.personalinfo.username account.personalinfo. account.personalinfo.givenname account.personalinfo.surname 2: Using Session Parameters All Macros begin and end with a # (hash) Like all Data Expressions, any Expression using a Macro must have good syntax. All Session Parameters will add the $ in front of them when you drag them into the Expression definition. If you manually type them you will need to make sure you add this. All Session Parameters must return in a format Cognos supports. 1 Integers and Dates need no adjustment 2 Strings need to be wrapped in sq() 3 Example: #sq($account.personalinfo.surname)# 3: Special Session Parameters The biggest help of all would to be able to pull the id from id_rec for the user who is logged into Cognos straight from the Authentication source. a) First you will need to add to your LDAP a method of storing id for every user. This document does not cover how to do this. b) Follow instructions from ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg on how to add the field to your Session Parameters. Name this field: usercxid c) After completing these steps the next time you open Framework Manager and open the Session Parameters in the Expression definition editor your Parameter will be listed. Graceland University James M Mueller 3

4 Importing the Session Parameters User ID Number will provide Report Studio authors the ability to filter reports based on who is logged in. To add this for Query Studio authors, filters using User Logged-In: Id will need to be created in Framework Manager in the packages wherever they make sense. The other Session Parameters will provide authors the ability to display information about the person running a report ON the report. This is useful for knowing who ran and printed a report. Two options are provided for getting Id to authors. The first requires id being loaded into LDAP and the second uses userid_table in CX. Each of the two options provides pros and cons about their usage. You will only need to do one. From a reporting / Cognos view, the best is 1a. 1a: User ID Number - Quickest Method (Custom LDAP) By getting id from id_rec into your LDAP (as outlined in Cognos Session Parameters Overview step 3) you will be able to quickly set up Cognos to be able to filter reports based on the user logged in. Advantages: This allows you to not have Cognos go back to CX to figure out who is logged in to create filters. This means there is a zero impact on the database or on speed of a report using this field. Drawbacks: You will need to have a process to get ID into your LDAP. This process may take time to set up, and this document doesn t provide support for how to get id into LDAP, just how to get it back out if it s there. 1: Standalone Folder Why? Having your Session Parameters stored in a separate Namespace and a separate Folder will allow you to only include the Session Parameters in Packages that you want them included in. a) Open your Project in Framework Manager b) Create the Namespace Extras 1 Click the [+] by CX Namespace 2 Right-click the Packaged Views Namespace 3 Click Create and then click Namespace 4 Name the new Namespace Extras c) Create the Folder Session Parameters 1 Right-click the Extras Namespace 2 Click Create and then click New Folder 3 Name the new Folder Session Parameters 4 Click the Finish button on the next window 2: Creating the Calculation Why? You will need this calculation to give to your authors to use. Report Studio authors will use this to create filters. Query Studio authors will require you to set up filters. a) Right-click the Folder Session Parameters and click Create and then click Calculation b) Name the calculation User Logged-In: ID Number c) Under Available Components: click on the tab Parameters d) Click the [+] by Session Parameters e) Drag account.personalinfo.usercxid to the Expression Definition f) Click the OK button g) Change the Usage from Fact to Identifier 4 Graceland University James M Mueller

5 JAM b: User ID Number - Longest Method (Standard CX) If you are unable to use Custom Session Parameters to bring in ID, you can still get a similar end result using the system as is to be able to filter reports based on the user logged in. Advantages: This does not require custom changes to your LDAP. Drawbacks: This requires Cognos to go to CX to get ID, increasing the load on CX and impacting the speed of Cognos reports. Also it may make you uncomfortable due to its odd join and can makes report SQL more complex. 1: Standalone Folder Why? Having your Session Parameters stored in a separate Namespace and a separate Folder will allow you to only include the Session Parameters in Packages that you want them included in. a) Open your Project in Framework Manager b) Create the Namespace Extras 1 Click the [+] by CX Namespace 2 Right-click the Packaged Views Namespace 3 Click Create and then click Namespace 4 Name the new Namespace Extras c) Create the Folder Session Parameters 1 Right-click the Extras Namespace 2 Click Create and then click New Folder 3 Name the new Folder Session Parameters 4 Click the Finish button on the next window 2. Create User ID Table: Logged In a) Copy User ID Table 1 Click the [+] by Common Schema Tables then click the [+] by Common Schema Lookups 2 Right-click the User ID Table Query Subject and Click Edit and then click Copy 3 Right-click the Common Data Source View Namespace and click Edit and then click Paste 4 Rename the new User ID Table Query Subject to User ID Table: Logged In b) Making the Filter 1 Double click the User ID Table: Logged In Query Subject 2 Click the Filters tab 3 Click the Add button 4 Name the Filter User Logged-in: Username 5 Drag Username to the Expression definition 6 Type after it the = symbol 7 Under Available Components: click on the tab Parameters 8 Click the [+] by Session Parameters 9 Drag account.personalinfo.username to the Expression Definition 10 Since this is a String we need to put inside the ## the String format:sq() Should now read the same as to the right 11 Click the OK Button 12 Click the OK Button 2.b10 Expression Definition [Extras].[User ID Table: Logged In].[ Username] = #sq($account.personalinfo.username)# Graceland University James M Mueller 5

6 3. Make the Join to id_rec Why? To be able to use the logged in information with a lot of fields in Cognos without allowing cross-joins we need to make a join to id_rec (which joins to most tables in Cognos). We don t want the join to affect data, so we make it have a strange join. a) Click on ID Record and ctrl-click on User ID Table: Logged in b) Click on the menu item Actions and then click Create and then click Relationship c) Create the Link (if Username is not SSN) 1 Select Social Security Number from ID Record 2 Select Username from User ID Table: Logged in 3 Set both Cardinalities to Set the Operator to <> d) Create the Link (if Username is SSN) 1 Select Name from ID Record 2 Select Username from User ID Table: Logged in 3 Set both Cardinalities to Set the Operator to <> e) Click the OK Button 4: Creating the Calculation Why? You will need this calculation to give to your authors to use. Report Studio authors will use this to create filters. Query Studio authors will require you to set up filters. a) Right-click the Folder Session Parameters and click Create and then click Calculation b) Name the calculation User Logged-In: ID Number c) Click the [+] by Common Schema Tables then click the [+] by Common Data Source View then click the [+] by User ID Table: Logged In d) Drag ID - Database to the Expression Definition e) Click the OK button f) Change the Usage from Fact to Identifier (see 1a:2.g for an image) 2: Create the Calculations a) Right-click the Folder Session Parameters and click Create and then click Calculation b) Name the calculation User Logged-In: Username c) Under Available Components: click on the tab Parameters d) Click the [+] by Session Parameters e) Drag account.personalinfo.username to the Expression Definition f) Since this is a String we need to put inside the ## the String format:sq() Should now read #sq($account.personalinfo.username)# g) Repeat steps b-g for each Session Parameter you want to include as per the chart to the right. 2.g Session Parameters account.personalinfo.username account.personalinfo. account.personalinfo.givenname account.personalinfo.surname User Logged-In: Username User Logged-In: User Logged-In: First Name User Logged-In: Last Name 6 Graceland University James M Mueller

7 Using the Session Parameters JAM 2011 After importing the Session Parameters in, you will need to create ways for authors to be able to use them. 1: Access to Session Parameters You may want to prevent certain Packages from having access to the Session Parameters so we set them up in their own folder. Now you need to choose which Packages should have access and give it to them. a) Add the Session Parameters Folder to the Package Definition of the Packages that you want to have access to it. 1 Click the [+] by Packages 2 Double-click the Package you want to add the folder to. Note: This takes a while to load. 3 The Package Definition window will open. 4 Click the [+] by the Extras Namespace 5 Click the next to the Session Parameters Folder which changes it to 6 Click the OK button 7 Publish the Package b) Repeat step 2.h for each Package you want to include the Folder in. 2: Prebuilt Filters For Query Studio authors to use Session Parameters they need to be made into prebuilt filters. For these instructions we are going to use cnslr_id from adm_rec as the example of how to create these filters. a) Click the [+] by Packaged Views then click the [+] by Recruiting and Admissions Information then click the [+] by Admissions Processing then click the [+] by Admissions Processing Filters b) Right-click the Admission Application Filters Folder and Click Create and then click Filter c) Name the Filter Admission Counselor Logged-In d) Click the [+] by Admission Application e) Drag Counselor ID Number to the Expression definition. f) Type after it the = symbol g) Click the [+] by Extras then click the [+] by Session Parameters h) Drag User Logged-In: ID Number to the Expression Definition. Should now read the same as to the right i) Click the OK Button 1.a5 Including Folder 2.h Expression Definition [Admissions Processing].[Admission Application].[Counselor ID Number] = [Extras].[User Logged-In: ID Number] Graceland University James M Mueller 7

8 Notes: 8 Graceland University James M Mueller

9 JAM 2011 Appendix The original document is housed at: ement/cognos_power_users/public.jnz?portlet=referenc e_documents under the JAM 2011 File Group. While the main document outlines two options for how to capture login information from Cognos and use it to drive reports, they are not the only methods. Outlined on the following pages are three other options. They are not as robust and flexible as the ones in the main document, but if you are unwilling to dive into those, these may provide you viable options instead Option 1: Session Parameter Calculations: This outlines how to bring in just the Session Parameters without the use of userid_table or the Custom Session Parameter. It is the simplest way to use Session Parameters and requires the least amount of setup. However it may not have much use, and isn t very flexible. Option 2: Session Parameter Filters: If you want a light version of using Session Parameters to filter your data, without the larger impact of the main document, this will give you that information. Option 3: Using aliases of userid_table: If the strange join presented in the main document isn t something that you find comfortable to use, you can get a similar effect of filtering for user id numbers using these instructions. While they require a similar amount of work for Authors to use, the Framework Manager requires more work. Graceland University James M Mueller i

10 Option 1: Session Parameter Calculations If you want to make Session Parameters accessible by authors with the ease of drag and drop, you need to create them as Calculations in Framework Manager first. Advantages: Having Session Parameters in their Packages allows report authors (both Query and Studio) to use them without having to know the syntax (something their studios don t provide them help with). They can easily place them on the report, and in the case of Report Studio, use them for advanced layouts and filters. Drawbacks: Session Parameter Calculations cannot be used by Query Studio authors to create filters. For Query Studio authors more work is required and that is outlined in Option 2. 1: General Information Namespace Why? Having them stored in the General Information Namespace will allow all authors immediate access to the Session Parameters since all packages reference it. h) Open your Project in Framework Manager i) Create the Folder Session Parameters 1 Click the [+] by CX and then click the [+] by Packaged Views 2 Right-click the General Information Namespace 3 Click Create and then click Folder 4 Name the new Folder Session Parameters 5 Click the Finish button on the next window j) Create the Calculations 1 Right-click the Folder Session Parameters and click Create and then click Calculation 2 Name the calculation User Logged-In: Username 3 Under Available Components: click on the tab Parameters 4 Click the [+] by Session Parameters 5 Drag account.personalinfo.username to the Expression Definition 6 Since this is a String we need to put inside the ## the String format:sq() Should now read #sq($account.personalinfo.username)# k) Repeat step 1.c for each Session Parameter you want to include as per the chart to the right. 1.d Session Parameters account.personalinfo.username account.personalinfo. account.personalinfo.givenname account.personalinfo.surname User Logged-In: Username User Logged-In: User Logged-In: First Name User Logged-In: Last Name ii Graceland University James M Mueller

11 JAM : Standalone Folder Why? Having them stored in a separate Namespace and a separate folder will allow you to only include the Session Parameters in Packages that you want them included in. c) Open your Project in Framework Manager d) Create the Folder Session Parameters 1 Click the [+] by CX 2 Right-click the Packaged Views Namespace 3 Click Create and then click Namespace 4 Name the new Namespace Extras 5 Right-click the Extras Namespace 6 Click Create and then click New Folder 7 Name the new Folder Session Parameters 8 Click the Finish button on the next window e) Complete instructions 1.c and 1.d using this folder f) Add the Folder to the Package Definition of the Packages that you want to have access to it. 1 Click the [+] by Packages 2 Double-click the Package you want to add the folder to. Note: This takes a while to load. 3 The Package Definition window will open. 4 Click the [+] by the Extras Namespace 5 Click the next to the Session Parameters Folder which changes it to 6 Click the OK button 7 Publish the Package g) Repeat step 2.h for each Package you want to include the Folder in. 2.h5 Including Folder Graceland University James M Mueller iii

12 Option 2: Session Parameter Filters If you want to make Session Parameters accessible by all authors to quickly make filters on data items (especially useful if you are using Special Session Parameters from section 3 of Cognos Session Parameters Overview) you will need to create filters wherever you feel they are useful. Advantages: While a Report Studio author can create a filter from a Calculation, Query Studio does not offer that flexibility. To give them filters, you will need to create them in the Model at every place they are needed. From the Users viewpoint, this is simple to use, and that is its main benefit. To use the filter, they just have to drag it to their report. Drawbacks: Unless you are using Cognos Session Parameters Overview section 3 to pull in id_rec.id for the user logged in, this Option may not be useful. Adding each filter where it is needed can take some time. 1: Example For this example we are going to use the user name captured by Active Directory to dynamically filter vch_rec. Why? This sample works in the standard package because of the join from vch_rec to userid_table. We are using this sample not because it may be useful but because you can do it without having to have special changes to your model. a) Open your Project in Framework Manager and click the [+] by the CX Namespace. b) Click the [+] by Packaged Views then click the [+] by Finance Information then click the [+] by General Ledger Accounts then click the [+] by General Ledger Account Filter then click the [+] by Transaction Entry Filters c) Right-click on Journal Filters click Create and then click Filter d) Create the Filter 1 Name the Filter Journals Prepared by User Logged-In 2 Click the [+] by Transaction Entries and then click the [+] by Journals 3 Drag Journal Preparer Username to the Expression Definition 4 Type after it the = symbol 5 Under Available Components: click on the tab Parameters 6 Click the [+] by Session Parameters 7 Drag account.personalinfo.username to the Expression Definition 8 Since this is a String we need to put inside the ## the String format:sq() Should now read the same as to the right 9 Click the OK Button Note: If you have done Option 1, you could have used the Calculation field in your filter for steps 1.d7 and 1.d8, instead of retyping the Macro. There is no difference in how the filter will function. 1.d8 Expression Definition [Transaction Entries].[Journals].[Journal Preparer Username] = #sq($account.personalinfo.username)# iv Graceland University James M Mueller

13 JAM 2011 Option 3: Using aliases of userid_table If you are not using Cognos Session Parameters Overview section 3 to pull in id_rec.id for the user logged in, this Option is very useful. It allows you to get the id_rec.id from the userid_table by filtering it with a Session Parameter. Advantages: By getting the id number of the person logged in, we can unlock a lot of options for dynamically changing reports. This is because many tables in CX have fields we can link to. This Option s example is adm_rec.cnslr_id. Drawbacks: Every place that you will want to filter on the id of the user logged in, you will need to create a new alias of the query subject, and make a join. Then you will have to create a Filter as per Option 2. This can be time consuming. 1: Making the Master Query Subject First thing we need to do is to create a Query Subject that we can use again and again wherever it is needed. Why? Creating a master that we can reuse will help to minimize the amount of maintenance needed to update the Project and minimize the time needed to add new filters. c) Open your Project in Framework Manager d) Create the Folder User ID for Filtering 1 Right-click the CX Namespace 2 Click Create and then click Namespace 3 Name the new Namespace Extras 4 Right-click the Extras Namespace 5 Click Create and then click New Folder 6 Name the new Folder User ID for Filtering 7 Click the Finish button on the next window. e) Copy User ID Table 1 Click the [+] by Common Schema Tables then click the [+] by Common Schema Lookups 2 Right-click the User ID Table Query Subject and Click Edit and then click Copy 3 Right-click the User ID for Filtering Folder and click Edit and then click Paste f) Making the Filter 13 Double click the new User ID Table Query Subject 14 Click the Filters tab 15 Click the Add button 16 Name the Filter User Logged-in: Username 17 Drag Username to the Expression definition 18 Type after it the = symbol 19 Under Available Components: click on the tab Parameters 20 Click the [+] by Session Parameters 21 Drag account.personalinfo.username to the Expression Definition 22 Since this is a String we need to put inside the ## the String format:sq() Should now read the same as to the right 23 Click the OK Button 24 Click the OK Button Note: If you have done Option 1, you could have used the Calculation field in your filter for steps 1.d7 through 1.d10, instead of retyping the Macro. There is no difference in how the filter will function. 1.d10 Expression Definition [Extras].[User ID Table].[ Username] = #sq($account.personalinfo.username)# Graceland University James M Mueller v

14 2: Using the Master Query Subject Now that we have a master, we can create the aliases that we will use to make our joins wherever we need them. Why? We don t want to use the same Query Subject for every join because that could cause loops in our model and make errors in reports. a) Right-click the User ID Table Query Subject and click Create and then click Alias Shortcut b) Rename the Shortcut User ID Table: adm_rec c) Make the Relationship 1 Click the [+] by CX then click the [+] by Admissions Schema Tables then click the [+] by Admissions Data Source View 2 Click on the Admissions Records Query Subject and ctrl-click on the User ID Table: adm_rec Shortcut. 3 Click on the menu item Actions and then click Create and then click Relationship 4 Link Counselor ID Number and ID Database 5 Set the cardinality to 1..1 for both Query Subjects Why? Cognos does weird things when you use the 0..n and 1..n options. It does a stitched query that can cause reports to work wrong. Since we are just using this to make a filter, we don t need it to have a 1..n setting. 6 Click the OK button d) Create the Filter 1 Click the [+] by Packaged Views then click the [+] by Recruiting and Admissions Information then click the [+] by Admissions Processing then click the [+] by Admissions Processing Filters 2 Right-click the Admission Application Filters Folder and Click Create and then click Filter 3 Name the Filter Admission Counselor Logged- In 4 Click the [+] by Admission Application 5 Drag Counselor ID Number to the Expression definition. 6 Type after it the = symbol 7 Click the [+] by Extras then click the [+] by User ID for Filtering then click the [+] by User ID Table: adm_rec 8 Drag ID - Database to the Expression Definition. Should now read the same as to the right 9 Click the OK Button 2.d8 Expression Definition [Admissions Processing].[Admission Application].[Counselor ID Number] = [Extras].[User ID Table: adm_rec].[id - Database] vi Graceland University James M Mueller