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Framework Manager

Relative Time in Framework Manager

December 31, 2019 by Ryan Dolley 6 Comments

Kamil asks an excellent question about relative time in framework manager in response to my Framework Manager vs Data Modules article:

Great article. I have one question, is it possible to use relative dates with packages from framework manager?

– Kamil

Like all questions in Cognos, the short answer is ‘no’ and the long answer is ‘yes!’ Let’s take a quick dive into relative time in Framework Manaager.

Relative time in FM? No!

The enrich package screen of Cognos
The Enrich Package interface

There is no ‘easy button’ for using the new relative time functionality with Framework Manager, unfortunately. I was briefly hopeful that this is possible using the enrich package functionality but it’s not there.

Enrich package is an important piece of the Cognos pie so it’s worth talking about briefly. Enriching a package provides needed context that allows Dashboards, Explore and the AI Assistant to do their thing. Most notably, enriching a package will allow Cognos to properly display time and geographic data types and will collect the sample data that allows the AI assistant and Explore to function properly. Enriching a package taxes your system so consider restricting the query subject or running it off hours.

If easy relative time does come to FM this is where I’d expect it to go. It’s worth reiterating that FM itself will receive no changes going forward so it’s time to start making the change to data modules. It’s easier than you think!

Relative time in FM? Yes!

Here’s where things get a little trickier and using relative time with your FM model becomes possible. To make this work we’re going to need to use https://ibmblueview.com/what-are-cognos-data-modules/Data Modules, custom tables and the lookup reference feature.

Step 1: Add a package source to a data module

Adding a package as a source to data modules
A package has been added as a data source to this data module
  1. Click the ‘new’ icon and select data module
  2. Navigate to your package in the folder structure, click on it and click ‘OK’
  3. The data module screen will open with the package visible in the data tray

Step 2: Create a custom time table

Building a custom table in Cognos
Building a custom time table from a package
  1. Click the ‘Custom tables’ tab and click ‘Create custom table’
  2. Click ‘select tables’ and click the package source. All the tables in the package are displayed on the left.
  3. Click ‘create a view of tables’ and click ‘Next’
  4. Don’t forget to give your custom table a new name!
  5. Click ‘invert’ then select only the table with which you want to use relative time
  6. Click finish. Your custom time table will appear in the data tray

Step 3: Add relative time functionality

Adding relative time to the custom table in Cognos
Relative time can be added to your custom time table
  1. Click the ‘Add sources and tables’ button and select ‘Add more sources’
  2. Navigate to the ‘Calendars’ folder in the samples and select the ‘Fiscal calendar’ data module
  3. Click ‘OK’. The FiscalCalendar table will appear in the data tray, hidden by default
  4. Expand your custom time table, click the date you wish to use for relative time and click the ‘properties’ button in the upper right. The properties window will open.
  5. In the properties window, select ‘FiscalCalendar’ in the ‘Lookup reference’ drop down menu.
  6. You now have relative time functionality in your data module!
  7. Rinse and repeat for any additional time or measure fields that require this functionality

Step 4: Join the custom time table to the package

Joining a custom table to a framework manager package
The custom time table can now be joined to the package
  1. Click your custom time table and choose ‘New… Relationship’ in the pop up menu
  2. Select the appropriate table to relate the custom time table to the rest of the package. Oftentimes this is a fact table.
  3. Select the appropriate field(s), cardinality and join type for the join.
  4. Click ‘OK’

There you have it! Relative time in Framework Manager (sort of)

At this point you can save and use your data module, which is made of your pre-existing package plus one or more custom tables. This doesn’t solve the obvious problem that your existing content references the package and not the new data module, but new content can be built off this module. The module will even inherit changes made to the package. And there you have it – relative time in Framework Manager… sort of!


Read on to level up your Cognos skills!

  • Cognos Union Queries in Reports
  • Cognos Relative Dates in 11.2
  • The 2021 Gartner BI Magic Quadrant is Broken for Cognos Analytics
  • Data Modeling for Success: BACon 2020
  • Cognos Analytics 11.1.6 What’s New

Framework Manager vs Data Modules

November 20, 2019 by Ryan Dolley 22 Comments

I have spent a lot of time showcasing data modules to audiences across the world in-person and in livestreams, helping people understand how and why to use them as part of Cognos Analytics. The most consistent question I receive – by far – is about understanding framework manager vs data modules. There are a lot of outdated opinions and outright misconceptions floating around so let me outline the exact feature differences between framework manager and data modules as of Cognos 11.1.4.

FM vs DM is like Ali vs Frazier

What do data modules and framework manager have in common?

The answer is ‘a lot’ but this wasn’t always the case. In the 11.0 releases data modules were missing many essential framework manager features and didn’t offer compelling reasons to switch. Of course that has changed. As of 11.1.4 framework manager and data modules both:

  • Produce data models that can be used with all Cognos 11 features
  • Join dozens or hundreds of tables across multiple databases
  • Execute cross-grain fact queries (aka the dreaded determinants)
  • Build simple or complex calculations and filters
  • Build alias, view, union and join virtual tables
  • Secure data by groups, roles and users
  • Create OLAP-like dimensional hierarchies
  • Offer enterprise governance, auditablity and security

Oftentimes people washed their hands of data modules a couple years ago and are surprised to see virtual tables, cross-grain fact queries and security by groups. These features may exist in both but the implementation in data modules is superior from a usability perspective.

Column dependencies can handle degenerate dimensions, unlike framework manager
Column dependencies go beyond what was possible using determinants in FM

What do data modules offer that framework manager does not?

Again, the answer is ‘a lot’. The 11.1. release takes data modules beyond what is possible in FM with a host of powerful capabilities and quality of life enhancements. The following features are either exclusive to data modules or done infinitely better in data modules.

  • Natural-language and Ai powered auto-modeling
  • Automatic join detection
  • Easy integration of excel data
  • Ability to easily clean data
  • Flexible hierarchies that go up, down and across (navigation paths)
  • Easy measure binning and attribute grouping
  • Easy extraction of year, month, day, etc… from data data types (split)
  • Automatic creation of relative time filters (YTD, MTD, PYMTD, etc…)
  • Automatic creation of relative time measures (YTD actuals, PYTD actuals, etc…)
  • In-memory materialized views within Cognos Analytics
  • In-memory query cache
  • Easy multi-model inheritance for single source of truth
  • Degenerate dimension aggregation (column dependencies)

Some of these features are absolute game changers for how I craft highly performant, easy to use and self-service friendly data models. Consider the coconut relative time; because this was such a titanic brain buster in framework manager only the most skilled developers could deliver. Now it takes minutes for end users to implement.

Building a dozen relative time filters can be done in as little as five clicks.
It took five clicks to build the relative time filters that take ~1 trillion years in FM

What are data modules missing?

There are still some things data modules lack:

  • Object level security
  • DMR capabilities
  • Parameter maps
  • Multiple connections for data servers

If I’m being honest, I don’t really recommend you use many of these features for new development in 2019 unless you absolutely have to, particularly DMRs. DMRs are very powerful for those who know MDX but a true maintenance and self-service nightmare in the long run. I cannot count the number of clients who are stranded with critical DMR based reports they cannot understand. In any case, a little bird told me that DMR-like functionality will grace data modules soon.

Going beyond the feature list

Comparing framework manager vs data modules feature for feature, we can see how data modules have few shortcomings and offer huge advantages. While this is a common way for IT folks to think (and I would know, I’m one of them!), I argue that it badly misses the point. By using data modules an IT professional can do weeks of FM work in an afternoon while a self-service user can easily accomplish tasks that will otherwise be done in Power BI. I repeat it often but I’ll say it again – data modules are the key to modernizing your Cognos Analytics environment and delivering content with the speed modern users demand.

What do you recommend?

I’ll parrot Cognos offering manager Jason Tavoularis and say, ‘use data modules unless you can’t.’ And as you can see above, the list of reasons you can’t has become quite short. I start ALL consulting engagements under the assumption that we’ll be building data modules and I’m always happy with the results.

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