COGNOS GOVT. & HE USERS GROUP Operational reporting using Cognos and Oracle’s Logical database technologies Presenter: Angela Hooper, Colorado Community College September, 18 th, 2009

Description This session addresses the gap in real-time operational reporting in Banner. CCCS has leveraged Cognos, Oracle's Logical Standby database, ODS views and custom pl/sql procedures to provide an efficient and secure operational reporting environment. Discussion to include technical set up information, and ways that schools without high end report writing tools can use the core of this solution.

Session Rules of Etiquette  Please turn off your cell phone/beeper  If you must leave the session early, please do so as discretely as possible  Please avoid side conversation during the presentation Thank you for your cooperation!

Introduction  Angela Hooper – Manager of Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing  Colorado Community College System (CCCS), Denver  13 colleges, 107,000 annual enrollment  1 centralized banner 7.4 installation VPD

Topics of Discussion  CCCS Business need  Business solution  Technical answer to CCCS’ need  Oracle LSB-DB  Ref-Cursors in PL/SQL  Cognos FWM setup  Take home architecture points

CCCS Business Need  Current reporting set up  Home grown student data mart on 9hr refresh  Custom job subs – strain on PROD  Cognos front end  Future ODS client (Dec 2008)  Tasks  Reduce reporting off of PROD  Maintain real time data (HR and FIN)  Control and audit security  Don’t buy anything new

Business Solution – “Good” Practices  Don’t report off of Production if you can help it  Do a requirements document for ALL report requests. (example)  Separate business logic from report writing tool  Don’t self promote code

Technical Solution for CCCS  Logical stand by reporting database  New LSB schema for views and procs  Cognos framework model – one query subject per report or view

Technical Solution for CCCS

Oracle LSB-DB  Stand by database 10gR2  Uses Oracle Data Guard with SQL Apply  The main advantage of logical database is that the data structure of the replicated may be different than the master database.  April Simms SUU – Seta Dallas 2007

Ref-Cursor – What is it?  The ref cursor is a "pointer" data type  Allow you to quickly reference any cursor result (usually an internal PL/SQL table array)  Data values are kept in RAM  Can be used multiple time in one Proc

Ref-Cursor – How it helps?  Returns a large dataset – for reporting  Return Specific SQL to users  Control joins in DB not report writer  PIN procedures with ref cursor output in memory

Ref-Cursor – Example? procedure PROC_SALARY_VERIFICATION (p_cursor out cursorType, p_vpdi in varchar2, p_effect_date in date) is BEGIN open p_cursor for select spriden_id … from spriden, nbrjobs, where spriden_pidm = nbrjobs_pidm and spriden_change_ind is null … and pebempl_empl_status <> 'T' and nbrjobs_status <> 'T' and nbrjobs_effective_date = trunc(p_effect_date) and (pebempl_vpdi_code = p_vpdi or pebempl_vpdi_code like p_vpdi); END PROC_SALARY_VERIFICATION;

Ref-Cursor – More Info Devshed: REF-CURSOR-in-PL-SQL/ REF-CURSOR-in-PL-SQL/ Burelson: track.cc/t_easyoracle_pl_sql_ref_cursors.htmhttp:// track.cc/t_easyoracle_pl_sql_ref_cursors.htm

Returning ref-cursors to report writer tool  Stored procedure output - just like a table  Access Example  Pass thru query (ODBC)  Crystal Example  Enable data connection to packages or procs  Cognos Example  FWM example

Cognos FWM 1 of 4 Steps for set up 1. Compile proc in database 2. Create directory connection object to LSB in cognos connection 3. Create new FWM model with LSB 4. Set up name spaces for data and business areas

Cognos FWM 2 of 4 5. Create new query subject in database layer

Cognos FWM 3 of 4 6. Create business layer QS

Cognos FWM 4 of 4 7. Create package. Include only business layer query subjects 8. Publish package 9. Grant security 10. Build report front end

Technical Solution for CCCS

Added Value –Portability, & disaster recovery for reporting –Quicker drop down parameters in Cognos –Security modifications allowed Mgr to promote developer code –PL/SQL skills spread out. Cognos skills kept light.

Take Home Architecture –Try setting up LSB –Create “Views” with Ref cursors to protect Ad- hoc users –Create Procs with Ref Cursors for frequently requested SQL – doubles as code repository –Invest on learning the tables and data, NOT on a report writer tool expert.

Questions and Answers

Presenter Information Angela H.Hooper Colorado Community College System Manager of Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing 1059 Alton Way Denver, CO (720)