Interim Solution - Adding Data to Cognos or Tableau
Summary
What:
Connect BI Tool directly to data source
Report developer creates Tableau data source or Cognos data module
Report developer then creates reports off the Tableau data source or Cognos data modules
Pros:
Allows report developers to build Cognos or Tableau report prior to the data source being added the applicable Activity Hub(s)
Once the data source is available in the applicable Activity Hub(s), the reports can be re-pointed
Can be blended with Activity Hub views (may reduce speed of report)
Works best with on-prem servers
Both Pro & Con:
Maintenance of Tableau data source or Cognos data module is performed by Report developer
Cons:
May not be available for applications located in the cloud or Amazon Web Services (AWS)
A poorly written report can negatively impact the performance of the data source
Does not allow for data to be used by data integrations
May not use AH naming standards or BIA development standards, therefore when the your data source is added to an Activity Hub you’ll need to update your reports to point at the new fields
How:
Email busintel@ucsd.edu to request connection between data source server and BI tool
Cognos Process
The Business Team opens a ticket with BIA by emailing busintel@ucsd.edu
The person who opens this ticket should be a Cognos report developer or a team lead with a report developer resource
Include the following:
Name of the data source
Connection details for the data source: port and url or server name
The name of the data base administrator, the person who can create username logins and passwords for the data source
The Active Directory group that should have report developer access to this data.
The Active Directory group that should have consumer access to this data.
BIA requests firewalls to be lowered between data source and Cognos
BIA requests a username and password for the data source
BIA creates the folder structure in Cognos
One folder will be created to hold the in-progress data source and in-progress reports
One folder will be created to hold the final data source module
BIA imports data into Cognos - this will be all of the data
Business Team models the data in a Cognos data module
BIA can provide training as needed
This doesn’t have to be all of the data from the data source, more can be added to later if needed
Business Team can combine data modules of different data sources
This was the report developer can create data module joining the uploaded data source and Activity Hub packages
Business Team builds reports off the data module
Additional support needed after the data module is created can be secured by emailing busintel@ucsd.edu.
Tableau Process
The Business Team should already have a direct connection between their Tableau desktop and the Data Source
This involves lowering the firewall between the data source the the desktop Tableau is install on
Business Team models the data in Tableau desktop
BIA can provide training as needed
The Business Team opens a ticket with ITS-AP to request the firewalls be lowered between the Data Source and Tableau Server
Please include the port and url or server name
In your SNOW ticket, request that the ticket be assigned to ITS-AP.
The Business Team requests folders for the data source and workbooks to be published to, if they do not already exist, by emailing busintel@ucsd.edu
Include the following:
The Active Directory group that should have report developer access to this data.
The Active Directory group that should have consumer access to this data.
BIA creates the folder structure in Tableau
One folder will be created to hold the in-progress data source and in-progress reports (optional)
One folder will be created to hold the final data source
Business Team builds reports off the data module
Additional support needed after the data source is created can by secured by contacting
Your local desktop support can help with technical issues between Tableau desktop and your data source
Your local database admin can help with security issues between Tableau desktop and your data source
ITS-AP can help with technical issues between Tableau server and your data source